Seffy and the First Fleet

In late 2012, Tony and I decided, after a couple of years of talking about it, the time had come to leave TI.  We wanted Kibbim and Seffy to understand there was a big world beyond our tiny island.  What better time to relocate children than the beginning of the year.  I booked flights for the kids and I on Australia Day, 2013.

     I wasn’t ready to leave and panicked. The big world beyond our tiny island frightened me. The day before we were due to leave I cancelled our flights.

     I re-enrolled the kids into school and settled back into the easy pace of life on TI. 

     A few months after my aborted departure, the kids were doing their homework one afternoon while I made dinner.

     ‘We learnt the First Fleet today,’ said Kibby, excited.  ‘They were sailing ships from England.’

     ‘When did they arrive?’

     ‘Australia Day, 1788.’  He paused and had a think.  ‘They took over Australia for England. Something like that anyway.’

     ‘Cool,’ I said.  ‘Where did they land when they arrived in Australia?’ 

     ‘Um.  They landed somewhere. Um.’

     ‘Starts with B … buh, buh,’ I said.  Poor Kibby was wracking his brain. ‘Come on, buh, buh-‘

     Seffy looked up from her homework, suddenly attentive.

     ‘Bamaga,’ she said like a true local, Bum-ug-uh.

     It really was time to leave TI.