The House At Flynn's Crossing

by Elisabeth Rose

  ‘Fiona in third grade and Erica has just started,’ said Di. ‘We’re going to celebrate our freedom at my place. Why don’t you come along with us after we get the mangoes?’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Of course. A few others are coming too. You can meet them.’

  And so half an hour later Antonia sat with new acquaintances Helen and Mary, Hugo and the grandmother whose name she didn’t catch, drinking cheap sparkling wine in Di’s house and toasting their newfound hours of freedom.

  She’d prepared herself for an inquisition but everyone already knew the basics of her situation, even down to her father’s assistance with the move. Di was also a single mother. Her husband had deserted the family a year ago and not been heard of since.

  ‘Good riddance,’ she said. ‘He gambled away everything we had except the house.’ Now she worked as a cleaner at the pub and the motel, juggling shifts to fit around the school day. ‘It’s hard but it’s better than when he was around. At least I’m in charge of every dollar I make.’

  Cheryl’s husband drove trucks and was away a lot. ‘I’d like to get a part-time job but there’s not a lot around here,’ she said.

  ‘Mrs Birdie said I should give music lessons,’ said Antonia. ‘And she wants me to take the school recorder group.’

  ‘That’d be lovely,’ said the grandmother, whose name no one repeated. She and her invalid husband minded her son and daughter-in-law’s two children before and after school because they commuted to Kurrajong for work. ‘Music is very important. What instruments do you play?’

  ‘Flute.’

  ‘How nice. I must tell my son. I’m sure he’d be keen for my granddaughter, Olivia, to learn.’

  ‘I play guitar a bit,’ said Hugo. Untrimmed beard, dreadlocks, blue singlet, sandals and loose tie-died Indian cotton pants. He couldn’t look more like a leftover from the sixties if he tried, and he had a pungent unwashed odour. He lived with several other families on a commune on the other side of town.

  ‘Have you told Mrs Birdie?’ Antonia asked.

  ‘No, I don’t do a structured thing. I just play from the soul.’

  Behind him, Di rolled her eyes as she topped up glasses from a second bottle.

  ‘Have you heard what the council is thinking about doing?’ The grandmother looked around the group with raised eyebrows.

  No one had.

  ‘They want to bring in a developer to put a massive holiday resort on that land out next to the cooperative. They want to buy Aidan out and use that whole section for a golf course and Lord knows what else.’

  ‘Whose brilliant idea is that?’ demanded Helen among the amazed chorus of reactions.

  ‘Flynn’s.’

  ‘They can’t do that! It hasn’t been approved, has it? No one’s heard anything about it.’

  ‘I never liked Flynn,’ said Mary. ‘He’s always on the lookout for number one. Doesn’t give a damn about the town. You can bet he’s set to make a nice profit out of any deal that goes through. No doubt he’ll be handling the land sale.’

  ‘He’s the real estate agent, of course he will,’ put in Cheryl. ‘Flynn’s a good bloke.’

  ‘He’s been very kind and helpful to me,’ said Antonia.

  Hugo smiled with an unnerving gleam in his eye. ‘Because you’re a very pretty young woman.’

  ‘She is, but that’s not the reason,’ said Mary with a reproving glare. ‘Guys like that cultivate everyone just in case there’s an angle they can use.’

  ‘I won’t be any use to Flynn.’

  ‘You don’t know. You’re connected to Simon and he’s part of the cooperative …’

  ‘That would put Antonia on the other side of the fence to Flynn, wouldn’t it?’ asked Di.

  ‘Are there sides to this?’ asked Cheryl.

  Mary shrugged. ‘I don’t know, I’m just saying. Flynn’s a wheeler-dealer. He owns half the town already.’

  ‘Really? I thought he just owned the pub,’ said Antonia.

  ‘He has the house out on Majura Lane, one in the main street and he used to own the place next door to you.’

  ‘Bron’s house? I thought they’d always owned it.’

  ‘Them and the bank. She and Kev had some financial trouble a few years back. He lost his job and they moved here because a mate offered him the job running the garage. They were renting from Flynn but he sold it to them. Probably at a good profit.’

  ‘Anyway,’ said Helen. ‘We don’t even know if this thing about the resort is true yet. Who told you that, Gwen?’

