by John Kelly
While a small crowd had gathered outside the Steedman residence in Travis Court, inside the house, Robert was in the laundry. He had stripped off, and dried himself, before changing into some clothes that Susan had provided from Warwick's wardrobe. Still seething with jealousy, envy and resentment, he saw his opportunity to tell Susan, what he had seen when Warwick and Jill Toogoods were in Lygon Street, several days earlier. His ineptness, and clumsy manner of expression however, rendered his account of the event unconvincing.
"I saw Warwick with a woman from his office last week," he started, before thinking the matter through.
"Oh yes, who was that?" Susan asked, as she passed him some of Warwick's clothes.
"That woman in reception," he said. "They looked very cosy together," he stuttered, unable to find the words that best described what he actually saw. "They were kissing," he added meekly.
Susan looked at him. 'You pathetic individual,' she thought for a moment. "That sounds like Jill," she replied. "I know about her," she said confidently. Robert was stumped. He had expected surprise, astonishment, followed by shock and disbelief. Instead, Susan showed complete ambivalence. She was about to leave but thought better of it.
"Actually, this might surprise you but Warwick has been very cosy with a number of women over the years," she said. Robert was confused. "Why don't you leave him?" he asked.
"I could and I yet might. God knows he deserves it. But let's not talk about that. Let's talk about you," she began. "Even though I have always struggled to like you Robert, there is a certain honesty about you that Warwick doesn't have and probably never will. In some ways you are better than him. I know you are jealous of him, but you don't need to be. At the moment you are your own worst enemy. You could be anything you want. It all boils down to how you treat people and the respect you show toward others. If you start showing other people respect and give something of yourself, people will be drawn to you. If you were willing to show some compassion to those around you who need it, others will respond to your needs. At the moment you are immersed in self pity, you are easily intimidated and you have low self esteem. If you could see the potential goodness that exists within you, you could change all that. Warwick couldn't do that. He's too consumed with his own self interests. What's the point of being rich, and having everything you want when those who really know you don't respect you? Think about it. You could be better than him, but it would have to be based on what you could give rather than what you take," she said as she left him in the laundry. Robert stood there in silence, stunned by what he had heard.
Outside, Brad and Jenny were talking together. Maria was deep in discussion with both Margaret and Annette. They were standing at the back of the ambulance unit with Elsie and Richard on board. The officer advised them they were about to leave.
Warwick made a motion toward the house, when Susan appeared, smiling sweetly.
"What happened in there?" Warwick asked.
"Oh, it's all right," Susan said. "I was just getting a few of your clothes for Robert. Oh by the way," she said, "Do you know a good divorce lawyer?"
Warwick looked at her, speechless.
As she walked towards Jenny, still smiling, feeling elated, she noticed Maria with Margaret and Annette, talking to Elsie in the back of the ambulance unit, and something suddenly clicked in her head. She stopped dead in her tracks, turned, and walked back toward Warwick.
"There's something that still bothers me," she said to Warwick loudly, intending for all to hear. Warwick had been completely taken by surprise with Susan's forthright manner and stood there shocked. "Earlier, you told us that when you spoke with Andrea at the hospital the day she died, she asked you to find Mary Therese!" Susan said.
"Yes," Warwick replied meekly.
"Well, something doesn't add up here," Susan continued. "Maria asked you why Andrea would do that, if she already knew, or thought she knew where Mary Therese was!"
"That's right," Maria said, walking toward Susan.
"So tell us Warwick. Why would Andrea ask you to find her daughter, if she already thought she had found her?"
Warwick looked stunned. Susan had never acted this aggressively before. Maria too, stood there defiantly waiting for an answer. Elsie looked on intently.
"I don't know," Warwick replied defensively, his face red with fear. "I don't know," he repeated to himself, this time with less conviction. An uneasy silence developed as everyone concentrated their attention on Warwick. The combined energy of all the family members, interested parties, and the neighbours gathered at the front gates, became a force greater than he had felt before.
"Yes you do," Maria said, breaking the silence. "You do know, don't you. Tell them Warwick," she ordered. "Tell them now," she said, "unless you want me to tell them for you." Then Elsie called out from the back of the ambulance. "Tell us Warwick," she said gently. "Tell us all now."
