‘Atta girl,’ Barbara said, patting her friend’s leg. ‘Okay, so let’s focus on groceries and dealing with the vermin today, and leave furnishing the house for another trip. And I’ve just thought of another thing for the list,’ she added. ‘You’d better organise a post box and a redirection from the one you shared with John.’
‘Gosh, I hadn’t even thought of that.’
‘And once you’ve done that, you’ll have to let people know your new address – starting with the bank.’
‘Shit, it’s suddenly so real. The whole town will know by tomorrow.’
‘Sweetie, it’s been almost a week; the whole town already knows.’
Emily’s legs were shaking when she walked into the bank. Barbara waited just inside the door, pretending to read the sales brochures on the rotating display stand. Emily let out a sigh of relief as a teller whom she’d known since high school approached the counter to serve her.
‘Hi Sam.’ She handed him her keycard and, trying to sound cheerful, said, ‘I’d like to change my address details, please – for both the accounts linked to that card.’
The teller looked at her and then at the card. His face clouded slightly, and then he blushed. He cleared his throat and then spoke in an unusually formal tone.
‘I’m afraid I will need your, uh, husband’s permission to make any changes.’
Emily’s face reddened and she began to sweat. The counter beneath her palms became slippery. ‘I’m sorry. What did you say?’
‘Emily, John was in on Friday,’ Sam said, softening slightly before recovering his bank-teller demeanour. ‘He informed us of your, uh, separation, and as the main account holder he froze all joint accounts.’
‘But these are my accounts – in my name only – and nothing to do with John.’ She wanted to sound bold and forceful, but her voice came out as little more than a whine.
‘Oh, well, oh, I’m terribly sorry. Let me just make those adjustments for you, then.’ Sam’s slight flush turned to blazing deep strawberry.
Not trusting herself to speak, Emily handed over the piece of paper she’d written her new post box number on.
‘Right, all done,’ Sam said brightly after a few taps on his keyboard. ‘Is there anything else I can help you with today?’
‘No, thank you,’ Emily said through clenched teeth. She turned on her heel and was mortified to find the small bank now full of waiting customers. They all looked down at the carpet on seeing her. Emily wanted to both dissolve into tears and snap at them to mind their own bloody business. But she just fled, with Barbara close behind.
‘I’ve never been so humiliated,’ she said, leaning on the handrail outside to try to calm down.
‘You might need to prepare yourself for things to get worse before they get better,’ Barbara said quietly.
A few minutes later they were walking into Mitre 10.
‘Hi Grant, hi Steve,’ Emily called to a couple of locals, forcing a business-as-usual tone into her voice. Both men dipped their heads, grunted, and continued walking through the shop. They were agronomists from the Department of Agriculture, and normally they would both have stopped and passed comment on the rainfall or weather.
Emily looked at Barbara, who returned raised eyebrows. The sad thing about Grant and Steve snubbing her was that they had known each other since high school, well before she had married John. Where was the loyalty?
But they were being loyal, weren’t they? To their jobs. John was a client, which was more important than a mere long-term friendship. She’d seen it before – the town dividing and then settling around whichever party the consensus chose to support. She just never dreamed she’d be on the wrong side of the division.
She was born and bred here too, but John was a farmer – even better, a male farmer – and they had all the power. She was just a townie, and a woman at that.
‘Come on, let’s just get what we need and get out of here,’ Barbara said, pulling at her friend’s arm.
It took a lot longer than it should have to find what they wanted because no one rushed to their side to lend assistance. And they were feeling too self-conscious to ask. Emily was glad Barbara was in charge of their list because her eyes were beginning to blur.
Finally they were ready to pay. As they joined the short queue, the hushed whispers being exchanged around them fell silent, but the stares remained. Barbara offered Emily a grim, buoying smile. Emily didn’t want to think about how much harder this would be without her support.
‘Hi Kate, just these, please,’ she said, feigning brightness as she put three mouse traps and a big box of steel wool onto the counter.
Kate, another old school friend, turned beetroot red.
