Matai Valley Magic

by Mary Moore

  Brett did not speak for a considerable time, but by then his laughter had completely disappeared. 'I think you've summed up the situation with quite remarkable astuteness, not to mention imagination. You have been a little stupid, as you say yourself, but I'm duly grateful to you for your offer of friendship, and I accept happily. Only one thing puzzles me. Perhaps you could explain how you know so surely that I'm going to marry Lisa?'

  Fern sat up, then stood up, and with fastidious care brushed the twigs and moss from her jeans. 'I can't tell you how I found out without incriminating someone else, but when I heard that Lisa was telling friends that, quote, "You and I only got engaged to please the old man" and that when he dies I'm leaving - or that's as near as I can remember.'

  Fern straightened up and looked him straight in the eye, 'You gave me your word that you wouldn't tell anyone, so I knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that you must have been serious if you'd broken your promise.'

  Brett sighed, 'I don't suppose you'd believe me if I told you I had kept my word, and someone else must have given her the information?'

  Fern threw out her hands. 'Who else knew, Brett? There was only you and me in the secret.'

  'Yes, I guess that is the only conclusion you could come to. I'm more glad than ever that you'll continue our friend­ship, it's more than I deserve.'

  He stood tall beside her. 'I think we'll head for home now. I've seen all I want to here. Thanks for speaking out so honestly, Fern.'

  He walked to the horses and Fern followed him. The completely detached feeling had gone and in its place was only anguish, which told Fern how much she had hoped he would have denied the charge, even though she knew he couldn't because she had not told Lisa.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Uncle Hamish came home and the same day the barn was filled with hay, and the last bale of hay fitted into the lean-to by the cowshed.

  It rained on Tuesday, huge heavy drops, slow at first, then building up to a crescendo of sound as the drops beat a continuous tattoo on the corrugated iron roof. The first day everybody received the rain with delight - ' This'U lay the dust', and 'We needed the rain to bring the paddocks away,' and 'Send her down, Hughie,' were commonly heard remarks. It rained that night, and it rained the next day, showing no sign of abating, if anything becoming heavier and shorter intervals between the storms. The heavy black clouds cut short the daylight and forced Kirsty to switch on the lights early in the evening.

  Surface water lay in long strips across the paddocks, and soon concern was felt for the stopbank , built at great expense to protect this fertile valley.

  Mr. Alexander, forced to stay inside, wandered from room to room looking out each window as if expecting to see some improvement. 'I was always pleased, Fern, that we bought our farm here away from the river. And yet one year it broke through and came roaring down the Valley sweep­ing fences and stock in front of it. That was before we all clubbed together and all the farmers were rated to pay for the Catchment Board improvements. Have you been down to the bridge?'

  'Yes, it's running a banker. Rather scary really. The road is blocked in three places between here and Hokitika .'

  That night the rain stopped, and they all breathed sighs of relief. The river dropped quickly, and the sun shone next day, but it was only a short reprieve. By lunchtime the clouds, dark and laden with rain, were overhead and the thunder rolled, and lightning lit the skies, then the heavens opened and made the previous storms seem like small showers.

  About five the light was fading when Robbie knocked frantically on the door, then threw it open. He stood there, the water streaming off him. 'Quick! Get Brett! Hurry!'

  Fern's feet took wings as she flew down the passage urged on by the urgency in Robbie's voice. 'Brett! Brett! Oh, good! Robbie wants you. He's at the back door. Quickly!'

  Hamish and Kirsty were standing in the doorway when Brett got there.

  'What's up, Robbie?'

  'The O'Grady children, the two eldest, Troy and Karen, have been lost down the river. They left when the river was falling this morning, they were both on the same horse. They must have swum the horse to the Big Island, and then got caught in the storm. The horse turned up about an hour ago. They've just rung Ross, and he wants you and your jet-boat out on the river now. I'm to go with you. He's rung all the farmers on each side of the river to check their frontages in case the kids managed to get out of the river. He wants you, Fern, to go with him to the County huts where he'll set up the search and rescue headquarters, and Kirsty, Smithy will ring you about food.' He was shivering with the cold, but refused Kirsty's offer of tea, only waiting for Brett to finish struggling into his wet weather gear.

