by Fiona Palmer
‘Any time. Come on. Get cleaned up and let’s go find something to eat. Your mum will want to hear how the morning went.’
CJ gave Irene a cunning look. ‘Can I lie?’
‘Darlin’, Kate would’ve told her the whole story by now,’ said Irene, laughing.
Halfway through the second week of training CJ leaned back on the skirting table with a proud smile. So this is what Lindsay would have felt after teaching her. She didn’t realise it would be so rewarding. With all five students going really well, she was helping Irene on the floor but still keeping her eye on them, finetuning their technique here and there. She watched Kate drag out another ewe like she’d been doing it all her life. Kate had been bloody incredible, like a big sponge sucking up all the information even better than the boys had. CJ got goose bumps just thinking of how well they were all doing.
‘Hey, Nate. Nice one,’ she encouraged. ‘Just remember it’s not a race. Take it slow and concentrate on getting each section done right.’ CJ’s voice echoed off the shed walls with the machine noise.
‘They’ve come a long way,’ said Irene. ‘And so have you.’
CJ stood on the patio and shook four hands and gave Kate a hug. ‘Thanks, guys, for being my first guinea pigs,’ she laughed.
Ryan spoke first. ‘No, thank you.’ He hung his head a little. ‘To tell you the truth, after Mase walked out, he had me thinking. And after that mad morning… you know. But I gotta say ya turned out to be great. My dad’s gonna be impressed.’
‘Yeah, thanks, CJ. Great thing ya got goin’ here. I’ll spread the word,’ said Grant.
Their words were overwhelming and CJ was a little sad to be losing her first bunch of students. But she felt good to be sending them out into the world with everything Lindsay had taught her. In two weeks she’d made new shearers. She’d enjoyed being with them, showing them how to shear and grind their gear. That first day they’d asked her to shear for them and she’d knocked one out in no time. They’d listened a lot more attentively after that.
‘Hey, CJ, can I come back again in a few months to go over it all again, just to get the technique down pat?’ asked Jarred.
‘That would be a great idea. Same goes for all of you. You know you can always come back if you need to.’ She pulled a bit of paper out of her back pocket. ‘Oh, before you go, I saw this advertised and wanted to know if any of you are interested.’
Grant was the first to speak. ‘A shearing comp?’
‘Yep, next weekend. It’s a clean-shear comp. A couple of local contractors have put together the event. They want to inject and entice new blood into the industry. They have some good money up for grabs. Now, I’d love to see some of you there – it’s great advertising for the school and I’m genuinely amazed at how well you’ve taken to shearing. You all stand a real chance at winning. So what do you say? Who’s in?’
‘I won’t be able to,’ said Ryan.
‘I’ll go,’ said Grant.
‘Me too,’ echoed Jarred.
‘Bugger, I’ve got my cousin’s wedding on that day,’ said Nate, disappointed.
CJ turned to Kate. ‘What about you?’
Kate looked up from the ground. ‘Me?’ she said, putting her hand on her chest.
‘Why not? You can shear just as good as these guys.’
‘Come on, Kate,’ said Grant. ‘It’ll be great. And you’re even more meticulous than us. You could win it.’
They all laughed. Kate liked her sheep to be perfect as she was an animal lover and hated cutting them.
Her eyes swam with excitement. ‘Count me in, then. I can’t wait. Hey, we can all catch up again and have a few drinks afterwards.’
The guys nodded their heads in agreement.
‘Great. I’ll see you all there. Wearing the school singlet too, I hope.’ CJ laughed.
‘Will do. See yas then,’ said Grant, and CJ noticed him giving Kate a wink goodbye.
The boys all walked to their utes with a last wave.
‘Well, they were some lovely words,’ said Dot.
‘Yes. They were nice lads, hey?’
‘I don’t know about that. I’ve gotta go clean up after them,’ Dot said, laughing.
CJ put her arm around her mum’s shoulder. ‘Thanks, Mum. You’ve been amazing this last fortnight. I know it’s hard to keep a hungry mob fed and watered.’
Dot smiled up at CJ. ‘And you’re paying me well for it too. Well, I’d better get a start on their rooms,’ she said, and headed to the house.
