The Bush Telegraph, page 19
When Maddy came out in clean clothes, Rita had set the table with the swirl cut into small pieces, some cheddar cheese in squares, and a dish of thawed-from-frozen berries beside it. A few berries floated in Rita’s drink. The sight made Maddy smile.
Phyllis placed a bottle of soda water and a small carafe of white wine in the centre of the table, which was an improvement on the box it came out of. Then went back for a jug of ice cubes.
Ice cubes. Bliss. Maddy sat at the table and sighed at the delight of it. She dropped two cubes in, three berries and half filled the glass from the carafe. Then topped it with soda. ‘I could get used to not being the only adult in this house.’
Rita laughed. ‘Well, that’s lucky. I’m not mad keen on packing again.’
It had been remarkably easy the way Rita and Phyllis had settled into the house. They were tidy, pleasant, and talked between themselves most of the time so didn’t require any effort from Maddy.
Rita loved Scrabble, one of Bridget’s favourite games and Maddy’s least favourite. Phyllis enjoyed Monopoly and playing cards. Bridget had played with Alma since she was five and had beaten Phyllis soundly, much to the older woman’s chagrin and Rita’s amusement. Rita lost to both of them, which she didn’t mind.
So Maddy found herself with time on her own. Something she hadn’t realised she missed since she’d stopped working off the island. Not that she didn’t love living with Bridget twenty-four seven – that was the silver lining to moving here. But sitting with the two older women reminded her of the times when she’d enjoyed her own company. She’d certainly had a lot of them travelling for work and flying back to the island.
Spending time with Mrs Cook today had reminded her of the subtle sense of humour of the outback senior, which was so different to the island humour. Phyllis’s and Rita’s wit was easy to pick. Same as Alma’s had been. Wicked.
But then she thought of the gossip Mrs Cook had shared and her mood plummeted again. Alma hadn’t believed in gossip, or judgements of other people. Maybe Maddy needed to remember that lesson of Alma’s the most.
She glanced at Bridget’s door, which remained shut – goodness knew what she was doing in there now – and said quietly to Phyllis and Rita, ‘Mrs Cook mentioned something about Connor Fairhall today.’
‘With his wife?’ Rita screwed up her face. ‘Don’t believe a word of it.’
Phyllis looked at her friend from beneath her brows. ‘Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.’
Rita’s blonde locks shook. ‘All vicious people talking bull. I saw the way that man looked after his mother. He hasn’t got a mean bone in his body and couldn’t have been more apologetic for not being here sooner.’
‘Can’t say the same for the brother,’ Phyllis grumbled.
‘There’s more of a story there, too, though. Mick reckons that Kyle had a breakdown,’ Rita said. ‘Remember when we first got here? He said his father died and the responsibility of the stations fell on him with Connor away. They elected him mayor just as the drought got really bad. And those meetings at the pub got longer and longer, with everybody depressed. Old Paul Pinker killed himself out on his farm. Kyle took that hard. So they all drank more. That was the slide. So Mick said.’
Phyllis grimaced. ‘Maybe. I know his station had to sell all the stock in a falling market because they couldn’t feed them. Smart people bought back in before the prices rose. Connor bought for his mother. Kyle missed it because he hadn’t fixed his fence.’ She gestured towards the clinic. ‘He’s not the smartest tool in the shed when he’s had a few.’
Rita agreed and Maddy let them run. Listening to them bounce off each other and gleaning a tale that had greys as well as black and white. Consolidating her belief that this town really did need some social-work help.
‘Unlucky, too,’ Rita was saying. ‘That front fence of his got wiped out by the road train just before the market rose. He couldn’t put cattle on his own place. I reckon he never recovered from all that bad luck. And he must have felt guilty as hell for having had that falling-out with his mum. She called him on his behaviour and told him not to come back until he’d cleaned up his act. Bad luck for both of them, that.’
Maddy rubbed her forehead. Her headache had eased away in the shower, but talking about Kyle had brought it back tenfold. She tried to slow the negatives. ‘He must have some redeeming qualities. Belle loves him.’
‘Foolish girl.’ Phyllis screwed up her nose.
