by Mandy Magro
Heath ran his fingers over the worn, yellow pages of the book he was holding and opened it to the place where the bookmark was resting. At the end of the day, when everyone had retired home, he would spend hours reading Molly her favourite novel. It was about a young English girl in the 1800s who longed to escape from her underprivileged life. She had finally discovered freedom when she found herself convicted of stealing a loaf of bread for her starving family and was shipped off to the shores of Australia, to join the new colony. It was here that she met the love of her life.
Molly had lent the book to him a few months back and he had read it from start to finish in less than a week, finding himself enthralled. He continued on from where he had left off.
The young girl held onto the ragged leather reins with shivering hands. Squeezing her eyes closed tightly, she encouraged the stallion into a gallop with a soft squeeze of her thighs. She let images of another world fill her mind as she allowed herself to believe, if only for a second, that when she opened them she would be in that place where there was never-ending happiness. Warmth flooded through her like a mother’s embrace as the wind rustled her long golden locks. The freedom she felt with a powerful horse beneath her was indescribable.
She wanted to keep going, into the thick, dark forest that surrounded her family’s shabby cottage, never to return. The endless days of scrubbing floors and slaving over hot coals had worn her spirit down, making her feel as though she was a thin sheet of glass that could shatter with one tiny bump. She let out a scream, her emotions coming to the surface and escaping into the cold winter’s morning as warm tears rolled down her rosy cheeks and trickled onto the crisp white snow beneath her.
Heath went to turn the page and briefly looked up at Molly. His breath stopped in his throat when he saw a tear roll down Molly’s cheek. The book hit the floor with a thump as he reached out and grabbed her hand.
‘Molly, can you hear me? If you can, squeeze my hand. Molly?’
Heath waited, silently begging for Molly to show some sign of life. And then he felt it. Molly moved her fingers ever so slightly. Heath jumped from his chair and it skidded out behind him, landing with a loud crash against the door. He kissed Molly’s cheek, tasting the saltiness of her tears on his lips, whispering over and over how much he loved her and reminding her that she had to be here for Rose. Reaching out, he grabbed the buzzer and pumped it until a flustered nurse stormed into the room scowling.
‘What on the earth is going in h—’ The nurse stopped dead in her tracks as Molly slowly opened her eyes. She ran swiftly to Molly’s side, talking to her gently while lifting her eyelids and shining a tiny torch into her pupils.
Molly tried to speak but her mouth was so dry that it was almost impossible to move her tongue. Voices echoed around her, as though she was in a tunnel. She tried to focus but the light above her was excruciatingly bright, her mind racing as memories of being trapped in the fire gripped her, flooding her senses with terror and panic. Where was she? What was happening? Where was Rose? Was she alive? Was her little girl alive? She could feel someone tenderly touching her face and she heard a voice. It was one she was very familiar with, and it was instantly comforting. Her eyes began to focus and a sensation of deep love enveloped her when she saw Heath’s intense blue eyes staring deeply into her own.
‘I love you, Molly, I love you so much,’ he whispered as he stroked her hair. ‘Don’t try to talk yet, just save your energy. You’re in hospital. You’ve been asleep for a few days. I’m here with you and I’m not going anywhere. Rose is alive, she has a broken leg but she’ll be fine. Just take it easy now …’
I love you too, Molly thought as relief flooded through her. Rose was alive! She was okay. Molly’s head was throbbing and her thoughts were vague and scattered. But Rose was alive and Heath was with her. This was all she needed to know right now. She tried to keep her eyes open, but she didn’t even have the energy. Molly drifted off to sleep, the warmth of Heath’s hand in hers making her feel safe and secure and loved.
Chapter 24
As soon as the Land Cruiser left the smoothness of the bitumen behind and hit bumpy dirt roads, Molly felt like she was home. She gently squeezed Rose’s hand, excited to finally be out of the hospital. If she had to spend another day in the cold, disinfectant-smelling, stark-white room she was sure they would have had to put her in a straitjacket, send her to the top floor and throw away the key. Rose squeezed her hand back and gave her a loving kiss on the cheek. Molly smiled as she looked affectionately at her, then towards Heath. He’d been beside her every day of these past seven weeks she had been in the hospital. She was sure she would not have made such a quick recovery without his constant support. And he had saved her darling Rose from the fire. For that alone, she could never thank him enough.
