Day two
Jo saw him around all right. Always on the other side of the room, generally with a gaggle of people surrounding him. Everyone seemed to know him. Women hugged him, men shook his hand and slapped him on the back; government ministers, climatologists, celebrity environmentalists, prominent media hacks. He was getting to talk to everyone who was anyone.
On occasion he happened to walk past Jo, he’d casually ask ‘How are you doing?’ She’d reply ‘Fine’, and he’d say ‘Good. Let me know if there’s anything I can do, won’t you?’
He could have introduced her around, he shouldn’t have to be told that. Jo wasn’t getting to talk to anyone important. She was attending all the presentations, unlike Bannister, and no doubt writing the same copy as everyone else. She had an overwhelming sense that this was turning into a big fat wasted opportunity. And not only that, Leo would see that she’d done nothing more than a workmanlike job, and not be so forthcoming in the future. On the second day she had to choose which sessions to attend; various talks, seminars and workshops were being held concurrently, though most of the seasoned journos had booked individual interviews with all the big names. Jo would have liked to have asked Bannister if he had any contacts, if he was doing any interviews she could sit in on, but she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. So when she found herself nodding off in a near-empty session with someone calling himself a climate economist, she only had herself to blame.
Jo was attempting to follow a very complex equation linking the degree of global warming per decade to the average GDP across developed nations, when her phone started to vibrate in her pocket. She removed it surreptitiously and flipped it open. It was a message from Bannister.
Where are you?
Jo keyed in the room location, and moments later another message arrived.
Meet me outside asap
She didn’t like being ordered, but nonetheless she was glad for the interruption, so she quietly gathered up her things and crept out of the room, closing the door. She looked around to see Bannister marching up the corridor towards her.
‘You drove up here in a work car, right?’ he snapped as he got closer.
‘Yes,’ she answered uncertainly.
‘Well I need to borrow it. Have you got the keys on you?’
Jo hesitated. ‘It’s signed out to me, I’m not supposed to –’
‘This is an emergency.’
‘Okay, but I don’t have permission –’
‘Fuck, Jo, do you think Leo is going to mind?’
She took a breath. She would not be intimidated. ‘Leo doesn’t have authority over the insurance company and they’re incredibly strict –’
‘It’s my father,’ he said darkly. ‘I have to get home.’
‘Okay, I’ll drive you.’
He dragged his fingers through his hair, hesitating. Too frigging proud just to say yes, or worse, thanks. Something snapped inside Jo.
‘Oh for Chrissakes, would you get over this?’ She was fed up with his attitude. ‘I’m not the devil incarnate. Do you want a lift or would you rather cut off your nose to spite your face, you big baby?’
He looked taken aback, to say the least. ‘Okay,’ he said. ‘I’ll take the lift. Thanks.’
Jo stormed off in the direction of the carpark, Bannister following in her wake. As they approached the car, she aimed the remote to unlock the doors. She got in and started the engine as he climbed into the passenger seat.
‘Where to?’ she asked as she began to reverse out of the space.
They drove along in silence, except for the directions that he muttered at intervals. Jo could feel his anxiety; it filled the closed cabin of the car like a toxic gas, and she drove as fast as was legally allowed through Leura, eventually turning into a pretty tree-lined street.
‘Just past that four-wheel drive, pull up at the next house,’ said Joe.
As soon as the car came to a halt, he jumped out without another word and ran down to the house, disappearing inside. Jo sat there, clutching the steering wheel, staring after him. What was she supposed to do now? It didn’t seem right to drive away. What if they needed a ride somewhere? If it was bad they’d call an ambulance, she supposed. But they didn’t let relatives ride in ambulances any more. And if it was that bad, surely an ambulance would have been called already?
