by Di Morrissey
‘I know, Mum. Mark and I will manage. I got another quote for the bathroom and it’s slightly cheaper than the first, but it’s certainly not what I would call cheap. Anyway, Mark and I have talked things over. If we budget and I manage a bit longer by myself and we leave some of the renovations until later, we’ll still be able to do most of what we want. But it’s going to be tight.’
‘Why don’t you have a break from all these renovations for a couple of days and bring the kids down to Lismore to see the new house? We’d both love to see you.’
‘Thanks, Mum. A break with you and Steve is a great idea and now that you’re less than two hours away, the kids won’t mind the drive too much. I’ll come down soon.’
Natalie put the phone down with a smile. It would be lovely to get away from the plumbing problems, the disorder of their house for a couple of days and have two other people keeping an eye on Charlotte and Adam to give her a bit of a break. The time between Mark’s home visits seemed to be getting longer and longer. She wished her mother was still at the farm, but she knew the new house would be very comfortable and there was a verandah and a garden for Adam to let off steam. He wasn’t good around glass vases and knick-knacks on coffee tables. At a couple of months pregnant, Natalie was feeling tired each day and the idea of reading and relaxing on her own seemed a luxury. A break away from home couldn’t come fast enough.
IN THE LAZY SUNRISE hours of Sunday morning, Natalie lay curled in Mark’s arms in their bed, both resting their hands on her slightly rounded belly.
‘Have you thought about names yet?’ Mark said nuzzling her ear.
‘Kind of. If it’s a boy I’d like to call him Andrew.’
‘Really? After your unknown uncle?’
‘He’s known to me now. And I think he must have been a good guy. He had principles, you know.’
Mark smiled. ‘Okay then. That’s fine by me, if I get to choose a girl’s name.’ He kissed her tenderly, then looked up as the bedroom door opened with a bang and Adam raced over to them clutching his old blue teddy bear.
Mark swung him onto the bed. ‘Hey there, mister. You love that blue bear, eh?’
‘You’re still my baby boy, Adam,’ said Natalie, looking at his ruffled hair and happy expression. ‘Even if you can get out of your cot by yourself now.’
‘Do you think it’s a good idea to leave the side of his cot down, especially as he can open his bedroom door?’
‘If I leave it up, he tries to climb over the side and ends up falling onto the floor. I think I’ll have to get a baby gate and put it across his doorway. That’ll keep him in his room. I know that you’re not supposed to compare girls with boys, but he’s much more of a climber than Charlotte was. But it’s also because he knows you’re home and he can’t wait to see you. We’re lucky he let us sleep this late,’ said Natalie.
‘What about me?’ A sleepy Charlotte appeared at the door. ‘What’s going on?’ she demanded.
‘Just having a cuddle. Come on up here, too, buttercup,’ called Mark as Adam wriggled under the covers.
Natalie smiled as she made breakfast. ‘Tickles and giggles and cuddles. What a lovely way to start the day. What are we going to do today?’
‘You mentioned seeing your mother. Do you want to do it today or have you got something else planned?’
‘Mum has invited us down for lunch, but I was going to drive down when you were back at work. I don’t want to make you give up your time at home to drive down to Lismore.’
‘Nat, it’s not a problem. I enjoy seeing your mother and Steve, and I’d like to see their new place. Why don’t you ring Sarah and tell her to expect us all in a couple of hours?’
*
Steve and Sarah’s new house was at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac. The homes on either side had well-established gardens and that tidy look that showed the owners were proud of their properties.
‘Looks very nice and neat,’ commented Mark as they pulled into the driveway.
‘No cows, no paddocks, no wide open spaces. But it’s smart. A big change for Steve, but I can see why Mum loves it.’
The roller door to the garage rattled open and Steve came out to greet them. The garage was full of tools, the lawnmower and many unpacked boxes that stood either side of Sarah’s compact car.
‘Does it all fit?’ asked Mark, getting out and shaking Steve’s hand. ‘Bet you miss those sheds of yours.’
‘Yeah. Sure do. Lucky we got rid of a lot of stuff in the clearing sale. Anyway, welcome to the new place.’
