Once upon a time, there was a spoilt, rich and very beautiful girl named Bianca and her father Mr Jauques. They lived in a mansion on the edge of Sydney Harbour.
'Come on Lucas, bring our dessert, I have a meeting in 10 minutes', demanded Mr Jauques. 'Coming Mr Jock', replied Lucas. 'It is not Mr Jock like underwear, it is Mr Jauques, French name!" roared Mr Jauques so Lucas could definitely hear. Lucas is Bianca and Mr Jauques's personal cook and one day has a dream of owning his own restaurant. Bianca's father, Mr Jauques, is a very big (fat) man and is a very high class lawyer in Sydney, Australia.
'Daddy, don't be so mean to Lucas, he does a lot for you'.
'A LOT FOR ME!, if it wasn't for me he would still be in that filthy pub sweeping floors', said Mr Jauques rudely.
'I still say your being mean', Bianca snapped. 'I'm going to get some more desert'.
'Great I'm off to my meeting', Mr Jauques replied.
Once Bianca's father had left their huge dining room, Bianca jumped out of her chair and headed through the double swinging doors into the kitchen.
'May I help you', enquired Lucas nicely.
'Can I please have some more ice-cream', Bianca asked.
'Sure, coming right up, go sit down', Lucas said with a smile. Bianca followed Lucas's orders and and went to walk out the doors leading to the dining room, but stopped short.'Oh, and don't forget the sprinkles please', Bianca said running out the doors.
As Bianca sat back down at their huge dining room table, she couldn't help thinking about her mother. Bianca's mother died when Bianca was born. Her name was Melissa, Bianca had been told she had curly, orange hair that gleamed in the sunlight, but now Bianca's father never speaks of her much.
Bianca's thoughts vanished as Lucas walked into the room holding Bianca's bowl of ice-cream. He placed it on the table in front of her and left without saying a word, but Bianca could see the shy lop-sided smile he was trying to hide.
Bianca looked down at her ice-cream. It was covered with chocolate topping and pink sprinkles that were shaped in a love heart. Bianca had the idea that Lucas had a little crush on her, or at least that is what she hoped. Lucas was the kind of guy Bianca would go for, he was cute, funny, sensitive, sweet romantic, and intelligent and she could tell all this just by looking at him. Bianca finished her ice-cream and returned her plate to the kitchen, but Lucas wasn't there. Secretly she hoped he would be.
After dessert Bianca was left alone in their huge mansion, Lucas had gone home and the only other living thing was her goldfish, Prince. Bianca went outside to the backyard pond, she stirred up the water with her finger as she always did when she wanted to attract Prince's attention. Prince rose to the surface with bubbles coming out of his mouth.
'Prince what should I do, I really like Lucas', said Bianca.
'What do you mean Lucas? Lucas the cook'? Prince asked.
'Your father would never let you go out with him', Prince said again.
'I know, but I really like him' Bianca said shyly. Just then Bianca heard her father's Saab convertible pull up in their drive way. Bianca knew he would want her in bed as it was 11:30pm. Bianca said good-bye to Prince and headed up to bed, all she dreamt about that night was Lucas.
The next morning Bianca came down to breakfast at 9:30am to find that her father wasn't in his usual head of the table spot for breakfast. She checked his schedule as it wasn't like him to sleep in. Mr Jauques had no meetings that morning, so Bianca decided to go check is bedroom. Once she reached the top of the stairs she could hear the rustling of sheets, Bianca knocked on his door, no one answered, so she went right on in.
'Daddy what's wrong, why are you still in bed let me help you up'? Bianca offered.
'It's nothing Bianca, I just feel dizzy, can you cancel all of my meetings today. Bianca ignored what her father had just said and decided to ring the hospital.
'Sydney Hospital, Barb speaking, how may I help you',said a nice secretary on the other end.'Hello, my name's Bianca and I would like to book an appointment for my father, he lookes really ill and can't get up', said Bianca carmly.
'Well dear it's best if you bring him in the the emergancy room now to be looked at properly, I will ring over and tell them you will be arriving soon', said Barb.'Ok thank you, I will be there shortly', Bianca said before she hung up the phone. Bianca knew she couldn't get her father into her car by herself so she ran downstairs to find Lucas.
'Lucas, Lucas', Bianca shouted. 'Lucas', she shouted again.
'Yes Bianca, whats the matter'? he asked as he walked out of their very large pantry.
'Dad isn't looking so well and he needs to go to the hospital, can you help me get him into the car'? Bianca asked.
'Sure where is he', Lucas said. 'Upstairs', Bianca replied.
As Bianca's father was a big man it took them about seven minutes to get him into Bianca's car.
'Now are you sure you don't want me to come with you', Lucas asked.
'No, we will be ok', Bianca replied as she jumped into her car and took off down the road to the Hospital.
After six hours of waiting the doctor finally came out with the results from Mr Jauques tests.
