by Mark Stewart
THE MOON quickly disappeared to the opposite side of the world. The sun started to shine on a brand-new day when Naomi finally dug her nose from the computer screen and looked over the top of the monitor. She watched Trent sneaking into the room and putting two coffee mugs on the desk before settling himself down in a leather recliner. Gazing into the eyes of the man Naomi knew she’d fallen in love. Trent flashed a warm smile, making her knees go to jelly. Naomi marveled again at his handsome, tanned face, his boyish looks. She sighed heavily before returning her attention to the computer.
“I didn’t know if I should talk,” quipped Trent.
Naomi giggled, hunching further over the computer keyboard. She giggled again when the fax machine whirred to life.
“Be a darling, fetch the faxed paper.”
Trent walked over to a small table by the window. He watched the paper being spat out, grabbing it before it fell to the floor.
“The name on this paper isn’t Earl Stanton.”
Naomi collected the paper from his hand. “It soon will be.”
Trent watched her erase the name and the numbers on the sheet, replacing them with the name Stanton and lots of numbers.
Finally, Naomi walked over to the fax machine, punching the numbers for the tax office. She stood smiling, watching the paper disappear before reappearing. She relayed in an authoritative voice, “done.”
Trent stepped in for a kiss.
Naomi gave him a peck on the cheek before walking back to the desk. She stacked the papers neatly, slipping them into individual manila folders.
“Where’s my proper kiss?” asked Trent, his voice sounding hurt.
“Not yet. Once I’ve stored these papers in the old cabinet, I can relax.”
Grabbing the piles of folders, Naomi knelt on the floor, opening the bottom drawer too far. The draw fell onto the slate tiles revealing more papers.
“Those old papers must have fallen at the back of the draw years ago,” announced Trent marching over.
Naomi scooped up the yellowing pile. Walking over to the desk she placed the wrinkled papers in a neat pile, ironing each one flat using the palm of her hand.
“This first paper is a legal document from the year 1898.”
Trent bent forward over the paper. “It says here in the middle of the page the government of the Northern Territory will freely give to the Stanton name all that is found out in the middle of the desert. It goes on to say the Oasis has been freely given to the Stanton family.” He looked up grinning. “It’s great news.”
Naomi dropped her gaze and read the remainder of the legal document.
“The name of the governor of the time I can’t read however the stamp is official. The last part is hard to decipher. I think it reads. Free from any form of tax is awarded to the Stanton family and the land named ‘The Oasis’ for the valuable, unselfish act the Stanton’s gave during world war one. The Stanton’s have gone above their duty. For this reason, we the government will not charge a tax of any sort or description to the Stanton family for the next three hundred years.”
Trent and Naomi looked at each other in silence. Trent eventually was the first to respond to the news. He reached out, hugging Naomi. Picking her up, he carried her to the outside swing. A rooster crowed. A fox darted past them on its journey home.
In the warming sun, the love bird’s kissed. Naomi felt happier than she ever dreamed. She certainly wasn’t going to be the first to disturb their romantic moment.
Earl Stanton stepped out onto the verandah. He stretched in the early morning air. Studying the area he gave a sharp nod. He waved at a blue heeler. Stanton stood watching the dog chase the black bull away from the cattle grid.
Trent surfaced, grinning.
“Nice morning,” called Earl. “I can feel it in me bones this will be a good day.”
His son looked puzzled. “How did you know?”
“Naomi visited me at around four this morning. I’d been pacing the floor waiting to hear news on the fate of the Oasis. You should have seen her face when I spoke from the shadows. I swear her feet left the floor.” He gave a quiet chuckle. “She told you the news?”
“Yes,” answered Trent.
“Miss Naomi Genius, not only did you save the Oasis. We have enough money left over to buy Davey’s farm and his five hundred head of cattle. I’ve been on the blower already to seal the deal. He told me to take the cows whenever I’m ready. He’s also agreed to sell me his land.”
“You’ve been wanting the farm for ten years. Why does he want to sell to us now? He doesn’t like us,” said Trent.
“He doesn’t care who gives him the money. He just doesn’t want the government to get their hands on his land.”
Trent nodded.
“I offered him a job at the Oasis,” added Stanton.
“Dad, what about Naomi, she should have the vacancy?”
“I’ve offered her a special job.”
Trent swept a puzzled look between Naomi and his father. “What have you cooked up between you?”
“I offered your father a deal he couldn’t refuse.” Naomi raised her eyebrows, her face breaking out into a widening grin.
Stanton replied walking over to the swing.
“It’s true. I’ve employed Naomi to be our official tax accountant.”
“What about the Jillaroo job?” Trent asked.
“I don’t think so. Naomi’s figure is too shapely.”
Naomi’s face flushed red with embarrassment.
Earl pointed his finger at his son. “Trent, if you upset this young woman in any way you and I will have words. Get the picture?”
Trent sent his father the famous Stanton nod.
“Excuse me, Sir,” interrupted Naomi.
“Please, call me Earl.”
“You haven’t heard the best news.”
“What could be better than what you’ve told me?” He winked. “Let me guess. You two want to get married.”
Margaret stepped onto the verandah in time to hear the word married. She clasped her hands together, sprinting over to be by her husband’s side.
“Mum, Dad, it’s not what the news is about,” blurted Trent, quickly.
“If it’s not the news, I think you should inform me?” said Earl.
