by John Kelly
A few minutes later, Elsie emerged from Unit 49.
"Hello, are you the one who is taking me home?' she asked Julian. "Yep that's me, hop in," Julian replied. Elsie climbed into the back seat. "Paul Road in South Melbourne please; the housing commission flats. Do you know them?" she asked. "Yes I do." Julian answered, starting the engine and moving off toward the entrance gates of Elm Tree Cottages. The traffic was building now, as the peak period approached. Once through the busy junction just south of Elm Tree, Julian chanced a conversation. "Helen at Elm Tree tells me you are Richard's mother," he said, not quite knowing whether to phrase it as a question or a statement. "Yes," she said. "Helen tells me you are his regular taxi driver," she answered. "Yes, I am," Julian replied. "I have known him now for a few years. I get along well with him. We both love music, although our tastes differ somewhat," Julian added. "Thank you for looking after him. Helen says you have a good rapport with him," Elsie said. "How long has Richard been at Elm Tree?' Julian asked. "Most of his life," she answered. "I had to place him there. I just couldn't cope with him at home. It's just so hard," she continued. "I had two other children to care for. It was hopeless. The mental strain it places on your family is enormous." The journey continued through the busy inner city streets, then onto the freeway toward South Melbourne. Julian went quiet, so too, Elsie. Such moments were common in a taxi. A burst of conversation often ran its course with no where else to go and a silence followed. Julian observed the woman through the rear vision mirror; his dark sunglasses hiding his curiosity. The grey hair, her ageing diminutive frame, the lines on her face, her sad eyes, all told their own story. Julian surmised that this lady had been through much suffering, much hardship. He felt it prudent not to ask too many questions. His questions would only pressure the lady to reveal unhappy memories. Better to leave her alone.
Ten minutes or so later, after pulling up outside the multi-level commission building in Paul Road, South Melbourne, Elsie paid Julian the metered fare. "Thank you for driving me home, and thank you again for all the kindness you show Richard. If you would like to give me your number, I could call you when I want a taxi to visit Richard," she said. "Certainly," Julian said, always on the lookout for permanent work. "Here's my number," he said, handing her his business card. "Perhaps I will see you again sometime?" Elsie took the card from him and said, "Yes, perhaps you will. My name is Elsie, Elsie Steedman.
Julian watched, as Elsie made her way toward the front entrance of the housing commission building. There were children playing in the courtyard of the multi-story complex. The children appeared to be unsupervised. The perimeter of the property was fenced off, but there were no gates. Anyone could come and go as they wished. Security was non-existent. Julian noticed an elderly man standing by the fence watching the children. He appeared unsteady, uncertain. He made a move toward the pathway that led to the front entrance where the fence stopped, all the time his eyes firmly fixed on the children. Julian then watched as Elsie disappeared inside the building. There was a little girl about six years of age, and two older boys, perhaps eight or nine playing on the swings and slide. Julian looked around the property, in search of an adult who might be in charge of them. There was no one. The elderly man began to move toward the children. Julian was about to drive off but was held back, his attention focused on the elderly man. All too often, he had read articles in the newspapers and seen stories on television about child molestation, children being stalked, abducted and never found alive again. A fearful tremor ran through his whole body as he watched the elderly man approach the children. 'This was not right. This should not be happening,' he thought. 'I'm the only one here,' he realized as he looked around once more hoping to find an adult supervising the children. The man reached the children and began speaking to them.
