by paul mason - instructional...
TRANSCRIPT
Brooke (sister aged 8) standing at bottom of tree calling up to Ryder (make the tree one that can withstand some dry conditions.. with climable branches. From these branches hang tin can and ryder (10) climbing the tree..
Ryder (10) walking up footpath towards the reader and is in the shade of water cultivators one of which is visable. These need to look not home made, a mass produced feel about them... but still be recognisable as water cultivators that kids know today (need to be tall
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Ryder hauled himself up the hill, his school uniform
sticking to his skin, the afternoon sun doing its
best to beat him back down the slope. As much
as possible, he walked in the shade of the water
cultivators. At least they were good for one thing.
It had been a long time since their sails had caught
anything but sunlight and dust.
In their driveway, Ryder paused. He looked up
at the worn-out trees, where he’d tied his collection
of old tin cans. He grabbed his drink bottle and
started to climb a lower branch. It was the drought
season, and the birds needed water just as badly
as people. But he would only pour a little into
the cans. He couldn’t spare any more.
Thirst by Paul Mason
“Better not let Dad know you’re wasting water like that!” Brooke called,
pointing at the cans hanging like a jumble of strange fruit.
Ryder paused. “He won’t know if you don’t tell him,” he said. He had
meant to carry on pouring but now thought better of it. “It’s not a waste,”
Ryder grumbled, backing down the tree. “Birds have to drink, too.”
Brooke was about to say something back – something smart – but was
cut off by the whine of an engine. They turned to see a transporter pull up
at the Carters’ house, the command “Aqua-Plex™ Quench Your Thirst!”
splashed across its side.
“It’s not fair. They’re always getting water,” said Brooke. “Why doesn’t
Aqua-Plex ever come to our place?”
“You know why,” said Ryder. He glanced at his sister’s school clothes,
not washed in a month, at the paint peeling off their house like sunburnt
skin, at their car in the driveway, too broke to fi x. Brooke followed his gaze.
21
Brooke (sister aged 8) and Ryder (10) watching transporter operator (woman) delivering water. We can see: Water truck, hydrolic arm going from truck to Carter’s water tank. Transporter operator standing by truck holding a tablet (have black stick baton on her uniform and wearing a cap).It would be good to have a sense of Carter’s house in background which would be fl asher than Ryder’s house. Perhaps with solar panels on roof if possible. It is in the future. But the house and clothing in this story isn’t futuristic. Just the environment is depleted.
The operator climbed out of the transporter and walked round to the
back. She tapped at the tablet in her hand. A hydraulic arm emerged from
the transporter’s side and reached over to the Carters’ water tank. The valve
box opened, and the arm locked in. Then a sound came – the sound of
rushing water. The operator caught sight of Brooke gawping and stopped
for a moment. She had an ugly black night-stick strapped to her side, but
underneath her cap, her face was apologetic.
“I wish we lived in the city and got our water in pipes,” Brooke said.
“People in the city still have to pay Aqua-Plex lots of money,” said Ryder.
They watched for a bit, listening to the gurgling in the tank, trying to imagine
what a stream of fresh water looked like.
The operator tapped her tablet again, switching off the pump. With a
sudden jerk, the arm retracted. A trickle of water escaped. Ryder watched
it land in the dust and vanish.
“What a waste,” Brooke grumbled.
“Go inside and make yourself a snack,” Ryder said. “I’ll come in a bit.”
With a shudder, the transporter came to life and roared away. But Ryder
stood still. His eyes were fi xed on the side of the Carters’ tank, on the valve
box. When she was fi nished, the operator was supposed to enter a code
to lock it down. Only she hadn’t. Ryder could see the door on the little box.
It was open, the valve unguarded. Why had the operator forgotten? Did she
have other things on her mind?
It would only take a few minutes. There was a hose under the house.
It hadn’t been used in months. Ryder could run it right up to the Carters’
tank. Everyone was still at work. No one would see. No one would ever know.
Ryder looked around, the guilt already fl owing, his heartbeat quickening.
He wouldn’t take much, just enough to get his family out of trouble. Besides,
it was bound to rain sooner or later. It had to. Then all the water cultivators
would be bulging and people’s tanks would be fi lled, and there was nothing
Aqua-Plex could do about it. They didn’t own the rain in the clouds. Not yet.
22
Ryder with his back to us at carters water tank. arm up and about to hit the green button, can see hose connected to the tank
Ryder lifting the hose off the hose reel under the house. Hose dusty.
Ryder dragging hose across section going to carters. Section is dry looking.and Ryder is dirty. Face must be visible as this is the last time we will see it.
