Have to be 18 to go to Jail

“We are gathered here today to pay our respects to Saskia Maya Sanders.” The priest paused for a minute. There aren’t many people here, that is because there isn’t many people in my family. Just mum. Well that I know of any way and me. I never knew my dad, that’s because my mum fell pregnant with me when she was 14, then he moved to America with his family. I am 15 now. Mum only ever made it to year 9.

The people at the funeral were me, Gaz (a good friend of mine and mums), John (mum’s latest boyfriend) and some of mum’s colleagues.

“Mother of Cyaira Jayne Sanders, daughter of Danin and Maya Sanders, Saskia was a very loving person…” the priest went on for a while, I mean, I was listening, I do care about my mother. It’s just I cant stand listening to this. It is really hard. I jumped as I felt an arm around my shoulder, it was Gav. He really cared about my mum, and me. But he and my mum were never in a relationship. Mum had plenty of boyfriends in the past, none of which showed up today. Only John did, but that’s because he and mum were still together.

He is 50. Mum was only 29 and it’s pretty gross how they were together. Still, John is a lot better than some of the other boyfriends. The last one, Kain, was a pervert. I saw him a few times peeking through the keyhole in my door. When I told mum she kicked him out straight away. A lot of them were total idiots. I was more mature than some of them.

“Cyaira, would you like to say something?” I nodded, but I didn’t really want to. I got up on the stage, and I felt a tear on my face. I always thought it was weird how people cried so much at funerals, but now I know why. It is really hard losing someone.

“My mum has had a great life. A lot of people may say that she ruined it when she was 14 and had me, but she coped and ended up with me. For all of my life, my mum has been there. Now, she won’t be. She can’t be. But, thanks to the people left in my life I will be okay. And I’m sure that my mum will be too. I just have one question for God: why do you need my angel, when I need her here so much more?”

I walked off the stage and sat back down next to Gav. He gave me a huge hug and asked if I was alright. Usually I hate the mushy stuff. I'm not a rebel. I just hate all the girlie, mushy stuff.

“Thank-you Cyaira, anyone else like a word?” No-one did. Soon, the funeral was over. Thank God for that too, it really stinks in funerals, it smells weird.

After we went to the grave yard, Gav took me back to mums house.

“I guess you can’t live here anymore, not by yourself anyway.” Gav said as he settled down into the armchair. I was making the coffees.

“Yeah, I haven’t really thought of that. I dunno what I'm gonna do Gav. I haven’t got any other family, and for all I know, my dad could be dead.”

I walked over to the lounge with the two mugs.

“Don’t think like that honey, you can stay with me for a little while, but you can’t stay forever. I guess you’ll have to go to a foster home.” Gav looked really strange; he sorta looked guilty. Of what I don’t know.

“No, never a foster home. I’d hate to live there. I could live here, couldn’t I?” Gav laughed.

“And just who would pay the bills, buy the food and do the housework? Definitely not you. You should know you can’t live by yourself when your only 15. Come on Cyaira, you’ll find somewhere to live.”

“Yeah, I guess.” I was nearly finished my coffee already. The truth was, I didn’t have a clue of what to do next.

During the next 10 minutes I made myself another two coffees. Gav looked at me weird. Then offered to take me to his house.

“No, I should really stay here, sort some stuff out.”

“Ok, but call me if you need to.” Gav got up, kissed me goodbye and left. I hate it when he kisses.

I looked out the window of the classroom. It was Monday morning and I was in English at school. The teacher was blabbing on about something that I didn’t really give a damn about. This morning was really hard. I usually get up with out mum, but just knowing that she wasn’t there, knowing she never will be, knowing I’ll never see her again… Oh, great, I’m starting to cry. But I stop myself. I can’t cry. Not at school any way.

I am sitting at a desk by myself. Since this is, I think the 7th school I’ve been to in 3 years, I don’t really have any friends. The only friends I have are in my head. When I told mum I have tiny people in my head, she knocked me about it for 2 weeks. But I was serious. They were the reason why I have been kicked out of so many schools. I’m not a bad kid but I’m not the best kid either. And no, I’m not feral. I just, like to have fun. Most of the time this includes me getting in trouble with the principal, or getting suspended. But when I do it more than once at the same school, I usually get expelled.