It had been a painful recovery, with loads of physiotherapy to help heal the injuries Molly had sustained in her neck and back, and too many knock-your-socks-off painkillers. Molly hated even taking paracetamol when she had a headache, so she had not enjoyed having to use morphine every day to alleviate the pain in her head. Even worse, when the doctors had decided to slowly wean her off the morphine, she’d endured the agony of withdrawal symptoms – not being able to sleep, painful headaches and excruciating stomach cramps that almost outweighed contraction pains. She had learnt the hard way where the term ‘cold turkey’ came from. She would constantly get cold flushes and goosebumps all over her skin, resembling a cold turkey.
Molly instinctively rubbed her head where the stitches had been, running her fingers over the raised red skin of the big, horrible scar. She was glad her hair would eventually grow back around it so that no one could ever see it. She didn’t want to relive the horror of that night every time someone asked her about the scar.
Heath turned into Jacaranda Farm and Molly felt a flurry of butterflies in her belly. She was flooded with emotions ranging from elation and exhilaration, to apprehension and nervousness about how she would feel when she saw the stables again. Kenny and Trev had rebuilt them, refusing any payment, telling David they felt it was the least they could do to help. Molly saw the shimmering dam come into view, beautiful dragonflies dancing over the water. Around the edges of the dam stood palm trees laden with plump coconuts, making her crave the sweet juice inside them. A flock of honeyeaters were singing in the jackfruit tree, the remnants of their fruit fest scattered on the ground beneath the tree. Oh, she had missed seeing Jacaranda Farm every day, and it cheered her up immeasurably being back.
The house came into view and Skip bounded off the front verandah to greet her, clearing the bottom three steps in one in his haste. It felt like a lifetime ago since she had been here and she couldn’t wait to see everyone. Even though they all constantly visited her in hospital it wasn’t the same as sitting around at home having a few laughs over a barbecue and a couple of beers. She half expected her grandparents to appear through the front door with welcome-home smiles on their faces, but they were nowhere to be seen. They would’ve heard Skip barking, so they most certainly knew she was back. Where was everyone? Aren’t they excited to have me home? Heath turned off the ignition and all went quiet, except for Skip’s insistent barking and a few noisy galahs perched in her grandma’s prized lemon trees out the front.
‘You make your way in with Rose and I’ll grab your bags out of the back, beautiful,’ Heath said, snapping her out of her thoughts.
‘Oh right, yep, thanks.’ She slid out of the passenger-side door, helping Rose down, and was met by Skip leaping up and placing his paws on her chest, almost bowling her over. She chuckled as he licked her face enthusiastically and gently pushed him away before he somehow managed to lick her eyeballs clean out of their sockets.
‘Nice to see you too, buddy! It’s been way too long, hey,’ she exclaimed as she leant down and gave him an affectionate cuddle.
Rose gave Skip a quick pat once he had calmed down. ‘He’s been howling for you every night since you’ve been at the hospital,
driving everyone nuts. Grandma reckoned it was worse than listening to GG snore all night. Nothing we did would shut him up.’
Molly giggled. ‘Gosh, it must have been bad, if it was worse than GG’s snoring!’
Rose nodded vigorously. ‘Uh-huh. I had to sleep with a pillow over my head and even then I could still hear him.’
Heath came up beside them with Molly’s bag tossed over his shoulder. Molly looked up at him and her knees went weak. His shirt was pulled askew thanks to the weight of her bag and she could see his powerfully built chest through the top few buttons of his shirt, practically begging her to run her fingertips over his smooth skin.
Heath caught Molly gazing at him, and glanced down to where she was staring. When he realised, he leant over and kissed her on the lips, brushing past her ear on the way and briefly stopping to whisper, ‘I’m going to kiss you all over when I get the chance.’ Then he stood back up and smiled devilishly at her.
