Rosalee Station

by Magro, Mandy

  ‘I hope there are no bloody snakes in here, girls!’ Daniel teased.

  Lily’s face drained of colour. ‘I’ll walk on water if there is. They freak me out big time!’

  ‘I think Duke would’ve scared them away with all his romping about, so don’t worry, mate,’ Sarah said. She knew snakes were one of Lily’s biggest fears. When they were kids Sarah had thrown a plastic snake on Lily as a joke, and Lily had completely lost the plot. She’d run around in circles screaming, too scared to touch the plastic predator hanging from her shoulders. Sarah thought it was hilarious but Lily had stormed off home in tears. She didn’t talk to Sarah for days. Sarah realised then that Lily really had a hang-up about anything that slithered and hissed. She made a mental note to bring Daniel up to speed when Lily wasn’t around.

  It felt good to be splashing in the water. The sun was scorching hot, so hot it drained the energy out of them with every breath, even though it was only ten-thirty in the morning. The piercing rays had already heated the dam up, but it was still nice to be covered in water instead of sweat, dust and flies.

  Sarah floated around on her back, giving Daniel and Lily some time together and enjoying the shade of the ghost gums at the edges of the dam. Their vivid white trunks glowed in the sunlight. Off in the distance, Sarah could hear the howling of dingoes, an eerie reminder of the hunters that called this land home, just as she did. The blue skies above filled momentarily with a mob of squawking cockatoos making their way to their next destination. A rare white fluffy cloud drifted past, giving Sarah the wonderful sense that there wasn’t a care in the world.

  ‘How goes it?’ asked Brad as he walked into the cottage, kissing Sarah smack on the lips.

  ‘Hey, babe. We hung out at the dam this morning and Duke caught himself some red claw. Not in the typical way, though. He came up yelping with one attached to his snout after chasing a rock down to the muddy depths below. Felt sorry for the poor bugger, but geez, it was funny!’ Sarah giggled.

  ‘That was until the beggar latched on to my finger when I was trying to get it off Duke,’ added Daniel, inspecting the spot where the red claw had nipped his pinkie.

  ‘Sounds like you had a fun morning, then. Good on you, guys. You ready, Sarah?’ Brad paused, sculling a huge glass of water. ‘We have to get back to where the men are before they finish their lunch and head to work again.’ He sculled another one and then filled up his water bottle as Sarah said her goodbyes to Daniel and Lily.

  Sarah was glad she’d followed Brad’s advice and had a light lunch – she was already feeling nervous, and she hoped she wouldn’t get sick. She felt the butterflies flapping around furiously as Brad manoeuvred the chopper into the air and around hills. At times he got so close to the ground Sarah swore she could have just stuck her hand right out and touched it. She watched over her shoulder, horrified, as the back propeller whipped up a massive cloud of dust after skimming the surface.

  Stumpy spoke to Brad over the radio, telling him that a group of wayward cattle had gone off from the mob. Brad needed to get them back fast. Brad and Sarah had their eyes glued to the ground trying to spot them as Stumpy galloped off below them, his whip at the ready.

  ‘There they are!’ Brad boomed over the microphone. Sarah felt her stomach lurch as the chopper dropped down to the ground, heading straight for a large group of gidgee trees that the cows were huddled under. The smell of the fuel fumes pouring out of the chopper was making her queasy, and the dipping and diving was not helping one bit. She swallowed hard in an attempt to push her ham and cheese toastie back to where it was threatening to come up from. Meanwhile Brad pulsed up and down in the air above the trees, trying to scare the cattle out towards the larger mob in the distance. All but one decided to heed the chopper’s warning – a runaway bull took off in the opposite direction, kicking up clouds of dust. Brad swore as he lost sight of the bull for a split-second. Stumpy was on the ground, cracking his whip, trying to get the remaining cattle under control. The other men arrived at a gallop and circled the cattle like vultures, bringing the mob into a huddle while Brad held the chopper steady above them.

  ‘I don’t know where that bloody bull thinks he’s off to. He sticks out like a country shithouse – there’s nowhere to run and hide,’ Brad muttered as he threw the chopper about vigorously in the air.

