Chapter 12: A Day Full of Springtime Surprises

 When all was dark and Hibiscus was sleeping, the wind began to howl. It pushed its way through the trees, stirred up loose objects in backyards and the noises got louder and louder. Dovic woke up and wondered what all the racket was. He was a bit frightened when he heard a BANG! outside. It sounded like an explosion and he wondered what to do. He stifled a sob and pulled the blanket over him. A light went on and Tumbarumba came over to check on him. He admitted his fear and Tumbarumba sat with him, telling him stories about adventures he’d had at beaches and in the mountains, on farms and in the city. He mentioned snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef and body surfing in the waves at Inverloch. The power went off briefly and Dovic gulped. “There, there” replied Tumba quietly, “We’re safe inside. We’ll be OK.” And when Dovic had settled and fallen asleep, Tumba left without a sound.

On Saturday morning, a play mat was put out on the floor and the Hibiscus clan excitedly played different games. The wind was still strong but with daylight and sunshine, it didn’t seem as fearsome as last night. Dovic, Gazza, Richo and Ellie played ‘Memory’ first up while Tumba and The Old Wise One played ‘Connect Four’. Bruiser and Ronnie looked at the Snakes and Ladders board but had no idea what to do and began to argue about the rules. It was a good way to spend a Saturday morning until the smell of a freshly baked cake demanded their attention. “Yummy!” exclaimed Tumbarumba, “I love food!” and everyone agreed heartily as they raced into the kitchen for lunch.

Later in the afternoon, when the wind had died down, Dovic and Gazza were put into the basket on the bike and went for a ride with Hibiscus. They went up and down hills, along the path, hit dirt, and went around corners. As they went around the bends, the bike went so low on its side, Gazza was worried his trunk would graze on the ground. When they were going as fast as they could against the wind, they felt their faces pressed back and Gazza’s ears flew out to the side. He felt a bit like Dumbo at one point. For Dovic and Gazza, the ride was exhilarating. They loved feeling the warmth of the sunshine and enjoyed just being outside, out of the backyard.

When they got home, Hibiscus left them in the front yard while she put her bike away. They climbed the old apricot tree which was just beginning to sprout new leaves now that Spring was almost here. Dovic felt secure in this tree as it wasn’t as high as the other one, and the branches were thick and sturdy. While they sat in the tree, waiting for Hibiscus, they began to reminisce about their time at Teddy Bear Treasures. Being an elephant, Gazza remembered everything and he recalled their fun times together. He had even seen Dovic and Lulu hiding under the desk the time Dovic went looking for an adventure and Lulu had followed him. They both laughed.

“I sometimes miss Lulu”, remarked Dovic, “She seemed to smile a lot and dance her way through even the darkest of days. Do you remember the time she and Elf tried to rescue me away from coming here?”

“Oh boy, Oh boy,” gasped Gazza, “Do I?! We were all hiding when Angela found you and took you away.”

“And I came here.” Dovic answered.

“And so did I.” agreed Gazza and they went quiet for a moment.

When Hibiscus took them inside, they couldn’t wait to tell the others about their bike ride. The others were happy for them but a little bit envious. “How fast did you go?” asked Ronnie. “Faster than a rollercoaster at the show!” exclaimed Dovic. “Oh boy, oh boy. Faster than I’ve ever been before,” added Gazza. They all laughed and then The Old Wise One motioned to them to turn around and look. Hibiscus had come into the room and with her was….

“Lulu!!!” yelled Dovic, “Lulu!” and he rushed over as quick as he could and gave her a hug.

“Oh boy, oh boy” gasped Gazza, “Lulu! You’re here!” and he too, gave her a big hug. They introduced her to all the others and Lulu shyly acknowledged them all. “It’s so good to be here!” she said and burst into tears.

“Wh… what’s wrong?” asked Dovic, “Why are you sad?”

“I’m not sad, I’m happy but it’s been such a long time getting here and I thought I’d never get here. Are you glad to see me? I’m glad to see you” and on that note, she stood up and did a pirouette. Ellie’s eyes opened wide and she asked if Lulu could teach her how to do that. “Sure can,” Lulu replied, “But not now. Maybe later,” and with that she dragged Dovic and Gazza away from the others and demanded they tell her all about the adventures they had been having without her.

The Old Wise One saw Ellie’s crestfallen face and gently said, “It’s OK, Ellie. Just give her time.” Ronnie, who was feeling much better, said to Ellie, “Look Ellie, I’ll teach you how to do a somersault!” and he dived off the couch, did a somersault and landed not very gracefully, next to Richo’s football. “Oops,” he said and Ellie giggled. “Maybe learning how to do a somersault might be better than learning how to pirouette,” she thought.

Chapter 11: Hide and Seek in the Sunshine

 After so many rainy days, the sun courageously burst through the clouds and added warmth and a sense of hope. The Hibiscus clan were delighted and began making preparations to make the most of the sunshine. Ronnie looked wistfully as they got out the frisbee, footy and picnic rug. He would have given anything to play a game of footy with Richo but when Tumbarumba raised an eyebrow and gave him that look, Ronnie knew there was no point arguing. As they all jostled out through the door, The Old Wise One looked back and saw Ronnie’s crestfallen face. He called out to the departing clan, “I’ll be there in a moment” and went back to see Ronnie. “Hey Ronnie, it’ll be OK. Just rest and build up your strength and you’ll be back doing somersaults in no time. You had a nasty fall yesterday and it’s best to heal properly.” Ronnie looked at The Old Wise One and nodded while TOWO added, “I know it’s tough. I’ll see you later” and as he left, Ronnie wiped a tear away and then turned over and slept.

Outside they were having a ball. Richo and Bruiser were kicking the footy while Gazza discovered his trunk made a great catapult for the frisbee. After one throw, Tumba ducked just in time as the frisbee went whizzing over his head. “Oh boy. Oh boy” gasped Gazza, “Oops” and Ellie laughed. When the football collided with the frisbee in the air, they all waited with bated breath to see where it would land and laughed when the frisbee fell flat right on the centre of the mat.