Molly was afraid she would pass out on the spot. She desired Heath with every part of her being. Her aching for him was driving her insane.
‘Come on then. Let’s get inside and say g’day to David and Elizabeth,’ he said casually as he grabbed Molly’s outstretched hand and helped her up.
Rose giggled a little too excitedly and hobbled up the stairs. Her cast was off now, but her leg muscles were still weak after not being used for six weeks. Molly couldn’t help but wonder what she was up to; it was as though she had frogs in her socks. They all took off their shoes and Heath motioned to the front door. ‘You go in first, gorgeous.’
Molly shrugged, finding the increasing eagerness in Rose’s jiggling feet a little strange. She pushed open the big timber door, enjoying the familiar sound of the hinges creaking loudly as though they were pleading for a good spray of WD40. She just about died from shock as she stepped into the lounge and was greeted with a massive roar of ‘Surprise! Welcome home, Molly!’
Happy tears stung her eyes as friends and family jumped up from behind the furniture, their faces beaming in delight at having her home again. The room was filled with bright balloons and streamers and a huge welcome home sign was hung above the kitchen doorway, obviously painted by Rose. The childish writing melted Molly’s heart.
Molly glanced around the room, trying to take it all in, clutching her chest as if trying to keep her thumping heart in her rib cage. Jade, Melinda, Kenny and Trev all had shiny party hats on, her neighbours Kathy and Fred had streamers wrapped around their shoulders while Rob and Cheryl noisily blew party blowers. In the middle of the happy chaos stood her granddad and grandma, loving looks on their tired faces.
Heath slid his arm around Molly’s waist and kissed her tenderly on the cheek. ‘Welcome home, Molly. We missed you.’
Molly felt a rush of happiness wash over her and she silently thanked the angels above for leaving her here on earth to enjoy such a wonderful life with such amazing people.
Chapter 25
The sixty-seven-year-old yoga teacher lifted her leg as though it was attached to someone else and tucked it behind her neck, smiling the whole time, continuing to talk effortlessly to the class as though there was nothing out of the ordinary about the way she was sitting.
Molly cringed, feeling her groin twinge in fright as she visualised doing the pose herself. She glanced over at Jade, who was also moving her body like a contortionist. Molly shook her head. What had she been thinking, letting Jade drag her here? There was no way she was ever going to be able to bend her body like that. Well, not without breaking every bone in it. Jade had hauled her to the class, saying yoga was good for the soul, and reminding Molly that she had been through a lot lately and that her body needed some TLC. Molly had gone along, feeling like a fish out of water the instant she sat down amongst the group.
The cheerful teacher continued to call out harmoniously, reminding the class not to push past their individual thresholds in case of injury. Molly scoffed under her breath as she struggled with her own leg – her tongue hooking around the corner of her lips in her effort – barely getting her leg level with her chest before an involuntary gush of wind escaped her.
Jade muffled her laughter as she turned to Molly. ‘Did you just fart, Miss Jones?’
Molly felt her face flush bright red and she covered her mouth in a bid to stifle her laughter. ‘Shit, Jade! It was a fanny fart! All these weird positions have sucked air into places it should never be. I’m so embarrassed.’
‘I reckon the whole class must’ve heard that one. What a beauty,’ Jade whispered, turning back to face the teacher, her body moving with the grace of a slinky cat.
Molly looked timidly around her to see if anyone was glaring in her direction with a disgusted look on their face, but everyone seemed too engrossed in participating in the downward-facing dog pose. Molly grinned inwardly as she thought how they all resembled Skip when he got up from a doggy nap and had a good old stretch. She felt a bubble of infectious laughter rising up within her and, try as she might, she was unable to contain it, and burst into a fit of uncontrollable giggles. Jade gave her a sideways look, her eyes pleading with her to quiet down. Molly took a deep breath and covered her mouth, a smirk still visible in her sparkling eyes.
The teacher looked in Molly’s direction and frowned, in a spiritual, meditative kind of way, and Molly instantly felt like a naughty schoolgirl, seeing she was the only one not in a back-breaking position. She tried to look serious as she once again fought with her leg like it was a separate entity, feeling muscles in her thighs that she didn’t even know existed as she attempted the revolved-triangle pose while taking deep breaths.
