Chapter 7

It took the whole week to realize she wasn’t speaking to me ... Myndee wasn’t either. Well, Myndee was limiting her conversation to ‘yes sir, no sir, dinner, breakfast, lunch is on the table’ and ‘pass the salt.’ Abby communicated to me through Myndee. Myndee made up her own mind whether or not she passed it on. If I didn’t hear Abby say it and Myndee didn’t pass it on ... I was shit outta luck.

A week went by. Early in the morning, I told Abby to get in the car.

“You too, Myndee.”

“Where are we going?” Abby was asking Myndee.

“I haven’t a clue ... ask your father,” Myndee told Abby.

“Get in the car ... both of you.”

We stopped at Durham Street for a basic breakfast ... including some of McDonalds finest coffee.

Abby said to the counter help, “Eggs, bun, sausage, potato cakes,” she snuck a look at me, “And coffee.”

The counterman looked at me ... I shrugged. He rung it in. Abby gave me the strangest look.

Myndee said, “I’ll have the same.”

“Me too.”

“That’s three breakfasts, with coffee.”

I used my One Card.

This was Abby’s first experience with coffee.

“Myndee, I can’t believe he’s letting me have coffee.”

“Go with it.”

A more clever person would order the Sausage Egg Bun. Because that’s what we did with the egg, sausage and bun. Piled it on and ate it. The Sausage Egg Bun would have been cheaper ... and better ... it comes with cheese. The meal wasn’t exactly a five star dining experience. But it would do what all food does no matter if it’s five star or greasy spoon ... make a turd.

From Durham to William is half a block. Right on William. There are three things of paramount importance about William ... it turns into Panorama ... Panorama is where the race track is ... and Abby’s garage and cars ... and Charles Sturt University.

Abby was sure she’d won.

I stopped at the Registrars Office. I opened Myndee’s door and handed her out. Pushing the seat forward I handed Abby out of the back.

“Through that door, they’re expecting you,” I said. “Call me when you quit.”

“Where are you going?” asked Myndee.

“To get something decent to eat,” I said.

“Ooo, I wanna go too,” she said.

“Nope ... you’re nanny ... so nanny.”

I drove off.

I went to the Hub ... they have real food. The Mediterranean Omelet is to die for.

After I was sure they were testing, I went back and chatted with the older scholarly looking guy.

“How’s she doing?”

“Secondary tests.

“Like High School?”

“Yes.”

“Oh lord.”

“You realize that Federal Law requires attendance until Year 10, and until they turn 17 years of age, students then have the following options. Continuing State Education, until Year 12 or they may also be in: full-time further education and training (e.g. TAFE, traineeship, apprenticeship); or full-time, paid employment of an average of 25 hours per week; or a combination of both of the above.”

“What if...”

“The law makes NO provision for any options except those listed.”

“How about...”

“No ... Zero ... Nothing.”

“So ... say a family immigrated and the child in question has a baccalaureate degree from a qualified institution of higher learning obtained before the age of 16...”

“Back to High School until age 17 and full time employment ... or High School until age 18.”

“Crazy.”

“Child Protection Act of 2010. And the employment is subject to approval by the provisions in the Act.

“Huh?”

“It must be deemed ‘Safe’.”

“What the hell does That mean?”

“That is a decision made by the governing body.”

He looked at his watch. “They’ll be taking a food break in fifteen minutes.”

“I’d better be going. Abby isn’t speaking to me at the moment. And I have a rather tough decision to make. I need to commune with her mother.”

“I thought her mother is dead.”

“Yeah,” I said, “Going to make a decision very difficult ... so I need to go to her place of refuge and see what my thoughts bring me.”

“If you don’t mind?”

“Abby raced cars ... her cars are in a garage at the track ... have been since she got pregnant. She spent a lot of time there. Since she can’t come to me...”

“I see.”

And he did see. I could be friends with a guy like him.