The Bay (28 page)

‘Is it still there?'

‘Could be. I was going to have a chat to old Sid, he knows everything. Maybe we could go and pan in one of the creeks running down from the hills.'

‘Pan in a creek? What's that mean?'

‘Gold panning? Haven't you done the goldrush days at school?'

‘A bit. History isn't my favourite subject. I don't see the point in hashing over stuff that happened ages ago. Our teacher keeps banging on about what trouble we're all in now. You know, pollution and conservation and stuff.'

‘Fair enough. But if we look at what happened in the old days we can see where they went wrong, or what was better back then. The past can be a sort of a map for the future. Help us find our way around better today.'

‘Umm.' Alice didn't sound convinced. ‘Maybe the gold stuff might be good for a project I have to do. We're supposed to look at something that was special to our area in the last hundred years. I was thinking about the lighthouse. Would Tina help me?'

‘You bet,' Eddie replied. ‘We both will.'

The new togetherness began as soon as they reached the farm, making trip after trip between truck and bedroom to unload the bags of clothes, CDs and stuffed animals, a stereo, books and posters. Eddie had given the room a fresh coat of paint and built a desk along one wall in front of the big windows that looked into the fields. The curtains and bedspread were pale lilac dotted with tiny lemon daisies, and on the desk there was a jug of yellow daisies, picked that morning.

‘Pretty basic, but I figured by the time you put your gear around you'd make it how you want. I'll move my old computer in from the front room if you like.'

‘Dad, it's great. I love it. I really do.' Alice hugged him tightly, and Eddie held her to him with unstinting affection.

‘Welcome home,' he whispered in her ear. ‘Welcome home.'

While Eddie prepared dinner Alice rambled over the top paddock greeting her horse. ‘You look fat and lazy. Have to get you back in shape. The boss is back!' She rubbed the horse as he nuzzled her, looking for the apple she always had. ‘You remember, don't you, Sampson? Bring you up a treat later. Just checking things out,' she told him. But she felt bad about neglecting the horse she'd pestered Laura and Eddie to buy. ‘We're gonna have fun,' she told the old horse. As she headed towards the house Alice spotted a new lamb from the small family Eddie had bought to help with the lawn mowing. She sighed with a feeling of contentment. Chooks, a lamb and her old horse; she was glad to be back. Eddie had promised they'd still have time for surfing on weekends. She hoped her mother would be happy with Jack up on the Gold Coast, because she knew she was going to be very happy here. Secretly she was glad to be out of the daily turmoil of life with her mother.

The decision for Alice to move back up to the farm with Eddie had not been an easy one for the three of them. Laura suffered pangs of guilt but consoled herself that she had a right to a life and it was best for Alice.

For Eddie the sense of responsibility had been overpowering at times. But he wanted to do this – for Alice, but also for himself. He'd thought long and hard about how best to support her on the journey through her teens and had come to the conclusion it had to make spiritual, emotional and physical sense to her. Somehow he had to impart a means whereby she could look into her own dark places and construct a way forward, and decide what to let go of and what to keep. She had to learn to find the balance in her life and trust outsiders.

He looked back on his own childhood. It seemed to him technology had eaten into kids' lives too much, they'd lost a sense of beauty, of naturalness, of what connected the world to them, to their life. Perhaps he could instil in Alice a respect and enjoyment of the natural world, to feel part of a community as well as a family, so she realised that it was there to support her no matter how fractured it appeared.

‘Do you want some help, Mitch?' asked Holly. There was a touch of urgency in her voice as she saw just how much building rubbish had to be moved out of the garden before her guests arrived from the old people's home. ‘Thanks so much for doing this. Andrew would've helped but he's out playing golf. An important game, he claimed.'

‘To fanatical golfers every game is important,' Mitch said.

‘No, I don't need you trying to play builder's labourer. This is no job for someone in bare feet. Where are the kids?'

‘Marcus is surfing, again, and Mel is at The Teepee seeing what wonders Billy can do with her hair.' Holly sat on a stump that was used as a chopping block and watched him haul the rubbish into his trailer.

‘You don't play golf?'

‘Hate it. Do you?'

‘Spoils a good walk, I reckon. Curly and I prefer the beach.'

