Chapter Six

Bizarre…I tried to forget what Knight suggested. As if. Who in their right mind would offer to go on a cross-country road trip with a complete stranger? I couldn’t take him seriously. But all seemed to make sense… I rinsed the shampoo from my hair and started massaging in the conditioner. So fragrant. And did he say he was going to Thailand? Bonnie’s been known for her premonitions… I scrubbed my legs and watched the lathered soap race the water down the drain. It would still be nice though, for someone to jump onboard. It’d be such an adventure. I finished my shower and flopped on to my bed in my oversized PJs. I habitually reached for my phone. Oooh! Message!

U tell me when u want 2 go. If we take ur car, I’ll pay 4 fuel. Let’s do it! It’ll b an adventure J

My jaw dropped. I closed the message. Took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Then I rechecked my inbox. It was still there! I timidly selected ‘reply’.

Holy crap. Ur heaven sent.

Was this guy serious?

Ha I dont think so. I think Id be beta looking if I was heaven sent. Think it ova. Make sure its the ‘safe’ thing to do.

Was he fishing for a compliment? He was pretty alright looking…but I wasn’t going to say anything. ‘Safe thing to do’? What did he mean?

Haha dont say that about urself. Wat, r u warning me against u??

Omg…I wouldnt dare hurt you! I was talking about forgetting lifes expectations n doing something a lil bit unsafe. Just doing something a lil different.

Did he SEE me the night before?? Had someone told him about the long-standing safeness of my life that has caused my restless anguish? How did he know?

Man Im so ready 2 do something ‘unsafe’. My whole life has been run by remote n I feel like a caged bird. Time to fly J

Haha thats fantastic. But have a think if you really want to go by road I dont want u 2 feel forced.

Wow, this guy is gooooood.

Nah I like the idea of driving coz then we can stop along the way whenever and wherever…y do u want to travel w/ me?

I think Id like 2. + I think it will b a whole lot of fun getting lost in the country side. Think of all the places we could c. J If we drive each otha crazy Ill fly home from Sydney J haha u can kick me out.

Cool back up plan.

I’ve been known to give a good first impression, but this was unreal! I felt myself really buying into the idea. Why shouldn’t I buy into it?

Hey just so we r clear. If u chicken out Ill understand n I wont think any less of u! Ok just so u know J

!! Is this one of those reverse psych things?? No. I’m adamant. Haha u know what, it would be good if I got to know u a bit beta J I know nothing abt u!

Whatever psychology thing he was pulling, it was working.

Hmm…probably would b a good idea. Type my name into Google. u will c y my modeling career didnt take off. I’m very spuntaneas and cant spell.

Google his name?? I was a bit nervous to see what I’d find. So I turned on the computer and investigated.

U had ur own café at 21! Thats incredible! Wow u look so diff w/ floppy hair. I wanna b more spontaneous n I can spell ;) Im quirky n Asian.

The Google link led me to a site for entrepreneurial creativity. Knight was pictured casually leaning back into a chair holding a cup of coffee in front of a boutique style espresso bar. According to the site, he rose to the challenge of being a small business owner and served beautifully brewed, gourmet, fair-trade coffee. I had no real achievements of that caliber to counter with. Except a degree. But whatever.

I was 20 wen I opened it. Made a lot of money but wasted a lot of life. That is y I want 2 c u fly. Well let me know when ur free. I like quirky! But I didnt know u were Asian! Thats interesting. How long have u been Asian?

I flopped back onto my bed and grinned so hard at the ceiling that my eyes closed and my face hurt.

Chapter Five

I woke up to my phone receiving an SMS.

Deb! I had a dream of you last night! It was so vivid! You were in Thailand with a tall dude with brown hair. He made you really happy and took you out all the time. Keep your eyes peeled you might meet him today!

What a great message to start the day! Thanks, Bonnie. My other old high school friend. I hadn’t heard from her in weeks, but ours was a friendship that kept coming back. It was going to be a good day.

I breezed into work and started bouncing off the walls. To my further delight- Knight was working! I rebounded off the ceiling, landed within inches of his face and announced:

‘I’m doing it! I’m going to do exactly what you said- backpack around Australia!’ He held up his hand and we slapped a high-five.

