The Orchardist's Daughter

by Karen Viggers

  ‘I had nothing to do with those demonstrators,’ Leon said.

  ‘What about the eagles’ nest?’ Mooney barked. ‘I’ll bet it was you who reported it.’

  ‘Why would I?’

  ‘Because you’re a Parkie.’

  ‘Yeah, well, I didn’t. But maybe I should have.’

  The men’s faces tightened and Robbo growled, ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘It’s an asset for this town,’ Leon said. ‘It’ll bring in the tourists.’

  The stillness opened further, like a ditch, and Leon saw how he could fall into it. All it would take was one wrong word. He was trying to stand up for himself, like Grandpa had suggested. And he was suffering the consequences. Maybe now wasn’t the time. Him against the team. Not good odds.

  ‘How so, Parkie?’ Robbo’s words fell like stones into a pond.

  ‘Tourism brings money and jobs,’ Leon pointed out.

  ‘Cutting trees brings jobs,’ said Robbo, steely.

  The word yeah bounced around Leon.

  ‘You’d better shut up, Parkie, if you want to walk out of here alive,’ Mooney said.

  Leon saw the sourness in Mooney’s stare, felt anger radiating from the others. This was not a battle he could win. He’d made his point and they hadn’t mashed him yet, so maybe that was enough for tonight. He pasted on a tentative grin. ‘Sure. You’re right. This is not my brief. I’ll stay out of it.’ He was trying to sound light-hearted, but his voice came out squeaky with adrenaline.

  Toby guffawed. ‘Is your voice breaking, Parkie?’

  The tension released. The men cracked up and Leon had to smile too, in spite of himself.

  ‘Okay, guys.’ Robbo clapped his hands. ‘Let’s get on with training.’

  Afterwards, Leon walked back to his car, feeling weary. He threw his boots in the back then went round to get in. On the driver’s side, in black capital letters, were spray-painted words: Piss Off Parkie.

  His whole body sagged as he slid in behind the steering wheel. Standing up for what you believed didn’t pay around here. No prizes for guessing whose artwork it was, but a paint job would fix it. The only problem would be driving to work tomorrow—maybe he would leave in the dark.

  25

  Dad might never have come home if it wasn’t for Trudi. She came to see Mum on Wednesday night when Max was in bed. Mum must have thought he was asleep but he was trying to work out how to dodge Jaden tomorrow at school. Jaden wanted him to steal chocolate now. The other day it was an icy pole. Max was getting more and more nervous about the stealing. He must be good at it—Miki never said anything. But sometimes she looked at him strangely and it made him feel bad. He didn’t know how to stop.

  He heard a knock at the door and Mum’s footsteps going down the hall to see who it was. Then she said, ‘Hello, Trudi.’

  ‘Hi, Wendy. Can I come in? I’ve brought you some soup.’

  There was a pause before Mum responded. ‘That’s nice. But you didn’t have to, you know. I can cook.’

  ‘I know, but you must be so busy looking after two kids on your own.’

  ‘Better than having to look after three.’

  Max wondered what she meant.

  ‘I made a big pot tonight, and I had plenty to spare,’ Trudi said. ‘Thought you could use it.’

  ‘That’s kind. Come on in.’

  Max heard the floorboards creaking as Mum and Trudi walked through to the kitchen.

  ‘Kids are in bed,’ Mum said.

  ‘Okay. I’ll keep my voice down.’

  He heard the scrape of chairs being pulled out. The swish of the tap running. The hiss and rumble of the kettle. The low murmur of voices. But he couldn’t hear what they were saying, so he slid out of bed and crept down the hallway.

  ‘Are you going to let Shane come back soon?’ Trudi was asking.

  ‘Why would I after he killed those pups?’

  ‘It was a terrible thing. But he’s done it before and you didn’t throw him out.’

  ‘It’s different this time. The kids were attached. And he did it to get back at Max. Who’s supposed to be the adult here?’

  ‘I thought he looked miserable at the festival.’

  ‘Didn’t stop him from getting into a fight with those greenies.’

  ‘That was just pent-up emotion. All the boys have been upset about the eagles’ nest.’

  ‘Shane doesn’t need an excuse.’

  ‘He’s been asking to stay at our place,’ Trudi said.

  ‘Got a cheek, hasn’t he?’

  ‘Liz is getting sick of him. Three weeks is a long time to have someone on your couch.’

