Puppy Pie (11 page)

‘Ta da!' Shirley says as she walks into the kitchen.

‘What are you doing here?' Helen asks in astonishment.

‘Well, seeing Ted and Jimmy were coming over, I thought I'd get a lift with them. And anyway, I've got a surprise for you.'

‘What?'

‘The CWA is arriving here,' Shirley says glancing at the kitchen clock, ‘in two hours from now.'

‘What? Why?'

‘This,' Shirley states formally, ‘is now the temporary headquarters for the CWA until the crop's in.'

‘What's the CWA?' Gull asks reappearing showered and dressed.

‘What's the CWA? Your education has been sadly neglected,' Shirley answers pompously. ‘Now, young lady, the CWA stands for the Country Women's Association, and without it, every farmer would be starving and totally disorganised. If it wasn't for those strong women members, there would be a great lack of information, energy, camaraderie and, er, scones. The CWA is, to us, what the Amazons were to the Greeks.'

‘Er, right, Gull says quickly. ‘Um, I'll just go and do a few chores.'

‘I think you scared her,' Helen laughs as Gull rushes out of the kitchen and over to the chicken coop.

‘How?' Shirley asks pouring some more tea.

‘I can see Gull expecting strong, tall, fierce warriors to rush through the kitchen door any moment.'

‘And so they are,' Shirley whispers impishly.

Helen shakes her head smiling. ‘Kids!' she calls up the stairs. ‘Six o'clock! Time to get up.' Nobody stirs. ‘And save the farm.'

Almost immediately, Helen hears stirrings as bodies fall out of bed groaning and the shower turned on.

Running over to the Big Shed, Gull checks on the puppies, cuddles a few, strokes Jam, and changes the water and straw. Glancing around to make sure she's alone, Gull takes her digital camera out of her pocket. Sorting the puppies so that they're with their siblings, Gull takes a few shots of each group. At the end of her photo shoot, she mixes the puppies up again. Picking up two puppies, Gull carries them in her arms. Whistling, Gull leaves the big shed and wanders over to feed the chooks the vegetable scraps. Leaving the puppies outside the chicken coop, she makes sure the chooks have enough water, fills the grain bowl and gathers the eggs. In the vegie garden, she waters the herbs and vegetables.
Everything needs water so badly
, she thinks.
Oh, I do hope everything turns out with the hemp because we need a crop that doesn't need much water
. ‘Listen to yourself,' she says. ‘Anyone would think you'd grown up here. Must be Lucy and the twins rubbing off on me.' She giggles, ‘Won't they be surprised when they find out what I've got lined up for the puppies. Got to sell them first,' she mumbles, as she picks up the puppies. Gull looks up: Lucy and the twins are heading for the ute. They see her and wave. ‘Wait!' she calls. Lucy stops. Jake climbs behind the wheel of the ute. ‘Going so early?'

‘Almost half past,' Lucy says. ‘We're the runners on Jimmy's farm today.'

‘Runners?'

‘Yeah. We fetch and carry. You know, food, drink, pitchforks, scythes, big things that look like overgrown scissors. Whatever needs to be done, except cutting, we do. Mum says the CWA is helping out.' Lucy continues more quietly, ‘I'm sorry you're stuck here with Sleeping Beauty. But we can't let anyone else know what's going on. It's just Shirley and us.' Gull shrugs and smiles patiently. ‘Look, this should all be over in a few weeks, Dad reckons. So, fingers crossed. Oh, and Shirley says you want to learn to drive? And she's going to teach you? Great.'

‘Lucy,' Tom yells hanging out the window. ‘Hi Gull. Bye Gull.'

‘See ya,' Lucy waves as she climbs into the ute. Jake waves as he changes gears and drives off.

Gull sighs and walks towards the kitchen with the full bucket and her warm armful of Useless' offspring. She races onto the veranda and deposits them in the box. Then she rushes back to the kitchen. Quietly, she puts the eggs in the fridge and then takes the vegetables over to the sink and begins washing them.

‘Miss your cousins, don't you?' Helen asks coming over to the sink.

‘Just a bit,' Gull shrugs.

‘Sorry you have to be your aunt's keeper,' Helen murmurs awkwardly. ‘It's just that …'

‘We can't let anyone else know,' Gull nods quickly, looking up into Helen's worried eyes. ‘Otherwise, everyone would know. Right?'

