Finding Izzy

by Nanette Fox

  “That would be lovely then she can come in and help me.”

  Rebecca said, “Are you tired?”

  “No not really, I think the worrying is keeping me going, ask me again later though.”

  Rebecca yawned and said, “My bed is crying out for me.”

  “Maybe we will be able to beg off early if Monique and Julia agree, although I somehow doubt it.” They both yawned simultaneously.

  Julia wandered in at eleven. She looked a little out of it and upset. Izzy said, “Jules, what’s the matter?”

  “Just stuff I have to work out with Antonio.”

  “But I guess you have more pressing stuff to worry about.”

  “Firstly, what is happening with your ankle?”

  “A tiny fracture, I will probably have to wear this glorious fashion accessory for about six to eight weeks,” said Izzy.

  “So that’s that, now what’s the go with my baby bro?” said Jules.

  “Well he sent me a ‘goodbye’ message with something about he didn’t want to choose between David and I, and everything was just too much, and he couldn’t cope; so just a little alarming.”

  “The only reason I saw it quickly was Bec saw it come through on my phone whilst I was in with the doctors at the hospital, otherwise I wouldn’t have seen it until this morning.”

  “I rang your mum asking her to go to his room, and she found an open bottle of sleeping pills, and he was laying in the dark with a big bottle of water and his phone.”

  Julia said, “Holy shit, so it could have been really bad.”

  “So why has he gone to Perth?”

  “I think it was a cry for help, he Skyped Paul, they are really very close now, and you know Paul is a psychologist with the army, so I gather Paul talked him into booking a flight and going over.”

  “I went to your mum’s and went up to his room. He really didn’t say anything much. I was so worked up that I just yelled at him a lot about the value of life and how it should be treasured. I know all too well what it is like to have to pick yourself up every day and keep going. I can’t even remember what I said.”

  “Oh Izzy, I am so sorry,” said Julia. “Not a great start to you being together.”

  Izzy nodded her head close to tears. “Jules I won’t give up on him, I do love him, but he needs to get his head together. I think a lot of it is grief over your dad.”

  “Have you spoken to your Mum this morning, as she was very upset?”

  “I am nervous about speaking to Mum, she will ask questions about Antonio and I and that isn’t rosy either.”

  Izzy went on to explain how she’d had a big talk with David about remaining close friends but keeping the relationship things in the past. “So, have you and David parted on good terms?”

  “Yes, I think so.”

  “It will be hard to break the habits of years where put our arms around each other or make little sexy comments.”

  “But Julia, I have to think of David anyway too and be not so touchy feely as he seems like he is very keen on Veronica.”

  Julia just nodded and muttered, “Oh baby bro…he must have been in so much pain, but you know I think he has been wound up for days now.”

  Julia said, “Izzy you look really pretty today, do you want me to take a picture and send it on your phone?”

  “Already done, David suggested it earlier.”

  “Izzy, I have quite a bit of work to do but then I want to go home to Antonio a little early if possible.”

  “Do you think it would matter if we closed early today?” said Izzy. “Bec and I are tired because of going to the Hospital during the night.”

  “It’s your call Izzy.”

  “It is our busy period, but maybe if we put a sign up that we have had to close early due to family emergency, that would be okay.”

  “I’ll ask Bec she’s the PR guru on matters like this.”

  Chapter 30

  A Beer and an Important Yabba

  Paul met his friend at the airport. It didn’t take a genius to work out Tim was stressed and troubled. They exchanged a ‘man’ hug and Paul asked about luggage. Tim said he had a backpack. They collected it and were away quickly to Paul’s. Tim was sort of slumped in the passenger seat. His body language a dead giveaway, things were awry. Paul had to get back to base and would leave Tim to sleep. He apologized but checked the backpack in case of pills or anything that could be used. He opened the pack and realized how OCD his mate was. His belongings were organized in cells, his clothes all colour coordinated. His toilet bag was immaculate. A manicure set. There weren’t the toothpaste marks and stray whiskers you’d find with other’s peoples. Tim had been stretched out in the lounge, and Paul found him already asleep. His laptop and phone already open but discarded on the coffee table. Paul scribbled a note saying he’d be back around 3:30.