  Max heard Mum sigh. ‘It’s been peaceful without him. Easier. Maybe I don’t want him back.’

  ‘Of course you do. He’s the father of your kids.’

  ‘I know, but he’s a pain in the arse. Drinking, smoking, gambling. It costs too much.’

  What was Mum talking about? Max wondered. She smoked and drank too.

  ‘Maybe you could take control of the finances and give him a weekly allowance so things don’t blow out.’

  ‘That’s an idea … but I don’t know if I can stand having him around.’

  ‘Sometimes Robbo drives me m-ad too. But what about when you two were first going out? There must have been something that attracted you.’

  Mum laughed, but it wasn’t a happy sound. ‘Booze and parties. It was fun back then. It’s no fun anymore.’

  ‘Come on. It can’t be that bad. Tell me how you two got together. I wasn’t living here then. That was pre-Robbo.’

  The kettle clicked off and Max heard Mum pouring tea. He knew he should go back to bed, but he hadn’t heard this story before.

  ‘I knew Shane from high school,’ Mum was saying. ‘But we didn’t hit it off till after we’d left. He was sexy. Good at footy too—you should have seen his muscles. And he told the best jokes. Had everybody in stitches.’

  Max wondered why Dad didn’t tell jokes anymore.

  ‘All the girls had the hots for him,’ Mum went on, laughing quietly. ‘But he chose me. I was a bit of a looker in my teens … He said I had the best legs.’

  ‘You’re still pretty.’

  ‘He doesn’t appreciate it now.’

  ‘I bet he does. Look at you—you’ve still got a good body.’

  ‘Crumbling, if you ask me.’

  ‘The men still think you’re hot.’

  ‘Nobody’s hot after two children.’

  Max agreed. What was Trudi talking about? Mum was old.

  ‘When did you actually hit it off?’ Trudi asked.

  ‘I was eighteen,’ Mum said. ‘Shane was working in the forest and I was at the hardware store. We were down at the pub after a footy game and everyone was off their faces. Shane scored the winning goal, so he was the hero. We were playing pool, then he brushed past me and I lost concentration.’ Mum laughed. ‘Maybe he did it to put me off, because I lost with that shot—I went in-off the black. But he kissed me, and I liked it. We went up to the park and it was on for young and old. On the bridge with the creek running under us.’

  ‘How romantic.’ Trudi had a smile in her voice, but Max thought it sounded soppy.

  ‘We were the hottest couple in town,’ Mum said. ‘Couldn’t get enough of each other—you know how it is when you’re young.’

  It would’ve been good to see Dad with all those muscles, Max thought.

  ‘You two had a lot going for you,’ Trudi said. ‘Can you use that to make it work now? Kids need a father.’

  ‘It’s been a while since I felt good about Shane.’

  ‘Find something you like doing together. Maybe go out to dinner.’

  ‘Can’t afford it.’ Mum sounded sad. ‘We’re up to our necks. Life’s not cheap when you have kids.’

  Trudi went quiet.

  Mum said, ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.’

  Max wasn’t sure what she was sorry for. Then Trudi said, ‘That’s okay. Just forget it.�
��

  Mum was quiet for a bit too, and Max thought he’d better get back to bed in case Trudi was about to go home. He didn’t want them to find him, because Mum would go off. His bum was cold anyway, from sitting on the floor.

  In bed, he lay there thinking about Mum and Dad playing pool at the pub, and Dad brushing up against Mum. Who’d have thought that would make Mum like him? It must have been all his muscles.

  Next day, Max was on his PlayStation when he heard Dad’s ute pull up outside. The door banged then Dad tramped through to the kitchen with a bunch of flowers. Max saw him pick Mum up and give her a bearhug. Mum squealed. Then she and Dad laughed and kissed.

  That was it. Dad was home.

  Max wasn’t sure whether it was good or bad having him back. Dad seemed happy—it must be better than sleeping on Lily Moon’s couch. And Dad and Mum seemed to be getting on, for once. But every time Max looked at Dad, he still thought of the pups.

  Rosie didn’t seem upset anymore. In the morning she followed Dad to the ute and jumped on the tray, and he hooked her up to the chain. One good thing had happened while Dad was away: he’d had a chain fitted to the ute so Rosie wouldn’t fall off. But Robbo’s dog went to the forest every day too. Wasn’t that how Rosie got pregnant last time? Max remembered Leon saying there was a way to stop dogs having pups.