Jo turned off the engine. She’d better wait, for a while at least. Bannister would come out soon enough, tell her what was going on. He may even need a lift back to the conference. That seemed unlikely, but how was she supposed to know? She didn’t even know what was wrong with his father. Jo had a sudden sensation of dread. Anything could have happened. He could have . . . No, she didn’t want to think that way. Jo looked towards the house, wondering what was going on inside, beyond the drawn curtains. Maybe she shouldn’t be here. But she couldn’t just leave. A friend wouldn’t leave. So she stayed.
‘I’m so sorry, Joe,’ said Mim.
‘Don’t be sorry,’ he said, squeezing her shoulder. ‘I’m just glad I wasn’t far away.’
‘There’s always been a nurse here when he’s needed the cough-assist machine. I just got scared.’
‘Mim, hey, stop it. You have nothing to apologise for,’ Joe said gently.
The scene that had confronted him when he first arrived at the house was frankly horrifying. Joe was immediately reminded of an incident in Iraq where he had watched helplessly while a man hit in the chest by mortar had slowly suffocated as his blood filled his lungs. Of course there wasn’t any blood today, but the paroxysms of his father’s body as he fought for breath were distressingly similar. Mim was struggling to operate the machine and physically restrain his convulsing figure. Joe took over and managed to keep him still while Mim attached the mask and adjusted the pressures. Eventually his lungs cleared, and he began to breathe at a steady, normal rhythm. He was resting peacefully now.
‘How often do you have to do that?’
‘It’s usually one of the nurses,’ said Mim. ‘They taught him how to use it, so he can do it himself, but he won’t.’
‘He couldn’t have operated that himself today,’ said Joe.
‘No, of course not,’ she agreed. ‘He’s supposed to go on the machine regularly, but he doesn’t like it, so the nurses run it the days they’re here, and once or twice it’s been a bit more urgent. Today I kept checking on him, but he assured me that he was fine and he didn’t need it. Next thing he was convulsing. I guess I got spooked. If you hadn’t been up here, I would have had to handle it myself.’
‘I’m glad you didn’t have to.’
They looked at each other and a sad knowing passed between them. Joe felt overwhelmed. It wasn’t right that this had all been left to Mim. Things were clearly getting too much for her, for anyone on their own. He thought about the options. He could move up here, but even so, the time had probably come for around-the-clock medical care. Joe did not want to think about moving his father out of the house – that would sound the death knell – so he was going to have to look into a full-time nurse, or a team of them.
‘It’s times like this I wish Mum was here,’ Mim was saying. ‘She was so good in a crisis, so capable. I remember whenever I had an asthma attack, Dad was hopeless, he’d just walk away, he could never cope. But Mum knew how to calm me down so I could breathe just enough to give the medication time to take effect.’
Joe nodded, listening. ‘Do you think she ever got sick of it, though?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Always having to be the capable one, the responsible one, with Dad away so much?’
Mim shrugged. ‘I don’t know.’ She pulled her cardigan around her.
‘Do you think she was happy, Mim?’ he persisted.
‘Why are you asking these questions?’
‘I’m just wondering.’
‘I better get the fire started,’ she said, walking out of the kitchen.
‘It’s spring,’ said Joe, following her. ‘You still
need to put the fire on this early?’
‘I will today,’ said Mim. ‘I don’t want to wait for the air to get damp.’
He understood. ‘Do you want some help?’
‘This I can handle myself,’ she smiled, kneeling down at the hearth.
Something caught his eye and Joe glanced out at the street, at the car out front. He moved closer to the window. ‘What the . . .?’
Mim looked over her shoulder. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘The woman who gave me a lift from the conference,’ he said, crossing the room, ‘she’s still waiting out front.’
‘Really? All this time?’ Mim turned, but Joe was already at the front door. ‘Ask her in for a drink,’ she called after him.
Jo saw Bannister striding up the path towards her and she got out of the car.
‘What are you still doing here?’ he asked as he came into earshot.
‘Oh, um, I was just worried, in case you needed a lift . . . or anything.’
‘My sister has a car, but she couldn’t leave Dad to come and get me.’ He stopped on the other side of the car, staring at her. Jo didn’t think he was annoyed, more curious.