‘There, that's starting to look better. Can't have the ladies tripping over old floorboards. Just a couple more near you and I'll be on my way.' He moved towards her then froze and hissed urgently, ‘Don't move, Holly. Don't say anything. Just don't move.'

She immediately sensed danger and like Mitch she froze and struggled not to panic. Her eyes locked on to his and asked the question.

‘Snake. Brown.' His head inclined slightly to the left. She tried to follow his gaze without moving, but couldn't see anything. She was about to look back at Mitch when the snake slowly came into her range of vision, right beside the stump. It stopped and lifted its head, seemingly concentrating on Mitch.

‘When I move, you go,' he said quietly.

In an acrobatic movement Mitch suddenly sprang towards the snake and instantly bounced back, neatly out of reach of the striking reptile. Holly had moved as instructed, with almost as much speed as the snake. After a dozen steps she turned to see Mitch throwing pieces of firewood at the heap by the stump.

‘Where is it?' shouted Holly, still shaking in fright. ‘For God's sake be careful, Mitch.'

‘It's in the heap. Probably been its home for some time.'

He walked over to her and put his arm around her shoulders. ‘Hey, calm down. You're safe.'

Holly felt weak at the knees and for a moment leaned her head against his shoulder. She felt his arm tighten just a little, and it was a comforting feeling. Neither of them spoke for a while, then Mitch pulled away slowly. ‘Better call Frankie the Snakeman. He's on the emergency list I put on your fridge door. Use the mobile number. He might come before the ladies arrive if you're lucky. I'll keep a lookout while you call.'

She took a deep breath. ‘Oh yes, the ladies! You're right.' She turned and ran to the house and with a wave over her head signalled she had heard his instruction to lock up the dogs.

Frankie was straight to the point. ‘I'm close by. Be there in five minutes, don't take your eyes off it.'

She found Romany and Curly lying in the sun on the back verandah and coaxed them indoors and locked them in. Then she stuck her bare feet into her gumboots and walked as quietly as she could across the lawn to stand near Mitch. ‘Where is it?'

‘Still in the woodpile. Go stand around the other side, not close in case it makes a run out that way. Be careful, these things can kill you.'

‘Why don't we just kill it if it sticks its head out?' said Holly, picking up a hardwood garden stake.

Mitchell grinned. ‘Where's the budding conservationist we've been nurturing?'

Before she could answer there was the sound of a vehicle in the driveway. ‘Ooh, I hope it's not the ladies.'

Holly raced to the front of the house and saw a small van with a vivid serpent painted on its side. Frankie was pulling several long poles with metal pincers on the end from the back of the van.

‘Hi, thanks for coming so quickly.'

‘Where is it? Is someone watching it?'

‘Yes. It's a big brown. Under some wood.'

‘Woodpiles. The Hilton Hotel for snakes.' He spoke with a faint accent, and Holly glanced at him, taking in his army fatigues tucked into thick boots, the braided ponytail, the protective wrapping around his wrists, a cloth sling hung loosely around his neck. ‘You look well prepared.'

‘I never take chances.' He spotted Mitchell and went towards him just as Holly heard more cars crunch on the driveway and she hurried to the front door.

Mac looked at the dishevelled, gumbooted hostess with a grin as she helped several elderly ladies from the cars. ‘Dressed up for the occasion, I see,' she quipped. ‘You're making the rest of us look rather overdressed, my dear.'

Holly swept a nervous hand through her tousled hair. ‘A slight hiccup, Mac. Tell you about it later. Sudden change of plans, morning tea inside first. Okay?'

The guests were clustered in the front garden, organising walking sticks and handbags.

‘Hi, Holly. Where do you want to start?' asked Lynn, glancing at her gumboots, shorts and T-shirt. It was unlike Holly not to be perfectly groomed for visitors. ‘We got the right day, didn't we?'

‘Yes. Right day. But as I said to Mac, morning tea first so that everyone has the energy for the walk.' Holly bustled them towards the front door.

Mac spotted the van with its colourful serpent, looked at Holly and raised an eyebrow mouthing the word, ‘Frankie?'

She nodded and Mac whispered to Lynn and soon they had the group of ladies settled in the sunroom for tea and biscuits.

Mitchell appeared a few minutes later and nodding at the guests said, ‘My mate and I are just going to take a spin around the garden.' He gave Holly a broad grin and surreptitious thumbs up.