‘You heading off too?’ CJ asked Kate.
Kate smiled. ‘Yep. Thanks, CJ. It was awesome. Does this mean you’ll let me finish your sheep off at work next week?’
‘If you wanna keep going?’
Kate nodded. ‘I’d love to. There’s just something about shearing.’
CJ walked with Kate to her car. ‘You don’t have to tell me. Doug mightn’t be too happy with all his good rousies going shearing.’ Both girls laughed as they stood by the car in the warmth of the setting sun. ‘Besides, I want you practising before the big comp. I want to see you take out first place.’
‘I wish! Anyway, see ya at work next week, then.’ Kate climbed in her little red car and hooned down the gravel road, dust floating in the still air.
CJ stayed for a moment, enjoying the quiet and the setting sun. Black crows cawed to each other as magpies competed nearby, and Sam sniffed around the old fence that lined the nearby paddock. It was a perfect afternoon.
43
‘I’M so nervous I think I might chunder,’ said Kate, holding her belly and looking rather green.
‘Don’t aim my way if you do,’ said Grant, who was a whole foot and a half taller than Kate.
They’d just walked up to the spot where the shearing comp was being held – the outside area at the back of the pub. CJ had driven them in Doug’s dual-cab ute. She hadn’t had a moment’s peace since they had picked up Jarred on the way, but their banter had been entertaining.
‘Struth, there’s a few here. Who’s up first tonight?’ asked Jarred as he nervously tucked in his shearing singlet.
‘That’d be you,’ said Kate, as Jarred pulled his singlet back out again.
‘Damn, I’ve got some major jitters.’ Grant pushed his hands into his pockets and looked around with wide eyes.
CJ smiled. She knew how they felt. ‘Come on, you lot. Let’s set up a spot for all your stuff.’
They followed CJ to a table like little lambs and put their gear down. The area behind the pub was quite large, completely covered with lawn, and the shearing stand and portable pens were set up in the back corner. CJ and Kate grabbed a couple of chairs while the boys sat on the lawn.
‘I’m glad you all got in a bit of practice this week. We don’t really know what the competition’s like yet.’
‘Any words of wisdom you can give us, CJ?’ asked Kate.
‘Nope. Just pray you get a scooter,’ she laughed.
‘What’s a scooter?’ asked Grant.
‘It’s a fast sheep, the ones that are easy to shear,’ said Kate.
‘You guys are lucky tonight – you have a semi. Normally they don’t do semis unless it’s a big event, but I think the contractors who put this on are giving you a second chance. I hope you all do well.’
CJ pulled her jacket around her, not because it was cold but because of her nerves. If any of her students did well tonight, it could mean more business. And if they did well, then some of it would be her doing. Hopefully she’d done right by them.
‘The first heat’s starting. God, that bloke only looks fifteen,’ said Grant, pointing to a small, skinny kid on the end of the stand.
‘He probably is!’ said Jarred.
‘I’m the only girl entered tonight,’ Kate whispered to CJ. Normally a happy bundle, she now looked quite solemn.
‘Don’t worry. You’re a pocket rocket and you’ll show them. Don’t doubt yourself, Kate. You know what you can do.’
‘Thanks,
CJ.’
‘Hey, I know him.’ Jarred pointed to a guy on the second stand.
‘Hell, we all know him,’ said Grant.
When Mason looked up, you couldn’t mistake the young cockiness in his eyes.
‘Oh, great,’ sighed Kate.
‘Hey.’ CJ got their attention. ‘This is a good thing. Watch him well, learn how not to do it and then whip his arse. Got it?’
Three smiles radiated back at her. CJ studied Mase as much as she could. His technique was sloppy and his footwork was wrong. Her guys would wipe the floor with him easy. Nonetheless he won his heat and moved on to the semi.
‘It’s me up next,’ said Jarred, taking off his jacket and grabbing his stuff.
‘Good luck,’ they chorused as he headed to the stage.
They all clapped madly and Grant whistled when Jarred won his heat easily.
Kate was next and CJ worried about her nerves. It showed, as her first sheep was slow and she fumbled her handpiece at the start, but by the second she’d got comfortable and made it through to the semi with ease.
