Queen of the Road

by Tricia Stringer

  ‘Thanks.’ He took a bite. The delicious smell of chocolate momentarily overpowered the smell of burning and the moist cake all but dissolved in his mouth. ‘This is good,’ he mumbled.

  A smile lit her face, temporarily wiping away her usual drawn appearance. ‘I like to cook.’

  ‘And I thought Alice’s baking was good. Don’t tell her, but this beats her cake hands down.’

  Joan’s smile widened. ‘Do you know we’re cousins?’

  Coop shook his head.

  ‘At least by marriage,’ Joan said. ‘Alice’s husband was my cousin.’

  ‘She’s never mentioned it.’ Coop brushed his hands together to disperse the last few crumbs.

  ‘She had no need to tell you, most likely. Alice always keeps things pretty close to her chest.’

  Coop studied Joan’s weathered face. He wondered what life was like for her out on the farm with only Barry and Skitch for company. She probably liked having Alice close by, a female companion, but Alice obviously didn’t feel the same need. Another boom of thunder sounded but it was a bit further away this time.

  ‘I wish she’d told me about the cancer.’

  Coop frowned. Joan knew Alice was having treatment in Adelaide.

  ‘I mean, she must have known for a while before she went,’ Joan said. ‘She’s always been so darn independent, but troubles shared are troubles halved. You need family and friends at times like this.’

  ‘She’s got her cousin in Adelaide.’

  ‘I don’t think they’re that close.’

  The sound of a vehicle approaching drew their attention.

  ‘That will be my men,’ Joan said. ‘Make sure you give Alice my best, and if there’s anything she needs …’ Joan’s voice faltered. ‘We’re happy to help in any way we can.’

  ‘I will,’ Coop said.

  Rain started to fall. It was heavier this time and brought the ash down with it. By the time Coop made it to his vehicle he was wet through, grey with slime and shivering from the cold.

  ‘Crazy, crazy weather,’ he muttered.

  Chapter 27

  The call went to voicemail and the sound of Janice’s recorded voice played in Angela’s ear again. There was no point leaving another message. She looked at her watch.

  ‘Damn!’ she muttered. It was getting late. Janice had promised to have Claudia at the depot by two; it was now well after four. Angela resisted the urge to get out and check her load. She’d already done it twice. Her assorted cargo included some refrigerated stock for the IGA. She needed to be on the road.

  She rang her father’s phone. Maybe Janice had been in touch with him. It went to his message bank.

  ‘Damn!’ Angela muttered again.

  A strong gust of wind buffeted the cab and she leaned forward to peer at the darkening sky. The forecast wasn’t good, which only added to her agitation. She’d rung Jim and he said they’d had a wild night in Munirilla. First an electrical storm and several small paddock fires, then strong winds and a huge downpour. No doubt it was heading in her direction and she’d prefer to tackle it with daylight on her side.

  She glanced back at the case containing the new laptop. Her father had given it to her to use at the Munirilla office and on the road. She was tempted to get it out but she’d do that once they were back at the depot, if they ever got there. Damn Janice!

  Her phone beeped with an incoming text and she scrabbled to check it. What if there’s been an accident? Perhaps that’s why they were late.

  A message from Nigel appeared on the screen. He wanted to make contact. He was planning a trip to South Australia and wanted to see Claudia.

  Angela tightened her grip on her phone. Nigel had made it perfectly clear he didn’t want her in his life and yet he still tormented her through his link to Claudia – the daughter he only remembered when it suited him. Damn him! Angela deleted the message. She wasn’t going to let Nigel turn her little girl’s life into an emotional rollercoaster like he had Angela’s.

  A car tooted and she looked in her side mirror. Janice’s hire car was pulling up next to the office. ‘Finally!’ she said, breathing a sigh of relief and pushing Nigel from her mind. She switched on the motor: the air tanks would be full and the truck ready to go by the time she’d grabbed Claudia and the pile of paraphernalia Janice had lavished on her.

  ‘Here we are.’ Janice’s sing-song voice carried to Angela as she strode across the yard.

  ‘Mummy, we’ve been to the shops and the beach and we had McDonald’s …’

  ‘Tell me on the way, Claudia.’ Angela pointed over her shoulder. ‘Take your things to the truck.’

