Sarah's River

• Laura Wilson, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2010

The wind blew the gum nuts together causing it to create a plesant rustle. The waves crashed against the shore and the river bubbbled when it reached the steep banks.

Sarah sat on a gum tree, the gum nuts' sound ringing in her ears as the peal of the paddle steamer 'Pevensey' could be heard as the small boat made it's way back to Echuca to collect the waiting cargo.

It was fair game, the Adelaide was half a day in front of the Pevensey and if the Pevensey tied up for the night it would reamain that way, otherwise the two boats may have a race to win.

Sarah had studied all the Paddle Steamers that came down this far. Down to where the river was litred with salt, she knew the gentle whistles of all the boats.

Her farmer a wool farmer and also a river cargo merchant, also knew a great deal about the boats. He knew all the pipes and the cracks that were part of the Alexander Arbuthnot.

Once the 'mate' on this boat, he knew the boat backwards and inside out. He had only given up his job when he had fallen in love with Emmeline, Sarah's mother who had been taken by the disease tuberculosis.

Alistair the oldest of Emmeline's two children had taken care of her until her final breath. He had learnt to cope by using the work on the farm. His anger made him work faster and harder than he would otherwise. as though engulfed by something he couldn't control.

"Sarah," her father cried. As though he was aching for her, like he hadn't seen her in months. When Sarah arrived Alistair lay in a lump, to tired to moved the muscles in his arms to brush away the flies that hovered over him.

The wool scattered over the floor of the shed and to Sarah it looked like a winter wonderland even though the summer sun shone through the glass windows.

"I tried to teel him that working like that was going to kill him," Sarah's father said with a tear in his eye.
"He is still breathing though," Sarah exclaimed "If we have any chance of saving him we better not stand around here mopping. Hitch up the team and go for the doctor,"

Sarah was immedaitely obeyed as though she was an adult and he was a child. Sarah although sore dragged her brother towards the house.

The heat overcame her and as she ached to leave him to get a drink of water she dragged him to the station's homestead.

Once inside, the door shut, cool air flow around the house. The bricks and the blinds keeping the sun away. She once again dragged her brother, this time to his bed.

His weight was to much for her to lift, so rolling him onto the woolen rug, she put a pillow beneathen his wet hair and laid a blanket over his body.

Sarah could at last hear the wagon coming. The marks made in the soil indicating that Alistair had been moved.

The doctor approached Alistair at last and indicating signs of life, the doctor gave Alistair some medicene.
"He will recover but he will never be able to work like he used to," the doctor said.

The doctor was right and after time AListair came round. At first he needed assistance to walk but then he was soon running by himself.

From the money that Sarah's father had saved over two years, he built a paddle steamer and sold the farm. The money was enough to employ a crew and the two children spent the rest of their child hood years on the Murray River.The Mighty, Magnicent, Murray River.