  The grandmother was Gwen.

  ‘Stuey heard it in the pub the other night.’

  ‘If it does turn out to be right, we need to be prepared,’ said Mary. ‘And organise a protest group. The last thing I want is Flynn’s Crossing turned into some tacky holiday destination for cashed-up tourists. Imagine the traffic. And the people. We don’t have the roads or the facilities. The council hasn’t even got our public toilets built yet.’

  ‘I’m with you,’ said Hugo. ‘And the others on the commune will be too. We came here to get right away from the crazy, commercial, capitalist society.’

  ***

  Antonia walked home with a head buzzing from drinking in the morning. But Di and Cheryl had been very friendly and welcoming, and whether they meant to or not had taken the edge off her first morning without the twins. She had the feeling it had been deliberate. Maybe for their own sakes as much as the others in the group but whatever the reason, Antonia was grateful. And she’d made friends. With Di and Cheryl more than anyone else, and Cheryl in particular for her easygoing cheerfulness.

  The gossip made her uncomfortable, but learning more about Flynn was interesting. He’d never said a word about Bron’s house, which meant he didn’t discuss other people’s business. That was reassuring.

  Did Simon and Aidan know about the council’s plans? They must have heard the rumours, surely? As a newcomers it wasn’t her place to get involved, but her sympathies did lean towards Mary’s and Hugo’s. Would Flynn really railroad his friends into selling their thriving business to be turned into a golf course?

  Chapter 8

  ‘So what’s the story, Aidan?’ asked Lauren on Monday evening when the group convened on Georgia and Aidan’s verandah for drinks. She had a determined set to her jaw Simon had never seen before.

  ‘About the developer? Yeah. It’s all over town.’ Rufus’s usually relaxed manner was belied by the sharp way he looked at Aidan.

  ‘What’s happening?’ Simon asked. Lauren and Rufus obviously knew something he didn’t, something that pissed them off. What did Aidan know and about what?

  Simon’s attention had been otherwise occupied the last few days. Antonia and the twins consumed his free time, and his thoughts all the time. The more he saw them the more he fell in love with his family. Sarah and Jacob welcomed him with smiles now and accepted he was part of their lives, especially after an afternoon clearing weeds in their vegetable plot and planting the lettuce seedlings he’d brought. They called him Daddy, which thrilled him, but he wasn’t sure they fully understood the concept. They would.

  ‘Flynn and the council want to develop the block next door,’ said Rufus. ‘Word is that the resort company owned by Sean Baldessin is interested.’

  ‘Nothing’s decided yet,’ said Aidan with a pull at his beer. ‘It’s just an idea at this stage. Everyone knows the council is generally in favour of some sort of development in the area.’

  ‘I’ve never heard of them or him,’ said Simon.

  ‘He’s a millionaire,’ said Lauren with a sour twist to her mouth. She made millionaire sound like paedophile. ‘Made his money in technology but now owns a bunch of resorts along the coast.’

  ‘What sort of resorts are they?’ asked Georgia. ‘I mean, what sort of thing do they want to build here? We’re a long way from the coast.’

  ‘Who knows, who cares,’ Rufus said. ‘How come you didn’t tell us, Ade?’ Again the intent fo
cus. Rufus was seriously annoyed.

  ‘Because it was council business and still under discussion. Not all of us are keen on this idea but we can at least meet the man and see what his proposal is. Anyway, it’s only just come up. Flynn was in Brisbane over the weekend and ran into him at some function he was invited to.’

  ‘I bet,’ growled Rufus. ‘I reckon he’s been cooking this up for ages and knew that bloke was going to be there.’

  ‘He’s coming to Flynn’s Crossing on Thursday and we’re having lunch with him at the pub. I’ll be able to tell you more after that.’

  ‘Let me get this right,’ said Lauren. ‘The council is talking to Baldessin about putting some kind of resort next door to us? Are they sure that block is big enough for him? It’s only fifteen hectares with two boundaries on the National Park and some of that is pretty steep and rocky. I bet our land is on the table too. We’re on a much better block, level and with the river running through.’

  ‘Flynn wouldn’t let the council do that to us. They can’t force us to sell.’

