Time Will Tell

by Fiona McCallum

  This time she added twenty thousand under anticipated expenses to cover the re-roofing. She looked at the totals. She could pay for the subdivision, make the first year’s instalment on the house and replace the roof, but would then have less than a thousand dollars left. She had to eat. And what if her car died or something?

  At least with nothing in reserve, she’d be eligible for Centrelink assistance. That would certainly help. Though the thought of being labelled a dole bludger by her mother made her feel decidedly uneasy.

  Would it be worth it if it meant not worrying so much about basic week-to-week expenses? She was looking for a job, so it wasn’t like she’d be doing anything wrong. The only thing standing in her way would be her pride, which was bloody stupid – cutting off her nose to spite her face, Gran would have said.

  It wasn’t her fault she’d been diddled by John. Well it was; she’d let him get away with it. But if anyone should look bad, it was him. She was doing the best she could to pick up the pieces and start again. And if that meant having to claim Centrelink benefits for a while, so be it.

  But, hang on, anything over five grand in the bank and she’d still be subject to their waiting period: she wouldn’t be able to make a claim until she had purchased the property, and she couldn’t do that until the subdivision had been done, and Jake had said that could take up to six months.

  Bloody hell, it was so damned complicated – all these steps that had to be taken in the right order.

  Emily had her pen poised and was frowning when Jake walked in. She looked up and took in his slightly dishevelled appearance. He was wearing blue and white striped long pyjama pants and a navy blue t-shirt. His hair was standing up and sticking out, and there was a thick shadow of stubble on his chin. She smiled as he rubbed at his eyes like a child and squinted at the light filling the room. God, his eyes were gorgeous.

  ‘Why are you frowning on such a lovely morning?’ His raspy, deep voice sounded like he thought the day was anything but lovely.

  ‘Oh, just making a few notes and lists of figures.’

  ‘You know, just because you write them down doesn’t mean they’ll get any better,’ he said, smiling warmly at her. ‘No matter how many times you write them down, they don’t change. Believe me, I’ve tried,’ he said, slumping onto the nearest chair.

  ‘Guess I’m still living in hope.’ Emily shrugged and got up. ‘Coffee?’

  ‘Oh, yes please!’

  ‘Did you sleep okay?’

  ‘Brilliantly, just needed a few more hours. No matter how late I get to sleep, I always wake up early; it’s really quite annoying.’

  ‘I’m the same.’

  ‘Well, it’s my own fault; I sat up until midnight making notes in my journal and reading. Just wasn’t tired. So now I’ll pay for it today.’

  ‘I couldn’t get to sleep either – tossed and turned for ages. At least we’ve got nothing strenuous to do – unless you’re driving back to Whyalla tonight.’

  ‘No. Since I know you’re an early bird, I’ll leave in the morning.’

  ‘I always feel better after my first coffee,’ Emily said, filling the kettle.

  ‘Ah yes, caffeine, the wonder drug. I can’t seem to live without it these days.’

  ‘Hmm.’

  When they were both seated at the table with their coffees, Jake said, ‘So, anything other than the obvious troubling you this morning about the figures?’

  ‘Well…’

  She hadn’t intended to tell him about wanting to qualify for Centrelink, but suddenly found it all spilling out.

  ‘Don’t be embarrassed, Em. Seriously, there’s nothing wrong with asking for some help when you need it – that’s what Centrelink is there for. I doubt you’re the sort to stay on it for long. And anyway, I’m sure you’ve paid plenty of tax over the years. So you shouldn’t feel ashamed. Personally, I’d be claiming as soon as you possibly can so you don’t completely use up all your reserves. You won’t have all this cash in six months when you buy this place. If only you could offload it now; you’d have six months with some money coming in. Hmm,’ he added, and began tapping the pen he’d picked up against his hand.

  ‘I wouldn’t want to do anything dodgy,’ Emily warned.

  ‘God no. I would never suggest anything like that. You could always park some money in one of my company trust accounts.’

  ‘Wouldn’t I have to have a legitimate reason – like a deposit or something?’

