A Straight Line to My Heart (16 page)

Tonight it's like a different year, a different lifetime. Everyone is happy, happy.

The Gunners go to work on snags and steak in an eating display that would impress marauding Vikings. Their wives and girlfriends cluster together at the other end of the table in a kind of Viking women's support club. And both groups laugh, very loudly.

While it's still daylight, the guys form two raggedy teams of six or seven apiece for a game of touch footy on the back lawn. They're still as hopeless as ever, but they're also playing to the crowd; clowning around and running into each other, collapsing in pretend agony. It's all aimed at getting some laughs, and they sure do that.

Not long into the game, Dusty's car pulls up out front. I get a surprise when Joan walks along the driveway with him.

‘Hello, Tiff.' She cups both my hands in hers. ‘I was going to drive straight home but I got talking to Dusty – isn't that a lovely name? – and we found we had so much in common.'

‘Both Virgos,' puts in Dusty.

I didn't know he was into astrology.

‘And he's a cat person, too,' Joan adds.

That doesn't sound right to me.

‘Didn't you tell me once you were allergic to cats, Dusty?'

He glares at me for an instant, then smiles at Joan.

‘It's only the furry ones,' he says.

‘The furry ones?' She crinkles her brow as she tries to work that out. ‘But aren't they all–'

‘Come on, Joan.' Dusty takes her hand. ‘Let's get some tucker into us.'

‘We'll catch up later, Tiff,' she says as she's half-dragged away. ‘Don't let me go before I talk to you.'

At eight o'clock I'm on the verandah with Kayla and Bess.

Kayla: ‘Still no Davey. What a rat.'

Me: ‘Maybe I should ring him.'

Kayla: ‘No! Don't you dare! He's supposed to call you.'

Bess: ‘I agree, Tiff. You don't want it to look like you're chasing him.'

Me: ‘Yeah, you're right – both of you.'

At nine I sneak into the shed and make the call.

‘Jeez is it that late? Sorry, Tiffany. I've been trying to fix the Holden – working flat-chat – that's why I didn't ring. I kept thinking I'd get it goin', but it looks like it needs a new starter motor.'

‘So you're not coming?'

‘Are you kidding? Last I heard there was free food up for grabs. I wouldn't miss that.'

I let the silence tell him how I feel.

‘Hey, Tiffany. If I have to walk – if I have to steal a horse – I'll be there.'

Not long afterwards I'm in the kitchen with Bull.

‘We haven't had much of a chance to talk,' I say. ‘How you holding up?'

‘Seen it better.'

He takes out the bread and starts whacking on the marg like he's laying cement.

‘Think you've got enough there, Bull?'

For a moment he closes his eyes. Maybe he's hoping it's all a dream and when he opens them again Reggie will be back.

‘Bull?'

He looks up and skewers me with his leave-me-alone stare, and then he goes to the fridge, takes out a tomato and starts slicing, slicing . . . 

Wherever he is, I can't get to him.

‘I'll catch you later. Okay?'

‘Yeah, Tiff . . . later.'

Back outside I get trapped by a gang of maniacs who all seem to have feet as big and agile as house bricks. They're doing some weird cross between line dancing, Irish dancing, and hopping over red-hot coals.

‘Come on!' says Zoe. ‘This is fun!'

Reluctantly, I join in, and quickly I'm as mad as the rest of them – twirling and laughing, silly and giddy.

Then over the speakers I hear ‘Let It Be'.

I couldn't see Kayla while I was dancing, but now as I wend my way through the crowd, not really sure where I'm going, just wanting to get away, she finds me.

‘I can't take that song, Kayla.'

‘Yeah, I know. Let's get out of here.'

We escape the party and go into my room, Kayla leaving the door open long enough for Wolfie to shuffle in. I sit on the end of the bed and give her a pat. She rests her head on my knees, looking up at me like she knows exactly what's going on.

‘I bet that dumb song got to you too, eh, Wolfie? You reckon it did, Kayla?'

‘Had to. It got to you, and Wolfie's a whole lot smarter.'

I throw a pillow at her.

‘Surfers Paradise,' she says, shoving the pillow aside.

‘What about it?'

‘The bus leaves at six a.m. I looked it up. In three days time we're going to be on it. Say yes.'

‘Kayla, you know I want to go – but isn't that too soon?'

‘You've got no other plans, have you? Except to sit around the house moping. Am I right?'

‘Probably – but Bull will need me.'

‘He's got Zoe. Say yes.'

‘Okay – yes.'

‘Cool.'

‘But I'll have to make sure it's all right with Bull first.'

‘Already done that.'

‘And he didn't mind?'

‘No way. Who do you think is going to drive us to the bus stop?'

‘You've thought of everything.'

‘Of course. And don't worry about Davey. If he doesn't show, he's a loser – and who needs him?'

‘No, you've got him wrong. He's had car trouble.'

‘He rang you?'

‘Sort of.'

‘You rang him. Didn't you?'

‘Sort of.'

‘Oh, Tiff. I know that kind of guy. Lots of talk but they don't deliver.'

