by Paula Hayes
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Digitally Yours
“Let’s get on with the interview, everyone is doing splendidly,” beamed Jacqui, sending forth her most charismatic smile.
Dylan screwed up his face and retorted, “All we have learnt is that soldier boy comes from a fas-cin-at-ing place called Brown Street, Les was a tea drinker and that Anna is in love with Leo.”
“DYLAN,” screamed Anna, “I am not!”
Jacqui jumped up and grabbed Dylan by his starched white collar, “SHE IS NOT! She is not … feeling very well today … probably coming down with a terrible bug.”
“Yeah, the love bug,” whimpered Dylan.
His remark made her smile so she released him with an extra hard shove.
Leo looked down at his legs and pulled at his leather puttees and nervously flicked imaginary pieces of dirt from his uniform. He smiled sadly at Anna. Her face lit up like a search and rescue beacon as she stared down at the table.
“And no one cares for my poor pinkie,” Dylan pouted and continued on with a very forced nonchalant air.
Leo stood up and moved to the mantelpiece and cleared his throat, “Well, what do you beggars want to know? We didn’t spend all our time in the trench you know. Life had a strict routine—time in the trench, time in support and reserve and then rest. We even made it into a couple of villages and towns. We had a beaut day out and about in town weeks before, you know ... Les and I tried red wine but thought it was disgusting and then we ate some smelly cheese. Les enjoyed too much of it and spewed it up. So rich! But the hot chocolate and the croissants were top grub. But what we were really after was a piping hot cup of tea. Tea tasted like petrol back at the Front.”
Jacqui’s hands were a blur, “That is because it was made with water fetched from shell craters and stored in petrol tins.”
“Yes, well it got Les down. He wasn’t much of a drinker, he didn’t smoke but by golly he loved a good cup of brew.”
“That reminds me, I have two new types of herbal teas with me today and a very pretty teapot with a babushka doll design on it.”
“Is he for real?” nodded Leo at Dylan. “Do the other boys pick on him?”
“Not any more,” she answered, without bothering to repeat Leo’s blunt question. Why do I bother to protect the motor mouth?
“Not anymore WHAT?” shouted Dylan, “Not this exclusivity again. Such a clique.”
Leo shrugged and asked once more, “What do you want to know?”
“Your own army history might be a start,” whispered Anna, without looking up.
Dylan watched Anna’s face settle into a luminous fire engine red and feared her pernickety vein might burst out of her head. He felt terrible for being the cause. Apanara jihba balaka holda, (hold your tongue boy) rang in his head. He fumbled with his pencil and banged at his keyboard with the illusion of intense concentration, “Regiment number if you don’t mind Private Nolan.” He sniffed and winced as he tried to straighten out his little finger.
“One thousand, nine hundred and eight sir,” replied Leo.
Dylan was silent for a moment and then his eyes widened.
“Rightio chap, go and have a smoko for a moment. I’m going to ask these lovely ladies to make us a strong cup of tea out in the kitchen and decide which lucky lady I am going to take home to mother, depending on the strength of the pot, if you get my drift.” Dylan nodded and winked in the direction of the empty chair.
Leo rolled his eyes and laughed. “He isn’t a bad sort after all, that boy. Bit of a sook but … and a blabber guts.”
Dylan motioned to the girls to follow him outside. He grabbed his tablet and marched them out into the corridor.
“Oh my God. Oh my Vishnu, take a look at this.”
Dylan had logged into the National Military archives. Forty-two pages of military information were copied and archived. They could see Leo’s shaky signature on his Attestment papers. They were pages documenting his journey from Guildford to his death in France.
“Type in Leslie Robert McNamara. See if we can track their journey?” asked Anna as her face calmed down to a flushed pink.
Forty-two pages of aged paper and pale brown ink sprang up before them. They were digitally photographed original documents. Anna touched the screen as she saw Les’ bolder steadier signature.
“We must study this carefully peeps, I really feel these documents hold the answers to Leo’s post death problems,” murmured Jacqui.
“I hope so,” replied Anna. At first, she had been encouraged by the sheer quantity of documents. She liked documents but something inside her whispered it was not going to be that easy.
“The writing is so small,” squinted Dylan, “and there are so many codes. This is going to take ages. Mum said I am not to read small print without my glasses. You know I get terrible headaches.”
“I will enlarge it and copy it for all of us. I won’t be long.”
Anna ran down to Beth in the ‘home office,’ glad to be out of the house and away from the other three. Her heart needed a break. Beth was lying in bed, with a large textbook opened next to her, distracted, so Anna made a beeline for the desk.
“What are you doing?” screeched Beth, “my precious ink and paper!!”
“It’s for Leo,” said Anna as she looked over her shoulder and wondered how long it would take Beth to waddle over to the printer, she was having trouble getting off the soft bed. Anna kept on pushing print frantically as she watched her sister in slow motion, attempt to haul her body out of the bed and steady herself like a dizzy turtle.