Rita frowned at her friend. ‘They say he was one of the funniest men around, before.’
Bridget’s door opened and the subject dropped.
‘I wish there was somewhere to swim here,’ Bridget said as she tied her hair back in a ponytail.
‘The aircon works well, come sit over here.’ Rita patted the seat beside her. ‘The air at the boarding house only worked every now and then, and never on a hot day, so we think this is magic.’
Maddy looked at her daughter and considered her words. ‘I was talking to Mrs Cook about the swimming pool the other day. About raising money to get it going again.’
‘Imagine that.’ Rita looked at Phyllis. ‘I reckon even you’d go in if they had a pool with cold water.’
Phyllis looked doubtful. ‘Maybe.’ Her tone said categorically not if her life depended on it.
‘Mrs Cook mentioned one of those playgrounds where the water squirts up through holes in the ground and kids jump on them. I thought that sounded fun?’
‘I’ve seen them.’ Rita nodded vigorously. ‘I reckon if we had one of those here I’d jump on it.’
Maddy laughed. She could see Rita’s blonde hair flying as she laughed and played. ‘That’s what Mrs Cook said. The kids mightn’t get a go.’
She felt the mood in the room lift. Not so much about the fountain in the pavement – that sounded too complicated – but the idea of the town pool. It was only small, surely not too expensive to fix, and it was already fenced in with infrastructure and ready to go. With amenities, a tiny shop and a few big trees for shade. If it reopened, then that would give employment to someone. Surely once up and running it could self-fund.
Maddy was very happy to start a fundraiser with some of Alma’s money. She’d give even more if they could rename it the Alma Toms Memorial Pool. She could give a decent lump-sum donation.
The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea. ‘Perhaps we could apply for a community grant to keep it running until it becomes self-sufficient? Or one of those crowd-funding things Rita mentioned. I see those fundraisers on my social media feed.’
Phyllis huffed. ‘As if you need to spend more time on a computer. I don’t understand this social media addiction.’
‘I enjoy the ones you post pictures on,’ Maddy said mildly. And if Phyllis spent a bit more time on the computer, she might not have such a hard time with the work computer programs. ‘I’ll have a look at community funding. Who’s our mayor?’ Then she remembered. ‘Oh, yes. Kyle. That’s right.’
Rita said, ‘Apparently, four years ago he was a stalwart citizen. I hear nobody wanted to do it and he put his hand up.’
Phyllis inclined her head towards her friend. ‘Rita does the minutes.’
Rita said, ‘Oscar, the publican, is the deputy. Mrs Cook and the caravan park manager, Alf, and Mick, who might have to retire after his heart attack last week. Then there’s a cocky from up near Boulia, and the policeman’s wife make up the other councillors.’
‘So eight people?’ Not too many to convince, Maddy thought.
‘Yep. Our Shire of Spinifex lies between Boulia and Diamantina shires. Needs four to be a meeting and they meet once a month. There’s just under five hundred people in ours, so we’re one of the smallest shires in the state.’
Maddy was thinking. ‘When’s the next meeting?’
‘Monday. But they can always call a special meeting.’
‘This Monday?’ She couldn’t make a case for a swimming pool in under a day. But she could have it put on the agenda for the following month and do some preliminary stuff. Leave the presentation of it till next month? She had all day tomorrow to get it done. That was sensible. She needed to think carefully. There might be a backlash against it for some reason and she’d back off if that was the case. She didn’t want to be that newcomer who thought she knew better. Yes, that was sensible. Sort the clinic out first.
‘I’ll do some research online about grant applications and setting up a crowd fund if people are interested.’ Her brow furrowed. Something niggled in her memory. Where had that article been set? Ah, yes. ‘I remember reading once about some schoolgirls at Lightning Ridge – or was it Coober Pedy? – who raised money for a pool.’
‘Lightning Ridge,’ Phyllis said. ‘We were there before we came here.’ The sudden animation on her face made Maddy blink.
Rita jumped in. ‘You’re right. A couple of schoolgirls a while back. Raised money for the town pool. It took years, but they ended up with a bonza pool. Raised over three million, if I remember right.’ Rita laughed. ‘We don’t need that much.’