  Sarah felt like she was on a fairground ride as Brad pushed the throttle forward to chase the bull. He pushed the chopper back up into the sky and flew over the top of the bull, dropping down with one swift movement so the chopper was facing the beast. The huge animal snorted and stomped his hoofs, defending his space. Sarah could not believe what she was seeing. This bull was ready to take on the chopper! Holy snapping duck shit, she thought to herself.

  ‘Come on then, you bastard!’ Brad yelled as he dropped the throttle even more and headed straight for the bull. Sarah watched the big fella rethink his position quickly, then turn and run. They flew behind him, pushing him back towards the mob. Every time he tried to veer off Brad would dip and dive to each side, showing the bull where to go. Sarah was desperate to get out but she gritted her teeth and wore the nausea, taking sips from her bottle of water to settle her stomach. Brad didn’t have time to take her back to the cottage until smoko, and the men would not think much of her if she interfered with the day’s work. She forced herself to concentrate on the ground as the men began to push the cattle towards the yards, trotting at a nice pace now the rush was over. Brad hovered way above, keeping his eye out for any more wayward cattle. Sarah lent her eyes to the challenge, spotting the occasional cow that Brad would then push back towards the men on horseback.

  They crossed over rocky cliffs and deep valleys, searching for any movement amongst the scribbly gums. Water trickled through the deep crevices, bubbling up from natural springs deep underneath. It was a rare sight to see water out here, which made it all the more striking. Sarah saw a pack of dingoes drinking from a small watering hole, and wondered if they were the ones she had heard at the dam earlier. The ant hills out here seemed like palaces, even larger than the ones near the homestead. A wedge-tailed eagle rested on one of them, watching their strange metal bird in the sky. The weathered ground beneath rippled with the heat that rose from it. Even the air that forced its way around the cockpit was hot, so that Sarah and Brad were both dripping with sweat. All the elements of the bush were extreme, but Sarah couldn’t help loving it, finding herself drawn to the spiritual timelessness of the vast untamed land. It was absolutely breathtaking, and made her feel so proud to be Australian.

  At three o’clock the men let Brad know they were stopping for smoko. Sarah sighed with relief as the chopper headed back towards the landing pad near the homestead, silently applauding herself for having held on to her lunch.

  Brad eased the machine down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. ‘Have a nice arvo, gorgeous. I’ll see you in a few hours. Georgia said to tell you she’ll need a hand round five with all the food and getting the party set up, if that’s okay with you.’

  ‘No worries. I might take Victory for a ride and set him up in the main paddock before the men get back with their horses. At least that way he can settle in by himself for a few hours before contending with the others.’ Sarah slid herself out of the seat and smiled when she felt her boots touch the earth below. She was as happy as a dog in a hub-cap factory to be out of the chopper and on solid ground.

  Half an hour later she was trotting along on Victory, enjoying the scenery from the saddle. Victory had been happy to see her and seemed eager to go for a ride, which suited Sarah perfectly – she needed some time to herself. The last few days had been a whirlwind of travelling and settling into her new home. She wondered what her mum and dad would be up to right now. Probably in the packing shed, grinding away as usual. So far she’d only been able to speak to them for a few minutes to let them know she’d arrived safely. She’d give them a proper call at the end of the week.

  Sarah spotted a huge bottle tree in
the distance and gently motioned for Victory to pick up the pace, watching the trunk get bigger as they approached. Once beside it she was gobsmacked by its sheer size and couldn’t help but slide out of the saddle and try to wrap her arms around it. Victory stood patiently as she tried to measure the width of the trunk with her arms like some tree-hugging hippy. It must have easily been two or three metres in circumference. Suddenly a thorny devil lizard scurried over her boot and she jumped in fright. They were the craziest-looking things, with intimidating spikes covering every inch of their bodies. She hopped back up in the saddle, the smells and sounds of the bush surrounding her as Victory gleefully clip-clopped beneath her.

  Sarah was enjoying the peace so much that she got lost in her thoughts and completely forgot the time. When she remembered to check her watch it was nearly four-thirty. Oh shit, I only have half an hour to get back and help Georgia, she thought. She gave Victory a light tap in the ribs and instantly he threw his legs into a gracious gallop. Once back at the stables she gave him a good hose down, giggling at the way he tried to catch the water droplets with his lips, and settled him into his new paddock. ‘Thanks for a fantastic ride, mate.’

