Disclaimer: FX: The Series doesn't belong to me (although I wish it did) yadda yadda yadda, I'm not
making any money out of writing this story... blah blah blah, I think you all get the idea and you've
heard this a million times before!
Easter Memories by Erin
Rollie leaned back in his chair, and thought reflectively about the Easters of the past. There was one
good thing about these back-to-front (and extreme) weather patterns of the Northern Hemisphere.
Easter was in Spring instead of Autumn. The new life and the renewal that was all part of Easter had
extra meaning when you could see the new life springing forth around you instead of the leaves
dropping and weather getting colder (not that it ever got particularly cold in Queensland).
He remembered an Easter when he was a little boy, about 5 or 6 years old, before his Mum had
died and when his Dad had been home as well (for a change). He had been so excited at the
prospect of hunting for Easter eggs that the Easter Bilbo had left (rabbits were a menace in
Queensland so it was always the Easter Bilbo instead of the Easter bunny). He had woken up at
6am, and bounced into his parents room wanting them to wake up too so they could take him
hunting. Funnily enough they were not too keen on going Easter egg hunting at 6am on a Sunday
morning. So, Rollie had been sent back to bed and told to stay there for at least another hour, until
the sun was high enough to be seen over the roof of the chicken coop when you stood at the back
door. He had stayed in bed for about 5 minutes before quietly getting changed into some shorts and
T-shirt and snuck out of the house.
The sun had just peeped over the horizon when Rollie creeped out the door and tip toed over to
where his Kelpie dog Bluey was tied up for the night. Together they headed down the road towards
town where the yearly children's Easter egg hunt would be held, Rollie on his bike with Bluey
following behind. He had only gone a couple of kilometers when a car pulled up beside him - the
driver was Dave Wellings (the father of Rollie's best friend and neighbour Katie Wellings) on his
way home from his early morning stock check.
"And where do you think you are off to on this early Easter Sunday morning, young Roland Tyler?"
Rollie got a guilty look on his face after he finished cringing at the use of his full name, "Ummm, oh
Hi Mr Wellings. I'm going into town for the Easter egg hunt. Mum and Dad are still in bed and I
didn't want to miss it."
Dave Wellings laughed at the misplaced enthusiasm of the small boy. "Well, Rollie, you're definitely
keen I'll give you that much. The Easter egg hunt won't start until well after church is finished. How
about I take you home and we can ask your folks if you can come to church with Katie and the rest
of us before going to the hunt - it'll help keep you busy until it's time to go hunting."
Rollie rapidly agreed to the idea - Dave was his favourite adult and often substituted as his dad
when Dingo wasn't around and/or he wasn't farmed out to the aborigine reserve to be with Mangela.
Dave got out of his pick up truck and loaded Rollie's bike into the back. He then strapped Rollie
into the passenger seat, allowing Bluey to sit on the vehicle floor at his young master's feet.
Dingo and Rollie's mum had woken and found their young son missing several minutes before the
Wellings' pick up pulled into the driveway. Dave stepped out of the vehicle just as Dingo was about
to head out in his own pick to look for his son. Rollie followed in Dave's shadow, he was afraid that
he parents would say No, and he knew he was going to be in trouble for wandering off.
Dave spoke first, "Hey Dingo, I think I found something that belongs to you?"
Dingo Tyler was as mad as a hornet, Rollie's disappearance had scared him. "Dave, thank god you
found him." He turned his attention to his young son, "Rollie get to your room. You're not going
anywhere today - not when you disobey long standing rules and go wandering off on your own!"
Rollie, shrunk in further behind Dave, his lower lip trembled. He had been looking forward to Easter
for so long and now it looked like he wouldn't be able to go. Dave spoke up for him, "Hey Dingo,
go easy on the poor kid. He's just really excited about Easter. I was wondering if you would let
Rollie spend the morning with us and we can take him along to the Easter egg hunt when we take
Katie. And I'm sure Rollie wouldn't normally wander off on his own, would you Rollie?" He turned
to the small boy, giving him the opportunity to show he was sorry for wandering off.
Rollie whispered out a reply - he was close to tears, "No Sir, I would never wander off by myself."
Dingo wasn't impressed with the emotional answer, "Well, that may be Rollie, but today you did
wander off so today you have to be punished for that. You've been a bad boy, so you're going to
have to spend the day in your room."
The tears started to spill over as Rollie realised there was no way he was going to be able to go
Easter egg hunting after all. He started to walk slowly towards the house, when his mother (who had
been listening to the entire conversation from the doorway of the house) spoke, "Dingo honey, how
about we teach Rollie the real meaning of Easter."
"What do you mean luv?"
She took a few steps forward and crouched in front of her distressed son. "Rollie, do you remember
me telling you about the real meaning of Easter last year?"
"N...n...no...oo. I don't remember Mummy."
"Ok honey, well, there was a man named Jesus, and he died on the cross to save us from our sins.
Do you remember me telling you about that?" The little boy nodded solemnly. "Good, well, what
you did this morning, wandering off on your own when you knew you were not supposed to, that
was a sin, something bad. Do you understand that?"
"Yes Mummy, I was bad... and now... and now... I can't go Easter egg hunting." The tears spilled
over again as he began to cry.
"Rollie, my little man, are you sorry for wandering off this morning?" He nodded between sobs.
"Well, honey, that means that Jesus can save you from that sin."
Rollie paused for a moment between sniffs, confused, "What do you mean Mummy?"
"Saving you from sin means that by dying Jesus took your punishment for you. So, if you are truly
sorry for wandering off, and you try and be a good boy from now on, you can go Easter egg hunting
because Jesus has already done your punishment for you."
A smile spread over Rollie's face like a beam or sunshine through the rain (or the tears in this case),
"So, I can go. Jesus took my punishment for me, and I can go?"
"Yes you can honey, after you have a bath to wash all that dirt off you. You can go play with Katie
and then go Easter egg hunting."
Rollie bounded into the house for his bath (something he didn't normally tend to enjoy), a very
happy little boy, and now with a better understanding of the true meaning of Easter.
____
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Note: Kate Wellings is a character in an Australia TV show "The Flying Doctors", she will feature in
the longer fanfic I've started.