  After school Max went over to play with Bonnie and wait for Leon, who didn’t come home till nearly six o’clock. By then Max was hungry. Leon brought out a bowl of dog food for Bonnie and a packet of Savoury Shapes to share with Max. They sat on stumps of firewood and ate while Bonnie scoffed down her food. Then they kicked an old chewed-up footy for the pup to chase on the lawn in the semi-darkness.

  ‘What was that thing you said to stop Rosie having puppies?’ Max asked.

  ‘You could get her spayed,’ Leon said. ‘I’m going to the vet soon to have Bonnie vaccinated. I could ask about it for you. Find out how much it costs.’

  ‘Can I come with you?’ Max asked.

  ‘Sure. I’ll make an appointment one night after school.’

  Bonnie was running around like crazy, chasing her grotty old ball. It had her spit all over it and Max didn’t want to touch it, but Leon didn’t seem to mind.

  ‘How are things at school?’ he asked, tossing the ball for Bonnie.

  Max shrugged. ‘Okay.’

  ‘How are your friends?’

  ‘All right.’

  ‘What about that big kid I’ve seen you with in the street sometimes?’

  Max went cold. He didn’t know anyone had seen him with Jaden. What else had Leon noticed?

  ‘That big skinny kid,’ Leon went on. ‘What’s his name?’

  ‘Jaden,’ Max said cautiously. ‘My friend’s big brother.’

  ‘What’s he like? Is he okay?’

  Max shrugged again. ‘He’s all right.’

  Bonnie put the ball near his feet, and suddenly Max didn’t care about the spit. He picked it up and waved it in front of her face, so she grabbed one end with her teeth and they had a tug of war. He could see Leon watching, and it worried him. Maybe Miki had seen him steal something from the shop. Maybe she had told Leon. Maybe Max should get out of here. ‘I have to go home,’ he said, throwing the ball again for Bonnie. ‘It’s nearly dinnertime.’

  ‘Okay, but if anything’s bothering you, make sure you tell me, hey? Then we can fix things.’

  Max nodded, but he was wondering what Leon meant. Fix things how? By telling Jaden’s dad that Max had been stealing stuff and get him sent to jail? Did Leon know Jaden’s dad was a policeman?

  Leon gave him a ten-dollar note. ‘Buy something at the shop. Lollies aren’t cheap these days, not like when I was a kid. Buy yourself an ice-cream or something, and one for your friends.’

  ‘Thanks.’ Max put the note in his pocket. Mum wouldn’t be happy about him taking money from Leon, so Max wouldn’t tell her. He could secretly leave it in the shop for Miki, to pay for some of the stuff he had stolen. It might not cover everything, but it would be a good start.

  26

  Leon managed to get an appointment for Bonnie on Friday evening. He knocked off work early and went home to collect Max and the dog. As they spun down the highway, he was pleased to have Max there to hold Bonnie; she was so excited she was bouncing around like a jackhammer.

  At the clinic, Leon realised he had forgotten the name of the woman at the front desk. Bonnie leaped around so much he could barely say hello. She wanted to sniff and touch everything, and then she launched herself at the counter. When Leon had her under sufficient control, he glanced at the woman’s name tag: Frances. She was regarding him with an amused smile. ‘Haven’t I met you before?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes. I came in with a dog called Rosie. She had a cut in her side.’

  ‘That’s right. She was pregnant, wasn’t she?’

  ‘This is one of her pups.’

  ‘Her name’s Bonnie,’ Max added.

  ‘And who does Bonnie belong to?’ Frances asked.

  Max looked expectantly at Leon, and Leon realised the kid was waiting for him to confirm ownership. ‘She’s mine,’ he said.

  Frances peered down at Bonnie, who was panting fast and ogling her with a mad gleam in her eyes. ‘She’s lively, isn’t she? How many pups were there?’

  ‘Six,’ Max said.

  ‘That’s a decent litter. How did you go finding homes?’

  Leon caught Frances’s eye and shook his head. ‘Let’s talk about that later.’

  She took the hint and busied herself creating a record for Bonnie. Then Kate came out: the young vet with the long blonde hair—Leon hadn’t forgotten her name. She led them into the consulting room and lifted Bonnie onto the table. The pup sank on her belly, ears and eyes drooping with fear. Max was worried about her, but Leon quite liked her this way.