It was coming back now. ‘I remember reading they started really small. Did cake stalls and raffles? Then the donations started coming in and they began to make big money. Later they held a concert and a country music festival.’
Phyllis laughed. ‘I can’t see that happening here.’
Maddy looked at her. ‘Why not? What’s the difference between here and Lightning Ridge?’
Phyllis gave her the look. ‘You mean apart from nearly ten times the population?’
‘There is that.’ Maddy frowned. ‘But we don’t need what they have.’
‘With only two hundred people,’ Rita chimed in.
Phyllis looked thoughtful. ‘They did build that big diving centre. It was huge.’ She looked at Rita. ‘Wasn’t it, Rita?’
Rita agreed enthusiastically. ‘People from all over Australia used to go there to train for diving, for world championships and such. Even that Russian bloke went there to train.’
Bridget said wistfully, ‘We just want a pool to get wet and cool down.’
Maddy looked at her daughter. ‘Yes. We need to pay someone to repair the pool and revamp inside the fence. Make it attractive and we’d draw the tourists as a bonus when it’s hot. Give the town a lift.’
‘It’d be good,’ Rita agreed.
‘I’ll do some research. We’ll see what happens.’ Maddy raised her glass to Rita. ‘Can you table a discussion for me to talk to the council about repairing the pool? For the following month?’
‘Don’t see why not. They never talk about anything interesting. It’s held in the pub and becoming more of a booze fest every time.’
Maddy laughed. ‘Maybe they should move it out of the pub.’ Especially if the mayor had formed an addiction, Maddy thought, with less amusement.
While they’d been talking, Bridget had been surfing the internet on the laptop. ‘Those girls were twelve when they started to raise money. I’m nearly twelve. Maybe our school can do something like they did at Lightning Ridge? Jayden’s twelve.’
‘And there are two more big girls in your class. Do you think they’d help?’
Bridget’s eyes shone. ‘I think they might. Everyone wants a pool.’
Maddy looked at her daughter’s expression. It had been a day of unexpected smiles. ‘I’ll talk to your teacher. Miss King looks like she’d enjoy a challenge.’
Anyone who moved out here to teach a small school obviously enjoyed a challenge, and Maddy had been super-impressed with the young woman’s enthusiasm for her students and the school.
Bridget nodded enthusiastically. ‘I like Miss King.’
‘I do too, Bee. We’ll see what she says.’
Chapter Thirty-two
Connor
That same Saturday evening out at Rangelands, Connor put the meal on the table. Steam rose from the vegetables, bringing an aroma of butter and herbs that impressed but still didn’t make him hungry.
Luckily, Jayden had just come in from feeding the dogs and chooks, looking for food. ‘How long till dinner?’
His son had been busy since coming home, as if he’d found extra energy after the achievements of the day in Spinifex. Things sure were looking up in that department.
Connor himself remained unsettled from the afternoon. Things hadn’t been perfect, but they had been hopeful with Maddy, until Kyle had arrived. After his brother left, something changed.
Jayden sat down at the table and looked up from his plate as if reading his father’s thoughts. ‘So what happened to Belle?’ His face was apprehensive, as if not sure what he was going to hear.
Connor weighed his words. ‘Kyle told me she fell against a wall, put her hand out and broke her wrist. That’s why he brought her into the clinic.’
His son looked relieved. ‘Lucky he wasn’t drunk.’
Connor winced. ‘Lately, your uncle hasn’t been making good choices and, yes, it was lucky he was still too hungover from last night to have had a drink today.’
Jayden stared at his plate. ‘He talks to Belle in a bad way when he’s drinking.’ His son’s voice only just carried.
Connor sighed. He knew. And he was just as upset about this as Jayden was. ‘Yes. The alcohol seems to change him. He shouldn’t drink if that’s what happens.’ He didn’t add, Like your mother.
He looked seriously at his son. ‘Sometimes you have to see bad behaviour to know you’d choose not to be like that,’ he said carefully. He doubted his brother worried too much about saying negative things to Jayden regarding him, but . . .
