The Sequin Star (13 page)

Jem pushed back his thick forelock of sandy hair. ‘It's up and down like everywhere else, but at least I have a job.'

They scrambled over the last of the dunes and down onto the beach. The bay spread out before them, opening to the sea. Tiny waves lapped on the shore and the blue water sparkled in the sunlight. Behind them the dunes were covered in a low, green scrub that hid the shanty town from view. Jem's brothers and sisters were already in their bathing costumes, shrieking and splashing in the water.

Claire, Rosina and Jem soon joined them, taking it in turns to get changed behind a handy bush. Claire loved the feeling of diving into the clean, cold water. However, the saltwater stung her legs. Back on the sand, she noticed that her legs were covered in tiny, red bites.

Mrs Bates sat down on the sand and watched the children play. After a swim, Billie and Freddie pestered Jem into a game of cricket. Everyone joined in, laughing and shouting as the ball was whacked all over the beach. Rosina could bat but she couldn't run.

Jem took the bat for his turn. ‘Now watch the great Don score three hundred and thirty-four runs for Australia.'

The kids cheered. Tibby took the ball and bowled it straight at the driftwood stumps. Jem hit the ball high and began to run. Claire leapt and caught the ball in one hand.

‘Yes,' she shouted, as she rolled in the sand. ‘The great Don out for a duck.'

After a boisterous game of cricket, everyone sat to eat the picnic. Mrs Bates had made a spicy raisin cake with lemon, cinnamon and nutmeg. Jem cut up the apples to share between everyone. The children ate slowly, making every crumb last as long as possible.

‘Mum, will you have a slice?' asked Jem.

‘Oh, no thanks,' Mrs Bates insisted. ‘I'm not hungry. I'll have something to eat later.'

‘This is delicious, thanks, Mrs Bates,' Claire enthused.

‘We call it a butterless, milkless, eggless cake,' joked Mrs Bates, ‘although I did put a slurp of milk in this one.'

However, between ten people, there was very little of the cake or apples left over. The youngest children licked their fingers and picked up the few crumbs left in the bottom of the tin.

‘How are the Deacons?' asked Jem. He turned to Rosina and Claire to explain. ‘They are our neighbours here in the valley. Archie Deacon was my best friend when I lived here. We went to school together until we were twelve.'

Mrs Bates rubbed her forehead. ‘Archie left home a few months ago looking for work. I think he's up in Queensland somewhere. His mum had another baby in November.'

‘
Another one
?' asked Jem. ‘That must be the ninth?'

Mrs Bates nodded as she suppressed another coughing fit and stared off into the bay. ‘The rich get richer and the poor get more babies,' she quipped. ‘Not that I would give back any of mine for anything.'

Lizzie climbed into her mother's lap and sucked her thumb. Mrs Bates kissed her tenderly on top of her head.

‘Jem, show us some of your circus tricks,' Tibby begged. ‘What can you do now?'

Jem pretended to refuse but was finally convinced by his siblings. He took an enamel plate, cake tin and cricket ball and juggled them high in the air. He showed the kids how he could do flip-flaps, somersaulting from feet to hands to feet again. He walked on his hands and did cartwheels in a huge circle on the sand.

At last Jem stopped and bowed theatrically. Everyone clapped, cheered and whistled.

He turned to his mother with a sad smile. ‘Sorry, Mum, but we have to get the tram back. We have a long way to go.'

Mrs Bates breathed in, twisting the rag between her fingers. Claire noticed that the damp cloth was flecked with blood.

‘Don't go, Jem,' called Tibby. ‘Stay and show us some more tricks.'

‘I want to see the monkeys,' Nancy added. ‘I wish you'd brought Lula with you.'

‘It was too far to bring Lula on the tram,' Rosina explained. ‘She would have been frightened of all the people. She's happier at home with her monkey friends.'

‘I wish we could come to the circus and see you,' whined Freddie. ‘I never seen a circus.'

‘Stop it – you know we can't afford the tram fare,' hissed Billie.

‘We could go in the billy cart we made out of an old packing case we found at the tip.'

‘That's just stupid, Freddie. It'd take hours to get there by billie cart.'

‘Cut it out, lads. I'd love to take you to see my circus,' Jem said to his youngest brother. ‘But why don't I visit you again on Sunday, and then I can show you my chair-balancing act?'

‘It's pretty amazing,' Claire said. ‘I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it.'

