Like Twigs in a Storm

by Ross Richdale

  "You'll be surprised," Steve called back. He was as wet as Lavina and Cathy had long since given up trying to keep dry. "Those rapids we saw marked in the map shouldn't be too far away."

  At the next bend the stream narrowed and water speed increased. Spray burst across the front of the craft and saturated the entire crew within seconds. They shuddered as the craft headed straight towards a protruding rock in the middle of the stream.

  "Left, paddle!" screamed Steve above the roar of the foaming water.

  Lavina and Cathy immediately dipped their paddles on the left hand side and attempted to control the raging bucking raft through the water. They moved skilfully inside the rock and accelerated forward as the water broke into a raging torrent.

  "Wonderful!" screamed Steve above the roar. "Be ready, though. It looks like another real nasty fellow's coming up."

  Sure enough, a few seconds later another rock appeared right in front of them.

  "Everyone right!" Steve directed. "Paddle!"

  Lavina and Cathy immediately slid across to the right hand side of the craft and joined Steve so three paddles worked together. The whole raft tipped sideways like a racing car on two wheels and actually bounced across the rock. Once through the gap, the passengers dived back to their places and the raft plopped back level again.

  For another thirty seconds they paddled, crossed over, paddled, waited, ducked and again paddled as the raft surged through the white water and jutting rocks. Finally, they were through the first rapids and back into relatively calm water. Lavina turned and grinned at her daughter behind her. Cathy was saturated but smiled back as she grasped the paddle with white knuckles.

  "The water's freezing," she managed to stutter.

  "Here we go again!" Steve said.

  Water lifted the craft and sent it skimming into the next section of rapids. This was similar to the last one but the amateur crew had gained more confidence and shot through without even scrapping a rock. The next section proved more difficult. Their raft clipped a rock on the left, rolled sideways and careered straight onto a smooth submerged rock before they sighted it, plunked down and stopped. Waves from behind crashed over the rear and the crew suddenly found they were sitting in half a meter of surging water.

  Steve immediately jumped out the back and signalled for Lavina to do the same. The two adults lifted the raft so that the next wave caught it underneath instead of over the top. With a lurch, the raft rocked forward but not before the pair flung themselves aboard and grasped the safety rope. In this way they were all carried through the crashing surf onto the next section of quiet water.

  For twenty minutes they plummeted through another stretch of white water in what proved to be an anticlimax and drifted into quiet water again. The rapids were behind them. Ahead, as far as they knew, lay calmer waters. They paddled gracefully to the bank, disembarked, pulled the bow of their craft up before tipping it sideways so the interior water ran out.

  Cathy glanced across at Steve and grinned happily. "We all look like drenched rats."

  "Yeah!" he said. “I've got pain in muscles I never knew I had." He turned to Lavina behind him. "Doing okay, Lavina?"

  Lavina shivered as the inactivity cooled her down and cold, water soaked clothes clung to her body. "I'm glad we're almost there," she said.

  Steve gave the signal and they pushed the raft back in the stream, clambered aboard and paddled out into the current. They settled back as the raft bounced forward into a broad valley. The river widened and current slowed.

  "Keep an eye out," Lavina said. "According to our map, there should be a track parallel to the river on the right bank."

  It appeared three bends later as a well-worn track meandering through the trees. Five minutes later, they drifted around another bend and saw the hut on a small knob above the stream. It was a duplicate of the one they'd left, that morning, even down to the lean-to and long drop toilet out the back. Once again, they had accomplished what they'd set out to do. Steve looked at his watch. It was after four in the afternoon. They'd been on the water over eight hours; no wonder he felt exhausted. Lavina tucked an arm around Cathy and grinned at him.

  "If you'd told me a week ago I was going to spend a day crashing through icy rapids, I'd have said you needed your head read."

  "But we did great, didn't we Steve?" Cathy said, hugging her mother.

  "Excellent." Steve said. "What say you two go and see what our new accommodation is like and I'll tie up the raft?"

  The hut was also inside similar to the first one except it appeared to have been used more; there was no food in the cupboards, the fireplace was left filled with ashes and graffiti was scratched across the table.

