The Year My Life Broke Read Online Free PDF Page A

the crease to begin the long walk back, a Pipertown player at square leg said to me, ‘Go back to kindergarten, kid.’
    I reached the line of deckchairs under the trees, feeling embarrassed and angry. ‘Doesn’t matter,’ Wally said. ‘It’s a while since you’ve played, so Mark told me. It’ll come back to you.’
    We got out for 88. When their innings started I waited till the boy who’d made the kindergarten joke came in to bat, then asked our captain, a kid named Jonah, if I could bowl.
    At the start of the next over Jonah threw me the ball. The kid from Pipertown had just hit three fours in a row. I marked out my run-up, gave the umpire my hat and came in with a burning feeling in my heart. It was just like in the nets the day before. The ball reared up like a cobra, only this time the boy tried to hook it. He got a top edge and the ball lollipopped high into the air. It seemed to take a minute and a half to reach the height of its long climb, then it descended slowly into the safe hands of our wickie. Pipertown were 3 for 70.
    I got another wicket in my third over but at stumps they were 5 for 116. These matches went for two days, so they’d finish their innings the next weekend. I went home in my best mood since we moved to Tarrawagga. Getting a duck didn’t matter so much; at least I was playing cricket again. I was even nice to Callan and Pippa. We played in the backyard and when they batted I gave Callan two chances and Pippa three before they had to go out.
    When I batted I smashed a ball from Callan a bit too hard, and it went flying next door, into the cops’ place. Six and out. Now the situation from a few weeks back was reversed. I was the one who had to get over the fence. I could have gone to their front door and knocked but after Harriet had hopped over our fence I figured I had the same rights. I just hoped they wouldn’t shoot me.
    Their backyard was much better for cricket than ours because it was mostly bare grass. Ours had too many plants and flowers. All that stuff got in the way. I could see the ball straight off, right against their chook shed. Pretty good shot, if I say so myself, even though it had got me out. I headed for it, trying not to look too guilty. But the situation from our place continued to reverse itself, ’cos through their back door came Harriet. She must have seen the ball come over; in fact she got to it before I did and picked it up and chucked it to me.
    â€˜Thanks,’ I said.
    â€˜You’re welcome.’
    â€˜Is your name Harriet?’
    â€˜That’s it.’
    â€˜Mine’s Josh.’
    â€˜Yeah, I figured that.’
    I thought I might as well keep reversing things so I asked, ‘You wanna play cricket with us?’
    â€˜Yeah, OK.’
    She went to the back door, opened it and yelled into the house, ‘I’m going next door to play cricket.’
    Someone yelled back and then a cop came out. He was just wearing a police shirt and trousers but he still looked like a cop. ‘G’day,’ he said to me.
    â€˜G’day.’
    â€˜You from next door?’
    â€˜Yeah.’
    â€˜You must be Cameron’s son.’
    â€˜Yeah, I’m the oldest. I’m Josh.’
    â€˜G’day, Josh.’ We shook hands. He was the first policeman I’d ever talked to. He seemed all right. He turned to Harriet. ‘Be back by six o’clock, OK?’
    â€˜OK.’
    Harriet and I got over the fence while Lenny watched. I felt a bit self-conscious, like we were doing something illegal. That’s the effect cops have on you I guess. But Harriet seemed good. Turned out she was an OK bowler. But she wouldn’t bat. ‘I get minus scores when I bat,’ she said. ‘And I hate it. I hate everything I’m not good at.’
    She got me out with a faster ball when I tried to hit her into the middle of next week. Callan stumped me. ‘You should be in