‘He'll be here. He will.'

At ten I run into Bull again, this time at the barbie.

‘Good night, eh, Tiff?' He's grinning now.

‘So you're okay?'

‘Me? Yeah, couldn't be better.'

‘You weren't before, in the kitchen.'

‘Ah, well. Sometimes it gets to me a bit – about Reggie. But I'm back now.'

‘Great. Don't go away again.'

Davey has his mobile turned off. Who does that in a crisis? Doesn't he know this is a crisis? I hate him, and the Beatles
and
Elvis Presley – and I've eaten too much cake!

Where are you, Davey?
I need you!

I kick the toilet door – twice and hard.

‘Are you all right, Tiff?'

Oops.

Joan.

I flush, even though there's nothing to flush, run the tap as if I'm washing my hands, and slink out.

‘Yes, Joan, I'm fine.'

‘Good, dear, that's good. I heard pounding on the door and I didn't know what to think.'

‘Really? Pounding? That's funny. I didn't hear it.'

She looks at me suspiciously, but then shrugs. ‘Anyway, I've just popped in to say goodbye. Dusty's going to drive me back to town. My car's there. I've had a wonderful time; meeting everyone, and all that lovely food, and the music.'

‘Do you like Dusty?'

‘Yes. He's good value. I think I might see him again – you never know.'

‘Go for it, Joan.'

‘Oh, I will. And I'm looking forward to seeing you back at the
Eagle
, when you're feeling up to it.'

‘But I don't think I'm going back. I told the Shark I couldn't handle it.'

‘Did you? That's odd, because he gave Andrew a very good report about you. He said you had lots of potential. I was there when he said it.'

‘The Shark said that? Wow, he is so lucky he isn't here. He'd be so embarrassed if I kissed him.'

‘And the paper sent flowers. Did you get them? There was a note with them.'

‘We got so many flowers – I haven't looked at them all.'

‘Well, take it from me, there's a note from Andrew. He wants you to do another week of work experience so he can evaluate you. But if you don't want to do it, then no one will think any the worse of you.'

‘No, no, I want to. It's just that I know I'll never be like the Shark.'

‘Now that's just silly. I can't be like him either, but I still get the job done. Be you. I'm sure that will be perfectly fine.'

‘Oh . . . okay.'

‘You give it some thought, Tiff. I'd love to have you there. We all would.'

‘That's really nice. Thanks, Joan. I'll ring Andrew in a day or two. Is that all right?'

‘Lovely!' She taps me gently on the cheek. ‘Bye, dear.'

Kayla comes straight up to me. ‘I just caught the end of that, Tiff. It sounded like it might be good news. What's happening?'

That time back at the cemetery when she got upset with me, got jealous – I remember that now, but I push it aside.

‘They're giving me another chance, Kayla, at the paper!'

And she hugs me.

The party ends at midnight. Only a few more minutes to go. Kayla stands with me at the back of the throng. I'm falling apart. She's picking up the pieces.

‘Even if Davey came now, I wouldn't speak to him.'

‘Yeah, forget him. I'll find you a boy in Surfers.'

‘I've had it with boys.'

‘Then I'll find you a girl.'

‘Shut up.'

Bull has Zoe at his side as he steps up on the back verandah and signals for the music to be turned off.

‘Thanks for coming, everyone. Did you have a good time?'

A raucous cheer rises up to answer him.

‘Well done. Now in case you don't know, this party was Reggie's idea.'

‘On ya, Reggie!'

‘I've got to say that I'm a bit narky on the old bloke,' Bull pauses and looks around, ‘because the bugger changed his will! Did the dirty on me! I was supposed to get the Falcon but all he left me was his
tab
account – with fifteen cents in it!'

The audience loves it – so does Bull.

‘But,' he says, ‘he did do something right. He left the Falcon to Tiff. Come on up here and get the keys, luv.'

I never expected this. It means a lot to me, much more than the ‘thanks' I mumble.

‘Reggie's done a good job with the old bomb,' Bull says. ‘Awesome job. But I'll tweak it up some more. By the time you get your licence it'll be a red-hot motor car.'

I take the keys, kiss him and Zoe, and then disappear into the crowd as fast as I can.

‘Okay now. Last thing we do tonight for Reggie.' Iron man Bull suddenly gets a crack in his voice. Zoe puts her around him and snuggles in close. ‘Sparklers – that's what he wanted,' Bull says, only barely getting it together.

Zoe jumps in to help him. ‘Have you all got your sparklers?'

We have.

‘Then turn off the lights – yeah – everything! Okay. Good. We're all set. You finish it, Bull.'

‘Righto,' he says, back in control now. ‘Get your sparklers lit up. That's it. Now everybody. Everybody! Give Reggie a waaavvve!'

It would be a fantastic sight from the air: all these twinkling lights swaying back and forth in the middle of a starless night in Gungee Creek.

Kayla grips my arm. ‘Hey, Tiff.'

One tiny, flickering beam is heading down the road.

‘Looks like a bike . . . what kind of idiot would be out riding a bike at this time of night?'

I run.