The ground was wet underfoot and sloppy. It squelched and slurped and the grass was pressed flat by their footprints. When they’d had enough of playing, they came and sat comfortably on the mat and had a chat. Harley climbed up into the gumboot that had been left out and declared himself king of the castle. “I wish we could go out and visit the park” grumbled Richo. “It’s another three weeks, at least!” replied Ellie. Tumba did not want to get dragged down thinking about how tough it was and jumped up quickly. “Come on!” he invited, “Let’s play hide and seek! Who wants to be it?” Bruiser volunteered, closed his eyes and immediately began counting out loud. “One, two, skip a few… um.. nineteen, I don’t know how to count cause I don’t go to school. Forty-five is a number I think and so is twenty-three.” He kept his eyes shut and took a few deep breaths wondering how much longer he should wait.

Meanwhile the others went looking for good hiding spots. Harley decided he didn’t want to play, so stayed in the boot and poor ol’ Gazza tried to climb into a box and got stuck. He knew he could roll off to one side but that would mean he’d fall into the box and he didn’t know if he could get out so he laid on the top edge of the box, his trunk on one side, his ear on another and closed his eyes. He figured if he couldn’t see them, they couldn’t see him. Tumbarumba looked at the lemon tree and saw the leaves and branches had grown over a lot more since a couple weeks ago, so went and climbed it, hiding behind lemons and leaves. Richo saw the red bucket and got in, forgetting to pull in his scarf so that it hung over the edge and Ellie went and hid behind the spokes of the old wagon wheel. Dovic climbed up the hose and rested in the centre and waited, while The Old Wise One excused himself and headed indoors to see how Ronnie was.

When Bruiser could wait no longer, he called out, “Coming, ready or not!” and when he opened his eyes, the first person he saw was Harley. Together they went looking for the others and laughed when Richo asked them how they knew where he was. “Did you look when you were counting?” he asked accusingly. They found Gazza, then Ellie and they all joined in the search for the other two. Bruiser had to climb the lemon tree to tag Tumba and admired his hiding place. They thought of picking a few lemons to make a lemon meringue pie but after they threw one lemon down and it hit Gazza on the head, they decided it probably wasn’t the best idea. They all separated to find Dovic and looked in the shed, under the BBQ, in the garden and behind the rake and the shovel. They looked under bushes, behind the bikes and in the wheelbarrow, but couldn’t find him anywhere. “Perhaps he’s gone inside already!” said Richo and they all agreed that must be where he was, and scrambled inside.

The Old Wise One was reading a Rare Little Treehouse book to Ronnie called, “Vegetable Patty”. When he saw them coming in, he raised a paw to his lips and said, “Shhh!” and continued reading. The story was so interesting, they all sat captivated and together, recited the vegetable-fighter’s oath at the end. When TOWO told the joke about broccoli and snot, Tumba turned to see if Dovic thought it was funny and let out a loud, “Oops! We forgot about Dovic!!!” Without any explanation for The Old Wise One and Ronnie, they ran out the door calling, “Dovic!”

Dovic was still up in the rolled-up hose. As the shadows had legthened, he had made himself more comfortable and fallen asleep. He heard them calling and woke up, still feeling a bit groggy. Richo peered down at him and smiled while Tumba and Bruiser climbed up and hopped into the hose cubby-hole too. Gazza looked as they climbed up and seeing the hose hanging down, was reminded of the time he had climbed a curtain rope and had swung like a pendulum. He decided to wait for their descent to the ground which didn’t take long, once Dovic was awake. When they went inside, they explained to Ronnie and The Old Wise One where they had found Dovic sleeping.  Everyone had a good belly laugh about that.

Later that night, when all was quiet Dovic thought back on the day and the fun they’d all had in the sunshine. He smiled and whispered to himself, “I can’t wait for the next day of sunshine!” He heard Ronnie reply, “To infinity…” and Dovic added, “And beyond.”

Chapter 10: Accidents Happen

It was after online learning time and Hibiscus and her husband headed out for their hour of exercise. They would walk for a few kilometres and see children riding their bikes, adults jogging, people out walking their dogs and trees bending in the wind. They heard the siren of police cars chasing the baddies, heard birds singing in the trees and heard the running footsteps of someone keeping fit. As they walked, it began to get darker and the weather got colder, as the sun set. They walked onwards, oblivious to what was happening back at the house with all the Hibiscus clan.

Ellie, Gazza and Dovic were sitting in the loungeroom chatting about things they could do when the restrictions were lifted and The Old Wise One, Tumbarumba and Bruiser were playing with the Lego. Suddenly they heard an ear-splitting growl which made the fur on their backs stand up.

“Wh..wh.. what was that?” Ellie asked, a little bit scared.

“Oh boy. Oh boy.” gasped Gazza while Bruiser, Dovic and Tumbarumba scampered as quick as they could outside, to where they had heard the scream. They stopped suddenly and their eyes opened wide. Bruiser’s paw covered his mouth as he suppressed a growl and behind them, The Old Wise One quietly whispered, “Oh no!”

Dovic ran to Ronnie who was lying very still on the ground with a wooden bridge on top of him. Richo looked scared and cried, “I didn’t mean to. He was playing with the car tracks and I wanted to play footy and I accidentally kicked it and I didn’t mean to. Ronnie was just picking up the pieces to add to the track and the footy hit him and he fell off the table and the piece fell on him and….” Richo’s voice trailed off and tears welled up in his eyes. No one paid any attention to him as everyone was focused on Ronnie.

Ellie and Gazza went over to the piece of bridge lying on top of Ronnie and on the count of three, they both gently lifted it off him, using their trunks. Bruiser called to Ronnie as he’d seen first-aiders do, “Ronnie, can you hear me? Ronnie!” Ronnie groaned and they all let out the breath they’d been holding. Dovic and Tumba carefully picked him up together to carry him inside. Richo began again, “I didn’t mean to…” and still no one paid him any attention. As they carried Ronnie inside, Richo lagged behind, feeling very lonely and scared.