  "We must be closer to civilization," Steve said when he walked in. "I'd heard the most remote huts are the best looked after. The city slickers never get that far back."

  "So you're the country bumpkin, are you?" Lavina asked.

  "I'm trying." Steve chuckled. "That's why I bought the old school." He turned to Cathy. "Come on, my girl. We've got a fire to light."

  "Sure." Cathy laughed. "Looks like you have to chop some wood first, though. There's plenty there, but it's all logs."

  "Why me?" Steve moaned.

  "Well," Cathy snapped back. "If you want a hot shower later and supper cooked for you..."

  Steve laughed as he began searching for an axe.

  *

  CHAPTER 9

  An evening storm rolled in with huge thunderclouds, lightning and hail. Murphy's Hut, as Cathy found this one was called, shook and clattered. Windows pinged as the rain and hail lashed into them while somewhere outside, a loose piece of iron banged continuously.

  Inside, though, it was a cocoon of warmth. The roaring fire devoured wood, but kept the weary travellers comfortable. Darkness arrived early but candles were hardly required as light from the fire glowed throughout the main room.

  Steve had brought a rope in from the raft and slung a clothesline across the hut so now, every piece of clothing was hung up to dry for there was nothing that escaped the water in the rapids. Cathy sat on the old couch with a blanket around herself while Lavina prepared another meal. Their supplies were low but not desperate.

  The door burst open and a drenched Steve walked in carrying an armload of wood. Earlier he had decided to get outside chores done before drying himself down. He turned and slammed the door before the freezing air replaced the warmth.

  "It's going to be one shocker tonight." He wiped drips of water off his face, dropped the wood and held his hands in front of the fire. "You know the river's already up a meter and rising. I had to pull the raft half way up the track and anchor it to a tree."

  Lavina smiled and handed him one of the few dry towels. "Well, you can do no more out there now, so have a hot shower and I'll try to dry your clothes. There should be hot water by now. That's one good thing about this hut."

  "What's that?" Steve asked.

  "The wet back is behind the main fire instead of the stove. With the larger fire we should get hot water sooner."

  "Great," Steve replied. "I think I need to get out of these wet things." He sniffed and sneezed. His eyes watered, nose ran and he felt cold and all clogged up. "I'll try for that shower now," he added and wandered through to the bathroom.

  *

  It was Sunday before the storm blew over; more than a week since they'd been abducted. Except for Steve's frightful cold, the group was healthy and fit. The tent, sleeping bag, clothes and gear were all dry so, unless the storm returned there was no reason to remain. The food was down to a few old tins and they decided that in the morning they would have to walk out to the road. The only equipment that disappeared was the raft. When Steve went out to check the evening before he found it had gone. The branch it had been tied to had snapped and rising floodwaters had carried it away sometime in the afternoon.

  Cathy sat on a bench under the veranda while Steve and Lavina sorted out another pile of dry clothes.

  "Mum! Stev
e!" Cathy screamed. "Get out here!"

  They rushed out the door. Cathy was signalling to them with frantic body language.

  "Mum, listen!"

  Lavina and Steve both stopped when they heard the noise. Above the constant stream rumble a thump, thump, thump sounded in the distance. They gazed up the valley through the sunlight as the volume increased.

  "Steve!" Lavina shrieked, diving into his arms and kissing him on the lips before turning and grabbing Cathy in a bear hug and kissing her too.

  Above the stream, a helicopter was heading straight towards them.

  "We're here!" Cathy hollered and swung her arms like windmill blades while the two adults stood with their arms around each other.

  The helicopter with Rescue in white letters against the red fuselage was overhead in seconds and crew could be seen waving back at the frantic Cathy. There was no room to land but the craft hovered above the tiny knob of grass beside the hut while a crewman descended in a basket type contraption.

  Steve rushed forward, grabbed a dangling rope and guided the basket down. The crewmember landed and stood up.

  "Hi," he yelled above the roar of the engine above. "Andy's my name. You must be Steve, Lavina and Cathy?"

