Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2005 20:27:22 +1000
From: Ar Bee <arbee_tas@hotmail.com>
Subject: Street Wise - Chapter 6

Chapter 6 -- The Emergency and Tragedy

The following morning, Todd told Cammo he'd enjoyed the night, more probably
than he could express, but it wasn't something that was going to happen
every day, that wouldn't be right. Cammo begrudgingly agreed, not being too
happy with Todd's decision, he thought the night had been way cool. He was
happy to try it again any time, but on reflection, realised where Todd was
coming from. Todd told him it was for special occasions only, birthdays,
good school results and other things, but it wasn't to happen whenever.
The weeks grew into months and Cammo had now been with Todd for seven. It
hadn't been easy sailing all the way, Cammo had flown off the handle a
couple of times, leaving his new home and making his way back to the squalor
of his previous existence. Todd just left him there for a couple of days
knowing he'd come to his senses again, after all, who would want to live
like that again after being in a warm, clean unit. The first time it
happened, Todd left him for two days, finally going into the drains himself
on the afternoon of the second day, finding Cammo on the concrete shelf
looking very forlorn. He'd thrown his arms around Todd and apologised
profusely before accompanying him back to the car, after a quick goodbye to
the others, for the trip home.
The second time wasn't quite as easy. Cammo had lost the plot one evening
after Todd told him that even though he was doing well at school, his
homework had to be done when he arrived home, the Playstation was for when
he finished his schoolwork. Cammo had flung the controller onto the couch
and stormed out of the unit, making his way to the drains, a good hour's
walk away.
Todd had let him go, fairly secure in the knowledge he'd come to his senses
after a couple of days, but when these passed and he visited the drains, it
appeared to be a different story. Cammo was there again, on the shelf, but
when Todd approached him, there was a completely different reaction to what
was expected.

"Fuck off Todd, leave me alone," Cammo told him.

A conversation started, during which a group of the others gathered. This
could turn nasty; Todd certainly didn't want to be on the wrong end of an
argument with Cammo if the others decided he was in the wrong. He finished
the conversation.

"OK Cammo, I'll leave you with it."

Todd turned and headed for the mouth of the drain. As he climbed the steps
to the road he heard a voice behind him.

"Todd," Cammo's voice sounded almost desperate. "Todd, wait on," Cammo ran
to him. "The others are right Todd, I'm being downright selfish. I'm so
sorry man."

Todd looked stern. "So you didn't mean to tell me to fuck off, is that what
you're saying?"

For the second time since he had known him, Todd saw tears welling in
Cammo's eyes, these finally overflowing. "No man, you oughta know that, I
let meself get outa control. What can I say Todd? I'm so sorry."

Todd looked at him; he was a complete emotional mess, his clothes were
starting to look straggly and he didn't smell too good either.

"So are you coming with me?" Todd wasn't going to let him off the hook so
easily. "Or do you want to stay here where you seem to think you belong?"

That last question from Todd was the final straw. Cammo broke down
completely, tears streaming down his cheeks, utterly unable to speak. Todd
put a hand on his shoulder.

"OK Cammo, I think I've got my answer. Come on buddy, let's get to the car."

Todd turned back to the drain, seeing six smiling faces at the entrance, the
older male giving him the thumbs up. He knew he'd made the right choice.
They drove home, Todd telling Cammo to get himself into the shower. There
was definitely a chat needed after this latest episode but that could wait
until Cammo had calmed himself down, he wasn't in any condition to chat
right now.
Cammo had calmed down by the time he emerged from the shower, he was dressed
in his PJ's and a dressing gown and they sat together in the lounge room.
Todd didn't pull any punches, he told it exactly like it was, watching as
Cammo's face became longer and longer. He finished, watching for Cammo's
reaction, it was slightly different from what he had expected.

"You're right Todd, I've been selfish and unreasonable and I've got no
excuses. You've done so much for me over the last seven months, I'm doing
well in school, I get fed regularly, I got a warm bed at night. I can only
say how sorry I am and ask you to forgive me, like I said, I got no excuses.