  ‘So, you’ve got yourself a puppy,’ Kate said brightly to Leon. ‘What about Max—is he yours too?’

  ‘No. He’s my neighbour,’ Leon said.

  ‘My dog is Rosie,’ Max said.

  ‘I remember her,’ Kate said, smiling at Max. ‘Is this Bonnie’s first vaccination?’

  ‘Yeah,’ Max said. ‘We don’t want her to get sick.’

  Bonnie cowered on the table while Kate examined her, poking and prodding here and there, listening to her chest with a stethoscope. ‘She has a good heart,’ Kate said. ‘She’s very healthy.’

  ‘How much does it cost to get a dog fixed?’ Max asked.

  ‘Max is interested in having Rosie spayed,’ Leon explained.

  ‘Good idea,’ Kate said. ‘It’s around three hundred dollars.’

  Max looked stunned, and Leon realised this must seem like a million dollars to him. ‘We’ll chat about it on the way home,’ he murmured to Max. ‘I might be able to help. Maybe I can pay you to mow my lawns so you can save up.’

  When Leon turned back to Kate, he saw warmth in her eyes. She finished her inspection of Bonnie and drew up the vaccination in a syringe. Max hid his eyes while she gave the injection, but Bonnie didn’t even flinch. ‘There you go, it’s all done,’ Kate said. ‘She’s a very brave puppy.’

  In the waiting room, Leon paid the bill, then Frances took Max and Bonnie on a tour of the surgery.

  ‘That’s so nice of you to adopt the puppy,’ Kate said to Leon.

  ‘Kind or crazy. I’m not sure which.’

  ‘Kind, I would say. Not everyone would do something like that.’

  ‘What’s a bloke meant to do when a kid turns up crying on his doorstep?’

  Kate’s face fell. ‘What happened to the other pups?’

  ‘Drowned. And I gather it wasn’t the first time.’

  ‘Oh, that’s grim. How about I give you a discount on desexing Rosie?’

  ‘Really?’ Leon was touched. ‘Would you do that? I’d appreciate it.’

  ‘It’s my clinic. I can do what I want.’

  ‘You own the clinic?’

  Kate laughed. ‘No,
the bank owns it. Only the doormat is mine … But I could do the desexing for two hundred dollars? Would that help?’

  ‘That would be fantastic. But I’ll have to discuss it with Max’s family first. Wish me luck. I think money will be an issue, even with the discount. But we’ll find a way. I suppose you get that a lot around here, people unable to pay …’

  ‘It can be a problem.’ She smiled again. ‘Fortunately Frances is very persuasive. She won’t hand over medications till everything is paid up.’

  ‘I’ll make sure I have my visa card loaded when Bonnie’s turn comes around.’

  Bonnie gambolled back into the room, Frances and Max just behind her. Frances flashed Kate a meaningful look. ‘I think Bonnie’s ready to go.’

  Kate smiled. ‘Okay.’ Then to Leon, ‘We’ll see you for her next vaccination. Give me a call if you want to book Rosie in.’

  27

  Miki was wiping down tables when a new-looking four-wheel drive pulled up in the street. It was too clean to belong to anyone around here, like something straight out of a showroom. Four men climbed out: three in smart-looking suits; the other, tall and thin, in a fleece jacket, checked open-necked shirt, black jeans, polished hiking boots. Miki wondered who they were. They looked too important to be tourists. They hovered on the footpath for a while, talking among themselves, before heading towards the visitor centre.

  Ten minutes later they were back, and the tall man came into the shop. He had short grey hair and looked somehow familiar, but Miki couldn’t place him.

  ‘Hello,’ he said, smiling. ‘Thought I’d buy myself an early lunch. What would you recommend?’

  Miki was serving today because Kurt was out the back with the Coke rep. ‘We have some good salads,’ she said, indicating the display fridge and inspecting the man while he inspected the salads. She still couldn’t work out who he was, but she recognised his high forehead and straight nose and those sad, washed-out grey eyes. She blushed when he caught her looking at him.

  ‘I’ll have a medium serve of couscous salad,’ he said.

  Eyes down, she spooned a generous portion into a tub.

  ‘Nice town, isn’t it?’ he said. ‘Do you get out to the forest much?’