  About four, Paul came back through the door to find his friend slouched on the couch, feet up on the coffee table looking at something on his phone. He was smiling down at it. “So how you going mate?” asked Paul. “Did you get yourself something to eat while I was gone.”

  “Nope, I’m not hungry.” Paul grabbed a corner of the coffee table to sit on. He was quite a bulky guy not as tall as Tim about 5’11’, a handsome rugged face, topped with fair to ginger hair, short back and sides, kindly brown eyes. He was what he looked, steady as a rock and straight talking. “So, what you are looking at.”

  Tim gave over his phone, “Izzy sent this.” Paul whistled; she looks so pretty, rocks a moon boot. “Nice photo.”

  “Yep it is.”

  He took his phone back and holding it by the bottom, flapping it, said, “I reckon David took the photo, it is one of the things he does really well, photography.”

  “Is that bad?”

  “No, it’s not.”

  “I have a feeling he was given a talking to this morning and told to take a hike. You know she was so angry and bossy last night she was stomping around in that moon boot. She looked totally a mess, she had on these tiny shorts, that Cambridge T-shirt and big floppy cardigan thing, the moon boot and a ridiculously pink fluffy slipper. I didn’t think her ankle was bad but obviously it worried her enough to go to emergency in the early hours. I sent her a message just before I Skyped you and because she and Bec were awake and at the hospital, she saw it straight away.”

  Paul looked at Tim, “You know mate, for you to note every detail of what she was wearing in your distressed state, you’re not doing too bad.”

  “You want to grab a couple of beers and have a yabba and then we’ll go to Northbridge to that Indian curry place.”

  They were sitting on Paul’s terrace drinking and discussing things. Tim was asking Paul when he and Bec were going to get married. Paul thought it would be early the following year. His army term would finish up in February. He told Tim he hadn’t even bought an engagement ring yet, and he’d have to do so before he went to Melbourne in a few weeks. Tim smirked, telling Paul that was probably how she had got away with the other’s not knowing. Paul told him Bec wanted to tell the girls both at the same time. ‘The girl triangle’ would’ve been right on an engagement ring turning up on Bec’s finger.

  Tim told Paul that he wasn’t sure, but he thought Julia and Antonio weren’t going to go the distance. He explained to Paul he and Antonio had been on a few boozy nights out, and Antonio wasn’t sure about the whole marriage thing. Paul asked Tim how old Antonio was. Tim told him 35 and he’d been married before. Paul said Antonio was a big bloke to which Tim agreed saying he was a tall as him but yeah big, and Tim wouldn’t like to meet him in a fight, he was pretty aggressive.

  “How old are you Paul?”

  “I’m twenty-eight.”

  “So, you’re a bit younger than Bec.”

  “Yep mate, why?”

  “Just one thing that bugged me in the last week or so; Izzy described me as ‘young and inexperienced’.”

  “What to your face?”

  “Nah, it wa
s in a conversation about a delivery day at the gallery, but I do wonder if she thinks that.”

  “Mate,” exclaimed Paul, “mate, you need to know ‘the true Isabella’ a bit better.”

  “That gallery is about the only thing she does really well. She is pretty hopeless when it comes to everything else.”

  “She is insecure about herself. She doesn’t know how to look after herself.”

  “Becky is always half-hearted complaining.”

  “She’s always had heaps of money to just buy things like catering to feed herself; she sends her laundry out, quite normal in Europe but here in Australia?”

  “She barely manages to feed Basil but at least she does that.”

  “She hired a cleaner to look after their townhouse; they have a tiny garden, but they have a gardener.”

