by Sam Jasper
Tom nods, both staring into space happy to be doing nothing.
Some time later, Tom and Gull hear the kitchen bell ringing and mounting reluctantly, turn their horses’ heads for home.
‘We’ve got fifteen minutes to get there,’ Tom says as he races off ahead of Gull. In no time, they’re racing neck and neck, the horses racing for home and some oats.
Exhilarated, Tom and Gull dismount in front of the big shed and lead their horses around the back to the stables. Putting a light blanket over each of them as they cool down, Gull and Tom race each other to the kitchen.
Except for Lucy, Jake, Helen and Shirley, who are already eating, the kitchen is deserted.
Washing her hands at the sink, Gull asks ‘Where is everyone?’ then sits down between Helen and Shirley.
‘Gone home,’ Helen answers stifling a yawn. ‘Everyone’s only here for the mornings to top up the supplies. We should be right for tomorrow with Shirley’s help,’ she adds.
‘I’ll be here early,’ Shirley says as she hands Gull a plate of salad. ‘I’ll come over with Ted and invite myself for breakfast.’
‘You know you’re always welcome,’ Helen smiles as she pours the tea.
‘After lunch, I want to show Gull the vegetable garden.’ Jake turns to his cousin. ‘Maybe you could help me with some weeding. Then we can pick whatever Mum wants for dinner.’
‘Yeah! Yum,’ Gull says as she takes a mouthful of lamb, tomato and lettuce.
‘Our very own lettuce and tomato,’ Lucy exclaims proudly. ‘Grew them ourselves.’
‘Wow!’ Gull says as she takes another bite of the cucumber with lemon balm and dill dressing.
‘And the herbs,’ Lucy adds.
‘Grew everything from seed,’ Shirley nods. ‘Helen and I get the seeds from the Diggers’ Club, all original. None of your hybrid stuff for us thank you very much. Then we hand them over to Lucy who plants and grows them. And to help her even more,’ she says briskly, picking up a small crunchy carrot, ‘we invite ourselves over and eat them.’ She laughs and the others laugh with her.
All except Helen, who is busy yawning. ‘Oh, sorry,’ Helen says apologetically. ‘I don’t know what’s come over me. I can’t stop yawning.’
‘Can’t be the company,’ Shirley says. ‘We’re as funny as a circus of fleas. Or maybe,’ she adds conspiratorially, ‘that’s the problem. You’re exhausted from all the laughing. It couldn’t be the hard work: we’re all used to that. Excluding Gull, and she’s holding up really well,’ she says, winking at Gull.
‘Maybe you should lie down for a bit, Mum,’ Jake says gently. ‘We can clear up here.’
‘Oh, no, I’m sure …’ The next minute, Helen’s head drops onto the table, a second after Lucy has jerked her cup of tea away. Everybody else looks up startled.
‘Mum?’ Lucy asks worried.
Shirley stands up and comes over to Helen. Gently, she shakes Helen awake. ‘Think you’d better lie down,’ Shirley says and, helping Helen up, firmly steers her towards the main bedroom. A few minutes later, Shirley returns, a frown on her normally sunny face.
‘Is Mum alright?’ Tom asks. Shirley looks around at the children’s faces, a look of concern on each one.
‘I think she’s just overdone it. You know what she’s like,’ she says as breezily as she can. ‘If your father’s worried about anything, she takes on all his worries. Or if there’s any trouble in the air, she picks up on it faster than anyone. And it ends up affecting her before anyone else: she’s that psychic.’ The four worried faces watching her still look worried. ‘Oh, I’m sure it’s nothing that a good lie down won’t cure. She’ll be right by dinner time, mark my words.’ She smiles encouragingly at the four anxious faces. ‘Now, who’s for another cuppa?’
Chapter 4
After scavenging for crumbs under the table at lunch, Useless trots up the stairs to the Folly. As usual, Useless lies down in his favourite spot. Tiny dark specks leap into the air. Once again, the ancient Mite family lands on the windowsill. Ma, the matriarch, jumps closer to the window, using the window like a magnifying glass.
‘Sound,’ Ma mumbles.
‘What sound?’ Max asks, her protector always by her side. Ma never lets on that she needs no protection. He’s a good, boy, if thick.
‘Not sound,’ she says morosely. ‘Vibration.’
‘A vibe?’ Cha-Cha asks excitedly, inching closer, her miniscule body already swaying. ‘Vibes? Like dancing?’ she asks hopefully.
