‘You’ve never told me this.’ Ayla looked upset.
‘Calm down. I said “if”. This water’s only here because of all the rain we’ve had. You think heavily pregnant women would’ve climbed up this hill?’ She threw the tea towel at Ayla. ‘Get real.’ She feigned a yawn. ‘Well, I better get back before Mum sends a search party, or worse, starts calling, “Moo Moo.” I can hear her already. Swear the whole Island knows I’m back. Can’t take one step without the holler, “Moo Moo.”’ Mandy, mimicking her mother, disturbed an owl that crashed through the trees below then dropped out of sight.
Riley stood. ‘We’ll walk you back then.’
They looked at him as if a flower had sprouted from the top of his head.
‘Lived here my whole life, mate. No need to walk me home.’ She ambled toward the track. ‘This is my country. I know it by heart,’ she said, and tripped, falling into the bush. ‘Ow. Got a torch I can borrow, Aylee?’ She got the giggles.
Ayla had already produced one from her backpack and passed it to her friend. They could hear Mandy swearing as she kept walking into things. Ayla knew she was acting the clown to make them laugh, which they did.
Finally, there was silence. They sat, eyes drawn to each other.
‘Are you cold?’ He went to move the picnic rug spread beneath them.
‘Leave that. There’s a blanket in the pack.’
‘Mandy’s right, you did bring everything.’
‘Only the essentials.’ She sat beside him and draped the blanket over them. ‘It’s a good spot here because it’s high. You don’t get the mozzies with the breeze from the sea…and if it rains you can move into the cave…I thought maybe we could sleep here for the night? I mean, if you want…if you didn’t have to get back…we don’t have to…just thought you might like a break from your mum...and –’
He answered her with a kiss and they lay back beside the fire.
‘Your letter…I want you to know…I think I feel the same…I mean, I don’t think, I know…I –’ He shut her up with another kiss, beginning to feel confident with this kissing thing. When she kissed him back, he knew it was possible to fall into someone.
She pulled away. ‘Should I take my dress off?’ He had never heard her sound so shy.
Not trusting his voice, he nodded and watched as she stood and lifted her dress over her head. She let out a nervous laugh, not her usual laugh. Dumbfounded as to what to do, he did what he knew best and began to play a song of desire for her. His longing made her sway for him in the firelight. She shut her eyes and danced for herself, away from him. He saw that he could pull her toward him with his music and she danced back to him. He felt the night sky falling down as she knelt beside him. The flute dropped and an owl cried out as he put his mouth to her breasts. The feel of her flesh beneath his lips was so intoxicating, he didn’t notice she had unbuttoned his shirt. It was only when she unzipped his jeans he realised he was almost naked. He lifted himself so she could pull his pants off and they paused, taking each other in, catching their breath. When she stroked his erection, an electric current shot through him, making him grab at her, wanting to get inside her. Lost in the touch and feel, a slave to a primal longing, he didn’t hear her at first.
‘Wait,’ she said again and gently held him at bay. She went to her backpack, but the sight of her naked from behind was too much. He lunged at her, his mouth discovering her tender shape, fingers exploring the wet mystery between her legs. He heard her again, that same shy laugh as she rolled something over his erection. He stopped and looked at it. A prophylactic. He had read about them in David’s Professor Lang’s Essential Guide to Sexual Health in Men.
‘Condom, so we don’t make a baby,’ she whispered.
He was glad he hadn’t used the archaic term out loud.
As she guided him inside her, he came. ‘Sorry.’ Disappointed in himself, he wanted to make her pant as she had in the water. She lay beside him and pulled the blanket over them, cuddling into him. ‘We’ve got all night,’ she said between kisses, and taught him other ways to pleasure.
With the alluring smell of her on the ends of his fingers and the feel of her against him, the stars danced in the endless night to the sound of the surf on the wind. Riley knew this was the happiest moment of his strange and lonely life.
