Death in Brunswick
Page 15
There were more prayers. Carl vaguely recognized the Gloria in English. The priest’s voice rang out again.
‘Peace be with you!’
The congregation turned to one another and shook hands…Carl took his mother’s hand and smiled at her. She frowned at him worriedly.
‘You all right, dear?’
‘Yes, Mother.’
He turned to the man next to him. The man grinned, holding out his hand. It was Mustafa…
Carl looked at him, into his dark eyes; they shone with happiness.
‘Peace be with you, and with your spirit!’ said Mustafa…There was an echo: ‘I forgive you.’
Carl took the man’s hand. No, of course it wasn’t Mustafa. He wasn’t even very much like him, but it meant something. All this did.
He looked toward the altar. People were lining up taking Communion.
How beautiful everything was! The church had changed its geometry in a queer way. It seemed longer…loftier…How could he have thought this place drab? How clear the colours were!
His mother got up.
‘Excuse me, dear.’
She got out of the pew with difficulty and waddled up the aisle. He watched her, smiling.
How old she has gotten lately—Ah! It would be a…mercy. After all, she’s very sick. He was washed by a languorous pity. She won’t mind—Mustafa doesn’t mind…
The communicants returned. His mother sat down again puffing, her hand to her chest.
‘Dear, I think we can go now. I feel a little frail.’
‘Yes, of course, Mother.’
They pushed past Carl’s neighbour.
Strange—he really isn’t anything like…No, it was a vision—it really meant something! He was exalted.
He reached the top of the low stone steps outside the church door. His mother waited.
‘Come on, dear. I really must go home.’
‘Yes, Mother…wait a bit.’
He looked around.
How wonderful it all was. Why, Brunswick was beautiful! The sun glanced and bounced off the cars whizzing past. How shiny they were…he had never realized how many different clear, lovely colours cars were. And the trees! He could see every leaf so distinctly…the shades of green were…delicious.
The sky wasn’t just blue but…like in an old painting from the Middle Ages. What was the word? Cerulean…yes. And the sun…He looked into it without pain and away slowly. His eyes filled with tears of joy.
Everything seemed as if it were meant. No longer did he feel as if he were part of some tawdry accident…he felt part of something ordered, deliberate.
He walked down gracefully and took his mother’s arm.
‘Can we get a taxi, dear? I know it’s not far but I don’t think I can…’
‘Of course, Mother.’
He raised his hand. A taxi stopped immediately. He nodded to himself—yes.
They got in and his mother gave the address.
‘Carl,’ she said, ‘I hope you weren’t offended by what I said before.’
‘No, Mother, you can’t offend me.’
‘That’s good, dear. You know I want what’s best for you.’
‘Do you, Mother? That’s nice.’
He looked at her benevolently. How small she is—silly little woman.
She was talking. He watched her thin, sunken mouth moving mechanically in her flabby cheeks. Distantly he heard her say:
‘You do seem better after church, Carl. More relaxed…I knew you would.’
‘Oh yes,’ said Carl, ‘I feel much better.’
‘Oh dear!’ she said, gasping a little. ‘I wish I could say the same…I better take a pill.’
She fumbled with the catch on her bag.
‘No, Mother,’ he said, smiling, holding her hand. ‘You wait. I’ll put you into bed and bring you a cup of tea and you’ll feel better. Why don’t you give me your bag…I’ll carry it.’
‘That’s a good boy.’
He could hear her wheezing.
As the taxi turned into Carl’s street, he looked out the window and saw Dave and June. She was pushing a pram…Dave was limping heavily.
He looked at them incuriously, his face calm. Actually, he wasn’t quite sure who they were.
The taxi pulled up.
Will it be now? he thought luxuriously. Or will I just wish it to happen.
He helped his mother out and up the front path…
*
As Dave and June turned into Carl’s street, they were arguing.
‘Why the hell did we have to come so far, Dave? You know you shouldn’t be walking on that leg!’ Dave’s leg had been in a plastic brace since the day he had fallen in the cemetery. ‘And why do we have to come this way, for Christ’s sake? This is Carl’s street, isn’t it? I don’t want to see the little creep. You still haven’t explained what…’
‘Just shut up, June,’ Dave said, limping along, new lines of pain in his face. ‘I just wanted…Jesus! There he is!’
The taxi drove past, Carl looking out blank-faced.
‘Here! Stop, hon, June! Stop, wait!’
