Kooshball: I'm not a fan of song fics. Generally, I just skip the song part, and move on to the fic itself. However, I remembered the words to this classical Australian song, and thought about how it (kinda) suited Izzy.

"Waltzing Matilda" was one of the two songs that Australia could vote on for our national anthem. However, "Advance Australia Fair" was chosen instead, something to do with "Waltzing Matilda" being about someone stealing a sheep. It's still a widely known song, in, and I don't know about out of, Australia.

My suggestion is to read the song, look at the glossary I've included at the end, then go back and read the entire thing. "Waltzing Matilda" is a great part of Australia's heritage, and quite an interesting song.

By the way, chapter five of "Twist of Lemon" is up and still no new reviews…

Waltzing Matilda

Song version by Marie Cowan

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
Under the shade of a Coolibah tree
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me

Izzy looked up at the eucalyptus tree and sighed. It was a sad looking tree, wilted from the sun and lack of water. The city council didn't bother watering it, or pulling it down, it just had to struggle through the heat, slowly dying. Izzy felt like that too, like she was slowly dying, struggling to survive. During the summer, it was the worst, getting to 40 degrees at time. (Note: That's about 104 Fahrenheit) It was hard to find clean sources of water, and she sometimes had to hold her mouth to the sprinkler systems to get a drink. She patted the gum tree's trunk, and walked on through the park.

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me
And he sang as he watched and waited til his billy boiled
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Izzy's nose twitched when she smelt the people's barbecue cooking. The smell of cooking meat made her stomach growl, and Izzy sneered at the trash bin she'd been about to dig through. From where she stood, she could see half eaten sandwiches, a banana peel and a lot of other rubbish. Sick of being hungry, she began walking towards the street, where the shops lay waiting. She could steal something, and sell it so she might be able to eat later. Even better, she could swipe a wallet from a tourist, and take the money. Izzy didn't like taking money from people, it made her feel dirty. At least from a shop, the price of items had been jacked up so much that she could take something and they wouldn't lose money.

Down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee
And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tuckerbag
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Izzy found the small electronics shop she'd been taking from for the last three or so weeks. She liked it because it was small, and hadn't set up a proper security system yet. She walked around the shop casually, slipping a small trinket from the counter into her pocket. She stopped in front of the cameras, and looked at them carefully. While the owner of the shop talked with a customer, she worked on memorizing the sign nearby. This spiel would help sell the camera faster. Izzy's hand suddenly shot out and grabbed the camera just as the shop owner yelled out at her.

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me
And he sang as he watched and waited til his billy boiled
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Izzy never had to do this a few years back. Although they hated each other, her mother had provided her with food. And clothes. And shelter. Had Izzy really caused her mother's death? She'd died on a drug overdose from the same drugs that had Izzy kicked out of home. Was it her fault her mother was six feet underground, the only thing to mark where she lay a small stone pillar marked 'Sheila Parker, beloved sister, wife and mother. July 1950 to September 2000'? Izzy would always reply to these questions, it was her mother's fault she was on the streets, living like she did.

Up rode the squatter mounted on his thoroughbred
Down came troopers one two three
Whose that jumbuck you've got in the tuckerbag?
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Izzy bolted for the door, knocking someone out of the way. The shopkeeper was after her, slowly losing ground. Izzy knew if she wasn't fast enough, someone would eventually call the police. That was the last thing Izzy really needed, the police questioning her. Refusing to drop the camera, Izzy dodged around the people on the street, excited by the chase. She turned for a moment to see an old woman step in front of the shop owner, temporarily blocking his path. Izzy ran across the road to freedom.

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me
And he sang as he watched and waited til his billy boiled
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

What about Izzy's father? What role did he play in Izzy's life? Izzy's father had died a year after Izzy was born. Over the years, he had inherited millions of dollars worth of property and assets, which Sheila got when he died. That's why Izzy had lived in a good part of town. That's why Sheila thought she had to act perfect for everyone. Izzy often vaguely wondered what had happened to all of their things when her mother died, and what her father had been like. Then she'd tell herself off for thinking about things that she couldn't change, and think about MASH to take her mind off of the difficulties she faced.

Up jumped the swagman and sprang into the billabong
You'll never catch me alive said he
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me.

Izzy heard the car horn, and turned just in time to see the car that would hit her. It was a red Ford Falcon, new model. Didn't look like it had done more than a thousand kilometres. (Note: about 620 miles) As Izzy's mind went black, her last thoughts were about not having to worry about the police for a while.

A crowd gathered around Izzy's still body, shocked to witness such a horrific thing. A man ran forward, checking Izzy's pulse and breathing. When he told the crowd she was dead, everyone was too shocked to see the shop owner pick up his stolen camera and stalk back to his shop.

Or the old couple walking up the street, as if nothing spectacular had happened.

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me
And he sang as he watched and waited til his billy boiled
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Glossary

Waltzing – walking along a bush track, apparently

Matilda – something you roll out onto the ground to sleep on

Swagman – unemployed drifter from the 1800's or whenever

Billabong - Aboriginal word for a waterhole or creek

Coolibah - Aboriginal word for a type of Australian tree, aka a eucalyptus

Billy – a tin with a wire handle used for boiling water and heating food

Jumbuck – an Aboriginal word for sheep

Tucker Bag – bag for food (or 'tucker', like the Aussie slang term)

Squatter – someone who owned land in the 1800's or whenever

Troopers – policemen