'That's it!' Julian decided. 'I have to do something.' He leapt out of the taxi and walked quickly up the footpath to the opening in the fence, and then, straight for the man. "Hey you," he called out. The man looked around. "What do you think you are doing?" Julian asked. The children looked startled and grouped together at the bottom of the slide. When Julian reached the man, he could see the fear in his eyes. Realizing he had startled the man sufficiently, he asked again, "What do you think you are doing? What do you want here?" The man took a backward step. He was unsteady. "I meant no harm," he answered. "I just wanted to ask if the children knew someone who lives in this building." Julian did not believe the man for a moment. "Then why ask the children?" Julian queried. "Why don't you ask at the reception desk inside?" The man looked to the front entrance of the building. "There is no reception desk in there. There is nothing. No register, no list of tenants, nothing!" he said. Julian was perplexed, and beginning to wonder if he had overacted. "Well you shouldn't be bothering the children. They won't know the names of every tenant. You should contact the Department of Housing or something," Julian said, not quite knowing what to say but determined to maintain the higher ground. Julian surveyed the man. He looked as if he was in his sixties, clean-shaven, plainly dressed in a dark grey shabby suit, wearing a hat. His eyes were watery and reflected an inexplicable melancholy. "Perhaps I can help you. I drop off at this building everyday," Julian lied. "I know a lot of the people who live here," he lied again. The man looked at Julian with an expression of interest. "All right," he said. "The person I am looking for is an old woman. Her name is Elsie Steedman. I am told she lives here in this building." Julian could not believe his ears. 'Wasn't that the lady I just dropped off here?' he asked himself. 'Yes it was!' "Err, what does this lady look like," Julian asked, thinking that if the description fitted the woman he knew, the man must be genuine. "I don't know," said the man. "I've never met her. I was just told she lives here and I wanted to see her about something." Julian tried to think quickly. He was still in control of the discussion and didn't want to relinquish that role. "Err, go off and play kids," he said to the children who up until this point were still standing alongside watching the conversation unfold. "Go off now. There's nothing here for you now." The children responded and Julian then turned his attention to the man. "I don't know a woman by that name," he lied a third time, "but I see several people from this building each week. All I can suggest to you is that you give me your name and a contact number and I will make some enquiries for you. How does that sound?" The man looked disappointed. "Isn't there a quicker way?" he asked. "I'm not from Melbourne. I wasn't planning on staying long." Julian thought for a moment. "Well, you could always go to the local police station and ask them. They probably have ways of finding out who the tenants are. Or you could go to the housing commission. They will be able to tell you." The man suddenly showed signs of fear, hesitating and fidgeting. "Oh no! I don't want to go to the police. They will ask all sorts of questions. So will the housing commission. Besides I'm too old to be doing that. I'll give you my details and leave it up to you. I'm staying at a hotel down the road. How long do you think you will be?" he asked. Julian could see the man was easily intimidated and began to feel sorry for him. He could not imagine this person being any serious harm to anyone and began to adopt a friendlier manner. "I'll make some enquiries this afternoon and tomorrow morning and I'll give you a call around midday tomorrow. How would that be?" The man looked pleased. "Okay. I'll wait for your call. I'm staying at the Four Clovers hotel in Coventry Street. It's just an ordinary hotel with a few rooms upstairs. I only arrived here today and it was all I could find in the area." Julian nodded. "Yes, I know the Four Clovers. Where did you come from?" Julian asked. "Baldargo. I came down on the train today." He answered. "What is your name?" Julian asked. The man hesitated as if this was the point where he had to decide if Julian was the person in whom to place all his trust. Julian noticed the faltering pause. "It's all right. You can trust me. I won't let you down. Not unless I see your photo in the paper as a serial rapist or something," Julian said with a grin.
"My name is Gerard Martin," the man replied, as he rifled through his pocket for a piece of paper. "I have the p
hone number at the Four Clovers here somewhere, yes here it is." Gerard handed over a hotel business card. "Okay I will call you tomorrow. Now you should not loiter around here any longer. People get suspicious when men loiter near children. It is always possible someone will call the police and have you questioned. Do you understand?" Gerard nodded. "I meant no harm," he said. "I'm not like that. I just wanted to see if I could locate the woman called Elsie Steedman." Julian looked at him again and felt certain this man was no threat to anyone. He also felt an interest in trying to help him. "Did you look up the phone book to see if she is listed at this address?" he asked as a last minute thought. "Yes," Gerard replied. "There are plenty of Steedman's, but not one of them is at this address." Julian nodded and looked at his watch. He had stayed at this place longer than he thought, and his night driver would be waiting for the car. "Okay," he said, "I have to go now. My name is Julian, and here's my card. You can contact me at home if you need me. But I will call you tomorrow, okay?" Gerard nodded. Julian left Gerard standing on the footpath outside the housing commission flats and returned to his car. Driving home, he could not get the man out of his mind. Such an incredible coincidence! First he meets Richard's mother, takes her home and then finds an elderly man from Baldargo waiting outside the building where he had dropped her off, and the man is looking for her, but doesn't know what she looks like or in what unit she lives. He thought deeply about the circumstances, wondering how he could help the man. Then it came to him. 'Maria! Maria Stewart would know Elsie Steedman's address. Of course she would. She probably knows her well. They might even be friends. Elsie was probably a regular visitor to Elm Tree' Delighted with this logical conclusion, Julian decided to visit Maria at the hospital that evening. He also thought of Michelle and as he did so, he considered going to the prayer group meeting that evening as well.