He waited until they had all gone inside, then he picked up his football and began walking away. He didn’t see The Old Wise One watching him and he went and hid. He curled up in a corner, covering himself with the football and cried. He cried long and hard and then he felt a gentle paw on his shoulder. He sobbed, “I didn’t mean to!” and The Old Wise One said, “I know. I know. It was an accident. There, there.” and while Richo continued to cry, The Old Wise One stayed by his side, every now and again whispering words to him that no one else would ever hear.

Inside, the rest of the Hibiscus clan sprung into action. They laid Ronnie on the couch, took his temperature and bandaged up his head. Ronnie moaned and groaned a lot and they kept watch over him. When The Old Wise One and Richo came inside, they all moved away and Richo went over to Ronnie and apologised. More was said between Richo and Ronnie but because Ronnie knew it was a freak accident, he forgave him. Accidents happen and Ronnie knew that better than anyone else. He lived as dangerously as he could, wanting to have adventures and willing to do whatever he could to have fun.

Finally, Tumba called Richo away and they gave Ronnie some time to rest. While they were gone though, Ronnie heard someone say, “To infinity.. and beyond!” and Ronnie opened his eyes wide because it sounded just like, “Buzz Lightyear!!” he exclaimed. He was so excited!! Buzz came over closer and reminded him he needed to rest, “I heard you had an accident so I thought I’d pop over here from the toy box and say hi,” “Wow.” Said Ronnie, “Am I dreaming?” Buzz chuckled and reassured him this was not a dream. He stayed for a few minutes and seeing Ronnie fight off sleep, he said it was time to go, “To infinity…” “And beyond!” added Ronnie who immediately fell into a deep sleep.

When Hibiscus walked in the door, she knew something was amiss. The Hibiscus clan all stood there waiting for her and Richo had his head down as he held the footy. He began to mumble and Hibiscus leaned in closer to hear him. She took his paw in her hand and patted him on the shoulder while he admitted his part in the accident that had befallen Ronnie. Together, Richo and Hibiscus went to check on Ronnie who was sitting up and was quite cheerful despite the bandage around his head. “You will never guess who came to visit me!” he exclaimed impatiently, “Buzz Lightyear!” “No way!” replied Richo. “Yes, he did!” argued Ronnie, “He said he had just popped over from the toy box because he had heard what had happened to me… When he left, he said to infinity and I said, and beyond” and then I went back to sleep." 

“No way!” replied Richo, “You are so lucky!”

By then all the rest of the Hibiscus clan had joined the two friends and they all told Ronnie they were happy to see him looking so much better. When Tumba explained to Ronnie how Ellie and Gazza had helped get the bridge off him, Ronnie thanked them both. Ellie blushed and Gazza gasped, “Oh boy. Oh boy.” Finally Hibiscus came in and shooed them all away as night had fallen and it was time to get a good night’s sleep. “Sweet dreams” she sang and they all chimed in “Good night!”

Chapter 9: A Saturday Surprise!

 

The Hibiscus Clan sat in front of the window, looking out at the rain and watching pebbles of hail bounce off the path. Even though it was morning, the sky was dark and foreboding and at times, the thunder roared deeply, shaking the whole house. Dovic had never seen lightning and hail before, had never heard the thunder roll and he wasn’t sure that he liked any of it. He looked at Tumba and The Old Wise One and they seemed to be lost in their own thoughts as they looked outside. Ronnie sat on the other side of TOWO and was a bit fidgety and Dovic wondered if Ronnie felt the same.

Suddenly he felt a breeze behind him and turned around to see that Ronnie had jumped up and was spinning around, doing cartwheels. “I don’t know where he gets his energy from!” exclaimed Tumba and The Old Wise One looked at him and quietly said, “You don’t remember when you used to do things like that?” Tumba smiled sheepishly and thought back to his times at the Bear Café in Tumbarumba when he and his friend Joe used to flip off shelves, spin across the room and race each other, until Pa Jumbo would growl warningly at them. It surprised him that they never broke anything.

Hibiscus tipped the Lego on to the floor and they all began building. Richo picked out all the black and yellow pieces and sat there trying to look busy, but he didn’t make anything and held tight to his football. Dovic knew Richo would rather be outside playing footy and found it frustrating that he had to stay inside because it was too wet outside to play. Bruiser, The Old Wise One and Dovic tried to build houses while Tumba sat beside Ronnie trying to think of something to make. He gave up when Ronnie did a headstand in the Lego tub. He shuffled the Lego pieces around, picked up a few and put them back in the tub. Ronnie let out a loud sigh, “I’m bored!” and Bruiser agreed, “It’s always raining!” “And it’s cold and sloshy out in the backyard,” added Dovic.

Tumba led them back over to the couch and handed The Old Wise One a book called, “Andy and Terry’s Amazing Inventions”. TOWO turned the book over and Tumba said, “Maybe it will give me some ideas of what to make with Lego” and Richo and Bruiser chuckled. Bruiser sat close to help TOWO turn the pages and to keep the book steady. The Old Wise One, was very old and he often found it difficult to hold on to things. As they listened to different inventions, they also used their imaginations to think of things they could invent. Ronnie blurted out, “What if we make an automatic spinning box, that you get inside and shut the door and you tumble round and round?” “You mean, like a dryer?” sniggered Bruiser. “What if we made a machine that you put the football in, press the button and it catapults through the goal posts?” suggested Richo. “Sorta like a cannon?” asked Tumba and they all stopped talking and went quiet, realising their ideas weren’t very original at all.

When there was a knock at the door, no one paid any attention. The postie regularly came these days during the restrictions, as it was sometimes the only way you could buy things. You would browse the shop online, order and pay and then wait for it to be delivered or go to a place that had signs that said, “Click and Collect”. Some days you only got to see the people in your household. Even the postman would knock on the door and leave before it was answered. “I miss seeing people come over and visit,” said Tumba, “We used to have people over and get to eat yummy food. They would laugh and play music and it was so good!” “I miss Buzz Lightyear” shouted Ronnie, “To infinity and beyond!” and Richo laughed and said, “You don’t know Buzz Lightyear”. “Yes, I do!” retorted Ronnie. “No, you don’t” argued Richo and he handballed the footy at Ronnie, just as Ronnie did a handstand. He lost his balance and lay flat on his back. “Oops. Did you break any bones?” asked Bruiser. Ronnie laughed and jumped up, “Don’t be ridiculous! I’m just a ball of fluff and stuff!”

