Barefoot and Lost (55 page)

     ‘
Owen
and the boys are out in the woolshed giving it the once over before the team arrives next week, they’ll be back for lunch will, you stay for a bite?’

     ‘That would be very nice, thanks
Gloria
, I need to have a word with
Owen
so yes, I’ll
stay
thanks.’

     ‘
Constable
is the main road you came up the road to
Melbourne
, the one
Owen
and
Jack
found me on?’

     ‘It’s the one they found you on, but not the road to Melbourne, it’s the Glenelg Highway that goes between Mount Gambier, and Hamilton, the Melbourne road, the Princes Highway, is further south.’

     ‘I see, so not only was I walking barefoot, I was lost as well.’
Gloria puts her hand on my shoulder

     ‘I don’t think you were lost
Phillip
, I’d prefer to think that a power, stronger than us, guided you here to Gadoona’

    
Owen and Gloria
have been in touch with the im
migration department; they are sending all my documents and have agreed that the Lewis’s can be my foster parents, subject to an interview in a place to be agreed, probably
Melbourne
.
Owen
is reluctant to travel the two hundred miles there which would involve an overnight stay.
Gloria
wants to go as she sees it as a shopping trip. I would like to see
Melbourne
also, but
Owen
would prefer to meet them in
Hamilton
or, he thinks Gadoona would be best, because then they would be able to see the environment that I will be raised in. It is certainly the best place I have ever lived in; I love it here at Gadoona.

     The week after I got here the shearing gang arrived; things were so busy no one really had time for me. I spent most of the day watching the shearers at work, I can’t believe how quick they are, one minute they are dragging a sheep out of a pen, a minute later the sheep, minus
its wool, is scampering down a s
hute. Owen explained that the gang are contractors that travel from station to station, they give a price to shear the whole flock so it is in their interest to do it as quick
ly
as they can, therefore making more money. Each shearer is paid for each sheep, so the more
he shears the more money he earns;
I
wouldn’t like to be a shearer they work so hard. 

     The Gang’s quarters are just across the road from the woolshed. They have a cook who cooks all their meals, but the wool classer,
Mr.
Cornwallis
eats with us. He doesn’t work for the Ganger but for Dalgety, the people that sell Gadoona’s wool.
Jack
spends a lot of time talking to him because that’s what he is going to learn at College.

     It is just over two months since I arrived at Gadoona. Next Thursday will be Christmas day. It isn’t like Christmas, the weather is so hot, but we have a decorated Christmas tree in the living room and
Gloria
says we will have a party. Tomorrow, Friday, we break up from school. I have been attending the High School at Casterton, which is twenty five miles from Gadoona. The school bus only comes as far as Strathdownie, so, every morning and afternoon, either
Jack
or
Gloria
drive me the five miles to meet the bus.

     Today, Tuesday, we are rattling along the Glenelg highway, running late as usual when it is
Jack
’s turn. Suddenly the engine cuts out,
Jack
knocks it out of gear and coasts to a stop, ‘Come on, I’ll show you how to fix it.’

     ‘Why, what is wrong with it
Jack
, will you be able to fix it?’

     ‘No worries, two minutes is all it will take, the same thing happens all the time.’ 

     Jack opens the bonnet, ‘Hold it open so it doesn’t come down on my head; right, see there that is the coil and that with the seven thick black wires coming out the top, is the distributor. See the centre wire, the one from the coil to the distributor, it is loose, that’s the problem.’
Jack
pushes it back then jams a matchstick down beside the wire. ‘Right mate, fixed, go and start the old bugger.’ One turn on the starter motor and the engine roars into life.

    
On the return journey home, when I got off the bus at Strathdownie, Jack is sitting in the passenger seat with a grin on his face, ‘You’re driving home’.

     ‘Me, I don’t believe you; you have got to be joking?’

     ‘Fair dinkum mate, you’ve been driving this old Dodge around the yard for the past two weeks, going round and round, this is the same only straight, so it’s easier.’ After a nervous start I find
Jack
is right, it is easy.

     ‘There yer go, like falling off a log, you can do it both ways from now on.’
Jack
reckons I’m a natural, I think it’s fantastic.

     I have been feeling bad about losing contact with
Billy
and, especially
Rachel
.
Gloria
suggested I wrote to the Salvation Army missing persons in
Adelaide
, giving as much detail of both of them that I could, and giving them details of myself and why, I wanted to contact them. I have found it difficult because I realize that I do not know very much detail that would help find them. In my first letter I apologized for running away and said I hoped that it hadn’t caused them too much trouble, and then I realized that it was
Philip
Barton
, that ran away, not
Phillip
Snell
, so I tore it up. I have written three letters all to the address that
Gloria
looked up for me; one searching for both of them, the other two are one each for
Billy
and
Rachel
. Trying to make contact with old friends has me thinking about
June
and Pop,
Gloria
has suggested that I write a letter, in draft, and then, when we go to Coleraine or
Hamilton
shopping, we will buy two Air letters, and then I can copy my draft letter on to both of them.

     ‘
Gloria
I want to buy Christmas presents for everybody but I only have ten shillings, I don’t think that is enough for four presents.’

     ‘Well that depends on what you want to buy, do you have any ideas?’

     ‘No, no idea at all’

     ‘Presents aren’t half as good if you know what you are getting; so, after school tomorrow, you will be finishing at two, Jack can pick you up as usual, at four. Go to the General store, purchase your presents, I’ll ring
Malc
Gallagher
to put them on my tab and when
Jack
comes for you he can sign for them.’