‘That would be wonderful, Jem, although I don't want you smashing my only chair,' said Mrs Bates.

‘I'll build you another one, Mum,' Jem promised.

Rosina stood up and dusted the sand off her legs. ‘If we don't hurry we'll be late and the ringmaster, Alfredo Sterling, will feed us to Sultan the lion. He is furious if anyone is ever late.'

Jem jumped to his feet. ‘Next time we come, remind me to tell you about the time Princess Rosina here saved a poor roustabout from being gobbled by Sultan and then single-handedly recaptured a runaway elephant.'

The children squealed with excitement.

‘Tell us now, Jem. Tell us now or I'll tickle you to death,' Tibby insisted.

‘All right then,' Jem said. ‘Why don't I tell you the story while we walk back to the tram. But not one interruption – do you hear me? – or you won't have time to hear the ending.'

The children leapt to their feet in great excitement. Jem leant down to help his mother up. She stood, squeezing both his hands weakly in her own. Everyone dressed quickly then set off for the walk back to the tram stop.

Jem told the story of Sultan and Elsie's escape on their first day in Sydney, adding lots of exaggerated detail and death-defying stunts. The tram trundled in just as they arrived back at La Perouse, and Jem finished the story from the running board as it started to move off. Tibby stared at Rosina in awe. Rosina winked back.

‘Make sure you all work hard at school,' Jem admonished his siblings. ‘Bye, Mum. See you on Sunday.'

‘Thanks for having us, Mrs Bates,' called Claire.

The kids ran along beside the tram, waving and yelling goodbye. Mrs Bates stood in the roadway, twisting her rag. She shaded her eyes and waved madly. As the tram turned the corner she turned away and wiped her eyes.

Claire sat down as the tram rocked and swayed. She scratched the itchy flea bites on her leg and thought about her day at Happy Valley.
I can't believe that Jem's family is living in a hut made of scraps
.
I can't believe that so many people are living in such desperate poverty. Nanna has never told me about her life during the Depression. Maybe the memories are just too painful.

12
Elephant Bath

The next day, Rosina declared it was bath day for the elephants. There was a tap on one side of the lot, on the wall beside the abandoned department store where everyone collected their water. Elsie went first.

Claire thought Elsie must know exactly what was happening because she pranced along, her trunk held high with anticipation. The elephant then cracked a leafy branch off a nearby tree with her trunk and used the plant to swish away annoying flies.

Rosina hopped along on her crutches. Claire carried a large galvanised iron tub filled with scrubbing brushes, a file and bottles of oil. They stopped on the grass next to the tap.

‘Down, Elsie,' Rosina ordered, laying her crutches against the brick wall. Elsie dropped to her hindquarters then lowered her forelegs and rolled onto her side. She looked up at Claire with quick, intelligent eyes, and picked up a trunkful of dried leaves and grass. She blew it at Claire, as if to say ‘hurry up'. Claire laughed and tickled Elsie's trunk.

Rosina turned on the water and sprayed Elsie with it playfully. Elsie trumpeted with excitement.

‘I'm on hose, you're on scrubbing brush,' Rosina said with a twinkle in her eyes.

‘I've never bathed an elephant before,' Claire groaned. ‘What on earth do I have to do?'

Rosina directed the water all over Elsie's back and legs.

‘When Elsie's nice and wet, we pour this special soap on her skin, then you use the scrubbing brush to give her a really good massage.'

Claire squirted a long stream of soap down Elsie's back. She then knelt down and used the scrubbing brush to lather the soap up. Elsie hurrumphed with pleasure.

‘The soap has lots of oil in it, which helps keep her skin moist and healthy,' Rosina explained. ‘Use the scrubbing brush in a circular motion. It helps slough off the old skin, and she loves it.'

Fortunately Jem came along to help Claire – it was hard work scrubbing the huge elephant by herself.

Elsie had just rolled over so they could wash her other side when Jem noticed the black limousine pulling up at the front of the lot, beside the store.

‘Looks like company,' he said darkly. ‘Your toff mate's just arrived in his swanky car.'

Rosina looked up and smiled. ‘Perhaps he's come to help us wash Elsie?'

‘That lad doesn't look like he's done a day's work in his life. He'd get his pretty suit muddy.'

Kit wandered over, smiling. ‘Good morning, everyone. Elsie looks like she's really enjoying that.'