  Steve's hand went out in a steel like grip. "My God, Andy." His hair was blowing in the down draft but his grin broad. "You're one sight I never thought I'd see."

  "Sorry about the delay," Andy shouted. "If it wasn't for the storm we'd have been here earlier." He unstrapped his safety harness and fixed a slow grin on the excited girl "Want to go first, Cathy?" he asked.

  She nodded.

  Andy clamped the safety harness around her, showed her how to sit in the basket and she was hoisted up to the helicopter. Hands reached out the opened door and she was inside.

  Within moments the two adults and equipment were also aboard and the craft rose into the air.

  "We found the upturned raft down river and feared the worst," Andy explained, "It was only a last minute decision to check out the hut."

  "How did you know we were in the area?" Lavina asked. Her eyes were wide with curiosity.

  "We read your entry in the top hut diary and knew you'd come down river in the raft."

  "You were at Top Ridge Hut!" Cathy gasped.

  Andy nodded but it was the other crewmember who spoke, "I'm Constable Julianna Webber." She turned to Lavina. "Can I speak to you in the cockpit, Mrs. Ryland?"

  "Of course," Lavina replied and followed the constable to the front.

  "I'm afraid I have some tragic news, Lavina," the constable said and told about the Cessna crash and Grant Ryland's death.

  "When? On Saturday?" Lavina gasped.

  "No, Monday morning." She frowned. "Why did you say Saturday?"

  "My husband doped Cathy and myself, abducted Steve at gunpoint and left us stranded on De Wolfe's Plateau on Saturday. It's a long story, constable. Can I tell Cathy and Steve about my husband?"

  "By all means."

  Lavina mind whirled as she tried to absorb the information. Grant dead! But how could he be? "What caused the crash?"

  "Preliminary reports suggest engine failure or a heavy coating of ice on the wings forced the Cessna down. It could have been heading for De Wolfe's Plateau."

  "So Grant did change his mind!" Lavina muttered, more to herself than the policewoman. She swallowed, thanked the constable and moved back to where both Steve and Cathy were waiting with apprehensive expressions.

  "The Cessna crashed and Grant was killed," Lavina turned to her daughter. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. It seems your father was flying back up to the plateau on Monday morning and crashed two valleys back..."

  "Dad's dead!" Cathy gasped, her face drained of blood and her lip quivered.

  "I'm afraid so, Cathy," Julianna Webber said softly. "Your Cessna crashed in steep bush country."

  "Serves the bugger right!" Cathy screamed but tears flooded into her eyes. She turned, flung her arms around Lavina's neck and buried her sobbing head in her shoulder.

  "We're heading to the hospital," Andy said. "It'll only be twenty minutes or so."

  "Thank you," Lavina said. She was still deep in thought, bit on her lower lip and gave Steve's hand a squeeze.

  A small crowd waited as the helicopter landed on the helipad at one of the city's public hospitals and reporters converged on the three as they dashed out under the rotor and were shown into a waiting ambulance for the short journey to the hospital itself.

  "How did you survive the storm?" a voice called out. "Is it true you were in the Cessna crash...? "A week in the bush is sure a..."

  The voices became a jumble as Andy elbowed the reporters and television cameras out of the way, jumped in the ambulance with the trio and yelled at the driver to get going.

  *

  An hour later, Lavina studied the doctor's face and tried to fathom his facial expression. Something was wrong!

  "Mrs. Ryland," the hospital consultant said. "I'm Doctor Maurice Chappel. I was called in to examine your daughter's toes. They're more than just badly bruised, I'm afraid. She has frostbite. Two toes on her left foot need to be amputated immediately."

  "Oh my God! Is there no other way?"

  "I am afraid not, Mrs. Ryland. It's necessary to perform the operation as soon as possible. One more day in those hills and she could have lost all her toes on both feet, or even a foot itself. You'll need to sign the necessary papers."

  "It's not fair, doctor. After all this..." Lavina blinked back tears and held a trembling hand out to sign the document on the clipboard held out for her. "Will there be any complications?"