  “Actually, I am bit afraid my Becky will want the same luxuries when we are living together.”

  “You have just explained why her office gets in such a mess, thanks, something makes sense now,” said Tim.

  Paul was laughing and said, “I am speaking out of turn here but Bec was dragged off shopping for new lacy underwear. Bec bought some but on Izzy’s insistence. Apparently, Izzy finds it helps with her body image to wear only very expensive lacy underwear. Becky was talking on Skype last night, wearing what she bought and saying really how impractical it was. I enjoyed that Skype, he grinned across at Tim. But the clincher was apparently Izzy went swimming in some very expensive stuff, and instead of rinsing the pool chemicals out and washing them, she threw them away and just went out and bought new.” Tim sat with his beer at his lips and smiled remembering cuddling with Izzy in the underwear Paul was sharing the anecdote about. “You want another beer?”

  “Nah,” said Tim. “Let’s go get the curries.”

  Paul got up and was walking off leaving the empty bottles on the table to fix later. Tim got up and stretched himself out. He picked the empties up and leapt down off the deck depositing them in the recycling bin at the end of the yard. Returning to the terrace, Paul said, “You know mate, it doesn’t matter if you leave things sometimes.”

  “Can’t ever,” grunted Tim.

  “Yeah see that’s where you get yourself in knots you want everything perfect all the time.”

  Tim shrugged. “It’s just me. Dad was a bit the same. He kept his desk, his carpentry shed, his car immaculate. He was always well-groomed.”

  “It’s good rules.”

  “Yeah mate self-discipline is good but can become obsessive, you’ll never relax.”

  Tim stood looking at Paul and said, “Dad and Gramps were always on at me to take it easy, let my guard down.”

  “So, you basically spent a lot of time with both of them, didn’t you?”

  “Mum was always busy with Dave and Jules, they were at school when I was little, and Mum would leave me with Dad when she was busy with their extra sport and school runs. She was a real carpool Mum so there was never room for me in the car.”

  Tim didn’t realize it, but Paul wasn’t just simply getting him to talk. He was getting him to open up and think about how his life was working. There were many subjects to cover. His relationship to his parents; how he felt about his dad. He wanted to hear him talk about his relationship with his sister Julia. The more difficult and troubling relationship with his brother David was one left for a while. Paul didn’t realize it, but he was going to learn of some other stresses in Tim’s life too. Things Tim never divulged to anyone as a rule. They were good mates and Paul recognized they’d have to go off and do abseiling, maybe sailing, dirt-biking riding something that was pretty energetic, it couldn’t be all talking as that wasn’t Tim. You had to catch him off guard and get him relaxed so he shared stuff.

  *

  Paul wandered in the front door after work the next day to find his dining table completely covered in some plans and papers and Tim studying them intently. “I see you’ve got yourself a rental car,” said Paul.

  “Yeah I’ll miss having my bike here, although I have been using the SUV from the gallery heaps.” Paul went into his room and changed out of his fatigues putting on worn old jeans and pretty beat up t-shirt. He went to the fridge and picked himself out a beer. “You want one Tim?”

  “No, just busy for a bit.” Paul grabbed a dining chair turned it around and sat on it leaning his arms over the back. Tim looked up at him. “I’ve got a couple of jobs on for this week, mainly just checking plans and specs.”

  “How did you get the work so quick?”

  “I’ve got a pretty good reputation over here already from the work I did a couple of weeks ago, you know, when I was coming backwards and forwards.”

  Paul said, “Thought we could take the dirt bikes out this arvo.”

  “Yeah good, I have got about an hour of work to do.”

  “Righto mate, I’ll make myself some food, you want anything.”

  “No thanks.” Paul looked at Tim and realized he was totally absorbed and he wouldn’t get much out of him for an hour or so.

  Just then, Tim’s phone rang. Tim picked it up and saw it was David calling and put it down letting it ring out. Paul noticed the caller ID and said don’t you want to talk to him?"

