DAWN WILL RISE

DAWN WILL RISE  Part 2: HEROES      Ella had slept some of the night. Having four children, two of whom were infant twins, ensured exhaustion was a close reality. However, the trucking company boss had not been very helpful though. He had tried. He explained Australia was a very large country and out in "the outback," sometimes the phone coverage was often patchy at best.     Ben Samuels put his phone down with a heavy heart. What he had not said was that in a country with so much changing weather, fire could fall, literally from the sky. Growing storm clouds meant torrential rain and floods quite possibly.          Dry storms meant lightning arched down like a trident of white fire, beginning blazes that burned out of control. "Ring me if he comes home." He ended the call, then regretted using "if."     As dawn approached, Ella went to look out, hearing heavy traffic. Hopefully Mark. It was her errant husband. But not alo...

DAWN WILL RISE  Part 2: HEROES      It was like a scene from hell, flames rising behind him, drawing closer, roaring, rearing like so many dragons - unstoppable. Mark felt a terror of fear engulf him. Then two things happened - the woman collapsed with her baby and a tiny wombat (he thought it was) staggered to the small boy. He grabbed it, wrapping it in his torn filthy shirt.     As the huge truck paused, the boy ran to the man high in his cab and yelled: "Stop, stop or I will kill you, you mean bastard!" With little fists clutching the singed animal, he beat hard on the truck door, and then turned and held his baby as well. "Help my mum, you drongo!! Move!!"     It was a nightmare but the man's fear backed off. Keeping his engine running, fearing it would not start again, he left his haughty high seat, grabbed the woman, hefted her somewhere in the back sleeping area, threw in the pernicious pest of a kid together with the baby and the animal. ...

 DAWN WILL RISE  Part 2: HEROES     Mark felt frozen, even though the cab of his truck was getting warmer and warmer. He had been brought up in town. You watched bushfires from the safety of an armchair. Naturally you felt sorry for the poor victims, but he never thought smoke would change to flames literally in moments.     He tried to text for help. No signal - None! Maybe he could reverse or drive through. Suddenly he desperately wanted to be home. It seemed now the most desirable place in the entire universe.     The angry-red flames flared high. Mark jolted back to reality and reversed as fast as he could. A flaming torch of a blazing tree fell on the road behind him, blocking the way, embers flew everywhere. He groaned and drove forward, grateful he was hauling heavy machinery, not petroleum or hay for desperate drought-stricken farmers.     Why hadn't he cared more for other people, even the family. He vowed to change.   ...

DAWN WILL RISE  Part 2: HEROES      Ella had pulled herself together long before the children were due home. She had texted Jan, her sister to let her know she was able to collect her own children.     The house was reasonably tidy, the dishes done, the washing finished.     Mark was delivering hay to some farmers affected by drought or fire - she wasn't sure which. As she drove to the primary school, Ella felt suddenly she had so much to be thankful for - the house they almost owned, the enclosed back yard with a few shady gum trees, the tiny garden bed where the kids sprinkled flower and vegie seeds every year....And Dawn's foot was almost better!     Lately, she had seen awful pictures on the news of starving people in a war-torn South Sudan. There were two students from that country in school. They both needed help with lessons and Jan, with her older kids, had volunteered some time.      The Sudanese children running ...

DAWN WILL RISE  Part 2: HEROES       The smoke curled across the road. The truck driver peered ahead. He could still see the road! But then the young man smelled smoke. Smoke?      Quiet alarm bells began to softly sigh into his mind. "Don't panic," he thought, remembering past episodes of "Dads' Army" he used to watch with his grandad long ago - or not so long ago....but the smoke was thickening imperceptibly .     Trees surrounded the young truckie. Then he saw a curl of flame crowning one of the straggly gum trees. Hot Eucalyptus oil added to the burning, smoke.     Mark remembered shouting at his family before he had left for the truck depot to collect his load for his trip to the Pilbara.     He felt bad seeing in his mind his children's faces looking up at him - Ella crying, her pretty face creased and sad, her last look as he left, of hopelessness.     Now the tall flames were coming in fury, red and gold....

DAWN WILL RISE  Part 2: HEROES       Mark was simmering. He had stopped working for Garry, Ella's father some time ago. Garry had tried hard to give Mark a fair go, and Mark had tried, but he longed to be more his own boss and not tied down to a desk.     To his credit, he had talked to Ella and her parents to try to explain and show some gratitude. Now he was a truckie and loved the work, the variety - the streets and then the long, open roads of outback Australia. His mates thought he was a real hero, saving his daughter. He was not pleased his son was trying to steal the limelight, as he thought, and frowned.     Simon noticed. "Dad, the kids call me hero when I do good at soccer and when I tried to help Charlie, but Jesus is the real hero!"     "Fine then," his dad said, "you pray for your sisters."     That'll fix him, Mark thought. "I'll help," David offered. "Would you mind if I pray as well?" Dr. June asked the boys ...

DAWN WIL RISE  Part 2: HEROES     Such shocking words took both Ella and Mark by surprise. They just stared at the surgeon. Could such a specialised medical professional be wrong? After all, she was of an age to be well-experienced. They looked at each other .     The twins, reacting to the silence sat down next to each other. Dawn always stretched her "bad" leg out to protect it. Rose did the same with the opposite leg.     Doctor June spoke again, each word like a small explosion. "If you do not help Dawn to realise her leg is better, you will have two crippled children!"  "Have either of you adults faith to pray? To believe this?"     Ella had been reading the Bible and praying a little, but she said nothing. Faced with reality, yet unwilling to be wrong, Mark also said nothing.     Then a child's voice came. "I will pray for Dawn....." "And I will pray for Rose...." The two brothers, unheard, had arrived home from school. T...

