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Bushfire
towards Norman, a gush of dry air blew across our faces bringing
with it sharp grey blades of the acrid smoke of burning eucalyptus
trees and undergrowth.
‘It’s coming closer,’ Norman said as we reached him at the stables
and started helping him lay out the damp hessian.
‘Do you think the fire will reach us?’ said Val concerned.
‘I don’t know, love, I hope not, but if it does we just have to be
ready for it,’ I said.
Normwas outside preparing the last few hessian bags and pouring
water on all the plants growing close to the house. The job was done
quickly and he soon joined us, watering down the outside of the
house with the little water we had. I got the girls to help me collect
all the crockery out of the cupboards and put it carefully into the
bath tub. Fortunately, Bev had told Val of her plans to put her dolls
into the bath to protect them and Val had explained, ‘You are silly to
have thought that! There are much more important things to put
into the bath tub than just your dollies.’ Although Val had told Bev
much more sharply than I would have done, at least it wasn’t me
who had to tell her that she would just have to hold onto her dolls to
keep them safe.
Amongst the chaos we would make sure to listen to the latest
report on the wireless. The fire front was now just over the hill and
we were all standing silently against the window looking out across
the garden, over the orchard and paddocks, and up Aumann’s Hill.
Beyond was a sky so different: it was glowing orange and grey and
shadowing over the house. Suddenly, the light from the sun darkened
and outside was no longer a mid-afternoon on a summer’s day. We
anxiously looked towards the hilltop once more. Radiant gold
embers billowed up into the sky with charcoal grey smoke as its
backdrop. The silence, apart from the wireless and our breathing,
quickly turned into a tremendous roar. The trees on the top of the
hill were ablaze with red flame menacingly licking the top of the hill.
It was odd. If it were not for my fear I would have thought it the
most wondrous sight. The children gasped and hid their faces in my
skirt and their hands. Bev clutching onto her doll, buried her face
into its hair.
No one spoke. We just watched.
For an agonizing moment we watched, until Norm said, ‘It hasn’t
moved any further down the hill. Can you see that? The same trees
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