Cockatoo

by Christopher Cummings

  Both parents turned to look at her. Her father raised his eyebrows and said, “So what happened to Andrew?”

  Tina struggled for a satisfactory answer and finally could only shrug and mutter, “He didn’t ask me. I don’t know if he likes me. He..” Then tears came and she fled the room in shame.

  Her mother followed her to her room and patted her back. “It’s alright Tina. I understand, even if your father doesn’t. Never mind Andrew. It is probably a good thing that you don’t get stuck on one boy too soon. You need to meet a few to learn what they are like.”

  And Tina did on the next Saturday night. Graham accepted her suggestion of a very traditional movie date and she was also given the choice of movie. That warmed her towards Graham as she had expected him to be more bossy and to want to see an action or war movie.

  To begin with Graham acted like the prefect gentleman. He was considerate and did not interrupt and did not spend all of his time talking about himself. As they sat side by side in the theatre Tina began to relax and enjoy herself and was quite happy when he reached across and took her hand. She thought that was a bit fast but his hand felt nice and she allowed him to hold it. The feel of his arm sent little tingles of excitement through her and she decided she was enjoying the experience.

  Some time later Graham let go of her hand and placed his arm around her shoulders. That also seemed a bit quick to her and she became a bit anxious lest he try to do something she wasn’t ready for (His right hand was over her right shoulder and close to her breast!). But he didn’t and she slowly relaxed and then snuggled against him, enjoying the pleasure of being held and, she thought, of being valued.

  Later they stood outside the theatre while waiting for her mother to pick them up. As they did Graham kept hold of her hand and this made her feel both self-conscious and pleased. So far she had enjoyed the evening and when he suggested another date she nodded and gave him a bright smile.

  “When?” she queried.

  “One night during the week?”

  Tina shook her head. “Sorry. Mum and Dad won’t let me go out during the week. It must be a weekend,” she said. She was aware that she was disappointed at not being able to go out again soon.

  Graham looked thoughtful. “It can’t be next weekend. We have a cadet exercise that starts on Friday night.”

  “That is the Tri-service bivouac isn’t it?” Tina asked.

  “Yes, it is,” Graham replied.

  “So after that,” Tina answered.

  At that moment her mother drove in and parked next to them. “We can talk about it at school,” she suggested.

  “That will be good,” Graham agreed.

  Tina wasn’t quite so sure. The idea conjured up images of Andrew and of other girls whispering behind their hands. For a moment she wondered if she was doing the right thing but then she felt a spasm of annoyance at Andrew and that decided her. “Yes please. That will be nice,” she said.

  They climbed in to the back seat and even as she clipped on her seat belt Graham took her hand again. That gave her a little thrill as her mother was just in front of her and could see them in the rear vision mirror. But it also increased her admiration for Graham. ‘I hope he isn’t going to try to kiss me on the first date,’ she thought- then realized she would like it if he did.

  But her worries were not needed. Graham chatted to her mother as they drove, answering questions about the movie and what class he was in and what his parents did. By the time they pulled up outside Graham’s house Tina was wishing he would try to kiss her and she even felt an urge to give him a kiss, at least on the cheek. However her natural shyness kept her in check and she could only say goodnight as he climbed out and then settle back in her seat with a sort of vague empty ache in her heart.

  ‘Is he the one?’ she wondered as she waved goodbye. Feeling quite mixed up but sort of happy she chatted to her mother as they drove home. Later in bed she relived the evening and then found, to her own surprise that she was fantasizing about the next date, imagining a much more torrid event where Graham would kiss her and during which his hands would do exciting things while exploring her body. These thoughts got her all hot but also made her feel ashamed. She knew what men did to women but was quite ambivalent about what she wanted. All she was sure of was that when she met the right man they would do these things naturally.

  Sunday was a flat event after that and all Tina could do was fantasize and look forward to school. But when Monday came around she became every anxious. All her anxieties about being embarrassed or being an object of gossip rose to bother her and she became quite tense as she walked into the school.