It felt so good to say: ‘I’m doing it.’ Nothing had actually happened yet but hearing those words aloud from my own mouth made it feel so real. My heart’s desire was making its way into the physical world! Every customer that came in that day received the best service ever. The regular customers who came in all commented on how I seemed to be glowing; that I seemed so much more vibrant than usual. I told everyone why. I was spreading the word! I thought maybe the more people who knew, the more real it would be and the more surely it would happen. Knight in the meantime had been busy making the coffees and hot chocolates with a half-smile. When things slowed down, he called me over to the coffee bar.

‘If you’re going by road I’ll come with you. I’ll ride with you near Brisbane where my family is.’

‘…Why?’

‘I’d like to see Australia up close and personal. If you want the company, I’ll come.’

I scoffed. ‘Yeah, alright! Come along!’ Whatever! He had to be kidding. True or false, there was nothing that could stop me. Not this time. For years I let petty excuses get in the way; my friends are all busy, the weather isn’t right, mum needs me this weekend for a tour, my boyfriend’s an isolated ass. No more! Solo, duo, orgy, I’m going.

My shift ended and I signed out. I felt someone at my shoulder and found Knight reaching for the pen I was still using.

‘Hurry up, we wanna get out of here.’ Ooooh, he’s finished his shift too!

‘Game on.’ We bolted for the stairs to the bag-room. I shoved him against the wall and beat him in. We struggled between laughing and panting. I looked up and was struck by how tall he was.

He pulled out his phone. ‘What’s your number?’

‘Are you hitting on me?’

‘If we want to do this road trip, I’ll need your number, won’t I?’

I sniffed. As if he’d join me. But I gave it to him anyway.

Knight pulled on a grey, knitted V-neck sweater. ‘Gosh, I like clothes. I don’t get people who care so much about labels. Looking good’s got nothing to do with it.’ I cocked my head. I don’t even wear make-up.

‘Argh, I look like such a boof-head!’ and tried to un-boof his chestnut brown hair.

I laughed.

‘We can’t be as naturally beautiful as you, Deb.’

I blushed. More civilly, we exited the shop.

‘Where are you going?’

‘My tram stop’s this way.’ I nodded to the right. Knight hesitated with a tiny pivot to the left.

‘Alright, I’ll walk you there.’ I shrugged. Knight strode alongside me and I found I had to really move my little legs to keep up.

‘It’ll be good to travel around a bit. I want to do something while I wait for this Enjee-Oh to give me a call to see when I could go over there to help.’

‘Who’s Enjee-Oh? She sounds like a Korean exchange student…who needs help…’

Knight stopped. ‘You are so cute! N.G.O. Non-Government Organisation. Don’t worry, it’s just boring, do-gooder stuff.’ We strode on.

Cute? No one calls me cute. ‘What do you mean by ‘over there’? Is it abroad?’

‘It’s a Christian organization. In Thailand’

Thailand…?

‘Is this you?’ A tram had just pulled up to the stop as we arrived. Wow, what a short walk.

‘Oh right, thanks.’ I was flustered. ‘Um… I’ll see you soon, yeah?’

‘For sure. I’ll give you a call about our trip’

I grinned. 'Right'. The tram doors closed and I saw him walk back where we came.

Chapter Four

I woke up with throbbing eyeballs and remembered nothing. How cliché. My stomach readjusted itself. I checked the time. 8:11am. Holy crap, I felt like death. I dove for my dustbin and heaved. Loud. I heard thundering footsteps and Mum came barging through the door.

‘It’s morning! Why are you throwing up? It’s morning!!’

Mum sniffed the air and sighed with relief, ‘Oh, thank goodness.’ And closed the door again. I groaned and dragged my hand across my mouth. Gross. When the room stopped lurching around me, I slugged myself into the bathroom. Ugh. I looked like death too. I touched a fresh scab on my forehead. What the-? I shook my head in disbelief. Nothing better to cheer you up than a big bottle of depressant. How was I even let out of the house? I stared myself down in the mirror and started to remember.

Vivian had driven me into the city to meet up with her friend, Maxi. I was holding up well. I had stopped crying and was even able to smile for her when she got into the car. Vivian and Maxi assured me that I’d really enjoy Third Class. It was a bar popular for its rundown décor and obscure location in one of Melbourne’s dingy laneways. Just as we got there, I drained the rest of dad’s cheap wine. They were right. I did like the place. Graffiti everywhere. Bicycles hanging from the ceiling. Skin-heads. Tattoos. Cool…How the hell was this solving anything? Ooohh what an awesome beat. I hit the dance floor with Maxi. She started wiping at my face. I pushed her hands away. I went on dancing. I went on drinking. Everything was blurry but even then I could tell I was getting too many looks on the dance floor so I backed into the bathroom. I found myself in front of the mirror. Staring back was a skinny, tear-streaked, hollow girl. Someone I never thought I’d become. My tears showed no mercy then. I stumbled into a cubicle, sat on the toilet and bawled. I bawled and bawled. Then Vivian’s head popped up over the cubicle wall. She coaxed me out. She and Maxi wiped away at my make-up stained face while I inhaled shaky breaths to calm myself down. Air. I needed air. They led me outside and I gravitated to the cigarette the door-girl was puffing.

