The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas

Author:Christos Tsiolkas
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Australia, Families, Electronic books, Family Life, Fiction, Psychological, Interpersonal relations, Suburban life, Historical, General
ISBN: 9780143117148
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2010-04-27T01:56:43.552167+00:00

‘What did you think?’

She tactfully turned the question back onto Shamira. ‘What did you think?’

‘There’s only two bedrooms but we can only afford two bedrooms, unless we find a place much further out. But I want to be close to Mum and Kirsty, and Bilal wants to be close to work. I could easily live here.’ Shamira’s eyes were bright, enthusiastic.

Rosie knew exactly what to say. ‘I thought it was a real nice place. The street seemed really welcoming, lots of kids, and you’ve got a primary school around the corner.’

‘There’s also the high school up the road, for later on.’

Rosie smiled at Bilal, wondering if he could read through it, see the disbelief it was shielding. How long would you live here if you got it? How long could you bear to live here?

‘It’s perfect.’

She half-listened in the car on the way back, aware of her friends’ excitement, their apprehension and nervousness. She was wondering how to convince Gary to even begin looking for a house together, to just turn up to inspections.

Spring Street turned into St Georges Road and the skyline of Melbourne suddenly came into view. This was where she wanted to be, this had been her world for years, where she dreamed of buying a house. But if some shit-box in Thomastown was going for three hundred grand then there was no way they could afford to buy here. The inner north. The cafés. Her favourite shops. The pool. The tram rides into Smith Street and Brunswick Street. The luxury of the Yarra River and the Merri Creek for long walks. It was unfair—it was here that they belonged.

‘So when’s the auction?’

‘In a month.’

The weekend after the hearing. It would be an enormous week. Bilal would be full-time at work, Shamira would be doing all the running around. Rosie had no idea what was involved, but she assumed there would be banks to visit, lawyers, estate agents, God knows what.

Shamira read her thoughts, turned around, grabbed her hand. ‘I’ll be there.’

Rosie could not believe how grateful she felt.

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