Good Intentions

by Marg McAlister

  She pulled up two chairs in front of a computer, and instead of searching for bells and music like he had, she went straight to Wikipedia.

  “Here you are,” she said. “A list of mountains in Australia. State by state. We’ll print it out.” She hit a few buttons, went away somewhere, and came back with several pages and a highlighter pen. “Over to you,” she said. “Go through the list and highlight the name of any mountain that sounds like bells or music. Of course, you still may not find anything. But with the paucity of clues on offer, it’s the best we can do.”

  She sailed off, and Chook sent a dark look after her. He hadn’t been expecting to do any actual work.

  In the end, it wasn’t hard. As he went through the list, he put a fluorescent yellow dot next to any that didn’t sound right. As it turned out, there were amazingly few mountains that had anything to do with music.

  He found three.

  One: Mount Banda Banda in New South Wales. The kid could, he figured, be talking about a classroom band when she was banging on about music.

  Two: Bells Hill at a place called Robertson, also in NSW. He wasn’t much impressed by that one, it being a hill and not a mountain, but it did have ‘Bells’ in the name.

  Three: Tamborine Mountain in Queensland.

  Tamborine Mountain. The moment he saw it, he felt his stomach clench in excitement. An imagine flashed into his mind of Jasmine dancing around, waving her arms, telling him it was “like when she danced”; like bells.

  What did little girls hold when they danced?

  A tambourine. Shake, shake, shake with little bells tinkling.

  Thank you, Jasmine.

  And how many times had Shirley complained about the cold in Victoria, said that one day she was moving to the Sunshine State?

  Queensland.

  He knew in his bones this was the one.

  About the time that Chook was hastening home to throw a few things in the van for his long trip north, Georgie and Scott were entertaining Shirley with anecdotes from their travels around the USA, while Louise and Scott’s dad, Tony, listened and chimed in occasionally.

  The five of them were sitting in a semi-circle in comfortable chairs on the wide verandah of the main house, facing the green countryside with the darker outline of Mount Tamborine in the background, and sipping icy homemade lemonade.

  They were in the shade, but Georgie was still hot. She’d experienced heat in the USA, in California and Florida, but today was a scorcher. Apparently Australia was in the middle of a countrywide heat wave. February was the hottest month of the year here anyway, and there wasn’t a whisper of a breeze.

  It seemed incredible to Georgie that just four weeks ago she had been watching snow fall outside her father’s home in Indiana. Right now she’d give anything for some of that snow to rub on her perspiring forehead.

  The sound of her name made her rein in her wandering thoughts.

  “Sorry?” She smiled at Louise. “I was daydreaming. Thinking that back in Elkhart, they’re probably shoveling snow off the walk.”

  “Now, I wonder what might have made you think of that?” Louise said ironically. “We can go inside if you like, where it’s air-conditioned.”

  “I’m fine,” Georgie said quickly. “I’m enjoying the view.”

  Louise’s gaze swept across the rolling fields to Tamborine Mountain in the distance. “I never get tired of it.”

  Scott touched Georgie’s hand, his fingers squeezing hers in a signal. “Mum was just telling Shirley how the two of you worked together to rescue Jerry from the Preppers.”

  Instantly, Georgie understood. They’d been chatting about vintage trailers and the Johnny B. Goode RV Empire, keeping it light and fun while Shirley unwound from whatever had put that tight look on her face.

  Now, Louise was ready to encourage Shirley to open up about whatever was bothering her.

  “You can’t imagine,” Georgie said to Shirley, “how scary it was, having Jerry just disappear like that. Knowing that he was in the hands of extremists, with no clue how to rescue him. There are moderate survivalists—and then there are the crazies.”

  Fascinated, Shirley sat forward a little in her chair. “What did you do?”

  “Our starting point was to go where the GPS had cut out,” Georgie explained. “The guys who captured him deactivated that, so we knew where the vehicle had been last. But after that…well, I was relying on the crystal ball, and maybe gut instinct, but it was Louise who nailed it for us. She did a spread and saw Jerry near a fresh water source, somewhere in the middle of Kentucky. So we made for Marion County, because it was the dead center.”