DAWN WILL RISE  Part 2: HEROES      It was not the intern (now a fully qualified medical professional) but their former surgeon. June Anders had briefly seen them yesterday but had seemed distracted and a little puzzled, but was called away.     Dispensing with official formalities, the doctor curtly asked "Why is Dawn still limping?"     "Because, because it isn't healed properly." Ella stumbled her words, feeling under censure.      "You were told the operation was a success, weren't you?" Mark answered this time. "That's what we were told, but we waited a few weeks for healing..... and she is still almost the same as before!"     Ella was now as angry and upset as Mark, her voice rising!     The surgeon paused. Escalating hostilities would serve no purpose. The boys were at school but the twins were home to see their friend, Dr. Andrew Harper. Instead this grumpy older lady was being mean.     Rose, ...

DAWN WILL RISE  Part 2: HEROES     Mark was anxious to get home. It was taking hours waiting to be assessed. All he had was a very big headache. Finally he asked his parents to take him home with his little girls.     Tony and Molly had gritted their teeth at what they termed "utter mayhem' and had agreed to leave their beautiful car in the care of their "less-than-satisfactory" daughter -in-law and her wild boys.     Although they said nothing aloud, their lack of empathy and grim silence spoke volumes. It helped that the twins were desperate to go home. Rose was fine, the doctors agreed, their crumpled clothes and frowns and unkempt hair persuaded the other staff to agree!     Dr. Andrew Harper, their cheery intern promised to call them sometime.     Any emergencies Dr. Archibald Bailey, their well-qualified and wise old GP was well thought of. The three invalids were showing signs of being in good health. Mark hid his headache an...

DAWN WILL RISE  Part 2: HEROES       As her husband and child lay still, Ella's mind refused to process the scene. She was aware that official help was almost at hand, she saw her small son staring in shock at his daddy and little sister, but Simon was also staring upwards. As though in a dream, the mother looked and now David was on the roof and reaching for Charlie.     It was too much. Ella fainted. The lead paramedic, tall and athletic, recognised this family. Quickly he and other medical triaged the scene. The adult male had an obvious head injury, probable concussion. He was ambulanced as a priority presenting as cold and only partially responsive to light. The infant girl was in shock with minor injuries.     Vividly remembering the bond between the twin girls, someone was sent to locate the other twin.     The police were sending "gawkers" on their way, reassuring and redirecting those who identified as relatives of the schoolchi...

DAWN WILL RISE  Part 2: HEROES      Ella drove over the dusty playing field so she could quickly access the concrete playground with its basketball nets to one side.     Her car pulled up well away from any children, but most had been hustled to their classrooms. It seemed to the young mother that her four children stood alone - except for the small one who was clinging to the gutter of the girls' changing shed for sport.     The boys' shed was on the other side of a wall and Simon ran around to climb up to help.     Dawn was snagged by her pants on a roof projection and was clearly going into shock, which meant she would soon lose her tenuous grip of the fragile guttering.     Ella hurried over, but was suddenly almost knocked off her feet by a man barrelling fast across the concrete towards the child. Meanwhile Simon was reaching for Charlie.     The man was Mark and he jumped higher than he had done in his life bef...

DAWN WILL RISE  Part 2: HEROES       Startled and trying to sit down quickly, Dawn lost her shaky balance and slid inexorably towards the gutter. A small broken roof tile dug into her school black shorts. It hurt and she screamed suddenly, frightened.     In one instant, the euphoria of being told she could fly disappeared. It was a drop only about two metres, but to a very small child it yawned below like some gaping abyss. Not that Dawn knew those words. It just all seemed a mess. She was stuck.     Mrs. Peters had taken advantage of the confusion, gathering her few possessions, demanding severance pay from a cowed office worker who, at least gave her the money owed that week. What a ridiculous fuss, she fumed silently. It was just a joke.     What of Charlie? David had quickly crept up on the roof from behind, using handholds in the brick wall that were very familiar to him. He was a boy worth his salt. Simon was ready below to help c...

DAWN WILL RISE Part 2: HEROES       David, now a big boy of nine, raced outside; the bell for recess had sounded a few minutes since and he heard Rose crying even above the cacophany of others.     As he ran towards the kinder class he collected Simon from his classroom! Simon grumbled "Twins again."     He was hungry, which always meant he was annoyed if left unfed for long. When he saw Dawn and another boy on the roof of the changing sheds, he totally forgot hunger and its pitfalls.     His small sister was teetering on the edge, her still not quite healed foot upsetting her balance. "Teacher said I can fly," she yelled happily, beaming. Charlie's dark complected face was pale and he was crying piteously loads and snot wiped away on his scraggy jumper cuff.     The principal joined the throng of children, visibly shocked. He acted quickly. "Staff, take all the children inside. Not you, Mrs. Peters." The woman froze on the steps. ...

DAWN WILL RISE  Part 2: HEROES      Dawn risked a quick glance up at her teacher and was noticed immediately.  "Get back to your work, Dawn. You too, Rose." The woman had assumed Rose, Dawn's twin sister would glance around, but actually Rose was too afraid.           It was a strange classroom of five-year olds. They were not allowed to talk at all during lessons and the twins, insecure and new to the school were seated as far apart as possible.     All the children were demoralised and silent except for one boy who constantly "defied" Mrs. Peters. He seemed to get a smack from an old-fashioned ruler every day. Charlie was just unable to remember anything from one day to the next!     Finally one of the children told his dad and showed him the red marks on his legs. He was furious. "This is like something that happened in my granddad's day!" He complained to the principal.     Mrs. Peters overheard Daw...