  ‘But Janice said we were having ice-cream.’

  ‘We’ll get one later.’

  ‘Aww!’ Claudia stamped her feet. ‘Janice said I could have an ice-cream.’

  ‘I did promise,’ Janice said. ‘Can’t we go and have a quick coffee somewhere before you go?’

  ‘I have a business to run. We should have been out of here long ago.’

  ‘We’re not that late.’

  Angela clenched her hands tightly at her sides. ‘I said two.’

  Janice trickled her bright pink fingernails down Claudia’s cheek. ‘Get your things from the front seat, honey. Your mum’s in a hurry … apparently.’

  If the car wasn’t between them at that moment Angela would have given Janice’s smiling face a slap. ‘You shouldn’t buy her so much stuff,’ she said. ‘She doesn’t need it.’

  ‘I’m doing my best for her.’

  ‘And I’m not?’ Angela snapped.

  ‘You might be able to fool your father but you don’t have that kind of sway with me.’ Janice’s voice was low and cold. ‘He can’t see it but you neglect Claudia. If you won’t let us take care of her, perhaps she should be with her father.’

  Angela cast her eyes sideways to her daughter. The little girl was trying to get something out of the small bag slung over her shoulder and seemed oblivious to the conversation. ‘Hurry up, Claud.’

  ‘What about the museum?’ Claudia asked.

  ‘We’ll do that next time, honey,’ Janice said.

  ‘There won’t be a next time.’ Angela’s hands flew to her hips and she glared at Janice, who glowered back at her. As usual, the other woman’s makeup was perfect and not a hair was out of place on her carefully groomed head. Angela knew how much time Janice spent straightening and styling and spraying each morning, and how attentive she was during the day to keep her hair looking perfect and her lipstick fresh. It was impressive, in its own way, but it was a look Angela had never aspired to herself.

  ‘Bloody hell.’ The bag fell to Claudia’s feet.

  Janice gasped and they both turned to the little girl, who was now trying to gather up an assortment of makeup items that had fallen to the ground. ‘I see what she’s learning from you,’ Janice sneered.

  Angela bent down and scooped the makeup into the bag. She bit back the words she wanted to spit at her stepmother, staying silent only for Claudia’s sake. She turned away from Janice and pulled open the back door of the hire car. The wind blew the pages of a colouring book and flicked it across the seat. Angela snatched up the small overnight bag and the large panda and slammed the door.

  ‘What about my other things?’ Claudia said.

  ‘Go to the truck.’ Angela clicked her tongue, struggling to control the anger broiling inside her.

  ‘I’ll bring them,’ Janice said.

  Claudia looked from one adult to the other with her big round eyes, then tugged the panda from her mother’s hand and marched to the truck. By the time Angela had everything in the cab, Janice was behind her with several bulging shopping bags.

  ‘We did lots of shopping,’ Claudia said.

  ‘Say thank you and goodbye to Janice.’

  Angela took the shopping bags, shoved them onto the bunk then helped Claudia into her seat. The little girl blew kisses to her grandmother around Angela’s head as she made sure the seatbelt was adju
sted properly.

  With the cab door shut Angela turned to face Janice.

  ‘I don’t know what you think you’re doing but this run is a key part of Dad’s business.’ She kept her voice low. ‘You accuse me of neglect and yet you jeopardise his business, his reputation, his–’

  ‘What are you talking about?’ Janice’s carefully made up face formed a scowl.

  ‘You knew I had to leave by mid-afternoon. You stayed away on purpose.’

  The wind swirled around them and the low rumble of distant thunder underscored Angela’s annoyance.

  ‘I lost track of time, that’s all.’ Janice flicked her hands up. ‘You’re always so melodramatic.’

  ‘I’m sure Dad doesn’t see it that way.’

  Janice’s eyes flared. ‘And I’m sure he won’t be delighted to know the extent of your debt either.’

  ‘I’ve got it under control. Not that it’s any of your business.’ Angela began to move away. She was so late she didn’t have time to argue.

  ‘Just a minute.’ Janice rummaged in the bag slung over her shoulder. ‘I was going to offer to pay these for you, but since you’re so organised you can sort them out yourself.’ She thrust a bundle of letters at Angela. ‘Your father asked me to collect your mail.’

