Family Secrets – Part 7
Shelley ran ahead as she got to the hotel doors she put all her weight on them and pushed them open. Then held it open for Archie and Lexie following behind her. She gave them an angelic smile as they passed her, and then ran off ahead of them again, leaving the door to swing in Duncan's face, he reacted fast to push his hand in front before it hit his face.
Once inside they adjusted to the cool air the overhead fans made while they whirled round. Shelley ran up to reception "Hey Scott" she yelled as she leaned against the counter. "G'day mate" Scott replied scuffling Shelley's hair, she replied with a cheesy smile back. Archie walked up behind her. "Not annoying Scott are ya Shell" Archie laughed, tickling Shelley. "Noooo..." Shelley yelled wiggling away.
Duncan walked behind them all, dragging his feet and head down. "Cheer up mate" Lexie said playfully punching Duncan in the arm. "Mum!" Duncan said shamefully back to her, giving her a disgusted look as he moved away. "Oh Sorry" Lexie said laughing.
Lexie and Duncan joined Archie and Shelley at the reception counter as Shelley was still talking to Scott. "Scott... do you want to hear the song I learnt at school?" Shelley asked smiling. "Go on then" Scott said laughing.
"Ok well it starts like this..." Shelley said preparing herself for the song.
"I came from the dream time, from the dusty red soil plains,
I am the ancient heart - the keeper of the flame,
I stood upon the rocky shore, I watched the tall ships come,
For forty thousand years I'd been the first Australian. We are one but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come,
we share a dream,
And sing with one voice," Shelley paused to see if Scott recognised it. "I am, you are, we are Australian." Scott sang joining in with her, as she laughed. "That's the 100th time we've heard that" Archie laughed. "It's not finished yet!" Shelley said interrupting Archie. "Ok Sorry!" Archie whispered laughing.
"I came upon the prison ship bound down by iron chains
I cleared the land, endured the lash and waited for the rains.
I'm a settler, I'm a farmer's wife on a dry and barren run
A convict then a free man, I became Australian.
I'm the daughter of a digger who sought the mother lode
The girl became a woman on the long and dusty road
I'm a child of the depression, I saw the good times come" Shelley sang again by herself. "I am, you are, we are Australian." They all sang together except for Duncan.
"Duncan why wont you sing with us?" Shelley asked confused. "Because what's the point, I don't even know why mum and dad are singing it, it's not like they are Australian" Duncan snapped back at her. "Well you are" Shelley said even more confused at this point. Lexie looked across at Archie worried, he could read her signs and knew this couldn't be good, but before they could do anything about it Duncan shouted back. "No I'm not Shell! I was born in Scotland! I'm not bloody Australian!"
A few people in the hotel turned around, shocked by the sudden rise in voices, then there was silence and you could only hear the sound of the fans moving round above their heads. Archie took Duncan by the arm, and lead him quickly outside. Duncan could hear Shelley whispering as he left. "Mummy is Duncan telling the truth?" she asked confused. "Yes honey" Lexie replied, her eyes not looking at her daughter but outside to where she could see Archie shouting at Duncan, although she could not hear him through the glass, it didn't look good. Clearly Archie had been embarrassed by his son's outburst in their own hotel. There was silence for a while inside the hotel, as people started to return to what they were doing. "I was born here though weren't I?" Shelley asked again after a while. Lexie's attention then went back to her daughter. "Sorry honey what did you say?" Lexie said shaking her head. "Was I born here?" Shelley asked again, looking rather worried this time.
Archie then opened the door. "We're leaving" he called to Lexie. "But Arch I thought we were gonna..." Lexie said confused. "Now" he said again shutting the door. Lexie sensed the anger in Archie's voice. "Come on pet, let's go" Lexie said to Shelley. "Okay" Shelley said disappointed sliding down from the stool she was sitting on and taking Lexie's hand. "Bye Scott!" she turned round waving to him. "See ya Kiddo!" he called back, waving to her.
