The January Wish (21 page)

Shaking that thought from his mind too, Mark remembered that Grace had cancelled her follow up appointment last week.
Oh well, she must be doing alright then.
Or maybe she was too busy at the moment.
He hoped she’d come back though, there were other things he wanted to discuss with her. He decided if he hadn’t heard from her within the next month he’d call to see how she was going and encourage another consultation. Mark didn’t want another tragedy on his conscience.

* * *

‘I’ve seen that guy around, who is he?’ Jonah asked, after Grace waved to Mark as he cycled past.

‘Mark Bastian. He’s the naturopath who works with Sylvia.’

‘Oh, right.’

‘I should have asked him to give me something to settle my nerves for today!’ Grace fiddled with her uniform as they walked around the corner towards the high school hall.

‘I can give you something,’ Jonah said, drawing her in and kissing her lips. ‘Anyway, you’ll be fine. I don’t know anyone who ever failed their first taekwondo grading. In another couple of hours you’ll be an official yellow belt!’

Grace smiled. ‘It would be good to bring some colour to this uniform, I feel like a ghost!’

Jonah wiggled his fingers in the air and sang, ‘Doo-doo-doo-doo, Doo-doo-doo-doo,’ in a spooky
Twilight Zone
voice, before wrapping an arm around her waist.

‘You’re crazy.’ Grace laughed.

‘That’s what happens when people get haunted by ghosts, they go craazeee!’

Grace gave him a friendly slap across the chest, and within minutes the lighthearted mood Jonah had managed to create dissipated as they arrived at the check-in desk for the grading. Grace got her name ticked off, and Jonah led her to where she had to wait while he went to join the other black belts who were helping out for the day. She exchanged nervous glances with a few other white belts, and looked over at the blue and red belts, wondering if she’d ever get to their level, let alone black belt level.

Sitting around waiting was making her sleepy, so she wiggled her legs and took a few sips of water, and soon the official proceedings began. After a ten minute warm-up, the white belts were first to take their position and perform the stances, while a crowd of about thirty or forty people in the audience watched in silence—except for a few young children who chattered and giggled, parents shushing them.

Next, Grace performed the blocking techniques, followed by basic kicks and punches. Each movement had to be accompanied by an enthusiastic
gee yup
, or loud yell, a way of raising your energy and intimidating your opponent. At the first class she attended she’d felt awkward and embarrassed to yell, but once she saw other people doing it she got into it, proudly
gee yupping
with the best of them! Apparently you lost points if you didn’t
gee yup
with enough enthusiasm, so Grace thought she might as well perfect that aspect of the martial art in case she needed it to make up for lack of skill in any other area.

Before too long that portion of the grading was over, and Grace took her seat again, waiting and watching as each belt level performed their required techniques. It was great to watch some of the more advanced kick combinations from the red belts. Grace had tried a couple of them in the privacy of her caravan, but the lack of room combined with lack of training resulted in her knocking over the plastic bowls and cutlery on her tiny kitchenette bench, and falling onto the bed causing it to fold backwards into its alter ego, the makeshift couch.

When all the techniques had been assessed, Grace and the other white belts rose from their seats for the sparring component of the grading. She was paired up with a girl a few years younger, but the same height as her. A female black belt in her twenties she’d seen at some of the classes stood near them, acting as a referee, and Jonah stood near one of the other pairs. Master Jin gave the instructions and they began sparring. Grace and her opponent kicked and punched while moving around, making sure not to contact each other. It looked more like playing than fighting and, with the girl’s high-pitched
gee yupping
that sounded like a crow on helium, Grace tried hard not to laugh.

When all the belt levels had performed their spar, the students went through some cool down exercises then sat on the floor while Master Jin talked about their results. He announced that everyone had passed, and even though Grace knew she had, she wondered what he would say if she hadn’t. ‘Everyone has passed, except for YOU, Grace Forrester!’ and everyone would look at her and laugh until she ran from the room crying. Silly, but sometimes her mind thought up worst-case scenarios so that anything else would feel like a bonus.

They gathered everyone for a group photo and Grace managed to get a stranger from the audience to agree to taking a photo using her phone camera. If they ran off with her phone, she could always run up and attack them with a front kick, side kick, and double punch at yellow belt level. At least her
gee yup
might be black belt standard, and if anything, it might simply shock them into surrender. Unfortunately, her new skills weren’t needed as she got her phone back safely.