Sarah appeared and the children ran to her. ‘At last. I’ve made muffins, and they’re getting cold. Come in, come in.’
‘Why are you here, Nanny?’ asked Charlotte.
‘This is my new house. Come and see inside.’
‘But where are the cows?’ Charlotte looked concerned.
‘I’ll let you handle that one, Mum,’ said Natalie as Adam headed towards the treasure trove he could see scattered around the garage. ‘How’re you settling in, Steve?’
‘Don’t miss the early morning milking, that’s for sure. But it’s a different lifestyle. New phase of our lives.’ He said with a shrug.
‘You’re too fit and young to retire,’ said Mark.
‘Yes, what are you going to do with yourself while Mum’s at work?’ asked Natalie.
‘I’ve got some new interests! Hey, young man, get out of my drill bits.’ He picked up Adam and carried him into the house as Mark and Natalie followed.
‘It all looks lovely, Mum,’ said Natalie. ‘Nice to see some familiar things in their new surroundings.’ She looked around at this strange modern and more compact house. She missed the big lawns and the paddocks and animals that had been part of Steve’s farm.
‘This place makes my life much simpler, I can tell you. It’s much easier to keep clean, not to mention the fiveminute drive to the shop! It takes the pressure off when I know that I can always get home if it’s been raining and not be suddenly stranded by flooded roads. But enough about me! How are you feeling, Natalie? Had any morning sickness?’ asked Sarah.
‘Not really. I get a bit tired but that’s kind of normal for me anyway. I think it’s a permanent state for the mothers of toddlers.’
‘You do too much. You should make Mark give you more of a break when he’s home,’ said Sarah.
‘He works long hours, too. And if we want to get the renovations finished quickly, it’s the most practical solution. Especially now. We don’t want to be stuck too long in a half-finished house with three little ones. What a nightmare,’ said Natalie. ‘Anyway, Mark does help me when he’s home. He takes the kids out, so I can do things in the house without sticky fingers getting in the way. He’s considerate, Mum.’
Sarah shook her head. ‘You two seem to have everything worked out. Sometimes I think that your marriage seems too good to be true. Don’t you ever argue about anything?’
‘Of course we have disagreements. But not often, we’re a team. We think that what we are doing is the best for all of us in the long run, even if it doesn’t feel like that at times. You and Steve get on well though, don’t you?’
‘We do. Steve’s so placid and easygoing. I know he had second thoughts about leaving his farm, but we’re trying to be sensible, too.’
‘What’s he doing with his spare time now?’
‘He’s playing the stock market with money left over from the sale of the farm. He says he’s learning a lot,’ said Sarah.
‘You haven’t thought about giving up the shop, have you, Mum?’
‘Certainly not, especially as it’s so much easier for me to run it now. Are you concerned that I won’t be able to help very much with the new baby?’
‘No, Mum. I don’t expect you to drop everything for me. We’ve got it all worked out so that we can manage on our own. Then in a couple of years Mark can give up the FIFO job and get one on the Gold Coast. I know it’ll be difficult with three kids for a while but we’ll be fine,’ said Natalie.
‘I’m glad you’ve got things worked out. I’m so looking forward to seeing the little one when he or she is born,’ said Sarah. ‘But you’ll certainly have your hands full.’
Lunch was set up at the glass table on the patio and looked very pretty if rather more formal than the lunches they’d had at the casual long wooden table set under trees at the farm. Charlotte looked slightly intimidated by the formality.
‘What’s happening out at the mine, Mark? You going to buy any shares in it?’ asked Steve.
Mark shook his head. ‘No way. I’m not into that sort of thing.’
‘Really?’ said Sarah. ‘Wouldn’t you rather own Aussie mining shares than work for a foreign-owned company that keeps the bulk of the profits for themselves?’
‘But, Mum, those mining companies have bought the rights to extract the minerals, so don’t you think they have the right to the profits?’ asked Natalie.
‘Well,’ said Mark, ‘your mother has a point. Some people would argue that those resources below the surface, in the ground, belong to all of Australia, so it would be fairer if a bigger share of that wealth went to all Australians and not just to overseas shareholders.’
