The Opal Desert

by Di Morrissey

  ‘You don’t have to apologise, Kerrie. Surely Milton would want you to be happy? No one would wish to see someone they loved unhappy for the rest of their life. Now you’ve moved into a new phase.’

  ‘I think so. It seems life does go in cycles. I don’t regret a moment of the excitement, the passion, the pressure, the merry-go-round that I lived with Milton.’ She paused. ‘Well, maybe I would have liked some things to have been different, but that’s how it was with Milton.’

  ‘For what it’s worth, I think that you’re still young, so you should move on,’ said Pam.

  ‘This exhibition could also be the start of something new,’ Kerrie said cautiously.

  ‘I’d definitely say so,’ agreed Pam. ‘I’ll be interested to hear what Shirley has to say about you and Tim.’

  ‘She’s happy for me,’ said Kerrie.

  ‘I’m sure she is,’ said Pam. ‘You’re doing the right thing. But, you know, I can’t help thinking that Shirley should have grabbed the bull by the horns years ago and moved on, too. I’ve always wondered why she stayed on here. It’s not like she was heavily into mining. I suppose it’s good that she started recording the history of this place, but, well, it’s not much of a life when you think about it. I suppose it’s too late for her to change now.’

  ‘You know, I think the same thing,’ admitted Kerrie. ‘Shirley was the same age as I am now when she met Stefan. She had almost as long with Stefan as I had with Milton. But I’m prepared to start again and Shirley wasn’t. She’s like a wounded old bear that refuses to get out of its cave. It’s good that she’s so caring and wise, so people come to her.’

  ‘Yes, she’s been that way as long as I’ve lived here. Well, dinner is ready. I guess you’ll go over to see Shirley first thing in the morning?’

  ‘Yes, of course. I want to show Alia around, too. She’s flying straight back to Sydney after the show opens, so this is her only chance to see what’s here.’

  ‘We’re heading off, too. We’ll go to your opening, of course, but then we’re going to Dubbo for a big family wedding. Be away a week or so.’

  ‘Is someone coming to look after this place? Do you want a hand here?’ offered Kerrie.

  ‘No, thanks, it’s all under control. We have friends from Victoria who love coming up here and running the place. They like wandering round the country in their caravan with their old kelpie and they love noodling for opals, so they’re happy to fill in when we’re away.’

  ‘That’s good, because I do plan to stay on for a bit.

  I have a friend coming to visit.’

  Pam smiled. ‘Wonderful. Will your friend be staying here?’ She wanted to ask more questions, but didn’t as Alia joined them for one of Pam and Doug’s delicious meals.

  Kerrie drove Alia around the top of Old Tom’s Hill and stopped the car outside Shirley’s dugout. Alia gazed across the town to the emptiness of the surrounding landscape.

  ‘It’s a bit like a fort up here.’

  ‘Yes, it would be hard to sneak up here without someone knowing, I suppose. I always felt safe when I stayed here at Ingrid’s, but she has very secure locks to protect her jewellery,’ said Kerrie. ‘Shirley doesn’t even lock her door. Mind you, she never leaves the place anyway.’

  ‘I’d like to meet Ingrid and see her jewellery,’ said Alia.

  ‘I’m sure you’ll get the chance.’

  They got out of the car and as they walked to the dugout Kerrie was surprised to see a young woman sweeping the tiny patio by Shirley’s entrance.

  ‘Hello. Is Shirley all right?’ asked Kerrie, wondering why Shirley needed someone to help. Kerrie was only too aware that Shirley wasn’t one to be fussed by domestic appearances.

  ‘She’s fine. I just thought I’d help her a bit. You must be Kerrie. She’s very excited to see you.’

  ‘Yes, I am. And this is Alia. And you are . . . ?’

  ‘Anna. I’m working down at the hotel. Shirley’s inside. I’ll go and tell her you’re here.’

  ‘Don’t worry,’ said Kerrie. ‘I know my way about, and she’s expecting me. It’s nice of you to help out.’

  Alia smiled at Anna as Kerrie went ahead into the dugout.

  ‘Shirley’s a lovely lady,’ said Anna.

  ‘Have you been in Opal Lake a long time?’ asked Alia.

  Anna placed the broom behind a heavy chair and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. ‘No, not long. I’m from Adelaide. I saw a job advertised for bar work here, and I came. It’s somewhere different.’

