by J. R. Bonham
“We’ll see. Come on, Lulu and Steven, get your things together,” Jan shouted to the children. “Daddy’s coming to the beach tomorrow. That’ll be great won’t it?”
“Yeh, Daddy’s coming too. Daddy’s coming too,” Louise chanted.
Jan started on the picnic as soon as she got up and before the children rose. Geoff came into the kitchen, groggy-eyed. Jan knew as soon as she saw him what he was going to say.
“I think I’m coming down with the flu!”
“Oh really? I think it’s probably just a cold. You’ll be OK.” What Jan really wanted to say was, ‘I knew you would try and get out of going to the beach – is that the best you can do?’ She had heard it all before, many times.
Jan felt like she was dragging Geoff to the beach against his will, but he did go. She more or less forced him into it. Geoff played with Louise and Steven while Jan took the opportunity for a bit of sunbathing before she joined in with the fun and games.
They did leave a little earlier than she was expecting, but not until they had had their picnic that Jan had so lovingly prepared earlier.
“That was great, Dad, can we do it again?” Louise asked her Dad.
“We’ll see,” was all Geoff could manage before lighting up a cigarette.
“Oh, Dad, do you have to smoke another cigarette? They smell awful! I hate it.”
‘Out of the mouths of babes,’ Jan thought, as Louise moaned at her dad.
“I’d throw them away if I knew I would get away with it!” Louise said more quietly, so he wouldn’t hear. She was afraid he would scold her.
Jan had a phone call from her mother a few days later. She was very excited.
“Clare’s decided to come home at last. I think she’s met a man out in Australia, but I’m not sure if he’s coming with her. Guess what! She’s actually on her way right now! They are coming back via the Trans-Siberian Railway all through Russia, so it’ll be a while before they get here.” Audrey was very excitable at the best of times, but now she could hardly contain herself.
“Oh, that’s fantastic, I’ve missed her. I can’t wait. The Trans-Siberian Railway, that sounds very exotic. How exciting!” Jan said to her mother.
“It looks like Clare will be coming back from Down Under very soon,” Jan told Geoff enthusiastically. “Mum got an airmail letter from her today and it appears she was leaving there as she was posting the letter. Mum says she’s met a man there and he’s coming too, although she wasn’t sure. I think she was reading between the lines, making it up as she was going along! Anyway according to her, they should be back any day.”
“Oh.” Geoff was not in the least bit interested and carried on reading the newspaper without even looking up. He hid the packet of cigarettes before his daughter found them and threw them away. He had actually heard what she had said under her breath.
“Maybe we could ask her to come down and stay with us when she does come back,” Jan asked. “I can’t wait to hear all about Australia and what she’s been up to.”
“Do we have to?”
“Well, I’d like to see her so she can tell us first hand all that she’s been up to. A letter doesn’t explain everything. Apparently, she’s had lots of different jobs just to earn some money. It seems dead cheap to live there, although I expect she’s been roughing it. I don’t suppose she’ll tell Mum and Dad most of what she’s been up to! I’ll ring her when she gets home and we’ll have a good catch-up and hopefully, she’ll come and see us. And bring him too if he really exists.”
Clare duly arrived a few days later, on her own, at Bristol airport having had lots of connecting flights from Moscow where the train ended its long journey. Audrey and Ken went to fetch her from the airport.
“Hello, it’s been such a long time,” Audrey gushed to her eldest child. “It’s lovely to see you and… Oh!” Audrey had a sudden intake of breath. She noticed Clare’s impending state of health; a rather large belly which looked likely to explode at any time.
“I’m exhausted!” was all Clare could manage. “That journey is a killer. I don’t think I want to do that again in a hurry.” She had ignored Audrey’s surprise remark and look.
“Your father’s getting the car. Should you button up your coat, d’you think?”
“Why is that? Is that so Dad won’t see what is obvious to you? I think he might guess as soon as he sees me! Oh God, get me home, I need a rest.”
