Once upon a time, in a land quite far away, a baby was born. In this land – a particular continent called Africa, many babies were constantly being born, and perhaps this pink infant was not starkly different to any of the other thousands of babies that were born at the same instant as she. However, to a particular pairing of people, one Barry and Debs, this baby was rather spectacular and special and quite extraordinary. This bawling youngster was the first grandchild of Diane and Sonny, and Freda and Barney, so all concerned parties were rather thrilled.
The young tyke was a good-natured child, with blond locks and a tendency for falling asleep in her food. Erin and her parents lived in a nice 1-storey house in St Lukes Rd in Claremont. They had a grey mazda that was at least 100 years old but still ran OK and a red little Toyota that was the car that took Erin to the hospital to exit her mother’s stomach.
The young tyke was a good-natured child, with blond locks and a tendency for falling asleep in her food. Erin and her parents lived in a nice 1-storey house in St Lukes Rd in Claremont. They had a grey mazda that was at least 100 years old but still ran OK and a red little Toyota that was the car that took Erin to the hospital to exit her mother’s stomach.
They got the most delightful of dogs: Jasmine the golden retriever. She was the runt of the litter, but not actually very small, and was a very good-natured and agreeable hound. Jasmine liked to snap at bubbles in some vain hope of achieving something great. She also occasionally killed pigeons for her owners’ delight.
In 1997, Mother Rosenberg got pregnant again and had baby Lauren. She was premature and very tiny. Erin got a new Ken doll in compensation for not being an only child anymore. New baby Lauren was also a fun new toy.
A few years later, Erin started primary school. How big and old she was getting! A prominent memory from the first day of school is Klara Scholtz being able to spell cat and Erin being suitably impressed. Oh how far she has come since such days. Another sister was also born in this year, although she was not accompanied by any Ken dolls. And then in the Rosenberg household girls outnumbered boys 4 to 1. Jasmine the dog was a girl too. Poor Barry.
A few years later, Erin started primary school. How big and old she was getting! A prominent memory from the first day of school is Klara Scholtz being able to spell cat and Erin being suitably impressed. Oh how far she has come since such days. Another sister was also born in this year, although she was not accompanied by any Ken dolls. And then in the Rosenberg household girls outnumbered boys 4 to 1. Jasmine the dog was a girl too. Poor Barry.
In 1999 Erin performed in a school play lamenting the incoming invasion of the Y2K bug. She wasn’t too sure what it meant, but the costumes sure looked like ladybugs. She played an orphan. She managed to survive the y2k bug and made it into the new millennium!
Debs and Baz took the family on a trip to Australia. The flight was very long, but fortunately there was a Pokemon game on the aeroplane screens. Whilst Down Under, Erin and sisters saw fun things like Australian animals, the Sydney Opera House and similarly exciting landmarks.
The parents were so enamoured with the land that they thought they would try to emigrate there. South Africa, for all its breathtaking beauty, was a dangerous and scarred place: perhaps Australia would yield a better future for their children.
At the end of 2004 Erin had her batmitzvah. In Orthodox Judaism when a girl is 12 she becomes a woman, and is rewarded with lots of presents and endless gefilte fish. This occasion was particularly auspicious because it was a batmitzvah-cum-farewell party, so, although everyone had fun dancing the horah, a few tears were shed.
The parents were so enamoured with the land that they thought they would try to emigrate there. South Africa, for all its breathtaking beauty, was a dangerous and scarred place: perhaps Australia would yield a better future for their children.
At the end of 2004 Erin had her batmitzvah. In Orthodox Judaism when a girl is 12 she becomes a woman, and is rewarded with lots of presents and endless gefilte fish. This occasion was particularly auspicious because it was a batmitzvah-cum-farewell party, so, although everyone had fun dancing the horah, a few tears were shed.
On the 19 January 2005 the Rosenberg family left the beauty of Cape Town and moved to Melbourne, in far-flung Australia. Erin started high school, Lauren and Hannah integrated into primary school where they weren’t allowed to say ‘mom’ anymore, but rather were forced to say ‘mum’. They got a new doggy, a most rambunctious Labrador/spaniel/mutt called Daisy. She was joyous.
Time passed and the childrens’ Australian twangs increased, although their affinity for Vegemite did not. Everyone grew a little bit older, a little bit taller. Erin finished high school, which seemed like a strange thing. School was forever, or so it had seemed. She even got to wear a graduating gown, which was all a little High School Musical. (Zac Efron was not present). Real life seemed to be starting. She got into a university course that seemed relevant to something she may wish to pursue in some far-off adult future, and travelled to far-off places in the world. She saw things she had never seen before, and experienced wild adventure. She was overcome by this revelation: that the world is a huge and wonderous place, merely waiting to be discovered.
Time passed and the childrens’ Australian twangs increased, although their affinity for Vegemite did not. Everyone grew a little bit older, a little bit taller. Erin finished high school, which seemed like a strange thing. School was forever, or so it had seemed. She even got to wear a graduating gown, which was all a little High School Musical. (Zac Efron was not present). Real life seemed to be starting. She got into a university course that seemed relevant to something she may wish to pursue in some far-off adult future, and travelled to far-off places in the world. She saw things she had never seen before, and experienced wild adventure. She was overcome by this revelation: that the world is a huge and wonderous place, merely waiting to be discovered.
And then she went back to university and real life again, and her baby sister started high school. Her parents asked her scary questions like, “What are you going to do after university?” and she thought, “I am getting a little old now.” She wished for a blue genie to appear and guide her, but this seemed an unlikely scenario.
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