‘But the mining companies are taxed, aren’t they?’ said Natalie.
‘They try to pay as little tax as possible, like most companies. And what they make out of mining is massive. Some of it goes to the states as royalties, but the states that don’t have a lot of mines are missing out. People say other states should get their share, too. I mean, they are part of this country and should be part of the bonanza,’ said Mark.
Before Natalie could respond, Sarah held up her hand and said, ‘What I’m really concerned about is that I’ve heard that those mining companies destroy the environment. If the profits from mining go overseas and the environment is wrecked, what’s really in it for us? For Australia?’
‘The mining company I work for seems to want to do the right thing. They treat their workers well, and they look after the environment. They spend a lot of money on regeneration,’ said Mark.
‘Yeah, but once they rip the guts out of the land, it never comes back to its original condition,’ said Steve.
‘I think that some of the mining companies think that they don’t have to play by the rules. They’re part of the Australian community, aren’t they? Really, it makes me very cross,’ said Sarah as she removed their plates.
‘Calm down, love,’ said Steve. ‘At least Mark is making hay while the sun shines, like so many others.’
‘You know, a lot of the mining staff – engineers, geologists, the bigwigs – and just ordinary blokes like me, say they’re really proud of what they’re doing. They think that they are making a better Australia. But, yes, I agree with both you and Steve that once those minerals are gone, they’re gone, and so the mining companies should be paying top dollar for the privilege of taking them.’ Mark leaned back in his chair. ‘This argument goes on all the time at work. I don’t want to have it at home, too.’ He stood up. He smiled at Charlotte and Adam. ‘Nanny has ice-cream. Shall we go and help her serve it?’
Steve poured Natalie a glass of water as Sarah and Mark dished out ice-cream to the children in the kitchen. ‘I tell you what, Nat, this is not the same country as the one my dad and my grandfather and me grew up in. I don’t like it. Too much greed. Wind farms, gas wells, mines everywhere. I was happy knowing I could feed my family with my own hands. That there were decent people looking after farms, investing in our country by sharing it, in the good times and the bad times. We all paid our dues and some of us did better than others. And I was as good as the next fella. And if I didn’t like what was going on, I had a vote and I could say my piece.’ He shook his head. ‘Now I ask myself, who owns Australia? Doesn’t feel like I do.’ He downed his beer. ‘Anyway, enough with the lecture. You feeling okay with the new kiddy coming on?’
Natalie smiled at Steve and nodded. He sounded like a grumpy old man. Maybe he regretted selling the farm and giving up the secure life he’d always known, she thought. But it was too late now. She hoped he would settle into suburbia quickly.
Natalie took one final glance over her shoulder as Jodie took Charlotte and Adam out into the garden of the Windemere Preschool. Adam could be difficult when he knew that she would be leaving him but, with Charlotte beside him, the lure of the sandpit and slippery dip diverted his attention from his mother heading out the door.
*
‘I’m in the car on my way to Woolloongabba, Mum. In Brisbane. Yes, I’m using the hands-free phone.’
‘Why are you going up there? Meeting some of the girls?’
‘I’m having a coffee with a girlfriend. I’m looking for some bathroom fittings, and some light fittings, too. I also want to browse through some antique shops.’
‘What do you need antiques now for? Can’t you wait till you finish those renovations?’
‘I’m not shopping. I’m going to see if I can find a place I’ve been told about that specialises in Asian antiques. I’m taking Uncle Andrew’s kammavaca with me.’
‘Are you going to get it valued? That’s a good idea, I suppose, but don’t get your hopes up too high. It’s such a simple little thing,’ said Sarah.
‘No, Mum. The more I look at it the more intriguing I find the little pictures painted on it. You’re right. It probably has no great value, but it’s nice to have it in the family. Uncle Andrew sounded so interesting. I want to find out more about this thing that was so important to him.’
‘I agree. It makes me wonder if we had anyone else in the family who was adventurous like him. I have to say, the places he went to intrigue me. Especially Burma. I can see from his photographs why he was so captivated by the place. I don’t think Brighton was quite as exotic. But that’s where most of our rellies stayed, except, of course, my grandmother,’ said Sarah.
