Always With You

by Hannah Ellis

  With great effort, I made myself presentable and dragged myself out, intent on seeing something of Sydney. Two familiar young guys sat in the foyer of the hostel, huddled over a map.

  “You look like I feel,” the taller of the two said, glancing up at me as I hovered in front of a wall full of flyers advertising an array of tourist attractions and day trips. I swiped at my hair. Perhaps I wasn’t quite as presentable as I thought.

  The second guy gave me a puzzled look. “We were dancing last night, weren’t we?”

  “Yeah.” If you say so. “I’m Libby.”

  He reached to shake my hand. “Phil.”

  I turned to his friend and offered my hand. “Max,” he told me before gesturing to the map spread out on the table. “Got any hot tips?”

  “I just arrived. I don’t know where I’m going myself.”

  “Hangovers don’t help, do they?” Phil said. “Let’s just wander and see what we find.”

  As they attempted to refold the map, I resumed staring at the tourist wall.

  “You wanna come with us?” Phil asked.

  With a shrug and a nod, I followed them out into the bright Sydney sunshine. As with Jenny and Carol, it didn’t take long for me to become attached to Phil and Max. They were best friends from East London and were easy-going sightseeing companions. Over the next three days, we roamed the dazzling city, taking in the Opera House, Bondi Beach, Circular Quay, Darling Harbour and an array of fantastic places.

  We drank beers in glorious sunshine outside a trendy bar overlooking the harbour. We got lost, defiantly resisting the urge to turn on mobile roaming data, instead bickering over the map and pointing out street signs before marching on, only to find ourselves even more lost. I developed private jokes with Max and Phil, and they teased me about the shade of green I turned at the top of the harbour bridge after they talked me into doing the bridge climb with them. We had our photo taken at the top, huddled together as though we were old friends. A bar close to the hostel offered nightly drink specials so that was where we spent our evenings.

  On day four, they got on a bus to Melbourne and I felt as though I’d just come out of a long-term relationship. What will I do without Max and Phil? I remembered how we’d laughed at Phil’s sunburned nose. The memory of dancing with Max as we made our way from the bar to the hostel after too many cocktails brought a smile to my lips. But what now? I don’t want to travel alone. I want Max and Phil or Jenny and Carol. It was rare to meet people and have such an immediate connection.

  My plans to go to Kununurra became hazy. Maybe all I really needed was a change of scenery and to let my hair down. Finding long-lost relatives sank lower and lower down my list of things to do in Australia.

  Alone in the hostel bar the evening after Max and Phil left, I met Jamie. She was American and intrigued me immediately because I’d never known a female Jamie before. She was confident and fun. By the end of the evening we were firm friends, and desperate not to lose another friend, I accepted her invitation to travel north with her the following day.

  Leaving Sydney behind, we made slow progress on a Greyhound bus. When we finally arrived in Byron Bay we had another new friend: Mieke, from Holland. Her English was excellent and she had a wicked sense of humour. We checked into a hostel just a few minutes’ walk from the beach and then went out to explore, just as the sun was setting over the water. I’d been determined to have an early night but we ended up at Cheeky Monkeys, a popular tourist bar, and danced on tables until the early hours. It was just too much fun to leave.

  The next few days were a blur of swimming and sunbathing, drinking and sleeping. Mieke carried on northwards and was replaced in our dorm by Jess and Lisa, sisters from Ireland. A few days later – with hugs and a heavy heart – I left Jamie in Byron Bay and continued up the coast with my Irish friends. We stayed together through the bustle of Surfers Paradise and Brisbane, with some more relaxing and less touristy stops in between. We parted ways in Brisbane, and I spent a day exploring the city alone before hopping on a bus to Noosa.

