Country Retreat - 7. Hospital & New School

When I woke up next time, I was in a different place, and I listened carefully to try and work out where I was. I knew I was in a hospital, but where, I had no idea. “Ah good, you are awake. Welcome back young Oscar, would you like some lunch, unfortunately, you managed to miss dinner and breakfast with your last episode,” a young man’s voice said to me, and I nodded my head yes.

A few moments later a man and a lady walked into the room, “Hello Oscar, I am Dr Raine, and this is senior nurse, Miles Cooper, you are at Perth Children’s Hospital Psychiatric Ward. We will be taking great care of you while we determine how we can get you through this crisis. So far you have two known anxiety attacks, and from the information we have been given this is the result of you being attacked by someone recently, is that correct?” I was asked and all I could do was nod my head.

“Who was it that attacked you? An adult or someone at school?” the Doctor asked me, “It was a fr… a guy from school who I thought was a friend,” I replied, “Ok, understood, so he touched you somewhere that you didn’t want to be touched?” the doctor asked, and I nodded my head again, before rolling away from him, I was tired and I didn’t want to answer any more questions.

Thankfully I was left alone… for now, but the longer I stayed there, I had to meet with Dr Raine a few times a week, and I was given medications that made me sleepy all the time. It was two weeks before I saw any of my family, and it was my grandparents who came first.

They informed me that they had sold all three properties on the north side of the river, and they are living on the property on the south side of the river until they find a more permanent home, that is closer to Perth, and that the horses have been sent to the main farm at Moore.

Meanwhile, all jetties and bridge project work are now on hold and are currently stored in the sheds on the south side of the river, as are the kayaks and trailer, but the quad bike had been sold to the new owners of the northern properties.

Dad came to visit the following day, and Mum the day after that, and it was good to see all the family again, with the siblings staying home as they were too young and wouldn’t understand why I was in the hospital. It was another four weeks of counselling and medication treatment before I was informed that I could finally go home, which I was very pleased to hear, and it was Dad who came to collect me from the hospital.

During the journey home, Dad informed me that I had been withdrawn from my former school and that he had collected all my belongings a week after I had entered the hospital. He also informed me that there were a lot of staff and students who had been asking if I was ok and asking when I would be returning to school, and that there is a get-well card from all the student boarders, with one exception,

Dad informed me that a tutor had been arranged to assist me in catching up on all the schoolwork that I had missed. “First off, we have one brief stop to make in Upper Swan before we continue home” Dad said to me, as we turned right off the Great Northern Highway soon after crossing the Swan River Bridge. “Where exactly are we going, Dad?” I asked wondering why the heck we were entering the equestrian region.

“You will see momentarily son, just be patient,” Dad replied smiling, and we soon slowed down and turned right into a driveway and parked in front of the two-level house. “Dad, who owns this place?” I asked, as Dad climbed out not answering my question, when my grandparents appeared from inside the house. “Wow?” I said in total shock.

“Hello Grandson, do you like our temporary new home?” Gran said to me as I climbed out of the vehicle and gave me a big hug. “This is… it’s amazing. How big is it, are the horses here?” I responded, “It is just over 17 acres in area, with about 100 metres of near river frontage, and yes your two horses are here,” Gramps replied before hugging me and following my grandparents into the house, where we sat down in the lounge room.

“This is a nice place you have here,” I stated. “Yes, it is indeed, and why I have brought you here today is to have a chat with you about your future education, and your Grandparents, Mum and I are agreeable with whatever you decide out of the two options. One, you come home and after a week of tutoring to catch up, you enrol to attend the local District High school and complete your studies there. Or two, you stay here with Gramps and Gran and attend the local Anglican Community School, as a Day student, which is about eight kilometres south-west of here in West Swan, and come home for the school holidays,” Dad said to me.