At every school I’ve been to at least one teacher hates me. At this school, the history teacher hates me. And the maths teacher likes me, really likes me. Mr Tunket pays a lot of attention to me. He knows my mum was Saskia, and he often asks about her. He is always saying how he loves the name Saskia, and how his daughter was to be named that, but he never got to see her. It is really creepy how he knows my mum. I know Gav thinks Mr Tunket is my dad. Gav didn’t want me to know. I would hate it if he was my dad. And if he was, would I have to live with him? I would rather live with John. Too bad I can’t stay with Gav, but I know he has to tour. I could tour with him. I play guitar. But he thinks I’m too young to tour the country, let alone the world.

An announcement came over the loud speaker

“Cyaira Sanders, please go to the principals office, Constable Jones is here to see you.” Oh, crap. What’d I do this time? Hang on. I didn’t do anything. I left the room and headed up the hall to principal Kirsch’s office. I stood at the door and tried to hear what they were saying. I nearly had a heart attack when someone tapped me on the shoulder.

“What’d you do this time, feral?”

“For your information Carinda, I didn’t do anything.” Man I hate Carinda. She is of course the most pretty, popular girl in school. And, lucky for me, I have nothing to do with her.

“Have fun,” Carinda said as she walked off laughing with her posse. I decided I better find out why I’m in trouble this time. I opened the door and stepped in.

“Hi Lachlan, how you been?” I asked Constable Jones as I walked in.

“Obviously you already know Constable Jones, Cyaira,” Ms Kirsch said. “We are sorry to hear about your mother. I felt sorry for you, and found out that you have no-where to stay. So, I took the liberty to find somewhere for you.”

“Look, Ms, I’m fine. I’m staying with Gaz for a while.”

“Ah, Gaz. Nice young man isn’t he. Actually he helped me with my research.” She looked at Lachlan.

“Why is he here?” I asked while pointing to Lachlan.

“Constable Jones is here because he too helped me with my research.”

“What research?” I looked at Ms Kirsch and then at Lachlan. “Am I in trouble, coz I didn’t do nothin’.”

“You didn’t do anything. And no you are not in trouble. I just thought it would be nice if you could live with your family.”

“I don’t have any family,” I replied.

“Actually, yes you do. Didn’t your mother tell you? Well, your mother had a cousin, Aileen. She and her family live out in the middle of no-where.” She chuckled, but was she serious?

“You serious? I refuse to live in the middle of no where.” Damn, I wonder how remote it is.

“No, there is a school there, and a smallish town. However it is in the country,” Lachlan also explained that I will be leaving the next morning.

“TOMORROW?! NO WAY! I’M NOT LIVING IN THE COUNTRY AND I’M CERTAINLY NOT LEAVING TOMORROW!” Now I’m furious, I can’t leave tomorrow. I haven’t even gone through mums stuff yet.

“Gaz is going to sort out everything before tomorrow. He is at your house now.” Ms Kirsch tried to reassure me, but it wasn’t working.

“There is no way I can leave tomorrow, I refuse to!” Oh man. This is so unfair, mum would never make me do something this stupid. “Is it in Australia? Coz I’m not moving to Yanks Ville.”

“Yanks Ville?” asked Lachlan.

“America. No way am I living with Yanks. Get stuffed.”

“Don’t you dare speak that way to us Ms Sanders. It is in Australia and you are going, that’s final. Understand?” I looked at my shoes, then out the window. I am so pissed. How could Gaz do this to me?

“Understand?” Ms Kirsch repeated.

“Yes, can I go now?”

“Actually, you will be going home, to get things sorted out. Constable Jones will be driving you. Good bye and good luck Cyaira.” I walked out, still a bit confused. How come Gaz is letting all this happen?

I walked to my locker with Lachlan behind me. I grabbed all my books and chucked them in my shoulder bag.

“Come on Cyaira, cheer up, it’s not that bad. They’re family.” Lachlan isn’t too good at reassuring people. He doesn’t have The Voice.

“Yeah but how come they had nothing to do with me before mum…” I can’t say it, I actually can’t say it.

“I don’t know, I really don’t know.”

He walked me out to his car. This time he didn’t make me sit in the back.

“I’ve never been in the front of a cop car before,” I said, trying to cheer myself up.

“Hopefully you will never be in the back of one again.”

Last time I saw Lachlan was after I got in trouble for gambling on my last school’s property. Out the front I set up a table and had a “guess which one’s the queen” card game. I won over a $100 that day. Except I got caught by the principal, Mr Juanay, and he called the cops and I got arrested. Mum was pretty pissed, but didn’t punish me, she knew what I was doing it for. I didn’t get a fine or anything from the cops either, just a warning. But I wasn’t allowed back at that school.