“Is he in, you know, is he in the green room?” asked Beth as she swung her legs to the ground with a thud.
“Yes,” Anna replied, wondering where Beth kept her paperclips and colourful plastic files. By now Beth was upright and gaining speed, she was almost upon her when she stopped suddenly and asked, “Could I say hello to him?”
Anna hesitated. “We are having a break through,” she muttered as she stole three manila folders and shoved the information inside.
Beth put on her slippers and brushed her hair and staggered up the back garden path with her heart racing. It was time to find out if her mother and sister were losing their minds. “You know I always thought Dad would be the first to lose the plot but you guys are streaking ahead,” she laughed kindly. Lottie followed her in companionable silence as far as the back door and then turned and bolted back to the sanctuary of the shed. Lottie and Larry had not been into the house for days. Larry looked meaningfully at Beth.
“Don’t worry pups, I won’t forget your dry dog bickies,” she shouted over her shoulder.
Larry’s giant body slumped and he went back to bed.
As Beth approached the green room door, she felt an almighty contraction. She bent over and held on.
“Little bugger is using my bladder as a trampoline.” When she stood up she felt her familiar friend heart burn and rubbed at her chest.
Anna looked at her intensely as she swung open the door. “How are you feeling?” she asked, “do you have chest pain?”
“Nah, I shouldn’t have eaten that sausage roll on top of a litre of chocolate chip ice cream, then a pack of Doritos. Feel spewy.” She bent over and then stood up letting rip an enormous burp. The air around her grew thick with a sweet and savoury fog.
“That’s better,” she said, fiddling with her humongous bra. “I feel much better.”
Beth poked her head around the door, “Geez, it stinks in here, have you taken up smoking?”
“No, it’s Leo’s signature scent,” replied Dylan.
“Leo, smoking will kill you,” nervously tittered Beth.
“He is standing to attention next to the table,” said Anna. Leo relaxed and waved at Beth.
“Of course he is,” replied Beth drolly, straining hard to see into the shadowy nothingness.
“Can’t you see him?”
“Oh, the smell is frightful isn’t it, but one gets used to it. One learns how to adjust quickly in times of war,” sighed Dylan.
“What is he talking about?” said Beth, shaking her head.
“War? Are you all mad?”
She attempted to turn her body around and lumber back down the hallway but something caught her eye.
“Oh wait, I can see a shimmer. Maybe it is a trick of the light?”
“Where, where,” gasped Dylan, flouncing around like a puppy trying to get past an enormous grazing cow.
“Is he standing in front of the second chair to the right?”
“Yes, yes he is,” Anna danced up and down for joy. “This is awesome!” Beth had the gift in a weaker form.
“Where, where?” said Dylan. He was running around the room chasing the last sparkling particles, scooping up air like he was on the trail of rare tropical butterfly.
“Is this him? Am I close?” he called over his shoulder to Anna and Beth. They followed him into the room.
Leo laughed and laughed, “God, he is a goog. He is a bloody fairy.” He ducked as Dylan went to scoop out the side of his head and glided over to Beth.
“Oh Gawd, the smell is getting stronger, that is for sure, I can see a shadow. It’s really tall, but I can’t see those twinkly angelic blue eyes that you and Mum keep raving on about.” Beth pinched her nose between her fingers and panted.
“We do not.” The search and rescue beacon was rereleased and Anna glowed with embarrassment.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, something weird is happening.” Leo put his hand on Beth’s belly and patted it hesitantly as if she were a stray elephant.
“Cripes, she is HUGE and she is about to blow,” said Leo in amazement.
“What? What is it? Are you having another contraction?” asked Jacqui.
Beth waddled over to the chaise and plonked herself down.
“It has stopped now, but I could have sworn he was patting me and tickling me.” Beth looked dishevelled as corn chips clung to her maternity smock and her eyes bulged in wonder.
“I’m sorry, Leo didn’t get the memo about keeping his hands to himself,” said Anna, staring at him angrily.
“What is she going call her?” asked Leo, quickly changing the conversation.
“What is going on? I can see shadow boy but I can’t hear him.”
“Rude aren’t they, I feel like the third wheel too.”
Anna answered, “Beth doesn’t know the sex of the baby.” She added sarcastically looking at Beth, “She likes surprises.”
“Give it a rest Anna,” snapped Beth.
“It’s a girl,” answered Leo.
“How do you know that?”
“I don’t know how I know but I just know. That bun in the oven is a girl and she is coming soon.”
“Anna, Anna you look worried. What is he saying?”
“Oh nothing, Leo is full of bollocks.” She shook her head at him. “There is no way you could know that.”
“What did he say? Is it something about the baby?”
“Nope,” said Anna.
“Where is her wedding ring or did she get too fat for it?” Leo smirked.
“She doesn’t have one. Beth isn’t married,” replied Anna indignantly. She bit her tongue so she would not shout aloud, “You mean legalised subordination in your day, der!”
