Drowning in Her Eyes (43 page)

“Mommy, Ollie told me he likes Daddy. I think I would like to kiss him now.
” She said this gravely, as if she were delivering the final verdict of great deliberations. Jack almost choked on his tears; then he held out his arms to her. She scuttled across the bed to him and he held her tight as she kissed his cheek.
“Daddy,
” she said,
“Where are
your
clothes?
”

They showered, dressed, and went down to the restaurant for breakfast. They smelt the coffee as they were shown to a table, and realised they were very hungry.
“I
'm famished,
” said Jack.

“Daddy is famsed; I want to be too,
” said Jacqui, with an excited smile,
“I like Daddy.
”

They ate huge piles of eggs and bacon and toast,
drank half a gallon of coffee.

“What now?
” said Jack.

Susan smiled.
“Now we go to
Worcester to see your mother-
in-
law!
”

Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
—1967

They checked in
to a hotel
. Susan was determined to put
space between them and her old life. They went to return Sarah
's car and talk to her and Marci. They found a different house and a changed occupant. Marci met them at the door. She looked at Jack deferentially, almost humbly. Sarah was so happy to see him; he brought back to her those happy days in Armidale. She hugged him fiercely, wanting to know everything she had missed in three years.
“You must take your little boys back there,
” said Jack.
“They would love the climate.
”

“Please come in and sit down,
” said Marci.
“I have something say to you all.
”

“Off you go and play
,
Jacqui,
” said Susan,
“You have to tel
l all your dollies about your
Daddy.
” Jacqui ran from the room.

There was a nervous hiatus. Marci
looked as if she didn
'
t know what to say. Finally, she looked up at them,
tears streaking her face.
“I
'
ve made some terrible mistakes,
” she said.
“I have treated you all very badly. I lied to you
,
Susan
.
I lied to Jack
's mother. I drove John from your life, Sarah, and from that of his boys. I do not know if you will ever forgive me. I was so frightened after Jimmy died.
I was lonely; I wanted you to come home with me so much. I thought I would lose you, I thought I was protecting you; instead, I was denying you love. When you all began to hate me for destroying so much of what you loved
,
I
couldn
'
t face it. Then one day I saw this.
” She passed a copy of
Time
magazine across the table. In it
was a small article entitled,
Bien Long
— A Survivor
's Story
.

Jack looked at it. There was a photograph of the young helicopter pilot and his story of what had happened. He recounted the crash, how he had come to in the ruins of a church, how eleven men had defied more than 200 NVA troops, and had routed them. He told how this Australian officer, on secondment to the 7
^th
Cavalry, had risked his life to save him from the wreck and who later carried his door gunner to safety under enemy fire, being thrice wounded in the process. He described how this officer had rallied the men and how his coolness under fire and the swift decisions he had made had resulted in such a remarkable victory. The pilot said he had been semi-
conscious and badly wounded at the time. He quoted S/Sgt Bell and Corporal Riley as his sources for this story. The Australian officer was awarded the Silver Star.

“When I saw this I realised what risks you took to save my son, and how grateful I will be
to you
for t
he rest of my life
, and then you walked through my door and I saw in your eyes how much you loved my daughter. I am so sorry for the trouble
and heartache I
'
ve caused you. Go with your husband, Susan, with my blessings, and please forgive me.
”

Susan knelt by her mother
's side. She cradled Marci
's head against her shoulder.
“Momma,
”
she said,
“I know you
'
re in great pain. For now, I cannot forgive you, later perhaps. Thank you for your blessing. We have arranged a short civil ceremony for tomorrow at City Hall so we can be legally married before we go away. I hope you will all come
,
too.
”

“Can you wait another day, Susan? Jimbo will be home tomorrow. I
'm sure he would like to be
t
here.
”

“I invited him already, in Vietnam,
” said Jack,
“when I saw him in the hospital. I would hate him to miss it. What do you think, darling?
” After three long years, another day would not matter. Susan was happy to comply.
“Jacqui will be happy to see him.
She
'
s missed him too.
”

They deferred their marriage another day. In the morning, they met Jimbo
's train. He was excited about everything. He had been promoted and posted to a training role at Fort Benning. Sergeant James Baker would begin his new job later in the New Year.
“And I
'll make sure your methods about squad commanders are ingrained in any men I train.
” he said.