“Hello, Clare… Oh!” Ken looked at Clare with the same look as her mother gave her.
“Oh, don’t you start! Yes, as you can see I’m pregnant. Very pregnant. Which is why I have come back, mainly. The health service in Oz is not nearly as good as here.” She tried to give both her parents a hug, but they didn’t really know how to respond except with a quick peck on the cheek.
Ken drove them all home in silence. Audrey tried to keep a conversation going, but it was all one-sided. Clare crashed out in the back of the car and didn’t say another word.
“We’ll take her home, put her to bed and talk to her tomorrow,” Audrey told Ken.
“That’ll be best I think,” Ken concurred.
That was exactly what they did. They weren’t going to grill their daughter while she was in such a state. Ken took all her bags to the bedroom, while Audrey helped Clare upstairs and into bed for very much-needed bed rest.
At 10.30 the next morning Clare woke up. The whole journey had seemed like a dream to her. She wondered how she had got all the way from Australia and then into her parents’ home and into bed? In her old bed no less! She must have managed somehow because that was where she was. Although Audrey and Ken had nearly sold the big old house they were going to be there for a while yet, at least a few more weeks.
“A nice cup of tea?” Audrey had been listening at the door for when her daughter woke up and she could hear her stirring.
“Oh, wonderful, thanks.” Clare was so chuffed to be waited on, anything would be good right now.
Audrey went to put the kettle on and Clare stumbled to the bathroom. She looked in the mirror and didn’t like what was staring back at her. She sat on the loo for ages contemplating her next move. She had a quick wash and by then Audrey was back with a teapot and two cups on a tray with some biscuits.
“So,” Audrey began. “What have you been up to?”
“That seems a silly question right now. Or are you asking me if I’ve had a rave in Australia? In that case, the answer is yes. It was fab. All of it. Don’t regret a thing. Well, maybe one thing,” she said as she looked down at her tummy.
“Do you know whose it is?” Audrey was trying to be a modern person with few morals, which of course she wasn’t so it did not suit her. But she tried all the same. She thought it would be the only way her daughter would open up to her.
“Of course I do! I’m not a slut!” A slight pause then as Clare thought of the next thing to say, which told Audrey that maybe Clare will make something up to keep her mother happy. “His name is James. Well, Jamie actually, he doesn’t like James, he says it sounds like he’s a chauffeur! He couldn’t come over with me because he’s working. He’s not an Australian, you’ll be pleased to know. He’s English and has been in Oz for longer than me. We met at a party and he’s lovely.”
“Oh, well, that’s nice. And dare I ask if you are going back there once the baby is born? And where will you get married?” Audrey had noticed a slight Australian drawl to Clare’s speech which was a bit disappointing to her. Clare ignored the last remark.
“Oh no, I don’t think so. I expect Jamie will come back here when he’s ready.”
“And how will you support yourself until then?” Audrey enquired.
“I’ve got a bit put by. I can find a job and I think Jamie will send some money when it’s needed.”
“You think! Surely if he’s going to be a responsible father to your child then he should be
here with you supporting you all the way, not only with money but with somewhere to live too.” Audrey couldn’t keep the thought out of her head that Clare would want to stay with her parents and bring up her child. What would Ken say? Ken was safely at work when this conversation took place. Audrey would tell him what she thought he’d need to know when he came home. She would thrash it out with Clare first.
“Oh, I don’t know. I’m just too tired to think at the moment.” Clare crawled back into bed. “We’ll talk about it later. Thanks for the tea but if you don’t mind, can you leave me alone right now?”
Ken got home at his usual time after a drink or two and a few games of spoof at the pub with his business friends. Just in time for supper. Clare had risen and was in a much better mood by now.
“Hi, Dad. Good day at work?” Clare wanted to keep him in a good mood in case he had questions to ask her himself. Just like the grilling she had had from her mother that morning.
“Good evening. And did you have a nice rest in bed?”