‘See, I told you you’d be a yellow belt by this afternoon,’ Jonah said as he met her outside the school with a high five. ‘Congratulations.’

‘Thanks. Not as significant as a black belt though,’ Grace replied.

‘Hey, all black belts were yellow belts at one stage. It’s all part of the journey.’

Jonah’s other friends came over to chat to Grace for a while and when they finished, Grace swung around to see where Jonah was. He was deep in conversation with Lauren, and her hand was on his arm, leaning in close as though telling him something private. What was going on? An uncomfortable twinge pulled at Grace’s stomach. Lauren was her friend, wasn’t she? Did she have feelings for Jonah?

Lauren’s hand dropped and she stepped back when she saw Grace glancing at her and Jonah, then she walked over to her. ‘Well done Grace, you put up a good fight in the sparring.’ Lauren held up her hand for a high five.

Grace awkwardly reciprocated. ‘Thanks, Lauren.’

‘I was just saying to Jonah we should all go get some food and hang out, you wanna come?’

She had to touch him
and
lean in close to suggest they all go and hang out? It looked more personal than that, and Jonah was now shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other.

‘Um…to be honest, I’m totally wiped,’ Grace explained. ‘I think I’ll go and crash for a while.’ She’d rather be with Jonah, and rather Lauren wasn’t with him alone, but a heavy fatigue was casting its shadow over her and she really needed to lie down. She’d been overdoing things lately—taekwondo, gym classes, cycling, swimming, work, and her busy new social life.

‘You sure?’ Jonah asked, and Grace nodded. ‘How about we meet up for dinner then?’

‘Sounds good. I’ll call you later?’ Grace asked.

Jonah nodded. ‘I can walk you home if you like.’ He gestured towards the road that led to the caravan park.

‘No need, you guys go and hang out, I’ll catch up with you later.’ Grace kissed Jonah and he squeezed her tight. It felt good, but there was hesitancy in his touch, and she wondered what Lauren had said to him to shake his usual buoyancy.

As Grace walked up the road, she turned to look at the others who were walking in the opposite direction. Lauren was talking to Jonah again, and he was shaking his head. There must be something going on they weren’t letting her in on. But how could she bring it up without sounding like she was being possessive? It could be nothing. After all, they had known each other since they were kids. Surely if they liked each other something would have happened by now.

By the time Grace got back to the caravan she didn’t have the energy to think about it anymore. She took off her belt and pulled open the fold-out bed, flopping onto it without bothering to get out of her uniform. Minutes later she was fast asleep.

It had taken Sylvia’s parents long enough to reply to her email about Grace, so it didn’t surprise her that almost a month had passed before they called her on the phone. The email, written by her mum, said they were planning on being on the road around the time of the variety concert, but would give her a call down the track and let her know for sure. Then she’d written:
I thought this day might come
.
Your father and I agree that you should be careful not to get too close, we don’t want to see you hurt or disappointed
.

So when Sylvia saw her mother’s number on the caller ID, she took a breath and braced herself for ‘the conversation’ that had been eighteen years in the making.

‘Hi Mum,’ Sylvia said lightheartedly.

‘Hi sweetheart, how are you?’ her mother responded, and without waiting for a reply, she continued. ‘Your father and I had a great time in Western Australia, such a big place so we’ll probably go back for another trip again sometime.’

‘That’s good. Where are you off to in June?’

‘June? Oh yes, South Australia. We’re going on a winter getaway for seniors for two weeks, including a winery tour. We were planning on going during the first two weeks of June, but managed to adjust our booking for the second half of that month.’

Making them available for the variety concert. ‘So, does that mean you’ll —’ Sylvia began.

‘We’ll be coming to watch the concert, and…meet Grace.’

Finally, a definite answer. ‘Thanks Mum, Grace will be happy to hear that,’ Sylvia said. ‘And wait till you hear her play, she’s phenomenal.’

‘Well, it does run in the family. Speaking of which, I’ll have to give the old piano keys a workout when we visit.’

‘Of course. Although they’ve been getting a workout with Grace’s practising,’ Sylvia replied.

‘She’s been practising on my old piano?’

‘Yes, surely that’s okay?’