  Mr. Alexander shut the door as they saw the lights from the ute light up the sky, as Brett swung round to hook up the trailer with the jet on. Seconds later they heard the roar of the ute's engine accelerating.

  'Ross is head of the search and rescue team here. He'll want you as a nurse, so wrap up well and get over there,' Mr. Alexander advised.

  Fern didn't want to leave Uncle Hamish - after all, he was her patient still, and the anxiety was bad for him. 'What about me? Are you going to sit there watching me when you could be of some help if they get those kids? I'm fine, and Kirsty will be with me.'

  Fern went to change into jeans and a thick jersey, and headed for the Smiths' house at the double, barely waiting to grab a parka from the washhouse.

  Ross was still on the phone when she got there so she joined Smithy and Lisa in the kitchen. They were buttering sliced bread in stacks. 'Hi, Fern! No, don't strip off to help us, Ross will be through in a minute, and ready to leave. Lucky there are two huts by the bridge - the men will keep one for walkie-talkies, and schedules, etc. The women will use the other one for catering. See you down there in a couple of hours. You'll fancy a drop of tea by then.'

  Fern followed Ross out when he finished on the phone. She didn't ask questions as they drove the comparatively short distance to the bridge. Ross talked enough for both of them. 'God save us. Why didn't they alert us at once? An hour of daylight is worth six in the dark. Poor little beggars out in this night. Half my team is cut off by the flooding -still, we've set everything in motion, now comes the hardest part, the waiting.'

  Fern looked out the window as they crossed the bridge; the dull roar of the river was frightening, and Brett was out there in the rain and the dark, and Robbie too.

  They pulled up by the hut and some men came out to carry the equipment into the hut. Ross went round giving quiet orders, answering a few questions, but there was not much talk; these men were practised and ready for any emergency.

  'Can I do anything, Ross?' Fern asked.

  'Not yet. Just sit over there in the corner out of the way. I'll call you if you're needed. The First Aid kit is on the table there. If the kids are found they could be suffering from exhaustion and exposure, depending on how long they've been in the water. Then on a night like this any of the searchers could get hurt, so I just want you ready. The doctor can't get through, nor can the police, who are nor­mally part of this team.'

  Fern knew she shouldn't, but could not help herself. 'What are their chances, Ross?'

  Ross lit a cigarette. 'I wouldn't like to hazard a guess. Brett is our best hope. He was first on the river, and had a little daylight left. He'll search any islands that are out in the middle, and with luck he'll get them. Robbie will work the spotlight when it's dark. The kids, God help them, should be found tonight ; if they aren't, it could take a week or so.'

  One of the other men volunteered the information about other cases to prove Ross's point. To Fern it seemed callous, but her training told her different. These teams had to know and learn the statistics and experiences of other emergencies to know how best to find the missing or injured party.

  Men came in from the rain and made their report, while Ross marked the large map he had spread out on the table, then sent them off to do another beat.

  Someone else manned the phone, takin
g down reports from outlying farmers, these were written on a time sheet and the essence of the reports were written in the opposite column, and as soon as possible cleared with Ross on his map.

  The only other man of the inside team was battling with a walkie-talkie which crackled and spat, the voices coming in horribly distorted.

  Then Fern heard amongst the spluttering, 'Alexander has been in to get more fuel for the jet. Robbie reports no luck, and it's wild out there. Over.'

  Ross turned to the operator. 'Tell him next time Brett comes in to send him up here to report I'm not having men's lives risked when there isn't much hope of finding them in the dark.'

  Fern sat in her corner, listening, hoping one report would say the children were found, she knew their ages now, ten and twelve; Troy was the eldest.

  Men still came and went, speaking quietly, and going out again, their faces grim but resolute. Later Smithy came in with tea and sandwiches. 'These are for the ones stuck in here, you other jokers come over to the hut and get yours. Send them in, Ross, as they report. They'll need something to keep them warm. No luck?'

  'No luck,' Ross replied.