'I am very sorry Mr Jauques, but you have been diagnosed with cancer', said the doctor. At that moment Bianca burst into tears. Mr Jauques patted Bianca on the back and said that he would be fine and nothing would happen to him. On the way home all Bianca could think about was the health of her father and how she couldn't bear to lose another parent.
'That was a lovely dinner, thank you Lucas', said Bianca as Lucas collected their plates after dinner that night. 'Yes, very nice Lucas', agreed Mr Jauques. 'Thank you', said Lucas as he carried their plates into the kitchen to be washed up.
'Oh no', Bianca cried a little while later.
'What is it sweetie'? asked her father.
'I've left me gold mobile phone on my dinner plate.
'Well go and retrieve it and I will head up to bed, Goodnight', said Mr Jauques as he got out of his chair.
Bianca had planned to leave her gold mobile phone on her plate so she could go and see Lucas. Later that night Bianca couldn't help thinking about how much better her planned had worked than expected. You see Bianca and Lucas went out for a moonlight stroll out to the backyard pond, where they shared their first kiss.
Weeks went by and Bianca's father grew sicker and sicker, while Bianca and Lucas's love grew stronger and stronger. Mr Jauques cancer had spread to his lungs and heart, but it was to risky to operate.
One Tuesday morning Bianca awoke feeling like this day would be like no other, feeling like today would be one to remember. As she climed out of bed she tried to shake off this feeling and put on her favourite jeans, favourite tank top and went in search for her gold mobile phone. As Bianca was rushing around she glanced at her watch. Her session at the beauty spa was in 10 minutes. She quit looking for her phone and jumped in her hot pink convertible beetle that her father had given her for her 19th birthday.
Just then the phone recieved an SMS. Mr Jauques followed the sound & found the phone wedged down the edge of the couch. He picked it up thinking Bianca would be happy with him for finding it, and noticed who the sms was from............... Lucas?
Mr Jauques thought it was strange that their cook should be in contact with his daughter. He was extremely protective of his only child. He guiltily opened up the message and read it.
It read 'meet me at 7:15 2nite near da bakyrd pond. i hav sumthing imprtnt 2 tel u. Lucas :-)
Mr Jauques face turned red, his moustache bristled, he practically blew steam from out his ears. He deleted the sms so Bianca didnt know about it and left the phone on the bed.
That night Mr Jauques made an excuse not to watch Home and Away with Bianca and walk down to the backyard pond and have a talk with Lucas. He waited until exactly 7:15 when Lucas showed up. He spotted Mr Jauques sitting by the pond & froze with terror.
'Sit down Lucas, we need to have a talk'
Mr Jauques I can explain'
'No Lucas there is nothing to explain. I know about you and my daughter and it is unacceptable! The family cook cannot be together wuith a member of the family they work for. I suspected there was something going on between you two and I did everything I could to stop it, but tonight is proof that you two are together and my efforts to keep you apart haven't worked, he paused, I have been somewhat preoccupied of late, I've thought all day about ways to stop it but the only thing I can think of is'-
'No Mr Jauques you can't', cried Lucas.
'Lucas I'm sorry, but your'e fired'. At that moment Mr Jauques started feeling dizzy and fell to the ground and lay there, unconcious.
All his life Mr Jauques had been a big man. He had been diagnosed with diabetes eight years ago. He had also been diagnosed with cancer about a month ago and was surprised how quickly it had invaded his body. His sudden collapse was caused by a large cancer growth in his vital organs, including his heart.
'Bianca', said her father in a weak voice as she stepped through the door to Mr Jauques bedroom.
'I'm here daddy', she answered this time she was sitting next to the bed. 'Bianca, I have seen you everyday, since the day you were born and I am more proud of you now then ever before. All I want is for you to be happy and I realise now that I was wrong about about something and no matter how much money you have you can never buy happiness and love is more important than anything else, I want you to have everything and be happy', said Mr Jauques, closing his eyes, exchausted from the effort of speaking.
These were the last words spoken by Bianca's father.
One year later Bianca and Lucas were happily working in their new restaurant, ''The Backyard Pond'', with their baby Melissa (named after Bianca's mother) sleeping soundly in the room next door.
'I'm just stepping out for a bit sweetie', Bianca said to her husband Lucas. As soon as she was out side she ran to the backyard pond in the garden to see Prince.
Prince was swimming lazily around the pond. 'Oh hello Bianca, I haven't seen you in a while I'm getting very lonely, you hardly ever come to see me any more', said Prince distantly. 'Wait right here', Bianca told Prince. 'Well it's not like I have a choice is it', Prince answered.
A little while later she appeared with another goldfish in a bag, named Princess. 'Oh Bianca', cried Prince, You know if you put another goldfishin here I will never be able to talk again don't you?'
'I know', Bianca sighed, 'but I want you to live happily ever after too'.
By Loren, Luke, Cassandra and Brodie.
