Puppy Pie

by Sam Jasper

  ‘But why?’

  ‘I have to look at the files on his computer. He must have files I can’t access from here. Come on, we haven’t got much time. Let’s go!’

  Gull stands up and starts to walk away from her desk. Shirley stops her just as she reaches the bottom of the stairs.

  ‘Trust me,’ Gull says. Shirley looks over at the group of women huddled around the hot water urn: no one is looking their way. The next moment, Gull and Shirley are sprinting up the stairs, into the office and closing the door.

  ‘Hurry Gull,’ Shirley says tensely as Gull clicks onto the screen.

  ‘Pretty untidy,’ Gull mumbles to herself as she looks at the screen. ‘It’s covered in files.’ Rapidly, she clicks onto “view” and then onto “list”, running through files, opening some as she goes.

  ‘Can’t you click any faster?’ Shirley urges, her heart thumping. ‘I don’t want to lose this job now that I’ve got it.’

  ‘There’s only one I can’t open,’ Gull says concentrating hard. She looks around the desk.

  ‘What are you looking for?’ Shirley asks tensely from the door.

  ‘A memory stick! Like a … you know, for backing up.’ She opens a drawer in the desk and rummages around. ‘Ah! Here’s one.’

  Quickly inserting the stick, Gull drags a copy of the unopened file across to the memory stick, ejects it and heads for the door. Grabbing a shaking Shirley by the hand, they just manage to walk out of the office, down the stairs and over to Shirley’s desk before Flora in a garish daffodil print glances around at them.

  Inserting the stick into Shirley’s computer, Gull drags the file onto the computer’s desktop. ‘Have you got another one of these?’ Gull whispers pointing at the stick.

  Shirley walks quickly to the stationery cupboard and comes back with another memory stick. Her hands shaking, Gull transfers the file onto the new stick and erases it from the other one.

  ‘Back soon,’ Gull whispers picking up the original stick and racing back up to the manager’s office. Then, she runs over to his desk. She looks back at the name of the file and sees four initials and memorises them. Quickly, she hits “view” and “icons”. Then she opens the top drawer and drops in the new memory stick.

  ‘What are you doing in here?’

  Chapter 12

  ‘Oh!’ Gull gasps. Standing at the door is the bank manager with a bright pink face. She tries to think. After what seems like an eternity, she says brightly, ‘I was just looking for the game.’

  ‘What game?’ he says as he advances towards her menacingly.

  Slowly, Gull inches back the open drawer with her knee.

  ‘The game you borrowed from your nephew. The er, uh …’ she stumbles, “Flying Foxes”.’

  ‘Pigs,’ he sneers at her, his wintry smile now a stark snarl.

  Ooh, Gull gulps taking a step away from the desk. I really don’t like those teeth of his, like a wolf, so sharp.

  ‘Yes, that one,’ Gull says forcing herself to smile. ‘I can’t find it.’

  ‘Tomorrow,’ the bank manager says roughly. ‘Not today! I told Shirley I’d bring it in tomorrow.’

  ‘Oh, sorry,’ Gull shrugs backing towards the door. ‘Wrong day.’

  As he sits down at his desk, the bank manager smiles coldly at her. ‘Well, Shirley did say you were a daydreamer. So that probably explains the confusion. Don’t seem to know what day of the week it is, do you? Mmm?’ he adds, tilting his head slightly.

  ‘Guess I don’t,’ Gull says giving him her best absent-minded look.

  ‘And close the door after you,’ the manager barks, his head already buried in the papers on his desk.

  Grasping the door handle for support as she closes it, Gull just manages to stumble down the stairs and walk back to her desk before her legs turn to jelly.

  A few minutes later, Shirley walks over to her desk with a biscuit and another steaming cup of tea.

  ‘Sorry, Gull. I didn’t even see him walk in. So tell me, what happened? And why did you have to go back in?’

  ‘I had to return the memory stick,’ Gull says quietly. ‘Otherwise, he may have noticed it was missing.’ She tries to raise the cup to her lips but her hands are shaking too badly.

  ‘Well, what did you say to him? And, more importantly, what did he say to you?’

  ‘Oh, I just said I was looking for his dorky nephew’s game he told you would be on his desk.’

  ‘But he’s bringing it in tomorrow, not today,’ Shirley says confused. ‘I told you that, remember?’

  ‘Yeah, that’s what he said. Anyway, I gave him my best impression of a seven year old not knowing what day of the week it was. And he seemed to believe me.’

  ‘Sure?’

  ‘Hope so,’ Gull gulps, finally able to sip the hot tea without shaking.

