Rebecca Sheraton Writes
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Publications
  • Blog
  • Writing Tips
  • Recommended Groups and Resources
  • Contact

Scorching Aussie Christmas

12/12/2014

11 Comments

 
What a scorcher! Sweat dripped off my forehead. A massive heatwave hit Queensland. The hottest Australian Christmas on record ever and here I am stuck driving out to the middle of whoop-whoop with my whole family.

“How much longer to Uncle Ned’s and Auntie Karen’s farm?” I complained.

“Jake, you know Blackall is far away!” said Mum.

 “It’s not all black. It’s all dust. It should be called Dustall,” joked Dad.

“Ha, ha. That’s so corny, Dad,” said Lisa.

“Mum, can you turn the air-conditioning up?” I asked.

“Rrrr,” groaned Mum, giving me the not-one-more-word look.

“I’m almost as scorched as a scorched almond!” said Dad, laughing at himself.

“Seriously Dad, enough. Those aren’t even jokes,” said Lisa.

Whoosh! Splutter-splutter STOP!

Steam poured out from under the hood.

That’s not good, I thought.

Dad popped the bonnet and checked the engine. “Radiator’s gone! I’ll need to call for help.”

This was perfect! What’s worse than being stuck in the outback? Not going out or heading back home, I thought.

Chug-chug-chug!

Was it a mirage? No a miracle on wheels. A blurred haze of rusted steel chugged straight towards us.

“Hi Jensen’s. I’m Steve. You’re heading to Ned’s and Karen’s for Christmas?” called Steve from his old tractor.

“Too right. We’re having a bit of car trouble,” said Dad. “Can you give us a tow?”

“Sure can! I’ll have you hooked up in no time.”

And we chugged slowly behind Steve all the way to Ned and Karen’s farm.

“Thanks mate,” said Dad, shaking Steve’s hand. “Come in for a drink?”

“No, I have to get to my own celebrations. Glad to help.”

“Well that’s an entrance,” cried Uncle Ned.

“Merry Christmas!” shouted Auntie Karen, squeezing me so hard and covering me in kisses.

“Where’s the kids?” asked Dad.

“Oh, floating up in the dam. That’s where we set up Christmas!”

I couldn’t have been more wrong. We floated in tubes on the dam, barbecued Christmas lunch, ate under the tarp and slept in our swags under the stars.

It was a dam good Christmas!

11 Comments
Lynn A. Davidson link
12/12/2014 01:44:53 pm

What a great rescue! This is quite an adventure for Christmas celebrations. :)

Just a note: I wonder if there's a mix-up of names in one place? Was it Uncle Ned perhaps who said "Well that's an entrance" and not Steve? or maybe I misunderstood.

Reply
Alayne Kay Christian link
12/12/2014 10:42:44 pm

What a fun twist with the play on words at the end. Made me smile. So glad they ended up having a dam good Christmas ;-)

Reply
Teresa Robeson link
12/12/2014 11:13:25 pm

Some Christmases, I wish for floating around in a bathing suit instead of being wrapped in several sweaters. ;) Such a fun story!

Reply
Yvonne Mes link
12/13/2014 03:28:59 am

Ah, a great Aussie Christmas story! Well done, Bec, I really enjoyed it :-)

Reply
Elaine Kiely Kearns link
12/13/2014 07:18:55 am

What a fun twist at the end! Lots of luck to you!

Reply
Rebecca Sheraton
12/13/2014 11:16:01 am

Thanks for taking the time to read my story and comment :)

Reply
Sylvia Liu link
12/13/2014 11:10:38 pm

Very nicely done. I really liked the goofy dad and the daughter's line, "those aren't even jokes."

Reply
Patricia Tilton link
12/14/2014 02:56:16 am

That was some rescue and a great twist at the end. Fun entry.

Reply
Susanna Leonard Hill link
12/14/2014 06:55:42 am

So hard to imagine Christmas in a heatwave, Rebecca - so the opposite around here! - but you described it beautifully and made me feel it. Jake was very believable in his whininess :), and I loved Steve showing up on a tractor to tow them to Uncle Ned's! And celebrating by floating on inner tubes on the dam sounds glorious! Thanks so much for joining in the holiday fun!

Reply
Carol Ann Martin
12/14/2014 01:30:37 pm

Loved it! A real Aussie Christmas that resonates with me - although these days I live in Tasmania where it's a tad cooler :)

Reply
Jilanne Hoffmann
12/14/2014 02:18:33 pm

Ha! Too funny! Dam fine story! I was in Australia once for Christmas. Very unsettling since I grew up with snow and cold for the holidays. Glad this had a happy ending and you didn't end up cooked like fried eggs in the outback. Cheers!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Archives

    July 2018
    November 2017
    June 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2015
    October 2015
    June 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from keithalexander, aliwest44, Kuba Bożanowski, neil conway, kencf0618, Celestine Chua, mayrpamintuan, baynado1978, angelocesare, MacBeales, itsdannie., Unhindered by Talent
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Publications
  • Blog
  • Writing Tips
  • Recommended Groups and Resources
  • Contact