And so my days were filled with sunshine and leisurely chores. My sunburn turned into a deep tan and I felt better than I could ever remember feeling. Health-wise. In quiet moments, usually at night after the men I shared the hut with had fallen silent, my mind returned to my family and friends back in Australia. What did they know about my disappearance? Were they looking for me?
I’d make a point of picturing each of them—my dear mother, with her wavy brown hair and generous smile, my father, whose hair had become a distinguished salt and pepper colour, my sister, her husband, and my two little nieces. Would I ever see them again? And my friends. I’d recall past conversations and occasions when we’d got together for barbecues, drinks, and laughs, and my eyes would always mist over. Benea