‘On savings, thanks,’ Emily added, handing over her keycard.
‘Oh, right. Great, thanks,’ Kate said, accepting the card with obvious relief.
‘I’m assuming John has already been in and my name is no longer on the account because we’ve separated?’ Emily’s voice was loud enough to be heard by everyone in the immediate vicinity. She reddened for the third time that morning, but this time she was more angry than embarrassed.
She put the receipt and her card away while Barbara gathered up their bag of goodies. They turned away from the counter and glared at the next person in line, who happened to be Grant. Steve was next to him. Emily gave him a second, extra hard glare.
‘You shouldn’t be so quick to judge without the facts – one day this could be you,’ she snapped.
And then she and Barbara hurried from the store and across the road to Barbara’s ute.
‘Well done you,’ Barbara said, rubbing her friend’s shoulder once they were safely inside the vehicle.
‘Now I’ve humiliated myself even more,’ Emily said, burying her head in her hands.
‘I don’t think that’s possible.’
Emily frowned at her.
‘Seriously, you stood up for yourself and that took a lot of guts. These towns are great at bonding together for support during a bushfire, but God, they can be cruel too.’
‘I wonder how long it will take for the gossip to die down.’
‘It might not seem like it, but I’m sure there’s other stuff people are discussing. Like John, for instance – he’s bound to be attracting his fair share.’
‘As the bloody victim, no doubt. “Poor John. Did you hear? His wife walked out, leaving him to pack all that meat away on his own?”’ Emily found herself grinning despite herself.
‘That’s the spirit,’ Barbara said, playing along. ‘“Thank goodness that good sort Stacy turned up to help him out.”’
‘Lucky that,’ Emily said, chuckling.
‘I wonder who they’ve got you shacked up with,’ Barbara said. ‘It’ll have to be someone, because you’d never leave such a good catch of your own accord.’
‘Your husband, probably,’ Emily said. ‘They’re probably all in the pub marvelling about how lucky David is to be having threesomes every night.’
‘Eww!’
‘Yes, eww! But seriously, I hope David won’t be in the firing line for helping me.’
‘David can handle himself. He’s lived here his whole life too, remember – he knows how it works.’
‘I can tell you it still comes as a rude shock.’
‘One of the things I love most about David is that he doesn’t succumb to peer pressure. He’s content to be his own man. He’ll be fine – we both will – so don’t you worry, and don’t you dare go feeling guilty on our account.’
‘Thanks Barb, you’re the best.’ They turned towards each other and hugged for a few moments before breaking away.
‘Ready to tackle the supermarket?’
‘Have to sooner or later; may as well be sooner.’
Chapter Thirty-one
‘Wow, that was …’ Emily started, as she shut the ute door behind her.
‘Interesting? Harrowing? Exhilarating?’ Barbara suggested.
‘All of the above. I
wonder if they’ve got online ordering and home delivery yet. I sure as hell don’t want to go through that every week.’
‘It’ll get better. Just remember, you’ve done nothing wrong. And if you really can’t cope, I’ll do your shopping for you.’
‘Thanks, but I’m sure I’ll be fine. Wasn’t it you who said I had to toughen up?’
‘Sorry about that,’ Barbara said, looking a little sheepish.
‘Don’t be. You’re right. I can’t waste the next fifty years feeling sorry for myself and worrying about what is or isn’t being said about me.’
‘That’s my girl. Now, let’s get back and see how Grace has coped on her own.’
‘You know, I think it’s a first for her – hope she isn’t pining too much.’
Barbara started the vehicle.
‘I still can’t believe old Mrs Schilling had the nerve to tell me to my face that if I’d read my Bible, my marriage wouldn’t have ended,’ Emily said as they left the main township.
‘I thought she was going to have a stroke when you asked her which passage, exactly, she was referring to. You should have seen your face – it was priceless.’
‘I guess she deserves points for being up-front.’
‘For a moment she probably thought she’d found a new recruit for the church auxiliary.’
