Trouble, that was what she was, he decided as he helped to pack up the cars in order to leave. Logically, he knew that she was trouble, he really did, it was just that, she made him smile. Which, he guessed, was the real reason why he needed to stay well away from her. In the past twelve months he could count on one hand the number of times that he had smiled, and all of them had happened in the last few days that he had been staying in Beryl Creek. Not that he intended to examine that, at least not now, maybe not ever. Even if he wasn’t irreparably broken inside, he had nothing to offer in the relationship stakes anymore. Sure, he had the money and fame and all the things that came with that status, but deep down, they were empty gestures. He sucked as a boyfriend, always lost in his own head, in his music, never remembering to return calls, forgetting birthdays and special dates, heck, he rarely remembered to eat most days! No, certainly nothing to offer, and, he reminded himself, he had no time for entanglements, not now, and certainly not with a woman who already had enough on her plate. No, Gabby deserved a lot more than he was willing to offer right now.
“Caleb, are you listening to me?” Gabby stood before him, hand on hip, sunglasses flipped to the top of her head, waiting.
“I’m sorry, I was miles away.” Liar, his inner voice taunted him, you were too busy watching the way she moved in her dress.
“I was saying that the Beryl Creek Camel Cup race is one of the more unique events on the outback calendar,” Gabby explains as they start loading up the car with what she called essentials. Seriously, if his band carried this many essentials, they would need a Hercules aircraft to tour with them. Aside from the six folding chairs, there were three Esky’s full of food and drinks, a folding table, two picnic blankets, the obligatory camera, assorted books and toys both Lucia and Sofia insisted that they could not live without, sweaters in case the weather gets cooler, and a box of medical supplies. Caleb raised his eyes at the last item, they were going as spectators after all, not competitors. “It is all hands on deck Caleb, when someone gets hurt.” Caleb found the use of ‘when’ not ‘if’ a touch concerning, but Gabby just continued. “Camels are completely unpredictable, as are the crazies who decide to ride them in the races, so...” She trailed off.
“What do you mean, the crazies who decide to ride them? Don’t they have, you know, actual riders, like with horses?”
“You mean jockeys?” Gabby can’t resist teasing him. “And no, not for the camel races. Anyone from the crowd can sign on to ride a camel in a race, as long as they sign a waiver stating that they won’t hold the Beryl Creek Council liable if they are injured, or, you know,” she shrugged, “die as a result.”
“Are you kidding me right now?!”
“No.”
“So, you’re serious? Anyone can just put their hand up and jump on a camel?”
“Sure, if they are reckless enough and have no fear of...Wait. Caleb, you’re not thinking about putting your hand up, are you?” A frown creased her brow, cute as it was, Caleb brushed her concern aside.
“Goodness no, I was just wondering.” Gabby fixed him with a hard stare that Caleb tried hard not to fidget under. She was inscrutable, she would have given his mother a run for her money in that area, of this he was sure. Deciding that he was in fact telling her the truth, or maybe just wanting to let him off the hook, she nodded once, and moved to finish cramming the gear into the back of her ancient station wagon. She had nothing to worry about, even if he was in his rock star persona, he would never have risked such a stunt. He was far too much of a coward, besides, he was flying under the radar here.
“Good, the last thing we need is two strong willed invalids to care for,” she snaps at him. “So, you’ll meet some of the nicest people at the cup today. Good people, honest people. Of course, there will be just as many crackpots, which is part of the fun.” She smiled at him.
“The crackpots?”
“No, telling them apart.” She laughed. “You’ll see, it will be fun.” The more that Caleb heard about the camel races, the more intrigued he became. He was not, however, in any way prepared for the sight that greeted him upon their arrive at Williamsfield Park. Streams of golden light dance across the mountains surrounding the park, ring-necked parrots dance and sway beneath the clouds. Children run past waving ribbons behind them, a couple kiss as if no one is watching. Gabby had told him on the ride over that there would be a field of twenty camels taking part in the races this weekend, with eight race heats all culminating in tomorrow’s semi and grand finales. More than just a camel race, it was also a carnival. It was hard to believe that he was only five kilometres from the centre of town, from Gabby’s bakery, this park felt like he had entered another world.