When Elsie spoke, Warwick realized he could hide the truth no longer. He realized that through Maria, Andrea had taken out insurance, and her secret would come out eventually, no matter how determined he was to hide it. With a deep sigh, and with his defence guard all but shattered, he resigned himself to the inevitable and he gave up.
"Because Mary Therese is my daughter," he said.
Amid the stunned, aghast and speechless gathering, Elsie was the first to react. She climbed out of the ambulance and slowly walked over to her son. She looked him in the eyes. He turned his head away.
"Is it true?" she said quietly, tenderly, taking his hand in hers. "Is it true?" Warwick slowly began to nod, raising his head, his eyes meeting his mother's and the tears beginning to flow. His, and hers. "Then Mary Therese really is my grand-daughter?" she asked. Warwick nodded. "And is that why Andrea couldn't tell me?" she asked. Finally Warwick found his voice again. "I didn't know mother. I swear I didn't know until she told me the day she died. It happened one night when the two of us were home alone. I would never have hidden this from you, had I known. She couldn't bring herself to tell you or me. She loved you too much, and thought it would hurt you terribly," he sobbed. "She wanted me to look for Mary Therese. It wasn't for the money. She wanted me to want her, to make the effort to find her, for my sake, for me. She was giving me the opportunity to show that I cared. I did care. I did want to find her. I had this idea that we could jointly develop a block of land up near Baldargo, that Andrea has left me in her will," he said.
Elsie placed her arms around her son, who could no longer hold back his emotions. He buried his head in his mother's arms and she consoled him. For all his business acumen, for all his bullishness, for all his unfaithfulness and his greed, he was still her son, and nothing would ever change that.
"Oh dear," Elsie said. "I'm afraid I have some bad news for you about Baldargo," she said.
"What?' he asked.
"Oh nothing we can't handle," she said. "Let it wait."
The ambulance officers made a move to close the rear door of the unit as Robert appeared from the rear of the house. "We have to get a move on," the officer said. Julian realised Elsie would want to stay with her family. "Would you like me to go with Richard?" he asked.
"That won't be necessary," Robert said as he walked toward the ambulance. "I'll go with him," he said and added, "I haven't done much for him over the years. But he's my brother and it's about time I did."
"What about the taxi?" Julian asked.
"Perhaps you could call Alberto and explain the situation and ask him to pick it up," Robert answered. Julian nodded. "Okay, I'll take care of it," he said.
"Maria," Julian called out. "I think I might take a drive up to Baldargo tomorrow. Would you like to come with me?' he asked. Maria smiled.
"Yes, that would be great," she said. "Is there someone up there you particularly wanted to see?" she asked.
Julian smiled, and was about to answer when he caught sight of Annette and thought better of it. "I hope you will be happy," he said to her sincerely. "We can work out all the details later. I wil
l only ask one thing of you," he said. "What's that?" Annette asked.
"You keep Foofo," he said.
Brad and Jenny stood alongside Susan. "I think it's time we left," Jenny said. "It has been quite an afternoon. We all need a bit of time to absorb it all, I think." Susan nodded. "What time is your flight home tomorrow?" she asked. "It's not until late tomorrow afternoon," Brad replied. "Somehow I think we might be back next week," he added. "I think it's time, Mary Therese met her other family. I'm sure Rosie would agree."
Susan smiled. Somehow, her earlier anger had evaporated.
"Fancy a bit of shopping tomorrow?" she asked Jenny.
As the ambulance pulled out of the driveway onto Travis Court, a none-the-wiser gathering of neighbours, were left to speculate on the reason its presence. In the rear, Richard, still groggy, but lucid, recognised Robert.
"R-o-b-e-r-t," he called out.
"G'day old son," Robert said. "Would you like some music?' he asked. "M-u-s-i-c, y-e-s," he replied. Robert called out to the driver. "Do you have any ABBA music?" he asked.
Richard shook his head. "N-o-t A-B-B-A," he said.
"What would you like Richard?" he asked.
"B-b-b-e-a-t-l-e-s," Richard said.
42.
