tomasu sumo champion of the world

8/14/2019 Tomasu Sumo Champion of the World.

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Tom pulled the quilt up over his legs. He lay back and watched as Super Boy flew off on

another an exciting mission to a mysterious planet. He stuffed the last Choc Bite into his

mouth and brushed the crumbs down behind the sofa cushions. As soon as he heard

Mum’s car he’d have to get up and hide the packet. He’d managed to eat all of it in one

afternoon. If he was lucky she wouldn’t notice it was missing from the pantry.

He’d had a bad day at school again. The teasing and name-calling was getting worse.

Mum had given him lots of ideas to try and stop the Year Five boys bullying him. But

nothing worked. They went on making pig noises and calling him ‘Fatso’ checking that

no teachers could hear and then running away. He could never catch them and anyway

what was he to do if he did? He was only a Year Three boy.

She suggested ignoring them. That was a bit hard when they made a big circle around

him and came up right into his face hissing and then poking him. She said a boy at her

school blew kisses at the bullies. They would call him worse names like ‘sissy’ and ‘big

girl’ if he was brave enough to do that. Perhaps she could come up to the school and see

the principal Mrs Oldham. He felt sick as he imagined them shouting ‘Dobbers wear

nappies.’ It was hopeless to try any of her ideas.

He nearly cried when she very softly said that he could think about going for a walk with

her every day and eating more fruit and vegetables. She wouldn’t buy any more biscuits,

chips or frozen pizzas to help him lose a bit of weight. No more trips to Big Burgers or

hot chips for an easy tea she added. He might also think about coming to the gym with

her, he was old enough now. That wasn’t a solution either. There must be something he

could do.

Tomasu the Sumo Champion. 1



He’d have to think of a good thing to tell her when she got home. The teasing would be

his secret for now. He’d be telling a lie but he couldn’t cope with any more talk of salad

for his meals. He was a growing boy not a rabbit!

He heard Mum’s car come into the garage and the kitchen door open. He jumped up and

stuffed the empty packet into the side of the pot plant pushing it all the way to bottom. It

made a loud crushing noise. He hoped the telly volume was up loud enough so she

couldn’t hear.

‘Hi darling I’m home,’ she called out to him. ‘Come and tell me about your day.’

Tom wandered into the kitchen slowly desperately trying to think of something to tell her

and make her happy.

‘ I went to the library today and started to read a book,’ he said hopefully.

‘Who did you go with, some of your friends?’ she asked.

‘No just by myself, I found a really cool book,’ he said watching her face. She didn’t

smile but had that frown between the eyes that told him she was worried.

‘What was the book about, I didn’t know you even knew where the library is?’ she

looked at him strangely.

‘Oh Mum, of course I do. It was a book about a thin girl who when she looked in the

mirror she saw a really fat person. She stopped eating and nearly died,’ he said. This story

was getting out of hand. The girl was his best mate Jack’s sister Madeline. She only ate

one tub of diet yoghurt each day and still thinks she is getting bigger. She looks like a

skeleton. Girls are weird but Mum seemed really interested so he went on.

‘I’m going to invent a mirror that if you look into it you are a skinny person no matter

what you eat,’ Tom sighed. This wasn’t going to work.




‘You got teased again today?’ said Mum with her frown getting bigger and deeper.

‘Not really,’ said Tom.

‘Well how about we both try and think of something you can do. Come on help me set

the table for dinner. It’s your favourite sausages and mash!’ she said and patted Tom’s

shoulder.




It had all started years ago when he was about six. He lay in bed at night and tried to

block out the yelling and screaming. His Mum and Dad seemed only to be angry at each

other. They never hugged and kissed anymore. He always knew when it was going to

start. Dad went around the house shutting all the windows so the neighbours couldn’t

listen. Mum said in between crying that he was never home anymore and when he was he

was locked in his study.

‘Every time Tom asks you to play with him you tell him later but it never comes,’ she

said crossly.

Tom lay there thinking he would give up being played with if only the shouting would

stop and they could like each other again. He found the last fight kept coming into his

mind even when it had been over for a long time. Dad said he’d met another lady and he

wanted to be with her and someone called Rosie. Tom found out this was her daughter

and his new half sister. A whole girl was bad enough, a half well he wasn’t sure. None of

it sounded very good. He liked being an only child. He got lots of things that other kids

missed out on. But if he had a sister maybe Dad might have stayed. A son wasn’t enough

for him. He wanted one of each kind of kid and now he had them.

Tom started his non-stop eating as Dad packed his bags and put all his office things into

boxes. Mum cried a lot. Food made the sad feelings in his belly go away. The more he put

in the more they stayed away. He cried once and Dad told him he was the man of the

family now and needed to be strong and look after his mother. He brushed the tears away

and started to help Mum with the man jobs around the house like putting out the rubbish




bins and washing the car. It seemed to make her a bit happier. She hugged him more and

he liked that.

Dad moved out and Tom ate more and more. He hid all the packets and wrappers from

Mum. She was worried about him getting too big and it would be bad for his health. On

telly they talked about the ‘obesity epidemic’ in serious voices. Tom glared at the screen

and muttered, ‘ Grown ups don’t understand anything about children’.

He didn’t want her to start crying again so he didn’t tell her about his bad feelings. They

went around and around in his head. No one explained to him what was happening. He

went to school in the morning and when he got home he waited and waited for Dad to

return from work. He never did. Weeks went past and he wondered where he was. Mum

was busy with her work. She stayed later and later each day. In the weekends she went

out with her friends leaving him with Judy next door. Judy said she grew up without her

Dad but she was glad, he used to smack her and drink too much beer. She didn’t

understand how he felt.

One day the telephone rang. It was his Dad. He wanted to take him out for the day. Tom

was very excited. He really missed him. Home just wasn’t the same. Mum had even

started bringing other men home. They sometimes had a sleep over.

‘I will never call them Dad. I already have a father and I only want him.’ Tom told

himself as he sat across the breakfast table and these men tried to make friends with him.

Some of them were really stupid. One asked did Tom miss his dad? What a dumb

question! Then he said he got over bad things in his life by getting a tennis racquet and

hitting a ball up against a wall. How gay! Tom poured himself another bowl of cocoa

pops and ate the lot.




Dad came at lunchtime the next Sunday. He took Tom to Big Burger and let him have

whatever he wanted. He didn’t talk much. He had some photos of his new family. They

didn’t look any better than us, Tom thought. The lady was pretty but so is my Mum. The

girl looked like any girl, what was so special about her. Tom couldn’t see anything. Why

did grownups do things like this? It didn’t make any sense.

Every Sunday for a few months his dad came and took Tom out. They always went to the

same place. Tom started ordering more and more as Dad got quieter and quieter. When

you don’t see someone every day you don’t seem to have anything to talk about, Tom

told himself.

If he kept his mouth full he could sit and watch Dad and hope he’d say something. One

Sunday Dad didn’t get out of the car when he dropped him home. He put his hand on

Tom’s shoulder and started to cry. Tom felt a bit embarrassed. Men didn’t cry.

‘Goodbye son,’ he said as Tom got out of the car and walked up the drive. Dad sat

watching him until he gave a wave and went inside. The next Sunday he waited at the

gate. He watched each car drive past and keep going. It started to get hot and he went and

sat on the front veranda. Mum found him there when she came out to water the pot

plants.

‘What are you still doing here?’ she said. ‘Where’s your father?’

‘I don’t think he is coming,’ Tom said and went inside to ring up. The phone was

disconnected. He tried dad’s mobile and left a message.

‘I’m going to Jack’s,’ said Tom. ‘If Dad comes tell him I’m busy.’

