Deserted Honeymoon

My newlywed husband, Hayden and I had just been married. We were now sitting at the airport, waiting for our flight to Paris. That was where we were going on our honeymoon. Or so we thought.

"Jet Star Flight JQ6540 to Paris will have a further delay of 1 and a half hours. Jet Star sincerely apologises for the delay, and any inconvienience this may cause. Thankyou." That was our flight. Great! Hayden and I had already been waiting for an hour and a half. We may as well have gone home right then and there. But we didn't. "Great! Claire, what do you want to do now?" Hayden groaned. He leant against my shoulder. He was tired enough as it was from the wedding and all that. We should have stayed the night in a hotel and flown out the next day. But we didn't. We were kind of stuck here now anyway, so what was the point in thinking about it.

Our flight came, after a long wait and we got on board right away. I fell asleep on Hayden's shoulder, and when I woke up to read for a bit, he fell asleep on mine. The trip was exhausting.

Halfway through the flight, we began to drop. We began to fall, racing down towards the ground. We were going to crash. I could feel it. We were rushing. Down, down, down. Rapidly decending.

This went on for maybe, say 15 minutes before we came to a complete stop. "Right. Everyone out of the plane please." The pilot instructed. "Hayden, wake up." I nudged the sleeping Hayden next to me. "Huh? What? What's going on?" He asked grogilly. "We've got to get off the plane now. Quick." I tugged his arm.

When we were safetly out of the plane, where we were really hit. Both Hayden and I "This isn't Paris." I was not happy. "Where are we Hun?" Hayden groaned. Even though we had slept half the trip each, he was still tired. Probably all the wedding stuff I guessed. "I don't know. But let's go and find out." I pulled him along, towards the flight attendants, who were all gathered at the head of the plane. "Where are we?" I demanded from one of them. "I'm sorry Miss. We'll be in Paris soon enough. But it may take a while. They're sending another plane to take you there as soon as possible." She explained. "Well that doesn't help much." I muttered, to myself, so that only Hayden and I could hear.

Hayden and I spent the next 3 hours making ourselves a little shack out of all the resources we could find. When we finally finished, Hayden collapsed and fell asleep on the bed we had made from logs and huge leaf fronds. It was a double bed we had made, so I settled on the other side and read my book a while.

We ended up staying in the desert in the middle of nowhere for at least 3 weeks before we were rescued.

Hayden and I loved it. We had made quite a little house for ourselves out of all we could find around the place. We used heaps of sticks and vines to make the walls, sand for the fllors covered by large palm fronds and doorways were left as a space we could walk through. tables, we piled sticks on top of eachother to make a rectangular shape. Then we made chairs the same, way but in a chair shape.

It was fun trying to figure out how to make everyday household obbjects out of stuff like sticks, sand, palm fronds, sand, wetsand, dirt and all the other things we had brought and could find. But I must say it was a challenge, and very draining!

We were rescued three weeks after crash landing in the dessert. I must say, I was very relived to go home. As was Hayden.

We still haven't been to Paris yet. We the crash landing in the desert to be our honeymoon instead. However, we do plan to go to Paris in the very near future, for our upcoming first anniversary.

What's in a Name?

Chrissie was twenty four when she began to wonder about the origins of her name. 'Chrissie- where could her mother have gotten that from?' She wondered.

So she went to her mother and asked her. "Mum, why did you call me Chrissie?" "In honour of your father Dear." Her mother replied. "What? In honour of Dad?" Chrissie didn't understand. "In honour of your father." Chrissie's mother Jane repeated. "You know the flower, chysanthemums?" "Yeah. What about them?" Chrissie asked. "Your father loved them. So when he died. a few months before you were born, I decided to name you as close as I could to him." Jane explained. "Since you were a girl, I named you after his favourite flower." "In his honour." Chrissie concluded. "Yes. Exactly." Jane agreed.

Chrissie wanted to learn even more about her father now that she knew she had been named after him. So, she took a week off work to learn more of him.

On Sunday, she went to visit his grave. She bought chysanthemums and brought them there. She layed them at the head of the gravestone, along with a letter she had written him. Chrissie knew he would never read it, but it made her feel better, more close to him. That made her feel good.

Monday, Chrissie went through everything of his with her mother. With each item they pulled out, came a story. Jane would sit there, opposite Chrissie, holding the item as she told the story that went with it.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, she went to visit her father's parents. That helped Chrissie with her search a lot. From her grandparents, she found out that she had another half sister. His other daughter, Ruby.

So on Friday and Saturday, Chrissie went to visit her. Ruby was a year younger then Chrissie, 23.

Ruby at first was confused at first, with Chrissie turning up and all. That was until Ruby explained the whole thing. Ruby didn't know much. She just knew that her mother had had a little fling with him and then ran off. "So I probably know more asbout him then you do." Chrissie concluded. "Most likely." Ruby agreed.

