The scientists had finally done it. They had finally found a way to create an eternal summer, and with it, a whole new era in which everyone could enjoy the many benefits of the leisurely season all year around. It seemed like the perfect idea, and it was... for a while anyway.

This is how it all began.....

It was a crisp winter’s morning in the city of Ballarat, in fact one of the coldest on record. It was 1?celsius and rain battered against the glass so hard so hard that you could hardly see out; the thick fog that made it a misty grey colour did not help. As I gazed out of the window, not surprised by the weather that forced us inside almost every day, I caught glimpses of people braving the bad weather. As they struggled to move forwards, the strong wind whipped against their faces. Soggy, decaying leaves from the gutter flew up into their tangled hair and their flimsy umbrellas barely managed to keep them from getting drenched. Poor people! It was going to take a lot more than that to survive a Ballarat winter. My thoughts were interrupted by the slamming door. Dad strode in with gleaming eyes.

“We’ve done it! Summer foreevveeerrr!” he shouted into the empty hallway.

I let out a sigh. After many years of The Weather Scientists telling everyone they had done it, and then us waking up to the same icy weather, I knew not to get my hopes up. Mum, who was just about dad’s biggest supporter, didn’t even get excited any more. As much as I, well all of us, wanted dad and his team of scientists to create a never ending summer, we learnt to accept that it was not an easy thing to achieve. Whilst dad, on the other hand, still hadn’t.

He madly stripped off his lab coat and chucked it crumpled onto the stairs before rushing into the lounge room where I sat. Instead of saying hello, he fumbled around and turned the TV on. I was comfy next to the heater and couldn’t be bothered to move so I reluctantly decided to listen in. The usual serious looking woman holding a microphone stood in front of The Lab, where my dad worked.

She was gesturing towards the building. Same old, same old. I even knew what was going to happen next! After the commercial, she would be inside the building, standing next to a graph showing the weather forecasts that The Weather Scientists hoped would become a reality. But the funny thing was that even though I knew about all the failed attempts, I still imagined a world where I could go to the beach and pool anytime of the year and play in the sand, or swim with my friends.  How nice it would be! At first, it was all I could think about but now I only allowed my mind to wonder for a moment.

Dad pointed to the TV, practically jumping out of his seat.  My eyes widened when dad appeared on the screen standing in The Lab next to the reporter lady who was now wildly waving her hands about. This was weird - he was never on the news whenever there were updates on the Summer Project. He called mum in from the kitchen and we watched, confused and excited at the same time. The reporter lady continued to ask dad questions about his views on whether the project will be successful this time, and dad continued to nod confidently stating “this time is different” and some cheesy lines like “better get your bathers ready!” He even winked at the camera! Mum smiled at dad sadly, sort of like she felt sorry for him and went back to the kitchen but I felt a little glimmer of hope. Maybe they had done it. Maybe this time will be different. I jumped up and ran up stairs to get my bathers ready.

The next morning, I woke up hot and sweaty. Usually my doona kept me the right temperature on chilly winter nights, but this morning I felt way too hot. Maybe I had a fever? I put my hand to my forehead. Nothing. I sat up in bed and found myself squinting. The slits in the curtains let in bright rays of sunlight – rare for this time of year. It was a shame I’d be in a classroom all day.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a speck of pink half under the doona on the ground. I leaned over to get a better view. The pink speck was my bathers. Suddenly, everything that had happened the night before slowly started to come back. Dad on the news, advancements in the Summer Project, “this time is different”, eternal summer. The two words kept repeating in my mind. Eternal summer. Eternal summer. I heard distant cheerful yells and squeals coming from outside and then, it made sense. Full of hope, I ran to the curtains, took a deep breath in, and opened them. This time was different!

