The Painted Sky

by Alice Campion

  ‘Don’t you get it? I want to stay but I can’t,’ said Nina, her eyes brimming again. ‘The thought of Hilary owning this place kills me. It’s impossible to stay here with no water. There’s no getting round it. It’s just that I’ve been so inspired here. See those?’ Nina pointed to a stack of canvases leaning against the pianola. ‘I haven’t painted this much … ever.’

  ‘So stay. There must be a way. Can you borrow against the flat?’

  ‘I can barely handle the mortgage as it is.’

  ‘Sell it!’

  ‘And what would be the point? I can’t conjure up water by waving a wand. Besides, you know what the Sydney property market is like. Theo always used to go on and on about how if you sold out you’d never get back in again. And I love that flat. It even still smells like my mum. Losing it would just be … so final.’

  ‘Can you sell your paintings then? Buy water. Freelance your graphics work? Work remotely – the remote part of the equation is there at least.’

  Nina laughed despite herself. ‘Well, the paintings would probably keep me in a kettle-full of water each month and the freelance? I don’t know. I’d be flat out making enough to survive. Besides, I’d have to face living next door to the happy couple.’

  She looked at Olivia. ‘Don’t worry, Liv. I’ll get over it. Maybe I can travel, do something different. I can’t see myself staying in Sydney. I’ve grown out of it.’

  Olivia looked at her in silence. ‘If you go you might not see him again.’

  ‘I know.’

  ‘And you can handle that?’

  ‘I have to.’

  Olivia gave Nina a hug and rested her forehead against hers. ‘Well I’m glad you’re coming back to Sydney, at least for a while. I’ve missed you so much. But I want you to be happy. Hey, maybe I can keep an eye on Heath for you if I come up here for dirty weekends with the wheel man.’

  ‘Oh, Liv,’ Nina laughed and hugged her back, hard.

  Nina watched the trees bend and shake from the cushioned comfort of her favourite wicker chair on the verandah. Yesterday’s swirling wind had intensified but the morning light was soft and the air was full of early freshness. She sipped her tea, savouring the final moments of possession of her property.

  ‘Nina! I neeeed foooood …’ called a familiar voice. There was a long pause. ‘Is that tea?’ Theo continued as he emerged with bed hair and wearing a shiny dressing gown Nina had never liked.

  She laughed. Typical Theo. He showed no embarrassment about trying to seduce her on the very night of her father’s funeral. ‘In the pot.’ She smiled.

  Theo gave her a mournful look that meant ‘Do I have to go into the kitchen and find the pot and pour it myself?’ but at that moment Olivia breezed through the screen door holding a tray of tea things and buttery toast piled on a plate.

  ‘Move your arse, Theo,’ she said through a slice of toast clenched between her teeth.

  Theo sat and made only one complaint, about the lack of jam. The three of them ate in companionable silence, looking out over the silvery terrain. A mob of emus took fright and waggled their enormous feathery bums in slow motion, stabbing the ground with their claws as they escaped an imaginary predator. Overhead a wedge-tailed eagle soared in the cloudless sky.

  Olivia sighed. ‘It’s so beautiful here, Nina.’

  ‘Yes,’ she replied. ‘It’s going to be hard to leave.’

  ‘Right,’ Olivia said, turning to look at her. ‘So you haven’t had a change of heart overnight then?’

  Her friend shook her head.

  ‘What now?’ Theo asked, rolling his eyes.

  ‘Nothing, Theo,’ said Nina. ‘I’ll be seeing you back in Sydney in a few days. I have to take in the papers for settlement today. After 3 pm, The Springs will belong to Hilary Flint.’

  ‘Thank god you managed to offload it. Though why someone like her would want this old place is beyond me. She struck me as quite the businesswoman. Nice car, too.’

  ‘Theo!’ snapped Olivia.

  ‘What?’ he asked, bewildered.

  ‘God, you are such a dick,’ she replied.

  ‘What’d I say?’

  ‘It’s okay, Theo,’ sighed Nina. ‘And you’re right. She is quite the businesswoman. I wouldn’t put it past the cow to have put all The Springs’ windows and timber on eBay already.’