We are pulling up in my drive way, Gav’s Shaggin’ Wagon is already there. He’s waiting on the porch, a stubby in his hand. When he saw the cop car pull up he quickly hid the stubby. He had that little cheeky grin on his face and looked up at Lachlan.

“What’s the matter occifer? There’s no blood in my alcohol.” He laughed but he wasn’t drunk, just messing round.

“There better not be, mate,” Lachlan laughed.

We walked inside and I went to my room and packed everything into some suitcases. I walked into the lounge and saw that Lachlan and Gav were picking up rubbish that was around the place. Me and mum didn’t have that many things, so it didn’t take long to get ready. Mum had less clothes and things than I did. Her stuff fitted into a suitcase with plenty of room to spare. I threw a whole heap of other junk in there too. In about three and a half hours the house was empty of our belongings. I had to leave all the furniture there. I went back into mum’s room, just to think. In side her closet was a note:

**Cyaira,

Happy 18th birthday. I have been saving this money up since you were born.

I was only 14 when I had you. I wanted to wait until you were 18 to tell you some things. I have felt so bad, every time you asked about your father, I said I can't remember, or I didn’t know. But that isn’t exactly the truth. You see, when I was 14 I went to a party with my friends. I got a bit drunk, and got with a boy named Jye Tunket. I think he is your father, but I’m not sure. He had chocolate brown hair like you, and the darkest brown eyes I’ve ever seen. He was quite a ladies man, even at the age of 14. I’m sure he wants to know you, and that’s why I want you to try to get in contact with him. Use the $5000 to fly to America. I know you may not need that much, but you can save this money up and do what you want with it. Buy something we can both wear, make us look ‘tight’. Have fun honey, enjoy yourself. And at 8pm on the 5th of October, meet me at Gav’s, we can spend the night doing whatever you want.

Love you always my dearest angel,

Love, Mum.**

The 5th of October. My birthday. Oh, mum. You don’t have to give this money. You really don’t. My face was hot and I couldn’t help it, I just cried and cried. Mum saved up $5000 just for me to meet my dad. I looked at the letter again, at the part that said Jye Tunket. Tunket. Mr Tunket? No way. Or, yeah, maybe. He was about 29, had chocolate brown hair and really dark brown eyes, even a bit of a yank accent.

“Cyaira, what’s wrong babe? Why you crying?” asked Gav. I looked up at him, still crying.

“Mum wrote me a letter.” I gave the letter to Gav. As he read it his smile grew bigger.

“Why are you smiling, it’s not funny. And you were right, Mr Tunket is my dad.” I took the letter back.

“Oh, babe. I know he is, I was at the party. I saw him go off with your mum.” He bent down and picked me up. “You know I’ll always love you and your mum, don’t you babe?” He was being so sweet for a change. His breath smelt of beer. We hugged for ages. Lachlan walked in and asked what was wrong. I told him.

“Mr Tunket, from your school?”

“Yeah,” I replied. “But I don’t want to see him. Not now anyway.”

“But, babe, why not? He’s your dad.” Gav looked at me quite surprised.

I really don’t want to see him. I feel sick. I just want mum.

“Look I don’t want to see him, OK?”

I ran into my room and locked the door. I can’t believe I know who my dad is, and I don’t want to see him. Please don’t be angry with me mum, I thought as I looked out the window and up at the bright blue sky. I just don’t want to see him right now. Oh, perfect, the people in my head again. I hate these conversations.

“But think about your mum, she wants you to talk to your dad.”

“Yeah, and she even saved up 5 grand for you just to see him. Your mum really cares about you, at least go and see him.”

“I agree, Mr Tunket knows you are his daughter, why do you think he is so close to you? Go and see him Cyaira, for your mum.”

“Ok, I will, Mr Tunket’s nice. And what if he is my dad? I don’t want to know who he is, then just have nothing to do with him.” Am I talking to myself? I must be going crazy. I read the letter again, then I looked at the $5000. I can’t believe mum saved so much money. But Mr Tunket is in Australia. He’s my teacher for God’s sake, I don’t need 5 grand to see him.

I ran out of the room, grabbed Gav and pretty much force him to take me to the school. Funny, I’ve never WANTED to go to school so badly before.

It must have been lunchtime at school because everyone was outside. Lachlan was walking me into the school, which was just perfect because Carinda and her posse couldn’t stop gawking at us. Usually she’s laughing when a cop takes me away, this time a cop was taking me back. The look on her face was priceless.