‘CanIhavadrag? I promist Iwone schlobberallovarit…’

The door-girl went and got me a fresh one instead. I lit up and started puffing. The toxic cloud filled me with nausea. I never understood smoking. It never made me feel good. I sneered at the cigarette and passed it on to Maxi who stomped it out. I staggered away from the girls and slammed my forehead into a graffitied brick wall. Vivian ran after me and grabbed my face and wiped at my forehead.

‘I don’t understand!’ I slurred. ‘I like going out. I like these kinds of places. I like being around people. But I don’t want it! I don’t need it! None of this means anything! I don’t want to be in Melbourne anymore!!’

I pushed her off and slammed my back against the wall and slid down to the dirty ground. This is what I was reduced to. And I let it happen. I ignored my own needs thinking it was the noble thing to do by the family and it came to this: broken down in a dumpster alley-way, drunk, dejected and looking like shit.

I splashed some more cold water onto my face, brushed the fowl out my mouth, and crawled back into bed.

I re-awoke at 11am. Something was different. I was filled with an eerie sense of calm. Like the tears of last night had washed away the muck of my existence and revealed what I needed to do to improve my life situation. It was suddenly so clear. I had nothing to lose. Nothing. I had no ‘real’ responsibilities. I had no ‘real’ commitments. I had no bills to pay. No mortgage. No career. No boyfriend (Thank goodness). No kids. Nothing. The only thing I would be leaving behind was a pair of pissed off parents. But who cares? I got out of bed and waited for the room to settle down around me. I was still hung over but I felt more clarity than I had in months.

Enough was enough. First step was hand in my letter of resignation to my parents. And then quit the chocolate boutique. And then take the money I worked my butt off for and go backpacking around Australia. It’s about bloody time. I was done crying. I walked into the kitchen and found mum sitting at the table with the day’s paper. I sat across from her.

Mum looked back at me expressionless as I spoke. When I finished, she simply said, ‘You can do what you want’. She held my gaze for a moment longer and then resumed reading the newspaper. She didn’t mean it. It didn’t matter. I took a deep breath and exhaled very slowly.

Later that night I called one of my old friends, Lucy. We’d been friends since we were fourteen and she always helped me make decisions.

‘I don’t know, Deb. Wouldn’t that come across as ungrateful? I mean, your parents have done so much for you. Raised you, fed you, provided a good home, treated you right…and now you want to run away?’

‘That’s the thing! They’ve done SO much for me. So much that I haven’t done anything for myself. You know, I only just realized the other day I’ve never done my own laundry! Or cooked for myself. Or choose my Uni course. Or organize any of my trips ANYwhere. I’ve never made any big decisions! NONE!’

‘Deb, you’re shouting.’

I lowered my voice. ‘It’s not that I’m ungrateful. I love them to bits and I’m proud of what they’ve achieved. I’m just so unhappy. Is that a fair compromise? To keep running this bloody mouse-wheel, getting freakin’ nowhere, absolutely miserable but at least ‘grateful’? There’s more out there. It’s waiting for me. This is what I reckon: mum and dad came here for a better life and freedom for their children…so why can’t I use that freedom?’

‘Think about how unhappy they’d be if you left.’

‘How about how unhappy I’d be if I stayed? I won’t be gone forever, Luce.’ Why was she defending them?

‘Yeah, but wouldn’t you feel sorry for them?’ That’s their problem.

‘You’re making me sound selfish.’

There was an uncomfortable pause. ‘Maybe you’re more free-spirited than me, but for me to be happy, my parents need to be happy. So I do everything I can. I keep the house clean…I try hard at my studies…I come home everyday…if they’re happy, I’m happy.’

I frowned. Something about that didn’t sit right with me. I let out an exasperated sigh. ‘I’ve been doing all that for the last 22 years and Mum and Dad aren’t exactly thrilled about me crying every night. No one’s bloody winning.’

