Crimson Dawn

by Fleur McDonald

  Laura hadn’t been joking when she told the girls they’d be judged too, and this morning she was dressed in a striped shirt that had been ironed within an inch of its life, her best RM Williams boots and crisp clean moleskins. In her jacket pocket, her fingers closed on the small pin Howie had given her before he died. Laura took out the badge and looked at it for a moment before pinning it to her lapel. With a deep breath, she straightened and threw her head backwards, wishing just for one moment Howie could be beside her.

  Can you see, Papa? she wondered silently. Do you know what I’m doing? Do you approve? Then she dismissed her musings: he’d support her no matter what she did.

  She thought about the email she’d received that morning. Where the name of the sender would usually announce itself were the words: ‘Don’t come.’ There was nothing written in the body of the email.

  Laura was pretty sure Meghan had sent it, but could hardly believe it herself, it seemed so petty and immature. She put it out of her mind. Meghan wasn’t going to spoil her day, she was determined.

  At the entrance to the showgrounds, she pointed to her badge and held up an exhibitor card. The elderly man on the gate smiled and waved her through. ‘You’re too much of a whipper-snapper to be a life member of the Agricultural Society,’ he said with a knowing wink. ‘Pinch it from your dad, did you?’

  ‘No! It was my Papa’s.’ She glanced down at the pin again. ‘Before he died he had the membership transferred to me somehow. I’ve got the papers at home. Sorry, I didn’t think to bring them.’

  ‘Only pulling your leg, love. Happens a lot. Sorry about your granddad. Who was he? Been on this gate for nigh on forty years. Mighta known him.’

  ‘Howie. Howie Murphy.’ She took the program he offered and glanced at the line-up behind her, not really wanting to get into a conversation. She was too nervous.

  ‘Howie! I knew Howie. Lot of people knew him. But I didn’t know he’d passed.’ He looked at her with kind eyes. ‘Sorry for your loss. He was a good man, he was. Always spoke to us gate-men.’ He touched his hat and smiled again. ‘You have a good day, young lady.’ Then he turned to the next person. Laura hurried away, thankful the exchange hadn’t lasted any longer.

  As she drew closer to the pavilion, she could smell coffee and bacon and eggs. Those farmers who’d slept the night outside the shed, not willing to leave their animals alone, were having breakfast.

  Her stomach lurched as a man emerged from the back of his ute, his eyes sleepy and hair tousled. From a distance, he looked like Josh.

  It wasn’t, she realised a moment later, before reminding herself that he’d never spend a night roughing it, anyway, no matter how valuable his sheep were. That wasn’t the way his family did things. Nothing but five-star all the way for them nowadays.

  Inside the shed, she moved quickly to check the rams. They weren’t really sheep to her, anymore; they were pets. She’d fed, watered and talked to them every day for thirteen months, so they’d grown used to her too.

  She could tell they were pleased to hear her calming voice in the strange environment. She spoke softly and Boof gently bunted his head up against her hand. Mr Darcy and Jack had both been sitting down but opened their eyes and stood up, coming to the rails to greet her. Random had his back turned, ignoring her. Laura looked him over but saw nothing unusual. Random could be a bit like that. Social one moment, aloof the next.

  ‘It’s a bit weird, isn’t it, fellas. But don’t worry, you’ll do fine.’ She checked their feed and water trays, making sure they were clean, then gave each animal a once-over with her hands. They didn’t seem any the worse for wear from the trip and, thankfully, there was no sign they were getting an upset tummy.

  ‘They’re fine!’ It was Tegan’s voice, and Laura looked up. The students were rushing towards her, smiles on their faces. Allie was eating a steak sandwich and Robyn held a brown paper bag and a paper cup filled with what Laura assumed was coffee.

  ‘We’ve been here watching them. Robyn would have slept here last night if she’d been allowed,’ Tegan said.

  Laura had told them it was more important to have a good night’s sleep, discouraging them from staying at the show grounds.

  ‘Ha! Well, I guess they are boys and you said you’d rather be kept warm by a bloke,’ Laura said drily.

  ‘I’m not a New Zealander,’ Robyn said. ‘Hungry?’ she offered the grease-stained bag.