‘Right,' Helen nods smiling sadly. ‘Thanks for understanding.' She swings around suddenly towards the screen door. ‘Was that a car?' Oh no, the CWA President's arrived. Oh, dear. I don't know why but she always makes me nervous.' Helen scuttles outside to greet her.

‘Very nice,' the President of the CWA announces as she strides into the house, inspecting the kitchen with a critical eye.

‘And this is my niece, Gull. She's staying for the summer holidays. Gull, meet Mrs Sprogg.'

‘Very nice,' the President repeats hardly glancing at Gull.

Trying to think of a topic of conversation, Helen says looking at Gull, ‘Mrs Sprogg has recently married. Ah, where did you go for your honeymoon, Norah?'

‘A wonderful time,' Norah Sprogg says, softening for a moment. ‘But of course, not nearly as good as home. Ah, where did we go, you ask? Oh, Cyril and I travelled all over Europe and the Americas.'

‘Um, I think your husband was out here recently,' Helen says.

‘Has he got colourle …, er, sandy hair?' Gull asks squirming.

‘Yes, he does have light, sandy coloured hair,' Mrs Sprogg says coldly. ‘He's very clever to have made Bank Manager at such a young age. You know, we both grew up here and he wanted to come back and settle.'

‘Oh,' Gull says. The conversation flags. Then Helen, who has been trying to think of something to say, blurts out, ‘Is your husband fond of dogs, Norah? Or puppies?'

‘Can't stand them,' Mrs Sprogg sniffs as she sits down heavily in a kitchen chair. It groans.

‘Cup of tea?' Helen asks nervously.

‘Yes, of course,' Mrs Sprogg replies as she runs a finger over the kitchen table, searching for dust.

Helen switches on the kettle and says to Gull, ‘I think Shirley was looking for you. She wanted to have a quick word.'

Relieved, Gull disappears into the lounge room and shuts the door.

‘You've met Norah Sprogg, I see,' Shirley says.

‘How'd you guess?'

‘Well, you look uncomfortably nervous just like Helen does after spending five minutes with her.'

‘Does everybody feel the same way?'

‘Yes, mostly,' Shirley grins. ‘She's one of those women it's just painful to be around. I think she likes to make people feel uncomfortable so they'll blurt out things they wouldn't normally say. That's why it's vital that we don't mention Helen's, er, sleeping habit. And as she probably told you, Norah recently married Cyril Sprogg. He's quite a few years younger than she is and pretty harmless. Personally, I think she just wanted someone to boss around at home. Can't see that he'd have much backbone. Anyway, that's their business: I always tell myself I won't gossip but, somehow, Norah Sprogg brings out the worst in me.'

‘It's alright, Shirley,' Gull says gently. ‘I won't spill the beans.'

Shirley laughs. ‘I know you won't, sweetie. Anyway, I'll stay here this morning until Norah's gone. If anyone asks where Helen is, just say she's catching up on … oh, how I hate lying!'

‘I'll just say she's busy,' Gull says.

‘Perfect,' Shirley sighs. ‘And what she's busy doing is nobody's business. Am I right or am I right?'

‘You're right, Shirley,' Gull grins.

Shortly after 7.30am, the rest of the CWA members start arriving. In no time, the kitchen is full of warm, friendly faces with loads of bread, fillings and cakes. Hurriedly, Shirley introduces Gull. She smiles at them all, relieved to find that they are not nearly as fierce as she imagined, and not a shield or a spear to be seen.

Glancing at the kitchen clock, Shirley, Helen and Gull excuse themselves pleading paperwork and disappear into the lounge room, shutting the door firmly behind them.

As soon as Helen nods off in her armchair, Gull turns on the computer as Shirley slips out to join the other women. From the lounge room, even with the door closed, Gull can hear the women laughing and chatting, plates and cutlery clanging and spoons stirring in mugs.

* * *

But what's the answer?
Ma thinks to herself as she crouches on Useless' head, the other mites scattered throughout his fur: they know when to leave Ma alone.

Curling herself into an infinitesimal ball, Ma thinks deeply.
Why is Helen falling asleep?
She shakes her head.
Surely if she's picking up on this different vibration, she should be dancing. Or singing. Or humming. Or something. Not falling asleep. If she's so sensitive, why is she falling asleep?

And where is that Cha-Cha hiding? And why doesn't she answer? Cha-Cha, you know you can't hide from me forever.
She frowns.
And I know you can hear me.