‘I did feel a little mean telling her the one thing I liked about God was that he kept his opinions to himself.’
‘Oh well, you weren’t really rude, and you did give her such a lovely smile.’
‘I just wish it had been a more even contest – like someone nearer my own age.’
‘So, you survived your first trip into the lion’s den.’
‘I did, didn’t I?’ Emily’s mobile began to ring. ‘Can you believe it, it doesn’t ring for days and now I’ve had two calls in a couple of hours.’ She retrieved the device from her handbag. ‘It’s my cousin Elizabeth,’ she told Barbara just before she answered. ‘Hi Liz.’
‘Hi Em. I hear you left John and moved into an absolute dump! Well done you!’
For a moment she wasn’t sure how to respond. Was Liz being serious?
‘Are you okay?’
‘As good as can be expected, I suppose.’
‘Well, congratulations! You’ve done the right thing. Life’s too short to be miserable.’
‘Thanks. I take it you’ve been told to try and talk me out of my silliness?’
‘Yep. You do realise there’s a perfectly good caravan going begging, don’t you?’ she replied, doing a fine impersonation of Emily’s mother.
‘So I’ve heard. Were you also charged with getting me to return to my husband?’
‘That was probably part of the instructions from your mum to mine, but mine wouldn’t have had the nerve to pass it on, what with her own daughter’s, quote, “embarrassing refusal to settle down”.’
‘Well, consider your duty done. So, how is life in the big city?’
‘Hectic as usual – way too much fine dining, attending art exhibition openings, and definitely way too much champagne. I haven’t had a night in for at least a month.’
‘You’re sounding like an A-lister.’
‘I wish,’ Liz groaned. ‘I’m only about C, I’m afraid. But seriously, Em, what’s the story with the old house? Is it really as bad as Mum says?’
‘Your mum hasn’t even seen it. But probably. Still, at one hundred dollars a week it’s all I can afford at the moment.’
‘God, you don’t even get a car space for that over here! So is it a huge old farmhouse?’
‘Pretty big. Not huge; it’s a typical double-fronted house. Around nineteen-thirties vintage. Three bedrooms, lounge-dining room, kitchen …’
‘Brilliant, there’ll be somewhere for me to stay when I visit!’
‘Liz, you never visit!’
‘Well, I might.’
‘Yeah, right.’
‘Actually, I might. I met up with an old friend the other week. He’s …’
‘He, huh?’
‘Yes, he, but nothing romantic – we’re just friends. Anyway, he mentioned wanting to get out bush to take some photos – he’s a keen photographer. So could he, or we, stay some time?’
‘Sure, if you don’t mind roughing it. The motel in town might be a safer bet.’
‘I don’t know about that – I stayed there before, remember? Anyway, by the time we get around to visiting you’ll probably have a thriving B&B. We might be your first paying customers!’
‘Liz, I’m only renting. And anyway, I don’t have enough money to set myself up, let alone open a B&B.’
‘What do you mean? I thought John was well-off. Isn’t he from, like, the richest family in the district?’
‘Apparently not,’ Emily said with a sigh.
‘What, no cheque for half a mil?’
‘Try forty thousand.’
‘What, that’s all he’s offering?! No, surely not.’
‘Afraid so. And I’ve accepted. It’s a done deal.’
‘A lawyer let you agree to that? You need a better one – I can give you a couple of names …’
‘Liz, it’s done. I know I’ve probably been shafted, but I just want to get on with my life.’
‘But how are you going to live? There can’t be that many jobs out there, what with the GFC and all.’
‘It’s nowhere near as expensive as living in Melbourne. I’ll be fine.’
‘Well, if you need any money – don’t tell Mum, but I’ve got a bit stashed away – I’m happy to lend it to you. After all, you’re family. And I know where you live.’
‘Actually, you don’t,’ Emily said with a laugh.
Liz laughed also. ‘You’re right. But I know where your parents live. Which, remember, is the reason for my call. Now, just so I don’t have to lie to my mother, or yours, please, please, please, Emily, would you reconsider the offer of the caravan and give up this ridiculous notion of independence?’
