Zola Angelica lives with her mum and her Nonna Rosa.
They live in a little house, in a little street, in a little suburb, in the middle of a big city.
You’ve probably seen her house. It’s number twelve Boomerang Street.
It’s called Bella Rosa.
During the summertime, the front garden is bursting with red, orange, yellow, white and blue flowers.
Most days, kids on bikes, and dads with prams, and mums who jog, and the lady who delivers mail, stop to look and smell and touch and smile.
Zola’s house has a little bedroom especially built for her upstairs. From there, she can see all the houses around them.
Zola’s younger cousin Alessandro lives in the house behind her.
Most afternoons, when Alessandro isn’t visiting his father’s house, they play in each other’s backyards.
Their Nonno Nino once cut a little door into the fence between their homes.
He wanted Zola and Alessandro to always feel as if they could be together.
Zola and Alessandro miss their Nonno Nino.
‘I hope he can still see us,’ Alessandro says, whenever they do something that reminds them of their grandfather.
At night, they signal to each other from their bedroom windows with their solar lanterns.
Zola knows that the word solar has to do with the sun. Every day, she reminds Alessandro to put his lantern outside so the sun can give it power.
They sway the lantern first to the left and once to the right and then to the left again. Just like Nonno Nino taught them.
Outside, Zola’s dog, Monty, barks goodnight to Alessandro’s dog, Gigi, who howls at the moon.
Zola is in class 2B.
Every morning her mum drops her and Alessandro off at school. Mummy has to rush off to work most days.
‘Be kind and have fun,’ she says every time.
Zola’s school is being rebuilt this year. For now, 2B is across the road.
The sign there says St Odo’s Community Gardens.
Zola thinks that’s strange. There are weeds and little else. In no way does it look like a garden.
‘Who knows anything about gardening?’ Ms Divis asks while they sit having their crunch and sip under the Moreton Bay fig tree.
Zara puts up her hand.
‘We need seeds,’ she says.
‘And soil?’ Mia says.
‘Water,’ shouts out Charley.
‘Zola would know,’ Antonio says. ‘Her Nonna Rosa has a garden with beautiful roses.
‘My mum says it’s the best in the neighbourhood.’
Everyone in 2B looks at Zola.
She feels her face getting warm.
‘Zola, can you tell us something about this garden?’ Ms Divis says.
Zola thinks for a moment.
‘When we have a shower, Nonna makes us collect the water in a bucket so she can use it on her capsicums.’
Everyone laughs.
‘Yuck!’ says Giovanni.
‘Why doesn’t she use a hose?’ Zara asks.
Zola shrugs.
Zola doesn’t listen much when her Nonna Rosa talks about the garden.
‘Because Zola’s grandmother is trying not to waste water,’ Ms Divis says.
‘Can we have a garden?’ Arianna asks.
‘With sunflowers!’
‘Lavender!’
‘Strawberries!’
Everyone calls out at once.
But Ms Divis doesn’t mind.
She just smiles and says, ‘Maybe.’