Just then, Hibiscus came into the room and placed a new member of the clan next to Dovic who exclaimed joyously, “Gazza!!!!” and gave him a big hug. “Oh boy, oh boy!” gasped Gazza and Dovic introduced his friend to the rest of the Hibiscus clan. They were all excited to meet him, especially Ellie who was happy to have a friend who looked like her. Dovic asked for news of his other friends but Gazza said he left not long after Dovic had gone. His trip had taken so much longer because the flight had been delayed and then there were quarantine issues and changes in regulations and so on. He was just glad to have finally arrived!

Not long after, Hibiscus brought in some decorations and declared they were having a party to welcome Gazza. The music was turned on, everyone danced and laughed and ate party food. They all had so much fun together as they celebrated Gazza being there. “To old friends and new friends!” declared Tumba and Ronnie added, “To infinity and beyond!” and everyone laughed. Later, when all was quiet, Dovic went and sat beside Gazza. “I’m so glad you’re here!” he said quietly. “Oh boy, oh boy. Me, too” Gazza replied, “Me, too.”

Chapter 8: We're Going On A Walk

It had been a long day and Hibiscus hadn’t spent much time in zoom talking with her class as some of the day was set aside for planning and meetings. Dovic was a little bored at first as he missed the smiles and liveliness of his class. When they came in after recess, he watched their faces, their thumbs up, their greetings and cheerfulness, and it made him feel happy. Outside was cold and wet so he was glad he was inside where it was warm. Even Milly the black lab stayed curled up on her mat. At one time, she squeezed under the table and nudged Hibiscus with her nose, letting her know she needed to go outside.

At the end of the day, Dovic saw Hibiscus write a note to her students reminding them to record how many kilometres they walked, ran or cycled as they were adding them up to see how long it took them to get to Sydney Opera House. They were about one third of the way, but the other Year 5 class was much closer to their destination and it was unlikely they would catch up.

As usual, Hibiscus got ready to go for her one hour of exercise and she put on her coat and gloves. Dovic shivered as he thought of her going out there in the cold and the rain and he was glad he didn’t have to go. Since he had arrived here, he’d only been in the house and in the backyard. As much as he would have liked to have explored the neighbourhood, the Stage 4 restrictions meant they couldn’t go further than 5 kilometres from their home and could only go outside for one hour of exercise each day.

As he got caught up wondering what was outside their house, he felt Hibiscus reach for him. She already had Tumbarumba in her other hand. “What???” he asked Tumba, who smiled and said, “Looks like we’re going for a walk today. Hooray!”

“But it’s cold out there and it’s raining!” complained Dovic.

“We’re bears and we have fur to keep us warm. I thought you wanted to go on adventures” replied Tumbarumba, “Here’s our chance. I’m so excited!”

Dovic could see how happy Tumba was, so he put on a brave face and tried to look forward to it. He and Tumbarumba were put in the Dog Man Walking’s backpack and Milly was coming with them, too. He saw Milly prancing about, her nose to the ground as she sniffed everything out of curiosity. He noticed that the rain had eased and he was glad about that. There were lots of puddles alongside the path and Milly splashed through them, her tongue out, licking up the water as she went.

When they reached a certain tree, Hibiscus took them out of the backpack and let them have a little climb. As she took a photo of them, Tumbarumba looked proudly from his branch and let out a joyous growl but Dovic looked down and hoped he wouldn’t fall. He held on to the trunk of the tree, very tightly.

When it began to rain, Hibiscus put her hood over her head and Dovic and Tumba were kept dry in the backpack. They walked a long way through the streets, past shops, up and down hills and through the park. He wished they could play on the playground but that was closed during this time. They saw a rainbow arching over the houses, and they saw other people out walking their dogs too. Milly would get excited when she saw other dogs, but they didn’t have time to stop and play.

Dovic noticed it getting dark and colder. He wished they would walk faster but they were going up a hill. Tumba noticed the frown on Dovic’s face and asked him what was wrong. Dovic gulped and said, “I just sometimes get scared when it’s dark. I don’t know why. I wish we were home already.” Tumba reassured him and spoke gently, reminding him that their people would take good care of them and not let them come to any harm. Trying to distract him, he told Dovic about what the rest of the Hibiscus clan had done while Dovic was at school. The Old Wise One had read them, “Little Treehouse: The Story of the Ninja Snails” and they had all enjoyed it very much.

When they finally made it home, Dovic and Tumbarumba told the others about their adventure out walking. Ronnie was a bit miffed that he hadn’t been invited and Dovic said that next time, he would ask Hibiscus to take Ronnie instead of himself. Ronnie was pleased with that idea!

Later when he had given it some more thought, Dovic realised he was grateful that he had gone on a walk and explored the neighbourhood. It had been a good walk after all. 

Chapter 7: Sweet Treats Tuesday

Dovic started the day looking forward to “Sweet Treats Tuesday”. He remembered how Bruiser and Ronnie had invited him to eat the lollies last week and although he had said ‘no’ then, he really wanted to try some today. He loved red lollies the best, especially red snakes! He looked at the time and hurried to Hibiscus’ working space not wanting to miss out on learning with her class. As they came into the zoom meeting, they greeted Hibiscus cheerfully and as it was a library session, they told Miss Lee the librarian, what books they’d been reading. One girl was reading, “The Sick Bay” and every now and again, she had read bits of it out to Hibiscus and another child was reading, “Just Annoying” which her sister had talked her into reading. They were all reading different stories and Miss Lee was happy to hear that.

After library, it was time for Maths. Dovic loved Maths more than any other subject! He knew other subjects were good too, but he thought Maths was Very Important in Life. Today they were learning about how to measure time in 12 and 24 hours and how to read an analogue clock and change it to the digital time. Last week they had learned about measuring the perimeter and area of their dream house and now they were learning about time. He listened intently but every now and again, he got distracted by the ticking clock and wondered when he could go and play with his friends.