Thirty minutes later, Julian arrived at his home where he expected to find his regular night driver waiting to take over the car. Instead, as he pulled into the driveway he noticed Alberto sitting in the car across the road waiting for him, with another man sitting in the passenger seat. Both men walked across the road toward him. "Good afternoon Julian, did you have a good day?" Alberto asked. "So, so," Julian replied as he studied the man walking with Alberto. "Julian, this is Robert," Alberto said. "He is a new driver. He will be starting his first shift tonight. I thought he should drive this car because it is the newest, and doesn't have any annoying little problems." Then turning to Robert he said, "Robert, this is Julian." Julian shook hands with Robert. It was a cool handshake, consistent with the degree of uncertainty that Julian felt when handing over his car to a new driver. There was something about new drivers that unsettled Julian. Would they be responsible and look after the car? Would they be back in time the next morning? Would they have an accident overnight and put Julian off the road the next day? All sorts of uncertainties sprang into his mind. It was pure superstition, but every driver felt it.
"Okay. Do you want me to show him how things work?" Julian asked Alberto. "No, I'll do that. The only problem is that Robert does not have a car at the moment. So, when he comes back in the morning, would you drop him off at his home?" Julian nodded. "I guess so, where do you live? Is it very far?" Robert shrugged his shoulders and said, "I live about ten kilometres from here in Hawthorn. My car is in for repairs today, I'll be picking it up tomorrow, so it will only be this one time." Julian nodded and said, "Okay, what time will you be back?" Robert looked at Alberto as if he was expecting some sort of direction from the owner. Alberto chipped in, "He'll be here at six in the morning, won't you Robert?" Robert was quick to agree. "Yes, right here." As Julian gathered his things together, he was feeling distinctly uncomfortable about the arrangement, but resigned himself to the inevitable. "Okay, I'll see you here tomorrow morning at six then. See you later Alberto." Julian left the two men where they were, and walked up his driveway to the front door, his head replete with the events of the day. As he stepped inside the front hallway, he could hear the sounds of two women talking in the kitchen. Both voices were familiar. Annette greeted him warmly with a kiss, as Margaret looked on. "Hello darling, you remember Margaret don't you, from the prayer meeting last week. We are off there again tonight. Margaret is going to join us for dinner. Would you like a cuppa?"
"No thanks," he replied, "I think I'll have a shower, and freshen up. I'd like to come to the prayer meeting with you tonight, but I want to visit Maria in hospital first." Annette and Margaret nodded. "Oh that's nice," Annette said. "Wonderful," Margaret added, "you might become our prize recruit." Julian let out a sly grin. "Anything's possible I suppose," he said to Margaret, thinking that the only reason he was planning to go to the prayer meeting that night, was to see Michelle. "The Spirit is moving within you," Margaret said as Julian made for the bedroom en-suite. 'Not the way you're thinking,' Julian whispered to himself.
As Julian's day was drawing to a close, little did he realize that in the space of the last twelve hours, he had crossed paths with almost the entire Steedman family. He had met Elsie at Elm Tree Cottages, taken her home and discovered that she was Richard's mother. He had met Robert, who was now about to become the night driver in the cab that he drove during the day. He had met Robert's sister Margaret, who had twice visited his home and was now an intimate part of his wife's strange infatuation with a Pentecostal group. And Robert and Margaret at this very moment were unaware that they were just metres away from each other, one outside Julian's house, the other inside. As he undressed in the bedroom, Julian took a look out the window. Alberto was still outside with Robert, going over the items of equipment that Robert needed to operate. There was something odd about Robert, something about his face, his manner, even his looks, that Julian could not quite put his finger on. 'Have I met him before?' Julian pondered. Checking his trouser pockets, he came across the card given to him earlier by Gerard Martin, the man outside the housing commission flats, the man who said he was looking for Elsie Steedman, and as he perused it, Julian remembered the reason why he wanted to visit Maria Stewart.
25.