  * * *

  Bouncing up and down on the rim of the Harvester’s giant wheel, Lucy, is on her second shift and waiting impatiently for Tom to turn up in the ute. ‘Come on, Dad,’ she says again, ‘let me have a go.’ She can see Harry’s eyes fluttering, as he tries to stay awake.

  ‘’M fine,’ he says jerking awake. ‘So boring, going up and down,’ he mumbles. ‘Be right soon,’ he yawns.

  In the distance, Lucy can see the ute tearing towards them. ‘Dad,’ Lucy says looking back at her father, ‘Tom’s here with lunch. Let’s stop and have a break.’

  ‘Can eat while I work,’ he says blearily, staring out at the vast acres of hemp yet to be harvested.

  ‘Well, I can’t,’ she says hotly as the ute pulls up ahead of them. With one deft movement, she puts the tractor in neutral so that it rolls to a halt. Then she grabs the keys out of the ignition. ‘You have to climb down first, Dad,’ she says. ‘Otherwise, I can’t get down.’

  ‘Can’t you?’ he asks surprised.

  Not today, Lucy thinks. I’ve got to get you off this machine somehow.

  Reluctantly, Harry slips out of his seat and down to the ground. Lucy jumps down after him. Tom is hastily setting up the vacuum flask and sandwiches on the tailgate of the ute. Harry stumbles over to the ute and sloshes the strong tea into his mug.

  ‘Cuppa will work wonders,’ he says sleepily to Tom. Tom looks over at Lucy who shakes her head. Sitting on the tailgate, Harry sips the tea and gazes vacantly into the distance.

  ‘Ah, Dad, you might feel more comfortable in the front,’ Tom says suddenly. He looks at Lucy. She smiles conspiratorially.

  ‘Right,’ Harry says, slowly getting off the tailgate and walking to the passenger side of the ute. He slides into the seat and Lucy hands him his mug. She and Tom stand by the open door and watch as Harry slowly sinks into a deep sleep. Before the hot tea tips over him, Tom grabs the mug and pours it onto the ground. Quietly, Lucy closes the door and they both take their mugs to the back to the ute.

  ‘Guess we’ll be harvesting for the rest of the day,’ Tom smiles at Lucy. She grins back.

  ‘Guess so. We’ll round up Jake, and I think there should be two of us on the Harvester at all times. Dad’s more affected because he’s been more exposed. But we can’t take any chances.’ Finishing their tea, they throw the dregs on the ground. ‘Will you be alright with Dad?’ she asks as Tom climbs back behind the driver’s wheel.

  ‘Yep. Jake can help me get Dad back to bed and then we’ll both come back here to help.’

  ‘Right,’ she says as she watches Tom expertly swing the ute around and head back towards the farmhouse.

  * * *

  Later that afternoon, Gull arrives back with Shirley to an eerie silence.

  ‘You were right, ’ Gull says as Shirley puts the kettle on, ‘I would have been coming home to what feels like an empty farm. No one awake and up.’

  ‘Not for long, by the sounds of it,’ Shirley answers as the three weary cousins stagger through the kitchen door. Then they scramble for water at the kitchen tap.

  ‘It’s been so hot and dusty harvesting all day,’ Jake says. ‘And the sticky flies!
You’re far better off in the Bank.’

  ‘You’re just trying to make me feel better. I know,’ Gull smiles.

  ‘No, honest,’ he responds. ‘Even Tom said he’d rather be bored in a Bank than working himself to a frazzle outside.’

  ‘Um, you know the Bank’s not air-conditioned, Tom,’ Gull says.

  ‘No but it’s shady,’ Tom says. Then adds laughing, ‘Hey, a shady Bank. Get it? It’s a joke.’

  Jake playfully tickles him on the neck. They both grin. ‘Anyway, shade makes a big difference.’ Tom looks expectantly at Gull. ‘Er, have you saved the Folly yet?’

  ‘Oh, I almost forgot,’ Gull says, plunging her hand into her bag and extracting the memory stick.

  ‘That itty bitty thing’s going to save the farm?’ Tom asks pointing at the small red and silver object in Gull’s palm.

  ‘Where’d you get that?’ Lucy asks.

  ‘Don’t ask,’ Shirley tells them. ‘The less you know, the better.’

  ‘See? I knew you were a spy in training,’ Tom laughs as the five of them walk briskly into the lounge room and over to the computer.

  Gull turns the computer on and then inserts the stick. Immediately one file appears on the screen.

  ‘Right,’ Lucy says enthusiastically. ‘Now, do your magic, Gull.’