The rest of the hour-long class was no better. At one stage, whilst doing the monkey pose – or was it the lotus position? – Molly lost her balance and collapsed like a wildebeest into the elderly man beside her. Apologising profusely she helped him up, feeling her cheeks again burning a fiery red. Then Molly got back into position and attempted the pose again.
She loved the last bit of the class, though. They all got to put on socks and lie down under a blanket on the soft, rubbery yoga mats. The teacher turned off all the lights, lit scented candles and played relaxation music. Molly had never heard anything so beautiful. It felt like the music had wings and was lifting her spirit up to a place where everything was blissful and enchanted.
The teacher’s voice was soft, sensual and soothing as she talked them through a meditation sequence. She asked them to picture themselves walking along a white sandy beach, feeling the warm sand between their toes as the waves lapped lazily onto the shore. ‘Find a place to sit on that beautiful pristine beach,’ the teacher whispered to the class. Molly could have sworn she smelled the ocean as she sat herself down in her mind.
‘Now feel the earth beneath you,’ the teacher continued. ‘Feel the power of it. Imagine that with each breath you take you are drawing the earth’s energies up through your feet. Feel the energy travelling through you, like a white light, all through your body and into your mind. The white light is releasing all negative emotions and making you feel at peace with yourself. Painful emotions are dissolving in you like a block of melting ice, seeping down into the sand beneath you.’
It was at this point that Molly must have dozed off, because she woke to Jade poking her in the ribs and asking her if she was sleeping.
She yawned sheepishly. ‘Sorry, Jade, I’m just so relaxed. This is wonderful.’
The teacher spoke again. ‘Now, I would like you all to take your time. When you’re ready, roll into the recovery position on your right side, and then come to sitting please.’
Molly slowly pushed herself up, wishing she could stay under her blanket instead and drift back into an enchanted sleep. She had not felt so tranquil in ages. Jade reached over and grabbed her hand, the man on the opposite side of her doing the same, causing her to jump slightly. Molly followed suit and folded her legs. The class began a series of drawn-out oms, filling her body with captivating vibrations when the sound travel
led through her. Just as she felt she was really beginning to get the hang of it, they stopped, leaving her voice the only one audible in the echoing classroom as she released a passionate ‘Ommm’. She blushed slightly as the class smiled dreamily towards her.
The teacher bowed her head to them all. ‘Thank you, class. Look forward to the future with a smile in your heart and love on your lips. Om, Shanti, Shanti, Shanti, peace, peace, peace.’
The alluring mantra made Molly feel as though she would never encounter drama in her life again. Now, wouldn’t that be wonderful? She felt amazing. Everyone replied to the teacher sleepily, then the reality of the world came rolling back as the fluorescent lights above them were turned on so they could gather their things, the Dimbulah community hall instantly losing the hippy atmosphere of a place where peace and love prevailed.
The girls stumbled out into the darkness, the bright lights from the hall creating long shadows all around them.
Jade inquisitively looked at Molly as they walked over to the car. ‘So, how did you like the class?’
Molly stretched her arms and pleasurably rolled her neck from side to side. ‘That was bloody awesome! I think I’d like to come with you again. That is, once my body gets over the torture of this class!’
‘Oh, come on, Molly. It isn’t that bad. It’s just that tonight was your first time and yoga always seems a bit daunting to begin with. I’d love for you to come along with me each week. It would give us another excuse to hang out. Rose could come too, if she likes. Although, you might have to curb the fanny farts.’
‘Rubbish, that was the highlight of the class!’ Molly replied cheekily as she opened the passenger-side door and slid in.
Jade started the car and headed in the direction of Jacaranda Farm. ‘Sooo, tell me, what has been happening with you and Heath since you’ve been home from the hospital? Have you done the wild thing yet? I’m dying to know!’ Molly’s whole body tingled just thinking about it as she smiled demurely at Jade. ‘No, we haven’t done the wild thing yet! Bloody hell, Jade! You’re so to the point, but that’s one of the things I love about you.’
