Twenty years after the end of the war, Ellie, now a diplomat working for the UN, accepts an invitation to speak at her old high school, as part of the celebrations marking Australia Day. A one-off piece.
Disclaimer: Ellie's universe belongs to John Marsden, I'm just having fun in it!
"And now, I have the honour and the pleasure to call to the podium Ms. Ellie Linton, who has graciously accepted to come to her old high school and answer your questions. As you know, Ellie is currently working for the United Nations in East Timor, and actually made the trip back to Australia just to participate in our celebrations. So please give her a big welcome!"
The students, around 100 of them, girls in white shirts and blue plaid skirts, boys in maroon shirts and grey trousers, stood and clapped as the school Head stood aside to let a short, dark-haired woman in a blue linen suit take the floor behind the podium. Ellie's eyes scanned the Assembly Hall, which hadn't changed much in the years after her graduation. The same wooden benches, the same piano in the corner of stage, only the posters on the walls were now different, featuring alumni who had made a career in sports, or the cinema, or even the government. She was startled to see a poster of herself, an enlarged picture of her speaking in a conference – maybe it was the one on fighting corruption in the Balkans? She couldn't be sure, but it looked like that one.
She took a deep breath, pulling herself back to the present and to the expectant faces in the audience. God, teenagers! Probably they would be bored to death after five minutes. Still, it was worth a try, keeping them interested for those five minutes...The invitation to speak at the school had been a pleasant surprise, even taking into account all the events she had attended and the speeches she had made after the war. Lately, the interviews she gave were focused more on her current activities as a diplomat with the UN, than her war exploits, and that could only be a good thing. Hopefully, the lads and lassies here would also be interested in peace than war, even if it didn't grab the headlines.
"It's good to be back, Ms. Theobold", she said. "And it makes for a nice break from work to celebrate Australia Day with you here. Now, as agreed, we will have a Q and A session, so feel free to ask me anything."
Perhaps I shouldn't have said that, she mused. Who knows what they will come up with. Probably they will want to ask me what bits of my relationship with Lee were not included in diaries...
A tall, blonde girl in the back put up her hand.
"Why did you choose to become a diplomat?"
"To travel and see the world", Ellie joked, but then turned serious. "I've seen the results when people refuse to speak to each other with words and speak only with weapons. So if my work can make even a small difference, and help avoiding similar situations, then I'm happy".
"Do you think it does?"
Ellie thought for a moment before replying.
"It does, in small steps. Every single conference people attend, even every meeting or dinner, is one more occasion for speaking instead of fighting. So it might take a long time, but yes, negotiations can make a difference".
Another girl put her hand up.
"You are famous for your war exploits, and not only in Australia. Doesn't this make life, I mean, your professional life, more difficult?"
"In some cases, yes. It's not very often that you find diplomats which actual combat experience. But in other cases, it can be an asset. When I was in the Balkans, I think people there were more receptive towards an interlocutor who had actually seen the damage that war can cause".
A boy stood up.
"What is the most difficult part of your job"?
"Having to wear high heels every day."
This brought a laugh from the girls in the audience.
"No, seriously, having to ask my daughters to change countries and schools every three or four years. But they are managing quite well until now".
The Head raised her hand.
"Ellie, can I ask a question also? You mentioned your three daughters. In a situation similar to the one you faced as a teenager, would you want them to do the same things you did? To take up arms?"
"I sincerely hope that my daughters, and anyone else for that matter, will never face the same dilemmas. But to ask a parent if she would like to see weapons in the hands of her children...This is indeed a difficult question. But in the end, yes, I would. I would like to think that, when the chips are down, when it really matters, my daughters will do their best to defend their freedom and dignity".
"As a diplomat, you also have to defend the Australian government, even when its actions are not the best in the world. Don't you think you have compromised your ideals?"
"I've made a choice, to work for my government. It was my choice. How do I feel when I have to defend the actions of the government towards, let's say, the immigrants? I feel that Australia has a long way to go still, which should make us a bit more humble when we criticize other countries. But, for me, it would be either what I'm doing now, or demonstrating every day outside the parliament in Canberra. I think this is more effective".
Inwardly, Ellie sighed. Talk about a non-answer!
A girl from the back had been trying to catch her eye for some time. She nodded towards her.
"You still negotiate sometimes with our new neighbours, the people you fought as the enemy. Don't you just feel sick about it?"
Ellie smiled. This was the question that always, always came up in the Q and A sessions she did.
"No. I don't. Negotiating is the best way to avoid a repeat of what happened in my youth."
"Don't you miss the farm?"
"All the time! Especially when I was in New York and the only grass I saw was in Central Park. But every summer I go with my family to Queensland, and volunteer to help out in one of the big stations there. I'm sure as the girls grow older they will prefer to spend their summers on Bondi, but I will always go back to country".
The Head looked at the clock.
"We have time for one more question before we go to our presentation at the mayor's office and the barbie. Who wants to ask it?"
A couple of hands went up. The Head chose a boy in the back row.
"Where is your next posting?"
A few groans were heard in the audience. What a bore! The boy looked around belligerently. But Ellie was happy about the question. It brought an immediate connection to the here and now of her life.
"I will be staying in East Timor for another six months, and then I will move to Cambodia. My daughters are very excited. You're all welcome to come and visit! And now, may I thank you all for having me here today. Enjoy the rest of the celebrations, and the barbie! Ms. Theobold, thank you once again for your kind invitation".
She bowed deeply, while the students stood up and clapped. Ms. Theobold took the microphone.
"Thank you, Ellie, and good luck in East Timor and your new posting, and please join us for lunch at the barbie. I'm sure it's not something you get in East Timor often. Now, please all stand for the national anthem".
Ellie stood to attention as the music came out of the loudspeakers.
Australia's all let us rejoice, for we are young and free
We've golden soil and wealth for toil, our home is girt by sea...
Author's Notes: Australia Day is celebrated on the 26th of January, commemorating the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788.
Bondi is a popular beach in Sydney. A"station" is a big property, farmland for raising cattle, sheep, etc., usually in the Australian outback. A barbie is a barbecue, very common in the summer in Australia.
Read and review, please!