“God, yes, it was marvellous. I feel so much better now,” said Clare in her slight Aussie twang.
“Suppertime,” shouted Audrey from the kitchen.
“Come on, let’s go and eat, we can talk afterwards,” said Ken to his favourite daughter.
They ate their meal in near silence. Clare was starving. She had only had a small sandwich for lunch and then had gone back to bed until the time her father came home.
After supper, Ken opened a bottle of port and gave a little drop to Clare – with a bigger glass to Audrey and a beer for himself.
“A toast to your home-coming. But I’ve only given you a small one in case you’re not supposed to have too much alcohol in your condition.”
“Thanks. It is good to be home. How are John and Vera since their wedding and their baby boy? I can’t wait to see them all.” Clare tried to veer away from the subject of her own predicament. “And Jan and Geoff, now they’re in Devon? I bet Jan’s lonely down there as she won’t know anyone.”
“She always says she’s OK, although I think she’s lost some of her bubbliness if you know what I mean. It’s like she’s going through the motions. I’m not sure if she’s getting on very well with Geoff, but nothing you can put your finger on. She’s a great mum to the kids, though. She wants you to give her a ring. I think she’d like to see you too, when you feel up to making the journey. We could all go down to the cottage in Shaleham and then you can kill two birds with one stone. Meet Louise and Steven too. They are lovely kids, growing so fast,” Audrey imparted.
“I can’t wait. But if you speak to her first, I’d appreciate you didn’t say anything about me,” Clare said while smoothing her hand over her stomach. “… If you know what I mean?”
“My lips are sealed. Are we allowed to ask you what your intentions are now?” Audrey was trying to tread very carefully.
“Yes,” chipped in Ken. “What’s the next step? Is the father of this baby of yours going to come to England to support his child?”
“Of course he is! Just not sure when, that’s all. He’s working on a project that he just can’t get out of at the moment.”
“Oh, he’s got a proper job then?” Ken asked.
“Yes, he’s got a proper job and he’s a proper person. He’s not a fly-by-night, he’s a thoroughly decent chap. You’ll like him I’m sure. I know it was a bit of a shock to you yesterday, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before I came but I thought you’d worry too much.” Clare was trying to get her side of the story across before her parents became too alarmed to think of their daughter travelling on her own halfway around the world in her extended condition.
“Oh, well, that’s OK then. When will we get to meet him?” Ken kept trying to plug away. It was like drawing teeth, he thought.
“As soon as he can get away. His employment card is due to expire soon anyway and his parents are keen for him to come home. They live in Cornwall. Apparently, they’re quite elderly and retired. He has two other brothers who are out in Oz too. I haven’t met them because they were travelling around, although I expect Jamie will want to meet up with them before he comes home.”
“Ah, we have a name for him too! Jamie. That’s the first time you’ve mentioned his name.” Ken wasn’t around when Clare told Audrey what his name was.
“Well, it’s James actually but I call him Jamie as all the Aussies do. You’d better get used to it. I think I’ll give Jan a call now if that’s OK. When will we be able to go down to see them? Next weekend d’you think? I can’t wait. I’ll go and see John and Vera too before then, but it’s Jan I really want to see. When I left after her wedding I wasn’t very nice to her and I want to apologise.”
“G’day Sheila!” Clare shouted down the phone, putting on more of an Aussie twang than she really had. This was as soon as Jan had picked up the phone.
“Oh My God! Is that really you?” Jan was delighted to hear her sister’s voice after such a long time.
“It sure is. Lovely to hear your voice after all this time.”
“Yours too. Are you home now? When can I see you?” Jan asked.
“Sooner than you think! This weekend. Hope you’re not too busy!”
“Never! I can’t wait! Are you coming down with Mum and Dad?”
“Yep!”
Clare went to visit John and to meet Vera and little Danny for the first time.
