It’s just… the thought of never seeing her again makes me so sad.
“Of course, hun,” she said. “Good luck keeping me away. I'll be there anytime you need me. We can chat on the phone whenever you like.”
It feels so good to hear her say it.
“I'm no stranger to Brisbane. I visit the coast as often as I can.”
Brisbane.
Those golden sandy shores.
Perhaps my dream is still within reach.
I’ve almost saved enough of my weekly allowance to afford the bus ticket.
But something causes me to hesitate.
A Beth-shaped something.
The fear of having nobody once again.
Hopefully the bus driver won’t recognise me, now that I’ve cleaned myself up.
“Plenty of time to think about it,” she says. “There's no rush.”
I spend the rest of my shift smiling from ear to ear, clearing dirty plates and glasses as though I’ve just won the lottery.
She’s not bailing on me.
She's promised we’ll stay in touch.
She’ll still be my Beth.
???
November is here already.
Almost three months since I arrived.
We’re standing at the bus stop on a golden afternoon.
This time I’m a passenger, not a stowaway.
One large suitcase and one overstuffed duffel bag.
I’m holding a book that I actually own.
I get to keep this one forever.
A wizard boy who escaped his scary family and travelled to a magical school.
Beth is my Molly Weasley.
TAFE is my Hogwarts.
Harry was given a magic ticket to a new life.
So was Charlie Bucket.