  “And that’s where he was?”

  “We kind of narrowed it down. Found a strip of land there between two lakes—the fresh water that Louise saw, you see—and then we did a search online for preppers in the area,” Georgie told her.

  Shirley’s eyes moved from Georgie to Louise. “And Georgie’s crystal ball helped find the right people? That’s mind-blowing.”

  “That’s not all she saw in the crystal ball,” Louise said mischievously. “She saw this plump lady with greying hair, wearing a Broncos jersey. She thought it was a clue, but it turned out to be me.”

  Amidst general laughter, Georgie hid her face in her hands. “I’m never going to live that down.” She peeked at Shirley. “I called her chubby.”

  “Well, I was,” Louise admitted. “That was a good incentive to go on a diet. I lost eight kilos, and look at me now. A regular centerfold.” She swept her hands down to indicate her still-stocky figure, clad as usual in shorts and a t-shirt.

  “And you look great,” her husband told her diplomatically, winking at Georgie. “As you always do.”

  “And you always say the right thing, you charmer.” Louise shook a finger at him. “But back to the preppers story. Scott, you tell the rest, you were there.”

  He did so, managing to get in a few more references to Georgie’s crystal ball and his mother’s reading of the cards. “So we got Jerry back, in the end,” he finished. “But it was close.”

  Shirley shook her head. “It’s really a case of ‘truth is stranger than fiction’, isn’t it? Who would have thought you’d get caught up in something like that, just selling somebody an RV.” Her gaze, thoughtful now, switched to Louise. “And you really figured out what was going on, all the way from here? From Australia?”

  “Yes.” Louise’s eyes met Georgie’s, and for a moment they exchanged a look of perfect accord, mutely acknowledging the strange undercurrents and universal ‘knowing’ that they couldn’t explain, but totally believed in. “Somehow, these things transcend the boundaries of countries—of time and space, even. We don’t know why or how it happens. Georgie doesn’t know why she can look into a crystal ball and see things there that others can’t.”

  “Not that I can always see it,” Georgie said ruefully. “That’s why people give people like me and Louise a hard time. No guarantees. If it’s meant to be revealed to us, then it is.”

  “And people lie, or cover up things,” Louise added. “We can’t always tell when someone’s deceiving us.”

  “That’s right,” Georgie said. “Pity. Mind-reading would be a really useful skill to have.”

  “Anyway.” Louise pointed first at Scott, then at Georgie. “Before these two go gallivanting all the way around Australia, you can bet I’m going to be doing a spread or two to see what’s in store for them. And while they’re traveling.”

  “Feel free,” Georgie said. “If there’s a man-eating crocodile in my future, I want to know about it.”

  Taking advantage of a chuckle from Shirley’s direction, she said, “I’ll return the favor, of course. I’ll do readings for you, Louise, before we go.” She turned her gaze towards Shirley, as if it was an afterthought. “And for you too, of course, Shirley. I know you’re not really into this kind of thing, but you might like to join in, just for fun.”

  “Excellent,” Louise said enthusiastically. �
��Can we do it tonight? Let’s have a card-and-crystal-ball night!” She clapped her hands. “Go on, Shirley. Say yes. It’ll be fun.”

  “Well…” Shirley’s smile died. “What will…how does it work?”

  Instinctively, Georgie knew that she was worried about what would be revealed. “We just get a sense of what kind of forces are shaping the future, Shirley. Sometimes I get more specific messages, but if I do, I just save those for the person concerned. I can do a private reading for you, if you prefer. Or in addition to a general reading.”

  Shirley was silent for a moment, and then finally said, “Maybe not tonight. Can I take a rain check?”

  “Absolutely.” To take the heat off her, Georgie tipped up her glass and looked at it. “I’m going to get some more of this lemonade. Anyone else?”

  Everyone did, it seemed.

  “I’ll help.” Louise jumped up and went with her.

