Reality Bytes

by Jane Frances

  “Don’t give it a second thought.” Toni waved the apology away with a lie. “It’s long forgotten.”

  Emma extended a hand. “Friends?”

  Toni matched the firmness of Emma’s handshake. “Friends.”

  A few uncomfortable seconds passed where neither said anything. Emma’s gaze wandered around the room, coming to settle again on the cans of chickpeas.

  “So, have you heard from Lisa or Cathy lately?” Toni blurted, as much to fill the gap as to take Emma’s attention from her pseudo hand-weights. She made a mental note to put them out of sight when they were not in use.

  “Not since they first arrived.”

  “Me neither.”

  “They’re probably having such a good time they’ve forgotten about all of us.”

  “Where will they be now?”

  “Capri, I think.”

  Both sighed little envious sighs and echoed “Capri” in unison. Then they both laughed. Toni felt herself begin to relax. Emma the vet had more than proved herself. Maybe Emma the person wasn’t such a bad sort either. “Do you have time for a cup of coffee?”

  “I really should get going.” Emma grasped the handle of her doctor’s bag and stood, checking her watch. “I’ve got a…I have to get home and feed the troops.”

  Toni looked to her own watch. It was nearly six-thirty. She’d arranged to meet with Kayisha at seven so still had some time up her sleeve. But she had to feed Virgil and grab something for herself before then, so she didn’t argue. “I imagine you’ve got a house full of animals?”

  Emma shook her head. “Occasionally I do the Doctor Dolittle bit and baby-sit a litter of puppies or kittens, but for the most part it’s just me, one dog and one cat.”

  The bit of Toni that was still slightly miffed at the inclusion of the cat fact sheet with Virgil’s bill couldn’t resist asking, “Does your cat live inside?”

  “Yes, she does actually.”

  “Oh.” Toni felt rather silly for having asked. Of course Emma would follow veterinary guidelines. “And she doesn’t mind?”

  “No. I brought her up that way from a kitten.”

  Maybe Toni really was the irresponsible one. It seemed everybody had done the right thing by their pets except her. She was tempted to invite Emma back to her study so she could show her the beginnings of her cat run design—just to prove she was making moves in the right direction. However, time was marching on. Toni reached for the latch on her front door, thanked Emma once again for everything she had done for Virgil and said her goodbyes.

  Just for a second, as she watched Emma descend the steps and walk down the path, Toni entertained an unbeckoned image of her mounting a horse and riding into the distance. Probably because of the jeans and khaki-colored shirt Emma wore. Plus, she did have a kind of country girl, jillaroo look. Healthy, tanned skin. An outdoorsy type. Toni wondered if Kayisha looked a bit like that. She decided she wouldn’t mind if she did.

  For God’s sake, woman, Toni thought as she closed the front door behind her. Get a grip. If asked twenty minutes ago, she would have said Emma outside the veterinary surgery was rude and obnoxious. And now she was putting Emma’s features onto the faceless person who spoke to her across cyberspace. She really must be losing it.

  “I’ve got to get back into the real world,” Toni told herself. She headed for the kitchen to fork some fresh cat food into Virgil’s bowl. Then she made an omelet sandwich and carried it and a glass of pineapple juice to the study.

  Tomorrow she’d venture outside in to the real world. But for now she had a date to keep.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Em, that is such good news.”

  “Thanks, Pete.”

  “But I’ll miss you if you get the job.”

  “It’s just Albany. Five hours’ drive. Or an hour by plane if you’re

  really desperate to see me.”

  “What time do you leave?”

  “I’ll set off around one.” Emma twisted the phone cord round

  her finger. It was Pete’s rostered day off and she’d rung him at home to see if he would feed Kayisha and Malibu while she was away. She’d initially thought of ringing Justine and asking her to do pet-sitting duty but had a last-minute change of heart. Pete already knew to separate them at mealtimes to avoid Kayisha’s nosing into Malibu’s bowl. He also wouldn’t forget he had the feeding duties to perform, unlike Justine, who could be distracted from her promise by something as simple as a bad movie on television. Or by a phone call from the troglo…from Paul. Emma twisted a bit more of the phone cord around her finger. It was a tight twist and her fingertip began to go purple. “I know it’s short notice, but if you’re not going to be home I can leave the key in a hiding spot around here.”