  ‘Those smells always make me hungry,’ Laura said as she peeked inside. ‘I love doughnuts! How did you get these? Usually nobody starts cooking until the gates open to the public.’

  ‘We bribed one of the food vendors,’ Tegan said.

  Laura arched an eyebrow as she bit into the hot sugary treat. ‘Should I ask?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Right.’ She looked around at the rest of the shed. There were only a few people other than stewards. The rest of the pens were filled with merino sheep, all in different categories. ‘I’m usually the first one here. When did you girls arrive?’

  Allie glanced at her watch and licked her fingers. ‘About three-quarters of an hour ago.’

  ‘Checked out any of the competition?’ Laura posed the question casually, while casting around, trying to get a gauge on the quality of the animals displayed.

  ‘Not really. We didn’t know if we were able to go and look without the owners around,’ Robyn said. ‘But we did walk down the aisles with our hands tucked firmly behind our backs.’

  The other two nodded.

  ‘And,’ she drew out the word, ‘obviously we’re not the judges . . .’

  ‘And obviously we’re biased,’ Tegan added.

  ‘But we’re in with a chance,’ Robyn finished.

  ‘Well, then, let’s go and have a look and you can tell me why you think so,’ Laura said, putting her teaching hat back on.

  As they made their way around the pens, Laura quizzed the girls on the pros and cons of each animal. She felt a great sense of satisfaction at their answers and the ease with which they handled the wool.

  They’d only started with her four months ago, and now here they were acting like professional judges. Their confidence made her smile with pleasure. She knew she’d made a difference in their lives. When they left next year, they’d be ready and able to hold good jobs and start to make their way up the ladder.

  ‘Hey, Laura, have you seen this one?’ Allie was bent over a hindquarter and spoke in a whisper.

  Laura followed her and saw her hands were on the animal’s testicles.

  ‘Problem?’ she asked.

  ‘One’s bigger than the other. Only marginally, but I can still tell.’

  ‘That’s not good for a show ram.’ Laura quickly ran her eyes over the rest of the body and noticed a slightly undershot jaw. ‘Look at this.’ She pointed with her eyes to the head.

  The girls nodded to show they understood and they moved on.

  When they were a safe distance away, Laura explained why it was unprofessional and bad stockmanship to show an animal like that. ‘You see, if you breed from poor genetics, you don’t get quality offspring. That ram will throw undershot jaw lambs. They can’t eat properly, which in turn means they won’t fatten, and you won’t get to sell them. It’s a domino effect. Shit in, shit out. Simple. The bad ball? It won’t matter so much in a commercial situation where all the ram lambs will be castrated and made into wethers, but there is no way you should touch that animal in a breeding situation.’

  The girls nodded again.

  They finished checking out the rest of the competition, then Laura decided it was time to get a coffee. ‘I’ll meet you back here in half an hour,’ she said, digging around in her pocket for money. ‘You going to stay or look at something else?’

  ‘I wanted to see some of the cattle, so we might wander over there,’ Tegan said.

  ‘No worries. See you soon.’ She flipped a wave as the girls left. Then, with goosebumps, she moved towards the wall where the board that boasted the name
s of past winners in all categories hung.

  There it was. ‘1985. H. E. Murphy. Grand Champion, Two-tooth Ram.’ She would have run her fingers over his name but it was out of her reach. She had to be content just to stare.

  ‘You’re just like a bad smell. You don’t go away.’

  Laura’s jaw tightened at the sound of Meghan’s voice. It was full of undisguised dislike. She turned to see a woman with her arms crossed and a sneer on her face.

  Laura immediately noticed Meghan looked ill, with a red nose and eyes and untidy hair. Megan was also sporting a couple of pimples on the corner of her mouth—she certainly didn’t look like her usual polished self. In fact, knowing how much Meghan took pride in her appearance, something her mother had drummed into her since she was a young girl, Laura was surprised she’d come, suffering from what looked like full-blown flu.

  ‘Yes, Meghan. I’m here. Did you expect otherwise?’ She put the challenge out there.

  ‘Unfortunately, no. You have never known when to give up.’

  ‘That’s why I’ve been successful,’ Laura pointed out. ‘I’m like a dog with a bone. I just don’t go away. Even if someone is trying to bully me. I assume the email was from you?’