‘When he says some things, Belle looks scared of him.’
Connor sat down at the table and gave Jayden his full attention. ‘If you ever saw him do anything aggressive towards Belle, tell me. Though she would leave him and then tell us, as well.’ He hoped so, anyway, and thought of Maddy. Saying she’d been a victim and unable to save herself. ‘She’s a sensible person. There’s no excuse ever to hurt a woman. Nobody should hurt anybody.’ But he would ask his brother tomorrow about the arm again.
He’d said it right in the beginning, but maybe it needed saying again. ‘You know that I never hurt your mother? That she agreed she wasn’t well in her head when she said those things? She wrote a full declaration.’ Which, despite his solicitor’s recommendations, he hadn’t processed because he hadn’t wanted to ruin his ex-wife’s future with a criminal record. Not that she had worried about Connor and his reputation.
Jayden looked at him. His eyes held a wealth of sadness on a face that was too young for that sort of awareness. ‘I know, Dad.’ He sighed. ‘I’m sorry I’ve been a pain. I was angry with her, too. And you. That wasn’t fair.’
The truth of conviction was there in his son’s eyes. It was as if the world had magically righted. Jayden really did believe him. Connor cleared his throat but struggled. This was huge. ‘That’s understandable,’ he managed gruffly.
Instead of saying more, because he really couldn’t, Connor stood up and rested his hand briefly on his son’s shoulder. Maybe those vegies did smell too good to leave.
He brought his own plate to the table. He should say something, so Jayden knew he appreciated what he’d told him. ‘Thanks, mate. That means a lot to me. It’s great that we can be honest with each other.’ He added, ‘Your mum loves you. She just needs time.’
Jayden sighed. ‘I know. I hope she rings me, soon,’ he added, staring at his food.
‘Me too. Eat your dinner.’
Eventually, Jayden pushed his plate back. ‘Nice. Thanks.’ He grinned at his father. ‘I’ll wash the dishes.’
Connor laughed. ‘Thank you.’
Jayden carried his plate to the sink. ‘I had a good day today. Mrs Cook looked pleased. And she paid me. There’s so much that needed doing in that garden.’
Connor put his fork down. ‘I had a good time, too, and it’s nice to help someone out, especially an older person with no family.’
‘Maddy’s always doing that. Did you know that the two nurses have moved into Maddy’s house now?’
Connor looked at him. ‘Both of them? I knew one had.’
Jayden scraped his plate into the chook bin. ‘Bee said that she didn’t mind, but I don’t think I’d like two old ladies to move into our house.’
Connor laughed. ‘Maybe they’re really good cooks.’
‘You’re a really good cook.’
Connor’s world kept getting better and better. ‘Thank you, kind sir.’
Jayden frowned as something occurred to him. ‘How come the clinic opened for Belle? I thought it shut on Saturdays and Sundays?’
‘That’s what the nurses do. Real appointments are Monday to Friday, but if somebody is hurt’—he shrugged—‘they open and help them.’
‘So how do they get time off?’
‘I guess you hope most people come through the week.’
‘So maybe I shouldn’t bug Maddy every weekend?’
He’d like to know how that had started anyway. He still hoped Jayden would explain about that Saturday. The mystery niggled. ‘Maybe give tomorrow a break. We can do something together, if you like. Go for a ride on the bikes? Have a look at the west paddock fences?’
‘I’d like that.’ Jayden nodded, looking thoughtful. ‘I’ve bugged her two weekends in a row. I’ll stay home.’
‘I think that’s sensible. But I also think Maddy was happy with your help today. She said you worked really hard. Like a maniac, I think she said.’
Jayden turned and his face split in a grin. ‘Did she?’ Then he seemed a bit worried. ‘She didn’t say anything else?’
‘Oh, I asked her.’ Connor met his son’s startled gaze. ‘About the day you washed the car. I know something happened. But she said it was your business and up to you to tell me. Do you feel like doing that?’
Jayden’s eyes closed as he considered the consequences, then drew a deep breath which he blew out slowly. ‘I lost a bet with Kyle. On the horse races. I owed him a hundred bucks.’