Shelley ran ahead as she got to the hotel doors she put all her weight on them and pushed them open. Then held it open for Archie and Lexie following behind her. She gave them an angelic smile as they passed her, and then ran off ahead of them again, leaving the door to swing in Duncan's face, he reacted fast to push his hand in front before it hit his face.
Once inside they adjusted to the cool air the overhead fans made while they whirled round. Shelley ran up to reception "Hey Scott" she yelled as she leaned against the counter. "G'day mate" Scott replied scuffling Shelley's hair, she replied with a cheesy smile back. Archie walked up behind her. "Not annoying Scott are ya Shell" Archie laughed, tickling Shelley. "Noooo..." Shelley yelled wiggling away.
Duncan walked behind them all, dragging his feet and head down. "Cheer up mate" Lexie said playfully punching Duncan in the arm. "Mum!" Duncan said shamefully back to her, giving her a disgusted look as he moved away. "Oh Sorry" Lexie said laughing.
Lexie and Duncan joined Archie and Shelley at the reception counter as Shelley was still talking to Scott. "Scott... do you want to hear the song I learnt at school?" Shelley asked smiling. "Go on then" Scott said laughing.
"Ok well it starts like this..." Shelley said preparing herself for the song.
"I came from the dream time, from the dusty red soil plains,
I am the ancient heart - the keeper of the flame,
I stood upon the rocky shore, I watched the tall ships come,
For forty thousand years I'd been the first Australian. We are one but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come,
we share a dream,
And sing with one voice," Shelley paused to see if Scott recognised it. "I am, you are, we are Australian." Scott sang joining in with her, as she laughed. "That's the 100th time we've heard that" Archie laughed. "It's not finished yet!" Shelley said interrupting Archie. "Ok Sorry!" Archie whispered laughing.
"I came upon the prison ship bound down by iron chains
I cleared the land, endured the lash and waited for the rains.
I'm a settler, I'm a farmer's wife on a dry and barren run
A convict then a free man, I became Australian.
I'm the daughter of a digger who sought the mother lode
The girl became a woman on the long and dusty road
I'm a child of the depression, I saw the good times come" Shelley sang again by herself. "I am, you are, we are Australian." They all sang together except for Duncan.
"Duncan why wont you sing with us?" Shelley asked confused. "Because what's the point, I don't even know why mum and dad are singing it, it's not like they are Australian" Duncan snapped back at her. "Well you are" Shelley said even more confused at this point. Lexie looked across at Archie worried, he could read her signs and knew this couldn't be good, but before they could do anything about it Duncan shouted back. "No I'm not Shell! I was born in Scotland! I'm not bloody Australian!"
A few people in the hotel turned around, shocked by the sudden rise in voices, then there was silence and you could only hear the sound of the fans moving round above their heads. Archie took Duncan by the arm, and lead him quickly outside. Duncan could hear Shelley whispering as he left. "Mummy is Duncan telling the truth?" she asked confused. "Yes honey" Lexie replied, her eyes not looking at her daughter but outside to where she could see Archie shouting at Duncan, although she could not hear him through the glass, it didn't look good. Clearly Archie had been embarrassed by his son's outburst in their own hotel. There was silence for a while inside the hotel, as people started to return to what they were doing. "I was born here though weren't I?" Shelley asked again after a while. Lexie's attention then went back to her daughter. "Sorry honey what did you say?" Lexie said shaking her head. "Was I born here?" Shelley asked again, looking rather worried this time.
Archie then opened the door. "We're leaving" he called to Lexie. "But Arch I thought we were gonna..." Lexie said confused. "Now" he said again shutting the door. Lexie sensed the anger in Archie's voice. "Come on pet, let's go" Lexie said to Shelley. "Okay" Shelley said disappointed sliding down from the stool she was sitting on and taking Lexie's hand. "Bye Scott!" she turned round waving to him. "See ya Kiddo!" he called back, waving to her.