  A quick glance at the first envelope made Angela’s heart skip a beat. The company she’d bought the flatscreen from. In the rush of moving she’d forgotten to organise the most recent payment. Or was it two by now? She couldn’t even remember when the payment was due.

  Without another word, Angela strode to her door, tossed the mail into the truck and climbed in after it. She checked her mirrors while Claudia waved madly at Janice. Finally they were underway. Angela was furious to see it was now nearly six. She didn’t look to see if her stepmother watched them go.

  ***

  Negotiating the traffic was one thing, but by the time they were out on the highway, they were driving right into the storm. Lightning flashed ahead of them and the grey clouds and driving rain made visibility poor. Angela gripped the steering wheel and sat stiffly forward in her seat.

  Anger was still simmering within her as she listened to Claudia’s retelling of everything she and Janice had done. Evidently they went to a fun park by the beach. That was on the other side of the city. Janice had clearly had no intention of meeting the two o’clock deadline. But what had she to gain by making Angela late? They all benefited from the family business. It made no sense.

  ‘What’s “neclet”?’ The question brought Angela out of her brooding. She glanced quickly at her daughter, who was watching her closely.

  ‘I don’t know, Claud.’

  ‘But Janice said you neclet me.’

  Angela’s thoughts raced, Janice’s hissing words echoing in her head. She thought Claudia hadn’t overheard their conversation.

  ‘Janice gets her words mixed up sometimes.’ Angela took a deep breath. ‘She was sad to say goodbye at the depot and probably meant …’ Angela scrabbled for a word. ‘Collect you. She meant I had come to collect you.’

  ‘No, not then.’ Claudia frowned. ‘Janice talked on her phone and said you neclet me.’

  A shiver ran down Angela’s spine.

  ‘Who was she talking to?’

  ‘I don’t know. She said it two times.’ Claudia held up two fingers.

  Angela could feel Claudia’s serious gaze on her. ‘Claud, you know I love you, don’t you?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And we’re a team, you and me, working for Grandpa.’

  ‘Yes.’ Claudia sat up higher in her seat and the sparkle returned to her eyes.

  ‘It doesn’t matter what anyone says. I’ll always be your mum and care for you.’

  ‘Can we stop at the bakery?’ Claudia seemed to have lost interest in the conversation, much to Angela’s relief. They’d reached Port Wakefield and the rain had eased slightly but the truck was still being rocked by strong winds.

  ‘No. I’ve got food on board, but when we get back to Munirilla, how about I find out if you can go to pre-school with Josh?’ Josh was Leanne’s youngest. He and Claudia got on well.

  ‘Yes!’ Claudia shouted, jiggling about in her seat. ‘Can Leanne take me?’

  ‘We’ll see.’

  ‘Can we ask when we get home tonight?’

  Angela peered at the highway and the gloomy sky. ‘I don’t think we’ll be home tonight, pumpkin. We’ll have to sleep in Big Red, but as soon as I can, I’ll find out about pre-school.’

  ‘It’s called kindy.’

  ‘What is?’

  ‘Where Josh goes. It’s not pre-school, it’s kindy.’

  ‘I think it’s the same thing.’

  Angela gripped the steering wheel tightly. Even though Big Red could nearly drive itself, she was getting anxious.

  ‘Let’s sing to Waffles,’ Claudia said.

  ‘Who’s Waffles?’

  ‘My panda,’ she said, holding up the bear.

  ‘Do you want a CD on?’

  ‘No.’ Claudia rummaged in her bag. ‘Janice bought me an iPod.’

  Angela flicked her eyes to the tiny player Claudia held up for her to see. It wasn’t an iPod but it was definitely a music-playing device of some kind. Claudia put in the earphones and began singing to the bear.

  Angela moved her eyes back to the road as the lane-keeping alarm sounded its warning. Wind was hitting them from the west, sometimes accompanied by sharp bursts of rain. She swept her eyes over the dials on the dash and eased back in her seat a little. Even with plenty to keep her occupied, Angela couldn’t stop the encounter with Janice from replaying in her head. The woman was going overboard with attention and gifts. And who was she telling that Angela neglected Claudia? None of it made any sense.