  ‘Grow up, Simon,’ Lauren snapped. ‘Of course he’d apply pressure if it made the difference between doing the deal or not.’

  ‘What about my vote?’ said Aidan. ‘I’m on that council. And Simon’s right. No one can force us to sell. ‘Our land aside, it’s next door that’s up for grabs. Can you outvote Flynn and Margie? She’ll be all for it given her and Barry’s background. And they can be very persuasive.’ Rufus clunked his empty bottle on the table.

  ‘Will the owner sell, do you reckon?’ asked Georgia

  ‘Sure to, and we can’t match the price a big developer would pay.’ Aidan sighed. ‘We’ll just have to wait and see what Baldessin has to say and what he’s proposing. Margie says he’s very eco-friendly and into sustainable development and you know what she thinks about that. You only have to see what she and Barry have done on their place.’

  ‘That’s true,’ said Georgia. ‘But this won’t be a private house. This will be a much bigger project.’

  ‘At least they’ll fix the fence,’ said Simon. ‘And the road.’

  Lauren groaned and it wasn’t an amused sound.

  ‘It could mean a new market for our produce,’ said Aidan. ‘And jobs for people.’

  ‘Sounds like you’ve already decided,’ said Rufus.

  ‘No, I haven’t, but I want to give the bloke a fair hearing before I do decide, not dismiss it out of hand.’

  ‘I would have thought that’s exactly what you would do,’ said Lauren. ‘The last thing we want is a massive tourist development over the fence from us. Somewhere else, fine, but not here.’

  ‘So you’re a NIMBY.’ Georgia smiled. ‘Not in my back yard,’ she said guessing correctly when Simon opened his mouth to ask what that meant.

  ‘Damn right I am in this case,’ said Lauren. ‘And I’m amazed any of you are even giving this idea brain space.’ She stood up. ‘See you in the morning.’

  Simon watched her stride across the grass to her own house, back rigid, head up. He’d never heard her so vehemently opposed to something. Usually she was calm and cheerful. Unflappable. He didn’t know her at all.

  ‘Wow,’ he murmured.

  ‘She’s right.’ Rufus stood as well. ‘Night all.’ He disappeared into the gloom.

  Simon looked from Aidan to Georgia in surprise. ‘I didn’t expect that. They’re really upset.’

  ‘I did,’ said Aidan. ‘Especially from Rufus. He hates those corporate types.’

  ‘So do I,’ said Simon. ‘That’s why I love this place and the town so much. But Flynn does too. I can’t believe he’s as bad as Lauren makes out. Is he?’

  Aidan shrugged. ‘Have to wait and see.’

  ‘Would Rufus stay if this thing goes ahead?’ Simon frowned. ‘This is our home. We’ve all worked really hard …’

  ‘I know, but we don’t know yet what scale his idea is on. It might be quite small and not affect us at all.’

  ‘I doubt that,’ said Georgia. ‘It wouldn’t be worth his while and given the land, the best area to build is right on our boundary.’

  Simon stared blindly out into the gathering dusk. If the group began to break up over this his world would crumble. This was his home, these people were like family; he’d planned on being here for the rest of his life. But of course, he had a real family now—Antonia and their children. They were a little beacon of hope for the future. He would always have them and if the worst came to the worst they could move and set up again somewhere else. A proper family unit.

  ***

  Antonia looked up when the cafe door opened. The customer met her automatic smile with one of his own. Flynn. Her welcoming smile faded to confusion as a rush of conflicting emotions swamped her: pleasure at seeing him combined with a niggling feeling of mistrust, mixed with curiosity about the friend in Brisbane he’d been visiting, a woman, for sure, according to the grapevine. And her neck was hot. Flushing like a teenager under the weight of those stunning blue eyes.

  ‘Good morning.’ It came out relatively normally. She gave the counter another wipe over and tidied the already tidy pile of menus.

  ‘Hi, how are you?’ He glanced around and nodded to a couple of people, receiving vague acknowledgements in return. Did he realise he was the topic du jour? He’d probably revel in it.

  ‘Fine, thank you. Take a seat.’

  ‘Thanks. Long black, please.’ He chose one of the four stools at the end of the counter, which meant she was right under his eye.

