Chapter 28: The girl who came out of the shadows

Wednesday 12-Sept 2007

They came to the school gate just a little before lunch. Chris was surprised to see a bunch of year-seven students hanging around the gate, even though it was still in period. He shrugged, and they passed through the gate.

Chris took a deep breath. The first battle was about to commence.

Lisa had arrived within minutes, out of breath. He'd shown her the letter, and she'd gone berserk. Once she'd settled, he'd explained his plan, and she'd signed on immediately. Since then she'd been quivering with an intense impatience to get to work. He'd also spoken to both his parents, and they were with him 'one thousand percent'.

Once he had that sorted out, he'd called Mr Cartwright to apologise for fleeing class. Mr Cartwright hadn't been interested in that at all, but had been very concerned for Shahia. Chris told him that they were going to have a class meeting at lunchtime, and promised to come and talk to him after that.

Once through the gate, he gathered the three of them around Maria's stroller. They hugged together tightly, touching heads.

"All for one, one for all. We are in this together, and we will succeed." Chris said. "Okay, time to do this."

They rose, and walked up the driveway towards the school buildings. Shahia was pushing the stroller, and Chris and Lisa were walking with her, one on each side, shoulder to shoulder.

Half way up the drive, Mr Cartwright met them. He squatted down, looking at Maria. He smiled at her, and then stood, looking at each of them in turn, finishing with Chris. He stepped forward and clasped Shahia's hand.

"Shahia, Lisa, Chris. My year seven spies told me you were back. What can I do to help?"

Chris handed him the letter, along with copies of the first two. He read them quickly, and then looked back up, fire in his eyes. "You're going to fight back?"

Chris nodded, smiling grimly.

"I'll help. I'll do whatever I can."

"Sir, we're going to talk to our class, then we'll come and talk to you. Would you be able to make us some copies of those?"

Mr Cartwright nodded, and then the lunch siren went. "I'll go and make you some copies, and then I'll see you in your form room."

"Thank you, sir," Chris said to the already retreating back of Mr Cartwright.

When they got to the room, Lisa opened the door. Shahia looked to Chris, and he could see her shaking in fear. His heart went out to her. It was like with him, he knew. The single hardest thing he'd done all year was changing Maria's nappy that night. Only Shahia — and maybe Alyssa — knew that was his big deal. This little thing, telling her classmates the truth — this might be the most confronting thing of all for Shahia.

At least, hopefully it would be; there were lots of things that could be worse, really unpalatable outcomes. He imagined having to say goodbye as she was sent overseas.

NO.

Never. He'd do anything at all to prevent that. And right now, this was the first step. He gave Shahia a huge hug, and they squeezed through the door without parting. Nervously, they turned to face the class.

It was more than just their class, Chris realised. The room was crowded. There were students from some of their other subjects, and some year-twelve students from the First Eleven as well. Someone had even thought to find Jay. Having this many people looking at her was too much for Maria, and she started crying. Needing something to do, Shahia picked her out of the stroller and cuddled her, though still standing against Chris, seeking comfort from his touch.

Joe stood and walked out the front of the class. "Thanks for coming everyone. Chris asked for us all to be here. We saw Shahia this morning, and we know something is terribly wrong. Then we all saw Lisa falling apart. I know that we are all very worried. Chris says he's going to explain."

He went and sat down on the floor next to Lisa. Chris saw him reach out and take Lisa's hand, checking that she was okay. She gave Joe a smile and turned back to Chris, giving him a look of encouragement.

"Thanks. I know you've all been wondering what's going on between Lisa, Shahia and I. We're just friends, but we've shared a deep secret that's bound us tight. From today, it's no longer a secret."

He paused. He had their rapt attention.

"Before I go on, I'd like you all to meet Maria." He gestured at Maria, but she refused to look, clutching as closely to Shahia as she could. He looked back at the class; he could see them all making the same wrong connection that he and Lisa had first made. "Maria is Shahia's little sister."

"Shahia's story starts in Iran. Her father was born there, a Persian Shiite Muslim. Her mother was born in Lebanon, a Christian. They met at Cairo University and fell in love."

Chris thought of that photo that Shahia had in her room. They had still looked like a couple deeply in love, all those years later.

"Their families wouldn't accept their relationship, and they got pregnant, so they ran away to Syria, where Shahia was born. Somehow, Shahia doesn't know how, they made their way to Australia when Shahia was fifteen months old."

"They loved Australia, and settled here, though they never became legal. Shahia's father started an import-export business, and gradually they got rich enough that Shahia could have whatever she wanted and go to St Joseph's. Along the way, Hassan, Alyssa, and Maria were born. Hassan is in year six, some of you have met him. Alyssa is in year five, in my sister's class."

"November last year, Shahia's parents went out for their first night out after Maria was born, and Shahia stayed home to look after the others. Her mother called her on the way home — someone had abused them, called them Lebos, and was chasing them along the freeway. They never got home that night; they died in a big car crash on the Eastern Freeway."

He was struggling to talk. Shahia was crying, and he stopped to give her hug. There was total silence in the room, and he knew that Shahia and he weren't the only ones crying. He took a deep breath. He had to go on.

"Since then, Shahia's been looking after the others. Everything they had was owned by her dad's business except for one tiny house, which her parents had bought in Shahia's name as a tax dodge. There's so much debt on the house that if Shahia sells it, there'll be nothing left, but it's legally hers."

There was a knock on the door, and Mr Cartwright came in. He quickly looked around, and stood by the door, nodding at Chris.

"Her father's business was wound up, and Shahia got what was left over; this is what is keeping them going, but the money will run out before Shahia turns eighteen. In the meantime, she's looking after her family.

"The Department of Community Services know about them, and they don't know what to do about it. See, Shahia doesn't fit any categories. She owns a house, and she looks after them, but she's only sixteen, and she's an illegal immigrant, though it's not her fault. They can't arrange for care for all of them together — they have problems with simpler cases, and so they can't do anything without breaking them up. Shahia, Hassan and Alyssa would rather die than get broken up. But if Shahia doesn't stay at school and keep her marks up, or if there's any complaints, then they'll do it anyway. That's the only reason she's here, and that's why she's so quiet.