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One Day I…
(A sequel to Tim
Winton’s Blueback)
and forefinger with a thin sheet of paper between it. Dora looked up
at her parents, who were still sitting dumbfounded, with sheepish
smiles on their faces.
‘Here.’ Her mother slowly pulled the envelope from her father’s
hand and held it out. Dora pushed her chair backwards, and with a
creaking noise, stumbled out of it and proceeded to her parents. She
took the envelope with pride, and swept nimbly back to her seat.
She read through the letter, her insides squirming and crawling
like worms. The letter was addressed from Underwater Australasia,
a company that was determined to bring awareness to the ocean,
and to continue research from what others had left behind.
She read:
Dear Dora,
Your family: your grandmother, your mother and your father, have all played a
part in bringing you this opportunity.
We invite you to come over to our base in Western Australia, to tell us your story
about Longboat Bay. Like your father, we have delved deeper into stories from
many people, and have invited them to come and speak to us.
We would thoroughly appreciate it if you would come and talk to us to help us
discover more about Blueback. From your father, we have heard and researched
stories to help protect your big blue friend’s environment.
If all goes well, we would love to have you back in the future to discover more
things, so we can help everyone in the marine world. Like your mother and father,
we know that you have the complete capacity to become a marine biologist.
Thank you for being an underwater citizen,
You are changing the world.
Yours sincerely,
David Roothem,
Manager of Underwater Australasia.
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