After the fifth heat she had all three of her students through.
‘I’m so rapt for you all. You were bloody great out there. Kate, imagine what you could do without the jittery start.’
‘I know. I’ll be right for the next one.’
Grant came back from the bar with a beer for them all.
‘Just one, I’m driving you lot back,’ CJ had said, glad of the excuse. She still hadn’t told anyone but Dot, Irene and Paul about the baby. Luckily it was winter and shearing singlets were loose.
The board near the judges listed the competitors’ times and points; the top four would go into the final. Kate took delight in telling Jarred how much she’d whipped his arse.
‘I was just saving some in my tank for the final,’ he said in reply.
‘You can make all the excuses in the world but you still got beat by a girl.’ Grant smiled at Kate. ‘What about me? I’ve got that dickhead in my heat.’
In no time at all Grant was up on the stage again for the first semi-final heat. The horn sounded and they were into it. Grant was going great guns, heaps cleaner than Mase, so CJ knew he’d win hands down, but then trouble struck. Grant was disqualified.
‘Why the hell were you DQ’ed?’ asked Kate as Grant threw his stuff down angrily and plonked into his chair.
‘I got a wether and cut its pizzle off. Instant disqualification.’
‘Oh, how’d that happen?’ Kate asked.
‘I bet Mase had everything to do with it. When I looked over my sheep I was sure as hell they were all ewes.’ Grant was red in the face with anger. ‘After I went in on the belly and cut the pizzle, I heard Mase say, “Tough shit, mate.” I reckon he put the bastard in my pen. The mongrel.’
‘Can’t we complain?’ asked Jarred.
CJ shook her head. ‘Nope. I’ve just recognised one of the judges. They called him Buck Wiletton. He’s pretty rough around the edges, prone to fixing shit his way, and he just so happens to have the same last name as Mason.’
‘Now you say that, they do look very similar. So what do we do now?’ said Kate.
‘Nothin’ we can do. Grant’s learnt from this now. Always be on your guard. Now it’s up to you two!’ said CJ after she glanced at the board and saw with delight that Kate and Jarred had made it to the final.
It was dark now and the publican had switched on the big floodlights over the grassed area. CJ was battling her nerves again coming into the final, and she couldn’t have a drink to help calm them. Instead she was drinking lemon squash like it was going out of fashion. She’d be buzzing all the way home tonight, while the other three would probably be rolling drunk.
‘Do you think they can win it?’ asked Grant as they watched Kate and Jarred getting set up on stage. ‘I’m sure it’ll come down to them two.’
‘Yeah. I’d be a bit biased if I said I’d like Kate to win it for the girls, but either way I’m really proud of how you’ve all shorn tonight.’
They jumped as the horn sounded and the novices were off and shearing. Mason was going hammer and nail, pushing through his sheep quickly. He was in the lead, closely followed by Kate and Jarred, who looked smooth and rhythmic.
‘God, I can barely watch,’ said Grant, his legs jittering up and down on the spot.
CJ realised hers were doing the same thing. They watched Mason pull out his last sheep, followed by Jarred, then Kate. The fourth bloke was still on his second last.
‘Damn it. Mase is gonna win,’ cringed Grant.
‘They still have to count up the scores,’ said CJ.
Click. Mason’s handpiece went off first. Jarred’s was off six seconds later and Kate’s two seconds after Jarred. CJ sighed. She wondered if Kate being next to Mase had rattled her again. She wasn’t as good as she had been in the semi.
Kate and Jarred joined them at the table while they waited for the judges to tally the points. ‘I reckon Jarred should have it,’ Kate said. ‘Mase’s sheep look like they’ve been attacked with a red marker. Oh well. Now we can drink. Who’s for a beer?’
They boys put in their orders and Kate went off to the bar. Even though Kate was short she still had the curves, and made a shearing singlet look good. She was sure that Grant had already noticed that. CJ loved that they all sat there in their matching Rosevale Shearing School singlets, which they’d proudly pulled on over their competition singlets.
While Kate was away, a statuesque lady approached CJ. She was the wife of a shearer, and she commented on how bad it was that Grant had been disqualified.
‘I wondered whether the Wilettons have been up to their old tricks,’ she said. ‘I also wanted to ask who runs the shearing school.’