Jem scrubbed harder. Claire sat back on her heels and said hello, enjoying the excuse to stretch her back. Rosina trickled water down Elsie's face.

‘She loves playing in water,' Rosina said. ‘Usually in the country we make sure we camp by a creek or river so the elephants can have plenty of time swimming and splashing. But here in the city we have to make do with a hose.'

‘I came to see how your knee was,' Kit said. ‘Are you feeling better?'

‘It's a bit sore today,' Rosina confessed. ‘We went on a big expedition down to La Perouse yesterday by tram, but I performed in the ring last night. I still can't do the bareback routine, but I could do most of the others.'

Claire remembered how horrified she'd been the night before to see Rosina in her Wild West act, swinging up and down from the ground to horseback and back again.

‘La Perouse?' asked Kit. ‘What were you doing all the way down there?'

‘We went to visit Jem's family,' Claire replied. ‘They live in the camp at Happy Valley.'

Jem scowled at Claire. She flushed and started scrubbing again. He obviously didn't want to talk about his family in front of Kit.

‘The unemployment camp?' asked Kit. Claire thought there was a slight note of condescension in his voice.

Rosina washed away the suds covering Elsie's hide. ‘Jem is supporting his mother and six brothers and sisters,' she said quietly. ‘Without his wages, they'd be destitute. Even now, they barely have enough to eat.'

‘They're fine,' snapped Jem.

Kit looked at Jem with compassion and admiration. ‘I'm sorry to hear that, Jem. That's tough.'

Jem kept scrubbing in big circles. Elsie wound her trunk around his neck and blew down his shirt.

‘That looks like hard work,' said Kit. ‘Can I help?'

Jem looked at Kit in his pale three-piece suit, white shirt, tie and hat.

‘You're not really dressed for it, mate,' Jem snorted.

‘Easily fixed,' Kit replied. He took his jacket, waistcoat and tie off and hung them on a piece of metal jutting out of the brick wall like a coat hook. He balanced his hat on top, rolled up his sleeves and patted Elsie on her side. ‘Pass me a brush?'

Kit sank back on his heels and started scrubbing, copying Claire's technique.

‘I was thinking about your knee, Rosina, and the bridge opening on Saturday.' Kit paused, looking down at Elsie's wrinkled hide. ‘I wondered if you'd like to come along with me to the opening celebrations. As one of the organisers, my father is hosting a few people right near the official dais, so we'll get a good view of the parade and the ceremony.'

He glanced up at Rosina before continuing. ‘I could pick you up in the car to save you trying to walk. There will be hundreds of thousands of people in the streets.'

A look of longing crossed Rosina's face, but she shook her head. ‘Thanks, Kit. Claire, Jem and I had planned to go together. We'll leave early and hope we get a good spot.'

Kit glanced at Jem in his working outfit of dirty trousers, faded blue shirt and suspenders, then at Claire in sodden jodhpurs and muddy shirt. He smiled at Rosina.

‘My apologies – of course the invitation was for all of you,' Kit assured them. ‘Actually, we're also hosting a ball in the evening, which I hoped you all could come to. Our house is at Kirribilli on the waterfront, so we'll have a terrific view of the fireworks and the Venetian carnival.'

Jem glowered as he scrubbed Elsie's feet. Claire's heart leapt. She would love to see Kit's house and spend some more time with him.

‘That sounds like fun,' Claire said quickly before Jem could raise any objections.

Rosina took a small tub of Vaseline from the bucket and dabbed it around Elsie's eyes. She glanced from Claire to Jem. Jem refused to meet her eyes.

‘Thank you, Kit,' Rosina said. ‘We'd love to come.'

Kit nodded and smiled. ‘Wonderful. I'll come and pick you up with the car at about eight o'clock. Bring all your clothes for the ball. You might as well get ready at my house to save you coming back here.'

Rosina grinned at Claire with excitement. ‘And now I'm going to show you a very important skill.' Rosina pulled the file out of the bucket. ‘How to give an elephant a pedicure.' Rosina turned the bucket upside down. ‘Up, girl.' Elsie rose and lifted her huge foot, delicately placing it on top of the bucket. ‘Steady.'

Kit gamely agreed to file Elsie's toenails. Elsie ruffled his hair with her trunk. When Elsie was done, it was time to give Empress her bath. Finally, when all the grooming was finished, Kit reluctantly said he had to go.

