by Di Morrissey
‘What does that mean?’ asked Chris.
‘I think the bankers are questioning the viability of Carmichael’s projects.’
Chris gave a low whistle. ‘So where does he go from here?’
‘Who would know? But if he doesn’t get other financial backing pretty quickly, then he’s going to be in a lot of bother.’
Lunch arrived and their conversation turned to other things, mainly how great it had been working as a journalist in the good old days; colourful characters, less stringent restrictions, a lot more free-wheeling opportunities to chase stories.
After lunch, Chris made his way to Georgia’s place and they watched the nightly news snuggled together on the couch. The story about Carmichael was little more than a passing reference, but Susan was on the phone to Chris immediately.
‘Chris! Have you heard the news? I can’t believe it! Do you think Alan is in real trouble?’
‘It didn’t say much in the news today, but Mac thinks he is.’
‘I might ring Mark right away and see if he’s heard anything,’ said Susan, and hung up.
‘My mother is pretty shocked at the news,’ Chris relayed to Georgia.
‘I’m not surprised. I suppose we’ll hear more about what’s going on over the next few days,’ said Georgia. ‘By the way, what else did you and Dad talk about besides Alan Carmichael today?’
‘Actually, something else did happen while we were having lunch. I was approached by my old editor in the restaurant and he offered me a job back at Trinity, working in Sydney.’
Georgia sat up. ‘That’s wonderful, Chris. How do you feel about that?’
‘Truthfully? It puts me in a difficult position. It’s certainly what I wanted to do a few months back.’
‘And now?’ Georgia cocked her head to one side.
Chris began hesitantly. ‘Georgie, please don’t be hurt, I want to see you all the time. But . . . it’s Megan. I just can’t drag her away from Neverend now. She’s so happy there, what with her friends, her interests, and of course Squire. And if I take the Trinity job, I know that I wouldn’t be able to give her the attention she deserves. I’m feeling very confident about getting the ABC position and then I’ll have the security of decent money and a regular job and have a lot of time for Megan, too.’ He stopped as she started to smile. ‘Am I nuts settling for all that without you?’
Georgia looked fondly at him. ‘Perhaps not. I’ve been to Neverend. I’ve seen how happy Megan is. And your relationship with your daughter is your first priority, and that’s how it should be. Besides, as your agent, I can see that you have a much better chance of writing your next book in a stress-free atmosphere.’
Chris put his arms around Georgia. ‘I love you insanely,’ he said. ‘I’m a lucky man, to have such an understanding girl like you.’
‘Oh, I don’t mind hanging out with a bloke who lives in the bush, drives a courier van and scribbles in his spare time, but who will soon be a radio star.’
‘You’re wonderful,’ he sighed as he hugged her. ‘I’ll give this book-writing a decent bash. Second time lucky, but I couldn’t do it without you.’
‘Maybe I’d better stick around, then,’ she said playfully. ‘Keep an eye on my client.’
*
Early the following morning, Chris wrapped his arms around Georgia, feeling the warmth of her body through her bathrobe. Her hair smelled faintly of lemons as he kissed her scrubbed face. ‘It gets harder and harder to say goodbye to you,’ he murmured.
‘I know. Me too. I’ll fly up as soon as I can. Just keep writing. I love what you’re doing.’
‘I’ll call you tonight. Let me know if your dad hears anything more about Carmichael.’
‘Will do.’
Chris drove back to Neverend from Coffs airport, his mind whirring with all that had happened. As always, once he’d crossed the bridge over the Henry River and turned off the Pacific Highway towards Neverend, he felt his body and mind relax, slowing and settling as a peacefulness stole over him despite all he had running through his head.
It was the middle of the day, the winter sun lit up the trees and in the paddocks soporific cows stood motionless, time being of no consequence to them. The main street was quiet save for the newsagent, who was seated outside his shop dozing, a newspaper on his lap.