It seemed to Chrissie that this had brought her and Ruby closer together. Before Chrissie left for home on Saturday afternoon, Ruby gave her contact details, so that they could keep in touch. Chrissie gave Ruby hers as well.

Not only had Chrissie found out loads of information about her father in that one week, but she had gained a new friend in Ruby.

As time passed, Chrissie and Ruby became the best of friends. To this day, they still are....

Blue Holiday

Five year old Jamie and his mother were driving on the freeway, from the Central Coast of NSW Australia down to Sydney. They were going to visit Jamie's mother Tanya's sister Natalia, who had just moved down to Hornsby with ther fiance Heath.

"What are those Mummy?" Jamie asked, pointing at some hills in the distance. The blue mountains. Jamie was a curious kid. "He'll be a smart one someday, Tanya. You just watch." His grandfather would always say. Tanya believed it. All she had to do was feed his mind. That was simple. All she had to do was answer all of his questions, so he had a lot of things to think about.

"That's the Blue Mountains, Jamie." Tanya explained. "Two weeks from now, when I have time off work, we'll go there, for a little holiday." She promised. "Ok." Jamie agreed.

The Blue Mountains was a special place for Tanya. It was where she had spent her last three years at high school, Where she had met, gone out with and marrried Jamie's father Nate and where Jamie had been born and grew up for 3 years. But most sadly, it was where Nate had passed away. Tanya, Nate and Jamie had gone horse riding. Jamie had been one and a half at the time. Nate had fallen off his horse. They had had another son, Hamish, who had been riding with Nate before the accident. Hamish had died as well.

Tanya's life, she would admit had been very hard. She had lost her husband and two children. Her other daughter, Megan had died in Tanya's womb. Tanya had had a still birth. That had been sad. Megan would have been nine now if she had been alive, Hamish would have been eight.

But now, Tanya felt ready. Ready to go back there again. She wanted to go back. One of the days, she planned to visit the cemetery where Nate, Megan and Hamish were burried, all together. It was about time Jamie knew. She wouldn't tell him the truth about the passings though. She might just tell him, Dadddy had the scarf wrapped too tight round his neck, Hamish jumped to high on the trampoline, or Megan ran too hard, smack bang into a wall. He didn't need to know the truth yet. Not the whole truth anyway.

So, Tanya and Jamie went to the Blue Mountains two weeks later, as planned. They had an absolute ball. Something magical happened while they were away. Tanya met someone. They had a fling. You could call it a 'winter romance.'

When they were due home, Tanya's new boyfried Tim came with her and Jamie. He said that he'd pack up his house and move down there to be with them.

As Tanya put it, on she and Tim's wedding day, "You were a flicker of light when my life was dim." Jamie, Tanya and Tim lived happily from then on and didn't have a care in the world. The small little family continued going to the Blue Mountains once a year every year. They went back to where it all began...

Adventure Date

Laura had been going out with her boyfriend, Caleb for a while now. Laura's best friend Sabrina had only just begun to go out with her boyfriend, Andrew. After three days of Sabrina and Andrew being together, Laura and Sabrina decided to plan a double date involving them and their two boyfriends.

They all came over to Sabrina's house the next weekend. "Why don't we go up the hill at the end of my street. We can have a picnic up the top. There's this lovely little clearing.." Sabrina started. "Sounds great." Laura agreed. "Whatever you want, darl." Andrew and Caleb said at the same time. "Alright, let's go." Laura decided, holding her hand out in front of Caleb. Caleb took it, and they walked out of the house, hand in hand, closely followed by Andrew and Sabrina.

The four friends hiked up the hill, up and up and up. Finally, after what seemed like years of climbing, they reached Sabrina's favourite clearing on the top of the hill. Laura and Sabrina set up the picnic basket and rug, whilst Andrew and Caleb looked around and explored.

Andrew, Caleb, Laura and Sabrina sat down to afternoon tea. Laura had set out muffins, fruit and scones. Sabrina had set out juice, water and cordial. "This is great, hon." Andrew commented, bitting into a scone. "Sure is. You're well right there, Andrew." Caleb agreed, biting a piece off his apple muffin. "Delicious!" Laura concluded. "Thanks guys." Sabrina blushed.

After afternoon tea, the four friends set back down the hill. But this time they went a different way, a longer way. It was a bush walk this time. In the middle of it, they found another clearing. A clearing with a large, narrow fresh water creek running right through the middle of it. Bushes of flowers outlined the clearing.

Caleb found a huge rock, near the bush trail they came out of. "Hey guys! Look at this!" He called to his friends. They all came over and joined him sitting on the rock.

