Cool Bananas

by Margaret Clark

  ‘Does it look professional enough?’ she fretted, tilting her head one way and then the other.

  ‘It looks brilliant. Even my amateurish bits.’

  ‘Good. Now we can enjoy my surprise. Wash up and then come and sit at the table.’

  Flick went to the bathroom and scrubbed the paint off her hands. What was her friend up to now? She strolled into the dining room and stopped short. On the table was a large birthday cake with candles blazing, and four plates.

  ‘Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Flick-wick, happy birthday to you,’ sang Liz.

  ‘Who? What? Where? How?’ gasped Flick.

  ‘You forgot why. It’s your birthday.’

  Flick sat down. ‘Four plates? Who else is coming?’

  ‘Well, I thought we could pretend that Tim and Josh were here.’ Liz grinned. ‘We know they’re here in spirit if not physically, so they can have some cake too. Like, imagine it. Then they can eat their cake tomorrow.’

  ‘You’re a sweetie,’ said Flick, giving Liz a huge hug and nearly burning her arm in the process.

  But as she did, Flick glanced over Liz’s shoulder at the deep red roses arranged carefully in a vase on the sideboard. Maybe there should’ve been a fifth plate?

  They each scoffed two pieces of yummy blackforest cake, rich with chocolate shavings, cherries and cream. The cake had been made by Kay, who’d been hoping to have a little birthday party at the store, but it had been too hot and they’d all been too tired, and Kay had forgotten that the cake was hidden away in the coolroom, so Liz had asked Kay’s permission to sneak it home in her bag.

  ‘We have to get to bed,’ said Flick, patting her tummy. ‘Although how I’ll sleep when I’m so full of cake I don’t know.’

  She was just drifting off a little later when the first patterings of raindrops fell on the roof and the wind stirred the curtains at her window. The cool change had come. Finally.

  The jangling of the phone made her jump. Who could be phoning at this hour?

  She crawled out of bed and went to answer it.

  ‘Is that you, Flick?’

  ‘Mum!’

  ‘Happy birthday, darling.’

  Flick didn’t care how her mother had found where she was and got the number. She’d probably phoned Kay. But as she chatted to her mother and told her all the news, Flick felt the happiest she’d been in ages.

  ‘Did you get your parcel?’ Mum asked.

  ‘No.’

  ‘I sent it to the Coolini Beach general store,’ said her mother anxiously.

  ‘Well, it might arrive tomorrow. It’s Sunday here.’

  They chatted on and Flick got the distinct impression that her mother was seeing through Rolf at last. Big cracks seemed to be appearing in what Mum had thought was a solid relationship, and there were vague murmurings about leaving New York and coming home.

  Strangely, Flick wasn’t bursting with excitement at the news. Of course she was pleased, but she hadn’t seen her mother for nearly two years. Things had changed. She’d changed.

  ‘That’s fantastic, Mum,’ Flick said, because it was. Maybe the two of them could get closer to each other again.

  Finally, she hung up the phone, smiling to herself. Never mind that Mum might suddenly turn up at Coolini Beach one day with a bursting suitcase and a heap of emotional needs. Because Mum had remembered her birthday!

  CHAPTER 8

  Flick and Liz walked down the hill carrying the sign between them. Flick took a deep breath, revelling in the new day. It was Monday morning, the air was sweet and clean after the hot dusty dryness of the previous day, and the sun was beaming through the glistening trees. A soft sea-breeze would keep the temperature down to bearable, and they’d heard on the news that the fire was out due to the steady rain that had fallen during the night.

  ‘I met him on a Monday and my heart stood still,’ warbled Flick, ‘a doo ran-ran-ran, a doo-ran-ran.’

  ‘What the hell? Where’d that come from? Out of the ark?’ Liz grinned at her friend. It was great to see her so happy for a change. Since discovering the body, a part of Flick’s ebullient nature seemed to have faded away. This was the old Flick!

  ‘My dad used to sing it to me.’ Flick laughed. ‘Isn’t this a great day? Mum phoned, Tim’s coming back, we’ve finished the sign, no bushfires today, and it’s the Coolini Beach Shake contest this afternoon. What more could I want?’