  ‘Technically, but we could…’

  ‘Thanks Jake, and no offence, but even that’s already sounding a little iffy for me. And I really don’t want to involve anyone else.’

  ‘Fair enough. But at least let me send you the details of a decent conveyancer. He’s not cheap, but he won’t rip you off, and he’s good.’

  ‘I’d appreciate that, thanks.’

  Emily got up from the table.

  ‘Now, I’m more than happy to do eggs for you, but I’m having cereal – muesli.’

  ‘Muesli sounds good. Knowing you and Barbara, there’ll be a mountain of food for lunch.’

  Emily brought the Tupperware container of cereal, milk, bowls and spoons to the table.

  ‘Yum,’ Jake said, ‘you’ll have to tell me which brand of muesli this is – it’s very good.’

  Emily blushed slightly. ‘Um, actually, it’s my own blend. I couldn’t find one without those processed little pellets – I find them too sweet.’

  ‘Well at least give me the list of ingredients – or do I have to guess myself?’ He picked up the container and stared through the clear window for a few moments before putting it down and continuing to eat.

  ‘Shall I have first shower or would you like to? I don’t mind either way,’ Emily said when they’d finished eating and pushed their bowls aside.

  ‘You go – I’m determined to discover every ingredient,’ Jake said, picking up the muesli container again. ‘You can test me when you’re done,’ he said with a laugh.

  ‘Okay.’

  Emily left the room grinning – he really was good fun and so easy to be with.

  ‘I’ll give you a hint,’ she said a few minutes later as she passed back through the kitchen on her way to the bathroom. ‘There are eleven ingredients all up.’

  ‘Right,’ Jake said, turning over to a new page on the pad.

  A few hours later, they were sitting in Emily’s car at the place where the five roads intersected at Barbara and David’s mailbox.

  They’d only been there a few minutes when David’s white ute clattered over the cattle grid at the end of their drive and turned towards them. David stuck his arm out of the window, waved, and then indicated that they should follow him.

  They turned into the next open gateway along and made their way up a rough track that wound through scrappy bushland, Emily being careful to keep far enough back so as not to be showered in stones from David’s vehicle.

  ‘You’re bound to get some great shots up here – it’s beautiful; like an oasis tucked away.’

  ‘Hmm. Sounds lovely.’

  ‘And thankfully they seem to be out with the forecast.’

  ‘Fingers crossed.’ As they shuddered and vibrated over corrugated sections, Emily was relieved to see in the rear vision mirror that Grace was still curled up on the back seat and hadn’t been flung onto the floor. She was also glad they’d taken her car. Not that she liked the punishment her old Ford was taking, but she didn’t want Jake getting into trouble with his hire car company. She cringed every time they hit a particularly deep rut or bounced over a protruding rock. She’d forgotten how rough this track was. I need a ute.

  ‘You need a ute, Em,’ Jake said.

  ‘Yeah,’ she agreed. Spooky.

  Suddenly they emerged into a lush clearing. David drove around the edge and stopped near the far side against what looked like the opening to a forest. Emily parked and turned off the engine while taking in the scene; gorgeous tall gums surrounded by smaller eucalypts and a variety o
f native shrubs. They got out and Emily stared around her in awe. It was even more beautiful than she remembered.

  ‘Perfect or what?’ David said to Jake, indicating the space with a wide spread of his arms.

  ‘Breathtaking,’ Jake replied in a breathy voice.

  ‘How are you feeling?’ Emily asked as she hugged Barbara.

  ‘Fit as a fiddle. Just needed a decent night’s sleep,’ she said brightly.

  ‘That’s good to hear. It would have been such a shame to cancel the picnic. I’d forgotten just how perfect this spot is,’ Emily said.

  ‘Well, it’s very special to us, isn’t it darling?’ Barbara said, putting her arm around David’s waist.

  David looked at his wife with a dreamy expression on his face. It was like those looks the leading couple in a romantic scene in an action movie shared – like they were unaware of anything else going on around them; cars blowing up, people being shot et cetera. Emily almost giggled.

  ‘Jake, this is where David took me on our first date, and then a year later, proposed.’

  ‘Ah, well I have to get a shot of you both here then,’ Jake said, camera already out and trained on them.