  ‘See, Olivia,’ said Theo. ‘Don’t shake your head – I do know what I’m talking about.’ He turned again to Nina. ‘It’ll be great to have you back in the big smoke. Back to some clubbing, decent kebabs. The Kraft guys are teaming up for a paintball battle soon followed by a session or two or three at the pub if you’re interested. Sometimes we take girls along. Bit of fun. How you’ve managed out here so long with nothing to do is beyond me.’

  ‘Most things are beyond you, Theo,’ interjected Olivia.

  ‘I actually love it here, Theo. If I could stay I would,’ said Nina, downcast.

  ‘Now that’s your grief talking,’ said Theo, serious.

  Olivia started to giggle. ‘Sorry, mate, but that pseudo-psychiatrist thing of yours always cracks me up, particularly when you’re wearing that hideous dressing gown.’

  Theo ignored her. ‘Seriously, Nina, you’d go nuts out here,’ he continued. ‘And don’t forget you’ve got the designs for Dad’s restaurant to finish when you get back.’

  ‘Yep. Sure,’ Nina replied softly.

  ‘You’ve had a lucky escape if you ask me,’ said Theo. ‘Olivia, tell her how you were stifled in the country. Tell her what you told me on the way here. How there’s nothing to do but roo shooting – you’d love that, Nina, shooting fluffy little kangaroos – and sexist farmers and ugly fashion …’

  ‘Really, Theo? You’re my life coach. Tell me more.’

  ‘Come on,’ he continued. ‘You can’t seriously believe you’ll miss these people. They don’t know you, they’ll never get you. Half of them were pissed yesterday. Seriously, you’ve made the right decision.’

  ‘Well, I beg to differ,’ said Olivia with a sigh. ‘I’ll be there for you whatever, of course, but I can see you out here now. Plus, there’s the high ratio of good-looking men – particularly the ones with wheels – as an extra inducement.’

  ‘You two have officially lost it,’ said Theo, disgusted. ‘Trust me, once you get home you won’t give one more thought to this hole. Anyway, what would you miss? The crap coffee? The chance of being molested by pig shooters with their mullets and bad teeth?’

  Nina laughed despite herself. ‘Theo, please just shut up.’

  An hour later as she farewelled them at the gate, Nina heard Theo ask, ‘Which guy? What wheels? I thought they all had utes.’

  Nina winked at Olivia and kissed Theo goodbye.

  CHAPTER 19

  Carefully, so as not to disturb the sleeping form beside her, Deborah picked up her phone and checked the time. Almost nine-thirty. She should have been up two hours ago giving Saracen his morning gallop.

  But then, she thought smiling, as she lay back on the sun-drenched pillow, she really didn’t care. Her eyes took in the chaos of the night before. Her underwear scattered on the floor. His boots splayed against the bed. His dark lashes rested against the line of his strong cheekbones. His tousled hair, his lips open with sleep. He was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Her eyes traced the outline of his slender, muscular arms and back, remembering how they had felt under her fingertips the night before. The room seemed a magical sanctuary from the gusty wind outside.

  She leaned over and kissed his cheek, her blonde hair sweeping his brown shoulder. He started awake and stared at her for a moment while confusion gave way to understanding.

  ‘I thought it was a dream,’ he smiled, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

  She shook her head, smiling. ‘It’s about as real as it gets.’

  He sat up, a dark line of anxiety appearing between his heavy brows. ‘I meant everything I said. It wasn’t just –’

  ‘So did I, Matty.’ She
straddled him, sought his lips and kissed him, this time passionately.

  He held her face and then returned her kiss, before gently laying her down. He kissed her hair, her eyelids, her cheeks, her throat … She groaned. She felt herself falling, drowning in him. This was what she wanted, what she had always wanted, she now realised.

  He lingered over each breast, kissing, sucking, and then he reached her stomach. Lower. His tongue searching, licking, stroking.

  She arched her back. His grip tightened on her thigh. She cried out. She was falling again yet flying, soaring into that blissful place. There was no going back. Her fists clenched the sheets. ‘Yes,’ she cried.

  ‘Deborah? Are you there?’ The voice was unmistakeable.

  Matty stopped, sat up.

  ‘No, please, no,’ whispered Deborah.

  Deborah and Matty sat frozen as they heard the high-heeled boots enter the stables below them. Then Matty took her hand and moved next to her. He put one arm around her and pulled the sheet to cover them.

  ‘There’s no way I can get out of here without her seeing me,’ whispered Deborah.