  It was the first time in weeks I’d stopped to think about the reason I’d come to Australia. I’d been too busy blending into the backpacker scene and enjoying my time as a normal twenty-one-year-old. As far as anyone around me was concerned, the only baggage I carried was the hefty backpack which seemed to fluctuate in weight depending on how much I’d had to drink the previous evening. I was still a fair way from Darwin, but it began to play on my mind what I would do from there. If only I had a crystal ball to show me what I would find in Kununurra. I just needed a clue. Was it a good idea or not? Whenever I’d spoken to Rob on the phone, he’d told me to forget the idea – that I should just enjoy my holiday and then come home to them. He was pleased when I agreed that he was probably right.

  Chapter 13

  EVELYN – May 1994

  The first shock in my new job was the uniform.

  “Oh my goodness. Are you kidding?” I asked Mrs Kingston as she held it out. Surely they’re having a joke at my expense. Mrs Kingston didn’t seem like much of a joker though. Arthur’s wife looked to be at least ten years younger than her husband but had the same cold manner. She hadn’t offered her first name and treated me like an inconvenience in her day.

  Glaring at me, she instructed me to change in a curtained-off corner of the room. She wasn’t joking about the uniform, then. I squeezed into the too-tight and too-short black skirt and pulled the frilly nylon blouse into place as best as I could. My cleavage was very much on display, and I frowned when I looked down at myself, hoping that this was just a cleaning job; I was dressed more like a hooker.

  “It’s quite small,” I remarked, emerging gingerly from behind the curtain.

  “I’ll see if we have a bigger size. That will do for today though. It looks fine.”

  I tugged at the top in an attempt to decrease my cleavage and increase my dignity. It had little effect. “A bigger size might be better,” I agreed. A bigger size? Yeah, right, because it’s the fit that’s the problem. Am I really going to degrade myself like this? Do I really need a job that much?

  “Where do I start then?” I asked, disgusted at myself but deciding that I really needed a job – and an income – for a little while. It didn’t seem like the sort of establishment where you could argue about the uniform on the first day. Or any day, come to think of it. So far, the Kingston family all seemed to be sadly lacking in compassion and people skills.

  “Follow me,” Mrs Kingston said, aloof and impatient. “Let’s make sure you know exactly how to do the job and hopefully tomorrow you can be left to do it alone.”

  At the front desk, she showed me how to check which rooms were being vacated and would need a thorough clean and which were still occupied and only in need of straightening out. Next, I had a tour of the stock cupboard and loaded up a trolley with supplies before continuing to the first bedroom of the day. Mrs Kingston stood in the centre of the room, giving instructions and watching my every move. She checked that everything was done meticulously, haughtily smoothing wrinkles from freshly made beds and compulsively turning toiletries to stand at an exact angle. Joe had been right; it wasn’t rocket science, but Mrs Kingston made it seem like the most important job in the world, and having her shadow me the whole time was exhausting.

  “It seems like you’ll be fine on your own tomorrow,” she told me when I finished the last room of the day. I guessed that was the closest to a compliment I would ever get from Mrs Kingston. “I do regular checks, so don’t think you can cut corners.”

  “Of course not,” I said, eager to get out of the awful uniform and away from the place, which suddenly seemed stifling. Mrs Kingston left me in the staff room with a curt nod and a warning about always being on time.

  Back in my own clothes and heading back through the hotel, I passed Todd. “Survived the first day then?” he asked in a tone that implied he wasn’t sure I would have lasted this long.

  I squinted up at him. “I managed,�
� I told him lightly. “Are you working on the bar again today?”

  “I go where I’m needed,” he said. “Anything that needs doing, I do it. I’ll be running this place one day. It’s way more than a bar job for me.”

  “Okay.” I’d only intended to pass the time of day; I didn’t actually care what his duties were. He’d definitely inherited his parents’ air of superiority. “See you tomorrow then!” I said, desperate to get away from him.

  “Don’t be late,” he warned, his voice suddenly an octave deeper. My curtsy came out of nowhere, and the laughter erupted from me involuntarily. I wasn’t sure I was going to last long in the employment of the Kingstons.

  ***

  “Hi!” Joe called as I walked back to the hostel. He was busy unloading boxes with Mick from a truck outside of Bushcamp. “How was the first day?”