Leo looked shocked and concerned, “Did the father run away?”
Anna shook her head.
“Did he die?”
Anna shook her head.
“Actually, he is sitting out on the front verandah updating his I Love Beth and our Baby Face Book page. He has five hundred and sixty seven followers.” Anna and Leo moved to the window and studied Blake. He was staring miserably at his Face Book page on his phone.
“He can piss off for all I care,” remarked Beth, her face contorted with the pain. She panted and huffed and then relaxed. Jacqui took her hand and rubbed her back. Dylan was alarmed and became unnaturally quiet. Leo was shocked at her unladylike language.
“What is this Face Book? Is it like the Book of Love where you write a message in the newspaper to your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day? I always wanted to do that, but I didn’t have the nerve … or the spelling,” he exhaled wearily.
“No not quite, it’s a way of communicating and showing off your pics on the computer. I mean, your photographs to lots of people. You put up photos, images and info that make your life seem really awesome and cool. You leave out all the boring bits. It’s like your life but heavily edited. There is even a Face Book page for WW1 Lost Boys like you Leo … you are not in it, I have checked.”
“I’m confused,” he moved back to the table and touched Dylan’s tablet. It woke up and blinked at Leo. He jumped back alarmed. Dylan’s screen saver page was a cavorting David Bowie with spiky ragged red hair, green eye shadow wearing a playsuit.
Anna looked out the window and watched Blake sitting slumped on the front verandah. Thick black whiskers sprouted from his chin and he had given up on shaving his head twice daily so a sparse friar tuck halo had sprung up around his ears.
“You are not the only one,” sighed Anna. He should know better in his profession. Bloody stalker.
She caught sight of a blue blob on his arm. Anna tilted her head and stretched forward. She could see two large swirly letters. One was a B and the other a G.
“Hey, Blake the hippie has got a tattoo, it says B G Forever.”
“B and G, who could B G be? Oh I know—it’s Barry Gibb. The last surviving Bee Gee. Why would he have a tatt tribute to Barry on his arm? Hmm … curious? Especially when he listens to all that depressing Nick Cave music. Why not N C? Very curious indeed,” pondered Dylan.
“It’s B G—Beth Grey, you idiot. Blake always calls her B G. It is his nickname for her. He is conveying his commitment to Beth and their baby through a highly visible and permanent means.” Jacqui helped Beth up and they joined the others by the window. “Isn’t it romantic peeps?” she added.
“He looks terrible, I haven’t seen him for months,” Beth faltered, “he looks like you smell Leo,” she finished unkindly.
Leo’s face fell, he moved back from the window. “I’m getting tired. You two girls have nasty tongues.”
“You’ve hurt Leo’s feelings Beth.” Anna made no mention of her own early foot in mouth comments.
“I’m sorry,” said Beth rubbing her back. “I am not feeling well today.”
She scanned the room and found her shadow man fading.
“I really am sorry Leo.”
All of a sudden, Blake looked up and caught sight of the four peering out at him. He jumped up and ran to the window and touched the glass near Beth’s face. She reared back, the Doritos crumbs jumped off her belly like bouncing Mexican beans.
“I am not ready, I’m not ready for this. Tell him to go away.” She turned to Jacqui.
“Are you sure, he really loves you.”
“Please, just tell him to go.”
Beth made her way back to the kitchen and sat down. She put her head in her hands and started sobbing.
“Well, I think we can call this an improvement,” Jacqui beamed.
“How so?” asked Dylan bewildered.
“She didn’t say one swear word and she hasn’t opened the pantry door. Yes, I am calling this a break through.” Jacqui made her way to the front door to be greeted by an ecstatic Blake, pawing at the fly screen.
She proclaimed loudly, “I am sorry Blake, Beth is feeling very tired today.” Her loud sobs travelled down the passage way to Blake. Blake burst into tears as Jacqui leant forward and whispered, “Don’t give up, I can feel a change in her,
please don’t give up now.”
“I will never give up,” he smiled a lopsided teary grin.
Dylan leaned over to Anna and whispered, “What happened again between those two? You and Jacqui are hopeless at gossip. Always talking about issues and not people. Gets boring doll.”
Anna grimaced and muttered back barely moving her lips, “Blake’s ex girlfriend kept stalking him through email and text. She kept sending him some very risqué pics … he never responded but he did thoroughly examine the evidence.” Dylan squirmed and Anna coughed to clear her throat. “Beth did a pregnancy test, found the emails and texts and got a little cranky.”
“That is an understatement, sister,” replied Dylan with his hands on his hips.
Leo stood in the doorway, “I gotta go, I’m exhausted. You lot are crazy,” he smiled dimly and started to fade away.
“When will you be back? We are having a break through.”
“Are we? I will be back as soon as I can. Will you wait for me?”
“Of course.”
“Good luck my brave lad, over the edge you go!”
Dylan saluted Private Nolan while facing the fireplace. Leo stood next to him, sighed, shook his head and disappeared.