  Cath came out from the kitchen with two of her super milkshakes for the young couple in the corner booth.

  ‘G’day, Flynn. The usual?’

  ‘Thanks.’

  Antonia took the milkshakes. She hadn’t learned the art of using the espresso machine yet but each time Cath made an order and she wasn’t busy, she watched carefully. Len would teach her, he said. She would learn a lot from him. Her dream of opening her own cafe or restaurant one day was still alive. Not that she’d shared it with anyone here.

  ‘You’re the talk of the town,’ Cath said to Flynn. ‘Socialising with millionaires.’ She concentrated on making the coffee.

  Antonia glanced at him as she took the order to the booth. He gave nothing away. The other customers sat with ears flapping, not even pretending they weren’t listening.

  ‘Hardly socialising,’ he said. ‘It was a business function and I went with a friend because she invited me. I wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity like that.’ So it was a woman. One of the exes he never kept in contact with?

  ‘What sort of opportunity are we talking here, Flynn?’ called a middle-aged woman seated in a booth with two friends. They’d been there for an hour dissecting the marriage of a fourth woman and the reasons for her constant visits to Kurrajong—definitely not for shopping—and showed no sign of moving or ordering anything other than the one pot of tea between them. Annoyed the heck out of Len.

  ‘A good one for Flynn’s Crossing,’ Flynn said.

  ‘Says who?’

  ‘Nothing’s been decided, Glenda. The council will listen to what he has to say, that’s all at this stage.’

  ‘Do we get a say?’

  ‘Of course. Any proposal the council considers viable will be put up for public comment. It’s a long process.’

  ‘I can tell you right now what my comment will be.’

  ‘You’re entitled to your opinion but so is everyone else and we need to hear them all.’

  ‘And we know how that works out, don’t we? Money talks.’

  Flynn turned back to Cath, who had placed his coffee on the counter in front of him. ‘Thanks.’

  Antonia went to serve another couple who hadn’t joined in but sat listening at their table by the window.

  ‘Sounds like a hot subject,’ the man said.

  Antonia nodded. ‘It is. I’m new in town so I’m not as involved.’

  ‘Yet,’ said the woman with a smile.

  ‘Are you locals?’<
br />
  ‘No, we’re on a driving holiday, heading to Darwin eventually.’

  ‘Gosh. That’s a long way.’

  ‘Jeff’s on long-service leave so we decided to see Australia. We’re from Canberra.’

  ‘I went there once on a school trip.’ Another lifetime, another world where she was a carefree child in a secure loving family. ‘What would you like?’

  Antonia took the menu and went to place their order.

  ‘Did you get the weeding done?’ Flynn asked.

  ‘Heaps. Simon came and helped.’

  ‘He’d be good at it. How’s he getting on with the children?’

  ‘Sarah and Jacob call him Daddy now.’

  ‘That’s nice.’

  He picked up the coffee but didn’t drink. A muscle twitched in his jaw. The altercation with Glenda must have unsettled him. The three of them were still there muttering together like Macbeth’s witches. She wracked her brain for something to say.

  ‘They started school yesterday.’

  ‘How did it go?’ No smile. Was he really interested?

  ‘They loved it. We were a bit restricted with learning activities before.’ She paused. No reaction from Flynn. Was he even listening? ‘They’re pretty independent when they feel secure.’

  A frown flicked across his brow and suddenly the blue eyes locked on hers. ‘Are they? They didn’t strike me that way.’

  She lowered her voice. ‘It’s not personal, Flynn. They’re just unsure around men. The teacher is a woman. They’re used to being with other women and kids when I’m not there.’

  ‘But they’ve accepted your father and Simon.’

  ‘They’re starting to accept Simon, yes. And Dad …’

  Flynn was waiting for her to finish the sentence but she couldn’t tell him Connor had saved them all without opening up that whole mess she wanted so desperately to put behind them.

  ‘Dad … is just Dad,’ she said. ‘How could they not love him? We lived in his house for the last eight months. It took them a bit of time though.’

  He nodded. ‘So you reckon they might accept me one day?’

  What was he saying? Why was that important to him? He wanted reassurance. The realisation smacked her in the head. ‘Yes, of course.’