‘You didn’t have to stay all this time,’ he said.
She shrugged. ‘So everything’s okay?’
‘Yeah . . . thanks.’
‘I’m glad.’ She wasn’t sure what else to say. ‘Okay, so I guess I’ll get going then.’
He didn’t respond, so she turned back to get into the car.
‘Jo?’
She looked across at him, holding the door open.
‘Do you want to come in?’ he offered. ‘
No, that’s okay.’
‘Come on. Have a drink.’
‘I shouldn’t . . .’
‘Why not?’
She wasn’t sure. ‘Your dad.’
‘He’s resting, he’s okay, really.’ Joe took a breath. ‘Come on in, my sister’ll scold me if I let you go without a drink.’
He turned around and started back towards the house. Jo watched him for a moment, before closing the door and walking around the car to follow him.
‘Mim’s lovely,’ said Jo.
They were sitting out on the steps of the back verandah, having a beer. Mim had begged off, she wanted to stay inside where she could listen out for her father.
‘Yeah, she’s a sweet kid,’ Joe agreed. ‘She’s taken on all the responsibility for Dad, but I think it’s getting too much for her. And I don’t know what I’m going to do about it.’
Joe had given her a brief rundown of his father’s illness, and what had happened this afternoon, enough so that Jo understood the situation. It appeared to be pretty dire. Although listening to him talk, Jo found his affection for his father, as well as his sister, quite touching. He was softer here in this house. Certainly a lot softer than he’d been towards her lately.
‘Thanks for staying,’ he said. ‘That was really decent of you.’
‘It’s okay,’ she dismissed.
Joe looked at her. ‘I owe you an apology,’ he said carefully. ‘I’ve been a complete jerk.’
‘You were anxious about your dad, I understand.’
‘I’m not just talking about this afternoon,’ he said.
‘Oh.’ Jo suddenly felt self-conscious, staring down at her shoes.
‘You’re right, your business is none of mine. Maybe I was a little too hasty to judge.’
Jo dared to look at him then and he was watching her intently.
‘I read your column last week,’ he said.
‘You did?’
He nodded. ‘Point taken.’
‘Then apology accepted.’
They sat for a moment in silence, sipping their beers.
‘I want you to know,’ Joe said after a while, ‘I’m really not a judgemental person. I think the world would be a better place if we all minded our own business.’ He paused. ‘But it just doesn’t make sense to me . . .’
Jo wondered what he was talking about.
‘I mean, a woman like you . . . I don’t understand what you’re getting from the relationship, unless he’s the love of your life or something?’
She was just staring at him, one eyebrow raised.
‘Which is none of my business,’ he said sheepishly. ‘Okay, the matter is hereby dropped.’ He raised his bottle to her. ‘Friends?’
She clinked her bottle against his. ‘I’d like that.’
Saturday
Jo had filed her final copy in the very early hours of the morning. The sub had decided he wanted her to stay until she was finished, rather than lose valuable working time travelling home in the late afternoon. It was going to be a major spread in the paper and they needed to have it in place so they could work around it. Matt had bummed a lift earlier in the day to get the pictures back, so Jo was free to stay another night and make her way home on Saturday, in her own time.
Bannister had spent most of the remainder of the conference at the house to give Mim a break, but he managed to set up some interviews for Jo and he worked with her to prep questions. He read her drafts and gave her constructive feedback, and Jo gained more than a little insight into why he had been so successful. Her pieces were better for his input, but he refused to share a by-line. When she sent the copy off she included his name anyway; Leo would have dropped it in if she hadn’t.
Jo had arranged to pick Bannister up at midday at the house. He had intended to head back to the city sometime over the weekend, now that he’d organised full-time nursing support for his father. So when Jo was delayed until the Saturday, it seemed silly not to travel back together. As she drove into Leura this time, Jo was struck by what a picturesque little village it was. She wondered what it would be like to have grown up and gone to school in the one place, surrounded by a big, loving family. The word idyllic came to mind.