  ‘Yeah,’ Tom chimes in, ‘magic this thing and save the farm, just like the legend says.’

  Gull looks over at Shirley and shrugs. ‘I need a password but I don’t know what it is.’

  ‘No, Gull,’ Tom says shaking his head. ‘Wrong answer: try again. Try “yes, I know” this time. And then just type it in. So easy!’

  ‘Wish I could,’ his cousin answers, slouching at the computer. Shirley settles herself in a chair and crosses her fingers.

  Tom collapses onto the couch. ‘We’re doomed!’

  ‘Gull says, ‘All I know is that the file had four initials on it. Let’s see,’ she says thinking hard. ‘Have To Join Firemen.’

  ‘Huh?’ Tom says. ‘You want to fight bushfires?’

  ‘No, it’s not that,’ Gull says shaking her head. ‘It’s um, mnemonics.’

  Tom walks over to Gull and tries opening her mouth.

  ‘What are you doing?’ Gull asks batting him away.

  ‘Thought you’d swallowed a dictionary. What’s nem, nem…?’

  ‘Mnemonics?’ Shirley repeats. ‘Isn’t that when you remember something by using a pattern of words?’

  ‘Right,’ Gull grins.

  ‘Another dictionary swallower,’ Tom mumbles and Jake grins.

  ‘I had to remember the initials H.T.J.F. That was the name of the file. And the sillier the sentence, the easier it is to remember. Got it?’ Gull grins at Tom.

  ‘Got it,’ he grins back.

  ‘So, Gull, what makes you think this is the file?’

  ‘Because of all the files, it’s the only one I can’t open.’

  Lucy is studying the initials, frowning hard. She repeats them out loud. ‘H.T.J.F. Doesn’t tell us a lot, does it?’

  ‘On the way home, Shirley and I were wondering whether it might be a sentence itself, like ‘Hope to join farms’,’ Gull says.

  ‘Doesn’t make any sense at all,’ Tom scoffs. ‘What about er, “Heavy tuna jellyfish”?’

  ‘Sounds like the name of a rock band,’ his brother laughs.

  ‘Of course! How simple,’ Lucy shouts suddenly as she jumps up.

  ‘Is it?’ Jake and Tom ask at the same time.

  ‘Don’t you see?’ Lucy says exasperated. ‘Gull has got the right file after all. I bet you anything that H.T.J.F. stands for Harry, Ted, Jimmy and one ‘F’ for the Folly. Not,’ she says looking over at Jake, ‘Heavy tuna jellyfish.’

  ‘Yet another mystery solved! Not that it matters much,’ Lucy sighs heavily. ‘Oh wait. How many letters do you need for the password, Gull?’

  ‘Six,’ Gull says as she scribbles another word down on a piece of paper.

  ‘Folly? No, five letters,’ Jake mumbles. ‘What about “Harry”? No, forget it. Only five letters.’

  Leaning forward, Shirley says, ‘Now, let’s think six letters. Maybe it’s a word that connects the three families.’

  ‘Um, I can only try for a password three times,’ Gull says.

  ‘Really? How come?’ Lucy asks surprised.

  ‘Security. The computer locks me out even if the fourth try is the right word,’ Gull says staring up at the file.

  Jake walks up and down the room. He mumbles to himself, ‘Six letters. Six letters.’ He stops pacing. Suddenly he says, ‘Hey, what about ‘Sprogg’? That’s six letters. And it connects the three families. He’s the bank manager for the farms.’

  Excitedly, Gull races back to the computer.

  Gull looks up at her cousin, his face glowing with expectation. ‘Come on, Gull. It makes sense, doesn’t it?’ He looks over at his siblings for support. Even Shirley nods when Gull looks around at her.

  ‘Well, here goes,’ Gull says as she types in “SPROGG”. Five pairs of fingers are firmly crossed.

  Across the screen flashes the words ‘Incorrect Password. Entry Denied.’

  ‘Oh, no,’ Jake groans as he sinks to the floor. ‘But it fits. It has to be “Sprogg”. It has to be.’

  ‘Sorry Jake,’ Gull says forlornly, looking down at her crumpled cousin on the floor. ‘It was a great try but no banana, I’m afraid.’

  ‘Only two more guesses,’ Lucy sighs sitting down on the floor next to Jake.

  Shirley shakes her head and looks around at the disconsolate gang. ‘Look at it this way,’ she says. ‘At least you’ve got two more guesses. And you’re already home. Which is more than I can say for myself. So, that’s where I’m heading for now: home. After all, tomorrow is another big day.’ Especially for Gull, she thinks. Immediately, Gull gets up from the computer and follows Shirley out.