“How lovely to meet you at last,” Clare gave Vera a peck on the cheek. “I’ve heard so much about you. And wow, he’s a handsome chap!” Clare gushed. “I mean Danny, not you!” John was lurking nearby but smiling all the same. ‘Clare will never change,’ he thought.
“You’ve got a fab place here, you’ve made it very ‘homely’. It’s the sort of place I’d like when I get settled. Very modern.”
“Are we going to meet the father at some stage?” John said rather scathingly, looking towards Clare’s rather large tummy area.
“He’s called Jamie and yes you will, just as soon as he returns to England. Anyway, I’m going down with Mum and Dad this weekend to see Jan and the kids. It’s just so exciting our family is growing so fast. I don’t think Mum and Dad have had time to draw breath!”
They went down for the weekend and dropped Clare off at Jan’s to let them have some time together. Audrey and Ken would have plenty of time with Clare at a later stage.
“Oh My God! It really is you!” Jan was really excited to see her big sister and Clare came over to give her little sis a hug. Jan wasn’t used to this hugging ‘lark’ so she didn’t really know how to react. She gave Clare a peck on the cheek. Geoff had taken Louise and Steven to the shops to buy some sweets. That gave Clare and Jan a bit of breathing space to catch up.
“Yes, here I am in all my glory,” Clare said while proudly showing off her bump.
“Oh My God!” Jan said again, she was flabbergasted. “You’re preggers!”
“Nothing much gets past you!”
“I just thought you’d got fatter! Ha ha! Do Mum and Dad know? Well, they can’t really miss it I suppose. What did they say?” Jan was still reeling from the shock.
“Not a lot! What could they say? What’s done is done and now I’ve come home. I think they were relieved to see I had got home safely, so that was nice.”
Clare told Jan all about her exploits Down Under and she was mesmerised and envious.
“We finally got to Oz after that long journey across all those countries after being shot at by bandits in Afghanistan!”
“Yes, Mum told me about that bit, it sounded terrifying.”
“Well, that was the most exciting bit, but I didn’t tell Mum that one of our Land Rovers was hit in the petrol tank. Luckily we had a great engineer on board and he managed to fill the hole with a piece of whittled down tree branch he found nearby. The other Land Rover had spare petrol, so we managed to limp into P
akistan to get it mended properly. We got out of there as quickly as we could!”
“Wow,” Jan said in wonderment, in response to some of Clare’s exploits.
“Once we got to Oz, everyone went their separate ways. I stayed in Sydney for a while, got a waitressing job which was great fun. Then another girl and I went off backpacking all the way up to Darwin. Cadging lifts wherever we could in all sorts of different types of vehicle, but mostly in trucks. They call them ‘Utes’ there, short for utility vehicles.”
“You’ve learnt so much. They say that travelling is like the university of life. I so wish I had done that before I settled down. Maybe I’ll do my travelling in later life when the kids have left home,” Jan mused. ‘Some chance! The only problem is Geoff, he won’t want to I know, miserable git!’
“You’ll get your chance I’m sure,” Clare continued. “You had your children young so you will still be young when they’re grown up.”
“I guess so, yes. Come on, tell me more!”
“Once we got to Darwin we had to hitch a lift over to Cairns and then we travelled all the way down the Eastern Seaboard which was just out of this world. Snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef is something else! The islands too are just wonderful. My favourite is Hamilton Island. The sea is azure colour, proper turquoise, you would never get that here.”
“It all sounds fantastic. I’d love to be able to travel all over the place but just can’t, not at the moment. The world, they say, is shrinking. But not for me, it isn’t. I feel such a drudge these days.”
“Oh dear, you don’t sound very happy.”
“I’m fine, don’t worry about me. You have other things to think about. Tell me all about Jamie, he sounds a great guy.” Jan tried to avert any questions about herself.
“He is! You’ll love him. I met him in Brisbane where he’s still working. He’ll be back as soon as his contract runs out. Soon hopefully,” said Clare as she looked down at her tummy, wondering if he would actually make it before the baby was born.