No Worries (14 page)

30

‘Hey, Dreamy. Get yer arse into gear, boy. We gotta unload this trailer.'

At work that night I was floating. It would have been a good place to get off the world.

I knew nothing would ever top that day.

‘Do you want to come back to my house? Dad doesn't get home for hours.'

My heart was pounding even then.

‘Dreamy, you gunna help us unload this trailer or what?'

Her hair smelt like apples.

‘Dreamy! Oi! Move yerself!'

‘Right. Sorry, Eric. I was thinking about something else.'

‘Aw yeah, and what might that be?'

I'd never tell him in a thousand years.

‘Well?'

‘Nothing important.'

I wheeled the trolley like a robot as my thoughts returned to Emma.

‘Back to your house?'

‘You don't have to go if you don't want to. Maybe it's not such a good idea anyway.'

‘No, I want to.'

We walked side by side, but both so alone, not talking or touching. I don't know about Emma, but I was terrified every step of the way.

She led me into the kitchen.

‘Want a sandwich, Bri?'

‘Sure.'

A peanut butter sandwich. That's how it started.

‘You've got a bit on your chin,' she said. ‘I can fix that.'

She licked it off.

It was a game at first.

‘Aw, thanks! That's really hygienic.'

I pushed her down. Giggling and tickling.

And then suddenly she was looking at me in a different way. I would have had to be blind and stupid not to understand precisely what was on her mind.

We kissed. Better than any daydream kisses. She took off her top. I couldn't stop shaking.

‘Don't worry, Bri. It's only me.'

‘I've put the jug on, Bri. You havin' one?'

Norm's voice jolted me back.

‘Yeah. That'd be great.'

‘Good,' he said. ‘You can make one for me while you're at it. Milk and two sugars, thanks.'

I opened the cupboard to get the coffee. Norm shooed me away.

‘Only kidding, Bri. Sit down. I'll make it.'

A tiny light bulb clicked on way back in my mind. Huh? Norm had never made me coffee before. I didn't think any more of it as I sat down, my thoughts still floating to Emma.

‘Hey, I reckon you're right, Normie.'

‘It is for sure, Ekka.'

‘Hey, Superstud. Get yourself over here and check this out.'

I looked up and saw them huddled around the doorway, staring at me.

Bob nodded.

‘Yep. No doubt about it. That's a lovebite.'

Oh no!

I jumped out of the seat and found a mirror. My neck had a big red circle on it.

They were all grinning.

‘It must be some sort of an insect bite,' I said. It was pathetic, but I had to say something.

Norm sat beside me.

‘You can tell us, Bri. We're your mates.'

‘There's nothing to tell.'

He shuffled closer.

‘It won't go any further. Now, did you and this young lady get down to the — shall we say — nitty gritty?'

‘Did you root ‘er?' asked Eric.

I got up and shoved the seat back under the desk.

‘You blokes are all sick. I didn't do anything with anyone. Got it?'

Bob stroked his chin, then nodded.

‘Congratulations, lad. You're a man now. Well done.'

‘So you think he did it, Supers?' asked Norm.

‘Hundred per cent.'

‘I didn't!'

‘Well, stuff me dead,' said Eric. ‘The old Dreamy, eh. Just goes to show yer — anything's possible.'

I covered the mark with my hand.

Norm pulled it away.

‘Don't hide it, Bri. That's a medal of honour you got there. Wear it with pride.'

‘It's an insect bite, Norm. That's all it is.'

‘Of course it is. We believe him, don't we, Ek?'

Eric's answer was to dash out to the dock where two or three vendors were loading their trucks.

‘Hey, you lot,' he announced.

‘No, Eric. Don't.'

‘Dreamy here lost his cherry today.'

‘I did not!'

‘Got a lovebite the size of Godzilla. Check it out.'

The vendors peered at my neck.

‘He's kidding. It's a mosquito or something. I don't know how it got there. You're mad, Eric.'

The vendors were impressed.

‘Good work, son.'

‘You'll never forget today, will yer?'

‘Always good to get the first one out of the way. There'll be no stopping you now.'

‘Thanks a lot, Eric.'

‘No problem, Dreamy. She got a sister?'

All night long he kept at it.