‘You’ve got it pretty good, Deb. It could be a lot worse.’ She sighed. ‘I don’t know. It’s probably something you just need to get out of your system. But I reckon you shouldn’t put your parents through that kind of unhappiness for that. Just ask yourself if it’s worth it.’

So...keep myself unhappy to keep my parents happy...? I was glad I had that phone call. Lucy helped me get my priorities in order and solidified what I needed to do: leave.

Chapter Three

My younger sister popped her head up from the couch in alarm. Mum looked up from her newspaper at the dinner table. Dad was midway taking a sip from his beer.

‘What’s going on?’ Dad asked touching the can to his lips.

‘What am I doing? What are you making me do?! I have not done a single thing that I wanted this year!’

‘Of course you have, dear.’ Their aloofness enraged me.

‘Every day it’s the same! Over and over again! All I do is eat, work and sleep! I have no friends, I have no hobbies, NOTHING!’ I threw down my bag.

‘This is Life, Child.’ Dad always called me that when I was being ‘unreasonable’. ‘Your mum and I have gone through that, and we’re still living it now. Life can’t be exciting every day. You’ll get used to it.’

What the hell kind of comfort is that!? I’m 22! Where’s the fun? Where’s the adventure? Where are the precious lessons of life that come from exploring! I stormed out to the back verandah. Mum called out something about dinner. I shook with fury. I wasn’t being acknowledged. My misery was not being acknowledged. The fire within grew and grew. I was so mad. My body couldn’t contain it anymore and I screamed. I yelled with fierceness, expelling all my suppressed frustration. I thrashed at the air like I was fighting off demons and finally kicked a pot as hard as I could. OW! It fucking hurt! I fell to the ground holding my foot. My shoulders shook. I’m meant for bigger things. I have to be. This can’t be it. But it is. I gave myself a year before starting a career in teaching and three-quarters of it had already passed. I felt so enclosed. So defeated. Why?? My foot throbbed. I looked at the plant pot I had kicked and saw it was the Pony-Tail palm that had been around since I was little. It was still in the same pot. Still roughly the same size. Its roots were trying to escape through the drainage holes, the base of its trunk had expanded to the full circumference of its given home. The plastic was bulging with discomfort, resisting the pressure of the tree’s persistent growth. I kicked it again. With less conviction. I let my head drop back and tried blinking back tears. Fuck this. I buried my face in my knees and surrendered to the sobs.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. My little sister, Vivian, sat down next to me.

‘What’s wrong?’ I was so grateful of her. She was what I looked forward to coming home to. Vivian was always a fun, bundle of energy with plenty of stories to tell about her day. She reminded me how to laugh and be funny.

I took in a shaky breath. ‘I’m so miserable! I just want to get away from all of this. Get AWAY!’ But not tonight.

She fidgeted and bit her lip. She thought for a while and finally said, ‘Alright. Let’s go. I’ll make some calls.’

I sucked in sharp breath and nodded pathetically. I didn’t really want to go but what else could I do? As Vivian started making calls I plodded into my room to get ready. The décor of the room did not fit my state of mind; the happy colours, the shelved fantasy and adventure books, the framed pictures of me and my friends from the good ol’ days in high-school. The state of the room, however, reflected me perfectly; my unmade bed, my desk littered with loose dockets, clothes callously strewn on the floor, the dust bin was overflowing with tear-drenched tissues. How did it come to this? I kicked away some tissues and found a pair of 3/4 pants, stockings, a pair of tattered tennis shoes, a loose AC/DC tee-shirt, a grey hoody jacket with bunny patterns and a black zip-up. I donned them all. Next I shuffled into the bathroom. I found some blue eye-liner I bought yonks ago that I never used. Sure. Now’s a better time than any. Iridescent pink rouge? Why not? Wooo hairspray. Where’s that pointy comb thing?

Vivian came in to check out my progress. ‘Oh, Deb…’ She took out a tissue and started wiping the lipstick from my chin. I broke away from her and headed for dad’s wine cellar and found the cheapest bottle of red. Let’s roll.

Chapter Two

He sparked something in me. He was so… charismatic. There was so much energy behind his words. I felt like I was a dormant furnace being clicked back to life. Though he was a perfect stranger, I felt so…familiar with him. He intrigued me.

‘Hey, instead of giving beggars money, why not give out those gift-card things from Coles? Then they can’t buy stupid shit with it.’ He drew a pattern with chocolate syrup on the steaming hot chocolate for table 12.