  “No, no. That’s fine, Em. I was just hanging ’round the house anyway.”

  “Great. I’ll see you a little after one.”

  Emma hung up the phone, released her finger from the cord’s stranglehold and headed to the bedroom. She stood in front of her open wardrobe door, wondering what to pack for her trip. She’d wear what she currently had on for the drive but would need something warm for the night, something decent for her interview tomorrow and another change of clothes for the rest of the day. Finally, she’d need at least a change of underwear for the next morning. She didn’t need to spend two nights away but decided she may as well check the lay of the land while she was down there, to see if she could live in the region were she offered the position.

  Emma sat on her bed, feeling in a bit of a spin. Everything had happened so fast. Less than an hour ago she’d spoken to Frank, who announced himself as calling from Albany. Specifically, from the practice Emma had applied to last week. He was most interested in talking to her further—would she be available to come down for an interview, maybe Friday? Emma thought quickly. Friday she was scheduled to work at Tricia’s. Tricia would understand, but Emma didn’t want to lose a day’s pay, and since she had no other commitments until then, she had suggested, “I could make it sometime tomorrow if that’s convenient?”

  Frank had agreed to the Tuesday meeting. So all of a sudden Emma found herself making preparations for a road trip to Albany.

  Forty minutes later Emma was packed and she’d checked her car for oil and water. She would have been finished a lot sooner had her preparations not been peppered with regular trips to the lounge room to refresh her computer screen, each time hoping that Pookie might have entered the Fijian Room. Given the fact she had no idea what Pookie did for a living, she had no idea if Pookie would log on at this time of day. Maybe she had restricted access to a computer when at work, or maybe no access at all during work hours. Or maybe she worked the night shift somewhere and so was currently asleep.

  Now, with less than an hour before she was due to drop off her keys at Pete’s, Emma sat in front of the monitor, closed her eyes and willed Pookie to come online.

  Log on! Emma concentrated really hard, trying to send a telepathic message to wherever Pookie was. Which, Emma thought miserably, could be anywhere in the Perth metropolitan area. Why, oh why had she persevered with maintaining such anonymity? Since their original meeting, Emma had spent hours chatting with Pookie, and with each hour that passed, she felt more of a connection. But despite her heart telling her she could trust Pookie, her head told her to be careful. So, although they spoke at length about all sorts of topics, Emma stopped short of revealing personal details. She could tell Pookie found this frustrating. Pookie had hinted around the edges but, to her credit, she never pushed. And in turn, Pookie did not offer any details of her own.

  “Sh-i-i-t!” Emma swore long and loudly when the disconnection message appeared. Briefly she thought of the broadband brochure still housed in her doctor’s bag, but she doubted—even if the company Toni recommended had exceptional customer service—they could get her up and running in less than an hour. Emma leaned back in her chair and assumed her thinking position. Toni seemed a bit of a computer buff. Maybe
she would know of some way to find out who Pookie was.

  Emma immediately discarded the idea. Even if Toni did have hacking capabilities, Emma couldn’t imagine asking her to tap into the back end of a chat site to retrieve someone’s personal details. Toni would have her branded as a Froot Loop in two minutes flat. Which would completely undo her bridge repair from last night. That would be a shame, because Emma hadn’t been giving lip service with her request to be friends. Over the course of last night’s brief visit, she’d decided anyone who doted on their pet as much as Toni did had to be okay.

  Also, she had looked awfully cute in those Tigger pajamas, even with her face covered in all those spots.

  Emma swept her mind clear of that thought. It wasn’t solving her current problem at all. She tried a different tactic, talking nicely to her computer instead of swearing at it. It worked, but Pookie still wasn’t anywhere to be found. Emma kept trying until she was due to leave, considered delaying her trip, then thought better of it. She didn’t want to be driving country roads at dusk. That was when the kangaroos came out to feed, and they had a habit of bounding across highways without looking. She’d just have to explain to Pookie in a few days’ time why she didn’t keep their usual seven p.m. meeting.

  Emma said long good-byes to Kayisha and Malibu, checked her computer one final time, grasped the handle of her overnight bag and locked the front door behind her.

  “Toni.” Julie looked Toni up and down before she crossed the threshold on Monday evening. “You’re dressed.”