He drifted into sleep and into her, then they woke to explore each other again. She laughed her deep throated laugh as he opened a condom packet with his teeth, ‘I’m glad I brought more than one,’ she said, guiding him into her softness. He loved it most when he made her gasp. He made her gasp so much she cried out and he thought he had hurt her, but she sighed contentedly and kissed him on the eyelids.
‘Who’s Harry?’ he asked, and she told him about her recent life.
In turn, he talked of the friends he had made at the markets, and the girl, Bliss, who had kissed him behind the toilet blocks and how he couldn’t speak to her after that.
She fell asleep on his arm in the breaking dawn, so he let it go numb for fear of waking her. A lone mosquito buzzed around them, making him think of his mother. Had she changed her mind? Would he arrive home to find the box waiting on his bed?
‘Doubt it,’ he caught himself whispering.
Watching Ayla sleep while a crimson sun peeked over the ocean, bathing her face with pink light, the pain in his arm became as unbearable as the love he felt for this gentle being who had finally relieved him of his virginity.
18.
When Grappa woke with the sides of his mouth crusted shut, the sun was high in the sky and there was a dent in his head where the binoculars had slept. He scrambled to focus them. She was a blur in the kitchen, then a flash of a white dress before coming into view downstairs, where she fussed around with a scooter. The drone of the engine penetrated the mangrove swamp as she drove off, disturbing a flock of sulphur-crested cockatoos. Their larrikin squawks deafening as they swooped low over the boat.
‘Rack off, you mongrels.’
He opened a can of chick peas and ate straight from the tin. Where was she off to? The memory that she’d threatened Ayla made the chalky gunk stick in his throat.
He puttered out of the mangroves into Hibiscus, threw out the anchor and rowed to shore for his daily walk, heading straight for the tree to ask once more for protection for Ayla. It was all he knew to do, feeling flaccid in the face of the woman. Thumping along in the hot sand, memories perforated his skull: Jip on the beach shivering and whimpering, Harley lost and broken, swearing she was responsible, and Toto’s sad eye trying to communicate a malicious power was amongst them, a power that needed to be thwarted or the banshee would be hoarse from wailing.
It came to him in a flicker of sunlight. What kind of woman could live in the old Johnston house anyway? Grappa had never entered that house. He approached it once, years ago when it was abandoned and the cobwebs had grown, but turned away full of trepidation, the sweat of fear trickling down his neck.
She was strong this woman. Ayla said she slept in the dead baby’s room. Holy Mother. How twisted was that? No wonder her son had issues with her. Maybe she feeds on the souls of dead babies? This thought made him swallow before he’d even unscrewed the lid of his flask.
Marlise couldn’t comprehend what was happening with her body. She felt depleted but unable to relax. At least the bleeding had stopped, as quickly as it started. She suspected it was the shock of discovering Riley knew about the box. The headache, from lack of sleep, intensified with the high-pitched whine of the scooter as she rode around the island, her tired eyes continually searching. He was with that girl, she was certain. Now he had a phone, he could ring at least, let her know he was still alive. He probably tried to, but the girl had stopped him. She was a piece of work that one. Just the kind of thing she would do. Box-finding little trollop.
His money hadn’t been in his flute case. Had they left the island to search for his father? Marlise glimpsed the ferry moving away from the jetty, too far out to see who was on it
. She accelerated, heading towards the barge, which was due any minute.
The unloading was in progress as she skidded to a halt. Sharon sat at the driver’s wheel of one of the waiting cars. Marlise ran up to her. ‘You haven’t seen Riley, have you?’
‘Took off again has he? That’s what you get for not letting him eat ice-cream,’ Sharon had that self-satisfied grin. ‘I’ve never denied my kids anything because I know the first thing they’ll do, first chance they get, is the exact thing I banned them from. It’s common sense. Not too smart for a scientist, are you?’ Sharon’s nasally voice lingered in the morning air.
Marlise resisted the urge to spit on the woman. She spied Grunter on the barge. ‘Grunter, you haven’t seen my son, have you?’
‘Hey, just the girl I was looking for. I’m off tomorrow. Up for a fish?’