My hair fluttered around my face in the warm breeze as I looked out over the neighbourhood. It had worked. The Summer Project had actually worked. I’d get to experience this paradise every day! People of all ages started to make their way out onto the main road, still trying to process this miracle. Everyone was either talking in disbelief to their neighbour or crying out in joy. I even saw a family walk out of their house fully equipped for a day at the beach! Still looking out my window, I smiled to myself, and for the first time in a while I felt relaxed. What else would you feel on a perfect summer’s day?

School was not the strict, quiet environment it usually was. Students of every size ran around with their friends yelling out all of the things they could do now that it was summer. Pools, beaches, ice-cream. The list was endless! I sighed longingly. Just one more day then it would be the weekend and I could have all of it. 

The classroom was a blur of board shorts and bikinis. I felt a bit sorry for the teacher, who stood up the front trying and failing to get everyone’s attention, but she was going to have to wait a bit longer – I really needed to find my friends. I eventually spotted them and rushed over.

“Oh my goodness, can you believe it?” Molly asked in a high pitched whisper. It was obvious she was also ecstatic.

“No! Can you? We should definitely get our parents to drive us down to the beach tomorrow!”

“I was just thinking that. And I saw on the news that they’ve set up ice cream trucks everywhere!”

“Aahhh I miss ice cream...”

Our conversation continued on like this for a while and through a mix of harsh whispering and note passing during classes, we came up with a plan for our first weekend of summer.  And I could not wait.

My feet sunk into the hot sand as I took in the amazing sight that lay before me. It seemed as though the whole town had come to the beach this afternoon, and I didn’t blame them - the bright sun and slight breeze meant it was the perfect temperature. Couples strolled down the beach with their feet in the water whilst others were much further out swimming or snorkelling. Some of the boys from my class had started a cricket game on the dunes nearby and toddlers in their stripy wetsuits made sandcastles. It was like living in a postcard picture.

I wanted to do as much as possible all in the one day but then I reminded myself that there was no rush. I put my beach towel next to Molly’s on an empty patch of golden sand and positioned myself so that the sun hit my back. And there, I fell asleep listening to the crashing of the waves, the distant jingle of the ice-cream truck and the chatter of happy people.
Days passed, then months, then years. As this time went on, the excitement of living in an eternal summer gradually lessened until finally, it disappeared altogether.

It was the day of my 16th birthday, and a very hot day indeed. Flies and mosquitoes swarmed around the party food as it was taken to the party room and the sun was so hot that setting up became a nightmare. My arms and legs were sticky from all the sunscreen and my make up was running my face, making me look like I had just been crying. The unbearable heat was slowing me down, and I had had enough of it.

So it was lucky that I was having my party in the Winter Room - a garage-like room we built after enduring the endless hot weather for almost a year. It was created so that we could feel like we were in the middle of winter again, with an air conditioner on full blast 24/7, blazing fireplace, cosy couches and an endless supply of blankets.

Sometimes when I sat in the refrigerated garage, tucked up in a blanket watching a DVD and sipping hot chocolate, I felt a bit angry at dad. Although it was good for a while, The Weather Scientists should’ve known that we wouldn’t want to live in summer our whole lives! 3 months at the end of each year was enough and we were just being greedy. Oh well, it was a waste of time to think about our earlier lives. There was no turning back now.

Feeling a little dizzy, I blew and tied up the last red balloon and positioned it next to the big HAPPY BIRTHDAY banner. I wiped the sweat from my forehead and checked my watch. The guests would be arriving in half an hour. I ran up the stairs two at a time, showered and then carefully dressed in my winter gear: a woollen dress, patterned tights, knee high boots, cashmere scarf and fur lined beanie.

Quickly running through the 29 degree backyard, I entered into the refreshing air of the Winter Room. By then, everyone was inside either talking or dancing fully equipped in scarves and beanies and fur coats. I smiled – oh how I missed it! After mum and dad took a million photos of us all, we got cosy under the blankets.

And there we lay in the Winter Room during an eternal summer, longing for a cold day, longing for winter.