  ‘Oh, that’s a dirty word, Laura. I like to think of it more as a push in the right direction. We will win this showing, you know. There really wasn’t any need to enter any of your, um, rams.’ Meghan said the last word sarcastically. ‘I was just giving you a little heads-up not to enter. I couldn’t see the point in you coming.’

  ‘I guess that’s up to the judges,’ Laura countered and turned away.

  ‘And Laura,’ Meghan said in a by-the-way tone. ‘Have you realised yet? We’re entitled to your land. By law. Did you know that?’ Meghan gave a mirthless smile and tilted her head to the side as she spoke. ‘No? ’

  Laura stood suddenly frozen with fear.

  ‘Well, I’m not surprised. You really don’t know much about your history, do you?’

  Laura exhaled through her nose and counted to ten before she answered. When she did, she spoke slowly and deliberately. ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about. Stop trying to bully me. Stop trying to threaten me. Surely we can be adults and speak civilly to each other if we are in public, even though I’d be happy if I didn’t have to talk to you at all. So, if you’ll let me pass, I’ll get out of your way.’ She tried to leave, but Meghan still blocked her path.

  ‘Oh, I’ve got proof. You don’t know what I know,’ Meghan said in a low tone full of intimidation. ‘And when you do, you’ll have no choice but to give Nambina to me.’

  ‘Hit me with it, then,’ Laura shot back, ignoring her trepidation. ‘Tell me now. What’s this so-called information you have?’

  ‘I most certainly will. But only at the right time. Now, I must be off. Josh and I have to wash the rams.’ Meghan turned to go. ‘Been lovely seeing you.’ She said it loudly, so people passing by would hear her friendly tone. But her last line was delivered in a whisper. ‘And watch your mailbox.’ She cocked her finger and thumb at Laura and made the sign of a gun.

  Laura swallowed hard as she watched the other woman’s swaying hips move towards the lockers lining the shed wall. With smooth hands and perfect fingernails, Meghan opened the door and brought out a bucket, rag and grooming brush before glancing back at Laura and giving her a knowing smile.

  Laura’s mind was racing. What was Meghan on about? Her family hadn’t been in the district as long as the Murphys. They were only third generation. The Murphys were four. How could they take Nambina away from her? They bordered her every boundary—she was landlocked by them. But they had no right to Nambina.

  Certainly they could buy her land. If it was on the market. Which it wasn’t. But take it? Laura couldn’t understand why Meghan was saying she could. Had she lost her mind?

  Laura suddenly smiled as the realisation hit her. Meghan was trying to put her off concentrating on the show. On the rams. Hoping she’d make a mistake and stuff something up. Well, that wasn’t going to happen either. She would never understand her former friend. Had Meghan been such a bitch in the old days and she just hadn’t seen it?

  ‘Dammit!’ she muttered under her breath. ‘She knows she’s rattled me.’

  ‘Look at her bloody hands.’ A voice beside Laura made her jump. ‘They’ve never done a day’s work, no matter what she says.’

  ‘Catherine!’ Laura’s surprise turned to delight, and they hugged.

  ‘Here I am, honey! Just like I promised. I have to tell you, that witch hasn’t gotten any nicer since I saw her last.’ She shook her head. ‘Some people just ain’t got nice in them.’

  ‘Got that right,’ groaned Laura, still confused by Meghan’s threat. She really hoped it was all about distraction. Surely it couldn’t be anything else.

  ‘Come on, let’s get coffee, and then I want to meet your girls. That woman doesn’t deserve a second thought.’

  ‘And I need to hear all about what you’ve been up to. How was the last workshop you held?’

  They linked arms and walked out into the bright sunlight, Laura desperately trying to banish Meghan’s threat from her mind.

  Chapter 13

  2008

  Laura straightened Tegan’s jacket and brushed an imaginary piece of straw off her shoulders. ‘You look so good, you might upstage this bloke,’ she said, flicking her head towards the ram Tegan was holding.

  Tegan flashed a nervous smile as she hooked the lead rope around one of the ram’s horns, ran it under his chin and tied it to the other horn. ‘I hope Random isn’t random today,’ she quipped.