  ‘Yeah, I feel like that too. Josh will be back and so will Mum and Dad. I’ve loved living without them, but I can’t stand the housework.’ Liz grinned. ‘I’m looking forward to being spoilt. You can still live with us if you want to, Flick. There’s heaps of room.’

  ‘I know. But sometimes I like to curl up in my own space,’ said Flick. ‘My bus is waiting, and if I don’t turf Roxie out she’ll have squatter’s rights or something.’

  Then she started singing again, and Liz joined in with the doo-ran-ran-rans as they marched down the hill.

  ‘This sign’s heavy,’ said Flick as they reached the bottom. ‘We’ll show Kay and if she likes it, we’ll put it at the edge of the main road.’

  ‘I don’t suppose she needs to get council approval, do you?’

  ‘Nah.’

  They were just about to turn into the store when a battered-looking red station wagon came charging down the hill going too fast. Gravel spun from the wheels as it passed them, showering their bare legs. The driver braked hard, sending more gravel flying.

  ‘Moron,’ yelled Flick.

  Danny wound down the driver’s window and gave them the finger.

  ‘I’d watch where I walked if I were you,’ he jeered. ‘There could be two more bodies chucked over the cliffs.’

  ‘Is that a threat? And can I record it?’ said Flick, trying not to show them that they’d rattled her.

  ‘No threat, babe, just an invitation,’ he said, as his mates yee-hahed and whistled. ‘Play chicken and see how you go.’

  ‘Yeah, right.’

  ‘Don’t bother with them,’ said Liz in a low voice. ‘They’re just trying to scare us.’

  She hoisted the sign a little higher. ‘Let’s go, Flick.’

  With a roar Danny gunned the engine and the car went screaming out onto the main road, tyres squealing, and nearly knocked over a mother crossing the road with her two children.

  ‘I’m reporting him,’ she said as she neared Flick and Liz. ‘I’ve got his number. Louts like that shouldn’t be on the road.’

  ‘So. More trouble for our greasy hero,’ Flick remarked, after the woman had admired the sign and gone into the store.

  ‘Kay,’ Liz called through the door. ‘Can you come here for a minute? We’ve got a surprise for you.’

  ‘It’s worth it,’ said the woman. ‘Go on. I can serve myself while you’re out there. I only need bread, milk and papers.’

  Kay hurried to the door, wiping her hands on her apron. She gaped when she saw the sign.

  ‘You do like it, don’t you?’ asked Liz doubtfully.

  In broad daylight it did look rather garish with black and red curly writing across a sea of blue and a forest of green and the koala and surfer as well. Maybe they should’ve kept it more simple.

  Flick swung it around proudly. ‘See? Both sides the same so you can snaffle tourists from either side.’

  Kay was awestruck. ‘It’s beautiful,’ she said at last, and tears welled in her eyes. ‘No one’s ever made me a sign like this before. I don’t know how to thank you both. How much do I owe you?’

  ‘Nothing. It’s a gift,’ said Flick. ‘We absolutely refuse to take any money.’

  Angela came out to have a look and so did Cam, who was managing to hobble around with his foot in plaster, looking a bit like a lopsided robot but able to do a few jobs.

  ‘Rufus,’ said Angela.

  ‘What does rufus mean?’ Cam looked puzzled.

  ‘You know. Cool bananas.’

  Cam shrugged. He figured that mean
t excellent, brilliant, superb and magnificent, because that’s what he thought the sign was.

  ‘It’s not just an ordinary sign, it’s a work of art,’ he said.

  ‘Will we put it on the roadside now?’

  ‘Sure thing,’ said Kay. ‘And I’ll give you a hand. No, Cam, you mind the store. We can do it.’

  Between them they carried the sign to the side of the Great Ocean Road and positioned it a few metres before the turn-off to the Coolini Beach store.

  ‘Is it standing evenly?’ Liz fretted, pulling the boards out a bit further.

  ‘It’s perfect.’ They all gazed at it proudly.

  ‘I think that deserves a celebration,’ said Kay. ‘Let’s open up a bottle of champagne.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Champagne and orange juice for brekky,’ said Kay with a wink, ‘and some nice warm croissants with melted butter and my special strawberry jam. What do you think?’