  ‘You can say that again. Do you live in a dugout?’

  ‘No, just at the pub. I’ll say goodbye to Shirley.’ Anna stuck her head around the doorway of the dugout and called out, ‘See you later, Shirley.’

  ‘Aren’t you staying for tea, Anna? This is Kerrie I’ve told you about.’

  ‘No, thanks, Shirley, but you enjoy the visit. Let me know if you want anything. Bye.’ Anna included Kerrie and Alia in her swift farewell and disappeared.

  ‘So you’ve collected another lost duckling?’ said Kerrie lightly. ‘Where’d she spring from?’

  ‘Oh, she’s been here for about two months, I guess. Taken me a while to tame her, though. Bit of a shy creature. She’s a runner. Now, sit down. I’m so pleased to meet you, Alia. Isn’t it wonderful news about Kerrie’s exhibition?’

  ‘Yes, very exciting.’

  ‘I do wish you could see it, Shirley. Alia helped with the hanging of my paintings and my work is shown off to wonderful advantage.’

  ‘I’m sure they’ll all sell in a flash,’ said Shirley.

  ‘Oh. I hadn’t thought about the selling side of it,’ said Kerrie suddenly. ‘I’ll miss every one of them!’

  Alia and Shirley both laughed.

  ‘But that’s what you’re supposed to do! Paint a picture and sell it, isn’t that right?’ said Alia. ‘Was Dad possessive about his work, too?’

  ‘He was a bit, which is why he kept a lot of them. He called them his heart pieces, as opposed to his commissioned work.’

  ‘If you did decide that you could bear to sell your paintings, is there a special one that you couldn’t possibly part with?’ asked Shirley.

  ‘Yes, there’s one that’s definitely not for sale. I didn’t even put it in the exhibition.’ Kerrie turned to Alia. ‘You know the one I mean. Could you get it from the car?’

  Alia nodded and rose. ‘Oops, I left it at the B&B. I’m so sorry, Kerrie. Shall I go and get it while you two catch up? It won’t take me long.’

  As she left the room, Shirley turned to Kerrie. ‘She’s lovely. Not quite as you described her eighteen months ago. So something happened when you two went to New York?’

  ‘Yes, I think so. What was really important was that she came to understand her father’s talent and his place in the art world. And it showed her that she has a talent, too. She has a flair for design and she’s good at display, and art appreciation. It’s given her the idea that she might become a curator, which I’m so happy about. I’m very glad that I took up your suggestion to take Alia with me to help with Milton’s retrospective.’

  ‘And the other two girls? How are they these days?’

  ‘Hard to say. I think they are still directionless, though they’re no slouches when it comes to shopping and socialising. I’ve decided to move out of the Rose Bay house. The girls can either live there, or sell it and divide the proceeds. It’s up to them. I hope that then we’ll have less of a barrier between us.’

  ‘That seems to be a good idea. Where will you live?’ asked Shirley.

  ‘No idea, but I don’t need a huge mansion. I want somewhere simpler and easier to manage.’

  Shirley leant back and looked at Kerrie. ‘Seems to me you’re making some smart decisions.’

  ‘Maybe. I’m certainly seeing a way forward through my art.’

  ‘I think there’s more than just your art. How’s Tim?’

  Kerrie smiled at her. ‘Couldn’t be better.’

 
Just then Alia came back into the dugout holding a large brown paper parcel, which she handed to Shirley. ‘This is for you,’ she said. ‘From Kerrie.’

  Shirley smiled in delight. ‘A painting! How wonderful. You shouldn’t be giving them away, Kerrie.’

  Alia helped her to open the brown paper and Shirley gasped as she discovered there were two pictures inside. One was a portrait of Shirley done from the sketches Kerrie had made on her second visit and the other was a small picture of Opal Lake.

  Shirley held the portrait at arm’s length. ‘It’s good. You certainly have developed it from those original sketches. You know me very well.’ She studied the small painting of the lake. ‘Oh, Kerrie, I love this. It’s just as I remember it.’

  ‘I’m so glad. You can see that wonderful silvery sandy soil that looks like water in the distance.’

  ‘I like the rusty wire and the old fence post. They are very evocative. I have a lot of memories of that lake,’ said Shirley. ‘I was there with the two most important men in my life.’ She turned to Alia. ‘When I was a little girl I saw the lake filled with water and the abundant bird life that was attracted to it, little water birds and great clumsy pelicans. That was a once in a lifetime event.’