  Claudia’s happy singing filled the cab and they rumbled on towards the ever-darkening horizon. By the time they reached Port Augusta Angela’s head hurt from concentrating in the difficult conditions. There’d been a lot of traffic and several slow-moving vehicles to stall their progress. They were now later than she’d anticipated.

  She pulled in to the roadhouse truck stop. They snacked on the food she’d packed then drew the curtains to shut out the world. Curling up in the bunk, Claudia was asleep in minutes, but it was a long time before the turmoil of Angela’s thoughts let her sleep.

  Chapter 28

  Early morning light filtered around the edge of the curtains. Angela stretched and pulled back a corner to look out. The storm had passed in the night and pink rays from the sun now tinged the cloudy sky. She eased herself from the bunk – careful not to wake Claudia – pulled on some clothes and climbed out of the truck.

  The crisp air made her shiver. She drew in a deep breath, wrinkling her nose at the strong smell of sheep. Another truck had pulled in alongside her during the night. Angela sighed when she saw the telltale colours and the name ‘Berl Stock Transport’. The truck’s motor was running but there was no one in sight. The only other sign of life was the occasional bleating from the trailers.

  Angela moved a little closer. She wondered which of Berl’s drivers was in charge of this rig. A man appeared, striding towards her between the two trucks. She took a quick step back but there was no avoiding him.

  ‘Well, well, you must be Ms Angel, although the name doesn’t really fit you, does it? Should be Ms Spitfire.’ He came to a stop in front of her. He was a good head and shoulders taller than her and there was no sign of humour on his weathered face. He didn’t have much hair left on his head but tufts of it poked from his ears and nostrils. ‘Didn’t realise we were sharing a breakfast stop.’

  Angela stiffened. She recalled her first trip. This man was the driver who’d given her a hard time at the pump, at this very roadhouse. He must have seen the ‘Ranger Transport’ sign on her truck to know who she was.

  ‘I’m sorry …’

  ‘So you should be,’ he cut in before she could ask his name. ‘I’m Cliff Berl. Senior.’ The last word was said with
greater emphasis.

  ‘Good morning,’ she said, rubbing her hands up and down her arms to dispel the shiver.

  Cliff Senior studied her in silence. He had so many wrinkles around his eyes they were barely more than slits. He shook his head. ‘As I said to your father, I don’t think there’s a place for women in the trucking business. He should have you running his office if he wants to give you a job.’

  Angela bristled but kept her voice calm. ‘I’m sorry about my behaviour the other night.’

  ‘I guess it’s all we can expect from a Victorian.’ He glanced over his shoulder at his idling truck. ‘I’ve got to get on the road. Sheep to get to market. I accept your apology but it’s my boy, Clifford, you should be talking to.’

  ‘Please extend my apology to him.’ It took all of Angela’s self-control to even speak. This man was not only a chauvinist, he was also a bigot.

  ‘I’ll tell him I met you,’ he said, his face crinkling into a smirk. ‘But you might see him before I do.’

  Angela frowned. Not if I can help it, she thought.

  ‘He’s on his way north with a load,’ Cliff said. ‘He should be here soon for breakfast.’

  ‘I’ll probably be gone,’ Angela said briskly. She held out her hand and pulled a tight smile. ‘Thanks for accepting my apology.’

  Cliff barely clasped her hand with his rough grip, he was in such a hurry.

  Angela stepped back closer to her cab as his truck rumbled forward. Something about that man gave her the creeps. She shivered again and headed towards the roadhouse. This morning, breakfast would be takeaway. She knew both Claudia and Jenny would be disappointed, but Angela didn’t want to risk seeing Clifford Junior as well. One Berl a day was enough.

  Besides, she was already half a day late. She should have been unloading back in Munirilla by now. It wasn’t good for Ranger’s reputation if she didn’t deliver on schedule. Part of her load was for Ken and she was especially keen to prove to him that she could do this job well. If she could get him on side, it would make life a whole lot easier.

  After placing her order and having a quick chat to Jenny, Angela headed back to the truck. As she looked across to Big Red, however, her heart sank. In the space recently vacated by Cliff Senior was another Berls truck.