‘I think she must have been pretty brave to have left England for the wilds of northern New South Wales.’
‘Yes, she must have been and in love. Let me know what you find out. And restrain yourself. I know what you’re like in antique shops! Don’t go buying some Victorian baby cradle in need of a coat of paint.’
‘What a fabulous idea!’ laughed Natalie. ‘No, I’ll be good. It’s plumbing fixtures for the new bathroom I’m after. Something stylish.’
Natalie was pleased with herself when she found a two-hour parking spot in Logan Road, not far from the Gabba cricket ground. She stopped outside an antique shop. She could see that it was a wonderland of delights and temptation, crammed with tasteful and trashy collectables. Not all the pieces were genuine, some were beautifully crafted replicas rather than collectors’ gems but after the antiseptic plumbing shops Natalie loved the clutter. She dragged herself away and found the store she was after – Asian Antiques and Art.
In its window a long and lethal-looking Samurai sword rested on a stand against a stark white background. The stylish restraint made the sword look dramatic. Natalie went through the front door with its gilded lettering and into a beautiful room. A faint smell of incense, soft gamelan music, a hint of mustiness, and a huge and ornate Cambodian Buddha head greeted her. The fragile silk kimonos, brass gongs, intricate lacquered and gold-embossed screens and tall Chinese porcelain jars all sent a powerful message of prestige, knowledge and money to any prospective buyer. She realised when glancing at the discreetly displayed prices that the items in this shop were extremely expensive. These were obviously museum-quality pieces.
The proprietor turned to greet Natalie. She wore a business suit with a crisp white shirt, which, in casual Queensland, gave her an instant air of authority and gravitas. Natalie was reassured that here was someone who knew about Asian art and artefacts.
‘Adele Simpson? I spoke to you on the phone a few days ago. About looking at a piece I’ve inherited,’ said Natalie.
‘Ah, yes, the kammavaca. Please come and take a seat.’ She waved her hand towards two black carved lacquer chairs, inset with m
other of pearl, which stood in a corner of the display room.
‘You have some beautiful pieces,’ said Natalie. ‘Do they come from all over Asia?’
‘Mostly South Asia, though I do have a penchant for Japanese Imari ceramics. Now, let me see what you have.’
‘I’ve been told that palm-leaf manuscripts are pretty common, but this one is a bit different,’ said Natalie as she took out the little teak box.
‘Hmm, possibly,’ murmured Adele.
She was silent as Natalie carefully spread the kammavaca on the round table between them. She studied it slowly and carefully, handling it almost reverently.
Eventually she said, ‘This is quality work. And you’re right, the cloth does make it unusual. Obviously the cloth was once a monk’s robe. So the monks who did this work paid great attention to detail as they were working on sacred cloth.’
‘Can you read it? What does it say?’ asked Natalie, pleased she seemed to know so much.
‘That’s beyond my capabilities unfortunately. But I can tell you something about what I assume it says. Traditionally a kammavaca is a collection of extracts in the Pali language from the Vinaya Pitaka, the name given to the monastic code of discipline. As you probably know, they are still very common throughout South Asia, but only in Burma are kammavacas produced as such highly ornate and decorative manuscripts.’ She paused and bent closer. ‘The artwork is so delicate and detailed. See, some of it is decorative but if you look closely you can see paintings that are quite figurative. This one looks like a monastery. There’s a river.’
‘Really? I hadn’t noticed.’ Natalie leaned down and saw the quite distinct outline of a building. It looked ornate. ‘What are these curly bits? Is that a spire?’
‘I’d say fretwork. If the building was gilded, the artist would have added the gold leaf as he has on this Buddha image. No, I’d say that the fretwork and the lack of gilt indicates a wooden monastery. Probably teak.’
‘How beautiful. Look at the trees bending over the river. Do you think it’s a real place?’
‘It might be, or it may be just an imagined building,’ said Adele cautiously. ‘It would seem logical that if a monk was the artist, he would have depicted his own monastery. Do you know anything about the history of this piece?’