     ‘That will be no good; you will be buying your own presents.’

     ‘Okay, then I will instruct Malc to start a tab for you, which you can settle with your wages each month.’

     ‘But I don’t get wages.’

     ‘You will, from the first of
January because, during the summer holidays you will be working like the rest of us and will receive a wage.’

     ‘Wow, how much will I get what will I have to do?’

     ‘Well, the cows have to be milked morning and evening so you will learn to milk a cow and that will be your task each day, for that you will get three pound a week.’

     ‘Fantastic, that will be eh-- twelve pound a month, in a year I’d-----’

     ‘Don’t get carried away you have to learn to milk first, and w
hile you‘re doing that you will
be paid nothing.’

     ‘When can I start to learn?’

     ‘You can start Saturday morning, at six thirty. The cows are early risers and don’t like to be kept waiting;
Owen
will call you at six.’

     ‘
That’s the middle of the night; only joking, I’ll be there with knobs on, I can’t wait.
’

     Geraldine, Malc’s wife, is helping me to choose my presents, on her advice I have selected a cotton blouse with embroidery around the neck which, she says Gloria has been looking at for the past two weeks; a presentation pack of Kensitas cigarettes, which I know are Jacks favourite and a bottle of red wine which, Geraldine says is Owens favourite, but Stan is a problem, she doesn’t know him and he never comes to the store.

     It is nearly time for
Jack
to arrive and I still haven’t bought anything for
Stan
, ‘
Phillip
, what do you think of these?’ Malc is showing me some waterproof things about two foot long looking puzzled I ask,

     ‘What are they?’

     ‘Stockman’s Gaiters, they fit over the top of your boots to keep your feet dry when you’re riding in the rain.’

     ‘But if you’re riding a horse how do your feet get wet?’

     ‘Come here I’ll show you.’ On the wall is a picture of a stockman wearing a long waterproof coat, beside
it on a rack, are three coats like the picture. ‘You see when it rains the rain runs off your coat and fills your boots these gaiters go up your leg and prevent that.’

     ‘Do you think he would like something like those?’

     ‘I don’t know the man, but if I was a stockman I would be pleased to have a pair.’

     ‘He might have some already.’

     ‘I doubt it, they are a new idea, but if he has he can bring them back and I’ll change them okay?’

     ‘How much are they?’

     ‘To you
Phillip
, thirty bob.’

     ‘I’ll take them, thank you
Mr.
Gallagher
.’

      I have spent nearly nine
pounds, I’ve never had that much money, let alone spending it in two hours; come to think of it I still haven’t got that sort of mo
ney, I will have to work for three
weeks to earn that much, hope I can learn to milk quickly.

     ‘I have wrapped your things Phillip, there is nothing fancy with the paper but they will be alright for you to put under the tree, all you have to do is write on them.’

     ‘Thank you
Mrs.
Gallagher
, when will I have to pay you?’

     ‘When you can, but you have a month. Don’t worry if you can’t we will sort something out, now you have a nice Christmas.’ The bell on the shop door jangles,

     ‘
G’day
Gloria
; are you ready to go
Phil
?’

     ‘
G’day
Jack
, yes he’s ready, bought the bloody shop out he has.’

     ‘Has he now; that’s a lot of flaming cows to milk.’

     ‘Come on young
en, lets get you home; Merry Christmas everyone.’

     ‘Same to you
Jack
,
Phillip
, Bye.’

     The four cows are waiting at the milking shed, how do they know it is half past six?
Owen
shows me how to put feed in the byre; he then shows me how to wash the cow’s teats with warm water. ‘When you have done that you can do the udder one, only joking; right, sit on the stool.’ Owen places the bucket under Daisy, ‘Take hold of the two teats on this side of the udder, not on the end, put your hand higher so your thumb and finger are up against the udder, that’s right, now pull down, squeezing as you do.’ A trickle of milk falls into the bucket, ‘Now keep that going in a steady rhythm, don’t be afraid to hurt her, squeeze harder, that’s it keep going.’ I start to get a steady flow, wow I am milking. Just as I think I have mastered it I lose the rhythm and the flow stops, ‘Keep at it, you will soon get the hang of it.’

    
Owen
goes to milk one of the other cows, I can hear his milk splashing into the bucket, mine just trickles.
Owen
stands up and lets his cow go; his bucket is almost full, mine has about a pint in the bottom. ‘I’ll finish Daisy or she will
be
fed up and start misbehaving, you can start
Stella
.’ My contribution to about six gallons of milk is just two pints, but
Owen
said I have done well for my first attempt. At the dairy Owen shows me how to assemble the separator and how to turn the handle to stop the bell from ringing, then, like magic, after he had poured two gallons of milk into the bowl on top, cream came out of one spout, skimmed milk out of the other. Forty five minutes later everything is washed up; the cream is in a churn ready to be made into butter. Some milk has been put aside for our use and the skimmed is in another churn to use to feed the calves and the pigs.

     I feel as though I have been working all day but it
is only half past eight and
only
now
going in for breakfast.
Gloria
puts in front of me and
Owen
a breakfast of two grilled mutton chops, two fried eggs and tomatoes, followed by toast and marmalade. Watching
Owen
eat his breakfast before today, I wondered how he could eat so much first thing in the morning, now I know why.