Tom started going to Big Burger by himself as each Sunday passed and no Dad. He

ordered the same things and sat eating pretending that Dad’s face was on the other side of




the table. It wasn’t much different Dad didn’t say much any more. The food gave him that

lovely warm feeling of being with him. He could make it come back like magic all on his

own.




Tom brushed his teeth and stared into the mirror. He was looking a bit thinner he

thought, maybe this was a magic looking glass after all. His made up story was probably

coming true. He drank a last glass of water and climbed into bed to wait for his Mum to

come and tuck him in. If Jack came for a sleepover he had to ask her on the quiet not to

come in just stand at the door and say goodnight. No kissing, no ‘sleep tight don’t let the

bugs bite’, it was pretty silly but he still liked it. He’d probably have to give it up one day

but not today. It was the only time when he felt he had her all to himself. Friday night

was very special. She read to him and sat up in bed beside him. He could rest his head on

her leg and fall asleep to the sound of her voice. If anyone at school found out he

shuddered to think what names they would call him. Jack still slept with a teddy! Tom

promised never to tell anyone.

‘I’ve been thinking of another idea,’ said Mum as she came into the room and bent to

kiss him. ‘How about you call them skinny or carrot top or lanky if they are tall, they are

all just names and can’t really hurt you,’ she said hopefully.

‘Nah, I don’t think that would work. Don’t worry Mum, I’ll think of something,’ said

Tom reaching up to give her a hug and to put his cheek up for a last goodnight kiss.

Mum stood up switched off the light and walked down the hall. He heard her pick up the

telephone and dial. Maybe she was ringing Dad and asking him to come back. He would

know what to do surely.

Tom lay on his back and began to think. I wonder are there any famous big people. If

you were famous surely no one would call you names. If they did you wouldn’t care

because you would be rich and have lots of people wanting to be your friend. A picture

came into his head of a huge giant person sitting on a big throne with people bowing and




bringing him presents. Television cameras flashed in the room and beamed movies

around the world, children rushed home from school to watch, the bank sent bags of

dollars and a Big Burger opened in his own garden. He had to keep his size or he

wouldn’t be famous any more. He could eat whatever he liked and his mother would be

really proud of him and not worry about him any more. His Dad would come to visit and

beg to come back and live with him so he could help him with his popular life.

He hugged himself tight. If only he could make it come true. It suddenly came to him.

He would do a Google search first thing in the morning. He needed a list of Famous Big

People. He was sure the list would be a long one. Maybe some of them lived in Australia

and he could go and visit them for some advice.




The next morning he jumped out of bed got dressed, raced into the kitchen, made his

lunch, ate his cocoa pops and cleaned his teeth. He looked at the clock it was only 7.30.

plenty of time. He logged on and typed into the search ‘Famous Big People’. Hundreds of

sites came up. He’d work his way through the first ten and see what sounded cool. The

first one produced a long list. He hadn’t heard of any of them except Santa Claus and he

certainly no longer believed in him! ‘Beefcake’ funny name for a singer, but that must be

his favourite foods. Tom didn’t think he would like anything that mixed together a cake

and a piece of steak. Yuck! He looked again. He liked the name of Chubby Chess. That

sounded like one cool dude. He was so proud of his size that he advertised it in his name.

Maybe he could change his name to Chubby. When they teased him he would say ‘Yeah

that’s my name want to make something of it?’ He giggled.

He went back to the search and typed in Chubby Chess. He wanted to find out more

about this person. His real name was Wilberforce Wyatt. Tom thought you would have to

change your name with one like that. Only giraffe’s in the zoo were called names like

that!

A photo popped up. It showed a very large black man. This man would know all about

teasing. He knew the Koori kids at school got called ‘ blackie’ and ‘sooty’. This man

would have tried really hard to be famous but what was he famous for?

He clicked onto the site. A song started blaring out. ‘Swing to the left, swing to the right,

shake and shimmy to the music all night,’ and there he was dancing from one side of the

screen to the other. Round and round he went, up and down and then a big jump at the

end. He looked under his computer desk expecting to see Chubby had fallen out onto the

floor. He would be a heavy dude. The dance floor must be very strong.




Tom read all he could about him. He had invented a dance called the Shimmer.

Teenagers all over the world loved it and it became a big craze. He was truly a star.

Wherever he went TV cameras followed him. Girls sat on the footpath outside his hotel

and if he put his head out they all screamed until they fainted. The police had to come and

pick them up from the road and hold them back from trying to run into the room and tear

his clothes off. Being famous could be dangerous! Tom felt sure no one dared to laugh

about his size. Even boys hung around him and loved to do the dance. This was

something to think about. He could maybe invent a new dance.

Mum called, ‘Hurry up, I’m leaving now, we’ll be late.’ Tom grabbed his bag and

slumped into the car seat. His head was spinning with the image of the big man. As he got

out of the car and started to walk to the gate Martin Smythe the worst of the name-callers

came up behind him and snorted at him. He could smell his yucky breath. Tom bravely

turned and said, ‘There are some really famous big people you know.’

Martin stopped and looked at him and started to laugh,

‘Sure loser famous for what looking like pigs!’ and he ran off to tell his mates waiting

for him by the canteen. They were all jeering and sniggering as Tom walked past.

‘Tom the famous pig boy oink, oink oink.’

Tom blocked them out and filled his mind with Mr Chess.

‘I’ll show them.’ And he went to find Jack.




When he got home that afternoon he quickly ate a handful of biscuits and drank a carton

of milk. He was back on the computer. The search was now into different types of dances.

He needed one that no one had ever heard of but kids all over the world would want to

learn. He read about ballroom steps, the tango and the foxtrot. Too old fashioned. He

looked at the rappers, cool but so many of them all doing it, nothing new. Most of the

moves seemed to need two people. This had to be a dance for one.

He found a weird one called the Stamp. It started in Australia with surfboard riders. The

girl who invented it was Tiny Teena, she probably got called ‘shrimp’ and ‘midget’. It

looked like a good idea to put what you got teased about into your name and then what

could people say? The Stamp caught on for a little while but no a bit boring. He clicked

on an African site. These were some fantastic moves. Jumping high in the air twisting

your body this way and that. Hundreds of people got out in the street all doing it together.

Yes he thought he could work with this. He left the drumming on the speakers and stood

in the middle of the floor. He swayed from side to side and then he flung his arms

backward and forward across his chest. Then he did a giant jump and thudded to the

floor. The whole room shook and the books fell off the shelf. He stopped and wrote the

moves on a piece of paper. He would add a big shake of the shoulders after the jump and

then scissor kick his legs. The sweat was pouring off him. He took off his shirt.

The big mirror from Mum’s room; he wanted to see how it looked. He dragged it out

careful not to chip the polished wood or he’d be in trouble. He checked the moves on the

paper said them out loud, turned up the drumming to full volume and started. It looked

great; his body rippled and heaved as he threw himself about. He added some hand

movements and a final big leap and landed on his feet with his knees bent.




Mum’s head suddenly appeared around the doorway.

‘What are you doing? I can hear the noise from all the way in the garage,’ she said

shaking her head.

‘Nothing,’ Tom replied. He wasn’t ready to tell her his plan. When the television man

knocked on the door she would know the good news. Tomorrow afternoon he would race

straight home and make a video of his new dance. Luckily Mum and Dad had made

hundreds of embarrassing movies of him as a baby. All the video equipment was still in

the hall cupboard. He would then send it to ‘Dance ‘Til you Drop’ the biggest dancing

competition on telly.