When school was finally over, he joined Tumbarumba and The Old Wise One who loved hearing about what he had learned. The Old Wise One would listen quietly and Dovic often wondered if The Old Wise One was thinking about many years ago when schools were so different and there wasn’t even computers. TOWO’s boy had gone to a big school where they did lots of sport. The whole town would come and compete against another town and they all celebrated when they won. Tumba started asking Dovic a question when suddenly Ronnie came speeding in on the red dump truck. “Whee!” he sang out, “Look at me! I’m a truckie!” He spun the truck around Milly the lab, but she paid him little attention. Richo came over with his footy and tried to put it in the yellow dump but it didn’t fit. “Can I have a turn, Ronnie?” but Ronnie spun around again, wishing he was on a dirt track so the dirt would go flying up around him. He missed being allowed to go outside and play in the park, but that was part of the restrictions in Victoria, for now.

Dovic and Hibiscus decided to bake a cake. Hibiscus had been inspired by one of the boys in her class who would show her in zoom, the delicious cakes and muffins he had baked. Dovic measured to make sure the pan was the right size, while Hibiscus measured the ingredients. After the eggs, milk and flour had been mixed together, Harley, Richo and Bruiser joined him so they could lick the beaters, the wooden spoon and the mixing bowl. “That is the best part of cooking!” declared Hibiscus. The cake took 50 minutes to bake, so Dovic watched the clock closely. When the bell went off, it was taken out and cooled. “Delicious! Wait until the class see it tomorrow,” Dovic thought.

Today was Sweet Treats Tuesday and although he didn't get any red lollies, Dovic got to, not only make the sweet treats, but also to taste them. What a great day!

Chapter 6: Playing With Lego

 When Dovic woke up, he trotted over to the table and sat down next to the laptop, waiting for Hibiscus. He enjoyed watching the children learn and seeing them all on zoom. The other day one of the boys had shown Hibiscus his Lego collection that was in the garage and told her, he was sorting it all into colours and sizes. His collection was impressive. Another boy had sorted his Lego collection into buildings, figures, vehicles and miscellaneous and he’d kept a space for where he did his school work. Dovic wondered how the boy concentrated on his work because if it was him, he’d want to be playing with Lego all day even though he’d never ever played with Lego before.

Dovic watched the hands on the clock going round and wondered where everyone was. It was getting late and if Hibiscus didn’t get up soon, all her class would miss out on their lessons. He looked around the desk and saw the calculator, the ruler, the highlighters, the pencils and lots of paper. He was just about to sort them all out when he saw The Old Wise One coming towards him.

He was a bit scared of The Old Wise One who was very quiet and when he spoke, you had to listen carefully because his voice was so soft. Dovic waited for him and wondered if he should say something first. The Old Wise One sat still, looked at the clock, looked at Dovic and said, “Why are you here?” Dovic blinked and replied, “I’m waiting for Hibiscus…. If she doesn’t get here soon, she’s going to be late for her class.” There was silence for a few moments until TOWO whispered, “It’s Saturday. No school today.” “Ooh!” he said with a sigh. He was disappointed and didn’t know what to say or do, because he’d never been here on a Saturday before.

The Old Wise One tilted his head and gently said, “Come on. We have a surprise for you.” Dovic looked at TOWO and saw his smile and he responded eagerly. “What’s the surprise? Will I like it? What is it?” but The Old Wise One said nothing and just padded back to the room while Dovic followed.

“Wow!” Dovic exclaimed when he saw the surprise. “Wow!” There, on the circular mat on the floor, a few of the Hibiscus clan had gathered around and were playing with Lego. There was so much Lego! “Where did all of this come from?” he asked, and just at that moment, he heard a crash as Ronnie lost his balance and fell into one of the tubs of Lego. “Donna, a friend who has six sons, said Hibiscus could borrow the Lego for a while,” replied Bruiser and handed him a white, rectangular piece so he could get started. Dovic turned the piece over in his hand and pondered what to do with it. He imagined motorbikes, islands, amusement parks, bridges, fairy tales and machines; all the things he’d seen on Lego Masters. As this was his first time with Lego, he put the white piece back, picked up a few smaller pieces and began working on his idea.

Meanwhile, Harley had hopped into the white tub looking for the right piece. He shuffled amongst the pieces and found an orange wheel, a green tree-top, pink pieces, yellow bits, and pieces that he didn’t even recognise. He found a blue piece, stood up and looked at the others. “Does anyone want this one?” he called out and when they didn’t answer, he put it back in the box and shuffled it all around.

Tumbarumba and Ellie got the tray full of people and wanted to make some people for the village that Bruiser and Ronnie were working on, while Dovic and The Old Wise One worked on making motorbikes and other vehicles. At one stage Dovic looked up and saw Richo watching him. “Do you want to come and play footy with me?” he pleaded but Dovic was busy making, “Um… sorry” he mumbled and kept working on the Lego.

For the next hour or so, they were all busy playing with the Lego and making things such as motorbikes, a house, and Dovic built a mini, Master-Building Emmet from the movie. He was very proud of his accomplishment. Finally, it was time to pack up for a bit. The Old Wise One reminded everyone to pick up all the pieces and put them in the correct boxes. Tumba added, “Don’t leave any out. We don’t want Milly to come and chew it up or even worse, we don’t want Hibiscus to step on one. That can be very painful!” Everyone pitched in and in no time at all, it was all put away and time for another game.

Chapter 5: Ronnie Rides Like A Cowboy

Early the next morning, Dovic was woken up by the sound of music and singing. Tumbarumba had picked up the pink ukulele and was playing while the others all sang along. He looked at their smiling faces and he was glad that he belonged here. Tumbarumba was not just a great musician, he also sang beautifully. While he sang, Dovic closed his eyes and imagined he was outside in the forest with brumbies galloping around him, a waterfall falling down the side of the mountain and the smell of eucalyptus and pine trees mingled together.