  Alia glanced at Kerrie, as if expecting her to say something, but Kerrie stood up and hugged Shirley.

  ‘I’m so happy you like the picture.’

  That afternoon Kerrie, Pam and Alia went down to the hotel before Pam had to start preparing dinner for her guests, for a drink and a chat with some of the locals. It wasn’t very busy and Anna was able to talk with Alia, while Kerrie and Pam took their drinks to one of the small tables.

  ‘Is Anna very friendly with Shirley?’ asked Kerrie.

  ‘Isn’t everyone? You can’t be possessive about the old girl,’ said Pam.

  ‘I do feel a bit that way,’ admitted Kerrie. ‘She’s been so supportive and, I don’t know, I just feel like she’s been in my life forever.’

  ‘She has made a big impression on you, hasn’t she?’

  ‘I think she came along at the right time. Murray opened my eyes and inspired me to paint, but Shirley seems to understand me, and talks sense to me.’

  ‘She has that knack,’ agreed Pam. ‘She never goes anywhere, so the world ends up on her doorstep. She swept Anna into her dugout almost as soon as they met.’

  ‘I worry people might take advantage. Shirley is so good natured,’ said Kerrie.

  ‘That’s true. She’s generous, too. I know of several people she’s helped financially but I think she’s been good for Anna.’

  ‘How does Anna get on with the other people here?’ asked Kerrie.

  ‘Anna is not like most of the other girls who have come out here to work,’ said Pam. ‘She’s a bit of a loner. I worried about her at first, because she’s so stand-offish, but when you get to know her, she’s just lovely, though she scares most of the blokes away. Nice to see her chatting with Alia.’

  ‘I can’t imagine why she’s staying out here. It’s not really a place for a young woman. Is she interested in opals?’

  ‘You mean coming out here for that opal strike that’s your ticket to the future?’

  ‘And then when you’ve hit opal you stay to look for more and never leave and before you know it, your life is half over,’ said Kerrie.

  ‘Yes, how often have we heard that story?’ laughed Pam. ‘But I doubt that will happen to Anna. I get the feeling that she’s waiting for something, but it’s not that.’

  ‘Is she waiting for someone?’ suggested Kerrie.

  Pam shrugged. ‘No idea. She never talks about her personal life, but I don’t think it’s a man. And speaking of men, who’s your guest that’s coming? Is it a certain jeweller?’ she asked.

  Kerrie smiled. ‘Tim? He’s sorry that he’ll miss the opening of the art show, but he’s going to try to make it before it closes. Maybe there will be time to bring him out to Opal Lake.’

  ‘I hope so,’ said Pam, and then changing the subject added, ‘Anna would like to see your exhibition. I’ve spoken to her about it, and since she and Alia seem to be hitting it off, she won’t be stuck with us oldies. Mick doesn’t mind giving her some time off.’

  Kerrie couldn’t have dreamed a more perfect evening to show her own paintings than the opening of the Outback Artists’ Initiative Exhibition. Although Alia and she had checked the lighting and supervised the display, Kerrie was still amazed by how good her works looked among the other pieces of art on show.

  ‘I never believed I’d have a collection of work to exhibit! I know there are only eight of them, but I’d so given up on my dream of being an artist. It just goes to show, you should never give up on your dreams,’ she said quietly to Anna as they looked around the room.

  Anna, in a silk jacket borrowed from Alia, stood beside her and nodded in agreement. ‘That’s what Shirley keeps telling me.’

  ‘It’s what she told me too,’ said Kerrie.

  ‘Look, Kerrie, there’re a couple of red stickers on your paintings already, and the exhibition hasn’t even been officially opened yet,’ said Alia.

  ‘Ooh, here’s Murray! You must meet him. He’s my inspiration,’ laughed Kerrie, holding out her arms as Murray Evans came striding towards her, a huge grin on his face.

  ‘Look at you! How clever are you!’ He hugged her.

  ‘Thanks to you. Oh, Murray. I never thought this would happen. Look what a can of worms you’ve opened! Oh, this is my stepdaughter, Alia, and Anna, a friend from Opal Lake. Is Fiona with you?’