Later as they toured the house one of the ladies peered out the window. ‘Goodness, what are those men doing to your garden? They're whacking sticks around like a pair of African beaters.'

‘Oh, I'll go see, please excuse me.' Holly dashed outside.

‘Frankie, thanks so much. Are there any more, do you think?'

‘Most likely. We tried to flush them out. They're shy, they'll keep out of your way. Unless you surprise them.'

Mitchell touched her arm. ‘Frankie will come back and give you a snake-proofing session.' He gave her a worried look. ‘Are you okay?'

‘Yes, is it safe to let the old dears loose?'

‘Any snake will hear them coming a mile away and hide. Don't be afraid, young lady,' Frankie said, smiling.

‘I hate snakes,' shuddered Holly. ‘They give me the creeps.'

‘There is no place that's without a demon or two, even the garden of Eden,' said Frankie. ‘You carry your fears with you wherever you go.' He gave her a steady look and suddenly it seemed he was telling her something. ‘Sometimes one has to confront one's demons, yes?'

They stared at each other for a moment or two. Impulsively Mitchell took Holly's hand. She was grateful for the touch. What a good friend he was, she could never have managed so many things without him. She realised with a shock how much she relied on him. When there was a problem she automatically thought of Mitchell, not her husband. Holly dropped Mitchell's hand, suddenly suffused with guilt. Frankie's dark brown eyes were still riveted on her face. She straightened her shoulders. ‘Thank you for this. I'll get my bag and pay you.'

Frankie touched her arm. ‘I will come back, fix me up then. Don't be concerned.'

‘You should have seen him grab that snake, whip it into the bag and into his van in a flash,' said Mitchell. ‘Let me know when he's coming over and I'll snake-proof any doors or holes he points out.'

Later, as the ladies finished pottering around the grounds, admiring the view and Holly's plans for the old garden, Mac drew her aside. ‘Has Frankie taken away your intruder?'

‘Yes. I hated the idea of something so evil in my grounds. I was on tenterhooks every time one of the dears stuck their walking stick into a bush or touched a plant,' laughed Holly.

Mac didn't join in her laughter as she usually did. ‘Be careful how you walk. Be alert, danger has a habit of popping up where it's least expected. Even in the heart of the home.'

‘Oh Mac, enough of your superstitions. Frankie and Mitch are going to snake-proof the house and check out the garden.'

‘A snake can shed its skin but it's still the same snake,' said Mac enigmatically.

Holly was saved from replying as the ladies from the rest home came to thank her and say goodbye.

Alone in the house, she took meat out of the freezer for a barbecue and wandered through the rooms the ladies had so admired. Frankie and Mac had unnerved her and for a moment Holly wished she could talk to the woman who'd first lived in the house. Did she have to deal with snakes and other nasties on her own? Protect small children perhaps? The house then was isolated from the township, with no snake catcher at the end of a phone. It struck Holly that she'd always had help on hand when she needed it. Would she manage on her own with no handymen or helpful friends?

Andrew was there to open the wine, the cleaner, Judith, took care of the house in Mosman, Andrew called in repair men, the shops delivered, his secretary arranged trips and service for the company cars, the beauty parlour rang to remind her it was time for her monthly hair and nails treatment, a neighbour's son walked Curly in the park. Andrew regularly reminded her how privileged she was, as were the children, and it was all due to how hard he worked.

Holly came to rest in the attic bedroom that led to the roof. She sat in the rocking chair looking out to sea where clouds were beginning to build up. She had always accepted that she was lucky: she had position, privilege, healthy successful kids, an ambitious and achieving husband who provided them with an up-market lifestyle. Why had she always felt she should be grateful and accommodate all the family's wishes? She might not have been out there in the corporate world, but she certainly made life comfortable and pleasant for them. She had given up the idea of doing many things that appealed such as art classes, when Andrew objected, arguing that she had to be available to entertain clients at a moment's notice. When she'd been invited to accompany a newly widowed girlfriend to Italy, Andrew had simply looked at her in astonishment, telling her it was out of the question that she traipse around Europe on her own. They'd go skiing to Aspen instead, it would be useful for business contacts. Never mind that Holly hated the cold.