Dave stood still, watching the car stop and Carl help his mother out.
Dave strained to see the fifty yards between him and Carl.
‘Shit!’ he muttered.
‘Dave, what’s wrong?’
‘Shut up!’
He bent urgently forward, his bad leg braced.
The way Carl had his arm across her shoulders! There was something…He was like a…like a praying mantis! Jesus! No…
Dave saw Carl look up into the sun, smiling. He and his mother went into the house. The door closed.
Dave shook his head violently. He beat his fist against his knee. I’ll have to tell them…
‘No!’
‘Look, Dave,’ she said, with love and exasperation, ‘what’s wrong?’
Dave gazed at her, his face suffering.
‘Come home, June…I got to tell you something.’
The Commandant
Jessica Anderson
Introduced by Carmen Callil
Homesickness
Murray Bail
Introduced by Peter Conrad
Sydney Bridge Upside Down
David Ballantyne
Introduced by Kate De Goldi
Bush Studies
Barbara Baynton
Introduced by Helen Garner
A Difficult Young Man
Martin Boyd
Introduced by Sonya Hartnett
The Cardboard Crown
Martin Boyd
Introduced by Brenda Niall
The Australian Ugliness
Robin Boyd
Introduced by Christos Tsiolkas
All the Green Year
Don Charlwood
Introduced by Michael McGirr
The Even More Complete
Book of Australian Verse
John Clarke
Introduced by John Clarke
Diary of a Bad Year
J. M. Coetzee
Introduced by Peter Goldsworthy
Wake in Fright
Kenneth Cook
Introduced by Peter Temple
The Dying Trade
Peter Corris
Introduced by Charles Waterstreet
They’re a Weird Mob
Nino Culotta
Introduced by Jacinta Tynan
The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke
C. J. Dennis
Introduced by Jack Thompson
Careful, He Might Hear You
Sumner Locke Elliott
Introduced by Robyn Nevin
Terra Australis
Matthew Flinders
Introduced by Tim Flannery
My Brilliant Career
Miles Franklin
Introduced by Jennifer Byrne
The Fringe Dwellers
Nene Gare
Introduced by Melissa Lucashenko
Cosmo Cosmolino
Helen Garne
r
Introduced by Ramona Koval
Dark Places
Kate Grenville
Introduced by Louise Adler
The Long Prospect
Elizabeth Harrower
Introduced by Fiona McGregor
The Watch Tower
Elizabeth Harrower
Introduced by Joan London
The Mystery of a Hansom Cab
Fergus Hume
Introduced by Simon Caterson
The Glass Canoe
David Ireland
Introduced by Nicolas Rothwell
A Woman of the Future
David Ireland
Introduced by Kate Jennings
Eat Me
Linda Jaivin
Introduced by Krissy Kneen
The Jerilderie Letter
Ned Kelly
Introduced by Alex McDermott
Bring Larks and Heroes
Thomas Keneally
Introduced by Geordie Williamson
Strine
Afferbeck Lauder
Introduced by John Clarke
Stiff
Shane Maloney
Introduced by Lindsay Tanner
The Middle Parts of Fortune
Frederic Manning
Introduced by Simon Caterson
Selected Stories
Katherine Mansfield
Introduced by Emily Perkins
The Home Girls
Olga Masters
Introduced by Geordie Williamson
The Scarecrow
Ronald Hugh Morrieson
Introduced by Craig Sherborne
The Dig Tree
Sarah Murgatroyd
Introduced by Geoffrey Blainey
The Plains
Gerald Murnane
Introduced by Wayne Macauley
Life and Adventures 1776–1801
John Nicol
Introduced by Tim Flannery
Death in Brunswick
Boyd Oxlade
Introduced by Shane Maloney
Swords and Crowns and Rings
Ruth Park
Introduced by Alice Pung
Maurice Guest
Henry Handel Richardson
Introduced by Carmen Callil
The Getting of Wisdom
Henry Handel Richardson
Introduced by Germaine Greer
The Fortunes of Richard Mahony
Henry Handel Richardson
Introduced by Peter Craven
The Women in Black
Madeleine St John
Introduced by Bruce Beresford
An Iron Rose
Peter Temple
Introduced by Les Carlyon
1788
Watkin Tench
Introduced by Tim Flannery
Happy Valley
Patrick White
Introduced by Peter Craven
textclassics.com.au