Carl's mother Kerry usually went on short "holidays" where she would just disappear for a week or two, but she always returned. When Carl had come to terms with his mother, Kerry's disappearance, he then had to deal with his older sister who decided to run away overseas from the responsibility of looking after Carl and Harley. Carl was then forced with the responsibility of looking after his 10 year old brother Harley. Sarah, Carl's older sister who went overseas, put them on a bus and sent them to live with their Aunt named Beryl.
Eventually whilst living with Aunt Beryl, they eventually got the conclusion that Kerry wasn't ever going to come back and take care of Harley and Carl. Beryl did not cope with this information very well and went on with one of her usual tantrums. Once she had found out that Carl had reached the age where she will no longer receive child benefits from social security. She ordered Carl to leave school and get a job to pay her board, otherwise she threatened to contact social security and get both children into a foster home. So Carl left school and got a part time job at the Bowls Club watering grass, taking the place of the existing worker who was sick. After the usual staff at the Bowls Club was back watering the garden, Carl got a job working on the barge with Skip Duncan.
Skip Duncan had a huge grudge on the Matt's due to Carl's grandfather killing Skip's son in a car accident.