Suddenly there was a giggle and then a thud and when he opened his eyes, he saw that Ronnie had fallen off the couch when he had flipped too close to the edge. Tumba had put the instrument down and everyone crowded around Ronnie. “Move back,” said Tumba, “Give him some air” and Bruiser patted his head and cried out, “Ronnie! Ronnie! Are you all right?” He opened his eyes, looked around and saw all their faces peering down at him and he laughed loudly. “Gotcha!!! Of course I’m all right!” and he would have sprung back up except at that moment a football landed on his stomach. “Ooomph!” he said and looked back up on the couch where Richo was standing sheepishly, “Oops.. Um… sorry.”

The Old Wise One got up and moved back to the couch and everyone else followed one by one. Tumba picked up the ukulele again and strummed it but no one joined in this time as they were all chatting amongst themselves. Tumba caught the eye of Dovic and motioned to him to come and sit beside him. Dovic’s heart beat faster and he remembered the lolly jar from the night before and wondered if he was about to get in trouble.

“Hey Dovic! Tell me your story. Where did you live before you came here?” and Dovic told Tumba all about Teddy Bear Treasures, the friends he had there, about Angela finding him when he’d been hiding with the Elf, Lulu and Gazza and how he was glad to be here and to have met Hibiscus and her Year 5 class.” As they were talking, no one noticed that Ronnie had gone over to where Milly, the black lab, had curled up on the floor. He climbed up into the yellow hoodie and tried to wake her up. He wanted to have an adventure riding Milly. Milly looked at him, sniffed him, but wasn’t too keen to get up from her comfortable place. He fell on to the floor and decided to go out into the backyard and get some fresh air.

A couple hours later, Dovic was sitting next to Hibiscus as she taught her class. He loved seeing all the children’s faces and listening to them ask and answer questions. He loved it when they acknowledged him and he was so glad he could be a part of their learning. When lunch time came, Milly came back from her walk with Dog Man Walking. He came inside for a moment and hadn’t yet taken off Milly’s harness and lead. Ronnie saw Milly and had an idea! He climbed up on to her back and tied himself to the harness.

Ronnie had always wanted to be a rodeo rider and he knew that a real horse was too big for him. He had seen photos of miniature horses and little ponies but with the stage 4 restrictions, there was no way they'd be seeing horses or ponies any time soon. Milly had been drinking her water and splashing in the pool when Ronnie jumped up on her back. She tried to shake him off but he held on tight. “Woohoo! I’m in the rodeo! I’m a cowboy!” and he swung his arm in the air like he’d seen cowboys do. Finally, she sat down and waited. When Ronnie realised she wasn’t going anywhere fast, he slid off her back and ran back to the others. “Did you see me? Did you see me? I’m a cowboy!” The others smiled and were happy that Ronnie had had an adventure. Dovic meanwhile, was a little envious. He wondered if he would ever have any exciting adventures.

Chapter 4: Who's That Knocking At My Door?

It began as an ordinary school day although, during this time of Stage 4 restrictions imposed upon them due to the Corona virus, nothing seemed quite ordinary any more. Teachers and students were doing school from their homes, communicating via emails and zoom meets with the assistance of the internet. They’d done it once before but this time, it felt harder, which may have been because there was a curfew between 8pm and 5am, you couldn't have visitors to your home and could only go within 5kms of your home, you were only allowed out to exercise for one hour each day and only one person from your family could go shopping. 

Hibiscus began the day teaching Maths to her Year 5 students on the topic of converting units of measurement. “How many metres in a kilometre?” she asked, “How many millimetres in a centimetre and if there are 10 millimetres in a cm, how many millimetres are there in a metre?” and so the lesson went on.

The sun came out and the Hibiscus clan took the opportunity to go outside and enjoy the sunshine. After the last few days of rain, the backyard lawn was still soggy under foot and the ground went “squelch, squelch” as it was walked on. None of the teddies had even thought about wearing gumboots!

Bruiser and Richo climbed up into the front basket of the bike. They wanted to feel the wind on their face and feel like they were flying as the bike moved fast around the streets. Ronnie was up to his usual tricks and gymnastics, doing somersaults wherever he could. He found an old wagon wheel and wanted to spin around with it while The Old Wise One and Tumbarumba chatted away on the bench beneath the window.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door and Hibiscus jumped up from her chair expectantly. She hoped it might be Dovic arriving but she didn’t tell her students in case it wasn’t. When she opened the door, no one was there and she looked up and down the driveway, across the road and into her next-door neighbour’s front yard but couldn't see anyone. She was about to close the door when she looked down and saw the package there on the ground, against the brick wall. She carried it back to her ‘classroom’ and placed it out of sight until all the children had finished their Maths.

At last they were finished and she eagerly retrieved the package and held it out for them all to see. They all cried, “Is it Dovic?!” “It’s Dovic, isn’t it?” and a few of them held their breath and waited as she tore open the package.

Hibiscus showed them Dovic and told them how soft his fur was and they all exclaimed “He’s so cute!” Milly, the black lab dog who lazed in front of the door came over to see what the excitement was all about and came over and sniffed Dovic while the children all laughed. Everyone was pleased and perhaps a little relieved that Dovic had finally arrived. He sat next to the laptop where he could see all the students on zoom, as well as hear Hibiscus teaching the class.

Later Dovic was introduced to a few of the bears and they sat around getting to know each other while Ronnie tried to impress him by doing a somersault. He almost fell off the arm of the chair when he did one flip! Dovic really enjoyed meeting his new forever family and becoming a part of the Hibiscus clan. At one stage he did think of The Elf, Lulu and Gazza and wondered how they were going, he even missed them for a moment but at that time Ronnie and Bruiser beckoned him to follow them and he could see by the mischievous glint in their eye, they were offering him a chance to join in their adventure.

He looked around and everyone was resting, Richo was watching the footy news on TV, some of his new friends were napping and some were talking about what the weather would be tomorrow. He crept out of the door and didn’t notice Tumbarumba watching him. Ronnie and Bruiser were sitting with a glass bowl of lollies and marshmallows between them. They offered him one but he preferred to watch and he was feeling a little guilty. He wondered if they were allowed to eat those lollies. Ronnie explained to Dovic, as he stuffed another marshmallow in his mouth, “Iffs sweet treats Chewffday” and Dovic wondered if sweet treats Tuesday meant you could have as many sweet treats as you wanted on Tuesday. Even so, with no one else around, he decided not to eat any… maybe next Tuesday. He slipped down off the bench and walked nonchalantly back to the couch where most of the other teddy bears were. Tumbarumba looked at him quizzically but Dovic blushed and looked the other way.