The crowd was a melting pot brimming with locals, tourists and families; there were men in chequered shirts and battered Akubras, and canny locals combining fashion and comfort by affixing fascinators to woollen beanies, despite the fact that it was nowhere near freezing at twenty something degrees. He was glad they arrived as early as they did, the fields used for parking was already six rows deep, full of utes, campervans, and trailers, with more lining the road trying to get in. There are rows and rows of food vendors, each selling a single cuisine, their lines already long despite the early hour. There were hotdogs, strawberries and cream, corn on the cob, baked potatoes. He could already hear Sofia and Lucia petitioning their Poppy for something called a potato twist, whatever that was. The unease grew in his stomach, people were always amazed whenever he admitted that he was shy. Him, a world-famous guitarist. People thought he was being cute with them, that he simply didn’t want to talk. It crippled him at times, his shyness, it had become a braking mechanism of sorts for him, at times drenching his day in anxiety.
They found a spot to set up their chairs and blankets, under the shade of an ancient grove of trees, close enough to the car for trips back to get the food, and flat enough for Nico to manoeuvre his wheelchair comfortably. The view of the track is close enough to catch all of the action, but far enough back to ease Maria’s fear of injury by crazy camels. At the end of the field a judge’s box stands on stilts, the judging job far from strenuous, it is usually clear which camel comes first, these races are rarely marked by a photo finish. Unlike horse racing, which is a glamourous affair, camel racing is anything but. Horses behave like gentlemen, camels are bawdy. They spit. They stomp. They kick. They do whatever it is that takes their fancy, heck, some even refuse to run.
CHAPTER NINE
The races start with a mini history lesson, re-enacted for the families and tourists in attendance. The speaker was good, Caleb had to admit, even he was mesmerized. They spoke of camels having hailed from Afghanistan, Arabia and India, of coming to Australia to provide a transport system that was not dependant on water, of their aid in the exploration and establishment of communications routes, especially throughout the outback. Once trains arrived, camels were redundant, and were simply set free into the wild, despite the environmental headache. Caleb thought that wild was an accurate way to describe their nature, he and Gabby having taken Lucia and Sofia to the camel holding pens before the races so that the girls could choose their favourites to back. The camels showed off their very best grunts, spitting and making horrid groaning sounds as they walked around making their choices. Despite this, the girls both chose their favourites, declaring that Tim Tam Jam and Mr Pickles were both handsome specimen who would surely win. Caleb thought they were all crazy.
The day finally kicked off with possibly the worst rendition of the national anthem that Caleb has ever heard. He looks around, if the pained expressions on everyone else’s faces are anything to go by, he is not the only one to feel this way. Three long minutes he sits there, trying to compose a neutral expression on his face. For three long minutes, he knows, he counted the seconds in his head, a group of amateur singers transport the crowds collective eardrums to hell. Awkward silence and weak clapping ensue, the singers not at all fazed, one going as far as leaning into the microphon
e and whispering an apology. Sunglasses on, Caleb leans back in his folding chair, happy just to crowd watch. Nico regales Sofia and Lucia with stories from the early camel cup days. Rumour has it, in the late sixties, two friends decided to settle an argument by pitting their camels against each other in a race along the Beryl Creek. The crazy race has run every year since, although they have had several upgrades since then. As well as the camel races, the carnival includes belly dancing, kids’ rides, an animal farm, fashions on the field, wood carving demonstrations using a chainsaw, and numerous other events all aimed at showcasing the local community.
“Gabby, look,” Nico shot Caleb a surreptitious wink. “fashions in the field is about to start, you should go sign up.”
“Are you out of your mind?” Gabby baulked at the suggestion. “You want me to enter a fashion parade?”
