Drowning in Her Eyes (44 page)

Jacqui looked at her gravely:
“My name is Jacqui, I have got a new Daddy, and I saw a horsie.
”

“Yes,
” said Helen.
“There are lots of horsies here. You can have your very own when you are big enough. My name is Helen and I know you and I are going to be best friends. Do you want to see baby Grace?
”

Denni came down the stairs to display her baby. Jacqui was very interested. Denni embraced her brother.
“Oh
,
Jack,
” she said,
“I
'm so happy for you both. It must have been a horrible time for you. But you
're home now. Everything will be wonderful from now on.
”

Sam inspected the strange little creature her master had bought home with him, too. She had never seen a human so small. She looked at Jack then back to Jacqui again. She sniffed her; she could detect Jack there, so it must be ok
ay
. She put out a pink tongue and licked her arm. Jacqui patted her head. Sam was satisfied.

They all exchanged greetings and excited chatter began as they all moved onto the veranda. Jack looked over his shoulder and noticed Ollie and Mick standing in the background.
“Come on
,
boys,
” he said.
“Come and meet my daughter.
” They rushed her.

They talked far into the night; cold beer appeared. Ollie and Mick were included in the party, but Helen soon sent them home to their wives.
“You are all to come for dinner tomorrow night. That will be the real party.
”

Soon the sandman worked his magic on Jacqui. Helen took her to a small room near Jack
's bedroom. She had spent a considerable time decorating it for a little girl.
“This room is just for you, my darling. Mummy and Daddy are right here next door.
” Susan prepared her for bed and she climbed in with Ollie. She kissed her goodnight.
“Do you want to kiss Daddy?
” she said.

“Yes, and I want to kiss Helen
,
too.
”

* *
*
*

Dawn was approaching. Here in the cool of the morning, they waited for the light. Jacqui, lifted from her bed in the pre-
dawn darkness, slept on Susan
's lap. They were silent, absorbing the spirit of the land.

Faint glimmers of daylight appeared. Then there came the riotous manic laughter of the kookaburras welcoming the new day, followed by the beautiful songs of magpies and butcherbirds. Soon the morning chorus was in full swing, with all the small birds joining in. The beauty of it all overcame them. As light crept into their world, the chorus died down to twitters and occasional calls as the birds went about their busy day. Jacqui was awake now, looking around her in awe. Susan said to her,
“You were here before, in Mommy
's tummy. We gave your spirit to the land. Now you are back to claim your place.
” The child was quiet. She looked around her, slightly puzzled. Just then, a pair of red-
rumped parrots landed on the rim of the water trough.

“Look Mommy,
” she said,
“see the pretty birds.
” The parrots minced along the edge of the trough, dipping their beaks every now and then for a morning drink. They eyed the humans with little bobs of their heads and squawks of recognition. Then they flew off to begin their day. As they left, the noisy miners returned, at least forty of them. They swooped over the old Land Rover, chattering and squawking.
‘Welcome back
', they seemed to say,
‘welcome back
'. Sam licked Jacqui
's face, and she squealed with delight.

Susan leant against Jack in the front seat of the Land Rover. She said,
“Jack, how I love you, how happy we will be here.
”

Jack looked into those lovely eyes. The thought of them had sustained him for three lonely years.
Now
, he thought,
now I have truly drowned in your eyes. There I will dwell, forever and ever.

Ten months later, Patrick James Riordan was born.

AK47
: Kalashnikov Assault rifle
;
 manufactured in USSR and China

Belah Tree
: Australian native tree similar to a She Oak

Bloke
: Australian slang for any male person

Brissie
: Shortened name for Brisbane

Browning
: Browning 9mm automatic pistol

Charlie
: Name given to Viet Cong by American and Allied Forces

CSM
: Company Sergeant Major: In the Australian Army the highest ranking NCO in a Company, usually a WO2 ()

Cypress Pine
: Australian native tree with soft, easy to work wood, and resistance to termites

Dekko:
Australian slang: 
‘look
'

Digger:
Term of respect for an Australian soldier

Dill:
Australian slang:
 
a simpleton

Dogface:
Slang for soldier in US Army

Drover
: Person in charge of a mob of travelling stock.

Dust Off
: Medical Evacuation (usually) by helicopter

Earth Tank
: Water reservoir constructed by digging a large hole in a watercourse

Fair Dinkum:
Australian slang:
‘The Gospel Truth
'

Galah
: An Australian pink and grey parrot that usually gathers in large flocks

Gunner
: Term applied all members of the Royal Australian Artillery Corps

In the wool
: Sheep when carrying a full fleece, just before shearing

Jarhead
: Slang for US Marine

Kelpie:
Australian sheep dog

Link
: Name given to M60 ammunition belts;
 
rounds are
‘linked
' by metal clips

Long Paddock
: See stock route

Looey
: Australian slang for Lieutenant

M16
: Standard rifle used by US in Vietnam

M60
: Abbreviation for GPMG-
M60;
 
the standard infantry machine gun

M79
: Grenade launcher

Master Sergeant
: American senior NCO

MP
: Military Policeman

NVA
: North Vietnamese Army

OTU
: Officer Training Unit

Party Line
: A single wire telephone line serving several subscribers. Each subscriber has a distinctive ring signal in Morse code

PFC
: US Army rank, Private First Class

Pisspot:
Australian slang for an alcoholic

Purple Heart
: Medal awarded to American soldiers wounded in action

RAEME:
Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

RAR
: Royal Australian Regiment

RASC:
Royal Australian Service Corps

Red Ensign
: Flag flown by British Merchant Ships

RPG
: Rocket Propelled Grenade

RSL
: Returned Servicemen
's League. Name also applied
to clubhouse

RSM
: Regimental Sergeant Major, Highest ranking NCO in a Regiment, usually a WO1

Royal Military College
: Australian equivalent of West Point or Sandhurst

Shearing
: The process of removing the wool from sheep

Shelia
: Australian slang for a woman, particularly a young woman

SLR:
L1A1 Self Loading Rifle, the standard weapon of Australian Army in the 1960s and 70s

Station
: Name given to large grazing properties in Australia
;
 ranch is the US equivalent.

Station hand
: Worker on a Station

Stockman:
Person who works with livestock

Stock Route
: Land set aside for the use of travelling livestock, sometimes called
‘the long paddock
'

Stunned Plover
: Australian slang for
‘dumbfounded
'

Uni
: Abbreviation of University

Ute
: Short for
‘utility vehicle
' evolved from a sedan

VC
: The Viet Cong

Wallopers
: Old Australian slang for policemen

Wilga
: Small Australian native tree, providing excellent shade for livestock

Patrick Ford

I have lived in Goondiwindi, Queensland, for most of my life. I have been a farmer for most of this time, but also worked as a farm consultant and an accountant for many years. I have travelled extensively in North America, the UK, Ireland, Western Europe, Malaysia, Vanuatu, and New Zealand. I have always had a love of history, particularly military history. As a youth, I had an ambition to become a regular army officer, but commitments to the family farm precluded this.