  ‘You’re not sneaking out.’ Matty’s voice was gentle but firm. ‘Don’t let her push you around.’

  Deborah squeezed his hand and they snuggled together. If they were going to face her, they would do it together.

  ‘Deborah. Is that you up there?’ They heard Hilary’s boot mount the first rung of the loft ladder.

  ‘Yes, I’m here, Mother.’ Deborah could not believe the strength in her own voice.

  ‘Deborah? Oh, thank heavens.’ Hilary’s flushed face emerged over the top rung, her eyes locking on her daughter’s. ‘Your bed looked like it hadn’t been slept in. I was beside myself!’ Hilary shaded her eyes as they became accustomed to the light.

  And then she saw him.

  ‘What are? What?’ Hilary’s eyes grew round and her mouth fell open. She stood frozen, now only a metre from the bed.

  ‘G’day, Mrs Flint,’ said Matty.

  ‘What’s … what’s going on here?’ stammered Hilary, her eyes flicking from face to face and finally resting on their clasped hands.

  Deborah opened her mouth, but no sound emerged. Matty tightened his arm around her shoulders.

  ‘Debs and me. We want you to know,’ he said.

  ‘You? You and Deborah. Nonsense.’ Hilary’s voice was uncertain as she took a step towards them. ‘Deborah, look me in the eye this instant and tell me what this means.’

  ‘It’s no use, Mum.’ Deborah wet her lips. ‘I love Matty,’ she said calmly, ‘and I won’t let you make me feel bad about it.’

  ‘I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous. You’re engaged. Have you even given one thought to your fiancé?’

  ‘Of course I have. You don’t understand, I –’ began Deborah.

  ‘We’re taking care of that, Mrs Flint,’ said Matty, meeting Hilary’s eyes.

  ‘Get down that ladder right now, young lady!’ Hilary’s voice had risen to a painful shrill.

  ‘No. She’s not going to.’

  Hilary leaned down and grabbed her daughter by the shoulders, her face contorted in a mix of anguish and rage. ‘Darling, why are you doing this to Mummy? Are you trying to get back at me for something?’

  ‘Mum, stop it. I love you,’ said Deborah, pulling the sheet to her. ‘But just for once, just one single time, can’t you support what I want? I’ve done everything you’ve ever asked of me. I know this is a shock but it’s the way things are going to be. Please, please just let me be happy.’

  ‘Happy? You really think you’re going to be happy with him?’

  ‘S’cuse us, Mrs Flint,’ said Matty through clenched teeth. ‘We need to get dressed. We have to go and see Heath. Now.’

  ‘Stop, Deborah. Think about it. Once he knows you’ve been with a … he’ll never want you again,’ Hilary shouted. ‘It’s because of that Nina bitch, isn’t it? You think Heath is in love with her. This is just a stupid rebound thing.’

  ‘Enough,’ said Deborah. ‘Mother, please. Leave us. We can talk later.’

  ‘I’ll leave you all right,’ said Hilary, her shoulders shaking with rage. She picked up a pile of clothes on the floor and hurled them at Matty.

  ‘Don’t think you will get away with this. Robbing my daughter of what is hers. You’ll pay. For a start you can kiss this job goodbye. You’re fired. I should have twigged that you’d get too big for your boots. Got a taste of a real life by driving that car of Phillip’s, didn’t you? Figured you’d stolen the car from under his nose so you might as well have the daughter as well. Jumped on her when she was vulnerable. Well, you don’t take me on and win, you no-hoper bludger. Just wait till Barry Kemp hears about the car.’

  ‘Mother! That’s ridiculous!’ shouted Deborah.

  Matty stared at Hilary, unmoved.

  ‘I’m sure the police will be only too happy to hear about it. Last time I checked, that vehicle was still registered in our name.’

  ‘Mother! Don’t you dare. I’ll never speak to you again.’

  ‘I will. If it will stop you squandering your life on someone like him. After all we have done for you, after all your advantages. Do him good to spend a couple of days in the clink. It would at least give you time to wake up to yourself and fix it with the Blacketts.’

  ‘Stop it, please, Mum.’

  ‘So forget ever coming back to Paramour, Matthew – you need permission to be here and you don’t have that anymore. I’m off to see Barry right now and I suggest, Deborah, that you get dressed before the police arrive.’ Hilary disappeared down the ladder and they listened as she stamped across the stable floor and slammed the door.

