The Road Back by Di Morrissey Page B

might have turned into a prince.’
    â€˜Dad, that’s not funny. We don’t have frogs in the house in Newport.’
    â€˜No, you have funnel web spiders instead,’ said Chris. ‘Now, no more fuss. Off to bed.’
    â€˜You don’t think there are any more, do you?’ Ruby asked in a shaky voice. ‘This is a bit too close to nature for me.’
    â€˜Very unlikely,’ said Chris. Then he added mischievously, ‘And look on the bright side, at least you didn’t sit on it!’
    â€˜Arrrgh!’ cried the two girls, but then they both laughed.
    *
    Since Megan and Ruby were fully occupied between the boys they’d met, the beach and Susan shepherding them off to Coffs Harbour to shop, Chris decided to accept an invitation to go fishing with some of his old school friends.
    â€˜Just like the old days,’ Alex enthused. ‘Remember our fishing trips?’
    â€˜Do I ever! We were mad, looking back. Shooting the rapids by moonlight in those rubbish old canoes. What were we thinking of?’ laughed Chris.
    â€˜If we’re going fishing, let’s do it properly. Get serious,’ said Duncan.
    â€˜I caught a serious fish under the town bridge the other day,’ said Shaun.
    â€˜You were just lucky, Frenchy. I’ll get my tinnie out. We can all fit into it and the river has a decent flow,’ said Duncan.
    They made a day of it, with food and beer and bait and gear.
    Duncan insisted they launch the boat at his special spot, which entailed them dragging the light aluminium vessel across a paddock that belonged to one of his friends.
    The paddock was full of cows who viewed the men and their boat with great suspicion. Chris was sent to keep an eye on them while the others hauled the tinnie to the water’s edge. After a great deal of grunting, they managed to lower it into the river and they all settled themselves in.
    â€˜Don’t think much of your magic spot, Duncan,’ said Shaun. ‘I reckon the town boat ramp would have been a whole lot easier. I think I worked up a thirst after all that work.’
    â€˜There’s an idea,’ said Duncan, reaching for the beer cooler. He passed a can to Shaun. ‘Want one, Alex? You too, Chris?’
    â€˜Save it. I just had breakfast. It’s not even eight o’clock! My rule is, no grog till after the first fish.’
    â€˜Bugger that, we could die of thirst,’ said Alex.
    Chris laughed as the little open boat puttered slowly down the Henry River, while insects buzzed across its surface and a bird circled high above them. Alex and Duncan trolled their lines in the hope of a strike.
    The day was starting to heat up. Chris leaned back, his hat pulled over his eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun as well as the company. This was how it used to be, he reflected, the four of them fishing, hunting, messing around, telling silly jokes and stories, sometimes getting into a spot of bother, but completely carefree. Some days had been more successful than others, but always the day had ended with their being tired and relaxed . Not that they had any real worries or commitments in those days, Chris thought. Looking back, he knew that they had led a pretty idyllic life. They’d all lived in an oasis of lush abundance, surrounded by family, friends and a close-knit community. Was it any wonder that Shaun, Alex and Duncan had never left such a perfect environment? And now his three friends were happily married, raising children, leading comfortable lives. They’d been away on holidays to Hawaii, Bali, New Zealand and Disneyland but maintained that, while these were great places to visit, they had never considered living anywhere else but this beautiful place.
    Over the years, Chris had sometimes thought himself superior to these small-town friends with their narrow horizons, content to live quietly and protect what was familiar. But now he realised that although he had been