‘He didn’t come home last night.’
‘Probably off bonking some chick or getting drunk with his mates on the beach. Don’t worry about him.’
The driver in the tower blew his horn. Grunter gave him a filthy look. ‘Jesus, I hate it when he does that,’ he signalled the first car to drive on. ‘So, we fishing tomorrow?’
‘I have to find Riley.’
‘He’s a grown man for fuck’s sake, let him be.’
Marlise looked at Grunter’s sunburnt face and felt repulsed. ‘You know I’m never going to sleep with you, don’t you? You’re not my type. Besides, Tilly told me about your venereal disease.’
Grunter’s red face went beetroot. ‘What?’ He stabbed at the air, signalling Sharon to drive forward.
Marlise walked off, catching Sharon laughing in her peripheral vision. That woman had publicly humiliated her once too often.
You’ll need your head checked when I’ve finished with you, bitch.
Marlise smiled for the first time that day as she started the scooter and headed for Josh conveniently tucked away in his ice-cream bunker. From a young age, she had learnt there were two types of men in this world: those who were ruled by lust and those who could rise above it. Lorcan and David fell into the latter category. Marlise harboured disdain for men who couldn’t contain their desire. She was certain, by the way Josh had wiped the ice-cream from her breasts, he lacked self-control.
She stopped not far from the Boccabella woman’s place, in an isolated part of the road surrounded by bushland, and looked at the time. She needed to seduce Josh between ferries, when there was an absence of people. The thought of what she was about to do lifted her spirits. Sexual revenge was the only activity momentarily capable of granting her relief from her worry over Riley. She ran her hands down her snug-fitting cotton dress and took pleasure in the fact she had no bra on. She peeled her knickers off, threw them into the bushland and climbed back on the bike. With the anticipation of what was about to occur, the vibration between her legs felt exquisite.
Walking up Mud Rock Beach with the sun beating down on his bare back, Grappa’s sweat made his shorts stick to him. He turned into Dead Tree Point to spot Dora swimming off the sandbank and waded out to her.
‘Heard you’d been released. Did Maria behave herself?’
‘Had to beat her off with a big stick.’
‘Sandy and Carol and the three kids saw you trying to beat someone with a big stick on Mud Rock Beach. It’s all over the island.’
‘That was before I got to know Riley.’
‘Poor kid. Wonder he’s still talking to you.’
Grappa dived under the water. When he popped up, Dora looked mischievous. ‘Don’t know why you and Maria didn’t hit it off. She’s a very attractive lady.’
‘If you’re into Telly Tubbies.’
He liked it best when he cracked her up. After she regained some composure, she said, ‘You know you’re a mega star? There was big money going ‘round. Odds were nine to one you had Hendra.’
‘How much did you lose?’
He loved her laugh which came deep from her belly. He swam to her and they embraced. ‘Come to dinner tonight?’
‘Can’t. Got to go to Big Island. Cousin’s birthday.’
‘Tomorrow night?’
‘Could do.’
‘Cooee. If I’m not off Hibiscus, I’m around the corner in the mangroves. I’ll hear you.’
She lay back and floated in the water. ‘Thought I’d see you walking this morning?’
‘Slept in. Worn out from trying to figure out what that woman’s up to.’
‘What woman?’
‘The boy’s mother. The one in the dream.’
‘Mosquito woman? I like her. She put that council feller in his place, that’s for sure.’
‘I don’t trust her. She’s up to something. I’ve been watching her.’
‘What do you mean, you been watching her?’
‘Been hidin’ in the mangroves, watching her through the binoculars.’
Dora’s face got that fierce look he didn’t like. She stood up in the water. ‘You have no right. Who do you think you are, spying on people? That’s called stalking, that’s what that is. I should report you.’
‘Settle down, I was just –’
‘Don’t you tell me to settle down, you pervert, spying on a poor innocent woman. What’s got into you? That’s disgraceful behaviour.’