  Laura slipped her own hand through another rope then scratched the soft skin under Boof’s jaw and tugged gently. ‘Come on, Boof. Please be a good boy.’ Her tone was half-joking, half-pleading. ‘Okay, we right? Pen of two two-tooth rams. Let’s see how we go.’

  She pulled Boof forward and he ambled beside her at hip level. Once she was off and running without any problems, she turned back to see how Tegan was doing. Rams, especially on a rich diet, could be flighty, and Laura was just praying nothing would go wrong. She didn’t want to give Meghan one ounce of satisfaction.

  It was the last day of judging and, apart from the unpleasantness with Meghan on the first day, everything had gone pretty well. Mr Darcy had won Grand Champion for the fine-medium wool category, but Jack hadn’t managed to win anything. It was down to these last two rams. This was the big one. Grand Champion for Fine Wool.

  ‘Nervous?’ Tegan asked from behind.

  ‘It’s always good to be a little nervous, because it keeps you on your toes. But I know I couldn’t have done anything more. I’ve thrown my best at it and if it doesn’t come off, it doesn’t. I’ve done all I can do.’ She would have feigned nonchalance except she was too busy pulling Boof towards the artificial turf of the judging ring. She couldn’t tell her students she wanted this red, white and blue grand champion ribbon more than anything. That wouldn’t be something a good mentor would say.

  They waited in line until they were asked to lead their animals out into the ring. Laura scanned the crowd, hoping to see her dad and Georgie. They’d said they’d do their best to come, but Sean was on call so he couldn’t promise. Catherine had stayed for only a few hours before she jet-setted off to another state for a public speaking engagement. ‘I have a dream . . .’ she said to Laura, ‘where producers and consumers have an equal passion, respect and understanding for food production in our country.’ It was the start of her speech and Laura had felt goosebumps erupt over her arms when she saw the fire and passion in Catherine’s face as she started to speak.

  A small crowd was seated in the stands, the faces mostly old and wizened. The old-timers wore the standard tweed jacket, tie and moleskins. Laura could see flashes of gold, as the men and women turned to look at each ram entering the show ring. It was their membership badges catching the light, she realised. Surveying them, Laura knew the people sitting there were one of the challenge
s facing the ag industry. Not the people themselves, but their age.

  Laura believed there weren’t enough young people encouraged to take up careers in the business she loved. Looking back at the fresh young faces of her girls, she hoped she was changing that.

  A steward rushed past with a dust pan and broom with sheep poo in it.

  ‘What a job, hey?’ she muttered to Tegan. ‘Keeping the turf clean.’

  ‘Reckon,’ the girl answered through clenched teeth, and Laura glanced around to see Random tossing his head in protest. She heard him stamp his front feet.

  ‘You right?’ she asked, worried. ‘Don’t let him get the better of you. It’s not the done thing to have your ram get away from you, and especially not now. Hold him under the chin a bit tighter.’

  Laura chastised herself. She should have taken Random. She hadn’t because Boof was her favourite. A silly decision like that could be costly.

  Laura looked again for her family. Instead her eyes came to rest on Josh. He was standing by himself next to the tiered-seat stands. As always, he had his camera around his neck.

  She felt a tiny stab of regret and anger. The memory of the day in the hospital and the accusations he made were as fresh as ever, eight years on.

  He shifted his gaze and their eyes locked. Neither of them smiled, but before Laura’s gaze slipped away, she saw him nod slightly.

  She turned. There was Meghan, standing on the other side of the ring, mouth in an unpleasant smile. Her arms were crossed and as she held Laura’s gaze she slowly brought her hand up to her throat and slashed her finger across it.

  Sweat broke out over Laura’s brow and she looked away.

  ‘Okay, Tegan?’ she said to distract herself.

  ‘I got him,’ came the determined answer, but a couple of seconds later, Laura heard a gasp. She turned sharply. ‘What’s wrong?’ but Tegan couldn’t answer. Random had twisted his head back and forth and somehow the girl’s hand had got caught in the rope. There were shouts and cries from the crowd as the harness twisted into his chin and, in an effort to avoid the pain, Random backed up, running into the other competitors.