At home, Chris dropped his bag, went into the kitchen and put the kettle on. He sent Georgia a text saying he’d arrived safely. Then, with a coffee and a cheese sandwich beside him, he opened his laptop, picked up the thread of his story and began to type.
When Susan poked her head in, Chris was surprised to find that two hours had evaporated.
‘Glad you’re back,’ said Susan. ‘I had book club today. We discussed our book over a very pleasant lunch and a nice glass of wine. Best way to look at literature, I always think.’
He stretched. ‘I’m ready for a coffee refill. Is Megan over at Mollie’s this afternoon?’
‘I assume so. She said that she wants to start learning dressage and that could be beyond old Squire. Mollie said she knew of a good teacher who might take Megan on if she’s really serious.’
‘Do you think she is? Or will boys and parties and her music start to impinge more on her time?’ wondered Chris.
Susan laughed. ‘She does have a lot going on. She did say she might drop the debating team but stick with the jazz band, the school orchestra and netball. She has a very full agenda.’
‘I could go over to see her later this afternoon. I haven’t seen Megs ride for a while.’ But before he had the chance, the phone rang. It was Mark.
Susan spoke to him for some time. When she hung up, she looked grave.
‘Mark has been talking to his friends in the financial world and they are all shocked by Alan’s predicament. It seems that the loans he had taken out in the US for the expansion of his business are not going to be forthcoming. Whatever capital he has in Australia will have to be used to try to salvage his American operation. This means that now he is seriously overextended, and Mark thinks he could even become bankrupt if he can’t raise more funds straight away.’
Privately Chris had absolutely no sympathy for Alan at all, but he knew that a lot of people would lose their jobs if International Industries went belly up, and he wondered if any new loans would materialise.
Over the next few weeks, more and more stories appeared in the papers and online, all following the collapse of Alan’s business. There were a lot of phone calls between Mark, Evan, David and Susan. Only Mark had any real information. Evan was shocked by what was happening and constantly suggested that things could not be as bad as they seemed. David said that he didn’t really care what happened to Alan.
‘I did hear that he had to sell his estate in Bali. I bet his waterfront place in Sydney will be the next to go,’ David said to Susan, who relayed his comment to Chris.
Chris just nodded.
Now that the physical threats from Alan, if indeed they had been from him, seemed to have evaporated, Chris found that, like David, he was watching the decline of the tycoon’s business with only moderate interest.
Chris was delighted when the ABC let him work there on a trial basis and he quickly fitted in. He found that the work was interesting and quite fulfilling, if not as high-powered as in other positions he had held. Working on radio was much harder than he had thought it would be, but he soon mastered the technicalities. He no longer had the luxury of chasing just one or two big stories, instead he had to provide bulletins of reliable and relevant news to critical listeners every hour, but he loved the challenge.
He also enjoyed the chance to write for a couple of hours in the afternoon and soon realised that his new book was much more engaging than his first literary attempt. He knew that writing part-time meant that the book would take quite a while to come to fruition, but he appreciated being able to wo
rk under less pressure. Although he scarcely acknowledged it to himself, a small kernel of an idea was forming in the back of his mind for a further book. But he pushed the idea to one side, knowing he had to concentrate and finish this book first, and do it well. Nevertheless, he was comforted that this might not be the only book he had in him.
Chris felt a bit guilty about telling Shaun that he would be leaving the courier business, but his friend had no trouble finding a replacement straight away. There was now even talk of expanding the business, especially as Shaun was becoming less and less enthusiastic about working on the family farm.
When David arrived for a visit two weeks later, Susan announced they were all having a big roast dinner.
‘Is this in my honour?’ asked David.
‘Of course! No, actually it’s so we can all catch up. Megan never seems to be around and Chris has his head down all the time these days and I’ve been pretty busy, too, so it’s a big Saturday night feast for us all to enjoy together.’
‘Shall I make my best dessert?’ offered Megan.
‘You bet,’ said Chris.
‘And what are you up to, Megan?’ asked David.