“You are a beautiful woman Gabby, you will win for sure, no?” Nico chuckled. “You are just like your mama sometimes.”
“Huh,” Maria snorts from her vantage spot on Nico’s left. “I raise my Gabby to have taste and class Nico, not to parade around on display for men to ogle her.”
“What’s ogle mean?” Piped up Lucia.
“Great, thanks you guys,” Gabby hissed to her parents. “Ogle means to look at sweetheart,” she explained to Lucia.
“Why don’t you want men to look at you? You’re very pretty mummy, don’t you want to get a husband?” Caleb thought he would literally choke on his coffee, Nico leant over and slapped him hard on the back.
“That is not how you get a husband Lucia, where do you girls hear about such things?”
“Poppy let us watch Strut It with him.”
“He what!?” Caleb wondered if steam would shoot from Gabby’s ears. “Dad, that was-”
“Nico, how could you?” Maria interrupted Gabby, both women now shooting angry looks at Nico, caught in the headlights of their gazes.
“It was only a little bit of fun.”
“I’m not talking about the stupid television show Nico, I am talking about Sofia and Lucia. They don’t need a father any more than Gabby needs a husband.”
“Seriously guys, you know we are all sitting right here, right?” Gabby warns in an undertone. “Enough, both of you! Firstly, if I ever decide to marry, it will be to someone who thinks more of me than just my looks. Secondly, why wouldn’t I want to marry someday mum? Just because I haven’t yet, doesn’t mean I never will. In any case, it is not up for discussion, do you understand?” She stands and brushes off some invisible dirt from her sundress. “Lucia, Sofia, come on, the line for the potato twist is not that long, let’s go get some”.
A glance at Nico and Maria and Caleb jumped up, quickly joining the girls in their hunt for food. “Well, that was...interesting,” Caleb shoved his hands in his pockets, not trusting himself to take Gabby’s hand otherwise. “Just so you know, it wouldn’t have been a fair competition, you would have won hands down,” he grinned at her, earning a smile in return.
“Shut up,” Gabby mutters, looping her arm through his. They continue on in silence, a good thing, considering that Gabby had rendered Caleb speechless. Food ordered and paid for, potato twists for the girls and Nico, strawberries and cream for Maria, hot cinnamon donuts for Gabby, and one of literally everything he saw for Caleb, they headed back to their seats, eager to watch the unfolding parade.
“Are you sure you bought enough food Caleb?” Nico jested as the food was passed around.
“Leave him alone, he’s a growing lad,” Maria defended, leaving the group in stitches.
The fashions on the field started innocently enough, but soon turned into chaos when one of the contestants ‘accidentally’ tripped another, who, unfortunately, landed in a pie of camel dung from yesterdays practice round. In the end, the judges crowned a miss Jenna Barnes from Queensland as the winner, further proof that the camel cup has become more than just a local event, that it attracts tourists from all over the country. Jenna came to Beryl Creek on the spur of the moment, her young family keen for a weekend getaway. When accepting her award, a gold trophy in the shape of a camel, Jenna confessed that she had entered as a joke, wearing her mother’s outfit, a floral pantsuit, that was last seen aboard a cruise ship well before Jenna was even born. Caleb had never laughed so hard in his life. Heck, this was a hoot! He could well imagine himself coming back here, to the camel races, he might even try and convince his band to do a community gig here, they would get a kick out of that. As famous as they all were now, they all enjoyed a simple life, coming from nothing, they enjoyed giving back when they could, and events like this, fun and weird, was right up their alley. His laugh died on his lips. If he brought them here, he would have to tell Gabby who he was, and that was something that could never happen.