Naomi showed him the official government form. Stanton held it in trembling hands. He read it at least twice before saying a word and breaking out into a dance, stirring up the drying ground.
“What’s the news?” asked Margaret, reaching out for the yellow page.
Earl handed her the letter, continuing to dance. After reading the handwritten note, Margaret joined her husband, Trent, and Naomi in a group dance.
“Not only did you save the Oasis by finding the fifty thousand dollars, you found the missing letter. It’s been missing for the past ten years. The government won’t accept what I’ve been trying to tell them. They reckon I’m so desperate to save my land I made up the rumour of a land tax pardon. I can now go to the government, demanding they pay me two hundred thousand dollars they’ve taken off me in back taxes over the years to sweep me from this land.” Earl danced towards the house consumed in the excitement. He disappeared into the house only to march back to the swing carrying four plates of bacon and eggs. “Great job, Naomi,” he admitted. “Come, everyone sits on a swing. Let’s eat breakfast together.”
“Thanks, Earl,” chirped Naomi. “Are you going to tell the remainder of your family?”
“I sure will the moment they arrive here for breakfast. Till then this moment belongs to us four. How do you feel about a small roundup? I don’t want Davey to suddenly change his mind.”
Naomi’s eyes sparkled at thinking about the upcoming cattle muster. “Sounds like a job a city girl can’t turn her nose up at.”
When the small group had finished breakfast Earl collected the bacon scraps.
“Watch what happens when I clap my hands,” Trent said.
Naomi’s eyes widened when she heard thu
d after thud hitting the polished verandah boards. Before she could turn to see what made the commotion six blue heeler dogs were swirling around Trent. Twelve excited eyes glanced at Naomi.
“Sit,” commanded Trent.
Earl stood, staring at the dogs. They scampered from Trent’s side, jumping for the bacon.
“Down the lot of you,” Stanton growled.
Six backsides hit the deck.
“Well trained dogs,” laughed Naomi.
“Don’t be fooled over their shenanigans. They do exactly what they’re trained to do,” explained Earl.
“Especially when they’re about to eat a small meal of bacon,” added Trent.
“What are they trained for?”
“They round up cattle.”
Naomi’s expression portrayed a woman who looked full of doubt.
“I’ll prove it,” boasted Trent.
Earl looked over, grinning at Naomi’s disbelief.
Trent whistled twice. Six dogs stood, giving him their full attention. He gave three sharp whistles making the dogs sit as one. Trent grinned mischievously.
“If I give four sharp whistles they attack.” He stuck three fingers in his mouth.
Naomi tried to swallow the lump in her throat as she counted each of his four whistles. The dogs turned their heads and stared at her. Naomi stepped back. The dogs ran towards her. She screamed, climbing the swing. Twenty-four paws came running at full tilt, surrounding Trent. He and Earl fell onto a swing laughing uncontrollably.
“Trent, you tricked me,” growled Naomi. “I’m not amused.”
Earl and Trent instantly ceased laughing. His next whistle saw the dogs run off. Trent scooped Naomi into his arms to kiss her anger away.
“Sorry, I played a Bush joke. The dogs wouldn’t hurt Charlie let alone attack. They were confused over the four whistles. The dogs probably thought they’d get more bacon to eat.”
Using a casual swipe of her hand, Naomi slapped Trent’s face. Leaning in she kissed his cheek.
Earl came strolling up, clearing his throat. “Come on you two; we have a job to do. By the time we arrive at Davey’s farm, I mean, my farm, it’ll be midmorning.”
Inside twenty minutes Trent’s brothers were fetched, the horses were saddled, and the motorbikes had been fuelled. Trent gave a sharp whistle. The dogs sprinted back. Telling the good news to his brothers they roared, throwing their wide-brimmed hats high into the air. The dogs chorused by barking.
Naomi watched Trent’s family kiss each other goodbye. They followed Earl in pairs towards a narrow path which led to the vertical wall, surrounding the Oasis.
By the time the group reached the base of the vertical cliff, Naomi felt comfortable on the back of a black horse. His name was Ben. Trent rode a fit ex-racehorse. Its nickname was Tiger. Glancing at the sky, Naomi saw the clouds moving at speed above their heads, disappearing over the wall.
The trail leading to the top looked narrow. For the first few minutes, Naomi kept her stare locked on the cliff face, too frightened to look at the shrinking base. She felt amazed at how easily her horse could stay in the middle of the sheep track. She surmised it had completed ascending and descending the wall many times. Eventually, she summoned enough will power to glance at the aerial view of the Oasis. The scene from the plane didn’t give the oval shaped hole in the ground justice. She wanted to stop her horse just to stare at the serenity and the actual size of the place. The vivid colours of the walls from the top to the base of the Oasis were captivating. Naomi even spied a rainbow stretching the width of the oval shaped canyon.
“I did mention to you this place is magnificent,” declared Trent, from behind.
Naomi swiveled on her saddle, grinning at the man staring at her. He’d unclipped his rope and looked more than ready to use it.
“What’s wrong?”
“I have the rope ready just in case someone falls off the side.”
A warm feeling flowed through Naomi’s body from her feet to her head. Trent, her knight in shining armor, seemed almost faultless. The only thing lacking was the perfect gift. She faced the way they were travelling, pondering if he could ever discover it. She allowed her shoulders to slump. Inwardly she contemplated the question.
‘Did she need him to discover the perfect gift?’
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN