A Chance of Stormy Weather

by Tricia Stringer

“She sent some specially for you. She wins prizes at the show for her powder puffs.”

  Paula’s recollection of Rita didn’t gel with the image of a delicate powder puff. “I’d better try one then.” She shut the door on the sleeping Tarzan and followed Tom back to the kitchen.

  The rest of the party was a blur. She opened the presents people had brought. Rowena’s was a set of filmy sheer white curtains, sprinkled with blue flowers. They would be perfect for the main bedroom. Dara had brought some scatter cushions for the lounge and Jane and Bruce had given them a rustic photo frame. There were many other things. People she’d never met before had been very kind.

  Every time she saw Dan he seemed to be tipping a can of beer down his neck. She drifted from one group to the next, hovering on the outside, not really joining in the conversation. By the time the last of the revellers had left, it was three in the morning. Dan followed them outside to see them off and Paula went into the kitchen where she was amazed to find everything washed, dried and tidied away. Apart from a pile of empties, an assortment of leftovers in her fridge and a stack of clean dishes and cups, it would have been hard to know there had been a party.

  She switched out the light and checked on Tarzan and the dying fire in the lounge. There was a bit more debris in there where the diehards had continued to drink and tell stories close to the fire.

  In the bedroom Dan was lying on top of the quilt. She hadn’t heard him come back inside. He was still fully clothed except for his shoes. His hands were clasped across his chest and he was snoring gently.

  Paula couldn’t help but grin, in spite of the uncertainty she felt. He could never be accused of being a noisy drunk. Unless you counted snoring, she thought, as he gave an extra-loud snort. She took the throw rug from the end of the bed and spread it over him, then undressed and climbed in between the sheets.

  Perhaps it was just as well he was asleep. She didn’t know how she could face him tonight.

  CHAPTER

  17

  “What are you going to get up to this week, Paula?” Jane’s cheerful voice asked from the phone.

  “I don’t know,” Paula said. “I think I’ve had enough redecorating for a while although I would like to find some curtains for the kitchen. Is there anywhere local I could find something?”

  Jane laughed. “Not locally. Dara has the odd thing of course, but for furnishings we have to go further afield or online. I think it would be worth a trip to Adelaide. I’ve got a ready babysitter there. Mum loves the chance to spend some time with the boys and you and I could have a day’s shopping.”

  “That sounds great. I want to find something to send to my sister for her new baby.” Paula hesitated. “I’m a bit reluctant to go too far at the moment. Now that seeding’s finished, I was hoping to see a bit more of Dan. We’ve got a few things we need to organise.”

  Paula didn’t want to elaborate. She had spent a miserable weekend trying to find the courage to ask Dan for the truth but she hadn’t been able to do it. She loved him but she felt their marriage was now hanging by a tenuous thread. She didn’t want to destroy that thread. It was all she had.

  Jane chuckled. “I’m sorry, Paula. Dan is probably not working the five am to eleven pm shift any more but you’ll find he’s still gone most of the day. He might appear more regularly for meals but he’ll always have something to do. You put your foot down, though. Dan is such a hard worker sometimes Bruce and I worry he does too much. We were so glad when he married you. He needs something else in his life besides work.”

  “Oh, well. I guess I’ll get used to being a farmer’s wife eventually.” Paula tried to mimic Jane’s lightness.

  “Of course you will. It’s not easy giving up the working life you’re used to but give yourself a chance to settle in. You’re so resourceful, Paula, you’ll find something to occupy your time besides running around after Dan.” Jane’s warm chuckle echoed from the phone. “And one thing you must do is give yourself a break. So when would you like to go to the city?”

  “Any time. You say. You’ve got more to organise than me.”

  “Bruce needs me to help with the pigs for the next few days. We could go after that…” Jane paused. “But you’ve got shearers soon, haven’t you?”

  “Shearers?”

  “I’m sure I heard Dan say something at the party. Maybe it was next week. Anyway, we can work around it once you know. I’d better get off the phone. Bruce will be in, looking for his lunch and I haven’t got far with my jobs yet.”

  “Bye, Jane.” Paula hung up. She glanced around her tidy kitchen and knew the rest of the house was in a similar state. She had a bit of washing in the machine to hang out, but apart from that, she had nothing else to do. Dan’s lunch was even prepared. He had gone off after breakfast to do something with sheep and had promised to be back for lunch. Then he said he had shed work to do. She wondered what jobs Jane had to keep her busy. And then there was her mention of shearers. What had she meant by that?

  Paula fidgeted restlessly then picked up her tablet. She went to the middle bedroom where she had stored boxes of her things that she hadn’t unpacked and anything else she hadn’t found a home for. She took the wireless router she’d bought from its box and went back to the kitchen. She had to unplug the phone to use it. Maybe she could do some internet research on tourism for Dara, and perhaps investigate online accountancy. She got it all connected but it was responding very slowly.

  “Paula?” Dan’s call from the back door surprised her. She hadn’t heard a vehicle.

  She went out to meet him “You’re early for lunch.”

  “I’m not coming in yet. I’ve sent Tom off in the dual cab. His ute’s got a flat tyre and I need to go and check another mob of sheep. I’ll have to take your car.”

  “Can I come too?”

  “Of course, but I have to go now. Rowena called me. She was on her way out and she noticed some sheep in bother. It’s the mob with the lambs.”

  Paula grabbed her keys and jacket and followed Dan out to the car shed. Tarzan trotted faithfully at her heels.

  Dan drove and Paula noticed the look of concern on his face. “What do you think is the matter?”

  “I don’t know. Rowena said she saw a few ewes pushed up in the corner and the rest of the mob running around. Could be a breakaway group. There were still a few who hadn’t lambed. Or, they could be sick or there could be a fox or a dog about.”

  He concentrated on the track and Paula tried to pay attention to the landmarks along the way. They were close to Rowena’s house. There were a couple of gates to pass through and Paula opened and closed them each time. One more loomed as they reached the paddock with the sheep.

  “I’ll get this one,” Dan said.

  “No, I can do it.” Paula jumped out of the car before Dan could say any more.

  This gate was different. It was more like a continuation of the fence and it was hooked to a thick post at one end with a wire and wood contraption at the top that had Paula puzzled. She wiggled and pushed at it and then, just as she heard Dan open his door behind her, the wood popped free, flung out of her hands and the gate collapsed at her feet. She bent down and dragged it back but it scrunched on top of itself making it difficult to move. There was enough space for Dan to drive the car through then he came back to help her.

  “These can be a bit tricky for the beginners.” The skin crinkled around his eyes and his lips turned up in a small grin.

  “Well, if you show me how I can do it next time.” Paula stepped to the side. She wasn’t going to be beaten by a gate. She watched as he picked up the iron dropper, pulled the wire tight and dragged it back to the post where he hooked the bottom of the dropper into a wire loop and then wound the stick through the top.

  They got back into the car and she was wondering how hard it could be when she glanced over to see the tiny grin still lurking at the corners of Dan’s mouth. At least he was smiling, even if it was at her expense.

  He drove across t
he paddock to the main mob of sheep. They were gathered together in a big huddle. He drove slowly around them looking carefully.

  “Something has spooked them,” he said. The mob reluctantly split and he drove among them. “Can’t see any that look sick or injured though and I don’t want to stir them up any more.”

  He wheeled the car away from the scattering mob and headed off across the paddock to the distant fence line, which was dotted with trees following a road.

  “There’s one.”

  Paula looked in the direction he pointed but all she could see was a clump of rock and a bush. As the vehicle got close, the rock moved and a lamb stood up beside it. Then Paula realised it wasn’t a rock but a sheep struggling to get up.

  “Damn it.” Dan jumped from the car as soon as it stopped and Tarzan raced after him.

  “Get out of it, dog. Paula, get this mutt back in the car,” he yelled then turned and raced after the lamb, which was hobbling away quite quickly.

  Paula called Tarzan back and shut him in the car as Dan came towards her carrying the lamb.

  “This little fella looks okay. Can you hold it while I check out the mother?”

  Paula took the struggling bundle in her arms. It was surprisingly strong for something so small and gangly. It gave some desperate little bleats and the mother raised her head and gave a weak reply.

  “Bloody hell!”

  “What is it?”

  Paula went to stand beside Dan who was bending over the back of the sheep. She had blood and exposed flesh down both of her back legs. “Oh. How can that happen?” Paula stared in horror at the mangled mess. “The poor thing.”

  “Dogs,” Dan said. “Fred Martin lost a couple of sheep last week. He lives just over that way.” Dan pointed across the road to another property.

  “I thought farmers had dogs that worked sheep, not attacked them.”

  “This is the work of a rogue dog or a pack that’s had a taste of killing. They might be farm dogs but most farmers lock their dogs up. This must be a pet dog that’s allowed to roam.”

  The sheep gave another feeble bleat and struggled to get up again.

  “Easy, old girl.” Dan checked her out carefully. “I don’t think she’ll live.” He got back to his feet.

  “You can’t leave her here to die.”

  He frowned at her. “Of course not. I’ll take you home and come back.”

  Paula gripped his arm. “What are you going to do?”

  “I’ll have to shoot her. Put her out of her misery.”

  “The poor thing. How awful.” Paula hugged the lamb in tightly. It lay quietly in her arms. “Are you sure we can’t save her?”

  “I can take her home, try cleaning her up and keep her in the shed, I suppose. She might be able to feed the lamb a bit longer. If we keep that alive, it cuts the loss.”

  Paula recoiled inside. Dan was so cold about it. This poor animal was in misery and he was worried about the cost.

  “We have to try,” she said.

  “I don’t know what’s in your boot but that’s the only place I can put her. You’ll have to nurse the lamb.”

  “Okay.” Paula didn’t care about the car. She couldn’t bear to see the sheep in such a terrible state.

  Dan backed the car in close to the injured ewe. Paula shut the lamb in the back of the car with a stern warning to Tarzan not to terrorise it and went back to help. They hefted the feebly struggling animal into the boot and shut her in.

  “Will she be okay in there?”

  “She’s not going to be any worse off. I’d be more worried about the nice upholstery if I was you,” Dan said.

  Paula climbed through to the back seat and picked up the lamb, which had piddled on the floor. Tarzan watched closely from the centre panel but he didn’t attempt to get in the back with Paula until she called him.

  All the way home she talked softly to the lamb and Tarzan. Dan had to open and close the gates. The pup cuddled in close to Paula and rested a protective paw on the lamb’s leg.

  Back at the house yard, Dan drove on to a distant shed. The shed was built on a slope. On the low side there were stilts holding it up and on the other side small wooden yards joined what looked like mini paddocks.

  “I’ll put her in the shearing shed with the lamb. At least she’ll have shelter and feed and we can see what happens from there.”

  The interior of the shed was divided into several small yards opening out into a long open area, with a wooden floor and machinery hanging from the low ceiling, backed by a row of little doors. Paula recalled pictures she had seen of men shearing and Jane’s earlier mention of shearing floated briefly through her mind before the injured ewe and the pitiful bleating of the lamb regained her attention.

  “Should I bathe her wounds?” she asked as she and Dan leaned over the rails looking at the forlorn pair. “Or should we ring the vet?”

  “I don’t think you can save her, Sweet Pea. The nearest vet is a long way away and I’m pretty sure the vet would agree with me. There’s too much damage.”

  Dan’s concerned face melted Paula’s heart.

  “We’ve got to try,” she pleaded.

  “Okay. But don’t get your heart set on a recovery. It would take a miracle.”

  Paula went back to the house to gather her supplies. She bathed, disinfected and bandaged the mangled legs of the ewe and then she could see there were more wounds all around its back. It was impossible to deal with them all. She did the best she could then put feed in a container on top of the grated floor close by. Finally Paula trickled water into the ewe’s mouth and gently urged her to fight.