  But she had a wonderful day. Graham met her and chatted away with jokes and light banter which kept her entertained until class began. During lessons she felt both impatient for the breaks so she could see Graham again and uncomfortable when Andrew gave her several hurt and accusing stares.

  During morning break Tina was embarrassed- but she loved it. She was sitting with Sarah in her usual place when Graham appeared. He gestured to Sarah and then turned and sat down, gently pushing both Tina and Sarah aside. He wriggled to get comfortable, his body touching both hers and Sarah’s. He then took Tina’s hand and began to chatter away about nothing much. Tina was surprised, then anxious lest a teacher see them (Holding hands being against the rules). Then she noted Sarah’s interested and jealous expression. That caused her to feel good. It also raised her admiration for Graham.

  ‘He is brave enough to sit with me,’ she thought, glancing around to check whether other girls were looking. They were and there were a lot of smiles, grins and behind-the-hand whispering going on. That made her blush but she was glad. ‘That has showed them I am not just a tubby frump!’ she thought.

  The only fly in the ointment of her happiness was seeing Andrew’s hurt looks when she went back to class. But Tina then shrugged. ‘He had his chance,’ she told herself. But somehow she felt she had made a mistake and felt upset.

  Lunch time was similar and Tina began to really enjoy herself. That set the pattern for the remainder of the week. Later it all melded into one happy blur and she had trouble separating one day from another in her memories. The only one she was sure of was the Wednesday when Graham had gone to army cadets and they had talked about the weekend tri-service exercise.

  The outline of the exercise was that the Air Cadets were doing a basic fieldcraft weekend and would provide camps and HQs for the Army Cadets to try to find and sneak up on. The Navy Cadets were the safety signals network and were also practising their communications skills. The Army Cadets were really doing a hike to get them ready for their week long ‘Senior Exercise’.

  Before the training began Graham spoke to Tina. “What are you doing during this exercise?” he asked.

  Tina grinned and shook her head. “I can’t tell you. It is secret,” she replied mischievously.

  “I can keep secrets,” Graham replied in a suggestive tone.

  The implied double meaning made Tina blush. “If I told you we would have to shoot you,” she said.

  Graham laughed and said, “Are you going to be at one of the signal stations?”

  “Yes,” Tina admitted.

  “Then I will find you,” Graham said.

  “Only if you can get past the guards,” Tina replied doubtfully.

  Graham laughed again. “They are only air cadets!” he cried. Then he said, “If I do, will you give me a kiss?”

  Tina was thrilled but managed to say, “We are not allowed to fraternize at cadets.”

  “Then I will take you prisoner and will kiss you anyway,” he boasted.

  Tina blushed. “We will see,” she said, secretly hoping he would be able to sneak in and kiss her but doubting he would even be where she was.

  The cadets were called on parade at that moment so the conversation ended but it stayed in her mind as fuel for a whole series of fantasies that night.

  On Thursday and Friday Graham sat with Tina and repeate
d his boast and she took it up and made it a challenge. “I dare you,” she said, then added, “And if no-one can see us you can kiss me.”

  “You’re on!” Graham replied happily, his handsome face split by a grin. The twinkle in his eye sent a thrill through Tina and she went back to class to more fantasies and was even able to ignore Andrew’s sulky looks.

  At last school was over and she hurried home to get ready for cadets. They were moving that night and had to be packed and ready. Tina found she was quite excited, both at the idea of the exercise and at the thought of Graham trying to creep past the guards to get to her. It gave her a few happy fantasies while she packed at home.

  Her mother drove her to TS Endeavour at 6:45pm and the evening provided a whole new set of experiences and entertainment. Not all of the unit were going on the exercise so they had a normal training night. The 31 that were going were divided into 9 groups. While the names were being read out Tina found herself quite tense. She was both dreading and hoping that Andrew would be in her group. When she heard he was not she experienced mixed emotions.

  ‘Maybe I still like him?’ she wondered, glancing quickly at him. As she did she saw his head start to move and quickly turned hers back.