He could hardly sleep that night. He planned to wear his new shorts and paint his body

and face. He would have to use some of Mum’s makeup. He might add some scarves too,

tie them like ropes and swing them around as he goes from side to side. He’d have to

think of a name too. The Jump, the Thump or the Thunder?

His ears were completely blocked to any names the next day. He didn’t even listen to

what Jack was telling him about some new game he had found called ‘Ghouls Galaxy’.

His head was full of dancing and drums. He imagined the judges’ faces as they opened

his video and played it. They would all high five each other and ring him straight away to

come into the studio and teach them the steps. He might have to tell Mum so she could

drive him. Dad would surely see it and ring him too. Everyone in Australia watched that

show.

When he left the studio the flashing of cameras would blind him. He’d be on the front

page of the newspaper. Even Nan and Gramp would see the story. Next time he went to

school the girls would all want to touch him and Martin and his mates would come and




pat him on the back and want his autograph. Mrs Oldham could call him up onto the

stage at assembly and ask him to tell the school how he had thought of such a terrific

dance. The teachers shyly ask him to teach them the moves. He was on a winner. This

was too easy!

He wrapped the video up in several layers of bubble plastic. He finally decided to call it

the Thunder. He looked up the address of the television studio and raided Mum’s dollar

jar for some money. He walked down to the post office with his precious package.

‘I’m going to be famous from this parcel,’ he told the man behind the counter.

‘Is that so sonny?’ he said. ‘It’s not a bomb is it?’ He looked nervous and moved back

from the counter covering his face. Tom was shocked. Did he look like that sort of boy?

Maybe he hadn’t done a good enough job of wiping the paint from his face. He gave it a

quick rub with the back of his hand.

‘Only joking!’ said the man. ‘That will be $6.20 thanks.’

Tom handed over the money and watched as the package was placed in the grey post

office bag. He wished he could climb in with it and be there when they opened it. That

would save him waiting. The next days would be hard he’d have to be patient. He ran

home with images of seeing himself the star of the most popular dance show.

He logged on and went back to the Chubby site. He couldn’t get enough of it. He

imagined Tom Williams instead flashing up. He might need to change his name it

sounded a bit boring. Another on the list had been Fats Ace, a dude with pride in his size.

He thought and thought. He really liked the Fats as the first name. Ace was a game he had

played when he was stuck in bed sick. He thought of other games he had packed away in

the back of his closet, Pay Up, Fright House, Draughts, Snap and Surrender. Fats Snap,




that’s it, he wrote it in large letters on the screen and printed it out. Chubby Chess had

done the same. He used Chubby because he was big and then the game of chess for his

surname.

The days dragged. He searched the letterbox carefully each afternoon. A week went by

then two weeks, nothing. He sneaked out of bed and switched to the show on the telly in

the study hoping Mum was fast asleep. He was not supposed to stay up this late on a

school night. Maybe they would just announce it on the show and have all the dancers

come straight out and do the Thunder for the world to see. He sat through to the end

nothing. Dancing wasn’t going to do it. Thank goodness he hadn’t told anyone, imagine

the teasing, he felt sick. He’d have to go back to the list the answer was there some-

where.




He scrolled down the names and then up again. Buddha he liked the sound of that name.

He clicked on the Wikipedia site. Photos flashed up of a happy, smiling, solid gold statue.

He had the biggest belly Tom had ever seen. Incense burnt at his feet and he was

surrounded with food. He believed in no fighting and sharing what you had with

everyone. He wandered the land and people took him into their houses and gave him all

the things he needed.

Tom thought hard. What did he believe in? Eating yummy food, playing computer

games, not teasing people and having lots of holidays. Would people want to follow him

so they could believe these things too?

He read a bit more about this man. He had been born as a prince and his Dad didn’t want

him to ever have any unhappiness. He wished his Dad thought like this. The King made a

rule that his son couldn’t look at any ugliness or sadness. He didn’t have a sister either

and was an only child. He didn’t grow up spoiled.

One day the prince went walking and caught sight of a sick man and a dead body. It was

a terrible shock that changed his life. Tom was cool with dead people; every game and

show he watched had plenty. You got used the seeing lots of blood. Mum worried about

his brain going bad so he had to promise her not to grow up and become violent.

Buddha’s brain changed from what he saw. He decided to do without money and not

have any suffering. Tom didn’t think he could live without money but suffering he’d be

glad to get rid of. People gave Buddha lots of food so his yucky feelings probably stayed

away as he ate it all. He had to eat quickly because there were no refrigerators in the

olden days and it might have gone bad.




The first thing Tom needed to do was make some pamphlets to hand out as he travelled

around the school and his neighbours. Lots of them didn’t go to church on Sunday so

might be looking for something new to believe in. At school kids tried hard to get out of

going to scripture they needed something more interesting to follow, something modern

not from the old days. He didn’t think he could spread his beliefs around the world just

yet. Mum might miss him.

He got out all the cd’s containing pictures of himself as a baby and a small boy. He

scrolled through until he found one of him sitting at the computer and one of him on

holiday in Bali. This one made him a bit sad. Dad was there with them. It had been a very

happy time but the last time they went away together as a family. He inserted them into a

word document. In bold letters he wrote his beliefs down. He added ‘all parents to live

with their own children; Big Burger’s to be declared a food that makes people happy and

is good for you and ten more pupil free days each year’. He thought the teachers would

all want to join for that one.

He needed special clothes for his new religion. He had a look in his closet. He had just

bought some new ones with the Bad Boy label. He would be the first at school to have

them. He had the complete outfit. Long black pants, black shoes, long sleeved black shirt

with the logo on the front and a really cool jacket with a hood and skulls across the back.

Dressing quickly he checked in the mirror. Yes they’d follow him for sure. He looked

seriously good! Girls wouldn’t wear those clothes so he’d have to look at the labels they

liked and make up another uniform for them.

He read about meditation and thought it sounded very cool. Like time travel or virtual

worlds. You could take your mind away. This would be a good thing to learn to do when




someone called him bad things. He could make his eyes blank and go to a far place. They

would have to give up surely? He’d be like a ghost standing in front of them with the

horrible words bouncing off him or going straight through him.

He’d have to find a meeting place so hundreds of people could fit in to hear what he was

helping them to believe in. Maybe the soccer field, it was pretty big. He’d need one of

those hands free mikes so the huge crowds could hear him. They had them at Mum’s gym

maybe he could borrow one for a few days.

He printed off the leaflets. At the paper shop he’d blow a few up to A3 for posters to put

in shop windows. A story would need to be written for the newspaper before his first

meeting. Tim in his class told them about his Dad and the job he did at the Herald. He’d

put in his letter that he knew Tim and sometimes played with him when Jack wasn’t at

school. The paparazzi would come to the house and take some photos of him and ask him

some questions to make the story better and get more people interested in coming to

listen to him.

He wasn’t supposed to go on Facebook but this was an emergency. Mum would just have

to understand. Facebook reached hundreds of kids. Everyone was welcome into his

space; they could all be his on line friend. He wanted a really cool photo to put here. He

found some big candles at the back of the cupboard where Mum kept all the sheets and

towels. He set them up in a circle. All religions seem to have lots of smoke and burning

of things. He pulled out all the packets of biscuits, chips and cans of drink from the

pantry and put them in the circle. The digital camera stood on its stand blinking at him

ready. Tom decided to tell Jack about this one so he could help take some good photos.




He left the circle set up and emailed Jack to invite him to come over tomorrow after

school. Tom blew the candles out as he heard the car engine coming up the drive.

‘Tom come and help me with the shopping can you?’ Mum called out.

He liked this job he could check out what she had bought. There might be some more

things to add to the circle.