  “Had to happen sooner or later. How was the game?”

  “They won.”

  “Great.” Toni sensed a lack of enthusiasm. “Isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  Water polo was obviously not a popular topic. Toni stood aside to let Julie pass. As with all her other visits, she arrived with her arms laden. Tonight, in addition to her usual carryall, she held a plastic bag with the unmistakable insignia of a fried chicken chain.

  Julie took another look at Toni’s attire, loose-fitting track pants and a similarly loose T-shirt. “So I’m guessing you’re feeling better?”

  “Heaps.” Toni followed Julie into the kitchen and pulled a couple of plates from an overhead cupboard. She placed them on her kitchen table, where Julie was extracting the contents of the plastic bag. The smell of fried chicken was delicious. Toni could feel her arteries harden just by thinking about eating it.

  “I’m afraid it’s not the most imaginative of meals.” Julie was apologetic as she lifted the lid on mashed potato and gravy.

  “Looks pretty damn good to me.” Toni poured wine leftover from their Friday night meal. “I think this should still be okay.” She clinked her glass to Julie’s, hoping her glance to the kitchen clock wasn’t too obvious. “Cheers.”

  As was usual, dinner conversation was dominated by talk of the practice. It was Marian’s first day in her temping role, so much of Julie’s time had been taken with the duties inherent with bringing a new staff member up to speed. That Marian had previously worked at the practice and was familiar with a number of her assigned clients was a real bonus, as was the fact she and Julie got on particularly well during her last stint.

  “Marian must think I’m the slackest person around,” Toni said glumly as she picked at a chicken bone. “Three months last year and now this.”

  “Don’t be silly.” Julie grimaced in the manner of someone who’d eaten more than her fill and pushed her plate away. “No one can exactly say you’re faking it, and last year, well…” She folded her arms. “I don’t blame you one bit for leaving.”

  Toni shot a look in Julie’s direction. A little bit of her wanted her to elaborate—Toni’s sudden departure last year was a seemingly taboo subject in the practice, so she had no real notion how anyone felt about it—but the other bit of her, the bit that was clock-watching, decided it could wait. Toni pressed a paper napkin to her mouth. It came away with transparent lip marks, an indication she’d consumed enough grease to keep her liver chugging for days.

  “Julie, I know it’s really rude, but I just remembered a bill that will be overdue if I don’t pay it today. I can take care of it online. Do you mind? I won’t be long.”

  “Go for it.” Julie waved her away. “I’ll do the dishes.”

  Toni smiled gratefully, looking to cardboard and plastic. Washing up was no major task this evening. “Thanks.” She dashed to the study.

  Her online bill payment was, of course, a ruse. It was an excuse to log on to chat, explain to Kayisha an unexpected visitor had dropped by and request they meet later in the evening. It was pretty much true. During Julie’s midafternoon call she had established that Toni had not yet ventured to the shops and hence must be starving to death. She subsequently insisted on bringing dinner.

  It was one minute past seven. Toni clicked into the Fijian room.

  Kayisha: Hi Pookie. You’ll never guess where I am.

  Pookie: hi kay. where?

  Kayisha: In an Internet café in Albany.

  Toni blinked. Albany. What on earth was Kayisha doing there?

  Pookie: wot r u doing there?

  Kayisha: I don’t have a laptop so I’m using one of their computers.

  Pookie: i mean, wot r u doing in Albany?

  Kayisha: Remember that job I told you I applied for?

  Pookie: the horsey 1?

  Kayisha: Yes. I got an interview.

  Pookie: n its in albany?

  Kayisha: Yes. They called today and I drove straight down. I didn’t think I’d be able to get in contact with you, but then I found this cafe. It closes at eight though so we can’t speak for long.

  Albany. Toni’s heart pulled unexpectedly. Albany was so far away. But then again, distance meant naught in this virtual world. Albany did lengthen the odds of ever getting to meet Kayisha in person though. Albany. It was Cathy’s hometown. From Cathy’s description it was a picture-postcard place, a port city surrounded by rolling hills. Kayisha would probably love it, accept the position and…Toni felt her heart pull again.

  Pookie: actually i cant stay n chat 2night. had a visitor drop in n just logged in 2 let u no

  There was a pause before Kayisha’s reply blipped across the screen.

