‘Right, I see. Thank you so much for this. I really do appreciate it.’
‘When do you want to move in?’
‘Would tomorrow be okay?’
‘Fine. The key will be where you left it. We’ll drop by in a few days to see how you’ve settled in.’
‘That would be lovely, I look forward to it. Thank you again.’
‘Okay. Bye for now, then.’
‘Goodbye.’
Emily put the phone back on the desk with a shaking hand and pounding heart. Her cheeks were flaming. David and Barbara stood nearby, staring at her.
‘It sounds like you’ve found yourself somewhere to live,’ Barbara said.
Emily nodded.
‘What else did he say? Come on, the suspense is killing me,’ Barbara said.
‘One hundred dollars a week rent.’
‘A hundred is a great deal,’ David said.
‘And that includes power, because the shearing shed at the back is on the same meter.’
‘So what don’t you mind about?’ Barbara demanded.
Emily replayed the conversation in her mind. ‘Oh, he said he didn’t know if the hot-water service is working or not. But at this point I’d be prepared to boil the kettle for a sponge bath. I might be saying different come winter,’ she added with a laugh.
‘And they’re happy for you to repaint? We’ve got plenty of leftover paint, brushes and rollers in the shed.’
‘That’d be great. And it’s fine for Grace to be there as long as I secure the house yard so she doesn’t get into the sheep. No having to hide her from the landlord, how cool is that?’
‘I’ll take a look at the yard for you, and the hot-water service,’ David said.
‘And I’ll help you clean and paint,’ Barbara said.
‘But you’ve both done so much for me already.’
‘We won’t take no for an answer. Oh, I’m so excited for you,’ Barbara said, coming from behind the desk to give her friend a hug.
They leapt up and down together like children until Grace appeared beside them, barking and trying to round them up like sheep.
‘Well, it’s probably going to be draughty, hot as hell and full of mice, but it’ll be home – at least for the time being,’ Emily said.
‘And we won’t be far away if you need anything,’ Barbara said.
Emily beamed. ‘I’m just going to quickly ring Dad and see if he can bring my stuff up tomorrow, and then I am going to stop commandeering all your facilities – well, after tomorrow morning, anyway.’
‘This deserves a celebration. I’ll get the bubbly,’ David said, getting up and leaving the room.
Chapter Twenty-five
Unable to sleep, Emily was up at five-thirty, just as the darkness of night was giving way to the first grey signs of dawn. With her few belongings packed and ready, she sat on the floor talking to Grace, telling the puppy about the new life she hoped would be theirs. The dog looked at her as though she was mad; didn’t she know it was the middle of the night and they should still be asleep?
Emily was itching to get going. What the hell was she to do for the next hour or so? She held off leaving the house to pack the car as she didn’t want to wake Barbara or David. She sat tapping her feet, picking at her nails and checking her watch. It was still only six o’clock. She got up from the floor and, directing a silence-warning finger towards Grace, left the room for the kitchen.
The house was quiet, except for the occasional creak of a floorboard beneath her tiptoeing feet, and the click-click of Grace’s claws behind her.
She flicked on the light, filled the kettle and turned it on, willing it to be silent. Just before it began bubbling, she pulled the plug. It was amazing how much noise she was making despite every effort not to. Grace seemed to get it, though, watching silently from her position curled up on the floor.
Emily sat at the table with both hands wrapped around a mug of coffee. Ordinarily she loathed black coffee, but she’d left it black to avoid the extra noise associated with using the fridge. She checked her watch again – less than five minutes had passed since last time.
Her father was due to arrive with the trailer some time during the morning. A small part of her wished she didn’t need her furniture for months, so John would have the irritation of being without his trailer. She scolded herself for her spitefulness and took a sip of her coffee, cringing at the bitterness.
Suddenly she heard loud footsteps in the side passage. A few seconds later Barbara appeared, followed closely by David. Both were fully dressed.
‘Good morning – raring to go, I see,’ Barbara said. ‘What the hell are you doing drinking black coffee for? There’s plenty of milk in the fridge,’ she said on her way past Emily to the kettle.
