Prologue
Louise stood in her cot, gnawing on the wooden railing, the warm, dry summer breeze gently tickled her face. She could taste the oil that her Daddy had put on her railings just before she was born. The sound of the fast flowing water rushing behind the house was a faint whisper in her mind. She could smell the sickly sweet pollen from the white wisteria flowers twisted around the tall Gums. The movement in her room caught her attention. She watched as her big sister waddled towards their bedroom door; Jessica stretched to reach for the door handle, balancing on the balls of her feet. She grabbed for it, missing it. She stretched on her tip toes, finally grasping it and pulling it down. The door opened, swinging inwards. Jessica turned around and smiled at Louise, putting a tiny fat finger to her lips, swiped at a blond curl sticking to her forehead, she took a glance back into the room and then padded out into the corridor. Their mother sat, passed out in the darkest corner of the room, an empty whisky tumbler lay on her lap, and the half full bottle sat on the floor next to her. The curtain covered only half of the window next to Louise's cot, Louise watched Jessica gently push open the screen door, holding it and being careful not to let it bang closed. She stumbled down the porch steps, running past the window where Louise stood in her bed, as fast as her chubby little legs could carry her, cheeks bouncing with every step. Louise couldn't see Jessica anymore as she had disappeared behind the garden shed. She sat down on her nappy padded bottom and waited for her big sister to reappear.
That was the last time she saw her big sister.
