The Dream Sleepers by Patricia Grace

Author:Patricia Grace [Grace, Patricia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781742539720
Publisher: Penguin Random House New Zealand
Published: 2013-03-04T00:00:00+00:00

TWO

Kepa

Girls against boys today, and so there were the girls with their dresses tucked into their pants, waiting. The boys came out of their huddle and called, ‘Ana.’

‘We call Ana.’

‘Ana Banana.’

Ana could run it straight or try trickery. Straight she decided, and committed now with a toe over the line. Away with hair rippling, eyes fixed on the far corner, that far far corner, the corner far….

Boys bearing down, slapping thighs and yodelling. And confident. If Denny Boy didn’t get her Macky would.

‘Ana Banana.’

‘Anabanana.’

‘Banana Ana,’ Denny Boy leaving the bunch in a fast sprint, slowing down and lingering for the show of it, then diving for the ankle slap. But not quite. Not quite. Ana was ready for him. She side-stepped and kicked him in the knee, then she was off again.

Infield. No hope of a straight run now, nearly all on top of her. Facing her. Spreading out and facing. Back at the line the girls all screamed, ‘Run Ana.’

‘Run.’

‘Ana run.’

‘Runana,’ over the humps and cracks, plops and thistles. Not far to go, but they all knew someone would … Macky. She hit like a slammed door while the other girls all yelled at her to get up Ana.

‘Get up.’

‘Up Ana.’

‘Come on, gee.’

‘Gee, come on Ana, get up.’

‘Up.’

Macky’s fingers were clamped to her ankle but he hadn’t got her yet. He hadn’t got her three times in the middle of the back and those were the rules. She kicked out with her free foot, but he wouldn’t let go, and now the other boys were sitting on her. Thumping One, taking their time for the show of it, Two, caught Three. Howzat?

‘Howzat?’ The boys were doing some sort of dance, an arms and legs dance, a face dance, a bum dance, and the girls were wild. Sukeys they called.

‘Pick a fast runner next time sukeys.’

‘Cheats.’

‘Sukeys and cheats.’

Not that the boys cared, getting together for their next conference. They decided to call Charlotte, just to prove they weren’t sukeys. Or cheats.

‘Cha-arlotte.’

‘Ba-anjoes.’

‘Charlotte Banjoes,’ they weren’t scared.

Charlotte leapt forward and three of the boys ran ahead to help from the front because they knew it would take a united effort. Macky was coming from behind, but suddenly Charlotte halted and put her foot out and he somersaulted over it. ‘Go Charlotte, go Charlotte,’ the girls screamed. She went off at another angle with only three boys to beat. She charged straight for them, stopped and buckled her knees at them, then changed direction again and went for the line. Safe, with Macky throwing dung at her and the girls yelling, ‘All over, all over,’ running out into the bunch of angry boys.

Two more of the girls ran across safely while those who were caught went to the sideline to recuperate, and to await the revenge time.

‘How’s that you fullas?’

‘Only three of you fullas left.’

‘Shut up you cheats.’

‘Just only three.’

‘Who do you call?’

Erana ran out with fists flying. She saw a little gap between Jack and Denny Boy that could be big enough for a side-step foot-change and through, but not quite.

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