  The groups then prepared their camping and signalling equipment. This was both amusing and testing to Tina. All the cadets who had been training for the Duke of Edinburgh expeditions were organized and had all their gear neatly packed and ready to carry. But the others, about twenty in number, had the most amazing variety of bags and bundles. Tina spent the next hour helping others pack, including Arthur Blake who was their team leader. Blake seemed to have gear everywhere and so did Sarah, who was also in the team.

  ‘How could Blake be so disorganized?’ she wondered. ‘He has been on camps before!’ So had Sarah but it was obvious her parent’s style of camping set the norm for her. She had loose items and three big bags full to overflowing.

  Tina picked one up and was amazed at the weight. “Holy Moses Sarah! What have you got in this, the kitchen sink?” she cried.

  Sarah looked quite hurt and got all huffy but Tina apologized and helped her to re-stow it all and reduce the bulk. But it was still a lot.

  Sub Lt Sheldon, the Training Officer, thought so too. “You lot are lucky you aren’t in the army cadets. They only get a pack and basic webbing,” he commented.

  It was done at last and they settled down on their bunk beds for the night, the girls on one side of the hall in their own accommodation. This was so they could get away to an early start in the morning. Tina had trouble sleeping because she was now confused. During the night Andrew had ignored her and that had hurt. If left her wondering who she wanted and she found her fantasies were not quite as enjoyable.

  They were roused at 0530 and after a check parade they changed into their grey, blue and black camouflage pattern work dress. Then they set to work packing up and carrying out their morning routine. Tina was rostered for washing up in the galley after breakfast and that kept her busy almost right up until they paraded for ‘colour’s at 0745. As soon as the parade was over those going on the exercise loaded their gear into a waiting Navy bus and were checked on board.

  Tina sat next to Sarah and Andrew sat behind her. That made her feel quite uncomfortable but she tried to ignore him and began chatting and joking. The bus set off, along with two support vehicles, at 0815. For the next two hours it was a familiar journey for Tina:- south to Gordonvale, turn right and up the Mulgrave Valley and then up the Gillies Highway and across the Tablelands to Atherton. Tina tried to relax and enjoy the scenery but the knowledge that Andrew was there and the sight of the Lamb Range with its memories of mist nets and poachers both got her anxious and unsettled.

  They stopped at Atherton for a toilet break and then continued on southwards up the main road to Herberton. As the bus ground up the steep, winding road to the pass Tina remembered what her father had said about the old railway and pointed it out to Sarah. They went over the crest of the pass and then crossed the old railway twice. Soon after that they pulled up behind two large coaches which were parked on the left of the road. What looked like hundreds of cadets in army camouflage uniforms were milling around and Tina’s first thought was that they were army cadets but then she saw they were air force cadets so she stopped looking for Graham.

  ‘The army cadets are doing a pack march to toughen up and are supposed to sneak in,’ she told herself. The army cadets had arrived in the area the night before but, by agreement, were not yet in the area to be guarded.

  The navy cadets de-bussed and unloaded their gear. By then most of the air cadets had begun moving, walking off along a dirt road into the bush. They were followed by three 4WDs and a truck loaded with packs and camping gear. The navy cadets were then separated into two groups. One group was starting the exercise in Herberton and the others at this point, which Tina now learned was called Moomin. Tina was in the Moomin Group. Because she was training for the D of E badge she and the other candidates had to carry their packs. The other navy cadets loaded theirs in one of the support vehicles. The second group reboarded the bus, along with about twenty of the air cadets and they continued on to Herberton.

  The vehicles headed off along a gravel road and the cadets followed them, first splashing through a shallow crossing of the Wild River and then walking under an old timber railway trestle. Then it was a 2km route march along the dirt road to the main campsite. This involved them in wading the Wild River again and this caused some dismay and unhappiness to those who did not have waterproof boots. To Tina it was no worry at all and she began to enjoy herself, thinking it was lovely forest country. The trees were tall and straight with a thick growth of waist high grass underneath. ‘Should be lots of interesting birds,’ she thought.