As she stepped out of the car, the scent of eucalyptus tingled in her nostrils. She gazed down at the big rambling house on the big rambling block, which was the way Bannister had described it. But when had he described it to her? It occurred to Jo that it must have been in the elevator, and it pleased her that she remembered. It was a lovely, welcoming, homely house, not a showpiece; in fact it was a little shabby, and that made her smile as she walked down the path. It was the kind of house you read about in stories, where a family has lived for generations. Idyllic indeed.
It was Mim who answered when Jo knocked on the door.
‘Hello Jo,’ she said, the warmth in her voice tempered only slightly by her inherent shyness.
‘Hi Mim. I’m here to give Joe a lift, did he mention?’
‘He did. Come inside, he’s just in with Dad.’
‘Oh . . .’ Jo hesitated. ‘Maybe I should wait for him in the car?’
‘Will it bother you?’ asked Mim, watching her.
‘Will what bother me?’
‘Being around someone who’s so sick?’
‘No, no, not at all. That’s not what I meant.’
‘It’s okay, some people find it difficult.’
‘Not me,’ Jo assured her. ‘I worked for a while in a nursing home when I was at uni. I’m quite accustomed to it.’
‘Then please come in and meet Dad,’ said Mim. ‘He loves visitors, and he doesn’t get so many these days. He’ll love that you’re a journalist.’
‘Are you sure?’ She was wary of imposing on the family at such a sensitive time.
‘Quite sure. He’s having a good day today.’
Jo followed Mim down the wide hall. The door at the end was open but she stopped as Mim walked inside. ‘Joe, your friend is here to pick you up. Would you like to meet her, Dad?’
Joe was taken aback, but his father answered before he could say anything. ‘Of course, I’d love to meet any friend of Joe’s.’
Mim turned around and beckoned for Jo to enter. As she walked in, Joe got to his feet, he didn’t know why, he wasn’t usually so chivalrous. She came to stand on the opposite side of the bed
and met his gaze, giving him a dazzling smile. And he found himself a little dumbstruck for a moment.
‘Are you going to introduce us, son?’
He stirred. ‘Dad, this is Jo Liddell, the colleague from the Trib I was telling you about. She’s been up here covering the conference.’
Joe watched her lean in close to his father and take his limp hand in hers. How did she know to do that? Had he told her last night that his father couldn’t raise his hand without effort? He didn’t think he’d gone into that much detail.
‘It’s a very great pleasure to meet you, Mr Bannister,’ she was saying.
‘Call me Joe, please,’ he said slowly, ‘or you’ll make me feel old.’
‘Then you have to call me Jo as well,’ she replied. ‘That should be easy to remember.’
‘Jo Liddell, did I hear correctly?’
‘You did.’
‘Been down any rabbit holes lately?’
‘Dad,’ Joe frowned. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘She knows what I’m talking about, don’t you, Ms Liddell?’
Jo was smiling. ‘Alice Liddell was the name of the real girl Lewis Carroll based Alice in Wonderland on, apparently.’
‘I didn’t know that,’ said Joe.
‘And you don’t know your manners either, son. Ms Liddell doesn’t have a chair.’
Joe fetched her one and returned to the other side of the bed, where he was pretty much ignored. His father basked in Jo’s attention. She said all the right things, laughed at his lame jokes, and managed to ask questions that only required yes or no or short answers, allowing him to maintain his dignity. She admitted she was a big fan of his work, and asked intelligent questions about Vietnam and Cambodia that proved it. His father was enchanted, he could tell. And so was Joe; in fact he could barely take his eyes off her.
He was glad they were friends now, but it had probably been easier when he was keeping his distance. He really was interested to know just how committed she was to Lachlan Barr. How committed can you be to someone who is majorly committed elsewhere? There was no future in it, surely she could see that? Or was Barr one of those dickheads who strung a woman along, letting her believe he’d leave his wife eventually? Jo seemed too savvy to fall for that line.
Crossing Paths Page 19