  Dan worked quietly in the shed behind her. Eventually, when she sat back on the dirty floor surveying her handiwork, he came and urged her away.

  “You’ve done all you can. You’ve given her a chance, there’s nothing more you can do.”

  Arm in arm they went back to the house for a late lunch. Tarzan skittered between their feet chasing leaves and insects as they walked. Paula leaned into Dan and he hugged her close.

  They’d barely eaten when Tom returned and Dan went off with him to change the tyre and check more sheep. It wasn’t till they’d driven off that Paula realised she hadn’t asked about the shearing. She decided cleaning out her car was more pressing and armed with disinfectant and hot water she set off to scrub it clean.

  She’d just finished when an approaching vehicle made her look up. Tarzan went barking down the track as Rowena’s car turned into view.

  “Tarzan! Here, boy.” Paula called him back.

  The pup came running to sit at her feet, uttering a low growl.

  “I know how you feel,” Paula muttered. “But we have to be nice to Dan’s aunt.” The car pulled up beside them. She turned and pulled her face into a smile. “Hello, Rowena.”

  “Did Dan find out what was happening with those sheep?”

  “Yes, he thinks they were attacked by dogs.”

  “Damn them.” Rowena slapped the steering wheel. “Much damage done?”

  “We could only find one that was hurt, a ewe and her lamb. The ewe’s been badly bitten all over her back and legs. We put her in the shed and I’ve patched her up a bit.”

  “Don’t get too attached. In my experience, they rarely survive the shock. I suppose Dan is hoping to save the lamb. How old is it?”

  “Dan thought about a week,” Paula replied, thinking the poor ewe didn’t stand a chance with all the negative vibes from Dan and Rowena. Paula had high hopes for her nursing skills. Besides, the ewe had a lamb to live for.

  Rowena got out of the car. “I’ve upgraded our mobile phones and bought one for you.”

  Paula stared in amazement at Rowena’s back as she rummaged in her car.

  “Since I was buying three I got a very good deal.” Rowena lifted out a large plastic bag.

  “I have a phone,” Paula mumbled as Rowena shoved the bag at her.

  “But you said it didn’t work here. These phones have pretty goo
d coverage. All the information’s in the bag and your new number. They said in the shop Dan could simply put in his sim from his old phone.” Rowena waved a dismissive hand. “You’ll know what to do with it all.”

  “We should pay you for them —”

  “The business pays for them,” Rowena cut in.

  Paula peered into the bag. Her other phone was out of contract and was a few years old. She would have liked to have selected her own new phone.

  “While I’m here, we may as well discuss the shearing arrangements.” Rowena was on to the next topic.

  “Shearing?” Paula questioned. She was still thinking about phones.

  “Dan has employed shearers with a reputation for being fussy about their food. Hasn’t he told you?”

  Paula didn’t want to admit he hadn’t mentioned it. “I do remember something,” she said vaguely. “When are they coming again?”

  “They’re planning to start on Thursday. It will depend on the weather and how they get on at the previous place. Our usual contractors weren’t available so I hope this lot are okay. I can bring over lunches. They’ll want a hot meal, so it will be handy to use your kitchen for some of it. I’ve got cakes and slices in the freezer already.”

  Paula had no idea what she was talking about. Shearing was to do with sheep, not meals. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “You are green, aren’t you?” Rowena chortled. “While the shearers are here we have to provide morning and afternoon teas and lunches. Lunches don’t have to be as big as they were when I was a girl but this group is old-fashioned. They like a hot lunch each day.”

  “How many of them are there?” Paula felt a tinge of nerves building in her stomach.

  “Three shearers and a roustabout. Dan and Tom will do all the other jobs. But that means six to feed every day.”

  “For how long?” Paula was in panic mode again now. Cooking was not her forte and she definitely wouldn’t rate highly with fussy eaters.

  “If everything goes well, they should only be here three or four days.”

  Paula quailed. Four days of cooking for six other people. Why hadn’t Dan warned her?