‘What is that mess in the family room?’ she said peering into the room.

‘Nothing,’ said Tom.

‘You know you aren’t allowed to play with matches, I can smell smoke,’ she frowned at

him.

‘I didn’t want to tell you this but I have become religious,’ said Tom.

‘Well that’s wonderful,’ said Mum. ‘ I know I have neglected taking you to church

maybe we could start going together again?’

‘I haven’t decided yet which day to say prayers, I’ll let you know,’ Tom replied as he

thought he must work on some of his own. He’d have to see what sort of prayers Buddha

made up. This was a bit more work than he had thought of. Maybe Jack might have some

ideas.




Tom told Jack he had a really good secret to share with him when he came to his house

after school. Jack begged him to tell all day. Tom was worried someone would overhear

and something like this should be kept quiet until he had everything ready.

As he ate his lunch he read in his book about Buddha some of the sayings he made up

like ‘Life is always changing,’ and ‘You must clean your own heart.’ He would have to

think of some of those too. Maybe he’d ring Gramps, he had lots of little sayings. Some

of them were rude and Gran slapped him on the arm and glared at him saying,

‘Not in front of the children!’

Gramps said things like ‘Better out than in’ when he farted or ‘If you don’t poop you

die.’ When Tom thought back they were mostly about going to the toilet. Maybe phoning

Gramps wasn’t such a good idea after all.

The two friends raced home and ate a couple of Crunchies and grabbed a can of Vibe

each. Tom blurted out the plan while he sat in the middle of the circle. He had closed all

the blinds and turned off the lights. Tom’s face looked like a big monster glowing in the

dark. Jack’s eyes got wider and wider,

‘It sounds like a cult,’ he said a bit nervously.

‘Does it?’ said Tom.

‘Yes we could get into lots of trouble. Cults are like gangs no one likes them. Even the

police get called and take the people to gaol,’ said Jack looking very scared.

‘Oh dear,’ said Tom. ‘Lucky I told you. You are probably right. It was becoming a lot of

work and I think you have to be dead a long time before anyone wants to follow you.

Buddha has been gone for four hundred years.’




‘I just have to find a way to be famous,’ said Tom. ‘I invented the Thunder but that didn’t

work either.’

‘What’s the Thunder?’ asked Jack sipping his drink.

Tom leapt up put on the drum music and started to jump around the room. The candles

got knocked over and a big mess spread across the floor. Tom did a giant leap in the air

and landed back onto his feet. Jack smiled at him.

‘That is so cool, you should teach me. We can do it at the disco next week,’ he said.

‘Do you really think so?’ Tom felt excited again but a bit nervous.

‘Come on I’ll teach you the moves. You’ll need to get your Mum to buy you some Bad

Boy gear,’ said Tom.

That night Tom went to bed happy. No one went to the disco so only a few kids would

get to see the Thunder. The bullies stayed away from school dances so he hoped they

would never find out. His problem still needed to be solved but he had something to look

forward to at last.

The disco went very well. He and Jack ended up in the middle of the hall with everyone

in big circle watching them. The teachers clapped loudly and Mr Prentice did the loudest

wolf whistle. Tom told another lie. He said he got the dance off the Internet; a man called

Fats Ace invented it. The next day the news spread fast. Big people can do cool things

after all! He had just proved it. The bullies kept quiet for on whole day. It was like a nice

little holiday.




Jack was playing with some cards that he had got out of a cereal packet when Tom met

him at the corner to walk to school. Each card showed an enormous man dressed in a

sheet with his hair tied up into a topknot on his head. He was a fighter but there wasn’t

any blood and no one died. All he had to do was stand in a circle and try to push the other

giant out or make him lose his balance and wobble. Tom studied the cards carefully.

These men were called Sumos. They lived in Japan. They were very popular and Tom

could imagine if anyone said something horrible to one of them they could just sit on

him. He would never do it again. His squashed guts would remind him to keep his rude

words to him self.

At lunchtime he told Jack he was going to the library. Jack tagged along. Tom never went

to the library something interesting must be about to happen. Maybe he was going to

make up another dance. He prayed for no more talk of cults. He had looked on Yahoo at

some cults. They were very scary. You had to be brainwashed to join and never talk to

your family ever again. Seriously weird!

He sat at the table next to the encyclopaedias waiting as Tom looked in the sport books.

Tom pulled a book off the shelf and came to sit beside him. On the cover was one of the

monster Sumos. He looked very fierce. Tom read out some interesting facts about them.

They live in stables. Jack wondered did they get to ride horses? That would be fun though

he wondered how a horse could carry such a huge man! They are not allowed to eat

breakfast and have to have a sleep in the afternoon. Jack didn’t think he would like that.

He remembered back to childcare when all the kids had to lie on a bed and squeeze their

eyes closed or the teacher got very cross with them. Jack never missed breakfast. He was




always hungry but he never put on any weight. He felt relieved he couldn’t be a Sumo.

Surely Tom wasn’t going to become one?

Tom’s face looked very pleased. He flipped the pages over and grinned at the pictures.

‘This is it Jack!’ he said. ‘I’m going to train to be a Sumo.’

‘Can I have one of those cards? I’ll swap it for a Zen Master, which ever one you like,’

Tom offered.

‘Then when anyone calls me Piggy I can say I have to be because I’m in training to be a

Sumo!’ he said proudly ‘I’ll tell them this isn’t anything compared to how big I have to

get!’

Jack hadn’t seen his friend so cheerful for a long time. This might really work. He could

be the best mate of a famous wrestler! Maybe he could have the job of drawing the circle

with a special piece of chalk.

Tom stood up and took the book to the counter to check it out. Jack had to wait while

Tom got a library card and then the book was his. The bell rang for the end of lunch. Tom

slid the book into his bag. He had some heavy research to do. When he told Mum what he

did today none of it would be untrue. He couldn’t tell her of his plans now that would

come later.




The Christmas holidays were only three weeks away. That would give Tom six whole

weeks to put on some more weight and practice his fighting steps. Mum always let him

get dvd’s from the video shop in the holidays he’d see if there were any Sumo ones. It

would be good to see them moving and copy the actions. Maybe for his present he’d ask

for pay TV and a subscription to the sport channel. He dreamed of watching the

competitions going in Japan right now.

He became obsessed. He lived and breathed Sumo. The card sat snugly in his wallet in

his back pocket and he practiced getting it out proudly to show people what he was

aiming for. They wouldn’t know what to say!

He spent a lot of time on the computer looking at all the Sumo sites. There were

thousands. Google brought up one that showed some boys in England who had become

Sumos. They put on the bulk by eating nothing but meat pies and drinking lots of beer.

Mum wouldn’t buy him beer and it smelt disgusting. Maybe flavoured milk would be

better! He felt a bit embarrassed about sleeping after lunch. Only old people and babies

did that. Maybe if he stayed up really late like a teenager then he could say ‘I had a really

late night, I need to catch up on some sleep’. So much to think about and plan. His head

ached sometimes but all he could think off was the look on the bullies faces when he

went back to school after the holidays. He would be huge. He could do a really big move

and a crack would open up in the playground and they would disappear right before his

eyes.

His mouth watered at the thought of those English boys. He wandered into the kitchen

and had a long look in the pantry. All he needed was there packets of biscuits, chips, jars

of peanut butter and chocolate bars. He selected a white chocolate and peeled off the




wrapper. If only Dad was home Tom was sure he would be very excited and help him to

make his dream come true. Dad could be his trainer. They wore a really neat costume that

looked a bit like a dressing gown and put a little black hat on their head.