At midday, six camels enter the field, ready to run in the first heat. Caleb watches, fascinated, as the call is put out to the audience, looking for spectators game enough to come forward and ride. He can sense Gabby watching him from the corner of her eye, was she really that concerned that he would put his hand up? He was flattered that she cared enough if he was being honest. As people started to come forward, either in bravery or stupidity, Caleb wasn’t sure, a flock of galahs squawk in support. The starting line is bedlam as riders and trainers alike attempt to get the camels into a seated position, which, traditionally, is how they start a race. It did not go well. There were camels everywhere, an exotic looking woman calls to the closest camel rider to put their foot down. Caleb has no idea what she is talking about, and sadly it seems neither did the rider. The starting pistol is fired, camels are away, gangly legs wobbling all over the place. Dust covers the track and those who made the mistake of sitting too close. There are camels going in all directions, at top speed, as riders cling on for dear life. This is the craziest race Caleb has ever seen, and for a split second, he wished Sam was here with him, he would have loved this.
Gabby stands up and wanders through the throng of visitors lounging on blankets and chairs, over to the exotic looking woman Caleb saw talking to the camel riders before. “Hi, I’m Gabby, we own the bakery in town.” She smiles down at the woman.
“I’m Sascha Fazulla, it’s nice to meet you, you make the nicest Tiramisu I have ever tried. Would you like to join me?”
“I’d love to,” Gabby sits cross legged on the blanket next to Sascha. “I heard you calling out to the racers before, how did you know what they needed to do, are you a camel trainer?”
“My ancestors are some of the Afghan cameleers who came to Australia many years ago, they settled in Broken Hill and the Oodnadatta area. I actually rode a camel to my wedding, and now my husband and I own a camel farm, we have always kept that strong camel connection”.
“That sounds so exciting,” Gabby was more than a little wistful, she had never had a proper adventure, if she was being honest with herself, she was a tad envious.
“Camels are beautiful creatures, their rolling, swaying gait is so unusual, like a dance,” Sascha says, “it is why they are referred to as ships in the desert. I simply love camels, I cannot imagine my life without them, they are full of character, or personality, plus, I like surprising people.” As much as Gabby wanted to stay and talk, she could see her girls getting weary. She excused herself, exchanging contact details with Sascha and arranging to meet up at the finales tomorrow, before heading back to her own spot with her family. Heats pass, the esky’s are emptied, much to Caleb’s surprise, he honestly did not think that they would manage to eat their way through the mountains of food Maria had insisted on bringing with them, perhaps it was all of the fresh air and excitement that made them so hungry?
As the sun started to set, it was a tired group that made their way back to the cars, Nico and Maria holding fast to Sofia and Lucia while Gabby and Caleb carried their assorted gear. Nico insisted on overseeing Caleb as he loaded the cars back up, Maria and Gabby indulged him, helping get Lucia and Sofia in their seats, chatting about dinner plans, the girls try
ing to convince Maria and Gabby that ice cream and hot dogs would be the best idea. Caleb wasn’t sure they would win that argument, the sound of their chatter bringing a smile to his face.
“You should take her out to dinner.” Nico spoke softly.
“Gabby?” Caleb frowned, not sure if he had understood Nico correctly.
“Yes Gabby, unless there is something going on between you and my wife that I should know about,” Nico joked, earning a chuckle from Caleb.
“No sir.”
“Good. Then take Gabby to dinner. Tonight. We’ll watch the girls.” He clapped Caleb on the shoulder as he wheeled past. “Maria let’s go. Caleb will ride back with Gabby.”
Caleb and Gabby waved the car off until it exited the carpark and turned the corner. Making a move towards the car, Caleb took his chance and caught Gabby’s hand in his.
“Have dinner with me?” He sounded breathless, his heart pounded, he thought he might be about to have a heart attack, which would be pretty ironic.
“Dinner? With you?” She looked at him curiously.
“Yes, with me, I just thought...” Caleb trailed off. Oh God, if she didn’t want to, Caleb wasn’t sure what he would do.
“When?”
“Right now, tonight. Your dad said your parents will watch the kids tonight,” Caleb pulled her closer, tilting her head upwards until her eyes met his. “So, will you have dinner with me Gabby?” She met his gaze head on, questioning, probing.
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