This story is dedicated to all children who have faced challenges in their life but never lost hope.

To the Royal Flying Doctor Service who do an amazing job for the community

A new day was breaking on the Hamilton’s farm in Western New South Wales flooding the sky with crimson and carnation pink veils of light generously displaying beauty, but not giving the rain that the parched thirsty earth so desperately needed.  

The Hamilton family had been hoping for an end to the drought for more than six months. Their ancestors had been farming this land for generations so they held onto the land for as long as they could, however, the beauty of this environment they loved could not feed the starving cattle and sheep in the grassless paddocks.

Felix Hamilton, the ten-year-old son of Mr Alistair Hamilton, a hard working farmer, was feeling gloomy, his heart as heavy as a one tonne bull because he was surrounded by death and his family was struggling to survive.  

However, one gleaming light in Felix’s life was his friendship with Sarah Buchannon. Sarah lived on the neighbouring farm owned by Roger Buchannon. Sarah was indigenous and had been adopted by Roger and his wife Elizabeth when she was three years old. Sarah had nut brown hair that lay in soft curls on her head and shoulders like swirls in a whirlpool, and she had hazel eyes that sparkled like diamonds when she spoke to Felix.

“Hay Sarah, do you want to play hide and seek?” said Felix excitedly.

“Sure”, she said with a smile. 

They ran off over the dusty, colourless landscape, and Felix forgot about his parents struggles and problems they faced with the farm.

It was a silent, blue evening around the Hamilton’s dinner table. 

“We have to sell the farm”, said Alistair Hamilton in a glum voice.  “We need to move to Sydney Felix, we have no choice. The drought is here to stay, there is no grass to feed the livestock and we have little income to survive.” Felix was stunned and couldn’t move. 

“What about Sarah? She is my only friend.”  

Felix couldn’t eat, he just played with his food, carrots circling one direction and the peas in the other, and he couldn’t bear to think that he would completely lose contact with her and never see her again if they sold the farm and moved to Sydney.

Several weeks passed and even though the farm had been advertised for sale, no one showed any interest in buying it.  The cattle and sheep were thin and emaciated.  They looked like living skeletons.  There was scarcely any feed left.

Later that afternoon, he and Sarah were catching butterflies with nets they had roughly made from gnarled bark.  In the distance, Felix notices large, orange, blaring flames coming from the direction of the highway.  Felix turned as white as a sheet and feeling faint he yelled, in a voice that was startled and terrified like someone wildly gasping for breath. 

“Dad, quick! Over there, a fire!”

Alistair, his father, replied directly in a voice full of decision and purpose. “Son, come with me into the tractor.  You hold onto the fire hose and I will drive.” 

As Felix’s father drove the tractor, Felix telephoned the fire brigade which was a group of local farmers.  Alistair was amazed at how Felix took this action without having to be told.

“Felix, you amaze me!” he said.