Todd eyed him for several moments. There was no doubt he was sorry, the look
on his face spoke a thousand words. "OK, forgiven, but don't ever do
anything like that again or I may not be so forgiving."

Cammo was nodding his head, feeling about the size of Tom Thumb.

"You hungry?" This question from Todd got an instant response from Cammo.

"Shit yeah."

"Nothing to eat for the last couple of days then?" Todd asked.

"Not much." Cammo replied.

Todd prepared the evening meal, which was eaten in relative silence. Cammo
hardly had time to say anything as it was, the food disappearing inside him
in almost record time. He finished, sat back and crossed his hands over his
stomach.

"Thanks Todd, that was cool."

Todd had simmered down after the lecture and was now fairly well composed.
"You're welcome buddy, now let's wash up and spend a quiet evening in front
of the TV."

"Cool." Cammo didn't see any need to say anything more.

Domestic duties finished, they made their way to the lounge room, flopped
into chairs and watched TV. There were a few words here and there but
nothing deep and meaningful, what needed to be said had been said earlier so
there was really no need for conversation. They finally crashed into their
beds at eleven o'clock, both exhausted after the last two days.

It had been a strange spring, there had been a lot of rain and at one stage
during mid October, this became torrential. The skies opened up for three
days in a row, dropping inches instead of the usual centimetres. Cammo was
listening to the radio on the Saturday when he heard a news report about
flooding under the city streets, the rains had been so heavy, the drains
were struggling to cope and the only way the water had to go, was up.
Cammo was horror stricken; the kids, what about the kids? He passed his
thoughts to Todd who made an immediate phone call to the council, finding
out that several of the kids had been rescued but it was known there were
more down there. Cammo knew the drains like the back of his hand, he knew of
their `disaster plan' if anything like this was to happen. They'd go to the
highest part of the drain, up under the hospital where there was a flat
shelf below a manhole leading to the street. But it could only hold ten of
them, how many had got out so far? He put his question to Todd.

"They got seventeen of them out Cammo but they know there're more down
there. You know the place better than most mate, where would they go?"

Cammo explained the shelf under the manhole. It was usually a secret between
the kids, no one else really knew of it. Todd made a call to the police,
explaining the location of the manhole and asking them to get the council to
check it, before grabbing Cammo and running to the car. `This can't be,' he
thought, `if they can only get ten on that shelf, what's happened to the
other three?'
Todd drove fast to the city, getting the car out of shape a few times on
corners in the wet conditions. Cammo's mind was in a whirl; he'd done his
calculations as well.
Their arrival at the manhole saw police and council workers busy attempting
to lift the old cover; it hadn't been lifted for many years and was proving
difficult to budge even with the right tools. Finally, after an extreme
effort by three council workers, an edge lifted, followed by the remainder
of the cover. A police sergeant peered into the hole, horrified by what
confronted him.
There, ten feet below the surface, ten frightened faces stared up; the still
rising waters only mere centimetres below their feet. They had tried to
release the cover but had been unable to do so, only able then to stay on
the shelf and wait.
They were told to climb the ladder to safety and slowly, one at a time, they
did this, emerging wet and cold into the welcoming arms of hospital staff
and being wrapped in blankets. Cammo told the police their names as they
emerged, he'd already been handed a list of the ones already rescued, and as
the last one emerged, found Shelly, Tommy and Gus were missing. Where were
they? Surely not, oh jeez shit this couldn't be.
He knew there was no way rescue teams could be activated to search for them,
the water was at the top of all the tunnels, they'd just have to wait until
the waters subsided before checking the high galleries of the drains, hoping
against hope they'd find something.
The water subsided sufficiently three days later, Cammo being asked by
police to assist in the search as he knew the drains inside out. After five
hours, the search was abandoned, every nook and cranny had been searched
with negative results and Cammo had to come to terms with the fact he'd
never see his three buddies again. Why did this have to happen? Gus was
rough, yeah but he had a good heart. Shelly? She'd slept with Cammo numerous
times and was considered a close friend, and Tommy, poor little Tommy, only
thirteen, what a way to end it, Cammo could only hope it had been quick, for
all of them.
All twenty seven of the `kids' were now being cared for in the hospital,
most of them were suffering hypothermia so would be in there a few days. The
Department of Child Welfare would see to their rehabilitation on their
discharge.
Cammo visited each of them, finding out from Rocky he'd seen Gus and Shelly
swept away by the waters the day before. There were tears in Rock's eyes as
Cammo told him about Tommy; Rock had known him well, real well just lately,
nearly as well as Joey. The others, although somewhat bedraggled, didn't
look too much the worse for their experience, there were a few tears when
they were told of the missing three but on the whole, they turned their
minds more to getting well again.

