The Betrayal of Bindy Mackenzie (21 page)

Hills District Oratory Contest
Year 7
Adjudicator's Notes

Bindy Mackenzie
This girl is dynamite! You can just see that talent crackling! And that noble toss of her head when she makes a point—it just killed me! Wonderful! First place!

DIARY ENTRY
Monday, 30 April

GUESS WHAT?
I've figured out the Group of Four!!
I KNEW they looked familiar!

I've been gazing at them, trying to trigger my memory. The skinny boy kind of widened his eyes at me the other day, and I realised it was not meant in the spirit of bouncing
eyebrows. It was more: ‘
Why do you keep LOOKING at me?

So, I did some research—school administration office, school library, other students, local library
etc
—and discovered that the Group of Four all attended Kellyville Primary. I flicked through that school's public archives, and noticed their regular participation in the Twilight Parade at the Orange Blossom Festival.

And bling! bling! bling! went my mind.

Two years ago
I had watched the Twilight Parade, and had fallen in love with a Kellyville Primary ‘Food Groups' float!

Frantically, I flicked through newspaper reports, and there it was: a photograph of the very float. And there
they
were, the Group of Four, amongst a larger group of children. The four were dressed up as a banana, a cauliflower, a cheese slice, and a lamb chop.

As soon as the time seems right, I mean to congratulate the Group of Four on their marvellous and educational float.

DIARYENTRY
Wednesday, 9 May

Toby Mazzerati was a good friend in primary, but we drifted apart in the last couple of years. However, now, here at Ashbury, he is friendly again. Is it loyalty because we've known each other so long? Today he gave me a jewellery box which he had made in woodwork. It has beautiful gold hinges and the lid opens and closes smoothly.

I accepted the box gratefully, and told him how much I loved it, and I lavished praise upon the craftsmanship. His cheeks turned pale pink, and he gave me a big smile.

Then I offered him help with his algebra. I'd heard him talking to himself in Maths the day before. ‘What is
x
?' he was murmuring. ‘If
x
equals
x
equals
x
, then what is
y
equals
y
equals
y
? If you were my
x
would you also be my
x,
and who would be my
y
and why is
y
my y?' He was saying this in a sort of chant.

‘I'd like to pay you back for this,' I explained. ‘And I know that Maths is something of a challenge for you.'

He said he'd give that a miss, but thanks for the offer.

B.H. Neumann Certificate
Perfect Score in Australian Mathematics Competition
Westpac Award

DIARY ENTRY
Friday, 15 June

I think I might have been wrong about Toby being friendly again. He hasn't really spoken to me since he gave me the wooden jewellery box.

DIARY ENTRY
Saturday, 11 August

Reflections on Humour
Today, Anthony and Sam were watching
Raising Arizona
— they're working through the Coen brothers' films—and I took a break to join them.

The three of us laughed hysterically, and afterwards continued to laugh as we made ourselves sausages and chips for dinner, and recalled the funniest moments from the film.

Now, Anthony and Sam are only in Year 6, but they often make me laugh. So, you would think that the humour of my Year 7 classmates would be even more impressive. And at times, I must admit, I am surprised into laughter by the quick wit around me.

But sometimes that humour bewilders me. The other day, I overheard a conversation between Emily Thompson and her two best friends. The three of them had fallen out about a month ago—I don't know why but I had been watching with interest. On this day, however, they seemed to make up. They were hugging and crying together—
all
of them crying! (I don't believe I have ever cried in front of another human being.)

One of them said, tearily, ‘And I was eating waffles last night, and I couldn't stop thinking . . .' Another interrupted in a tragic voice: ‘Waffles?' ‘Waffles,' agreed the first. ‘Waffles,' the third repeated, in her own tragic voice. And before you knew it all three were shouting the word ‘WAFFLES', laughter exploding around them.

I suppose they just found the word amusing at that moment. But I did not see that it could possibly be.

They are so strange, young people.

Ashbury End of Year Report Card
Bindy Mackenzie

MATHEMATICS

Bindy is an extremely talented student, who has excelled in this class. Most gratifying, however, is her diligence. If she doesn't understand a problem, she will work and work at it
—
such ferocity! She's a delight to teach.

DIARY ENTRY
Tuesday, 11 December

Amazing news!! The Group of Four seems to have split up!! It is Astrid and blonde boy versus Nicole and skinny boy! Astrid and blonde-hair have merged with another group. Astrid seems cocky and defiant. Wish I knew what the fight was all about.

DIARY ENTRY
Thursday, 20 December

My last day of Year 7 today.

Very strange day.

For much of the year, I waited for the opportunity to tell the Group of Four that I had seen them before.

Today, I thought I had an opportunity, at last, to speak.

The Group have not made up—they remain splintered. Astrid
has
seemed happy enough with that, but today, on the Year 7 balcony, I happened to see her crying. Now, I know
that Nicole has been spreading a rumour that Astrid was the one who caused the break-up, by stealing a guy from Nicole, even though she knew they liked each other. I guessed that this was why Astrid was crying.

Now, I thought, was the time to speak to her.

‘Astrid?' I said, approaching gently. ‘You know, I saw you on a float in the twilight parade at the Orange Blossom Festival back in Year 5?'