  One man returned from the other hut. 'Smithy's got a huge fire going in there, a real little hell. That tea sure hit the right place. She's got that blonde there giving a hand, and Joe's wife and her sister Meg, and Maureen and Mrs. Johnstone . Where do you want me to go now? Oh, yes, the truck has come back with six spotlights and batteries.'

  Ross nodded. 'Go and connect them up, ready, see they're all well labelled with the owner's name.'

  There was a long period of quiet, but Fern found it im­possible to relax, as did the others in the hut.

  Thenthephone rang ,startling them all.Fern shut her eyes. Please let it be the kids safe. But it was another negative.

  Brett came in about ten-thirty; he marked in his search area on the map.

  Ross said, 'Call it off, Brett. You can't do much good till morning. I'll call the whole search off at eleven, and we'll start again at daybreak.'

  Brett leaned over and pointed to a piece of land, which he said was cut off from the mainland by flood. 'I'd like to take a look there, Ross, then I'll sleep easy, knowing that if they went further than that they're gone anyway. I meant to look on the way back, but fuel was a problem. It would only take about a quarter of an hour straight down there and back. Robbie reckons he may have seen something. Have I your permission?'

  Ross thought it over, and came to a decision. 'Okay. Just down, swing round it and come back. I don't have to tell you to watch for fences under the water there. Be back by eleven. Fern, take him over and get him a hot cup of tea. We don't need you here just now.'

  Fern threw Ross a grateful glance and got a sly wink in return.

  As they walked between the two huts, Fern found she had nothing to say. The sky lit up with a spectacular display of lightning, and the thunder shook the ground as if it was an earthquake.

  'You're very wet,' Fern commented inanely. So much she wanted to say, but she couldn't.

  Robbie was standing in front of the fire talking to Mau­reen, and sipping a cup of steaming hot tea. Other men in the room turned to look, and they found the answer as Brett shook his head.

  Lisa suddenly saw Brett and rushed to meet him. Throw­ing her arms around him, taking no notice of his wet clothes, she hugged and kissed him. 'Oh, Brett baby, I've been so worried about you!'

  Brett put her aside gently and took his tea. 'Thanks, Smithy. Hell of a night out there.'

  'Are you and Robbie finished now?' Smithy asked casu­ally.

  'No. One more short trip, and then we'll call it off. We'll be back by eleven. Ross says he's going to pack it in then.'

  'No, Brett, no. You've done your turn. Let someone else go. Ross has no right to send you out again. I'll tell him so.'

  Brett caught her as she went to do that. 'You don't under­stand, Lisa, I asked Ross to let us go. Ready, Robbie?'

  Fern saw Maureen and Robbie holding hands, but not speaking. And as Robbie nodded to Brett, Fern realized that at a time like this there were no words appropriate.

  Brett put his drained cup on the bench. 'That was great, Smithy.' Lisa was still clinging to his arm as if she wouldn't let him go.

  He took Fern's hand with his free one. 'Take Lisa home soon, Fern. This is no place for her.' He squeezed her hand. 'Wish you were wearing your dark glasses.'

  'Oh, Brett, so do I!' She saw his blue eyes gleam.

  'Never mind, Fern, there'll be another day tomorrow.'

  Fern carried a tray of tea back to Ross and his men. 'Brett asked me to take Lisa home, she's crying over in the other hut.'

  'Stupid twit!' Ross couldn't hide his anger. Yeah. you take her home. I don't think we'll be needing you, but I'll ring if I do. Take Brett's Holden, I'll go home with Mum.'

  As Fern went to leave, the phone rang stridently. As the man answered it, Fern waited.

  'They've got them! Oh, lord, they've got them! They're safe!' He put the phone down and sat in the corner where Fern had spent most of the night. The tears ran down his face, then a couple of men stood in front of him, while Ross took the phone. 'Right, great, great. You'll keep them till the morning. A lot of us will sleep well tonight. Sure they're okay? Yes? Tell them they're a pair of flaming beauts . Hooroo !'

  'That's it, Jim. Start calling them in, and check them off. But first get on to the post by the river and try to stop Brett.'

  Fern just stood. It was fantastic news. She knew that most of the searchers had felt it was hopeless.

