Morning already and it was such a special day. Sydney, here I come and I’d better get dressed fast. The striking of the hall clock must have been what woke him up but it was still chiming, far more than six strikes, and there was moonlight visible around the edges of the blind. Back to sleep then, ready for the drive to Burford bright and early tomorrow. There Dad would put him on the express bus to Bomaderry Station and once on that bus he’d be on his own all day until meeting up with the Nevilles at Central Railway Station. It would be impossible to get back to sleep with Andy making such a terrible racket, each inhalation followed by an irritating click from the back of his throat. And the room felt so hot and airless, and his throat so dry. After quietly opening the bedroom door, he tiptoed into the hall. Now he heard his mother’s angry voice, coming from the lounge room. He stood quite still. Her anger induced a sensation in his chest that was like panic, and his stomach tightened and turned.