  ‘But you haven’t got a licence for alcohol,’ Flick blurted out.

  ‘I’m not selling it to you, it’s a small private function in the courtyard,’ said Kay. ‘There’s nothing illegal in that. And if Sylvester’s there he can have some too.’

  ‘What about the shop?’

  ‘Cam’s there. And don’t die, but Roxie’s there too. Yes, I know, a modern miracle. Up at seven and says she’s going on the wagon forever. She’s been grog-free for one day so far. So she can just have the OJ.’

  ‘What about Cam?’

  ‘He can have some champers while I serve. Come on, I didn’t think you girls were so prim and proper!’

  In a festive mood they all walked back to the store.

  ‘I’ll let the council know about my road sign later on when they open,’ said Kay. ‘They shouldn’t have any objections.’

  ‘The health inspector might be coming to look at the hot food van today,’ said Flick. ‘Would he know anything about council laws and road signs?’

  ‘The health inspector?’ Kay stopped in her tracks. ‘You mean Freddy Burns? How do you know that?’

  ‘Well … it’s a long story.’ Liz looked at Flick. ‘Let’s open the champagne and we’ll tell you.’

  So Cam minded the store while they went out into the courtyard. Fortunately, there was no sign of Sylvester. Kay opened the champagne with a loud pop and poured half a glass each, topping it up with orange juice. Roxie, who’d miraculously surfaced for the early shift, pulled a face.

  ‘I wouldn’t mind just half a glass,’ she said.

  ‘Then you’ll want half a bottle, then a case of it,’ said Kay severely. ‘You’re either on the wagon or you’re not, so make up your mind.’

  ‘Okay, okay. Just give me the OJ. But what are we celebrating? Did someone win Tattslotto or something?’

  ‘The girls painted me a sign,’ said Kay happily.

  ‘So where is it?’

  ‘You’ll have to wander down the road if you want to see it,’ said Cam. ‘It’s a sandwich board-type of sign. It’s fantastic.’

  Roxie nodded. ‘I’ll have a look later,’ she said. ‘Right now, the sun’s giving me a headache.’

  ‘Withdrawal symptoms,’ said Cam.

  Roxie gave him a dirty look.

  ‘Right. A toast. Here’s to the new sign bringing us in lots of customers,’ said Kay, raising her glass. ‘And to the two wonderful girls who went to so much trouble to make it.’

  They all clinked their glasses.

  ‘You realise,’ said Flick with a straight face, ‘that if more people see the sign and pull in, and on top of that the van gets closed down, we’ll have created more work for ourselves. How dumb can we be?’

  ‘In that case you’ll get a raise in pay.’ Kay grinned. ‘And I’ll put on more staff to fill the gaps. Now, what’s this about the van and Freddy coming to inspect it?’

  ‘Well, we don’t know if the guy’s name’s Freddy, but … You tell it, Angela.’

  ‘There’s a heap of shit bags in that van,’ said Angela.

  ‘What? They’re selling sheep manure?’

  ‘No, I mean human shit bags.’

  ‘Watch your language!’ said Kay, who wasn’t above using a few choice words herself when the moment arose.

  Angela wasn’t particularly forthcoming with the story, so Liz and Flick filled in the gaps. Angela had spent a torrid night with Nathan in his tent and when he’d got up early to go surfing, she hadn’t been able to get back to sleep, so she was already yawning her head off.

  And Roxie, who’d been visited by Nathan in Flick’s bus at dawn, had then got up and cleaned up the empty bottles from two nights before, emptied ashtrays, wiped all surfaces, dusted and swept, and washed the sheets and towels, so she was feeling a bit out of it too. And, yes, going without grog was making her edgy.

  Of course, neither of the girls knew that Nathan had been with both of them. And neither of them knew that he was proudly telling a couple of his mates what a stud he was, satisfying two females like Angela and Roxie within a few hours of each other. If they’d known, he would’ve been bald and ball-less in two seconds flat!

  ‘I don’t think Freddy Burn will find enough hard evidence to close down the van,’ said Kay with a shrug when they told her the story, omitting the part where Angela had decked Little Miss Pink. ‘Anyway, if it opens today, we have our Coolini Beach Shake contest this afternoon, so that will put us on the map, and no one will have trouble finding the store with our brand-new roadside sign.’