‘Hey, pally, you heard the news? The young fella got his end in. Yeah. First time. She must have been real desperate. Love bite the size of …'

But after a while I didn't mind any more. I stopped denying it, and stopped hiding the lovebite.

‘You have to go, Bri. Dad'll be home soon.'

‘Just let me hold on to you a few more minutes more,' I said.

‘I'm still not sure about things Bri. You know that, don't you?'

‘I can wait.'

‘But what if it doesn't happen again?'

‘I'll still wait.'

The blokes at work were right, I never would forget that day.

31

There was no time to sleep when I got home, just a shower and a change of clothes.

Mum dropped me at the railway.

‘Say goodbye to Emma for me,' she said.

‘I will.'

The train was so slow. It stopped at every station.

Hurry up — I'm not going to make it!

I ran up the steps and kept running through the terminal, frantic.

‘Over here, Bri.'

Emma waved. So did her dad.

‘Sorry. Sorry.' I was breathless. ‘The train was hopeless. I left home in plenty of time but —'

‘It's okay, Bri.' Emma's arm was around my waist. ‘As long as you're here.'

‘So what do you think about our girl leaving us?' her dad asked.

‘I hate it. It stinks.'

‘My thoughts exactly, Bri.'

We sat together in a long row of seats, near people reading newspapers, people sleeping, people wondering how to say goodbye. It was raining.

‘Listen to it come down,' her dad said. ‘They've been predicting a storm and boy have we got it.'

Emma glanced at her watch.

‘Not much time left before I have to board, Dad.'

He smiled pleasantly, missing the point.

‘Good for the gardens though. And the farmers certainly need it.'

‘Weren't you going to the newsagent, Dad?'

‘No.'

‘Da-ad.'

‘Oh. Right. I see. Yes. I think I'll go the newsagent. I forgot that you two might want to talk. All right then … back in a few minutes.'

‘I don't want any mushy goodbyes, Bri.'

‘That's fine with me. See yer later.'

I started to walk away.

She dragged me back.

‘Don't you dare go.'

‘Only kidding.'

‘This is serious.'

‘Sorry.'

‘I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry.' Then Emma cried.

I'd had plenty of time to prepare for that day — even came up with a list of things I could say. But in the end they were all too hard. It was much better just to hold her. That said it all.

We clung to each other, me holding on more tightly for sure, but I know she was there too, in the moment with me — just me and Emma, and the whole airport suddenly still and empty …

‘Are you going to be all right, Bri?'

‘Why wouldn't I be?'

‘I'll ring you. I promise.'

‘And I'll write to you — memorable letters.'

‘And you'll let me know how your mum is?'

‘Yes.'

I caught a glimpse of her dad approaching. Emma did too.

‘Guess I'd better go.'

‘I hate to break it up,' he said. ‘But they're calling for your flight to board.'

Emma hugged and kissed her dad.

‘Love you.'

She hugged me one more time. Kissed my cheek.

‘Take care, Bri … I'll be thinking of you.'

Then she walked through the barrier and out of sight, without once looking back.

At work that night I could think of nothing else but Emma. I had to face the truth. She didn't love me or she would have said it.
Come on, how could she love you?
But she was being honest. I couldn't knock her for that. And maybe she was still deciding. Maybe there really was a chance. But maybe she was just being kind all the time. Only kind.

‘Come on, pally. No good walking around with yer head up yer arse over some sheila. We got work to do.'

‘Go easy on the boy,' Bob said. ‘He's in love. Haven't you ever been in love, Rattlehead?'

‘Bloody oath I have. Every sheila I ever been with's heard that — “Jeez, I love yer, darlin'.” Yer have to say that or yer got no chance with ‘em. Right, Normie?'

‘You're not wrong there, Ekka.'

‘There's no hope for you blokes.' Bob took a long puff of his smoke and shook his head. ‘Not a hope in the world.'

‘Come on, Dreamy,' yelled Eric, ‘move yerself. What are yer waitin' for? A gold-plated invitation?'

Two weeks went by. I got a postcard from Emma that didn't say much — I didn't really care how cold it was. I felt gutted all over again.

Then at last the phone call I'd been hoping for.

‘Bri, I'm having the best time!'

She sounded like she was right next to me. I wished I could touch her.