  Seconds later he showed them the two photos he’d taken in the viewfinder. He’d perfectly captured their contentment and the beauty of the setting.

  ‘I’ll print them out and send you copies when I get back.’

  ‘Thanks, we’ll have to get that one framed,’ David said, giving Barbara a peck on the cheek.

  ‘Actually, we still haven’t seen any of the shots you took last time you were here,’ Emily said.

  ‘Oh, I’d completely forgotten. They’re on my laptop, but I left it back in Whyalla. I would have emailed some, but I figured you didn’t have the internet at your place.’

  ‘You can send them to us,’ Barbara and David said at the same time before laughing.

  ‘They’re okay photos, but nothing like the real thing right here,’ Jake said.

  ‘We’d still like to see them.’

  ‘Okay,’ he said, making a show of exasperation. ‘I’ll bring the laptop next time and subject you all to a boring slideshow. But don’t say you weren’t warned.’

  Chapter Twelve

  They emptied the vehicles and set up their makeshift campsite, and then Jake produced a bottle of sparkling shiraz. Before long, Grace was tucking into a bone nearby and they were all holding plastic flutes of fizzing liquid.

  ‘So what are we toasting to, other than wonderful friends, fine wine, good food, and lovely tranquil settings?’ Barbara asked, holding up her glass.

  ‘You’ve about covered it, my dear,’ David said, raising his glass and tapping it against Barbara’s.

  ‘Actually, I have something else,’ Jake said, looking at Emily.

  She gave a small nod of assent.

  ‘In addition to Barbara’s eloquent toast, I’d like to raise a glass to Emily.’ They all held up their glasses and he continued solemnly, ‘To Emily and the great Australian dream.’

  ‘Oh my God, you said yes to buying the house! Did you? Tell me you did!’ Barbara leapt up and down, spilling wine all down her arm.

  ‘I did. I rang the Bakers last night. It’s official.’

  ‘And you didn’t phone me straight away?!’ Barbara said, accepting a paper serviette from David and dabbing at the spilt wine.

  ‘You went home feeling unwell, remember?’

  ‘Oh yes, but I would have got off my death bed to hear this news! Oh, well done!’ She hugged Emily tightly with one arm, careful not to spill more wine. ‘I’m so proud of you,’ she added more quietly.

  ‘Thanks. Let’s just hope I’ve made the right decision,’ Emily replied.

  ‘Oh you have. You have. Ooh, I’m so excited for you.’

  ‘Congratulations Em,’ David said, finally able to get a word and a hug in.

  As much as Emily enjoyed their enthusiasm, what she enjoyed even more was Jake enveloping her into a warm embrace and planting a kiss in her hair behind her ear.

  ‘It’s going to be great,’ he said before letting her go.

  Finally things settled down and they were able to focus on organising lunch.

  Afterwards they all relaxed back into director’s chairs and waited for their overfilled stomachs to feel more comfortable and the barbeque plate to cool down.

  ‘I’ve eaten way too much,’ Emily said, patting her tummy.

  ‘That was amazing. Thank you,’ Jake said.

  ‘Thank you for the lovely wine,’ Barbara said.

  ‘Pleasure was all mine.’

  They’d only had the one bottle, being careful to not be over the limit to drive. Despite only having a short trip back on quiet roads, Barbara, David, and Emily were all taking extra care.

  The recent deaths of two young locals just weeks apart had been a sharp reminder to the whole district that drink driving kills. Wattle Creek’s only police officer now drove around with his breathalyser as much as was humanly possible, desperate to stop the senseless loss of life occurring on his patch again.

  But as Barbara and Emily had discussed at length, there was probably little point to all his efforts; these things always seemed to come in threes. There would be another fatality. Just when, where, who, and exactly how, was a mystery.

  Besides which, it was the middle of the day, and they’d all laughed over the fact that since they’d turned thirty, alcohol with lunch made them just want to curl up and have a nanna nap.

  The sparkling shiraz had been the perfect accompaniment to the kangaroo steaks David had brought; the slightly gamey, marinated flavour working well with the peppery red.