Ma mentally rolls her non-existent eyes. ‘No,’ she says sharply, mentally slapping Cha-Cha into line. Instantly, Cha-Cha stops dancing.
‘Humming.’ Ma says shortly.
Cha-Cha moves closer but more timidly this time. ‘Like singing?’ she asks. She cringes, waiting for another slap.
‘Yes. Could be. Like singing,’ Ma answers softly. Ma’s voice is almost a caress. Cha-Cha breathes a sigh of relief. ‘Cha-Cha, come here.’ Ma mentally pushes Max out of the way, Cha-Cha taking his place. ‘Can you sense that vibration?’
Cha-Cha listens intently, eager to please Ma. ‘Sorry,’ she says crestfallen. ‘Can’t feel or hear it from here.’ She waits for a slap. It doesn’t come.
‘Where is it?’ Ma mentally crawls over the back of Useless, taking Cha-Cha with her. ‘Now can you hear that humming or singing or whatever it is?’
Cha-Cha listens. ‘Only faintly, Ma.’
‘What is it?’ Ma asks.
‘It’s too faint,’ Cha-Cha says after a moment. ‘It’s almost as if …’
‘Yes?’
‘It’s as if something’s been crawling around on Useless but it isn’t now.’
‘Just what I was thinking,’ Ma mumbles. ‘Good work,’ she adds belatedly.
Cha-Cha glows with pride.
‘But now, we have to go and find the real thing: see where it’s moved. That’s enough for now,’ Ma says decisively to her brood. ‘Get ready.’ With that, she shifts her small, black body and jumps. Following her lead, the other mites jump back onto Useless who whimpers slightly, stands up and pads downstairs.
* * *
By the end of the week, three-quarters of Harry’s farm has been harvested. Over a strong cup of tea in the early morning, Harry says to Ted and Jimmy, ‘Listen fellas, I reckon I can knock the rest of this crop over on my own.’ The three of them are standing together outside the big shed, their bright red Harvesters glowing faintly in the rays of the rising sun.
‘Yeah?’ Jimmy asks.
‘Yeah. I reckon things have gone so smoothly that you may as well take the Harvesters and move on to the other farms. I’ll just clean up here and knock the rest of the crop down flat by the end of this week. Then I’ll go help the other farmers.’
‘You sure?’ Ted asks.
‘Yep. No worries.’ Harry stares up into the milky blue, searching for clouds. ‘The weather is holding up really well: no rain for another couple of weeks, they’re saying. And the baling’s coming along too.’ The three of them automatically turn towards the sheds in the distance. Already, the place is buzzing even though it’s just after seven, the locals are so eager to get the job done properly. Harry waves and gets an answering wave from one of the new arrivals. ‘They’ll be baling now that the hemp’s sorted out. And we’ll be sending off the first load by the end of the day, and then more tomorrow.’
‘What a smooth operation,’ Jimmy says pleased. ‘No machinery breaking down for a change.’
‘We’re a long way from finishing,’ Ted reminds him dryly. He drains his mug of tea and puts the mug on Harry’s Harvester.
‘Mind you,’ Harry says, ‘I envy you those cabins on the Harvesters. I’m out in all weathers while you two sit up there as if you’re in your lounge rooms.’
Both Jimmy and Ted give Harry a huge grin: they know how much more comfortable they are.
‘Well, we’ll get going then,’ Ted says, ‘now that we know you’re jealous,’ he grins. ‘I’ll head over to the Davies’s place.�
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‘And I’ll head out to Carlton’s,’ Jimmy says.
‘And at the end of all of this,’ Harry states, ‘we’ll have one big party that’ll take forever to end.’
‘You’re on,’ Jimmy and Ted say together as they climb onto their Harvesters and head back out the way they’d come a week ago.
Harry strolls back towards the kitchen and through the screen door. Helen, Shirley and the children are still having breakfast. Harry puts the three mugs in the sink. Then he sits down at the table and pours himself another cup of tea.
‘What’ve you done with my husband and Jimmy?’ Shirley asks. ‘Don’t they get another cuppa?’
‘Nope. Saving on tea leaves,’ Harry chuckles. They all laugh, knowing how many litres of tea the men drink all day. ‘We’ve decided they can start on the other farms. I’ll finish up the Folly on my own. It’s only another hundred hectares to do, the ones closest to the house. And closest to the tea supply,’ he winks. ‘Actually,’ he says quietly, ‘that was my plan all along: to do a quick sprint back to the house every hour for a refill.’