When Kit had walked back to the limousine, carrying his discarded clothes, Jem turned to Rosina. ‘Why'd you say we'd go with him?' he demanded. ‘I thought we'd agreed to go together.'

Rosina sighed. ‘Don't be like that, Jem. It'll be a great opportunity – and we are still going together.'

‘What are we going to wear?' asked Jem. ‘I don't think your spangled tutu would be quite right for a glitzy, bigwig occasion. We don't have the money to buy fancy ball gowns, remember?'

Claire's heart sank with disappointment. She had no clothes at all, other than her jeans and the ones she had been borrowing from Rosina.

‘Don't you worry, Jem. Claire and I will take care of everything,' Rosina assured him. ‘This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and we are going to make the most of it.'

Jem grumbled something under his breath about ‘bloomin' toffs'.

‘Kit's just trying to be nice,' Claire added.

‘I don't need his pity, or anyone else's,' Jem snapped, storming off.

Rosina looked at Claire and shrugged.

‘Jem's right,' said Claire. ‘We'll need some fancy clothes if we are going to the VIP opening and a ball.'

‘Come on,' Rosina said. ‘Let's get cleaned up. You and I are going shopping.'

Rosina's idea of shopping was to head to the sprawling markets near Chinatown in the city. As well as the vast produce stalls selling fish, fruit and vegetables, there was a smaller market that specialised in second-hand goods. A large number of stalls were piled high with old clothes and shoes – everything from shabby suits, shirts, faded dresses, hats and threadbare gloves to evening wear.

The markets were dingy and dirty, and Claire felt nervous. Some of the men lurking against the walls looked as though they could be underworld criminals, with their hats pulled low over their faces. One had a sinister scar on his face like a sabre slash. He eyed Claire up and down, and muttered something to his companion. They both sniggered.

‘Is it safe here?' asked Claire nervously as they pushed their way through the heaving crowds.

‘Stay close to me,' Rosina warned, swinging on her crutches. ‘You don't want to get lost here.'

The noise was deafening. Vendors yelled out, spruiking their wares. Customers haggled, laughed and argued. In the crush, Claire could smell the fug of unwashed bodies, rotting vegetables and old fish. She grasped hold of Rosina's elbow and hung on.

Rosina pointed towards a stall where the clothes looked finer than the rest. ‘That's the one we want.'

Many of the other stalls had everyday working clothes in drab, utilitarian colours. This one had better quality clothes in a rainbow of colours and fabrics.

‘The rich people in the Eastern suburbs give their old clothing to their servants or away to charity,' Rosina explained. ‘Lots of it ends up here to be sold. Last time I came with Malia and we bought some beautiful dresses and fabrics really cheaply, which we altered into costumes for the show.'

Claire's eyes lit up. ‘So you're hoping we can find something here we can use for Saturday?'

‘Exactly,' said Rosina. ‘Now the secret is not to show any enthusiasm for anything, and let me do the bargaining. But tell me if you find anything you think might be useful.'

The girls wandered over to the table. Rosina took off her gloves so she could feel the fabric with her fingertips. She feigned an aloof attitude.

The woman behind the counter was hard-faced, with her hair cut into a messy bob under a grubby felt hat. She watched the girls with sharp eyes, as though suspecting they might grab and run.

‘How much?' asked Rosina, pointing to an uninspiring print frock. Claire noticed that Rosina adopted a broader, working-class accent when talking to the stallholder.

‘Five shillings,' the woman replied.

‘Cripes, no,' said Rosina, dropping the garment with distaste. ‘I don't think so.'

Rosina and Claire rifled through the clothes. Claire felt disheartened; she didn't like the look of anything there. Many of the clothes were in larger sizes and the styles were quaintly old-fashioned. Others were stained or marked and smelled of stale sweat and mothballs.

‘I don't think there's anything here at all,' Claire commented, wrinkling her nose.

‘You're probably right,' Rosina agreed, putting down a moth-eaten fur stole.

The stallholder turned away. Rosina raised her eyebrows at Claire meaningfully. She tweaked a dress out from under the pile. It was an old evening dress, shaped a bit like a long sack, but made of an exquisitely soft, green velvet. Then she pulled out another dress made of silky crimson satin. Again, the dress itself was nothing special, but the fabric was luscious.

Claire looked at Rosina with surprise. She wouldn't want to go anywhere dressed in either of the dresses. Rosina held the green velvet dress up against Claire.