  Tim replied a firm and flat, “No.” The phone rang again and again it was David.

  Paul picked it up and answered. “Yeah it is Paul mate, no, he is busy with some work why?”

  David said, “Just checking in, I am at Mum’s with Veronica for a meal, and we were wondering how he was going.”

  “Tell your mum fine, he’s organized himself a rental car and got some work already. He is actually working on some plans right now with a bit of a deadline.” Tim was sitting back in his chair listening to the Perth end of the conversation. “No not sure when he is intending to return…”

  “Yes, mate no worries.”

  “Speak soon.” Paul put the phone down.

  Tim looked at him. “Why did you do that?”

  “Just figured your family might want to know you’re doing ok.”

  “David was just being a spokesperson.” Tim shrugged.

  Tim tossed his pencils down, resisted the urge to fold the plans up, and stack everything into a neat pile. He picked up his phone and said, “Today’s picture.” Izzy was pictured in a slim pencil grey skirt with a pale lilac coloured knit top that suggested a hint of cleavage, some small hoop earrings and her Horse watch with its pastel band and coloured face. The moon boot of course and a denim blue flat on the other foot. Her hair was gently fluffy waves around her face and her make-up perfection. She was pictured sitting at the table in her office. “I reckon she spent hours working on that look.”

  “What is she trying to do, drive me crazy, so much so that I am on the next plane back?”

  Paul half smiled and said, “Knowing Izzy she’s frightened to ring you or message you, in case of misunderstandings, she just wants you to know she’s okay by picture.”

  “Let’s go on those bikes, hey,” said Tim. Paul nodded.

  “Quick question, who’s Veronica, is that the woman David had at Julia’s party those months ago?”

  “Yeah it is.”

  Chapter 31

  Motherhood

  Ruth had been so upset by the events of the past two days. She was struggling and trying to cope without Marco’s steadying influence. She was reminded again with all that had happened with Tim how inadequately she had mothered him. She recalled back to the early days with the demands of David and Julia as young primary age children and the difficulties she had coping with another small child. David was Ruth’s ‘little Lord of the Manor’ and Julia was her ‘artistic princess’. Marco had adored their youngest child Tim from the very first sight and seemed to just accept that he should look after him. In turn, Tim had developed such a bond with his father that now with Marco gone he was lost. Ruth had poured herself a glass of wine and taking time to herself was writing her thoughts in a journal.

  Marco and David had
always had an uneasy relationship. David was a very social child from an early age which was something that his father encouraged. However, Marco was frustrated again and again as they simply didn’t share the same interests. Marco had wanted to teach David carpentry; David preferred photography. Marco was disappointed by David’s lack of interest in fishing and hiking, the more solitary activities; David loved his football, cricket, basketball anything team orientated. David was petrified of horses so there had always been an argument when Gramps Martinelli had planned a trail ride and overnight camping with his son and grandson. Marco had admired David’s business drive though and been proud of him setting up his own financial and accountancy firm. In recent years, David had enjoyed his father’s favour as he developed a strong and successful career. To Ruth, her eldest born had been a precious gift, was still a very precious creature gracing her life with love and respect, and happy generosity.

  Marco had worshipped his daughter. She was beautiful with striking black hair and blue eyes. She was strong and independent from infancy. She was out-going and collected many friends. She loved to speak Italian with Marco and her grandparents. She enjoyed creative pursuits which caused Ruth to bond strongly with her over and over again. She took influences from both parents and incorporated them into her life. Julia loved interior design and fine arts and had developed an Import Export business with the full support of her father. She was just simply their lovely precious daughter. David and Julia, with two years between them, had been close all their lives. Six years younger Tim was Julia’s ‘baby bro’, and she had always felt motherly towards him. As a young girl, it had been like having a walking, talking doll. To Ruth, her beautiful creative daughter was a shining light at any time, day or night.