  “Better than working for Len,” I said. “Sorry, Mick, I’m not sure I can cope with that uniform for a month!”

  A look passed between them.

  “What’s wrong with the uniform?” Joe asked with a cheeky grin. “I always think it looks pretty good!”

  “You would,” I said, rolling my eyes and continuing on my way.

  Back at the Croc, I admired my handiwork as I walked up the path. It was unbelievable the difference cutting back the hedges had made. The borders had been overgrown and full of weeds, and I’d managed to pull them all out. Now all I needed to do was put some life back in with some healthy plants. It would have to wait though, because first on my agenda was lunch and then a refreshing dip over at the swimming pool.

  Working in the mornings and lazing around the pool in the afternoons would be my daily routine, I decided when I pulled myself out of the pool a couple of hours later. I was utterly content as I got on with the strenuous task of lying on a sunlounger under the shade of a palm tree.

  “Hello!” I said to the little lizard which shot past me. “You’re a little cutie.”

  “Talking to yourself?” Leslie asked, appearing beside me.

  “The wildlife,” I said, happy to bump into her.

  “Joe said you were over here,” she said, settling herself on the sunlounger next to me. “I’m afraid there are no secrets in this town. How was work?”

  “Okay,” I said, thoughtfully. “She’s a battle-axe, isn’t she? Mrs Kingston?”

  “Oh yeah, she’s awful. Sometimes I think she’s even worse than Arthur. Weird family. I bet the uniform looked good on you though!”

  “Oh my God!” I said dramatically. “It’s hideous. I thought it might be a joke at first.”

  “The Kingstons don’t joke!” Leslie said, laughing. “I can’t believe they still have that awful uniform.”

  “I’m not sure how long I’ll last there, to be honest.”

  “There are worse jobs,” she told me. “I currently work on the checkout at Bush Tucker!”

  I failed to hide my feelings and let out a groan on her behalf. Bush Tucker was a small supermarket; I’d been in a couple of times for supplies, but it seemed to attract a dodgy clientele so I’d taken my business to the larger Coles supermarket. “How long have you been working there for?”

  “Just a few months, since I finished school. I’m trying to save some money, then I want to go to college in Broome.”

  “What do you want to do?” I asked, reaching for my almost-empty bottle of water.

  “I want to be a teacher,” she said wistfully. “I help out at the kindy on Friday mornings. It’s the best day of my week!”

  “I bet you’ll make a great teacher,” I said. “I wish I knew what I wanted to do. I studied Art and Design, which my dad thinks is ridiculous. And he might be right. I don’t really know what I’ll do with it. I had these grand ideas about being a famous clothes designer.”

  “That sounds amazing! You should do it.”

  “Maybe,” I agreed.

  “We should do something tonight,” she suggested. “Celebrate the first day of your new job. How about drinks at Joe’s place?”

  “Won’t he mind?”

  “No! I spend half my life there. There or at Cam’s. I think Beth’s working late, but she usually calls in after.”

  “Is there something going on with you and Cam?” I asked. They had seemed very close when I spent time with them at the weekend.

  “No. He’s just a mate. He’s a nice guy though. Why? You interested?”

  “No,” I said, hastily. “Just wondered. I thought he liked you.”

  “No way. We’ve been friends for years, that’s all.”

  ***

  Cam’s apartment was right next door to Joe’s, and they were sitting outside when we arrived. They didn’t seem the least bit surprised to see us. Leslie had come back to check out my room while I changed and insisted on taking me to Chicken Treat – the only fast-food restaurant in town. I hadn’t quite decided whether it really was a treat or not, but it filled me up nonetheless.

  “Good,” Cam said, taking the beers we’d bought. “We were just saying we’re running low.”

  “It’s always the same around here,” Leslie told me. “A constant argument about whose turn it is to get beers.”

  “It’s his!” Cam and Joe said at once, pointing at each other.

  “You could’ve at least worn your hotel uniform,” Cam said, handing me a cold beer. “I’m sure it looks good on you!”