  After a kilometre and a half the navy cadets arrived at a boom gate where a group of air cadets were standing around on guard. Just beyond that the road became bitumen and went steeply uphill to the right. With her pack weighing her down Tina found it quite a puff and many of the others were unable to walk up it without stopping a few times. It made Tina glad she had done the walk over the mountains and that she had kept reasonably fit.

  The road levelled out and became gravel again, curving to the left. A hundred metres along an old side road came in from the right and she saw two vehicles parked there and a group of air cadets setting up camp. She knew that the air cadets had one group of new recruits doing a weekend bivouac to learn how to live in the field and wondered if that was them. ‘The others are second years doing fieldcraft training and they will be the guards and patrols,’ she remembered. The third group, mostly third and fourth years, were the air cadet radio teams.

  She puffed her way up another couple of hundred metres of road and around a slight curve to the right. The country was still mostly a pleasant forest with waist high grass but she noted a few patches of ferns and thicker undergrowth off to the left. The navy cadets were halted and told to sit beside the road on the right hand side. As they did Tina saw that three vehicles were parked in a clearing on the left and that people were setting up tents among the trees behind them.

  The CO, Lt Cdr Hazard, walked across from the tents. “Those tents are the tri-service HQ,” he explained. “We will have a safety control Command Post here with staff from all three services. Team One will be the staff for it. Team Two is to set up a signal station across the road where they can communicate with Team Five on Stewarts Head.”

  He pointed behind them and Tina swivelled her head to look and was able to get a glimpse of a rocky knoll on the next mountain range over. She knew that Team 5 comprised the biggest, fittest boys in the unit and that they had Sub Lt Sheldon with them, plus an air cadet team.

  Andrew was in Team 1 with Cadet Midshipman George and Petty Officer O‘Leary. Tina found she had mixed feelings about that. She thought she would have preferred him to be somewhere else but was glad he was close.

  About twenty air cadets joined the navy cadets a
nd sat down. Among them Tina recognized Willy Williams and his mates Stick and Noddy. Willy smiled and gave Tina a nod as he sat down. Then Capt Conkey appeared in his army cadet uniform and he also gave her an approving nod. The cadets were issued with photocopied maps and then given a ground orientation and safety brief by an air cadet squadron leader. They were then told to have lunch.

  After that they were split into groups for signals training. Most of the afternoon was taken up with lessons by instructors from all three services on how to set up radios (Old army 77 Sets), on radio net diagrams, revision of the phonetic alphabet and radio appointment titles, then on basic RATEL procedures including writing and speaking letters and numerals, sending long messages and on relaying.

  During the lessons Tina kept thinking about where the army cadets might be at that moment. She frequently looked around at the surrounding bush, half expecting to see Graham’s face among the leaves. Each time she shook her head and told herself he would be better than that. ‘He won’t be seen that easily,’ she thought.

  Once the lessons were done the radios were netted in and radio checks carried out. Team 3 was then taken by vehicle back to the Moomin rail bridge where they were to set up a signal station and Observation Post with a team of three air cadets. They were to watch for any army cadet patrols trying to sneak into the area.

  The remaining navy cadets were told to set up their tents among the trees across the road from the HQ tents. The ridge was fairly flat and open and from the crest of it they had a good view of Stewarts Head. Tina and Sarah set up their tent on a nice open piece of ground and Tina decided that she was enjoying herself. She noted Andrew set up his tent about twenty paces away and closer to the road. Once that was done they were told to set up their signalling torch aimed at Stewarts Head.

  This was done as they had been trained, aimed carefully and then taped to a tree to stop it moving. Packs and folding seats were placed next to it so they could sit and work the light and keep watch for signals. The radio was placed beside them and they began watching and listening. Andrew and his team took themselves off to the HQ tent and soon afterwards Tina heard his voice on the radio as he called Teams 4, 5 and 6 for radio checks.