* * *

Stretching after several hours have passed, Gull smiles as she clicks out of the Internet. She looks at her empty plate.
Need a refill
, she thinks. She glances at her watch.
Wish Shirley would come back. Oh well
! Gull gets up from her desk and goes over to the window and looks out towards the flattened, forlorn paddocks. Then, Shirley walks in.

‘Go and have a break,' Shirley says. ‘Any new prophecies?'

‘Not so far,' Gull shrugs. ‘Think I'll go for a walk.'

‘Good idea,' Shirley replies. ‘Take your time. I think the CWA is about to finish up for the day anyway. Just see if you can snaffle us something to eat on your way back.'

As Gull leaves the lounge room, she hears the ute pulling up, and sees Lucy by the screen door. Gull notices Norah Sprogg folding and unfolding a tea towel by the kitchen sink.
That must be hard work
, Gull thinks annoyed.
Strange that everybody else can find something more helpful to do
.

As the cousins enter the kitchen from different sides of the room, Norah Sprogg clears her throat audibly. ‘Funny isn't it?' she begins, ‘With this new crop? Seems that wherever harvesting starts, the crop falls down. I wonder if it has something to do with the three Harvesters.' She pauses briefly. ‘They've all been here first, haven't they?' A strange hush falls on the other conversations. ‘I wonder if there's a blight being carried from this farm to the others?'

The other women straighten up stunned into silence. Lucy and Gull, on opposite sides of the room, stand stock-still. Gull looks over at Lucy and involuntarily takes a step back. Lucy's eyes are very bright: she is furious. Lucy walks straight over to Norah Sprogg and stands right in front of her. Through gritted teeth, Lucy says clearly, ‘The only blight on our farm, Mrs Sprogg, is you.'

‘Well, I never,' Norah Sprogg gasps, blustering as she takes a step back. ‘Of all the nerve! Here I am giving my time to help your family. And this is the thanks I get.' She tightens her grip on the tea towel in her hands, twisting it backwards and forwards. ‘And rudeness from someone who should be very grateful to me. Well, your family deserves everything that's coming to it,' she says coldly.

‘Oh, can that be the time?' one of the other women pipes up nervously, as she starts rearranging the pepper and salt on the kitchen table. Several of the older women look daggers at Norah Sprogg but as she is busy packing up her things, Norah doesn't seem to notice.

‘Well, I think we've finished for today,' a friendly, plump, older woman says. ‘But we'll all be back tomorrow, Lucy. Make sure you tell your mother Doris said so,' she says firmly.

‘I won't be,' Mrs Sprogg says sternly. Ominously, she adds, ‘My work here is done.' With that, she picks up her handbag and trots out, head in the air. They hear her rev up her new Holden and drive off at top speed.

Just then, Lucy bursts into tears and runs past Gull sobbing.

Gull feels torn. Does she run after Lucy? Or stay and try to explain.
The trouble is
, Gull thinks looking around the room at the stunned women,
I saw Mrs Sprogg's words hit home.

‘Put the kettle on someone. Before we go, we'll have a cuppa together,' Doris says firmly.

‘Er,' Gull says awkwardly, ‘I'll be back.' With that, she rushes out of the kitchen and into the lounge room to find Shirley.

Incoherently sobbing at the far end of the study, Lucy is standing with Shirley's arms around her. ‘She's okay,' Shirley mouths to Gull. Relieved, Gull walks back to the kitchen.

‘Is Lucy alright?' one of the women asks solicitously.

‘She will be soon,' Gull says grabbing a glass of water.

‘That Norah Sprogg,' Doris, the plump woman, says shaking her head. ‘She can be a nasty piece of work. A good president, of course, but a pain in the neck. Now that's she caught that Cyril character …'

‘A spineless looking creature if ever there was one,' another woman adds.

‘… she thinks she's the bee's knees, throwing her weight around and upsetting everyone,' Doris finishes.

‘Poor Lucy,' several of the women murmur.

‘So you don't think it's true?' a timid looking woman asks. There's an uncomfortable silence. A few women start to fidget.

‘What's true?' Doris asks innocently.

‘About the blight,' the timid woman mumbles.

‘Of course it's not true,' Doris announces. ‘Stuff and nonsense.'

‘Yes, just coincidence,' the timid woman says. ‘I suppose,' she adds softly.

While Gull sips the water, she senses the women splitting into two camps, even though no one moves
. I bet those timid ones will side with Norah Sprogg
, she thinks.
They look like they need someone to follow
.