‘I’ve started dressage classes. I love it. My teacher, Judy, says I have a good seat, very straight, and I move well with the horse.’ She sat up straight in her chair to demonstrate what she meant.
‘On Squire?’ asked David. ‘From what I saw, he seems to be a bit of an old plodder. Bit like me.’
‘Nonsense,’ interrupted Susan. ‘Plodder you are not.’
‘No, I use one of Judy’s horses. She’s amazing. She breaks in horses and everything. Maybe I’ll break horses when I leave school,’ said Megan, her voice full of admiration for her new teacher.
‘Maybe not,’ said Chris. ‘I think you’ll need to have a lot more experience to do anything like that.’
‘I think I should dedicate the rest of my life to horses,’ said Megan, dreamily.
‘Could you dedicate the next half hour to the dessert?’ said Susan, but she had a smile on her face. ‘I remember your auntie Kate saying much the same thing about horses when she was your age.’
‘Well, I say good for you,’ said David, exchanging a wink with Megan.
When they all sat down for a roast with all the trimmings, Chris asked, ‘What plans do you two have for tomorrow?’
‘We’re going up to Applebrook to see Jean Hay,’ said Susan.
‘It’s such a magic old house. Is the land any good for growing the sorts of things you had in mind, David?’ asked Chris. ‘Pass that roast pumpkin, please, Megs.’
‘More than good,’ replied David, spooning greens onto his plate. ‘There are rich alluvial river flats as well as good grazing land. It’s a bit overgrown, but nothing that can’t be fixed. Jean’s husband really knew how to care for the soil. He didn’t go in for putting a lot of chemicals onto his paddocks, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t make decent money from good fat cattle. Used to grow feed on the flats too, Jean says. So, all in all, I can’t tell you how pleased I am that Jean will sell me the property. It’s exactly what I’ve been after.’
As David spoke, Chris saw the expression on his mother’s face; her eyes were filled with love.
Megan saw it too. ‘I think you should live in Neverend, David,’ she said bluntly. ‘When you took me up to Mrs Hay’s place, I could only see the outside of the house, but I just know it would be perfect for you. Bunny would so like that, wouldn’t you, Bunny?’
‘Well, Megan, that was very perceptive of you,’ said David. ‘I can’t be an absentee landlord. I need a place where I can be on hand to watch my plants.’
‘So, Mum, is Jean going to move into town when David buys her out?’ asked Chris.
Susan shook her head. ‘No, David knows how much Jean’s place means to her and he has no desire to uproot her, especially at her age. As far as he’s concerned she can go on living in her house. He just want to use the land.’
‘Yes,’ said David. ‘I might be buying the whole property, but I’m happy for Jean to stay on. So your grandmother is about to reinvent herself as a renovator.’
‘David’s decided to make the old barn into a proper home,’ said Susan, excited to share the news.’ It’ll be all fresh and white inside with French doors and a patio. I have so many idea,’ she added enthusiastically.
‘You’re so clever, Bunny,’ said Megan. ‘When can I go up and see Mrs Hay?’
‘How about tomorrow?’ said David. ‘I’ll walk around the property with you both and show you what we’re thinking of doing.’
‘That’s wonderful. I think that is a very generous offer. I bet Jean’s pleased,’ said Chris.
‘She was quite overwhelmed when we suggested it and her family seems happy about the arrangement, too,’ said Susan. ‘Now, who would like some of this crackling?’
*
Next morning, Susan and Megan packed a picnic lunch and they all set off in David’s four-wheel drive.
‘It’s so pretty out here along the river,’ said Megan. ‘I never come this way.’
‘Not a lot of people do. Unless you live out here, there’s no reason to drive on this back road,’ Susan explained.
‘Is this the area called the Promised Land?’ asked David.
‘No, that’s in the opposite direction, out near the waterholes on Neverending Creek, where Chris and Megan swim in the summer,’ said Susan. ‘I’ll take you out there some time, if you like. It’s really lovely, too.’