I’m not drinking black coffee, Emily thought with a smirk, looking down into her still-full cup. She got up and went to the sink to tip some out and make room for milk.
Out of the corner of her eye, Emily noticed David crouching next to Grace, giving her a great deal of affectionate attention. As she looked back, Barbara caught her eye and winked. Nodding her head towards her husband she mouthed, ‘Softie’. Emily smiled back.
‘You know, I think I’m going to miss having little Gracie in the house,’ David said, sitting at the table across from Emily.
Emily acknowledged to herself that she wouldn’t be nearly as together as she was if it wasn’t for the dog. Somehow she didn’t feel so lonely – though she was yet to spend a night alone. Tonight was the night, she realised with a little surge of nervous apprehension. But stronger was the feeling of excitement, of budding independence. Today really was the first day of the rest of her life, as clichéd as it sounded.
‘So, I’ve made a list of what we’ll need,’ Barbara said, handing her a sheet of paper. ‘Take a look and see what I’ve missed.’
The list covered everything from the vacuum cleaner to dishwashing detergent to newspaper for polishing windows. Thank God for Barbara, Emily thought. She’d completely forgotten all the cleaning stuff, hadn’t even thought about it when her father had asked if there was anything she needed other than the trailer. ‘No, that’s all, thanks,’ she’d said cheerily.
But reality was suddenly dawning: she’d need absolutely everything to set up house – crockery, cutlery, sheets, towels, food …
It was unlikely there’d be anything in the trailer beyond bits of furniture and a few knick-knacks. She’d have a chair to sit on but no television to watch and – damn it – no bed to sleep in. Hopefully John had remembered the older couch – it was hers from before they were married. At least she already had everything Grace needed.
Emily’s head started to swim. Had she bitten off more than she could chew? But what choice did she have? If she was going to be independent, this was the first step. She checked her watch, anxious to get going.
‘Shall I start to get all this stuff together? Dad’s meeting us at the house.’
‘We’re not going anywhere before you’ve eaten a decent breakfast,’ Barbara warned. ‘Meanwhile, make yourself useful by making some sandwiches and packing the esky – there’s egg mix ready to go in the fridge. We’ll also need a thermos of coffee, mugs, cups and some water – the large water bottle is just inside the laundry. And put in the big tin of fruitcake in case we get hungry later. We need to be prepared for a long day.’
‘I’ll just load some stuff into the ute. Be right back,’ David announced, getting up.
‘Breakfast will be in fifteen minutes,’ Barbara called as she whisked eggs in a bowl. Bacon was already sizzling in the pan.
Emily busied herself with buttering bread for sandwiches, glad to be making herself useful.
She was filling up the kettle ready to do the thermos when Barbara put the first two laden plates on the table. At the same moment, David reappeared.
‘It’s pretty overcast out there,’ David said.
‘Hopefully any rain will hold off until we get everything safely under c
over,’ Barbara said.
‘Forecast said afternoon showers, so let’s hope they’re right for a change. This looks great,’ he added, sitting down and attacking his breakfast. He kept talking between mouthfuls. ‘Right, I’ve got the fencing stuff for Gracie’s yard. I’ve packed the swag – without spiders; I checked,’ he added with a glance at Emily. ‘I put in the shearing shed vacuum cleaner, lawnmower, whipper snipper and blower vac, tarps, brooms, dustpan and brush, toolbox with hammer, nails, screwdriver, et cetera. Anything you think I’ve missed?’ he asked, looking from Barbara to Emily.
Emily shook her head. She wouldn’t have thought of even half of what he’d already packed.
‘Oh, and I put in some of the camping stuff: rechargeable lantern, folding chairs and table.’
‘Wow, you’ve thought of everything,’ Emily marvelled.
‘What about some rope for Grace in case the fence can’t easily be fixed?’ Barbara suggested.
‘Good idea. There should be plenty behind the seat in the ute, but I’ll check before we leave. No doubt there’ll be other stuff we discover we need when we get there. At least it’s not far down the road.’
