Sacha spent Christmas in Canberra but, as with the previous year, had to hurry back to Melbourne to begin at work again, on the second of January. She had, at least, been working at her office long enough now - a year! She couldn't believe it! - to have earned some holiday time, and she spent a few days of it between Christmas and New Year. No working days between the two events, not for her, not this year.

But, all the same, she wanted to get back to Melbourne. It was something quite unexpected: she missed Melbourne. She was eager to get back there. Oh, sure, she still loved Canberra (yes, she explained to people a little more patiently than she might once have, she liked Canberra) - but Melbourne exerted a pull on her now. She wanted to get back to her - well, her home, she supposed. A little happily, a little sadly.

Unfortunately, having realised this fact late, and having booked her flight from Canberra even later, she was only able to get a flight late in the afternoon on New Year's Eve. Well, it would have been unfortunate for most people, but not so much for her: it'd been a few years since she'd worried about New Year's. Probably ever since 1999/2000, when everybody celebrated the millennium in the wrong year.

"So you're gonna miss New Year's?" Hannah asked worriedly when Sacha rang to tell her when she'd be back.

"Well - what's to miss, really? I'm sick of it. Why should I feel forced to have the time of my life? Why can't I go and party when I feel like partying?"

"Well, gees, why not, if that's what you want. But I'm gonna party, so if you get home and feel like coming out, give me a call."

"Ugh, after a flight? I know it's only a short one, but all the same . . . I'll be wrecked."

Hannah smiled. "You won't be the only one, mate."

When Sacha landed in Melbourne - tired, as she knew she would be: what was it about flying? - she called home from the landline at her and Hannah's house to let her family know she was back safely.

"God, you got out of here just in time!" her sister exclaimed.

"Why?" Sacha asked. "What's been happening?"

"Jesus, only the worst winter day ever!"

"The worst . . . What?"

"It's flooding in Canberra, Sacha! Flash floods! Massive storms!"

"I know. I was there. The roof of the National Museum blew off."

"No, no, no, not that one. Like, half an hour ago. Lightning. Mudslides. People got trapped in cars, Sacha."

"Trapped?"

"Seriously, it's like something you'd see on S.B.S. news." Sacha heard her father shout something in the background. "Oh yeah" Kate added, "and hail. One metre of it."

"What d'you mean, one metre of hail?"

"I mean a metre of hail!"

"Well - fuck! Hey now, this is freaking me out a bit." Sacha sat down, and instinctively turned on the T.V. to see if there was any vision. There were fireworks and old rock 'n' roll singers. Happy New Year. "Are you okay?" she asked Kate.

"Us? Yeah, we're fine. Don't worry about us!"