It had been my idea to open a stall to sell damaged strawberries. We sold ‘Nunn’s Famous Strawberries’ for three dollars a kilo out the front of our place every Saturday during strawberry season. We had no shortage of customers since our tiny farm had become squashed in between all the new houses in Wellington Point. We weren’t too far from anything anymore. People could easily wander over and pick out a punnet or two. It turned out that city people liked farm-fresh strawberries, even if they were funny shapes and sizes. Probably because they still tasted of sunshine. It was kind of nice seeing all those reject berries making people happy instead of ending up on the compost heap. And, of course, Gran was pleased to see the extra cash.
The Saturday after Carol dropped by, I couldn’t wait to close up the stall. The minute the last punnet sold, I raced down to the creek and collected an armful of leaves. I practically ran the whole three blocks to Carol’s house.
‘I brought these,’ I said, trying not to puff. ‘I hope they’re okay.’ I’d also brought my teddy, Brownie, just in case Smooch was pining for his mum. It had been a present when Mum and Dad died and always did the trick when I was missing them.
Carol reached for the leaves and beckoned me inside. ‘Good on you. Just what we need.’
I peered around the front room. I couldn’t see any baby koalas – just Carol’s unusually large belly.
Carol caught me looking. ‘You didn’t think I’d been scoffing ice-creams, did you?’ she said, reaching into the bottom of her jumper. She used both hands to ease out a round bundle wrapped up in a T-shirt. Two grey and white fluffy ears appeared from the bundle. Two bright button eyes followed.
‘I told your little man you were coming,’ she said. ‘Here, sit down on the couch. Have a look at the beautiful bub you found.’
Smooch was beautiful. His furry face looked up trustingly at me as Carol placed him gently on my lap. White hairs stuck out of his ears, like an old man who’d just got out of bed. His black-brown eyes were ringed with white and his fur was springy, like the wool on a woolly sheep. He was a real, live teddy bear. So perfect, so soft.
I didn’t know where to put my hands. They seemed big and clunky next to Smooch. He was about the size of the Beanie Babies the other girls brought to school and must have weighed about the same as a kilo punnet of strawberries. But he was way better than strawberries. I didn’t want to hurt him so I sat statue still.
‘You’re doing good,’ said Carol, nodding at me. ‘Real good. But maybe breathe now, hey?’
I took a breath and as I did Smooch looked up at my shoulder. He stared for a second and then lifted his front paws, like he was going to grab at my neck. I stiffened. Was he going to bite me?
‘It’s okay,’ said Carol when she saw my frozen face. ‘He wants to snuggle, that’s all. Relax. Just see what he does.’ Smooch reached his claws up and gripped onto my jumper. I held my breath again. He crawled up my chest and then onto my shoulder. My hair hung loose in a tangled mess and Smooch reached for it, his soft fur brushing against my chin. He wriggled around the back of my neck until he was comfortably nestled in my hair. He wasn’t heavy and his claws weren’t sharp, but I wasn’t sure what to do. What do you do when there’s a koala in your hair?
‘It’s okay, he won’t hurt you,’ said Carol. She offered Smooch a fresh gumleaf. ‘Come on, buddy, it’s not nap time. Don’t you want your lunch?’ He reluctantly untangled himself and took the leaf between one finger and his first tiny thumb. He sat on my lap, nibbling the leaf daintily, as if he wasn’t really sure what it was.
‘In the wild, koala babies learn to eat solid food when they’re about six months old,’ Carol told me. ‘They start with something called pap. It’s basically their mum’s poo.’
I screwed up my nose. ‘Eugh. Really? Poo?’
Carol laughed at my funny face. ‘Oh, it’s not that bad. It’s how the mums pass on good bacteria for their bub’s stomach. Smooch’s mum already started him on it before she died, so his stomach can handle gumleaves. If she hadn’t, they’d be poisonous for him. Pretty smart, hey?’
It took Smooch ages to eat just three leaves. His mouth was small and he chewed very slowly. When he lost interest, he ditched the leaf he was holding and clambered unsteadily off the couch. Once he was down, he waddled over to where Brownie lay on the floor. He sniffed him and then pounced, wrestling the teddy and trying to bite his ears. Brownie fell sideways on top of Smooch and I sprang from my seat.
‘He’ll be okay,’ said Carol, beckoning for me to sit back down. ‘He’s just playing. I think your teddy does remind him of his mum.’
I smiled. I understood completely. Although I’d never exactly wrestled Brownie, I knew how nice it was to have a big brown bear to cuddle. I was glad I’d chosen to give Brownie to Smooch now.
After he’d played for a while, Smooch was ready for another sleep. Carol said koalas slept a lot. She carefully bundled him up in her make-do pouch and popped him back inside her jumper.
‘Will you come back next Saturday?’ she asked as I stood up to go. ‘Meet the rest of my babies?’
There were more? My eyes grew wide. I quickly nodded. ‘Yes, please,’ I said. ‘I’ll bring more leaves.’
After I’d said goodbye, I ran the whole way home. I couldn’t wait to tell Gran and Lizzie all about Carol and Smooch. I wondered what it would take to become a wildlife carer. Perhaps Carol could train me and then I could do it too? My head began to explode with possibilities. Imagine all the animals we could fit on the farm. Imagine caring for animals like Smooch – for the rest of my life!