  Sarah went to grab Daniel and Lily from the cottage so they could all help Georgia out. Judy and Steve were coming along tonight, as well as Matt and his girlfriend. From a few comments the men had made about ‘buckle bunnies’, it was clear that they didn’t like Matt’s girlfriend much. But Sarah had decided she would make up her own mind.

  Chapter Eight

  DUSK was falling, awakening the stars in the night sky. Sarah carried a huge bowl of salad out to the table, already set with plates, cutlery and every sauce imaginable. The men had showered and dressed in their ‘going to town’ jeans and some of them had even gone to the effort of putting on aftershave. Georgia had gone home to get ready, leaving Sarah and Lily in charge of organising the barbie. The girls had found an old fridge in the storage shed, which now lay on its back, filled with cartons of beer in ice. The lid squeaked every few minutes as hardworking hands dug in, pulling out their next can of golden liquid. Sarah just hoped they could handle their liquor; they seemed to be drinking each beer in the blink of an eye. There were going to be some pretty sore heads tomorrow morning when they all got up at sparrow’s fart. For now, though, the chatter was full of laughs as everybody relaxed and settled in for the night ahead.

  ‘Which one of you lot wants to be in charge of throwing the snags and steak on the barbecue?’ Sarah asked, breaking up the conversation about who had caught the biggest fish. She knew if she’d waited for the men to finish she would’ve been there all night.

  ‘I don’t mind doin’ the cooking, mate.’ Slim rubbed his big belly. ‘I’m beginning to feel the twinges of major hunger comin’ on. If I leave it to this lot we’ll be eating charcoal, and I’ll come dangerously close to being too thin.’ He stood up to help, trying to pull his jeans up under his belly with no great success. Apparently he kept trying to go on a diet but food was his vice, and the odd sixpack was always great with dinner. Slim was a man that loved his meat, and thought that anybody who chose to be a vegetarian must have a few screws loose. ‘I’ll just grab another beer before I start cooking, though. I’m as dry as a bull’s bum going up a windy hill backwards.’

  There were a few chuckles as the men followed Slim over to the barbecue for moral support and to offer advice as to when he should be turning the meat. It was the same at every barbie Sarah had been to, and she guessed the tradition had been going on for decades.

  ‘Brad and Dan, can you help carry the trays out for Slim? I have a huge bowl of onion too, so you might want to chuck that on first,’ Sarah called, heading back to the kitchen, where Lily was preparing her famous potato salad.

  ‘Go on then, you two,’ Liam said, smirking at Brad and Daniel. ‘You’ve been summoned.’

  ‘I wouldn’t let Sarah hear you say that, mate. You might be eating shit on toast for breakfast otherwise,’ Brad threw back at Liam. He didn’t like Sarah bossing him around in front of his mates.

  ‘Mmm, your favourite! Shit on toast!’ Patrick said, playfully digging Liam in the ribs.

  ‘Bugger off, you Irish twat!’ Liam bellowed. He had always been massively ticklish, and Patrick knew it.

  The two Irishmen wrestled each other to the ground. Stumpy stood off to the side of them all, buckled over in laughter, at Liam and Patrick’s antics. He was pushing sixty but he still had more guts and energy than most men half his age. Brad knew that Stumpy was normally the last one standing at the yearly welcoming-in party. He guessed tonight would probably be no different.

  In the kitchen, Daniel wrapped his arms around Lily’s waist and snuck a piece of potato out of the bowl. She slapped his hand, which sent the potato flying through the air and into her glass of Malibu and coke. ‘Gee whiz, I’m a good shot!’ Daniel applauded himself as Lily picked up her glass and laughed.

  ‘I’ll have another now, barman, but this time without the chunk of potato!’

  Daniel smiled and did as he was told, taking a sip of his beer. His ribs were healing well, which meant he was able to cut back on the painkillers. It was good to enjoy a few beers without feeling the effects of the medication rubbing shoulders with the alcohol.

  There was a holler from the doorway as Judy and Steve stuck their heads into the kitchen. Georgia was unsteadily balancing a massive glass bowl of trifle in one hand and a bottle of beer in the other. Judy had huge basket of delicious-smelling homemade bread rolls and Steve was carrying a bowl of fried rice.

  ‘My goodness, guys. There’s enough food here to feed an army!’ Sarah exclaimed, reaching out to save the bowl of trifle, which looked as though it was about to up-end all over the floor. The bottom of the bowl was swimming in sherry-soaked sponge and Sarah’s tastebuds went crazy in anticipation.

