Barefoot and Lost (58 page)

     ‘I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to stir up anything.’

     ‘Phil, not at all, I feel better
already, let’s
get it over with.’ Jack slides off the Dodge, I follow
,
and both
of us slip our boots off at the back door, the fly screen door closes behind me, I feel at home, as though I belong

    
Today is Australia Day a public holiday, the day the first fleet arrived in
Sydney
cove in1788, when Governor Philip raised the British flag and proclaimed
Australia
as a British sovereignty. We are on our way to the wool sales in
Geelong
,
Jack
is driving,
Owen
is beside him, his head resting on the window, snoring.
Gloria
and I are in the back, she is reading, I’m counting gum trees. 

     The sales last for three days.
Owen
is not sure when Gadoona’s wool will come up for auction; he and
Jack
want to attend everyday so that they do not miss it.
Jack
will be staying in
Geelong
after the sales, to attend college and training at Dalgety. So while the sales are going on,
Gloria
is going to sort out
Jack
’s flat that they have re
nted for the next three years.
I’m not sure what I will be doing, helping Gloria I expect. 

     On Friday the four of us are going to
Melbourne
for my
interview at the Department of Im
migration, hopefully they will agree for me to stay with the Lewis’s. That day I will have my fingers, my toes and even my eyes crossed to make my wish come true.

     ‘Welcome to the Lewis Family Phillip, that was so easy, she never asked me a question, what did she say to you?’

     ‘She asked, was I happy with you, and did I feel that you were putting me under pressure to stay, I told her not at all, I was very happy with you. She the
n said come on then, let us tell
them the good news.’

     ‘That is all; nothing else, I am so glad
,
I needed to come to the sales and was able to combine the two, I’d have been very annoyed if I had driven all this way for a ten minute consultation, no wonder they didn’t want to come to us.’

     ‘
Owen
, it doesn’t matter, everybody is happy. You are happy aren’t you?’

     ‘Of course I’m happy, what about you
Phillip
? Why have I asked such a stupid question, look at him he is grinning from ear to ear.’

     ‘Hell, I forgot to ask if they could tell me where
Rachel
and
Billy
are.’

     ‘Then let’s go back inside and do just that.’
Gloria
and me start to go inside,
Owen
says,

     ‘Glorr, Jack, and I won’t com
e, we have something to do, we’
ll meet you in an hour at Flinders Street Station.’

     ‘Why, what do you have to do?’

     ‘Just something, see you under the clock in an hour, don’t be late.’

     ‘
Jack
, what is your father up to?’

     ‘Not for me to say Mum.’ They both walk away along
Bourke Street
turning around to give a wave and then continue walking.

     ‘I bet they are going for a beer.’

     ‘I am sorry but we are unable to give addresses. What we can do is pass on the information that you are seeking them
,
then, if they wish to make contact, they can write to you.’

     ‘The same as we did with the Salvation Army.’

     ‘You obviously had no joy.’

     ‘Well, it was
Adelaide
we tried because we knew Billy was there, but Rachel is supposed to be in
Melbourne
.’

     ‘I see, fill out these forms, one for each person you are seeking, at the bottom add as much detail of the person that you can we will do the rest.’ The next half hour is spent filling out forms.

    
Owen
and
Jack
are waiting under the clock, as we come up to them it dings four-o-clock. ‘Did you enjoy your beer?’

     ‘What makes you think we have been for a beer? We have been doing something far more important but we are going for a beer now and then we will tell you all about it.’

     Retracing our steps up
Spencer Street
,
Owen
stops outside the Grand Hotel, then starts to climb the steps,
Jack
follows,

     ‘
Owen
, where are you going, you have to drive home tonight, and you know what you are like after a couple of beers?’

     ‘Glorr just come inside for a moment so I can tell you my good news.’

     ‘In the lounge bar Owen orders a beer for Jack and himself, a gin and tonic for Gloria and lemonade for me; he then sits there with a smug look, refusing to say anything or answer Gloria’s questions, I can see she is getting annoyed. The drinks arrive, Owen says, ‘Raise your glasses we have a double celebration: number one the arrival of Phil into our family, and two: at the sales yesterday our wool sold for twenty percent more than expected, so, to celebrate, I have booked us into here, The Grand Hotel, for one night dinner and breakfast included.’

     ‘You old bugger
Owen
Lewis
; I’ll drink to that; to
Phillip
to Gadoona.’

     I have never been in a hotel let alone stayed in one. The Grand Hotel certainly lives up to its name, the dining room is so grand, the food so wonderful. I was even able to choose what I wanted to eat but couldn’t understand the menu
as it wa
s written in French. Why is that we are in
Australia
and they don’t speak French here. I also had to wear my jacket and a tie; I didn’t have a tie so the boss man in the dining room gave me one.

     The bedrooms are very large; we even have a bathroom in ours that is bigger than my bedroom at Gadoona. The bed’s so big I can’t touch the edges when I lie in the middle; I wonder if this is what it is like to live in
Buckingham
Palace
?