‘No. And thanks for the offer, it means a lot. But I’ll be fine.’
‘Right. Okay then, I’ll go.’
‘Thanks for the call, Liz. It’s good to hear from you.’
‘Same from me. And remember, I’m here if you need anything at all. You just have to ask. I’m not really into plastering walls and painting, but I have an address book full of people who are!’
‘I’ll just charter a private plane to fly them in then, shall I?’ Emily said, chuckling again.
‘Better yet, I’ll get Jeeves to fuel mine up – just give me the word. And if you need me to sort out a kneecapping, you have my number. See ya! Speak to you again soon.’
‘Thanks Liz. See ya.’ Emily hung up, laughing. She loved the way they could still banter back and forth, even though they rarely caught up these days.
‘That sounded like a good call,’ Barbara said.
‘Yeah, guess who’s asked her to talk me out of my, quote, “ridiculous notion of independence”?’
‘She didn’t try very hard.’
‘No. She rolls her eyes at them as much as I do.’
‘She must be fun. She’s got you laughing properly for the first time in days.’
‘Yeah, she can be hilarious.’
‘I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but was she offering you money?’
‘Yeah, but I told her I’m fine.’
‘That’s the spirit, Em. With an attitude like that, you really will be. You just have to keep telling yourself.’
‘I know,’ Emily said thoughtfully. They remained silent as they drove the last section of the long driveway, turned the corner, and passed beneath the canopy of trees.
‘Hey, where’s Grace?’ Emily said as they pulled up in front of the house. ‘It doesn’t look like she’s in the yard. God, I hope she hasn’t got into the Bakers’ sheep,’ she added, starting to feel concern creep in. They sat for a moment, scanning what they could see of the large fenced-off yard.
‘Perhaps she’s asleep under a tree, or on the ba
ck verandah in the sun,’ Barbara said, getting out of the vehicle. Emily followed.
‘Hang on, here she is,’ Emily said, relief surging through her as the dog appeared at the gate and gave a yawn and a stretch before beginning to wag her tail. She rushed over, let Grace out, and ruffled her silky ears affectionately. ‘Did you miss us, sleepyhead?’
They proceeded to unload everything from the ute into the house.
‘Let’s get the cold stuff into the esky,’ Barbara called, carrying the two bags of ice they’d collected along the way. Emily followed her with the groceries. She hoped her father was indeed bringing a fridge tomorrow. In the meantime there was a spare esky for the non-cold items – it was probably the only thing mice couldn’t get into.
‘I need a cuppa before I can do anything else,’ Barbara said, sitting down at the table once the groceries had been stored.
‘I can’t wait to sleep in a real bed again,’ Emily said, glancing at the swag in the corner while she waited for the kettle to boil. ‘Not that I don’t appreciate the swag,’ she added. She wondered how many mice had been in it since it had been on the floor.
‘I know what you meant,’ Barbara said, waving the comment away with a flap of her hand.
‘I can’t believe how weary I am – and I haven’t done anything today yet,’ Emily said, putting the mugs down on the table and slumping into the nearest chair.
‘All the anguish over facing the townsfolk for the first time. That’s why we’re having a sit down and a cuppa – to gather our energy for some real work.’
‘Slave driver.’
‘You bet. If I know you’re safe from the mice and other critters then maybe I’ll sleep tonight,’ Barbara said with a laugh.
‘I’m so tired I probably won’t even notice them.’
They ate a few Tim Tams from the packet on the table. Emily never usually indulged in chocolate biscuits, but Barbara had bought them as a treat to give them extra energy. They certainly went down well, Emily thought, crunching her way through her second.
‘We can have the last of the zucchini slice for lunch – unless you want to keep it for your dinner.’
‘No, that’s fine. I’ll just heat a tin of soup on the stove. Which reminds me, I should have told Dad I need a microwave as well. I can’t believe I forgot to put it on the list.’
Saving Grace Page 18