‘Dad,’ Tom groans. ‘You never stop, do you?’
‘I thought you liked my sense of humour,’ Harry exclaims pretending to be surprised.
‘You’re so weak, Dad,’ Tom says getting up and giving his father a playful punch on the arm.
‘A bit like this tea,’ Harry grins into his mug. ‘What about a fresh brew while you’re up, Tom?’
Just then, Shirley happens to glance over at Helen: she’s yawning. Thinking quickly in case Harry sees Helen falling asleep, Shirley gets up hurriedly and grabs his thermos. Shirley thinks to herself, Can’t have Harry worrying about Helen’s sleepiness: he’s got enough on his plate, what with the harvest and all the other farmers. I’ll have to keep working this out with the kids.
Shoving the thermos at Harry, she says. ‘Come on, Harry. No lolling about. Ted’s out there working. And you should be too.’
‘But it’s not even eight o’clock yet, Shirley,’ he says surprised at her brusque manner.
‘By the time you get yourself together, it’ll be time for lunch,’ she tells him slapping him on the back.
‘Yeah, she’s right, Dad,’ Lucy says rapidly. ‘Come on, I’ll, er, carry your thermos. And your lunch,’ she says grabbing both as she runs out the door. ‘Come on, Dad,’ she calls back.
‘Women,’ Harry mumbles. ‘I don’t know. Well, better be off, I guess,’ he shrugs as he bends down to kiss Helen on the top of her head. As he walks through the swinging screen door, that same head falls gently onto the kitchen table.
‘Phew!’ exclaims Jake. ‘That was close.’
‘A bit too close if you ask me,’ Tom remarks. ‘We can’t have Dad worrying about Mum as well as everything else: he couldn’t cope.’
Shirley nods vigorously. ‘My thoughts exactly, Tom.’ As usual, Shirley gently shakes Helen awake, leads her into the main bedroom and covers her up with a light quilt.
‘At least there’s nothing medically wrong with her. We whizzed into town to the doctor yesterday when she woke up. And he’s given her a clean bill of health.’
‘How do you know?’ Gull asks looking concerned.
‘He ran some tests through urgently and he sent Helen an SMS while you were all having breakfast.’
‘Well, that’s good news,’ Lucy says very relieved.
‘But what’s wrong with her?’ Tom asks as he sits down with a fresh pot of tea.
Shirley sighs. ‘Well, he says the symptoms are like some sort of sleeping sickness but milder. I told him she sleeps from eight in the morning until four p.m., and then she’s as bright as a button until bedtime.’
About the same hours Harry spends harvesting, Gull thinks.
‘The blood tests were clear,’ Shirley says. ‘The doctor says Helen’s in excellent health so we shouldn’t be alarmed.’
‘Easy for him to say,’ Lucy says as she fills her cup. ‘It’s been a week now. And all Mum does, every day, is fall sleep. If it wasn’t for you, Shirley …’ Lucy can’t finish the sentence. She takes a big gulp of tea.
Shirley gives her a hug. ‘I know it’s difficult for you all. And strange! And a bit frightening,’ she adds quietly.
‘It’s almost as if someone is singing her to sleep,’ Lucy says quietly. Nobody seems to hear her, except for Gull.
‘Now listen,’ Shirley tells them, ‘we’ve got to have a plan. So far, we’ve been able to get Harry out of the house just before Helen falls asleep. But with Ted and Jimmy on other farms, he might start hanging around the kitchen longer.’
‘Mmm,’ Tom says. ‘I think you’re right. But what can we do, Shirley?’ Four faces turn to her hopefully.
‘I don’t know what to do,’ she says shrugging her shoulders. ‘I just don’t know.’
‘We’ll have to come up with something, and before tomorrow morning too. Our luck’s bound to give out eventually,’ Jack says
‘There’s a challenge,’ Gull quips, trying to smile. ‘Ah, Tom, what was that you said about being bored?’ The others turn and stare at him.
‘Oh, he’s always bored,’ Jake laughs.
‘Think I’d rather be bored,’ Tom grumbles.
‘Well, you’re about to be,’ Shirley says.
‘What do you mean?’ Tom asks suspiciously.