Ryder stood for a moment, working
things through. Then he threw his school
bag onto the porch and charged down the
basement steps. The hose was hanging
where Dad always kept it, covered in dust.
Ryder lifted it down. Looking, listening,
he crawled out from the side of the house,
hauling the coil behind him. His clothes
rasped against the ground. A little dirt
didn’t matter – they would be able to run
the washing machine tonight. Ryder took
one end of the hose and climbed onto their
water tank, now little more than a hollow
shell. He attached the hose to the valve.
Then, quickly, he jumped down.
Ryder carefully picked his way across
their parched lawn, taking care not to step
on the plastic lids that covered the water
stills dug into the earth. He could hear faint
music coming from Brooke’s room. He
poked the hose through the fence before
scrambling after it. Then he dragged it up
to the Carters’ swollen tank.
With every step, he was sure he’d hear
a call. “Hey, what are you doing? Thief!”
But there was nothing. The Carters’ place
was deserted. Ryder took a deep breath.
He’d gone too far to turn back now. Instead,
he jammed the other end of the hose onto
the Carters’ valve. Licking his dry lips, Ryder
punched the green button.
***
That evening, Mum and Dad got back at the same time, pushing their bikes
together up the hill. Their company boiler suits were darkened with sweat.
When they got through the door, Brooke jumped on Mum, babbling a torrent
of words about her day. “Just give me a moment,” Mum said, laughing. “I need
to catch my breath.”
Dad disconnected his headset and dumped his mini-console on the kitchen
table. He turned it off with a stab of his fi nger. The words “Work-Plex™ Work for
Your Dreams!” twitched on the tiny screen before fading away. Dad didn’t care –
there was no way he was online tonight. He dropped into a chair.
Mum suddenly pulled back from her daughter. “Is your hair damp?” she asked,
the smile falling from her face.
Brooke looked at the fl oor, colour fi lling her cheeks.
Mum held Brooke at arm’s length. “Answer me,” she said fi rmly.
Brooke nodded. “I had a shower.”
“You did what?” growled Dad, suddenly alert.
“Had a shower,” Brooke whispered.
“A shower?” said Dad. “You know we barely have enough water to keep
us alive!”
Brooke’s eyes fi lled up. “Ryder got some more. He said I could.”
25
“Got water? Where from?” said Mum. “Brooke? Where did your brother
get water from?”
Now the tears fell down Brooke’s cheeks. “He said it would be OK.
He said no one would ever fi nd out.”
“Ryder!” Dad called. “Come here, right now!” But there was no sound
from inside the house. “No one touches another drop!” Dad ordered.
He went to the front door and threw it open and stalked outside.
“Ryder!” he called into the darkening sky. “Ryder!”
Dad shouted once more. His voice rumbled through the trees, scattering
the birds that had been perched at the cans quenching their thirst.
illustrations by Andrew Burdan
26
Thirstby Paul Mason illustrations by Andrew Burdan
Text and illustrations copyright © Crown 2015
For copyright information about how you can use this material, go to: http://www.tki.org.nz/Copyright-in-Schools/Terms-of-use
Published 2015 by the Ministry of EducationPO Box 1666, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.www.education.govt.nzAll rights reserved.Enquiries should be made to the publisher.
ISBN 978 0 478 16331 5 (online)
Publishing Services: Lift Education E TūEditor: Susan ParisDesigner: Jodi Wicksteed Literacy Consultant: Melanie WinthropConsulting Editors: Hōne Apanui and Emeli Sione
Curriculum learning area EnglishSocial Sciences
Reading year level Year 6
Keywords conservation, environment, futuristic, post-apocalypse, science fiction, speculative fiction, survival, water
Ryder (10) walking up footpath towards the reader and is in the shade of water cultivators one of which is visable. These need to look not home made, a mass produced feel about them... but still be recognisable as water cultivators that kids know today.. (need to be tall
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Ryder hauled himself up the hill, his school uniform
sticking to his skin, the afternoon sun doing its
best to beat him back down the slope. As much
as possible, he walked in the shade of the water
cultivators. At least they were good for one thing.
It had been a long time since their sails had caught
anything but sunlight and dust.
In their driveway, Ryder paused. He looked up
at the worn-out trees, where he’d tied his collection
of old tin cans. He grabbed his drink bottle and
started to climb a lower branch. It was the drought
season, and the birds needed water just as badly
as people. But he would only pour a little into
the cans. He couldn’t spare any more.
Thirst by Paul Mason
SCHOOL JOURNAL
August 2015
SCHOOL JOURNAL LEVEL 3, AUGUST 2015