  ‘Lovely to meet you both. No, Fee is holding the fort back in Lightning Ridge.’ He turned to Alia. ‘I understand that you helped hang Kerrie’s work. It looks great.’

  ‘Thanks. Kerrie tells me that you inspired her to get out the brushes,’ said Alia.

  ‘Not me. The landscape. You’ll have to come over to the Ridge, have a look around,’ said Murray.

  ‘Murray and Fiona have a terrific gallery in Lightning Ridge,’ said Kerrie. ‘Have you got any paintings here, Murray?’

  ‘I’ve brought over three or four. They’re hanging just around that corner.’

  ‘I can’t believe that there’s so much artistic talent out here,’ said Alia.

  ‘Here comes Ingrid. Have you seen her knockout jewellery, Alia?’ asked Murray. ‘She puts opals up as objets d’art more than jewellery.’

  ‘It’s extraordinary. I saw some of her work at White Cliffs. It will be good to see more.’

  Ingrid hugged Kerrie, and offered her congratulations. She was wearing one of her designs, a dramatic boulder-opal necklace as well as a snake bracelet studded with opal chips and amethyst eyes that wound up her arm. Both Alia and Anna admired it.

  ‘How productive you’ve been, Kerrie. I’m telling everyone that the seed for these works began in my studio! You should come and stay every summer when I’m away.’

  ‘Thank you, Ingrid. I agree, Opal Lake is very conducive to being creative.’

  Kerrie was delighted to see Jack Absalom again and many other people whom she knew. She reminded Jack of her visit and he was genuinely pleased that it had produced such great results.

  ‘Will you be painting more of the outback?’ he asked.

  ‘I certainly will,’ replied Kerrie enthusiastically.

  Pam and Doug also gave her an excited embrace. ‘This is a fantastic show. So many ways of looking at the outback. Your paintings of Opal Lake are wonderful.

  I can’t believe they are from the sketches you did when we drove out there. We’re so proud of you,’ said Pam.

  Kerrie smiled at Doug looking unfamiliar in his blue shirt and tie, pressed moleskins and shiny RM Williams boots. ‘I’m just happy you could make it. I hope you enjoy the family wedding, and I’ll see you when you get back from Dubbo.’

  ‘We won’t be gone long, but you’ll like Liz and Bob who are filling in for us back at the Dome.’

  ‘And Banjo,’ added Doug. ‘Their dog. We’ll see you in a week.�
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  ‘That was some night,’ said Kerrie as she settled into the back seat of the car while Alia drove to the motel they were staying at in Broken Hill.

  ‘It was lovely. The whole evening was a huge success. Very well organised, too. Music, food, good wine, nice people, intelligent discussions. Better than some of the arty events I’ve been to in Sydney. This was really about the art and artists, rather than the glitterati,’ said Alia.

  ‘It’s the first time I’ve been to an art show, but I enjoyed it,’ said Anna.

  ‘You need to get out more,’ said Alia. ‘What did you do in Adelaide?’

  ‘I worked in a coffee shop, but that wasn’t my real life. I’m an athlete with a tough coach. When I wasn’t serving coffee, I was training.’

  ‘Are you still in training?’ asked Alia.

  ‘I’m trying to decide if I want to continue, and whether I’m capable of doing what my coach wants. But I keep myself in shape and I need to run.’

  ‘What’s your sport?’

  ‘Track and field. I’m a middle-distance runner, eight hundred metres.’

  ‘How much time have you got before you have to make a decision? I’m older than you and I’m just working out what I want to do now,’ said Alia.

  They got out of the car at the motel and Kerrie said, ‘Early start for us all in the morning. Planes to catch and driving to do.’

  Alia watched Anna go into her room. ‘Interesting girl,’ she said to Kerrie.

  ‘Hmm. She’d better make up her mind about what she wants to do soon. She can’t keep hiding away in Opal Lake forever.’

  Alia was tempted to point out that it had taken years for Kerrie to act on her career dream but kept silent.

  ‘If that’s what she’s doing. She doesn’t give much away, but I like her,’ said Alia.

  ‘Sleep well. I’ll take you to the airport in the morning and then I’ll be on my way back to Opal Lake with Anna.’ Kerrie yawned. ‘I’m fading.’

  ‘It’s been a big day for you. Congratulations again.’ Alia leant over and kissed Kerrie on the cheek. ‘I’m really proud of you,’ she added.