‘Hmm…sure…but who would make the effort to pre-buy these cards just in case they bump into a bum?’ I placed a teaspoon onto the saucer.

He scratched his beard, ‘good point.’

I slid the tray off the bench and balanced it expertly over my shoulder. ‘You know what we should really do: ask if they take EFTPOS. That way, you don’t feel bad because at least you’ve offered something.’

‘Nah, they’ll just drop their daks and tell you to swipe.’

I felt drawn to him. It was strange. He wasn’t even my type. Tall, metro and hairy. Throughout the busy day I found myself making beelines back to him at the coffee bar.

‘So, what’s up with your broken heart?’ He dropped the jug of silked milk against the bench to release the trapped bubbles sending white specks on to his eyebrow. I reached out to wipe it off. Wow, his lashes are so thick.

‘Gee, personal, much?’ He waited. ‘Hang on, I didn’t say anything about my break up.’

‘So, it’s true?’

‘How did you know?’

‘I can tell.’

I sniffed, quietly impressed. ‘Don’t know what that was. He was just someone to fill the void.’ Someone who uncannily resembled my previous boyfriend of three and a half years. A bloody waste of time. Fool me twice…

My darkened expression must have prompted him to change the subject. ‘Have you driven anywhere lately?’ He swirled shine into the stretched milk.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Have you driven anywhere exciting in that new car your parents bought for you.’

‘What the hell kind of presumption is that?’ He poured a perfect rosetta for the weak latte for table 20.

‘Is it not true? All Asian girls have that kind of stuff…everything paved out for them. Nice and easy.’

‘Well, you’re wrong. My parents bought me a second-hand Corolla last year.’

He smirked. ‘Niiiiice and easy.’ He winked and dinged the bell. Coffee up.

What was his story? He was boldly intruding into the personal side of me and we’d only just met! Already he had hit three unknown truths about me effortlessly.

I passed behind him to get to the chocolate cabinet.

‘You’d think after being in one place for 3 months you’d have more friends…’

I wrinkled my nose. ‘I’ve been here for 9 months and have plenty of friends.’ Sort of.

‘I was talking in second-person.’

‘Oh…what do you mean then?’ I slipped on a brown cashmere glove for hand-crafted chocolates.

‘I meant here in Melbourne for 3 months. I can’t call too many people friends. Acquaintances…work mates… yes. Friends? No… not many at home in Queensland either.’

‘Maybe it’s because you keep assuming things about people.’ I retorted.

I felt two strong hands grip my shoulders. Knight started shaking me back and forth. ‘I feel so restless! I just don’t want to settle!’ Why was he telling me these things? Why does he make so much sense to me? This stranger was prodding and stoking the coals within me. He was making me ask myself questions that I hadn’t dared to over the last 9 months: what am I doing? Why haven’t I done anything I want? Do I want to settle? Why not run away? What have I got to lose?

I was homebound in tears. I didn’t notice until the lady next to me passed me a tissue. No matter where I was coming home from, I’d cry my way back. I detested the elasticized leash strapped around my neck, always yanking me back home where all the expectations lay. The train passed over a bridge and I watched the city skyline shrink as we rolled on. Melbourne was the embodiment of beauty, history, culture, fashion, gourmet foods and opportunities at every corner; the fundamental elements of desirable living. But to me, it was a fucking snow dome. And there I was at the edge of the city with my face pressed up against the glass.

I finally reached my station, Sunshine, notorious for its gang fights, smashed car windows, and toothless drug addicts. Usually by the time I reached my car I’d be cried out, but not today. Something was different. I flicked on the windscreen wiper. I turned them off. Stupid. What have I got to bloody cry about? I’ve got a good life. I’m going home to a comfortable house. I have a stable, loving family; my parents have always guided me along the right path and I’m a good person because of it. I have a teaching career on the way, should I choose to embark it. It never takes me too long to find a boy interested in me. An emotional lump started to punch its way up my throat. Things have always come quite easily for me. Pretty smooth sailing. My fingers gripped the steering wheel as I fought to keep the car steady. There are plenty of things to achieve in my life. I’ve got be patient. All that fun stuff can wait. I’ve got to settle and establish myself first. The fire in my stomach blazed. I finally reached home and burst through the door.

‘I’M NOT HAPPY!’

Chapter One

‘So,’ said an unfamiliar voice, ‘what’s your story?’