Meanwhile back at Teddy Bear Treasures, Lulu was inconsolable. The Elf had gone back to his shelf and was preparing for new practical pranks for Christmas and even Gazza, the bumbling elephant who she had become a little fond of, seemed to have disappeared. She sighed deeply and wiped her eyes again. Angela, the lady who had taken Dovic away came over to her and looked her in the eye. “He’s gone to his forever home Lulu and he will be happy there. He’s going to meet a class of children who have been waiting for him. Here…” and she handed Lulu a photo, “This is a photo of you and Dovic. Whenever you miss him, you can take it out and have a look at it. Remember you will always be friends, no matter how far apart.” She gave Lulu a pat on her head and left the room and Lulu dried her tears and looked at the photo, long into the night.

Chapter 3: Where is Dovic?

Throughout the day, Hibiscus wondered when Dovic would arrive and as she shared stories with her class they wondered, too. “When do you think Dovic might come?” they asked and one concerned boy wondered, “Will Dovic ever meet Lulu again?” As she taught from home, via zoom and other apps, she kept an eye out for the postman. When nothing materialised at all during the day, she considered sending an email to Teddy Bear Treasures to ask if they knew but on the news that night, it was reported that Australian Post was being inundated with so much mail, one could not expect anything too soon.

Meanwhile, back at the shop, Lulu had been watching the envelope that Dovic had been put in. She saw other envelopes going in but Dovic’s envelope had been tucked to the side. She wondered if she could get it out but the more she thought about it, the more discouraged she became. The Elf, seeing the look of disappointment on Lulu’s face carefully moved closer to her so that no one would notice. “Why the glum face, pretty Lulu?” and after she told him everything, she said, “I just can’t see how to get him out!”

The Elf furrowed his brow and thought about it. He looked around the room, did some calculations in his head and formulated a plan. As he whispered it into her ear, her face lit up and she almost got up and danced. Seeing this, the Elf touched her shoulder and said, “Not yet!” Gazza, the fuddlewuddle elephant watched the Elf and Lulu closely. He knew they were up to something.

When Angela and the man in large workboots left the room, the Elf nudged Lulu and they put their plan into action. They moved nimbly across the shelf trying not to draw attention to themselves. The Elf took hold of Lulu’s hand and counted, “One, Two, Three… Now” and they leaped gracefully from the shelf, catching hold of the curtain rope. They waited for it to stop swinging and then lowered themselves to the ground and headed for the box of envelopes and packages.

Seeing their movements, Gazza decided to follow them. He jumped at the end of the shelf and caught hold of the rope with his trunk. The rope swung like a pendulum, back and forth, and did not appear to be stopping. “Help!” he called out, “Help me Lulu! Help me Elf! I’m stuck!”

Lulu and The Elf froze and then looked around. Gazza was holding on to the rope with his trunk, dangling precariously, as the rope swayed under his weight. The Elf was clearly frustrated and told Lulu to go help Gazza while he rescued Dovic. She went over, grabbed the rope and held it still while Gazza clambered down to the floor. “Thank you, lovely Lulu” he said quietly. They turned around and there was The Elf and Dovic standing beside them.

“You’re here!” cried Lulu, “I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to you and then Elf came up with this plan and now Gazza has followed us and …..” Just then, the door at the other end opened and the four could hear Angela chatting about getting the post out. They hid behind the doll’s house and held their breath. Elf saw another door opening and signalled to them to follow him. With their backs against the wall, watching Angela, they crept out through the door and hid behind a large cardboard box.

“Whew! That was close!” muttered Gazza.

“Shhhh!” said the other three in unison.

As they tried to catch their breath, they heard footsteps coming into the room and someone singing, “We’re going on a bear hunt. We’re going to catch Dovic. It’s a beautiful day!” and they saw Angela come in, turning boxes over, looking behind couches and curtains, obviously looking for something or someone. She continued to hum as she searched the room.

“I’m not scared!” declared Dovic.

“But what if she finds you?” Lulu asked pitifully.

“If she finds me, she finds me. She must be looking for me for a reason. Maybe she has some lemon meringue pie for me! That’s my favourite pie!” he said.

Just then Angela’s shadow fell over them and they all froze. “There you are, Dovic. I’ve been looking for you everywhere! We’ve found a forever home for you with Hibiscus. She’s been looking for a cuddly bear like you for her class of 2020 and you are going to be the first one to fly over to that State. It’s so exciting! You’re going to love her and her class and I think there will be other bears to be friends with, too!” Dovic looked over her shoulder and saw Lulu, The Elf and Gaza all looking miserably up at him. He gave them a wave and tried to hide the gleam of excitement in his eyes, then slid back down into Angela’s arms.

The man in the workboots saw them both and said, “Better send Dovic express post now that he’s taken so long to find” and he handed Angela a yellow envelope. She gave him a quick brush and a little kiss on his nose then tucked him into the envelope. As he went in, Dovic once again, fell into hibernation and didn’t feel another thing.

Angela emailed Hibiscus and let her know that Dovic had been hiding but was now on his way. He was going to come express post and should be there by the end of next week. When Hibiscus read the email, she sighed with relief. She looked at all the other bears in her clan, smiled and wiped some pie off Ronnie's face before going to clean up the mess in the kitchen. Making a lemon meringue pie can be a bit messy.

Chapter 2: The Old Wise One and Tumbarumba

The Old Wise One and Tumbarumba sat on their favourite bench out on the back porch enjoying a bit of sunshine between the showers of rain. The Old Wise One was quiet as Tumbarumba described where he first lived.