  "I believe she'll be fine, Mrs. Ryland. We'll need to keep a close eye on the other foot but I'm almost certain it will heal. Youngsters Cathy's age have remarkable resilience, Mrs. Ryland," the doctor continued. “She'll need crutches for a few weeks and may have to learn to rebalance herself when walking. Within a few months you'll hardly be able to tell she has missing toes."

  "Months!"

  "It could be shorter."

  "I want to tell her myself," Lavina said. "Steve too, please.”

  "Is he the girl's father?"

  'No," the distraught woman snapped. "A thousand times better than her natural father. Her father was the bastard who caused it all."

  The doctor nodded as if he understood. "We'll be along to prepare your daughter in fifteen minutes," he said kindly.

  Lavina nodded and walked out of the small office to where Steve was waiting.

  "What's wrong?" Steve asked after one look at her pallid face.

  "It's Cathy," Lavina sobbed. "Her toes."

  "Frostbite?"

  "You knew?"

  "I guessed," Steve said. "We'll tell her together, shall we?"

  "Yes." Lavina led Steve into the adjacent room where Cathy was lying in a bed with a nurse fussing around her.

  "What's wrong, Mum?"

  "The doctor said they have to amputate two of your toes on your left foot, Cathy."

  Cathy nodded but seemed to take the news well. "Will it hurt?"

  "No, sweetheart. You won't feel a thing."

  "Will you and Steve stay at the hospital while it's being done?"

  "Of course." Steve smiled down at her. "And when you come out of hospital you can stay at my place. Okay?"

  "No more boarding school?"

  "No more boarding school," Lavina said.

  *

  Lavina's next big hurdle was visiting the farm. The immediate neighbours had helped by feeding the dogs and supervising the farm animals since her disappearance and the subsequent news of Grant's death. She had accepted Bob and Fiona McPherson's offer to continue to keep an eye on the farm as she did not feel up to staying in her own home.

  *

  Grant Ryland's funeral was well attended by family, friends and acquaintances. Afterwards, at the traditional light afternoon tea in the funeral home Lavina moved from one group of mourners to another, saying the usual things one says at a funeral, promising to contac
t old friends again and knowing, full well it wouldn't happen.

  Finally, she moved to the side of the reception room and took a few moments to sip coffee and restore her thoughts. She'd asked Steve not to come and Cathy was still in hospital so the people most important to her were not with her.

  "It's all your fault!" a harsh female voice said from behind.

  "Pardon me?" Lavina turned and saw a young woman dressed in a formal suit. Her mind raced trying to trace the person. Of course, it was Janice Ludlow, her late husband's mistress.

  The woman had been weeping but now her eyes were hard and uncompromising. "It's all your fault Grant is dead," she hissed. "Grant was an excellent pilot and no way would the plane have just crashed."

  "Now listen here..."

  "And I'm going to prove it."

  Before Lavina could respond, another woman approached and stood beside her. "Go home, Janice," she said. "This isn't the time or place to vent your anger. Grant was killed in an accident and, from what I heard, Lavina has also been through a tragic time."

  It was Nancy Ryland, Grant's first wife. Lavina watched as Janice Ludlow snorted and stormed away before turning to the woman.

  "Don't worry about her, Lavina," Nancy said. "She's just like her mother. Mary always was a trouble maker."

  "Thank you," Lavina replied and bit on her lip, not knowing what to say next.

  "I'm Nancy Morrow now," the older woman replied with a gentle smile. She was still small in stature but looked well dressed and not the frail creature Lavina remembered. "Grant was a bit of a bastard, wasn't he?"

  "He was?" Lavina said.

  "And I heard this Janice Ludlow was his latest bit of fluff."

  "Like me thirteen years ago."

  "Not really." Nancy sighed. "I felt sorry for you then, Lavina. I knew what Grant was like. You weren't the first he put in the family way. The others just sort of disappeared from the district. Anyhow, that was years ago. How are you, anyway?"

  "I was fine until Janice Ludlow accosted me."

  "Forget about her." Nancy said. "Look, come over and meet Blake, my husband. We've been married five years, now."