‘It’s all terribly exciting,’ Barbara said, getting up with her empty plate in hand.
‘And terrifying,’ Emily said, also getting up. ‘Thank God I’ve got you guys keeping me on track. I’d be a basket case otherwise.’ And not nearly as full, she thought. I ate too much, too quickly. She took a deep breath in an attempt to ease her stomach.
‘Well, we’d better get cracking,’ Barbara said, looking at the kitchen clock. ‘Lots to do.’
‘I’ve just got to finish the thermos,’ Emily said, switching on the kettle.
‘I’ll head off then, open up the house and start looking at the fence. Best to get Grace secure and out of trouble first off. I’ll take her and Sasha for company. See you there soon,’ David said, giving Barbara a peck on the cheek. ‘Come on, Gracie, you’re coming with me,’ he called to the dog snoozing on the floor. She leapt up and trotted off after him.
‘He’s taken a real shine to her,’ Barbara said.
‘Hmm. Good of him to let her to stay in the house.’
‘He probably forgets she’s here half the time, she’s so well-behaved. We’ll miss her when she’s gone. Both of you, of course. We’ll miss both of you,’ Barbara added, a little flustered.
‘I know what you meant. Right, this is done,’ Emily said, screwing the cap on the thermos.
Chapter Twenty-six
When they arrived, the front door was wide open, and David was walking around the sectioned-off house yard. Grace was following, the white tip of her tail the only part of her visible above the grass. Sasha was curled up in a small patch of sun beside the gate, as if knowing it was where they would return to. What was the point of expending all that unnecessary energy?
‘I vote we start in the kitchen,’ Barbara declared. ‘It’ll be nice to have somewhere clean to eat if those clouds eventually deliver, and you might need it as a bathroom yet. It’s so big you could use it as a temporary bedroom for a while, too, if you have to.’
‘Good idea,’ Emily agreed. And it was. Personally, she would have started at the front of the house and worked her way back. It seemed logical, but it wasn’t practical. What would be the point of having three bedrooms and an enormous lounge-dining room free of grime, when they weren’t even going to be used?
How the hell was she ever going to make it on her own? Emily stood in the kitchen doorway – watching Barbara unload everything and line it up in order of presumed usage – feeling bewildered.
‘We can start somewhere else if you’d rather,’ Barbara said, looking up and misinterpreting her friend’s hesitation.
‘No, this is the right way to go. I’m just annoyed with myself because I would have wasted time doing the bedrooms first.’
‘It’s not a competition, Em. Everything will have to be done eventually. Don’t be so hard on yourself; we each have a different order of doing things, that’s all.’
‘Maybe I hate cleaning ovens and scrubbing tiles, so that’s why I’d leave it to last.’ Emily shrugged, looking around her.
‘Maybe I do too, and that’s why I want to get it over with first,’ Barbara said, grinning. ‘So that’s decided, then – we start in here.’
‘Okay,’ Emily said, wondering again if she’d bitten off more than she could chew. It was going to be a long day.
They worked well together, never seeming to get in each other’s way, and were able to progress steadily with little discussion. First they swept the ceiling and walls free of cobwebs and surface dirt. Then they mopped everything, including the lino floor. They filled a half dozen or so holes in the plaster, sanded the repairs smooth, put down drop sheets, and then proceeded to paint the ceiling and walls, all in the same light, creamy pale yellow. Barbara did the cutting-in and the more detailed painting, having had recent room-painting practice, and Emily followed with the roller.
Both Barbara and Emily were glistening with sweat when they finished. Sitting down for a bite to eat and a rest, they marvelled at how quickly they’d got the job done considering the size of the room and how much fresher it now seemed. They laughed as they both said at once how much they liked the smell of paint.
Next they turned their attention to the ancient oven. It was electric, albeit probably one of the first. The Baker family must have been well-to-do, and no doubt Mrs Baker would have been the envy of neighbouring wives who’d still had to collect wood or nag their husbands or sons to do it.