He was relieved to read that the bouts of fighting only take five to ten seconds. He had

tried all kinds of sports but got very puffed with running or chasing balls. The longest

bout went for a few minutes only. He thought he could easily do this without stopping to

catch his breath.

When he walked now he crouched and bent his knees, he put his hands on his thighs and

lifted his legs in a circle around his hips. He was thrilled to hear the loud noise he made

when his foot landed back on the floor. He noticed that the sound was getting louder each

week as he got bigger and bigger. Even one of the tiles in the kitchen had cracked right

down the middle. He’d have to be more careful and only do it outside where he could

cover the cracks up with some dirt.

He begged Mum for some old white sheets she no longer needed, he cut them up with

the sharp scissors and practiced tying them around his body. He kept his undies on how

gross if the sheet fell off and everyone could see his you know what!

‘Don’t make me any more appointments at the hairdresser,’ he told his Mum, ‘I am

growing my hair from now on. I need it long enough for a pony tail.’

He had been going to Jodie since he was a baby. He might call in and get her to help him

put it into a topknot when it had grown longer. He’d also get her to dye it. His hair was

brown but he would like it pitch black, like the real Sumos.

By the time he said goodbye to his friends and his year three teacher he was well on the

way to his goal. He tip toed around the place now worried that he might cause cracking




wherever he went. He wanted this to be special when the new school year started. Give

those creeps a big shock!

Mum had started looking at him with that worried look that lead to talking about diets

and working out.

‘Trust me Mum I know what I’m doing. You’ll see. I’ll be a junior champion before you

can count to three,’ he said. ‘Have you got enough money so I can fly to Japan?’

‘Well see,’ she said. Kids know what that means, no!

He left the room pretending he hadn’t heard when she noticed the crack and asked him

if he knew anything about it. She muttered something about another earthquake. The

house had been shaken up when a quake hit four years ago but no damage was done.

How would she react when she knew he could make the earth shake just by thumping his

large foot down!

Calling into the Travel agent one day when he was on his way back from a sleepover at

Jack’s, he pretended he wanted some brochures for a school project he had to get ready

for next year when he would be in Year Four. The travel agent said,

‘I wish my son were so keen what a lucky mother your mum is.’

Tom blushed. He was a bit ashamed of how easily he told stories. Maybe if this Sumo

thing didn’t work out he could write a book. ‘My Life as a Child who told Fake Stories’.

He rushed home with the brochures and spread them out on the dining room table as he

had his early morning snack. This came before his mid morning snack, which was

followed by his before lunch snack.

Japan was a beautiful country. Most of the normal people were only tiny no wonder they

looked up to their Sumo heroes. They would be really frightened of them.




He couldn’t believe the shops with all the latest electronic gadgets and games he had

never heard of. He’d have to show Jack. He thought the gardens looked a bit boring

children wouldn’t be allowed to play in them. Everything was so neat and tidy. The food

looked a bit yuck too, raw fish and boiled rice with black sauce all over it. There would

surely be a Big Burger; they had stores all over the world! He’d have to ask for a ride on

the bullet train that sounded really cool. It went so fast. Why didn’t his country have

them? It took forever to go anywhere by train, it was so gay!




The six weeks passed very quickly. For Christmas he had got everything that he had

asked for. The Sumo dvd’s were terrific. He could now copy the moves perfectly. It was

nearly time to make his own video to send away and hope he would receive an invitation

to participate in a competition.

He met Jack on the corner so they could catch up on their news. Jack’s face looked

shocked as Tom walked slowly toward him. He couldn’t believe his friend had hardly any

clothes on just a bit of cloth tied around his middle and no shoes. And not only was Tom

moving but also the street swayed with each step he took. The trees along the path

swayed from side to side, dogs tipped over as the ground rose and fell and cars wobbled

from one side of the road to the other nearly crashing. Tom tried walking carefully not

putting all his weight down as he lifted one foot in front of the other.

‘Tom you are just the same as the wrestlers in the book, how did you do it?’ said Jack.

‘It was easy I followed all the rules in that training manual I borrowed. I eat lots of

snacks instead of breakfast and then stay up late at night and then have a nap in the

afternoon,’ Tom replied. ‘It was so easy and I feel really happy, I hardly even miss my

Dad any more.’

‘I can’t wait to see the look on the bullies’ faces, I have a few tricks for them.’ Tom

smiled.

Jack found it hard to walk too close to his friend. He put his arms out wide from his body

to help balance. He felt a bit sick like when he went out on a boat once and the waves

rocked it. He looked back and was amazed to see the footpath cracked and parts had

caved in.




The bullies were lined up at the gate leaning on the fence and pushing Year Two kids as

they tried to walk through. They stopped and stared at Tom as he came up the road

toward them. They began to laugh loudly and make very loud snorting noises.

‘Look at the rudey nudey we can see his bottom and he’s got a big girl piggy tail, so

gross!’

‘Watch this Jack, stand back,’ said Tom.

He bent at the knees twisted one of his huge legs up in the air, swung it completely

around in a slow circle and stamped his foot as hard as he could. The bullies grabbed the

air trying to hold onto something as the ground gave out a deafening groan and an

enormous hole swallowed them.

Jack raced over and peered in. Six frightened faces looked back at him.

‘Help! Help!’ Martin yelled out sounding like he was crying. The other boys sobbed and

called out,

‘We didn’t mean it Martin made us do it.’

Sirens could be heard coming up the hill. A fire engine screeched to a halt and firemen

jumped out and came running with ladders and ropes. Another car pulled up and a man

holding a meter of some sort raced up to the hole yelling,

‘I just recorded a level 5 earth tremor on my Richter Scale. It was felt as far away as

Sydney. Houses and buildings have cracked and a few bridges have collapsed,’ he said

looking very worried.

A camera flashed as a photo was taken of the crater. A TV truck parked across the road

and started to film.

‘Did anyone see what happened?’ a reporter held his microphone in front of Tom.




‘Well actually I caused it. I’m in training to be a Sumo and this is one of my special

moves I am trying out,’ said Tom proudly. As he spoke he saw Martin coming over the

rim of the hole in the arms of a fireman. He looked at Tom with terror in his eyes. Good,

thought Tom now he knows how it feels!

‘Yes sorry,’ said Tom turning back to the question. ‘I’m hoping to be the Junior Sumo

Champion and travel to Japan to compete and win a trophy for my country. I also want

my Dad to see me and be so proud.’

‘How are you doing that?’ he asked looking impressed.

‘I have spent my holidays eating as much as I can and watching training dvd’s that I got

for Christmas,’ said Tom.

‘I am ready for the call from a stable in Japan and I’ll be on the next plane. Well I still

have to get a bit more money. My Mum said she would see about paying for me but all

kids know what that means when grownups say I’ll see,’ Tom mouthed ‘Sorry Mum.’

‘So you’ll be looking for sponsorship?’

‘What’s that?’ asked Tom. He hoped it wasn’t too hard like trying to make a new

religion.

‘It’s when business’s give you money for your sport and then you advertise for them.’

‘I can do that,’ said Tom.

‘Which business would be interested in me do you think?’

‘Let me think. What foods do you eat to keep your size?’

‘Big Burger, chips and pizza and I drink several litres of chocolate milk everyday. A bed

business might be interested as I have to sleep like a baby in the afternoon,’ Tom

whispered the last bit.




‘Here’s my card kid give me a call, I’d like to manage your money.’

Tom looked at the card. It read Eddie Shark. Cool name!

Mrs Oldham called to the children to hurry up for assembly. The bell rang from its pole,

which was now on a bit of a lean. The children lined up in their class lines and waited to

see which teacher they would be having.

