town. A motel was in the early planning stages as well. It caused a lot of interest, because it was going to have a swimming pool – another first for the town.
More often then before, Doug and Barry would take off by themselves. They'd either go to Barry's and play board games or scale the rocky outcrops that lined part of the creek, three miles upstream. Every now and then I'd join them, with either Snotty or Raymond, but mostly I preferred to stay around the house reading or playing school teacher. Dad had let me use the fibro walls of the shed as a blackboard, provided I cleaned off the chalk each day. Honey sometimes would act as my class of pupils, happily agreeing to stay put on the old fruit crate I had placed at the front of my class in the sun. She'd curl up and sleep for several hours at a time.
Around lunchtime one particular day, I had run out of things to teach a sleeping dog and was just carrying Honey back home when along the road came one of the two town taxis. It stopped in a cloud of red dust right outside our gate. A slim lady in a white dress with big red roses printed over it, got out and went up our front steps. She wore a white turned-down brim straw hat obscuring her face, with matching white handbag, shoes and gloves. As the taxi turned and headed back to town, I could see Dad's car coming down the road with Susan inside. Most days they'd both come home for lunch.
I dumped Honey quickly on her verandah and raced back to the side of the road and waited for them. Nan had already answered the lady's knock at the door by that time and was having a heated exchange. Doug got out of the back seat. Dad had picked him up while he was walking home for lunch. Susan alighted from the front passenger seat and headed for her house. Carrying a patient's payment of a dead rabbit on some string Dad, followed by Doug and me, walked up the front steps. Across the road, Susan lingered on her verandah, looking over from time to time before going inside.
"Harry, there's someone here to see you," Nan announced with a twist of lemon in her voice. The lady turned and faced us. Nan, all five foot nothing of her, stood behind her, barring the doorway with her hips almost touching its sides. Her arms were folded resolutely in front of her.
"Hello Harry," the woman said in a husky tone.
"Claire!" Dad looked surprised but pleased, as he reached behind her and handed Nan the rabbit.
"Boys, do you know who this is?" Dad smiled. We shook our heads. I noticed Nan heading back inside muttering to herself. The lady leaned her head forward as she unfastened a hatpin. Her light brown hair fell to her shoulders in soft curls as she removed the hat. Though beautiful, she appeared very pale and tired.
"This is your mother." Dad and she looked at each other as she proceeded to remove her gloves and awkwardly shake our hands. Her fingernails were long and matched the bright red of her lips and the roses on her dress. Both Doug and I were wide-mouthed, speechless. My only memory of her had faded to a featureless shadow in a doorway. Dad tried to kiss her cheek, but she shied away. Doug and I looked at each other. We were owed an explanation.
"It's good to see you, Claire."
"Likewise," she replied with a nervous self-consciousness. "I can't stay long."
"Please come inside."
"I think under the circumstances it might be best …" She indicated Nan now hovering inside near the front door.
"Please have a seat," Dad offered as he went inside to talk to Nan. We sat down opposite her on the cane furniture.
"Well boys, it's good to see you looking so well."
Nan's raised voice could be heard over Dad's whispers.
"I won't have that woman in my house."
"Keep your voice …"
"I won't shoosh! You tell me what sort of mother walks away from a marriage when there's kids involved. And the sooner you stop carryin' a torch … I don't care whether she hears me or not. What she want anyway? Turnin' up here like a bad penny after all these years.
More often then before, Doug and Barry would take off by themselves. They'd either go to Barry's and play board games or scale the rocky outcrops that lined part of the creek, three miles upstream. Every now and then I'd join them, with either Snotty or Raymond, but mostly I preferred to stay around the house reading or playing school teacher. Dad had let me use the fibro walls of the shed as a blackboard, provided I cleaned off the chalk each day. Honey sometimes would act as my class of pupils, happily agreeing to stay put on the old fruit crate I had placed at the front of my class in the sun. She'd curl up and sleep for several hours at a time.
Around lunchtime one particular day, I had run out of things to teach a sleeping dog and was just carrying Honey back home when along the road came one of the two town taxis. It stopped in a cloud of red dust right outside our gate. A slim lady in a white dress with big red roses printed over it, got out and went up our front steps. She wore a white turned-down brim straw hat obscuring her face, with matching white handbag, shoes and gloves. As the taxi turned and headed back to town, I could see Dad's car coming down the road with Susan inside. Most days they'd both come home for lunch.
I dumped Honey quickly on her verandah and raced back to the side of the road and waited for them. Nan had already answered the lady's knock at the door by that time and was having a heated exchange. Doug got out of the back seat. Dad had picked him up while he was walking home for lunch. Susan alighted from the front passenger seat and headed for her house. Carrying a patient's payment of a dead rabbit on some string Dad, followed by Doug and me, walked up the front steps. Across the road, Susan lingered on her verandah, looking over from time to time before going inside.
"Harry, there's someone here to see you," Nan announced with a twist of lemon in her voice. The lady turned and faced us. Nan, all five foot nothing of her, stood behind her, barring the doorway with her hips almost touching its sides. Her arms were folded resolutely in front of her.
"Hello Harry," the woman said in a husky tone.
"Claire!" Dad looked surprised but pleased, as he reached behind her and handed Nan the rabbit.
"Boys, do you know who this is?" Dad smiled. We shook our heads. I noticed Nan heading back inside muttering to herself. The lady leaned her head forward as she unfastened a hatpin. Her light brown hair fell to her shoulders in soft curls as she removed the hat. Though beautiful, she appeared very pale and tired.
"This is your mother." Dad and she looked at each other as she proceeded to remove her gloves and awkwardly shake our hands. Her fingernails were long and matched the bright red of her lips and the roses on her dress. Both Doug and I were wide-mouthed, speechless. My only memory of her had faded to a featureless shadow in a doorway. Dad tried to kiss her cheek, but she shied away. Doug and I looked at each other. We were owed an explanation.
"It's good to see you, Claire."
"Likewise," she replied with a nervous self-consciousness. "I can't stay long."
"Please come inside."
"I think under the circumstances it might be best …" She indicated Nan now hovering inside near the front door.
"Please have a seat," Dad offered as he went inside to talk to Nan. We sat down opposite her on the cane furniture.
"Well boys, it's good to see you looking so well."
Nan's raised voice could be heard over Dad's whispers.
"I won't have that woman in my house."
"Keep your voice …"
"I won't shoosh! You tell me what sort of mother walks away from a marriage when there's kids involved. And the sooner you stop carryin' a torch … I don't care whether she hears me or not. What she want anyway? Turnin' up here like a bad penny after all these years.
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