‘You have to come here one day! This is such a cool place!'

So excited. So Emma.

We'd only talked for about five minutes when she ran out of coins.

‘We're going to be cut off any second, Bri.'

‘Okay. Thanks for ringing, Emma. Keep on having fun.'

‘Bri.'

‘Yeah?'

‘Hey … I miss you.'

I hung onto the phone long after she was gone.

32

Life was fine again — a few words from Emma was all it took. It made it easier to bundle myself off to work each night. More and more the milk factory felt like a second home to me. And even my real home was feeling pretty good. Mum was still taking her tablets, still in control.

The phone rang one morning. Mum was on it in a flash. I heard her talking calmly. As soon as she hung up she let out a wild whoop and ran through the house yelling her head off.

‘Did you get a job, Mum?'

‘Almost! I'm so close! They just rang to tell me I've been short-listed! It's an office job! There were fifty applicants and they've got it down to five — and I'm one of them!'

She almost leapt into my arms.

I wanted to warn her about getting her hopes up too high, but the moment was too good, too rare, to spoil.

‘Good on you, Mum. You'll get it.'

Mum went into her mind-reading routine.

‘But if I don't, the world won't end,' she said, ‘so stop worrying. I'm normal now. You can trust me.'

Her interview was a week away. She used the time to get her hair cut and styled, buy some new clothes and shoes, and brush up on her computer skills. Mum was putting an awful lot of eggs in this one basket, but I tried not to think about it.

Soon it was time for my driving test. I made the mistake of mentioning it at work the night before I was to go for it, and copped heaps.

‘Drivin' licence?' said Eric. ‘You'd be flat out gettin' a dog licence, Dreamy.'

‘I think you should postpone it for a while,' said Norm.

‘Why?'

‘Well, in another twenty or thirty years I won't be driving any more — I'd feel a whole lot safer if you could wait till then.'

‘Good one, Normie.'

My ‘new' positive mum was there to pick me up in the morning, full of good vibes for me and the test.

‘I know you're going to get it, no trouble at all,' she told me. ‘After you've had a sleep I'll take you. Okay?'

I didn't want her to take me. I hated the idea. But I knew it was important to her.

‘Fine with me.'

‘You sure you wouldn't rather someone else go with you?' she said. Meaning Dad.

I'd much rather have gone with him and she must have known it.

‘No, Mum. You're the one I want.'

She grinned with pride. And just as quickly turned away to hide it from me.

‘But no lessons before we get there, okay?'

‘Bri, I would never do that to you again. I'll drive you there and wish you luck. Then it's all up to you.'

‘Thanks, Mum.'

That night I went to work with a cap pulled down low over my eyes. As I expected, Eric and Norm didn't hold back.

‘Well, Dreamy, is it still safe to go out on the road or did you get yer licence?'

‘Don't listen to them, Rattlehead.' Bob got off his stool to put the kettle on. ‘I've got confidence in you, lad.'

‘Go on,' said Norm. ‘Tell us the bad news.'

I couldn't help smiling as I lifted my cap. Underneath it I'd stowed the licence.

‘Piece of cake,' I said, showing it to them. ‘It was easy.'

‘Well, that's it for me,' said Norm. ‘I'm selling my car and buyin' a tank.'

‘I'm leavin' the bloody country,' chipped in Eric.

‘Is that a promise, Rattlehead?' Bob asked.

If Norm and Eric were like circus clowns, then Bob was the ringmaster. I suppose that made me part of the circus, too. I'd like to think I was the gawky kid in the front row, eyes wide, munching popcorn as the show unfolded around me. More likely I was just another one of the clowns. I didn't mind too much. I knew I wasn't going to stay at the factory forever. There'd be other jobs and better ones. But for now it was okay. I fitted in. I was one of the blokes.

After the test I drove Mum to a cafe. My shout. We got the biggest slice of cheese cake in the display cabinet, with a huge helping of ice cream, and two spoons. Bugger the diet.

‘I always knew you could do it,' she said. ‘I'm proud of you, Bri.'

It was so good being with Mum when she was okay. Her eyes were clear and she was relaxed and that rubbed off on me. I felt like dancing on the table.

‘Thanks, Mum. I'm proud of you, too.'

And I was. I really was.