I thought about these options for a few moments, “Can I think about it while I am shown around the property?” I asked, “Sure not a problem, how about you stay a few days and think about it, and Mum and I will give you a call to find out your decision,” Dad suggested. “That is fine, but what about clothes and stuff?” I asked, “Already in your bedroom,” Gran replied smiling, and I chuckled at this, “Thank you, that will be nice,” I replied.

After Dad left to head back to the farm, Gramps took me outside, where we walked across the grass, past a set of stables to a machinery shed, where there is a workshop, a tractor, a Ute and a golf buggy parked there. “Jump into the buggy and we will go for a tour,” Gramps said to me, and I watched as he turned a key and flicked a switch, before pressing on the accelerator, and we started to reverse out of the shed.

“Electric! Wow! That is something different, and so quiet too,” I commented, and Gramps smiled. “Now, if you didn’t notice the street, we are at number 216 Copley Road, in Upper Swan, and as I said before we have over 17 acres or 7 hectares of land. There is about a 70 to 120-metre-wide river reserve between the river and our boundary, which when in flood, is often underwater.

We have three small paddocks between the shed & stables and the arena and one large, long paddock at the back, all with water troughs.” Gramps informed me, as we drove down the laneway, slowing to see our two horses, happily grazing in the paddock just behind the arena.

“Are there any staff?” I asked, “Yes, only part-time at the moment, as we have two agistment horses on the property at the moment, but when it picks up, we will give them more hours, we have leased some land from the property next door at Number 206, where we have use of three additional horse paddocks, so we can offer more agistment places,” Gramps replied. “I like it here Gramps, I would like to give it a go staying here and attending the Anglican Community School please, if that is ok with you and Gran,” I said to Gramps who smiled broadly.

“You are always welcome to live here for as long as you want as it will be yours when we are both gone to a better place,” Gramps said to me. I spent the rest of the week getting used to my new home in the outer north-eastern suburbs of Perth, during that time, I rode the two horses each day, and took good care of them, feeding and grooming them, mucking out their stalls and bedding them down each night.

On Friday morning, Gran took me to be enrolled at my new school down the road, and after completing all the paperwork, we were given a tour of the school. “Mr Drake, what are you doing out of class and walking so fast?” the senior administrator called out as we were walking back from the training centre.

“Free period sir, I was in the library, and I was sent to look for you, sir. Your presence is required in admin,” the lad responded who looked to be about the same age as me. “Mr Drake are you in year 9?” the administrator asked the lad, “Yes sir, my third year at this awesome school,” the lad responded grinning widely, and the administrator chuckled at this.

“Jarrad Drake, this is Oscar Kingston and his grandmother Mrs Kingston. Oscar will be joining our school as of next Monday, how about you continue the tour for me, and I will get Mrs Kingston some morning tea, while I attend to business?” the administrator said to the lad.

“Hey, I am Jarrad, nice to meet you both,” the lad said as he faced us, giving Gran a respectful bow of the head and holding out his hand to me, which I shook. “Enjoy your morning tea, Mrs Kingston, your grandson is in safe hands,” Jarrad said as he motioned for me to follow him. Jarrad led me to the cafeteria, which was virtually empty.

“Hello sir, this is Oscar, a new student starting next week. Oscar, this is Mr Bartlett, he is the school chef and teaches hospitality. Sir, can we have some morning tea, while Mr King is looking after Oscar’s grandmother in the staff room?” Jarrad said as he changed speaking to the chef, then to me and back to the chef. “Certainly Mr Drake, will tea and cookies be ok for you both?” the chef responded, and I just smiled and nodded my head. Moments later we were seated at a table.

“You are 14 and in year 9 too? How come you have changed schools?” What do you like doing in your spare time after school? Do you like playing sports? Why did you come with your grandmother?” Jarrad asked rapidly, and I just laughed. “You are full of questions… but that is ok. Yes, I am in year 9. I changed schools because I was the victim of abuse by a student, who I thought was a good friend, and I have just come out of a hospital where I have been for the past six weeks. I love horses, and I look after them and ride them every day, including grooming and mucking out the stalls.