Dusk & Dawn

Chapter 3

12 years earlier

Dear Diary,

It's me again. Quinn.

Daddy was preaching his sermon up on stage while I sat in the front row where I did every week. I haven't missed one week of church since I was born, even when I had the measles mummy brought me anyway. She said God would heal me.

Sitting down for that many hours made my bottom sore and it was boring because I didn't know a lot of the words daddy was saying, so I just sat there and highlighted verses in my bible.

The sermon was finally finished so I stretched out my legs as far as they would go and waited until everyone else walked out the front because daddy said it was rude for me to walk with everyone else. I had to let them go first because that's what servants of God do. I really wanted to please him and mummy so I listened my best.

Today we had a sausage sizzle outside the front of the church building. As soon as I could smell the yummy food my tummy grumbled and I started walking to line up for one. I felt my collar being pulled backwards so I looked to see who it was. It was my mum.

"Quinn, how dare you! You will be served last. Everyone else goes first, you should know this! How many times have I told you? You just don't listen, do you?" She yelled so loud a lot of people turned around and started watching us. I could feel my face get really hot so I looked down at the grass and said sorry. I didn't like it when she yelled. It gave me a yukky feeling in my chest.

I did what she said and walked back to the church door, carefully tucked my white cotton dress under me and sat on the front step watching everyone squirt tomato sauce onto their sausages. My dad had a sausage in one hand and a can of coke in the other. My mum walked over to the barbecue and started helping. She is good at helping.

I waited for a long time but there was still a long line of people going back for more sausages and my tummy was starting to hurt now like it had lots of knots inside.
I tried to find things to keep my mind off food so I found two sticks in the garden and started hitting them on the concrete trying to make music like I'd seen once on the tv's in the electronics shop when mummy and I went to go buy an air conditioner. We didn't have a tv. Mummy and daddy said just because we live IN the world doesn't mean we should be OF the world. I dont know what that means yet.

Daddy yelled from over the side of the church
"Quinn! Put those down right now! Hymms are the only Godly music you should be making. I wont tell you again." interrupting the man that was talking to him. I looked at the sticks, sighed and put them nicely back in the garden.

I heard a "Psst," come from behind the big trees next to the garden. I looked around but couldn't see anything. Then someones hand came from underneath the leaves and handed me a sausage. It was a little boy that looked as big as me.
I whispered "Thank you," and turned my back to my dad so he couldn't see what I was eating. The little boy smiled and then ran off. I was so grateful, my tummy felt so full once I finished and my parents didn't even notice.

I stood up from the steps and looked up to the sky.
"Thank you God for that little boy. Please bless him and keep him safe... and... maybe if you're not busy, one day I would love to have a friend a nice as him. I only need one."

It made me smile thinking how wonderful it would be to have just one friend. Maybe one day.