‘Reckon we should get David to check the wiring before we try turning that on,’ Barbara said. ‘He’s pretty good with electrical stuff.’
‘Good idea.’ Emily stared at the old appliance, wondering what it would take to get it working. That was one of the plusses about country blokes. They were usually good with practical stuff. What were city guys good at, as a rule?
‘Hey, look! This might be the key to the cellar,’ Barbara said, holding up a small tarnished object she’d found down beside the oven.
‘We’ll have to check it out later, when we’ve finished.’ Emily would have loved to investigate right then and there, but instead she put the key in her pocket and opened the oven door.
While Barbara went in search of David, Emily started cleaning out all the flakes of rust and peeling enamel. There was little enamel left inside, and she wondered if it made the oven unusable or just impossible to clean properly. But she was pleasantly surprised to find no sign of mouse habitation.
The first year she and John were married – before drought had set in – they had suffered a mouse plague. Emily had turned on the oven to begin the cooking for shearing, only to hear the pop and fizz of mice caught in the wiring and being fried. The subsequent stink was unbearable, sending them to the pub for dinner. Investigation revealed a mouse nest in the insulation. A new oven had to be ordered, but in the meantime the mini bench-top toaster oven, a wedding gift previously considered a bit small to be useful, was on almost around the clock, trying to pick up the slack.
Thank God for the seemingly useless wedding gift, they’d said, seeing the lighter side of their situation.
They’d been able to do that in the early days of their marriage, she and John: laugh together, pitch in together to solve problems. Not out on the actual farm, obviously, but around the house. So where had it all gone wrong?
No, she was not going to think like that today. Emily refocussed on the oven.
After the kitchen, Emily and Barbara moved on to the outdoor bathroom and laundry, respectively. The theory was that after a kitchen that could double as bedroom and living area, Emily needed a clean working bathroom and toilet.
Some time later, Emily heard a noise in the hall and a male voice calling, ‘Hello, anyone here? Delivery for Ms Emily Oliphant.’
Dad. She checked her watch. It was just after two o’clock. Where had the time gone? He’d said he’d be there that morning.
Emily pulled off her rubber gloves and made her way out to the hall. Now she’d stopped, she realised just how weary she was. And the hunger pangs were starting to bite.
‘Hi Dad,’ she said, giving her father a hug.
‘Sorry I’m late,’ Des said, looking around. ‘This brings back memories. She’s stood up well to the test of time.’
‘I hope so.’
‘Where do you want me to put things?’
‘I’m not sure. We’ve started in the kitchen, so there aren’t any bedrooms cleared out as yet.’
‘In that case, I suggest we unload everything onto the front verandah where it will be protected from the rain that looks as if it’s about to start. Then we’ll see what’s there.’
‘Sounds like a plan.’ They went down the hall together. Emily was startled to find her mother just outside the front door, peering about with obvious distaste.
‘Oh, there you are,’ Enid Oliphant said.
‘Hi Mum.’ They hugged rigidly and briefly. So that’s why Dad was so late. No doubt her mother had insisted on coming along for a stickybeak, but not until she’d done all her morning chores, and then, since it was near lunchtime, after they had eaten. Oh, shit. She’s going to have a fit when she sees inside. Emily had been hoping to have sorted out the cosmetic issues before Enid saw where she was planning on living.
‘Emily, you can’t be serious about this!’
‘I am, Mum. Isn’t it great?’
‘Are you mad? It’s disgusting!’
‘It just needs some tender loving care.’ As she said it, Emily cursed her open-book personality – if only she could just keep her mouth closed. No matter how much her mother frustrated her, more annoying still was the fact that she continued to seek her approval.
‘What it needs is a bulldozer – it’s not fit for habitation. You can have the caravan; you only have to ask. We can set it up in the caravan park if independence is such an issue.’
‘I don’t want to live in a caravan; I’m going to live here – it’s got character.’
‘Character?! And just how much will you be paying for this so-called character?’
Saving Grace Page 15