I jumped. The new guy at work had slid in next to me and was looking at me with curious eyes. I had been cleaning the counter top in circles for about 10 consecutive minutes staring lasers into oblivion. His arms were folded as he leaned casually against the counter. I blinked a few times. Hmm, I just got dumped by a dud of a man who did nothing but play online games and live vicariously through Japanese anime, I’ve been living the same day at this shop for the last 9 months, I have the facade of a socialite with the deadened innards of a ghoul, and I can’t be bothered to even pretend to flirt with you. He raised an eyebrow. I snapped into my usual sunny self and grinned. Then faltered. ‘This year was meant to be my year of fun…but I’m not having fun at all’.

Once upon a time I was a bouncing, bright-eyed Bachelor of Education graduate of the highly esteemed University of Melbourne. After four years of grueling procrastination and consistent mediocre grades, I was finally able to dust my hands of academic validation. I took a gap-year and found myself presented before a grand space of time that was malleable to the shape of my decisions. I was free to do whatever I wanted! I was single, slim and smart. Nothing could stand in my way! The dream-cloud above my head started filling up with adventurous road trips with mates cruising from beach to beach, National park to National park, really roughing it out, creating memories. I pictured myself in my car streaming along the dust roads of Australia discovering the wonders of my own backyard... How naïve.

‘Excellent,’ Dad congratulated me, ‘so you’re not going to start teaching this year?’

‘Nope! Time to have fun!’

‘Excellent!’ He repeated. I saw something behind his eyes. I could see through them to the back of his calculating brain. ‘That means you will have time to help with the business. Once you get your Heavy Rigid driver’s license, you can help me take tours and airport transfers.’ Mum and Dad had started a charter-coach business from scratch before I was even born.

‘But-‘ I want to go on a road trip…

‘It’s time to give a little back to the family. We have worked very, very hard since arriving here in Australia. You know, we came here with nothing but the clothes on our backs.’ Great, he was using the we-came-as-refugees-for-a-better-life-for-you card, ‘and have sacrificed everything for you to live comfortably and succeed in your studies. Congratulations, Child!’

And that was that. Dad had reached up, brought down my dreams and smushed them into a shape of a cog that slotted nicely into his well-oiled machine.

Eight months later I was still rotating in the same spot Dad put me in, going through the motions, paying off the ‘debt’ I ‘owed’ my parents for such a privileged upbringing. After all, if it weren’t for their epic exodus from Vietnam in 1975…who knows how we would have ended up. So my weeks were comprised of bus driving and tour guiding, and for extra cash and somewhat sanity, I worked at a popular chocolate boutique. Yay.

‘Then why don’t you do something about it?’ New Guy asked.

I cocked my head.

‘Why don’t you just run away? Chuck your clothes into a bag and go backpacking around Australia or something.’

Like…a road trip?? Holy crap! I felt my eyes widen.

‘Yeah, go and explore a bit. Just don’t do a Contiki tour. Ugh.’ New Guy shuddered. ‘I’d rather die a thousand deaths before joining a Contiki tour- totally void of culture.’ He was pretty much mumbling to himself at that point but he had me at ‘go’.

‘I’m Knight, by the way.’ He put his hand out and flashed a cheeky smile.

I looked at his hand. I blinked a couple of times and then finally took it. ‘I’m Deb.’

Blurb

Ever felt stuck? So figuratively that it feels physical? Ever felt like you had every reason to be happy…but something within you tells you that you’re not? This wriggly, niggly feeling that you’re missing out on…I don’t know…LIFE, maybe? I did. I was running the treadmill of monotony, crying myself to sleep every night believing that that was the way of life, until my Knight in shining armour came charging through the barricades, deflecting light onto the possibilities that have lurked in the shadows of unrequited want for too long. All you need to do is reach out your hand and grab it. But sometimes it helps when someone is holding the other...

(c) Debra Ly, 2011

Every life is story...it's all in the way you tell it!

'Take A Mile' is a chapter book that is 3 years in the making. I started, stopped, revised, neglected and now have picked it up again. I still haven't finished it but I've come a fair way with it.

I am debuting my story, inspired by the first steps I took into the fulfilling life that I lead now.

The title is taken from the old saying: 'Give 'em inch and they take a mile', that is usually delivered with a sneer and a shake of a fist at sly opportunists. But I have a differing view...

I shall endeavour to post a new chapter weekly, or at least, fortnightly and hopefully you will enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it!