Lachlan and Gav stopped at Ms Kirsch’s office and I kept walking down to the staff’s lunchroom. I half expected it to be a fancy restaurant, but it wasn’t. It was like a huge classroom except it had comfy seats and higher tables. I spotted Mr Tunket at a table across the other side of the room. I walked over to him. He looked up and just smiled.

“Ah, Cyaira, you came back. Glad to see. May I ask how can I help you?” He had that same cheeky look as Gav.

“I think you know what I need to talk to you about. Can we go somewhere else?” Mr Tunket led me to a classroom and closed the door. Now, normally if a teacher did that I’d run, but this time I didn’t even think about it.

“Mr Tunket, did you go to a party with my mum and Gav, then get drunk with my mum and get her pregnant with me?” I can’t believe I just said that!

“Gee, you’re to the point aren’t you? I don’t know how much your mother has told you. Yes, I did get her pregnant at a party. Yes we were both quite drunk. And yes, I do want to be a part of your life.”

“How come you went to America? And not stay with my mum.”

“I had no choice. My father found out about the party and moved my family to America, but not before I could see your mother again. I gave her a locket and said to give it to my daughter, Cyaira.” I touched the locket my mother had given me. “When I first saw you and the locket, I knew you were my daughter.”

“You mean you knew I was your kid as soon as you saw my locket?”

“Of course, didn’t your mother tell you who the locket was from?”

“No, she said it was from someone that one day I will meet. Look at the letter she wrote me,” I handed him the letter. As he read, he began to smile.

“I thought I was Saskia’s dearest angel.” Mr Tunket looked up and smiled. “Now that Saskia is Gods angel, I want you to be my baby angel. Cyaira, honey, I’m your dad.”

“I know Mr Tunket…”

“Dad, not Mr Tunket.”

“Yeah, dad. But I have to go live with Aileen in the middle of no where,” I said, starting to cry again.

“Ah, Aileen, I remember her. Blonde bimbo,” my dad wiped my cheek.

“You know… dad… I don’t really like this mushy crap.”

“I don’t either honey. You don’t have to live with Aileen, I’ll get Ms Kirsch to get in contact with her and say that Cyaira has a dad. A dad who wants her in his life.”

I couldn’t help but smile, I have a dad.

We walked down the hall to Ms Kirsch’s office. She had already got in contact with Aileen and the whole thing was off.

“Gav, thankyou so much for your offer, but, I have a dad now. And Lachlan, I promise I won’t have to go in the back of a cop car ever again. Ms Kirsch, can I please stay at this school?”

“Of course you can! You don’t have to ask! Take the rest of the day off, you too Jye.”

My new dad took me back to my house so I could grab my stuff. Then we went to his house. He has a two-storey house and a nice garden. He hasn’t got any other kids. Just me. The only thing is I’m not sure what to call him.

“Hey, what do I call you? Jye, Mr Tunket or dad?” I asked him on the way to school the next morning.

“At school you better call me Mr Tunket, but at home, dad or Jye is fine. Bet you can’t wait to see the look on Carinda’s face when she sees you still at school.”

“You already know me too well, dad.” He was still smiling, I don’t think he can stop. I think it’s contagious, I can’t stop either. I love my new dad.

As soon as I walked through the school gates, Carinda came up to me.

“What are you still doing here, shouldn’t you, like, be in jail or something?” She will never change.

“For your information, you have to be over eighteen to go to jail.” I still can’t stop smiling.

I walked into class and for the first time in a long time I wasn’t late. I saw a new girl sitting next to my desk. I felt happy today. I sat next to her and said hi. And she said “Hi, I’m Saskia.” I mustn’t have heard right.

“I’m sorry, did you say Saskia?”

“Yes, I did.” She smiled at me, and I knew that we were going to be friends. She looked like my mother. I looked out the window and up at the sky. I thought of mum. Dad walked in and introduced Saskia to the class. I got out the diary that dad gave me the night before and wrote a message to mum:

**Mum,

Boy do I miss you. I found dad, and in fact he is my teacher. He is standing in front of me now, teaching the class about maths. I also met someone with a beautiful name: Saskia. I swear I’ve heard that somewhere before. Thank you so much for the money, but in the end I didn’t need it. I will still buy something that we both could wear, make us look ‘tight’. Love you mum.

Your angel, Cyaira.**