  “We’ll have to keep working on her,” Georgie said softly once they were out of range. “Do you sense it? There’s something eating at her.”

  “I know.” Louise opened the fridge, got out the pitcher. “Don’t worry. Between the two of us, we’ll get it out of her. I’ll give you some printed sheets on the bushfire evacuation plan, and you can use that as an excuse to talk with her again tomorrow. Run her through the procedure so she knows what to tell campers when they arrive.”

  “Very devious,” Georgie said, grinning. “And very smart.”

  5

  Heat Wave

  The next morning, before Shirley arrived to discuss the evacuation plan, Georgie carefully placed her crystal ball in a prominent place on the kitchen counter. By hook or by crook, she was going to work a reading into the conversation.

  “How’s the packing going?” Shirley greeted her, handing her a covered plate. “Carrot cake. My contribution to morning tea.”

  “Thanks!” Georgie put it on the counter and cast a glance around. “It might not look like it, but I’m actually making progress. I’ve already changed my mind a dozen times about where I want things.” She waved at the place where she wanted Shirley to sit; a position that would place the crystal ball right in her line of sight, over Georgie’s shoulder. “Sit down. Would you rather have tea, coffee or a cool drink? Soda with a squeeze of lime, maybe?”

  “Soda and lime sounds perfect.” Shirley sat down and wriggled appreciatively on the seat cushion. “This is really comfortable. How come your caravan is so much cooler than my motorhome?”

  “It’s well-insulated, I guess.” Georgie opened the fridge and extracted a bottle of soda and a fresh lime. “Plus we’re getting just the tiniest hint of a breeze from the creek.” She glanced out of the door at Shirley’s motorhome. “If I were you I’d move. Put your motorhome down near the creek, where you can catch the breeze off the water.”

  “I’d thought of that, but then I wouldn’t see people when they arrive.”

  “Easy,” Georgie said, slicing the lime and dropping a couple of wedges into two tall glasses, before pouring in the soda. “Put a sign on the gate telling people where you are. “CARETAKER” plus an arrow. And another sign outside your RV.” She cut two slices of carrot cake and joined Shirley at the table, handing her a glass and a plate.

  “You know, I think I will. Maybe tomorrow.” Shirley picked up one of the printed sheets outlining the bushfire evacuation plan and quickly scanned through it. “This is a great idea. Emergency numbers, roads, safety zones. I had no idea you could download a Fires Near Me app.”

  “Louise found the information on the local council site. Our first option if a bushfire threatens is here, on Tony’s brother’s property next door.” Georgie indicated the area on the map. “Craig has a large cleared area, fenced, well away from any trees and scrub. We just follow this track up from the main road. It’s kept graded, so it’s fine for most rigs.”

  “So the idea is for me just to run through this with campers as they arrive?”

  Georgie nodded. “Yes, and monitor any bushfire situation along with Louise and Tony.”

  She picked up her glass and sipped, considering how to broach the subject of the crystal ball, but Shirley saved her the trouble.

  “How was your session last night?” she asked. “Did Louise have any advice for your trip after reading the cards?”

  Pleased to have the subject brought up, Georgie quickly decided to keep it light. “Basically she could see a long trip in front of us. We would cover many kilometers and meet many people. All of which we already knew, anyway.”

  “That sounds like the kind of thing you’d read in a daily horoscope,” Shirley said, unable to hold back a grin. “Plus some generic advice about a new chapter opening up in your life, blah blah blah…”

  “You’re so right,” Georgie said with feeling. “I can understand the challenge for people who write a column like that, because when you’re giving general predictions for thousands of people with the same star sign, you can hardly be specific. But, I will admit, that’s the kind of catchall prediction that makes people skeptical.”

  “Was that all Louise said? She wasn’t able to tell you anything else about the trip?”

  “There was something,” Georgie said. “She warned us to be very careful when we visited the opal fields. Out around Lightning Ridge. We’ll keep that in mind when the time comes, but we’re not planning on going there for some time yet. And she did, unfortunately, predict a somewhat shaky start.”