  Kayisha: That’s okay. Enjoy your night. I’ll speak to you when I get back? Wednesday at 7 pm?

  Pookie: sure thing. good luck with ur interview

  Kayisha: Thanks. Oh and Pookie

  Pookie: yes?

  Kayisha: I’ll miss speaking to you tomorrow.

  Pookie: ditto. bye 4 now kay

  Toni didn’t log properly out of chat, she just closed down her browser completely. She stared at the black screen before hauling herself out of her chair and heading for the kitchen. Albany. She’d never been there, but already she hated the place.

  “All done?” Julie asked upon Toni’s return.

  “Yeah.” Toni sank into one of the chairs surrounding her kitchen table.

  Julie sat opposite, watching her carefully. “Are you okay, Toni?”

  “I’m fine.” The kitchen walls seemed to shrink, closing in on her. “Do you want to go for a drive or something? I think I’ll scream if I stay in this house one minute longer.”

  If Julie was curious about Toni’s change in mood, she didn’t let on. She just nodded and in no time at all they were on the entry ramp to the freeway heading toward the city.

  “This car drives like a dream.” Julie shifted into third, accelerating hard before slipping into fourth. She slid Cathy’s BMW in and out of traffic with ease. Toni was surprised not only at Julie’s driving skills, but also at her own confidence in them. Usually she’d be gripping onto the door handle for dear life and asking the driver to slow it down. “I’ve decided my next car’s going to be a Beemer.”

  “Well, I did offer you the car while I wasn’t using it,” Toni reminded her. Passing the company car onto Julie had been cleared with Cathy, but the offer was declined. Julie lived in a block of uni
ts with allocated, but insecure, parking. She said she’d never forgive herself if Cathy’s BMW was stolen or vandalized while in her care.

  “And by now some asshole would be having as much fun driving it as I am.” The car surged forward with such power that Toni was pushed back into her seat. Julie glanced in her direction. “Where do you want to go?”

  With the window down and the car hurtling forward, the rush of wind on her face almost took Toni’s breath away. While it was good to be outside, she was acutely conscious of her appearance. A number of her blisters had lived their life, turned black and fallen off, but just as many still remained. She shrugged, and said, “Anywhere relatively dark and quiet.”

  They ended up in Kings Park, parking along a stretch of road flanked by majestic Ghost Gum eucalyptus trees. The main lookout, buzzing with tourists clamoring for the panoramic city views it offered, was less than a hundred meters away. Their chosen position still offered stunning views, but it was free of tourists and their flashing cameras.

  Toni lay on the grass, knees crooked and hands behind her head. A cloudless sky blinked thousands of stars. “It’s a beautiful night.”

  “It is,” Julie agreed. She mirrored Toni’s position, lying beside her. “You’d never think winter’s on its way.”

  “Sure beats a Melbourne autumn. If we were over there we’d be freezing our butts off. And it’d probably be raining.”

  Julie lay still, staring up at the sky. “Did you think of staying in Melbourne? Last year, I mean.”

  “I did for a while.” The night sky blurred as Toni switched her vision to middle space, and the time she’d spent in Melbourne escaping the hurt of Cathy’s breakup came into focus. In the space of a few seconds her three months back in the city of her childhood flashed by. She’d consumed a lot of alcohol and shed a lot of tears. She’d been on the receiving end of some high-end fussing and clucking by her mum and, once she was able to get through a day without crying at the drop of a hat, had caught up with some old friends. Daily life got better, brighter. One friend dragged her to her local gym and introduced her to the joys of Pump. Another thrust the employment pages of the daily paper under her nose and yet another would circle entries in the real estate section in red ink and leave the pages strategically placed so Toni was sure to find them. Secure in the fact she was very much loved and wanted, the temptation to stay was strong, but Perth had attractions of its own, not the least of which was its Mediterranean climate. On one dreary, drizzly Melbourne day she realized how much she missed Perth. She missed the sunshine, she missed her little house and she missed her office with its stunning city views. She missed Cathy too, but no longer in the aching, angst-ridden way of a jilted lover. Toni picked up Virgil, who had accompanied her on the plane in a cat carry cage, complaining the entire length of the continent, and asked if she was ready to go home. Virgil’s nose nudge was interpreted as a yes. “But I eventually realized Perth had become my home.”