They got so caught up in the magical view before them, that they lost track of time, and before they knew it, the sun was setting. "Quick! Let's go! It's getting dark." Sabrina jumped up, pulling Laura with one arm and Andrew in the other. Laura and Andrew both grabbed Caleb and they raced, against time to get back to Sabrina's house before the sun set.

Laura, Sabrina, Andrew and Caleb reached the top of the last hill. They could see Sabrina's house just at the bottom of the hill. So they joined hands, and flew down the hill.

The sun set just as they entered Sabrina's house.

They all look forward to another fun adveture very soon.

Locked Out

Maria was in year 9 at high school. She wasn't all that smart. She was in all the lowest classes. Well at leaast she couldn't get any worse. That was a good thing at least. Although, Maria did have two good friends at school. Ellie and Dana.

One afternoon, on a Friday, when Maria arrived at her doorstep, she realised that she had lost something. Her keys. She had lost her keys. Her keys! 'How dumber could I be?' She wondered. 'not a lot.' Her mind told her back. She searched her bag a second time. Then a third, a forth, a fifth and finally a sixth. Still no keys. Her mother wouldn't be home for hours, and her father was overseas. She could always just sit and wait outside the house until her mum got home.

No. Maria wouldn't do that, she couldn't. So she went to her grandparent's granny flat in the back of the yard. They were off holidaying at the minute. Over in a nice sunny spot. Maria found the secret key to their flat that her grandmother had shown her.

She let herself in and searched the flat for a set of keys. Maria tried each set on each lock on her house. Not a one worked. So, out of sheer desperation, Maria went back into the flat and found one last set of keys. That opened her grandfather's shed. The shed, contained a spare key to Maria's house.

So, delighted that she had found what she had been desperatly searching for, Maria grabbed the keys in one hand, locked the shed with the other set and gone to her house, where she finally set foot into the nice, warm cosy little abode. She then returned all the keys to their places, and that was that.

No one knew anything of the matter, until many years later, Maria told her grand daughter of the situation when she was upset about locking herself out of her own house.

The Call of Destiny

Michael had been sick for many months now. He had gotten cancer at the young age of 23. He had been battling for two years.

On this particular day, of late 1994, he lay in his hospital bed, his girlfriend Amanda, sitting by his bed the whole time, squeezing his hand tight. The doctors had informed the two that they were basically making Michael comfortable until the day of his passing.

"Are you absolutely sure there is nothing more you can do for him?" Amanda had gone outside Michael's private hospital room to debate with his doctors over the matter.

Amanda's cousin and her boyfriend rushed by Michael's hospital room, Amanda's cousin Taylor in a hospital bed, her boyfriend Josh running to keep up with her, holding her hand tight, just as Amanda had done so with Michael.

"Go." Michael reassured Amanda, patting her arm. "I'll be alright." So, knowing she had Michael's permission, she raced after them, and began racing with the bed, on the other side of Taylor. "What happened?" She called to Josh over the noise. "I came home, and found her like this, in the loungeroom.Unconcious " Josh shouted back. "Oh." Amanda said, more quietly to herself. "It's alright, I've got your number, I'll call you when we're settled in a room." Josh told Amada. "Ok. Mabye I could bring Michael over, if he's feeling up to it." Amanda suggested. "Sure. I'm sure Taylor would love to see you and Michael. When she wakes up. If she wakes up." Josh said sadly. "She will. Think positive Josh!" Amada called back to him over her shoulder as she ran back to Michael's room.

Later on that day, Amanda nd Michael went to see Taylor and Josh in Taylor's room. "Hey." Taylor greeted them, weakly. "HOw are you feeling?" Amanda asked. "Not great." Taylor said. "What about you Michael?" She turned to Michael who was sitting in his wheelchair, next to Amanda, opposite Josh. "Better than I have done." Michael replied, a glimer of hope in his voice.

Josh and Taylor soon got the same news Amanda and Michael had done just three days before. "We'll make her comfortable, until she passes. But there is nothing else we can do. " The doctors would keep on saying.

So as a nice thought, Amanda and Josh organised for Taylor and Michael to be put in the same room. That way, when Josh and Amanda weren't there, they would have someone to keep them company.

It was five days later that the day came. Taylor and Mochael could just feel it. "Today's the day. I can feel it. I'm sorry." They'd both say.

When the time came, Taylor was holding Michael's hand on one side, and Josh's on the other. Michael was holding Taylor's on one side, and Amanda's on the other. With their spare hands, Josh and Amanda each sat, tenderly stroked their partner.

"You ready Taylor?" Michael turned to Taylor in his bed. He looked back over at Amanda and kissed and hugged her as if to say goodbye. "I love you Amanda, I always will, my love." He told her and turned back to Taylor, still holding Amada's hand tight. "Ready." Taylor replied. She turned to Josh. "I love you Josh. Always have, and always will." She said, kissing and hugging him.