  Matty fell back on the pillow and held Deborah even tighter. She buried her face into his warm shoulder.

  ‘I’m so sorry. What she said …’ said Deborah. ‘She’s ridiculous. There is no way she can get away with saying things like that.’

  ‘Sshhhh,’ said Matty. ‘She’s just lost it. Are you okay?’

  ‘Yes. Sort of. But only because you’re here. Look, don’t worry about the job and the car. Once Dad’s back from his conference he’ll sort it out. For her to accuse you of –’

  ‘I couldn’t give a stuff what she says about me,’ said Matty. ‘I just don’t want her and Barry Kemp giving Aunty a hard time.’

  ‘Yes. God. Moira,’ said Deb, scanning Matty’s face.

  ‘Look, we can’t stop her doing her worst,’ he said. ‘Everyone knows the truth. What we need to do now is go and see Heath. Are you up for it?’

  Deborah squeezed his hand.

  ‘Well, let’s get going before Hilary does the telling for us,’ said Matty.

  ‘I don’t think she would tell him. She still thinks there’s a chance for me and Heath and there just isn’t.’

  ‘Are you sure?’ Matty raised himself on an elbow and looked into her eyes.

  ‘I do love him, but like a brother. After the accident, he needed me so much. And when he recovered, we just drifted, I guess. There was just never a good enough reason to break up.’

  ‘Come on,’ said Matty, getting out of bed. ‘Let’s get going. Who knows where your mother is headed or what she’s doing. She was pretty wild. I think she’s about to blow.’

  They pulled on their clothes and hurried to Matty’s car.

  Heading for Kurrabar, they were buffeted by the strong wind that sent spirals of grey dust into the air. ‘Wait, Matty, stop,’ said Deborah, as they bumped over the cattle grid at the edge of Paramour’s home paddock.

  ‘What is it?’ asked Matty, stopping the car.

  ‘Just this.’ And she kissed him.

  Heath sat in the office, his morning coffee cold beside him, Kurrabar’s projections for the next five years open on the computer screen. He couldn’t focus. Yesterday’s funeral was messing with his head. He’d been so successful in putting her out of his mind – well, fairly successful. Now he couldn’t stop thinking about her, though he knew he wouldn’
t see her again for years, if ever. Was she packing her tiny car right now? Or handing over the settlement papers? Or having a cup of tea on the verandah, as he often imagined her?

  Standing, he grabbed his hat and banged the office door behind him. He’d saddle Jet and go check the herd. That’s all he was good for today.

  Before he reached Jet’s paddock, he spotted Moira’s cultural tours minibus roaring up the road. He shaded his eyes against the sun. She was usually such a careful driver, but she was moving like a bat out of hell, dust billowing behind her, skidding a bit on the gravelly patch as she neared the house. Whatever was up, it had to be big.

  Moira screeched to a stop in a cloud of dust right in front of him and wound down her window. ‘Heath, mate,’ she gasped. ‘Where’s Lobby?’

  ‘Well, good morning to you too, Moira. Sleeping it off, I reckon.’ Heath indicated the old shearers’ quarters with his hat. ‘We probably all had a bit too much to drink at the …’

  Heath trailed off as she brushed past him, and he turned to watch her beetling towards the shed, her hands swinging in clenched fists. He smiled. Poor Lobby was in for an ear-bashing about something. He followed, curious.

  Pounding on the only door with a boot she’d found outside, she called at the top of her voice, ‘Lobby! Lobby Murphy! Get up, it’s an emergency!’ and, without waiting for a reply, she opened the door and plunged inside.

  ‘Moira – what’s going on?’ Heath called.

  She emerged grimacing, one hand pinching her nose while the other held tight to Lobby’s skinny arm. Heath thought she might have been the first woman to ever go into that room during Lobby’s tenure.

  Lobby stood in his sagging red jocks, blinking and red-eyed, exactly as if he was still twelve and in trouble at Wandalla Area School.

  ‘Wha … Mizo’Sullivan …’ Lobby coughed and rubbed his arms, then crossed his hands in front of his jocks. ‘Aww hangona-second, giveamanachance …’

  ‘Heath! C’mere!’ commanded Moira.