Mrs Oldham took the microphone.

‘Well what an exciting start to the year we have had, I hope everyone can calm down

now and get on with some schoolwork. But first I want Tom to come up on the stage.

This is a boy who set a goal for him self and has spent his holiday not wasting his time

playing computer games and watching television but training and look at what he has

achieved. A big clap as he comes on up.’

Tom walked slowly trying to soften each step. The hall moaned and a ripple like a little

wave went through the floor. Children held onto each other tightly.

‘Thank you Mrs Oldham. This is a very big chance for me now. All I need is enough

money to go to Japan and I will make all of Australia look up to me. I know I can do it.

Thank you. Thank you.’

‘I think we can help there. All the funds from the disco next week we will donate to your

trip and the dance we want everyone to practice is the Thunder another of our Tom’s

achievements.’ She winked at him. How did she know?

Tom looked down over the faces of his schoolmates and even Martin and his friends

clapped and cheered.




Tom had trouble getting through the door of his classroom. It took a bit of pushing and

pulling and with a pop he made it. Mrs Foster was his Year Four teacher. She joined two

tables and chairs together to make sure he was comfortable.

‘Now let’s all settle down and get on with our work. Tom, have you got everything you

need? Let me know when you have your snacks or if you want to have a lie down. I’m

sure we can put the sick bay beds together for you,’ she offered smiling at him.

‘ I want you to write a story ‘My Holiday’.’

Tom had no trouble with this subject. His pen flew across the page as he told of his

hours of exercise, snack routine and watching his heroes as they pushed and pulled each

other in and out of the circle on Sky Sports. Junior Sumos had a hard life but he also

prepared for this. Mum was teaching him how to cook because the youngest had to look

after the older tougher Sumos. They even had to do housework and do their washing!

Tom’s head was full of ideas again. This plan was already working. What took him so

long to think of it?

The bell rang for lunch. Tom had already eaten half of the things he had packed into his

backpack. He had money to go to the canteen. He’d check out what they had. The

committee had changed the foods to healthy ones like carrot sticks and apple twirls after

some parents complained about too much junk. He might have to ask that it be changed

back just until he had the trophy.

When he went into the playground everyone was spinning their legs in circles and

thumping down on the concrete. They had no hope!

‘Tom, Tom show us how it’s done,’ shouted Chloe French.

Jack pulled a piece of chalk out of his pocket.




‘Where would you like the circle drawn Tom?’ he asked.

‘ In the middle so everyone can see,’ he said.

‘Who would like to take me on first?’

Martin stepped out of the crowd that gathered around.

Tom bowed; Martin followed him and bowed also.

‘Part of Sumo is showing respect for your opponent. We like to rap about respect this is

another way of showing it,’ he explained.

Tom leaned forward and tipped him on the shoulder he fell out of the circle and Jack

shouted,

‘The winner is Tom!’ Tom held his arm in a victory wave and said he needed to go and

have his nap.

‘I’ll catch you all later,’ he said.

Martin rushed up to him and asked could he carry his bag or get him anything? Tom

turned and put his hand out.

‘Can we be friends now?’ he asked.

Martin blushed and said, ‘Sure, I’m seriously sorry I teased you.’




After lunch a kinder boy brought a message to Mrs Foster to say the principal wanted to

see Tom. All the class stood and put their weight onto his body to get him through the

door. He hurried along the hall forgetting to tread gently. The walls came at him first one

way then the next. They reminded him of a house of cards falling. Dust billowed down

from the ceiling as the lights swung around and the boards shifted to expose the beams of

the roof. The floor bounced and buckled and Tom had to lift his leg out of a few holes.

He stood in the hall and talked to Mrs Oldham from the doorway, no one was around to

push him in.

‘Tom I have been talking to the government that looks after schools and they are sending

a team of builders out to make the school stronger. They’ll come and measure you to

make the doorways bigger,’ she said smiling at him.

‘I don’t want anything to upset your training. You will be the first Junior Sumo in the

country,’ she went on as a piece of plaster fell down onto her desk covering her in white

powder and dropping an old bird’s nest in front of her. ‘I’ve got enough money to have a

special reinforced concrete circle built for you to practice on, the asphalt is too soft. We’ll

put some of that spongy rubber like in playgrounds on the top so you don’t get hurt.’

Tom couldn’t believe it. He felt a bit shy. All he had wanted was to stop being bullied

and now he was being made to feel so special. Once he had the trophy things would have

to go back to normal. He couldn’t go around causing damage to the earth forever.

‘I contacted the local football team the Piranhas to come and train with you. They are big

strong men and should give you a good workout. They are not as big as you are but I

can’t think of anyone who would be able to match your size. Is that okay with you?’




‘The first session will be tomorrow morning at 8.00 am I’ll send a note home so families

know to get their children to school on time. We might charge a small gold coin donation

to help with your trip.’

‘Thank you so much Mrs Oldham. This is my dream coming true.’

Tom felt a bit anxious about giant footballers. He had sometimes watched them play.

They could get pretty rough. He had some homework to do, go over his moves again and

again.

He walked a different way to school in the morning the footpaths were all being repaired

along his street. All the council workers cheered and whistled as he passed them.

‘Good on you son.’

‘We saw you on telly last night.’

‘You’re a champ!’

‘We will fix all the other streets so off you go, no worries son.’

The schoolyard was completely packed. The TV van had returned and the bus with the

Purple and Red logo was parked near the climbing frame. The workmen had finished the

circle by working all night. Hoots and whistles greeted Tom as he made his way into the

middle.

Jack had already drawn a large circle and the padding from the trampoline was tied

around the edges. The footie players had their grand final this weekend, they didn’t want

any broken bones.

Tom bowed low flexed his legs and raised his foot high into the air and landed hard on

the new surface. It held but the ground around shuddered. The layers of steel plates made

it strong enough. The players lined up and the first stepped into the ring. He bowed and




stood waiting. Tom sprinkled salt around and squatted with his hands raised to show he

had no weapons and leant toward him.

‘Hold on stop I forgot something,’ he turned and pulled a fan from his bag. It was one

Gran used on a hot day. She didn’t believe in air conditioning it cost too much money!

‘Jack you will have to be the referee, you point the fan to the person who is to make the

first move and then to the winner. Right, now we are ready.’

Tom grabbed his opponent by the back of his pants giving him a double wedgie and then

he grabbed him around the neck and gently laid him out on the outside of the circle. The

next fellow in line looked a bit nervous but stepped in and bowed to Tom.

Tom pushed hard against his muscly chest and walked him backwards out of the

competition ring. His feet pedalled in midair he couldn’t keep them on the ground.

Tom easily dealt with them one after the other. The crowd screamed and chanted, ‘We

want Tom, we want Tom, he’s the champion.’

Tom stood beside the steps of the bus as they boarded ready to drive to Sydney for the

game tomorrow. They all shook his hand and wanted his autograph for their children.

Matt Forbes the front row forward said shyly,

‘I think I’ll stick to footie. You are the strongest dude I have ever met. If you get tired of

Sumo come and play for our team.’

‘Thanks,’ said Tom. ‘I’ll have to think about it.’

This was beyond belief! He was a star with his school friends and now a footie team. He

would be on television again. Where was Dad? Surely he would see his son tonight!




As Tom sat down to eat his dinner the telephone rang. His Mum answered it and called

out, ‘Tom it’s for you.’

Tom picked it up and could hear the satellite buzzing in the background. This was a call

from far away.

