I’ve gone. Oh, and she wants us to have dinner together tonite … she said for me to invite you, if you’re free that is.’
He screwed up his face into a sort of mock grimace, and replied, ‘Hmmm … now that you know the truth, well, I don’t really eat food the way you do … I mean, I can, if I need to in order to blend in, but it isn’t something I enjoy. If it’s all the same I’ll pass on dinner. Maybe we can think of something for another time, something that doesn’t involve eating as the main activity.’
‘Oh, of course—I’m so stupid. I’ll tell Debs you already have plans.’
~~***~~
His car was a lot like him. There was nothing ostentatious about it, and for the casual observer, it wouldn’t stand out at all. But I suspected those who knew what they were looking at would be impressed. The sleek and shiny black BMW was big and powerful. It looked brand new to me, but he assured me it wasn’t. He said it was a 1996 model, the last year they made them.
After a short time on a freeway he turned off and we soon found ourselves on narrow winding roads. Canopies of gum trees blocked the light from time to time, and there were steep drops down into valleys first on one side of the road, then the other. It was magical up here. The air was crisp, much cooler than it had been in the city. And it smelled of a mixture of earth and trees and aromatic wood smoke from fires burning in the homes dotted along the way.
When we reached the top of the hill, Sam parked the car and we walked up toward an observatory. First we walked around a small garden, then up to the highest point where we could admire the view back toward the city. Sam stood behind me, with his arms wrapped around me, pointing out landmarks in the distance. He was right, I needed the telescope to see what he pointed at—things he could apparently see quite clearly. His voice was soft and mesmerising, and his breath on the back of my neck sent shivers down my spine. I’m not sure how long we stood there—it could have been a few minutes, or it could have been hours—time seemed meaningless in his presence.
Eventually we went inside to a little café gift shop. He sat me down at a table near the window while he disappeared up to the counter. When he returned, he set a small tray in front of me. There was a pot of tea, a plate with two fluffy white muffins, and two small bowls—one filled with whipped cream and the other with strawberry jam.
‘We can’t take you to the Dandenongs without giving you Devonshire Tea. It’s traditional. The scones won’t be the best in the world, but if you smother them with the jam and cream they should be quite edible.’
He watched me as I ate them, and though I was a bit self-conscious they tasted so wonderful that I ate every bit.
On the way back down the mountain, Sam slowed the car as we reached a young man standing on the roadside beside a table. There was a sign beside him but I could barely read the handwritten scrawl on the rough edged piece of cardboard.
‘Roasted chestnuts—I remember them, from … before,’ he said as he stopped the car. ‘Have you ever tried them?’
‘No, but I’ve heard of them. I’d like to try them.’
He jumped out, bought a bag and got back in to the car, handing them to me. I was amazed at how normal this all felt. In fact, I couldn’t actually remember a better day—ever. I’d been in Australia less than two weeks. I’d known Sam a bit less than that. But already, this felt like home.
We chatted quietly the rest of the way back to the city, and when he stopped the car in front of the apartment building, he turned to look at me, searching my eyes.
‘Will I see you tomorrow?’ he asked, almost shyly.
‘Hmmm … I think Debs wants to spend the day with me. She mentioned something about an art gallery, and lunch.’
‘That should be nice. Guess I’ll see you Wednesday then. I’ll be there when you finish work, if not before. But remember, if
He screwed up his face into a sort of mock grimace, and replied, ‘Hmmm … now that you know the truth, well, I don’t really eat food the way you do … I mean, I can, if I need to in order to blend in, but it isn’t something I enjoy. If it’s all the same I’ll pass on dinner. Maybe we can think of something for another time, something that doesn’t involve eating as the main activity.’
‘Oh, of course—I’m so stupid. I’ll tell Debs you already have plans.’
~~***~~
His car was a lot like him. There was nothing ostentatious about it, and for the casual observer, it wouldn’t stand out at all. But I suspected those who knew what they were looking at would be impressed. The sleek and shiny black BMW was big and powerful. It looked brand new to me, but he assured me it wasn’t. He said it was a 1996 model, the last year they made them.
After a short time on a freeway he turned off and we soon found ourselves on narrow winding roads. Canopies of gum trees blocked the light from time to time, and there were steep drops down into valleys first on one side of the road, then the other. It was magical up here. The air was crisp, much cooler than it had been in the city. And it smelled of a mixture of earth and trees and aromatic wood smoke from fires burning in the homes dotted along the way.
When we reached the top of the hill, Sam parked the car and we walked up toward an observatory. First we walked around a small garden, then up to the highest point where we could admire the view back toward the city. Sam stood behind me, with his arms wrapped around me, pointing out landmarks in the distance. He was right, I needed the telescope to see what he pointed at—things he could apparently see quite clearly. His voice was soft and mesmerising, and his breath on the back of my neck sent shivers down my spine. I’m not sure how long we stood there—it could have been a few minutes, or it could have been hours—time seemed meaningless in his presence.
Eventually we went inside to a little café gift shop. He sat me down at a table near the window while he disappeared up to the counter. When he returned, he set a small tray in front of me. There was a pot of tea, a plate with two fluffy white muffins, and two small bowls—one filled with whipped cream and the other with strawberry jam.
‘We can’t take you to the Dandenongs without giving you Devonshire Tea. It’s traditional. The scones won’t be the best in the world, but if you smother them with the jam and cream they should be quite edible.’
He watched me as I ate them, and though I was a bit self-conscious they tasted so wonderful that I ate every bit.
On the way back down the mountain, Sam slowed the car as we reached a young man standing on the roadside beside a table. There was a sign beside him but I could barely read the handwritten scrawl on the rough edged piece of cardboard.
‘Roasted chestnuts—I remember them, from … before,’ he said as he stopped the car. ‘Have you ever tried them?’
‘No, but I’ve heard of them. I’d like to try them.’
He jumped out, bought a bag and got back in to the car, handing them to me. I was amazed at how normal this all felt. In fact, I couldn’t actually remember a better day—ever. I’d been in Australia less than two weeks. I’d known Sam a bit less than that. But already, this felt like home.
We chatted quietly the rest of the way back to the city, and when he stopped the car in front of the apartment building, he turned to look at me, searching my eyes.
‘Will I see you tomorrow?’ he asked, almost shyly.
‘Hmmm … I think Debs wants to spend the day with me. She mentioned something about an art gallery, and lunch.’
‘That should be nice. Guess I’ll see you Wednesday then. I’ll be there when you finish work, if not before. But remember, if
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