  Barbara and David had initially been a little reluctant to tell Jake it was kangaroo, but he’d picked it straight away; the colour, strong scent, and slightly denser texture of the raw meat.

  They’d also had slices of grilled potato, pumpkin and zucchini, and a bowl of Barbara’s egg salad. It was a particular hit with Jake, and they had all laughed at his insistence on cleaning the remnants from the bowl with a slice of bread – white bread.

  As gourmet as their barbeques were, Barbara, David, and Emily had made a pact that the bread could only be white – the old-fashioned type; squishy, fully processed, and lowest in nutritional value. It reminded them of their childhoods.

  Jake had been delighted. ‘Haven’t had white bread for ages!’ he’d exclaimed. ‘I’m too brainwashed by nutritional facts to buy anything other than bread full of grains,’ he’d added as he’d gleefully grabbed two slices and put them on his plate.

  David explained that they didn’t normally eat anything but wholegrain either, but that their white bread thing was a deliberate attempt to subvert the whole nutritional do-gooding and gourmet barbequing craze, which they had otherwise fully embraced. White bread was their last connection to times gone by and down-to-earthness, Barbara had proudly concluded, with Emily nodding solemnly in agreement.

  ‘That’s bloody brilliant! I love it!’ Jake had said, grinning broadly.

  Emily had been watching carefully for his reaction, and had been pleased when he seemed to get the joke straight away. He really did fit in well. And having him there meant she didn’t feel like the fifth wheel the way she often did when out with Barbara and David.

  ‘Well, I hope you’ve all left room for pavlova,’ Barbara announced loudly, her voice bringing Emily back to the chatter around her.

  She looked at the eskies. She couldn’t remember seeing a pavlova or a container large enough for one.

  ‘Not here,’ Barbara said with a laugh. ‘It would have shattered on that bloody track and I wasn’t having all my efforts wasted. No, back at the house – it’s almost on your way anyway. You’re not rushing off back to Whyalla, are you Jake?’

  ‘Not until the morning. And I would love pavlova if Emily’s happy to stop in.’

  ‘Are you kidding? I would never pass up the opportunity to have pavlova – especially Barbara’s,’ Emily said.

  �
��I guess that’s a yes then,’ Barbara said, grinning.

  ‘Hang on a minute,’ David broke in. ‘We’ve brought Jake here so he can take some photos. So you’ll all have to wait – come on, mate,’ he said, getting up.

  Jake followed his lead.

  ‘Ah, very clever,’ Barbara said. ‘Pretending you need to go off. And it’ll be just long enough for us girls to have packed everything up.’

  ‘I’ll stay and help,’ Jake said.

  ‘No, you go, but don’t be surprised if we don’t lift a finger while you’re gone,’ Barbara said. She stretched out her legs and folded her arms across her chest, giving her husband a defiant look over the top of her sunglasses.

  ‘Quite all right my love; you just rest up and we’ll deal with it when we get back,’ David said, in a patronising tone. He patted her on the shoulder before striding off towards the edge of the clearing.

  ‘Righto, see you in a bit,’ Jake said, sounding a little unsure. He waved before turning and setting off after David, his camera slung over his shoulder.

  ‘See ya,’ Emily called, grinning. She loved watching Barbara and David’s friendly sparring.

  ‘I like him,’ Barbara said, sighing and settling back into her chair.

  ‘I should think you should love him. He is your husband.’

  ‘Not David, darling; Jake.’

  ‘Barbara!’ Emily warned.

  ‘What?! I just said I like him; what’s not to like?’

  ‘It’s what you didn’t say – and you know perfectly well what I’m talking about.’

  They settled into silence.

  ‘Hey, did you hear about John being bought out of the family company?’ Emily said a few minutes later. ‘Dad told me yesterday after you’d left. Apparently somewhere in the vicinity of three hundred grand.’

  ‘David did mention a rumour – I didn’t want to say anything until I knew for sure. Half of that should be yours.’

  ‘Don’t I know it? But he’ll have to live with what he’s done. I’m not going to worry about it; it’s done now. I just hope what goes around comes around.’

  ‘Me too, lousy bastard. Speaking of money – any joy on the job front?’