Four days later, Todd received the news that Shelly and Tommy's bodies had
been recovered but there was still no sign of Gus. He passed this on to
Cammo, watching his face as the realisation hit him that never again would
he see his friends. At least without bodies there was some hope, however
slight.

"At least they can have a decent burial," Cammo said, his eyes brimming with
tears.

Todd comforted him as best he could, this was hard for a kid of sixteen,
he'd known Shelly for the three years he'd been there and Tommy for six
months, since he'd arrived one wet night after having been thrown out by his
parents.
Cammo went to his room to reflect on the situation, sitting on his bed,
running the events over and over in his mind. He felt saddened that fate had
chosen the course it had, it didn't seem fair to him. Shit, none of those
kids had been there because they wanted to be, they were simply a case of
circumstance, unloved and in most cases, uncared for.
The Department of Child welfare had been busy, finding homes for all
twenty-seven kids. They had been placed in care throughout the city and
suburbs and Cammo knew, after their experience, there would be very few who
returned to the drains.
The day of the funeral arrived, both kids being farewelled at the same
service as their parents and relatives could not be located. Todd and Cammo
arrived shortly before the service started and Cammo was astounded to see
the twenty-seven `kids' in the chapel, their new families with them. This
was the farewell these kids deserved, this was so cool.
The service complete, Todd drove home. Cammo had missed three or four days
school over the last week and a half, but under the circumstances this
couldn't be helped, his knowledge of the drains had been required by the
police in order for them to properly search the area and anyway, he'd just
lost three close friends.
The end of the school year was approaching and a week before the break up,
Todd received Cammo's report. It had been compiled by the Guidance
Counsellor in conjunction with Cammo's teachers. Todd read the report,
finding good attendance and exemplary student comments in each subject. The
final comments from the Counsellor said it all.

"When Cameron was presented to this school, half way through first term, as
I told you, I didn't hold much hope for his education given his
circumstances. As you can see by this full report, I have been proved wrong
and am the first one to admit it. Cameron has proved to be an exemplary
student who is hard working. His depth of knowledge has increased several
fold since he started, and I can only offer my congratulations to him. He
will be commencing year eleven next year and will no doubt show the same
enthusiasm he has shown this year.
It is regretted he missed six days during the year, but under the
circumstances explained, these days can be made up next year with slightly
more homework.
Once again, well done Cameron, it has been a pleasure for your teachers and
especially for myself."

The note was signed by the Guidance Counsellor.

Todd showed the report to Cammo after studying it fully himself, Cammo
reading it with pride. Todd could see the look in his eyes as he read, a
look of pride and satisfaction at his achievement. He passed the report back
to Todd.

"Is this, um, well, is this considered one of those special occasions we
talked about?"

Todd smiled. Nothing had happened between them since Cammo's birthday, Cammo
hadn't even mentioned it till now.

"Do you think it's special?" Todd asked.

"Yeah, I think it is and I think you do too," Cammo replied. "That smile
isn't on your lips for nothing, is it?"

Todd looked at his watch, eight-thirty, a bit early for bed but what the
hell, why not?

"Well, I'm going to bed," he said, "I'll leave the rest up to you."

Todd slipped naked into his bed, knowing fairly well what to expect shortly.
He was right, he saw the figure of a young person enter the room and felt
the covers on the other side of the bed being moved before feeling a soft,
warm, naked body snuggle against him. This was OK, this was Cammo's choice,
there had been virtually no input from him at all and what was perhaps meant
to happen, would happen.


To be continued.