‘Yes, yes, that’s fine. It’s just strange, that’s all. So, you’ve been spending a fair bit of time together?’

‘A fair bit. Work takes up much of the weekdays of course, but on weekends and some evenings we often get together.’ Sylvia paused for a moment. ‘She’s a great girl, Mum.’ Somehow a smidgen of moisture had worked its way out of Sylvia’s eyes. Why was she feeling so emotional? She still hardly knew Grace, but couldn’t help feeling a sense of pride at how she turned out. Obviously, Grace’s adoptive parents had done all the work. But Sylvia wondered, hoped, that the little she contributed, if only genes and a healthy gestational environment, had some impact on the young woman Grace had become.

‘Have you told anyone in town…about her?’ Sylvia’s mother asked tentatively.

‘Only Larissa. People must have seen me with her, but no one’s asked about the connection. Anyway, it was a long time ago; maybe it doesn’t matter so much if people find out.’

Sylvia walked across the living room as she spoke, and waited for a response. ‘Mum?’

‘I’m here,’ she replied. ‘Your father and I think it’s best if you keep it on a need-to-know basis. Yes it was a long time ago, but many of your father’s old colleagues still live in Tarrin’s Bay, and as you know, we see them whenever we visit. The knowledge of an illegitimate granddaughter could still affect his reputation, not to mention yours. You’re a pillar in the community to be looked up to, and—‘

‘Mum, many young unwed women have become pregnant,’ Sylvia interjected. ‘These things happen, and we shouldn’t—
I shouldn’t
—have to feel ashamed about it.’

‘I’m not saying you should be ashamed, I’m just saying that some things are best left in the past. Why risk affecting your respectable status in the community by declaring you had a baby when you were only sixteen? You were so young Sylvia, so young…’

Sylvia knew her mother would be shaking her head from side to side right now, remembering the disappointment of her daughter’s youth and innocence being cut short. ‘And yet despite my young age, I managed to get on with my life and build a successful career helping others. Surely that’s something to be looked up to?’ Sylvia was pacing up and down the room now.

‘Of course it is, and we’re very proud of you. We just…don’t want you making a mistake by getting too close to this girl. She could up and leave at any time, probably will, and then how will you feel?’

‘
This
girl? She’s my daughter, Mum. And it just so happens that she lost her adoptive mother last year. I want to be there for her, to be a part of her life.’ Sylvia thought back to the Wishing Festival, and smiled at the amazing events that had taken place since then. ‘I wished I could meet Grace, and be given a second chance at being a mother. Now that I have the opportunity I’m not going to let it slide.’ Warmth rushed to Sylvia’s face and her bottom lip trembled. ‘I won’t let her go
again
.’

Although Sylvia knew she could never replace the mother who had raised Grace from birth, she wanted nothing more than to prove to Grace, and herself, that she was worthy of being a mother. That given the chance, she could rise up and take on the role with commitment and love, with the same passion she’d infused into her medical career. Her wish to be given a second chance was unfolding, and there was no turning back. Grace was in her life now. And not only did Sylvia want a second chance with Grace, but she also hoped for,
wished
for, another chance to become a mother. Properly this time. Meet the right man, have a baby, and this time, bring her baby home.

‘Thirty-five today, huh? You’ve finally caught up with me,’ Larissa said to Sylvia as they sat down to lunch at Café Lagoon.

‘Yep, definitely getting old now!’ Sylvia replied, smiling on the outside but shrieking on the inside, knowing all too well that once a woman gets to the age of thirty-five her fertility rapidly declines. She’d read the research and seen it all too often with patients. Plus the risk of miscarriage or conceiving a baby with genetic anomalies was higher after this age. That was the least of her worries right now though. How would she even be able to
have
another baby if she hadn’t found the right man yet? She’d thought Richard might be it, but look how that turned out. Then Mark, but he was still grieving for his dead wife. Maybe she needed to get out of town, move to a place with a higher population of single men who were ready for commitment. If such a place existed. Nah, she was settled and happy in Tarrin’s Bay, and she wouldn’t dare leave her patients behind. ‘Thanks for my present Riss, I definitely need a “three-hour stress-busting forget-all-your-worries pamper treatment”!’ Sylvia waved the voucher Larissa had given her in the air. This time she’d have to remember to keep visions of shaving cream far from her mind.