"The Snowy Mountains are famous because of the poem Banjo Paterson wrote called, Man From Snowy River… There was movement at the station, for the word had got around. That the colt of Old Regret had got away. And joined the wild bush horses…..” as he recited the poem, he thought of the wild brumbies that roamed around Snowy Mountains, through rain, sunshine and snow. They would gallop through the trees and soar down the mountain in herds and sometimes, if you were lucky, you could see them grazing in the distance. You had to be very quiet because if they heard you, they would be off to safety again.  They are beautiful, strong animals and to watch them is so awe-inspiring.

Tumba sighed and continued. “Where I lived, the place was full of bears of all shapes and sizes. We lived in the rafters, on the windowsills, on benches, wherever you could find a space. Near the door was the biggest bear of all. He was so big that four humans could stand in front of him and they still wouldn’t be as wide as him! His head barely touched the roof and he was the colour of a hot, milk chocolate. People would stand near him to have their photos taken and he never complained.

At night, when everyone had gone away, it was just us bears. We were all scared of Pa Jumbo. It felt like his presence filled the room. If one of us young rascals ventured too close, he would let out a quiet growl and we’d run back to our place. But one night, my friend Joey said he knew a way to get past Pa Jumbo and he wanted to go look at the red car where his uncle often lazed on the roof. He showed me a map of our place which had arrows going this way and that and said his uncle would give us a honey milkshake when we got out. I was hooked! We waited until everyone was asleep and then we crept quietly to the next seat. I looked over at Pa Jumbo and got scared, so I told Joey I was going back to bed. Joey laughed and kept weaving in and out of the tables and chairs. I watched him for a bit and then decided I was too tired to watch anymore.

The next morning, Joey was back in his place and I looked at him. He winked, but somehow I don’t think he really did go. He was incredibly quiet all morning and he stayed away from me. I didn’t get a chance to ask him what happened because that was the morning Hibiscus chose me. She picked me up, gave me a cuddle and offered me some of her chocolate cake which I politely refused, of course. She buckled me up in the front seat and we drove to a really pretty spot where she sat me on the rock while she took photos of the scenery. She’s always taking photos…. We saw some brumbies too, which was pretty exciting.”

Suddenly Tumba stopped talking to The Old Wise One and jumped down from the bench. The Old Wise One watched puzzled as Tumba ran across the soggy backyard and climbed the lemon tree. He came back to the bench holding a lemon as though it was a nugget of gold and declared he was going to make a lemon meringue pie. “Hmmmph” said The Old Wise One, “That sounds delicious but have you ever made one before?” “Of course,” replied Tumba, “I’ve seen Hibiscus make one. It looks easy when she does it.”

Later that night, Tumba and The Old Wise One got a chance to eat the lemon meringue pie with a dollop of fresh cream. “Not too bad,” said The Old Wise One, “Not too bad!” and he licked his lips. As they enjoyed it, Ronnie came tumbling in. “Can I have some too? Can I? Can I have some? Pleeeeease?” Tumba looked at him and said, “Not this time Ronnie. Off you go!” Ronnie pouted, looked again at the pie and as he skipped across the bench, he called out, “Just you wait, Tumbarumba! Just you wait!”

When all the teddy bear clan were sleeping, Ronnie woke up with a start. He’d been having a nightmare and decided he needed to go for a walk to clear his head. He smelled the fresh lemon meringue pie in the kitchen and made a bee-line towards it. “Mmmmmm”, he said, “Delicious!”

Chapter 1: Hibiscus Chooses Dovic and Has a Covid Test

Hibiscus searched the website trying to find the right teddy bear to introduce to her class. It had been a challenging year and she felt the right bear would add a bit of sunshine and fun to the cold winter. If you had been in the room with her, this is what you would have heard her say;

"That bear is too small.

That bear is too big.

That bear is too fat.

That bear is too thin.

Is that even a bear?? 

Not cuddly enough.

Too white - it would get dirty too soon.

Not cute enough.

Too pretty - too perfect.

That bear looks too boring.

I don't like the colour on that one."

She kept scouring the website until the right one popped up. "Yes! That is Dovic. He looks a little bit mischievous and curious. He looks cuddly and has soft fur. He's just the right size, not too big, not too small. Yes, he's the one for my favourite class of 2020" and with that, she clicked off the computer, smiled and headed for bed. She stopped and looked at the other teddy bears in her clan and thought Dovic would fit right in. She yawned just then and headed off as she had an early start in the morning.

Hibiscus parked her car as close as she could to the building and got out of the car. She looked up ahead with dismay, her toes and fingers already beginning to numb with the cold. Although she was early, the line snaked its way alongside the road, past gnarly old trees, makeshift barriers and hastily erected shelters. She raised an eyebrow and wondered doubtfully if perhaps it would provide shade from the cold and the wind.

She regretted her ill-thought decision to leave her coat at home thinking the wait would be indoors, and jogged up and down on the spot, walking backwards, then forwards, in an attempt to get warm and get her steps count up. She sent off an email to work to let them know the latest update and texted a friend to let her know her latest frustration. 

The sign up ahead read there could be a seven day wait for results and she tried to quell the feeling of disappointment. "It's not fair!" she breathed, and her warm breath floated out into the cold air. 

She donned the free surgical mask and the security guard gestured to her, telling her it was inside out. She obediently turned it around and he gestured again, a wry smile hidden beneath his mask, as it was now upside down. After pinching it into place, she took her glasses off as they kept fogging up. Stamping her feet, she almost sang along with the little girl and her mother who were behind her. "B.I.N.G.O. and Bingo was his name, oh".

Entering the building, she was asked her personal details and they updated their form. It wasn't a long wait and she entered Room 4, ready to get the test over and done with. She chatted to the nurse who talked about what a crazy world we now live in, with things changing by the moment. The nurse told Hibiscus to look up at the light and rub her tongue against the roof of her mouth, while she inserted the cotton tip up her nose. As quick as it went in, it came out. Hibiscus then had to open her mouth so the nurse could get a sample of her saliva. It was all over very quickly. 

Arriving home, Hibiscus poured herself a diet coke and wrapped herself in a blanket. The phone rang not long after and she chatted with her friend about the adventure she had just had. She had no symptoms and there was no reason it shouldn't be negative but she knew she had to stay home until she got the all-clear results. In the meantime, she would plan some adventures for when Dovic arrived.