  “Oh.” Shirley’s eyebrows flew up. “That’s not good. Did she say what it was? Mechanical problems? Something else?”

  “No, just that there was something that might hold us up. Could be damage on a rough road, car breakdown, family problems, anything.” Georgie laughed, and leaned forward confidentially. “See? That’s exactly what it’s like trying to predict the future. All too often, we can see general threats or problems, not specifics. And if we do see something definite, we might not know whether it was something that happened in the past or it’s something lurking in the future.”

  Shirley’s gaze moved slightly to the left for a moment, and Georgie knew that she was looking at the crystal ball resting on the countertop behind her.

  Hmm. So there was a spark of interest there. Well, she knew how to build on that.

  “What Louise saw could be something mechanical,” Georgie went on, “or it could be something to do with Scott’s sisters. We plan to kick off our trip by going down south to visit them in Yamba first. But Louise says she’s sure they’re having more problems with the cafe than they’re letting on.”

  “I hope it’s not that. They seemed like such nice girls when they came up to meet you a couple of weeks ago.” Shirley looked pensive. “They didn’t act as though anything was wrong.”

  “Louise thought they seemed okay, too. But the cards say differently.” Georgie shrugged. “Both Louise and I have had enough experience to know that that is something you don’t ignore. And family is important, so if there’s anything worrying them, Louise wants to know so she can help.”

  Come on, thought Georgie. If Shirley’s problems were connected with family, maybe that would be enough for her to open up.

  Shirley took another sip of her drink. She cleared her throat, and then said casually, nodding over Georgie’s shoulder, “So is that it? That’s the crystal ball that you inherited from your great-grandmother?”

  Georgie turned and looked at it. “Yes, that’s the one. Would you like to see it?” Without waiting for an answer, she stood up, picked up the crystal ball and its base, and pushed aside the bushfire evacuation plans to make some space for it between them.

  “I usually keep it covered with a black velvet cloth, also handed down from Grandma Rosa,” she said, settling into her seat again. “I almost left it with her when I decided to come to Australia, but…I just couldn’t. So here it is.” She smiled, remembering her vow to leave it behind so she could have a quiet life. Like that was ever going to happen.

  Shirley reached out and t
raced the pattern of gold leaves on the base. “How old is it?”

  “We’ve never quite been able to figure that out. It was handed down to Rosa’s mother before her, so we’re guessing it’s been passed down through many generations.”

  Shirley stared at the gleaming crystal globe in front of her, all kinds of conflicting expressions crossing her face. “It looks like glass. What happens when you use it? Do…things…appear in it?”

  “Sometimes they do. Usually I see a kind of mist swirling around in it, but the messages I get can take all kinds of forms. Sometimes I see images, which may be clear or maybe kind of fuzzy. At other times I hear a name.” Georgie shrugged. “And sometimes…I just seem to know stuff. Almost as though someone has opened a valve and information starts flowing.” Georgie ran her fingers gently over the surface of the crystal ball, and then raised her eyes to look at Shirley, waiting.

  “This fortune-telling,” Shirley said. “Do you really think it’s hereditary? Is it stronger, when it’s handed down through the generations?”

  “I don’t think it’s that simple. My grandmother – Rosa’s daughter – didn’t show any signs of having the Sight.” Georgie gave a soft chuckle. “That’s what they call it, ‘the Sight’. Great Grandma Rosa sometimes calls it a ‘gift’. Let me tell you, when I first found out that I could do this, I wasn’t so sure that it was a gift. I didn’t want to know anything about it. But in the end, I had to accept it.”

  Shirley leaned forward, looking at Georgie analytically. “You didn’t want to do this?”

  “Well, I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I was a little scared of my Great-Grandma Rosa, when I was growing up. She can be intimidating, and I didn’t want to have much to do with her. My mother didn’t like her, either.” In explanation, she added, “Rosa is my father’s grandmother. She brought him up, when his mother died.”

  “Well. Fascinating.” Shirley’s fingers were still touching the base in which the crystal ball rested, and she moved her forefinger slightly until it was resting on the crystal ball itself.