  ‘Mum used half a bottle of sherry in that, so watch out!’ Georgia said, as if reading Sarah’s thoughts.

  Steve put his bowl down on the kitchen bench, his nose leading him outside to the sizzling meat and the safety of the testosterone-surrounded barbecue.

  ‘Matt and Brooke will be here in an hour or so,’ Judy said. ‘They left Mount Isa a little later then expected. Let’s make sure we keep a couple of plates of food for them. Brooke still hadn’t finished packing, even though she’s had weeks to do it. That girl needs to learn that the world doesn’t revolve around her.’ There was a hint of annoyance in Judy’s voice.

  ‘Maybe you and Dad want to make her feel welcome, Mum, but I don’t. I can’t bloody stand her, that fake blonde hair and annoying voice.’ Georgia scowled. ‘She’s afraid to break a fingernail – she’ll be as handy as lips on a chicken out here. I’m glad they’ll be living in the granny flat and not in the house with us.’

  ‘Now, Georgia, please try to be nice to her for Matt’s sake. He’s smitten with her, and it’ll only cause arguments if you start pushing Brooke’s buttons,’ Judy said pleadingly.

  Georgia rolled her eyes. ‘Sure, Mum.’ She looked in Sarah and Lily’s direction, changing the subject. ‘Thanks for all your help today, ladies. Mum and I would’ve been snowed under otherwise.’

  ‘No worries,’ Lily said. ‘I’ve really enjoyed cooking today.’

  A haze of smoke wafted into the kitchen from the back porch.

  ‘We better go out and check the men haven’t forgotten about the meat. Smells like the snags might be burnt to a crisp,’ Judy said, sniffing the air comically.

  Slim liked to think he was the barbecue king but he always got roped into chatting and ended up forgetting the task at hand. The sausages were usually still edible once you piled the tomato sauce on top of them.

  Once the meat had been rescued, it was time to eat. They all filled their plates from the spread that lay before them. Afterwards they lounged back on the plastic chairs strewn around the patio, enjoying the afterglow of good food and telling yarns about cattle and life in general. Duke loved getting all the scraps left on the pla
tes as well as the pieces of meat that weren’t going to be eaten. He curled up on his bed in the corner of the patio, contented.

  ‘It’s a dog’s life,’ Sarah muttered to Brad as she looked in Duke’s direction. Brad didn’t answer, biting distractedly on his fingernails. He had been out of sorts all night. Sarah noticed his eyes were red-raw and realised he was probably exhausted from the day. She decided not to make a big deal of it. When Brad was tired he was a right grump, and she didn’t feel like having an argument with him tonight.

  Suddenly Adam Harvey came on the stereo and Lily turned it up full blast. ‘Come on, you lot! Let’s party! Woo hoo!’ She started dancing around the patio, pulling people to their feet. They’d all drunk enough not to worry about dancing around like idiots, and soon everyone was up and bootscooting to the music. The speakers belted out one country tune after another and they all sang along. Even Judy and Steve joined in.

  Everybody was too busy dancing and having fun to notice Matt and Brooke wander in. Matt smiled as he took in the scene. Liam and Slim were flapping their arms around like a pair of headless chooks while their legs seemed to have a mind of their own. Stumpy had clearly had a few too many, and was swaying slightly as he did circles around everyone, amazingly staying upright. Patrick was trying to linedance with Georgia but both of them kept banging into each other, and tears ran down their faces from laughing. Judy and Steve were spinning and jiving like there was no tomorrow.

  Matt noticed Brad swaying with a beautiful chick, who must be his girlfriend. He didn’t know the other two with them but they were laughing and spinning each other around at a speed that made him dizzy just watching. Yes, they were certainly having a good time, and he was slightly pissed at Brooke that she had made them late. He enjoyed spending time with the boys but she always seemed to find a way to divert his attention away from his mates and back onto her, making him miss out on any fun they might have been having. He would have to put a stop to that sooner rather then later, seeing she was now going to be living with him. He had to have some time to himself with his mates. Brooke wasn’t so controlling when he had first met her – she had been the complete opposite – but recently she had dug her nails into him, so to speak, and liked to know what he was doing at all times and with whom. He couldn’t understand why; he was the most loyal boyfriend any woman could ask for.