  Ross said, 'Well, that's it. The kids got swept off their horse at the bottom of Big Island, but they hung together, and Troy managed to catch some willows on the next lot, and they stayed there for an hour yelling their heads off. Poor brats, even saw their parents on the bank, but were up to their waists in the water by then, and their voices were drowned in the flood.

  'Then a huge matai tree stranded on the island beside them and they took a chance. v Nervy little jokers! They rode it perhaps a mile before getting off, luckily close to Linn's farm.'

  The man in the corner stood up with a smile, ear to ear. 'I'd like to thank you all... I'll get home to my wife. Okav , Ross?'

  As he went out, everyone either shook his hand or whacked him on the back.

  Ross, seeing Fern's puzzled look, said,. 'That was O'Grady, father of the kids.'

  Fern looked at Mr. O'Grady. She'd sat there all night, not knowing what private hell he was going through as he answered each phone call, and heard negative each time, noting it in the right column, with careful precision.

  'Okay, scram, Fern. Pick up Lisa. We'll hang on here till all the men are in. By the time you get home we'll be close on your heels. We'll leave the dishes in the sink tonight. We'll come and clean up in the morning.'

  Fern, although disappointed that they hadn't been able to stop Brett, was sure he'd be home soon. After all, he'd come back twice now.

  She got Lisa and had a few words with Smithy, then drove home. She let Lisa out at Smith's. 'Leave the kids where they are tonight, Lisa. No use taking them out in the rain again. I'd get to bed if I were you.'

  Fern garaged the Holden and ran for the house. Kirsty was still up, so was first to hear the good news.

  'You get off to bed, Kirsty. I'll sit up and wait for Brett. I'll pop in and see Uncle Hamish, and see how Sally and Simon are.'

  She told him about the children, gave him his pill for the night. 'You didn't need me. You're really looking better. Night. I'll switch the light off.'

  Sally lay neat and straight in her bed, while 'Me Jack' had rolled himself into a ball, with most of the blankets on the floor. Fern straightened the bed and kissed each child, then left the room on tiptoe.

  'There now, Fern. I'm thinking Brett will want a com­plete change, so I've put them on the cylinder to warm. Wonderful to think of those brave youngsters surviving in that flood. It seems a miracle. I'm away to my bed - you'll see to Brett?'

  Fern just sat
feeling the wonderful happiness of having been part of an organization that had found the children she'd never even seen, but felt she knew so well.

  She made herself coffee, thinking it was an hour since she'd left the huts. It was time the rest got home. Then she saw the lights of a car flash on the window as it turned in the drive. She sat waiting. The car stopped at the back steps and she sat still, waiting for Brett to come through the door, her heart filled with a wild elation.

  There was a knock, and Smithy and Ross came in. Fern felt frozen. 'Sorry about this, Fern - Brett and Robbie didn't come back. I'm not much at breaking news gently. Some searchers saw the jet hit a log that was floating well down in the water, and they said it was splintered to bits. We'll get the search under way at daybreak. I've rung all the chaps, there'll be a full turn-out.'

  Smithy put her arm around Fern. 'Would you like me to stay here with you tonight? Ross reckoned it better not to tell Kirsty or Hamish. Let them get a good night's sleep, and maybe by the time they wake, they'll be found.'

  Fern shook her head. 'I'll be fine. They say miracles don't happen twice - those small kids got out, didn't they? But Brett and Robbie, they'll make it too.'

  'Have an aspirin or something, Fern. You've got to be on deck tomorrow, whatever the news. We'll cut along home now, Mum and me. It's rotten luck, but I knew we could count on you to take it sensibly. We're not going to tell Lisa, there's no point in having her screaming around the house all night. Good night, Fern, try and get a bit of rest.' He patted her shoulder and went out.

  'Call us if you want anything, Fern. Just walk right into our bedroom. You'll take this hard, I know. But think of O'Grady - we'll be feeling like him tomorrow morning.'

  She left the kitchen with a heavy tread which told its own story; she was usually so quick and light on her feet.

  Fern got up and switched the lights off. No use having Kirsty wake, and seeing the lights on come to see what was the matter.