  “Let’s not talk about the uniform,” I said. “I’d rather not think about it.”

  “If I were you,” Cam said, “I’d work there for a week and then give it up.”

  “You in on this bet too then?” I asked.

  He grinned at me. “Don’t know what you’re talking about! Just stay a week.”

  “How long have you got me down for?” I asked Leslie.

  “Two weeks!”

  “Wow, nobody thinks I can hack it?”

  “Nobody likes working there,” Leslie said. “Don’t worry. Joe reckons you’ll stay forever.”

  My eyebrows shot up when I looked at him. “Forever?”

  He looked sheepish. “Everyone else was betting days or weeks. I just thought I’d go to the other extreme. I think I actually said five years.”

  “Five years would feel like forever,” Leslie said.

  “Well, I’ll be kicked out of the country long before then anyway,” I said before turning back to Joe. “How late does Beth work?”

  He shrugged. “Usually until eight or nine. Depends.”

  “Depends who it is she’s trying to make look pretty,” Cam quipped. “It can be a long job!”

  Leslie reached over to slap him as he laughed.

  It was a fun evening and time flew by. Beth didn’t turn up, and I was surprised when I looked up to find the night sky hanging over us, illuminated by a half-moon and an incredible blanket of stars intersected by the misty Milky Way.

  “Stunning, isn’t it?” Joe said, breaking the silence. Cam and Leslie were in the kitchen, giggling away.

  “It’s amazing,” I agreed before glancing at my watch. My eyes were heavy and tiredness swept through me. “I should get going.”

  “I was just going to suggest shots!” Leslie said from the doorway.

  “Guess who doesn’t start work until lunchtime tomorrow?” Cam said, pointing at Leslie.

  Leslie grinned mischievously. “I’m going to crash here, okay, Joe?”

  “Since when do you ask if it’s okay?” he said, shaking his head. “I’m going to walk Evelyn home.”

  “I’m fine,” I said. “You don’t need to walk me.”

  “You can’t go alone,” Cam said seriously. “It’s not safe.”

  “Let Joe walk you back,” Leslie said. “Don’t walk by yourself at night.”

  “Okay,” I agreed, feeling like a burden. I was sure I’d be fine walking back alone.

  We set off in silence, and I was soon glad that I had an escort. Shouts drifted from a nearby house and streetlights were few and far between. There was an eerie feel to the p
lace.

  “It’s not really a nice place to walk alone at night,” Joe said quietly.

  “It’s kind of creepy,” I agreed.

  “How long do you plan on staying?” he asked as we passed the hotel.

  “I have no idea. There’s still a lot more of Australia I’d like to see. But I also like the idea of staying in one place for a while.”

  We walked on in an easy silence and my tiredness, combined with the alcohol in my system, made me wobble slightly. For a moment, I almost linked my arm through Joe’s before I remembered his girlfriend. I felt suddenly awkward about being alone with him. Maybe I should’ve got Cam to walk me.

  Joe escorted me right to my door. The bright light outside my room attracted a host of creepy-crawlies. Moths of varying sizes crashed into the light, bouncing off and going back again. The ground moved with bugs, and geckos wandered the walls.

  “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this,” I said to Joe, looking at the hive of activity around my door.

  “I’m surprised it doesn’t freak you out,” Joe said.

  “I struggle with the spiders in the shower,” I confessed. “And what’s with the frogs in the toilet bowl?”

  His eyes danced with amusement and the smile lit up his face. “I don’t know. It’s all pretty normal to me.”

  “It’s crazy,” I said as I opened my door. “Thanks for walking me home.”

  “No worries,” he said. “I’ll see you around. We always have drinks on Friday night, if I don’t see you before.”

  “Sounds good,” I said.

  I watched him walk back towards the road. When he turned at the last minute, I was embarrassed that he had caught me watching him. He waved and turned the corner.

  I was glad to have made friends with the locals. It felt like a proper Aussie experience. I just needed to see some crocodiles.

  Chapter 14