Shirley gives a half smile. ‘As you know, Helen’s quite psychic. And I think she’s picking up on something going on. But because she’s falling asleep, which is most unusual for her, she can’t give us any clues as to what’s going on.’
‘Is that what she does? Gives us clues?’ Gull asks intrigued.
‘Usually,’ Shirley says. ‘She either gets the same words running around in her head. Or she gets a feeling. Or she has a dream. However, if she’s asleep, she can’t tell us what she thinks or feels. So,’ she says slowly, ‘I think the best idea is to take turns keeping an eye on her.’
‘What? When she’s sleeping? But she’ll be, er, asleep,’ Tom says confused. ‘What could be more boring than watching someone sleeping?’ Everybody looks at Tom and then they burst out laughing.
‘What?’ he asks.
‘You come out with the funniest things sometimes, little brother,’ Lucy teases. ‘You can’t bear to be bored. And now, you’re going to be sharing in one of the most boring jobs on earth.’
Shirley waits for the laughter to die down. ‘The reason for this boring job,’ she says, ‘is that Helen might say something in her sleep that will lead us to a solution. Or maybe she’ll wake up and tell us one of her insightful dreams and solve the mystery of her sleeping herself.’
‘Are you serious?’ Tom asks doubtfully.
‘Do you think it might help?’ Jake adds.
‘We can only try,’ Shirley says, and holds up her crossed fingers. ‘And so that Tom doesn’t get too bored, why don’t you work out a roster? That way, you’ll only have a few hours at a time watching over Helen.’
‘Great idea,’ Lucy says, running into the study, grabbing a large piece of her endless supply of butcher’s paper and some pens. In no time, she’s drawn up four columns with their names at the top: Lucy, Tom, Jake and Gull. ‘Now,’ Lucy says, ‘Mum’s sleeping for an extra eight hours a day. So, if we make it two hours each per day, that’s not much. And as Shirley says, seeing Mum’s psychic, she might say something that can help us find out why she keeps falling asleep.’
‘But what am I going to do for two hours?’ Tom asks restlessly.
‘I don’t know about you,’ Lucy says, ‘but I’m going to draw.’
‘And I can write out some new recipes I’ve been thinking about,’ Jake says.
‘And I can start designing Lucy’s web page,’ Gull adds.
‘But what can I do?’ Tom repeats plaintively, ‘Besides being bored to tears?’
‘That’s the trouble with you,’ Lucy grins. ‘You don’t have any hobbies or interests.’
‘I’ve got millions of interests,’ Tom
says indignantly. ‘It’s just that, whatever they are, you have to keep moving to enjoy them.’
Shirley laughs and takes a sip of tea. ‘Sounds like your very own special challenge,’ she says putting her mug down.
‘Thanks, Shirley,’ Tom pouts as he looks at the roster. ‘Oh, I’m on first tomorrow morning. Well, that’s good. At least my shift’ll be over and done with.’
‘That’s not why you’re first little brother,’ Lucy says.
‘Really? Why?’
‘This way, we make sure you don’t escape,’ Jake points out. ‘Or forget.’
‘Thanks for the vote of confidence,’ Tom sighs.
Shirley smiles and shakes her head. ‘Look, I’ve got a job in town coming up in a few weeks. However, in the meantime, I could pop over for breakfast each morning and stay around until lunchtime. That way, I might be able to help you when Helen falls asleep.’
‘Thanks Shirley,’ the four say together.
‘And maybe I can find something Tom can do?’
‘Good luck,’ Lucy grins.
‘I think we’re all going to need some of that,’ Shirley says.
* * *
For days, Ma scours the farm groping for the answer to the threat. She listens intently as Useless lopes along from one shed to another. Finally, with gentle bites in tender places, Ma and her mites manage to guide Useless back into the big shed where he leaps into the puppy pen. It’s got to be in here, Ma thinks to herself. ‘Cha-Cha, try again,’ Ma commands. ‘Find that, er, vibe.’
Useless lies down in the centre of his twenty-one offspring. Just then, the two puppies Gull and Tom had taken out into the hemp wander over and start crawling over their father. Ma is suddenly alert. She commands, ‘Now jump.’
Without hesitating, Cha-Cha jumps onto one of the two puppies. Crawling quickly over the small, fat puppy, she gathers the information and jumps back onto Useless, just before the puppy starts scratching.
‘Well?’ Ma demands.
‘Whatever it is, was on that puppy too, Ma. They’ve left fresh tracks on him.’