Michael then gave Amada a ring. "I was going to as you to do me the honour of becoming my wife, but that won't happen now. So take this, and never forget me, my Amanda." Michael explained, handing Amanda a small box, which she opened and slipped it's contents, a small diamond ring onto her finger.

Taylor gave to Josh a watch. "Never forget me Josh. I will love you forever." She said, fastening it around Josh's held out wrist.

"I love you." Were Taylor and Michael's final words, before their eyelids closed.

In the months that followed, Josh and Amanda helped eachother get over the ordeal. As if like Taylor and Michael were bringing them together, from heaven above, they fell in love and were married a year later.

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Dedicated to the memory of my uncle, Jeffery and to my angel's dear son Charles, may they rest in peace and live forever in our hearts, and be with us in spirit, watching over us from up above

& to anyone who has ever lost someone dear in their lives, may they be remembered and live in spirit each and every day.

Ball Of Death

I was at home with my Dad, playing out in the yard with our dog, Rusty, when Mum, my big sister Dana and my little brother Tom arrived home from grocery shopping.

Dad and I left Rusty and went inside to help Mum unpack. Halfway through the unpacking, I found a rubbery flat thing in a circular shape packaged in a box in one of the bags. "What's this?" I asked Mum, holding it up in the air like it was a huge gold medal I'd won.

"Oh that?" Said Mum, looking up. "That's just a silly old gym ball. Don't worry about it." "Ok." I said, put it down and walked away.

Later on that day, I sat on Mum's bed, watching as she blew up this mysterious 'gym ball'. As she blew, it grew bigger, and bigger, and bigger until it was slightly bigger then my two year old little brother Tom. "Whoa! That's huge." I said, flabborgasted. "That's the way your Dad and I like it Jake, that's all." Mum reasoned. I didn't really want a reson. But no matter, I got it anyway.

A few days later, when I was lying, innocently on my bedroom floor. I saw it. A huge, blue, round shape I figured must have been the ball. It came charging towards me, just like a bull does when it sees the colour red. I put my head down, just in time.

It could feel it, over my legs, squashing me t the ground, then my chest, my shoulders, and finally my head. I flail my arms above my head, just in time to catch it. I sat up, the huge boulder of a ball still in my hands to examine what had flattened me. Just as i suspected the culprit was, indeed, Mum's gym ball. The other culprit, I realised was standing in my doorway. "Yay! Yay! Again! Again! Jake funny." Squealed Tom, the two year old mischief maker I had as a brother. "No Tom, not sgain." I sighed, lifting the ball from above me and shoving it over my head, where it bounced along violently, until finally settling in the corner of my room. "But what we can do," I continued, wrapping my arm around his small frame, "is play a trick on Dana."

Love Games

Jen and Matt had been going out for a long time. It was young love, the best kind. They were both still in high school and as in love as ever.

One day, before the school bell rang in indication for the beginning of classes, Jen and Matt were being silly. Really silly They were flirting, and playing around at the same time. Zoe, Jen's best friend, saw the whole thing.

It all began when Matt accidentally nudged Jen a bit too hard on the arm, and then everything unfolded from there.

Jen would run in circles around Zoe, Matt chassing her the whole time. "No!" Jen weould scream playfully. "Don't come near me!" "Ok." Matt would say in mock anger. "I won't." He would say and walk off. He'd coming running back 5 minutes later, a mock sad look on his face. "I can't live without you." He would say, hugging Jen tight. They would then kiss and make up.

About three minutes later, the whole thing would repeat itself. Zoe ended up standing back, against a brick wall one time. To get out of their way. After all, she didn't want to be knocked over. Or hit.

"And in three, two one." Zoe glanced up her watch and then up at Jen and Matt again. Sure enough, they haad begun another round of the love game.

"What's going on here?" Mia, Zoe and Jen's other best friend asked, rushing towards Zoe when she arrived. "Jen and Matt are being stiupid." Zoe explained. "Right." Mia agreed, observing the scene in front of them. "Hey? what?" Jen turned to Zoe and Mia. "We heard our names." Matt said. Well that had certainly got their attention. Zoe decided to put that in the back of her mind to use later. "Nothing, nothing." Zoe said "No, we heard our names. Now what was it?" Jen asked. "It's ok. Npothing bad." Mia reasoned. "Ok." JEn finally agreed.

Matt and Jen played love games often. But in the future, Zoe knew to just watch and laugh as they frollicked and played in the sun.

They looked like a fairytale, playing love games like that. Like two people so much in love, nothing could ever break it. Well, that was Zoe's opinion anyway. She didn't know about the rest of the world, but to her that was just how Jen and Matt looked.