‘Mr Tom this is Mr Yoshida from Tokyo’s biggest Sumo stable. We saw on the news the

big crater you made in one move and then you beat a whole football team. I want to

invite you to come for the junior championship in two weeks. Give me email address and

I send you information. Goodbye Tomasu.’

‘Who was that?’ said Mum.

‘I think it was someone in Japan inviting me to go for a competition. He called me

Tomasu,’ Tom wasn’t sure he had heard properly.

‘Quick turn on the news he said I am on it.’

Tom flicked to the local channel. There he was. He took up almost all the screen. The

hole was huge and then he saw the footie players’ fall like tenpins at a bowling alley, he

had barely touched them. He felt very impressed.

Mum was speechless and she had tears dripping down her cheeks.

‘Is that what you have been doing all holidays?’ she said. ‘I was worried as you got

bigger and bigger but look at what you have done, you’re on television and people are

ringing you from the other side of the world.’

‘There is someone I have to ring Mum I’ll be a moment you keep watching.’

‘Can I speak to Mr Shark please?’ said Tom very politely. ‘I won’t need your help to

raise the money for my trip the school disco is giving me $500.00 from a dance I started




called the Thunder and we had a collection at the school Sumo tournament today. Thank

you for your offer.’

‘Who was that?’ asked Mum.

‘Mr Shark he wanted to manage my money for me and help me go to Japan,’ said Tom.

‘You have to beware of people with ‘shark’ in their name because that’s what they are.

They’ll circle around you and then you’ll find all your money has gone. Anyway I think I

have some money put away Tom,’ said Mum as he came back into the room. ‘I’m sure

Gran and Gramps will help too.’

The telephone rang again.

‘I wonder who this will be?’ said Mum.

Tom quietly prayed it would be his Dad. He always watched the news on every channel.

He couldn’t possibly have missed seeing his famous son!

‘Hello,’ said Tom as Mum handed him the phone.

‘Yes…, yes…..,yes,’ said Tom and hung up.

‘That was Kevin Rudd he said he is the prime minister of Australia and has a special jet

plane that I can fly to Tokyo in. He said he would make sure it had a hair dryer and every

kind of food I might feel like. It won’t cost me anything,’ Tom looked stunned.

‘That’s wonderful, now I can come with you. We can spend the money on a nice hotel.

We haven’t had a proper holiday since the one in Bali with your Dad,’ said Mum sadly.




Mrs George who lived across the road and sewed flags for her job came over to see Tom

the next morning as he was rushing to get ready to leave. She had draped across her arm

every kind ‘mawashi’ for him to wear instead of old sheets.

‘Remember I used to make you all the super hero clothes when you were younger. Rip

Racer was your favourite. You wore it until it was full of holes!’ Tom gritted his teeth.

Why did grown ups always have the most embarrassing stories to tell about you. ‘ I saw

you on telly and thought it was time you had a proper costume.’

All the colours of the rainbow appeared as Tom sorted through them, she offered to tie it

correctly for him with the special bow at the back.

‘Which one are you going to wear on your trip Tom?’ she asked

She promised to close her eyes until he had it held over his undies. She had also made

him out of silk left over from a large flag a ‘keshomawashi’, which is the silk apron that

he would need to go into the ring at the beginning of a tournament. He tried them all on.

They were a bit tight as he had increased the number of snacks per day even setting the

alarm so he could wake up to drink a couple of litres of flavoured milk and chomp on a

Shake bar or two or four or ten in the middle of the night. Mrs George made a few

adjustments with a needle and thread and Tom called to his mother.

‘Mum come and look at me now.’

‘Oh Tom you look just like the Sumo on telly. Turn around so I can see you. Now hold

still while I take some photos,’ she said looking so pleased.

‘Do you need to go to the toilet before we leave?’

‘Oh Mum,’ groaned Tom. ‘ I’m not a baby!’




The whole school gathered at the front of Tom’s house to see him off. A big white

government car pulled up. Mum struggled with the two big suitcases as Tom stepped out

in his dazzling blue mawashi. Girls screamed and tried to reach out and touch him. Two

of them tore at their hair and went crazy fainting at his feet. The bullies cleared the way

for Tom to walk through and led the cheer raising their arms to form a tunnel for Tom to

go under.

Tom looked anxiously through the crowd searching for the one face he really hoped

would come to see him off. He sat into the stretch limo and spread out on the luxurious

leather seats. The car gave a huge sigh and Tom heard a clank as the bottom hit the road

with his bulk weighing it down. As he closed the door he saw Dad rush up to the window.

‘I’m coming too son. I’m booked on a plane this afternoon I’ll be there,’ he panted and

waved his hand as the car tried to drive off. Smoke started pouring out of the engine and

sparks flew out the back as it dragged along the road.

“I don’t know if this car is strong enough for the job,’ said the driver. He stuck his head

out the window and yelled to the crowd to give him a push. The bullyboys raced forward

and put all their muscles into the back of the car. It gave a loud moan as it shot forward

and they were on their way.

Right around the block the crowds got bigger and bigger and even down the side of the

highway as they turned off at the sign for Sydney. Tom had never seen anything like it.

They threw streamers and confetti all over the car as it sailed past. Mum sat beside him

with a big smile on her face. They were really going.

The plane had only two seats and a large bed in it. They joined two sets of stairs together

to get Tom up to the door that had been specially widened. It had a plasma telly,




earphones for whatever music he wanted to listen to and Game Master five. It wasn’t

even out in the shops yet! They had two stewards to get whatever they wanted. Mum

ordered some champagne and the bubbles went up her nose making her sneeze and laugh

at the same time. Tom lay back in his chair and watched the clouds fly past through the

little window. He must have fallen asleep. When he woke up it was dark and Mum was

snoring beside him with the remains of two bottles of bubbly wine and a large platter of

food still in front of her. Tom finished it off and ordered another one this time with pizza

and hamburgers mixed with the fruit and cheese. He gave a big sigh. It had been a very

busy time and it would be good to arrive fresh and ready to take on the big boys.

The pilot came out of the cockpit and knelt down beside Tom.

‘I have had a special message from Tokyo saying they have a hovercraft coming to pick

you up at Narita Airport. They have lots of earthquakes in Japan and they are worried

about you causing a massive one,’ he said softly hoping he wasn’t hurting Tom’s feelings.

‘It’s just a precaution. You will travel in it for your time in their country. Your feet will

only touch the ground in the ring. I’ll be cheering for you son.’ He stood and bowed to

Tom and went back to land the plane.

Tom thought it sounded pretty cool. His own vehicle that hovered above the earth and

took him wherever he wanted to go. How random was that?

The hovercraft floated out to the plane and Tom and his Mum climbed aboard for the

trip. Hundreds of people waving the Australian flag greeted them as they flew up and

down the streets to get to the Dewanoumi stable. Tom couldn’t believe the buildings and

he had never seen so many lights all blinking at the same time. The streets were very

crowded and masses of people rushed here and there.




The stable was in a big house and everyone greeted him with a solemn bow. His neck

started to get sore from all the bending. A big feast had been prepared. Tom couldn’t see

anything that he usually ate but thought he had better have some manners and try

something different. He took a piece of raw fish by stabbing it with the chopstick; he

dipped it into the black sauce to make it go down. It tasted salty and not very nice. He’d

have to find a Big Burger otherwise his weight would drop off. Mum was enjoying

herself and using lots of hand signals as no one spoke much English.

Tom was to spend the night in the stable and train with the other Sumos before the

tournament in the afternoon. He kissed Mum goodbye as she left for her hotel. He

wondered when his Dad would turn up.