  She bustled inside and Cam came out for a quick champers and croissant, and then it was full steam ahead for the breakfast crowd pouring in the door. The cooler weather meant they had hearty appetites, and with the van being temporarily closed, they’d all come back to Kay’s store.

  ‘Omigod, what have we done?’ said Liz, as more and more customers kept pouring through the door.

  ‘We’ve created a monster. Can’t these people have Vegemite and toast at home?’

  Flick pushed the hair out of her eyes as she furiously slapped butter on yet more slices of toast. Compliments were flying around about the new road sign, which quite a lot of people had noticed as they’d come back from early morning walks on the beach.

  ‘I’d better phone the council,’ muttered Kay, ‘before they find out from someone else.’

  So she quickly rang through and spoke to the person in charge of public advertising. He wanted more information about the sign and was quite surprised when Kay described it in detail and said who’d designed it.

  ‘That’s fantastic,’ he said. ‘And it actually works in well with our promotion of the coast. The tourist authority PR guys are coming down today, so it’d be a good idea if we got the press and TV to do a story about the sign. You say that two of your shop assistants did it for a surprise for you? It’s a great story.’

  ‘Yes,’ said Kay, with her brain cells clicking into forward gear, ‘and they also thought up another great promotion with my daughter Roxie. The Coolini Beach Shake competition. You know how hotels have cocktail competitions to create a new drink? Well we have the contest this afternoon at four-thirty, with fifteen entries from the Coolini Beach community and they’ll be creating a new shake. You could run the two promotions together.’

  ‘It sounds like you’re doing a lot of moving and shaking down there,’ the man said, laughing. ‘We’ll be there with some media people as well, about four, okay?’

  ‘Fine. And, um, is Freddy Burns there?’

  ‘I’ll put you back to reception. See you at four.’

  The receptionist took a while to answer. Kay tapped her foot impatiently. There was too much work needed doing for her to be stuck on the end of the receiver waiting to be connected. She was about to hang up when the receptionist answered and apologised for keeping Kay waiting.

  ‘Could you put me through to Freddy Burns, please?’

  ‘Sorry, he’s had to go out today.’

  ‘Not this way by any chance?’

  ‘Sorry. I can’t give you t
hat information.’

  ‘That’s okay. I’ll catch up with him again another time. Bye.’

  Kay hung up. She’d been going to save Freddy a trip, but then on the other hand, if he found that the hot food van wasn’t complying with health standards then maybe it was better left alone. But the Shake PR and publicity for the sign were a coup. She went to tell the staff her news.

  ‘I can’t believe this is happening.’ She beamed. ‘Free publicity. That is,’ she looked suspiciously at Roxie, ‘I suppose you have organised the free weekend hotel accommodation?’

  ‘I have,’ said Roxie. She fiddled with her bracelet. ‘I just need to go and see someone, Mum. I’ll be back in a minute.’

  ‘You’d better be,’ said Kay, as the orders mounted. She smiled grimly as she looked out the window and saw Roxie hurry across the road to the public phone box. She knew her daughter very well.

  ‘And here’s hoping the hotel manager on the other end of the line gives her the freebies, or I’ll have to fork out for them,’ she muttered to herself as she hurried into the kitchen and started putting yet more sausages, steaks, onions, eggs, bacon and tomatoes onto the hotplate.

  By midmorning they were all worn out. Tania and Sophie arrived to find a mountain of dishes and people lined up for morning teas.

  ‘Well, you have to make hay while the sun shines,’ said Cam, who’d been filling gas bottles.

  Noon was another nightmare, with all the tables filled to the brim. Kay sent Roxie into Lorne to buy more frozen flake from the fish shop, and bags of frozen crinkle-cut chips, lettuce, sliced cheese and buns from the supermarket, because they’d almost used all the supplies from the coolroom.

  ‘I still have to make the scones and get through the Devonshire teas,’ she moaned to Cam. ‘Then it’ll be a mad rush to set up for the contest. I don’t think my sore feet are going to make it.’

  ‘Not a problem. I can make the scones.’