‘I do,’ CJ said with pride. ‘These are my very first students.’
The lady had her daughter with her and CJ guessed she’d be around ten. She was tall like her mum and had the same deadstraight blonde hair. ‘My husband’s a shearer and he reckons your lot have a great technique. He doesn’t really have a lot of time to teach our son and Trent is dying to have a go. He’s only sixteen but he’s strong and ready. Can I talk to my husband about it and give you a call for more details later?’
‘Sure thing.’ CJ scribbled down her number and made a mental note to print up some business cards.
‘Doing a roaring trade tonight, hey, boss?’ chuckled Grant.
‘Yep, thanks to you lot.’ CJ laughed. ‘Oh, they’re announcing the winner. Kate, hurry up!’ CJ waved as Kate came towards them with three beers in her hands. She plonked them on the table and followed Jarred up to the stage.
Mason was already on stage looking pretty sure of himself. CJ hoped his dad hadn’t rigged it somehow. She soon had her answer when they announced that Jarred had come first. CJ and Grant jumped and cheered loudly.
Jarred took the microphone for his speech. ‘Um… I’d like to thank the sponsors for the night. It’s great to have a big event for us novices. And a huge thankyou to CJ Wishart, who taught me to shear at the Rosevale Shearing School. You’re bloody awesome. Cheers.’
‘Remind me to buy Jarred a few beers,’ CJ whispered to Grant.
Then Kate was announced as second place. CJ didn’t know who was more shocked, Mason or Kate. After she got her prize Kate stood the other side of Jarred, away from Mase. Not surprising, as his face was turning red. Mase ended up fourth.
‘Gosh, he must have hacked those sheep up and left heaps of second cuts to end up fourth. That’ll teach him not to walk out on your school, CJ,’ Grant laughed.
They were still laughing about it three hours later when CJ was herding them into the ute. By this time they were all slurring their words and not making any sense. And she had a whole hour’s drive home! CJ looked in the rear-vision mirror and saw Kate and Grant kissing madly. She stifled a chuckle, then turned up the music. She glanced over to Jarred to say something but his head was slumped against the window, his beer still held between his leg
s and his prize money in his top pocket.
She smiled to herself as she looked out into the darkness, keeping her eyes out for kangaroos. She wound down her window and let in some fresh night air. It smelt like rain and reinvigorated her senses for the last half of the drive home. Soon she’d be helping Chris move in. He’d been looking for a place so he could give Irene and Paul their space back. Nothing in town was available, and CJ had come up with the idea of Chris staying with her. The house was huge and she had it all to herself. She said he could stay for free if he could help out with the farm. A win-win for them both. He’d jumped at the idea and was bringing his stuff around tomorrow. She realised she was looking forward to his company.
CJ held the wire tight against the strainer post next to Joe, her fingers turning numb from the cold. ‘Chris, can you pass me the pliers, please?’
Chris leaned over the back tray of the ute, his big black jacket zipped up tight. He fished around in the red toolbox and held up a pair.
‘No. I need the black-handled ones.’
‘Anything else I can do?’ asked Chris as he pulled his grey beanie further over his ears. ‘Damn, it’s so cold. Why couldn’t I be on the tractor in the warmth? I liked the tractor. Driving I can do.’
‘Yeah, seeding is the best. Nothing quite like the smell of fresh dirt, hey?’
‘When you told me about it, I didn’t really think it would make such an impact, but it did. Sign me up for next seeding.’
‘Be careful, we just might,’ laughed Joe as he dragged a steel post off the back of the ute.
CJ smiled, remembering the night Chris had spent on the tractor with her. They had chatted the whole time. Joe had been doing the seeding himself but they had managed to help on the weekend. She taught Chris how to drive the tractor and operate the seeder.
‘Chris, mate, you could shift that coil of old wire away for us,’ said Joe.
‘No worries.’
As Chris dragged the rusty wire away, Joe watched CJ finish with the pliers.
‘He’s coming along, slowly. We’ll make him into a country boy yet,’ laughed Joe.
‘Yeah. He’s real sweet to help us out. Not many people want to do farm work,’ CJ added.