He couldn’t sleep that night as he lay down in a dormitory like in a boarding school. The

bigger Sumos had carried him from the hovercraft around the house so he didn’t do any

damage. It was a bit embarrassing when he went for a pee! Luckily they turned their

heads. The beds were a thin foam mattress on the floor and a doona to cover up. The

snoring was so loud the walls moved as the giants breathed in and out. It was stinky too

as clouds of farts filled up the room.

Tom’s tummy rumbled. He was getting desperate for some real food. At breakfast he

asked for his favourite. Everyone nodded and a young trainee set off on his bicycle and

returned with big slabs of bun and meat patties dripping with sauce, chips and bacon and

egg rolls. This was more like it!

The ring was a bit different to home. It was made of clay and Tom slid and slipped in the

mud. He got thrown from the ring a few times but got straight up and brushed him self




off. He then managed to push a few out himself. They put him with the seniors’ as he was

too big for the younger ones. He was pleased he didn’t want to injure anyone.

‘We know what Tomasu want for lunch,’ everyone laughed and held their hands in the

burger eating way.

‘Yes, yes,’ said Tom.

At last it was time for the Aki Basho competition to begin. Tom carefully dressed in red

for luck and pulled on his heavy silk apron. The stadium filled up with hundreds of

Japanese people and he looked around for a familiar face. Mum and Dad were together

sitting right up the back. They waved at him and blew him a big kiss. He had never seen

so many giants in one room. He felt a bit nervous could he do it? He imagined Jack and

everyone at home sitting watching him on telly hoping he would be the champion.

Number five place in the line was his as the boys in front lead him into the stadium for

the opening ceremony. It took longer than the wrestling. He was given a sword so he

could take part in the rituals of bowing and eyeing off opponents. The rows of trophies

glinted at him. He quickly went through all his favourite moves in his mind and he felt

his muscles tense.

‘Tomasu from Australia.’ He heard his name called. This was it.

He entered the ring, Mum called out ‘Good Luck Tom’ and Dad stood up and gave him a

big victory sign.

He bowed to his opponent and gave him a very fierce look. He sprinkled a handful of

salt in front of him and felt it gritty under his feet.

His first move worked beautifully. He pulled a big leg out and pushed it up in the air

until the boy dropped out of the ring with a thump. The crowd roared.




Up stepped the next wrestler. He had a very fierce look on his face. Tom decided to turn

his back and grab his arm throwing him over his shoulder and he fell with a groan onto

his back and wasn’t able to get up. The crowd went wild.

‘Australia, Australia.’ They started chanting.

Tom was getting tired. He went straight for the ankle and forced the wrestler’s face into

the brown mud. He crouched down low as the next big giant leant over him; he stood

back up throwing him off balance. He was looking over the side of the ring if he wasn’t

careful he’d be out. The crowd went quiet. A soft hum rose ‘Tomasu, Tomasu.’ A yell

from the back sounded like his Dad.

‘You can do it son, I know you can.’ It was his Dad. Tom took a deep breath and filled

his big chest with air. He bumped up against the other man’s hard chest and knocked him

straight out of the ring into the second row of the front seats. The bodies were getting

bigger and bigger as they tried to beat him. A quick twist of his hips saw number ten

fellow slide over the edge and land in front of the trophy table. The gleaming gold of the

Emperor’s Cup caught his eye. That was close Tom thought.

He felt his head jerked back. A hand had taken hold of his topknot. This was a foul

where was the referee? There he was his fan pointing to Tom. The winner is Australia!

Tom fell to the floor he was exhausted. Strong arms lifted him up and stood him in the

centre to be presented with his trophy. It was the gold cup. No one had ever won it at

their first tournament before.

Tom raced up to his Mum and Dad to show them. Dad was crying and Mum was

jumping up and down. The stadium rocked and rumbled, people screamed as they fell off

their seats and landed on top of each other.




‘Son we are so proud of you,’ said Dad and gave Tom’s arm a big hug. Dad couldn’t

reach around his son’s body any more.

The hovercraft sped to the rescue lifting Tom’s family out of the mess he had caused.

‘Can we go home now?’ said Tom. ‘I’ve got what I came for and I want to see the look

on Jack’s face when I show him.’

‘Don’t you want to stay?’ asked Mum. ‘The stable really want you to keep you, they

think you have a big future here. There’s a wrestler called Baruto in another stable and

they want you to take him on. He is the highest-ranking senior and they are confident you

can beat him in one round. You would be truly famous!’

‘Nah,’ said Tom. He was tempted but he missed his friends and the food was no good

here plus he didn’t want to share a bedroom ever again. It was so gross!




Tom waved goodbye to his new Sumo friends as he left the stable with his trophy in his

arms. He wanted to stop at the shops on the way to the airport and buy Jack a game that

wasn’t in Australia yet. He had been a good friend while Tom had been on his quest to be

a champion. He was the best mate a boy could have. The shop owner had to bring the

games on board as Tom floated above the street. They were very nervous of him causing

their shopping mall to collapse like the stadium had. Tomasu was on every channel and

billboard. Sobbing crowds of girls gathered wherever he stopped shouting his name and

trying to get close to him.

Finally he chose a cool Sumo wrestling game. They could play it together with two

controls. He would let Jack win so he could know what it feels like. Maybe even Martin

and his mates would like to come over one day and have a go.

The trip had been lots of fun but a bit like a dream. Tom didn’t feel what had happened

was real. It was only the trophy that told him it was. His real life was still at home with

his Dad living somewhere else. At least his school life wasn’t the same. He was now a

hero. He would never be teased or bullied again.

He thought he would go on a diet when he got home. Earthquakes were cool to deal with

nasty people but caused a lot of damage. It was very difficult to get around in a hovercraft

wherever you wanted to go. He didn’t think he could just hang out anymore and he

missed that. Once he was thin no one would recognise him as a Sumo and he could go

back to be being Tom. He might find something else to be famous for.

He thought hard on the long flight home. He started the change to his eating by ordering

a big plate of only fruit. The steward looked like she was going to cry,

‘I think we only have oranges and bananas sir. I’m really sorry.’




‘That’s all right,’ said Tom wondering why she would be so scared telling him this.

‘I wish I could serve a Sumo Champion every day,’ she said. ‘ You are still a very polite

well mannered person even though you are famous.’

Tom thought he would never understand adults as long as he lived. They really were

weird sometimes. Why would he be any different just because he had a trophy? It was

only something you put on a shelf and looked at sometimes? No big deal really!

‘Mum I’m going to go on ‘So You Think You Can Lose It’. I’ll video myself now and

then each week until I’m really thin. No one in the country weighs as much as I do, so

I’m sure to win,’ Tom said.

‘I am really pleased for you son but you need to do something to satisfy yourself not to

prove something to someone else,’ she said seriously.

‘Dad and I had a good talk and we realise a lot of what you have been doing is because

you miss your father,’ she added.

‘We were so busy worrying about ourselves we have forgotten to think about you and

what would make you happy.’

‘You are right Mum; I started eating so much because I was sad. I wanted my Dad back.

Kids love both their parents. They don’t want to chose.’ said Tom.

‘We have decided that you can live half your time with me and the other half with Dad.

He isn’t with his other family anymore,’ Mum went on. ‘How does that sound?’

‘I think that sounds perfect,’ said Tom and quickly added. ‘Can we go to Big Burger one

more time before I give it up forever?’

Mum laughed and said,




‘I’ll ring your Dad to meet us there. It will be a little celebration. Now tell me what do

you feel like ordering for your last junk food feast?’

‘I might have it like once a year or for a special occasion like when I become the Prime

Minister,’ Tom winked at his Mum. ‘Only joking!’

tomasu sumo champion of the world

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