There was a quiet luncheon after the service. Jack and Susan would be married again in a garden ceremony back at
Ballinrobe
. As they left the restaurant, Marci handed Susan a white envelope.
“Now you have my chicken recipe, dear. Don
't spoil Jack too much with it!
”

They flew out of Boston the next day. Sarah drove them to Logan. Before they left, Susan had a long conversation with her mother. Susan could not forgive her mother just yet. However, they agreed to write.
“You have a granddaughter to learn to love, Momma. Let us all take some time to grieve for our mistakes, for we are all guilty. Now I must go with my new family. Goodbye, Momma, God keep you.
”

* * *
*

At the airport, Sarah looked wistfully at the three of them. She said,
“I am going home to pour all that gin down the sink, and I will never drink again. I know I can never have John as my husband again, but I can try to tear down the fences we built between us, and I will get Mom the medical help she needs. Goodbye. I love you all so.
” She could bear it no more; she kissed them and quickly drove away.

In Los Angles, they broke the journey to spend a day at Disneyland with Jacqui. The child was overjoyed at the sight of all her favourite characters, and ran from one to the other ceaselessly. Jack and Susan watched her, feeling their love in every small step she took, in every look of childlike fascination on her face. She slept well that night while her parents made love, and made love, and made love. In the morning, she joined them for a different kind of love.

In the late afternoon, the Qantas jet lifted off and turned for Hawaii. Susan looked down and told them both about their long, slow journey across that ocean.
“When I look back,
” she said,
“I believe that it was the part Daddy liked the most. For a ranch hand from Montana, he loved the sea. It gave him such peace and joy. He and Momma were so happy on that ship.
”

Before leaving Australia, Jack had ordered a new car. Susan would need one and it had to be comfortable and roomy. It had a special seat fitted for Jacqui and, for the first time, an air-
conditioning system. He had arranged to have the car delivered in Brisbane, so they could drive home in comfort.

Denni and Duncan had already left for
Ballinrobe
, so they set out immediately. They climbed the Great Dividing Range to the city of Warwick. Susan could remember this part of her fateful bus ride to Armidale all those years ago. Then on
wards to Goondiwindi they went.

Jacqui was hungry so they stopped for some lunch. It was breathtakingly hot outside the car. The summer rains were yet to arrive. That was a good thing this year. The wheat crop was the best ever grown, and the harvest was still in full swing a week out from Christmas. Hot, dry conditions are best for harvesting, and the men were working through the night to get the harvest in. Jacqui had seen one of these big machines working as they drove by.
“Look,
”
she said,
“it
'
s eating all the grass!
”

While they ate in the coolness of the Royal Hotel, many people he knew acknowledged Jack. Most came up for a brief
‘G
'day
,
Mate
' and a quick chat. They admired his
‘little Yankee shelia
' and his beautiful daughter. He was a hero to these people. The exploits of Captain Jack Riordan MC, MID, were widely known here. They soon headed out of town towards
Ballinrobe
. Susan was burning with pent-
up emotions. How sweet it would be to see again this beautiful place. How wonderful it was that she would be spending the rest of her life here
.

Soon they turned into
the entrance to
Ballinrobe
. It looked unchanged to her, except for a large grain silo around which men were working. She recognised Mick and Ollie. Mick threw his Akubra into the air and shouted,
“You bloody little beauty!
” The phlegmatic Ollie grinned like a cat with a saucer of cream. They began to move towards the homestead.

Susan said,
“Oh Jack!
”

Jack said,
“Home at last.
”

Jacqui said,
“Mommy, I can see a
horsie
!
”

*
* *
*

They were waiting for them on the wide veranda in the cool of the garden
—
Helen, Denni, and Duncan and the little pink bundle that was Grace Helen McGregor. They were smiling, the two women crying at the same time. Sam was there too, almost beside herself with excitement.

Helen came to them. She could see that the old sparkle had returned to Jack
's eyes. She embraced him and turned to Susan, hugging her for a long time.
“Dearest Susan,
” she said,
“how good it is that you are home at last. Now who is this lovely little girl?
” She knelt beside Jacqui and looked into her little face.
Goodness
, she thought,
those eyes. How many hearts will she break?