The Road Back Read Online Free PDF Page A

transferred. To Perth.’
    As Chris stared at her, the news sinking in, Megan burst into a flood of tears.
    â€˜I don’t want to go to Perth! It’s on the other side of the planet. I don’t want to leave my friends, my school! Dad, please . . .’
    â€˜Hey, hey, slow down.’ He handed her a paper napkin to dry her tears. ‘Now, run this past me again slowly. Trevor is going to Perth and he’s planning to move your mum and you kids over there, too. What does your mother say?’
    Megan sniffed and dabbed her eyes. ‘Not much. He says we’re going. We all have to go. Sell the house and move to Perth! What am I going to do? I’ll die over there.’
    Chris was furious Jill hadn’t mentioned this, given him some warning. ‘When did all this come about? I can’t believe he’d uproot you all, and sell up. I mean, it must be a huge job opportunity.’
    â€˜I heard them talking. It’s a big deal, some supervisor thing. It’s not fair that I have to go because of his stupid job!’
    â€˜Now calm down, it sounds like early days. It can’t be all decided yet.’
    â€˜No, it’s pretty certain. They won’t leave me here, and I will not go over there. My whole life is here!’ Megan’s eyes filled with tears again.
    â€˜Megan, I don’t think you have a choice, if that’s what they want to do . . .’
    â€˜Why should I have to suffer for Trevor’s dumb idea? Leave my life, my friends, my school? There’s no way, Dad.’ She shook her head and wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands. They sat in silence for a moment or two. Then she looked up at him. ‘Hey, what about this? I stay here, with you.’
    Chris hesitated. ‘Megan, I don’t think that’s possible.’
    Tears coursed down Megan’s face again and Chris moved to her side of the booth and put his arm over her shoulders, glad there weren’t any other diners near them.
    â€˜The problem is that my next posting is very likely going to be in Bangkok, sweetheart. I have a very demanding job, I’ll be away a lot working on assignments in other parts of Asia, and I certainly don’t want you living in Bangkok without me. Anyway, your mother would never let you come. It’s impossible.’
    â€˜Can’t you stay here, in Sydney? Do you have to go to Bangkok?’ asked Megan, looking at him pleadingly.
    â€˜It’s my job, darling,’ said Chris weakly. He didn’t like where this discussion was leading. ‘You could board at your school,’ he suggested, wondering as he said it from where all the extra money for that idea would come. When Megan didn’t instantly shoot the suggestion down in flames, he added, ‘Listen, it’s not a decision we have to make immediately. Let’s not spoil our day together.’
    â€˜Even though my whole life is about to be ruined,’ she countered.
    Later, after he’d put Megan on her bus back home, Chris decided to take a long walk to think about her news. He walked towards St Leonards Park, because he always enjoyed the relative peace of this North Sydney oasis. He especially loved its cricket ground, with its old Edwardian grandstands rescued from the Sydney Cricket Ground which had made the oval one of the most picturesque places to play cricket in the entire country. He was amused to see a lone bagpiper standing under one of the large palm trees, practising his instrument above the noise from the adjacent freeway. Chris sighed and kicked at a tuft of grass. He’d hated to see Megan so upset and he had to agree with her that she had good cause. He wouldn’t want to be taken away from an enjoyable and secure life to move to the other side of the country with a stepfamily he didn’t like. He felt very concerned about her future. How was she going to cope with it all?
    Suddenly he felt gripped with anxiety. Years ago, when he was