‘Hey –’
‘Don’t come near me. You disgust me, and don’t expect me for dinner. When are you going to wake up to yourself?’ She swam away down the beach and hopped out, not looking back.
Dora, you hot head.
The scrub swallowed her up. He waded out and cimbed over dead trees towards Three Mile, focusing on the tops of the Norfolk pines he could see in the distance, trying to push the fight with Dora from his mind.
She’ll come right. He was accustomed to her flying off the handle over things and knew it was only a matter of time before Marlise exposed herself. Where Dora was concerned, he could be as patient as a pipi waiting for the tide to turn if he had to.
The ancient stand of trees looked cool and inviting in the white glare of day. He had a custom of removing his hat before entering the circle of dappled light. Grappa knew he was stepping into a sacred room. He was enraged to see two discarded beer bottles lying on the ground, then a plastic bag and a chip packet stuffed into the nooks of the tree. He unravelled the bag and crammed the rubbish into it, clutching it to his chest, trying to hide the blasphemy, disgusted with his fellow human beings.
‘So sorry.’
He collapsed into the base of the fig in his preferred spot between the folds of the roots, with his back against its old body. That familiar sweetness drifted over him. He swore he could feel the old tree osmosing in time with his breathing.
‘Dia dhuit.’
He closed his eyes.
‘Please put a ring of protection around our Ayla.’
He opened his eyes to see a blue dragonfly land on his knee.
Watching it fly off and disappear into the mess of branches above, he giggled like a school boy. ‘Thank you. Last time I was here you gave me a sign in the shape of a dream. If you could give me something more, I would greatly appreciate it.’
He shut his eyes. At first nothing came. Then the image of Marlise and the scooter this morning as he had seen it through the binoculars flashed into his head, on replay. He took a deep breath and the sequence slowed down. He realised what he had seen. In a fluid series of actions, she had checked over her shoulder, turned back to the bike, flipped the lid of the seat, lifted up a box, opened the lid of the box, then replaced it under the scooter seat.
It had all happened so fast, he didn’t comprehend it at the time. Grappa’s eyes snapped open. ‘Bloody hell.’ He needed to tell the boy. He hugged the trunk of the tree. ‘Maith thu.’
Half running up Dead Tree Point, the plastic bag of rubbish clinking by his side, his glee overflowed when he saw the moon hanging in the broad day sky.
‘Should have known.’ Good things happen on a sun moon day. The Nor folk had provided once ag
ain.
Josh was alone, scooping the pool for leaves when Marlise pulled up.
‘Might take you up on that offer of a swimming lesson.’
He nodded. ‘As you can see, the place is swarming with tourists.’
‘Thought I might need to book ahead. I didn’t bring my swimmers.’
‘Next time then.’
‘Suppose I could swim in my dress. Could you lend me a towel?’
‘We could manage that. Jump in.’
He placed the scoop down, dragged a box of swimming implements beside the pool, ripped his shirt off, then dived in.
She worked her way down the ladder. The smell of chlorine stung her nostrils and the coldness made her wince. She hated being submerged in water.
He grabbed a child’s yellow kick board. ‘First up, want you to hold onto this, like so. Body nice and straight and kick your legs all the way to the other side of the pool.’ He demonstrated then handed it to her.
She feebly attempted what he had asked, giving up when she reached the deep end.
‘Need to keep your body straight like this.’ He put his hand on her belly to push her up, but she clung to him.
‘I want to get out. I can’t touch the bottom.’ She nearly pushed him under as he grabbed for the kick board. ‘Please.’ She wrapped herself around him, pressing her body into him.
‘Don’t panic. I got you.’ He carried her to the edge. ‘My fault. Should have kept you in the shallow…’ His voice faltered when she climbed out and sat on the side of the pool, fully aware her thin white dress was see-through now.
With his head level to her knees, she parted her legs so he could see up her dress. ‘Can I borrow a towel? It’s freezing.’
He swam to a far ladder to get out. ‘They’re in the booth.’ He cleared his throat.
Beneath the Mother Tree Page 21