‘Hallelujah, I suppose that’s where the hippies thought they’d found Nirvana?’ joked David.
‘Yes, although the cedar cutters and the dairy farmers beat them to it. There is such rich and abundant land all around this valley,’ said Susan.
‘I’m going to enjoy experimenting with it. Maybe I’ll be able to convince some of the local farmers to get involved in trying out some of the ideas I have in mind.’
‘David, you could really start something in the district,’ said Susan proudly.
Moses, the dog, heard them arrive and came to the front gate, giving a friendly bark. Jean appeared on the front verandah.
‘Come in, come in. Kettle’s on.’
Megan patted the dog and followed the others into the house. Once inside, Susan and Megan made their way to the kitchen, where the kettle sat on the old fuel stove.
‘I made a fritatta; I’ll set it on the side of the hob to warm though a little, if you like, Jean,’ said Susan.
It was the first time Megan had been in the house and she looked around in astonishment. ‘Dad, how old is this place?’ she whispered to Chris in the hallway. ‘It’s like something in a fairytale.’
Overhearing what Megan had said, Jean chuckled softly. ‘It’s old, older even than me. But it’s sturdy. And there are a lot of stories I can tell you about what happened under this roof.’
‘It’s just so interesting,’ said Megan, emphatically. ‘I see why Georgia wanted to take photos of it all. I’ve never seen a house like this. Can I look around, please?’
‘Mrs Hay would love to give you a little tour, I’m sure,’ said Chris with a smile. ‘David, shall we go for a walk before lunch? I’d love to hear your ideas. Want to come, girls?’
‘Megan and I might stay and chat to Jean for a while,’ replied Susan.
The two men walked through the stand of trees that screened the house from the old barn, with its views across the open paddocks to the river beyond.
‘The barn has the best view on the whole property,’ said Chris.
‘I reckon it was built even before the farmhouse,’ said David.
‘So, is this place a definite goer for you now?’
David nodded. ‘Absolutely. Jean’s happy to see something useful happening with the land. And I’m happy for her to go on living here,’ he said.
‘I thi
nk that what you have done for Jean is very generous. Do you plan to live on the property fulltime?’ asked Chris.
‘Pretty much,’ said David. ‘Although I still want to travel to Italy each year for a couple of months, and I’m hoping your mother will come with me.’
‘I’m sure she’ll enjoy that. And she sounds pretty excited about helping to do this place up,’ added Chris, gesturing to the house.
‘She’s a born renovator. She drew up some plans which appear to involve knocking out the odd wall and replacing it with French doors, putting in some recycled windows and installing a couple of bedrooms, and of course I’ll get the old timber slab walls lined,’ said David.
‘It sounds like quite a makeover,’ said Chris, cautiously. ‘Are you expecting your family to visit?’
‘Possibly. They’ll have to camp in the lounge room, because I want to use the second bedroom as an office, and your mother also wants to have a sewing room. I thought we could share that space.’ David smiled.
Chris stopped walking. ‘Wait a minute, why does Mum need a sewing room at Applebrook? I mean . . .’ Chris stared at David. ‘Is my mother going to live here with you permanently? Or just weekends?’
David paused. ‘You talk to her, Chris. I think she should be the one to tell you about our plans.’
There was a shout behind them and both men turned around. Chris could see the two women coming towards them, Megan running ahead of her grandmother, her face filled with excitement.
‘This place is totally awesome!’ declared Megan, breathlessly. ‘It’s beautiful.’
‘I think so too,’ said David, as Megan and Susan caught up to him and Chris. ‘Megan, come with me, there’s an idea I’d like to run past you.’
Chris and Susan watched Megan walk beside David as they trudged across the paddock in deep discussion, their heads close together.
‘It’s all pretty special, isn’t it? David’s going to do wonders with this place,’ said Susan.
Chris turned to face Susan. ‘And so are you, from what David tells me of this barn renovation. It sounds as though you’re planning to design a whole house. But what’s in it for you, Mum?’