  ‘Thanks for everything, Shirley,’ Gull says as they walk over to the ute.

  ‘Look,’ Shirley says quietly putting her arm around Gull’s shoulder, ‘I know you’re under a lot of pressure. I just want you to know that if the farms are lost, it’s not your fault. It’s not even your battle but I’m glad you’re here anyway.’

  Gull bites her bottom lip. ‘I know, I suppose. But I’d still feel I was letting everybody down if I didn’t come up with the evidence. After all, isn’t that what “Gulls” are supposed to do? Save the farm?’

  Gently, Shirley asks smiling, ‘Wasn’t this supposed to be a holiday for you?’

  ‘Yeah, a holiday with a very big adventure in the middle,’ she nods as Shirley climbs into the ute and starts the engine. Shirley reaches out and ruffles Gull’s fair hair before she drives away. Watching her disappear down the road, Gull feels very much alone. If only I knew the password. Then I’d know what to do.

  ‘Dinner’s ready,’ Lucy announces as she comes out to stand beside her cousin. ‘And I’ve just been adding to our sheets about today’s events so we’re up to date. Doomed, of course, as Tom says but up to date anyway,’ she says shrugging helplessly. She looks at Gull’s glum face. ‘Look, it’s not your fault about the Folly or even your problem.’ Lucy sighs. ‘Some holiday this turned out to be for you. I bet you never want to come back here again.’

  Gull, close to tears, hangs her head. ‘I should be able to work this out,’ she says bursting into tears. Lucy, her own eyes overly bright, gives Gull a long hug. ‘Don’t worry, Gull. You’re always welcome, wherever we are. After all, you’re our friend as well as our cousin.’

  Gull drags out a tissue and blows her nose loudly. ‘So, what’ll we do now?’

  ‘Eat! And then go try waking up Dad again. This is almost his last chance to listen to our conspiracy theory before it’s too late.’

  * * *

  As Useless lies below the window in the attic, Ma senses her brood around her. ‘It’s time,’ she says to Venomous and Menacing. They smile to themselves. They know she only calls on them when it’s a “big�
� job. And this is the biggest they have ever had.

  ‘You have to cross the barrier tonight,’ Ma says roughly. ‘And you can’t fail. Or the farm is lost and us with it. Remember, Harry is your target. And only Harry,’ Ma adds darkly.

  * * *

  Outside the Folly, the sky is darkening as Useless slowly pads down the stairs. In the kitchen, Jake says to the rest of the gang, ‘‘Let’s try waking Dad for the very last time.’

  The others agree and, grabbing Tom from the Harvester on the way through, make for Harry’s bedroom.

  ‘Dad, wake up,’ Lucy says shaking him gently.

  ‘That never works,’ Jake says. ‘We’ve tried that before.

  ‘My turn,’ Tom says as he jumps onto the bed. ‘Come on, Jake, let’s try this.’ The next moment, the twins are jumping all over the bed. ‘Wake up now, Dad,’ Tom gasps as he jumps up and down on the bed. ‘We’ve got good and bad news for you but you have to wake up to hear it. Otherwise, we’ll lose the farm.’ With decreasing enthusiasm, the twins keep jumping up and down on the big bed until they flop down exhausted.

  Still, Harry sleeps on, oblivious of the frantic gang. Tom looks at the others in desperation, and they return his look. ‘What’ll we do now?’ Tom asks.

  Gull says, ‘I wish I believed in magic or the little people. Something wonderful that was on our side, for a change, instead of having the whole world against us.’

  ‘Me too,’ Lucy says despondently. ‘But we don’t believe in magic or tiny creatures so let’s not even think about it. And I hate to say it but Dad’s a dead loss.’

  ‘Yep,’ Jake agrees sadly. ‘And tomorrow’s Wednesday! We could lose the farm on Saturday. We’re running out of time.’ A jolt runs through the gang.

  Gull looks at her dejected cousins. Gently shepherding them back to the kitchen, she grabs a cold jug of fresh orange juice from the fridge as the others collapse into the nearest chairs. Lucy slouches onto the table with her head in her arms; Jake is staring dolefully into space; Tom is staring down at the floor.

  Gull, swallowing hard to keep from bursting into tears again, pours the orange juice into four glasses.

  ‘I’d like to propose a toast,’ Gull says formally, just as she’s heard here own parents say. She tries to smile. Her cousins raise their heads and look at her. ‘To my courageous cousins, who’ve worked really hard to save the Folly. Sorry I couldn’t help more.’