     Back at Gadoona the cows were waiting as usual, there are only three now
Betty
has gone dry, I have become quite good at milking and feel that I am earning my wages. At dinner t
he table feels odd without Jack. O
ver our meal Stan has been filling in Owen with the events during the past week; how he had to get Bill Hamball to give him a hand to repair the boundary fence in the back paddock which had been demolished, he thinks, by kangaroo hunters, it looked like they had driven the vehicle right through it. ‘Are you it sure wasn’t some one after the stock?’

     ‘No, there were thirty-two wethers loose in the forest, we got them back then counted them, and there were six hundred and ten, which was the same count as at shearing.

     ‘Thanks mate, why would they smash down a fence?’

     ‘Bill looked at the tracks, he reckons they were chasing a mob and didn’t see the fence until they crashed into Gadoona, they mus
t have damaged their truck it
had completely taken out a post’

     ‘It’s all sorted now?’

     ‘Yeah
, Owen, as good as gold.’

     ‘Stan, what about Defor, has he been alright?

     ‘Yeah
fine, had him out with Taffy and Joker, he behaved himself, there was no funny business with the sheep, he is either a natural or he’s had some training. His limp slows him down a bit but I don’t think that will not give him any problems in a few months. I think you should use him as a working dog
Phil
, not as a pet, he’d be much happier.’

     ‘How will I do that?’

     ‘No worries mate, I’ll teach yer.’

    
‘Phillip I can’t take you to catch the bus this morning.’

     ‘Great, a day off school; why can’t you----?’

     ‘You don’t get out of it that easy, you can drive yourself.’

     ‘What on my own, by myself?’

     ‘Why not, only difference will be you’ll have no one to talk to.’

     ‘
Gloria
, will it be alright?’

     ‘Of course it will.’ The telephone rings, Gloria runs to answer it, I can hear her, ‘Yes Max, straight away.’ She returns, ‘Phillip it will have to be okay I can’t leave the exchange today, up at Blackmans th
ere has been a serious accident.
Charlie Blackman has had a tree fall on him.’ The telephone rings again, ‘Go on, get going, don’t drive right into Strathdownie, leave the Ute in Baxter’s paddock on the cross road, go on, be off with you’ Gloria dashes to the phone.

     ‘
Phillip
, are you still there?’

     ‘Yes
Gloria
, just going.’

     ‘Bye, be careful, take it slowly, and don’t go overtaking any cars or trucks.’ The telephone rings again,

     ‘I will, I won’t, oh, you know what I mean Bye.’

     ‘Hello
Mrs.
Gallagher
,’

     ‘
G’day
Philip
, how was your day, bet you’re glad to be back at school,’ she says with laugh.

     ‘Good thanks, no, I’d sooner be on holiday. I have just come to pay you that money.’

     ‘Now that is what I li
ke, a prompt payer.’ I place nine
pounds on the counter; Mrs. Gallagher
gives me back nine
shillings.

     ‘I think it was more than that I owed.’

     ‘It was, but I’ve given you discount for prompt payment.’

     ‘Thanks very much
Mrs.
Gallagher
.’

     ‘Don’t mention it’

     ‘
Mrs.
Gallagher
, how much is that
browning .22 rifle
in the glass cabinet?’

     ‘Just under twenty eight pounds, do you like it?’

     ‘I love it; I would have to save for ten weeks to buy it.’

     ‘Phillip, even if you could afford it today I couldn’t sell it to you until you were sixteen, you wouldn’t want me breaking the law would you?’

     ‘Oh well never mind, didn’t know you had to be sixteen, better get home now, bye.’

     Turning to go out of the door I collide with a man coming in,

    ‘
G’day
Phil
haven’t seen you for while
how yer going?’

    ‘Oh;
Constable
Connelly
; eh,
good thanks.’

     ‘On your way home are you
Phil
?’

     ‘Yes, I’d better get going or
Gloria
will be worried about me.’ He puts on an exaggerated stern look, ‘Can I give you some advice; when you are driving that old Dodge back home wear your hat back to front, it will make you look a lot older.’ His face then cracks into a grin and he then ruffles my hair, ‘Be careful.’

     ‘I will sir, thank you.’

     We are now into April;
yesterday
we broke up
for two weeks
from school.
Hope
is bringing May tomorrow to stay for the holiday. I am really looking forward to that because she is such good fun. Thank goodness,
Hope
is only staying for two days. I can’t wait to show May how well I can ride and crack my whip. I still have not managed six but I did five once, I was on my own and nobody believes me, but I don’t care, I know I did it and that is all that matters. Most days I drive myself to the bus,
Gloria
only comes when she needs to go to the store or the church ladies group once every two weeks, but even then I drive, she takes over when I get the bus.

     Defor’s limp has almost disappeared, he has made friends with Taffy and copies everything Taffy does, and when we are mustering Defor is like Taffy’s shadow.
Stan
is happy with him, he reckons that Taffy is a better teacher than him so, to encourage the friendship between them we have moved Defor’s kennel between Taffy’s and Joker.
Stan
says it will give the three of them a chance to discuss tactics when they are not working. I laughed when he said that, his reply,
was, ‘Fair dinkum mate.’
with a serious look, Now I’m not sure at all what to believe, but it is a nice thought. In spite of them being together, Joker will still have nothing to do with Defor.