Pearls

by Colin Falconer

  'As for matron’s knickers,' Cameron said, 'I dare say you could fit the Roebuck in there and still have room for two try divers.'

  Elvie giggled even harder. When she laughed her shoulders heaved like she was choking. Tomboy she might be, but she put her hand across her mouth in a gesture that was as feminine as a prima ballerina standing on her toes.

  The matron did not approve of anyone laughing in her ward. In her view, if you were well enough to be happy, you had no place in a hospital. She bustled down from the nurse’s station.

  'I thought I had already explained that visiting hours are over,' she said.

  'It's my daughter for Christ's sake!'

  'And I'll thank you not to swear in my ward.'

  'He didn't swear, he blasphemed,' Elvie said.

  'Do you like your job, matron? Because if you ever get tired of nursing, I need a bosun on one of my luggers, someone big and fearsome and quick with their fists. I can pay you double what they give you here and you can earn even more on the side throwing drunks out of the hotel in Chinatown.'

  'I dare say with all this talking you’ve been doing you need your rest.' She stared at Elvie. 'Visiting hours are over.'

  'Run along now, lassie,' Cameron said to Elvie. 'You’re a grand girl for stopping by.' And then in a whisper: 'Watch out you don’t trip on the try divers dropping out of her knickers as you go.'

  Another fit of giggles. She put a hand on his shoulder and kissed him on the cheek. After he had gone Cameron winked at the matron. 'You just wanted to get rid of her so you could roll me in the hay,' he said.

  'You are lecherous and crude and a disgrace to all decent men.'

  'Is that a no?' Cameron said as she strode away, her bottom under her uniform like two small boys wrestling under a blanket.

  Chapter 59

  It was the night of the Race Club Ball. It always took place during the Christmas Week, the major social event of the year for the first strata of Broome society; the master pearlers, the doctors, bank managers, senior government men and pearl buyers.

  George parked the Essex in the road. He had to drive himself around town these days as he'd had to let Kendo go. These were straitened times and everyone needed to make certain economies.

  He could hear the music and laughter coming from inside. He didn't know if he could face it.

  He had also heard that Cameron had been discharged from the hospital having made a better than expected recovery from an episode of the diver’s sickness. He had hoped the bastard would at least have been crippled. He did not like to wish bad luck to a fellow white man, but there were some men who did not deserve good fortune and McKenzie should have been at the back of the queue, if there was any justice in the world.

  He glanced across at Kate in the passenger seat. She looked radiant; more beautiful than he had seen her in years. He tried to fathom what it was that was different; something in her hair, or her choice of gown, perhaps? No, she just seemed to glow from the inside out. Some pearls were like that, he remembered, shut them away in a vault and they lose their lustre; but leave them in the sun and wear them close to the skin and they start to shimmer once more.

  'Oh George, for goodness sake. If there’s something on your mind, just say it.

  'I heard you went to see McKenzie in the hospital.'

  She did not answer him.

  'Did you hear what I said?'

  'That was weeks ago. He was gravely ill at the time.'

  'How do you think that made me look?'

  'I don't know. How did it make you look, George?'

  'With the way business is at the moment ...'

  'Oh, shut up about your damned business!'

  George sucked in his breath. He glanced at Jamie in the rear vision mirror. The boy tried not to catch his eye. Oh well, it can't be helped, he thought. Better for him to know now what sort of woman his mother was. 'You made me look like a fool.'

  A gleaming black Sunbeam pulled up beside them. Kendo got out and opened the back door. Tanaka stepped out, bowed in their direction, and made his way into the hall.

  'Tanaka!' George hissed. 'I don't believe it! They've invited the damned Japanese!'

  'Isn't that Kendo?' Jamie said. 'How can Tanaka afford a chauffeur and we can't?'

  'Oh shut up about Kendo!' He turned back to his wife. 'Just don't talk to McKenzie tonight!'

  'I'll do whatever I please,' she said and got out of the car without waiting for either of the men to open the door for her and walked in alone.

  ***

  Cameron and Tanaka stood side by side on the other side of the hall, holding glasses of gin. A space had been cleared around them as if they had leprosy. What a miserable shower they are, he thought. Tanaka's no worse than any of you. He's certainly no better but that's not because of the colour of his skin.

  He had never fitted in here; he couldn't play lawn tennis, thought croquet a fine game for small children and was never invited to join the Orchestral and Lyric Society or asked to make up a team for rounders. He was mystified why there would be a Hunt Club in a place that had no foxes. He had never been invited to the water-melon eating contest at the Japanese market gardens either.

  The only social event he enjoyed was today, Cup Day, here at the Race Club. There was two tiered iron galvanised grandstand, a red dirt racetrack and Japanese jockeys - not exactly Ascot, which was why he enjoyed it so much. Today he had won over twenty pounds, not a bad day's work. The Race Ball he attended out of morbid curiosity if anything, for it was Broome's premier social event of the calendar. The pearler's wives paraded their latest gowns and stylish hats from Paris and London. They were all going broke dazzling each other with money they didn't have so their wives could win a prize for best dressed lady in a place the rest of the world had never heard of.

  He saw the looks they gave him. He supposed there was a part of him that found some perverse enjoyment in scandalising them.

  'Nilan'-san have big troubles with bank,' Tanaka said. 'One year, two year, all finish.'

  'Niland? Finished? You're nae serious, Mister Tanaka.'

  'So sorry. If I were Nilan-san, soon would be seppuku time.'

  Cameron shook his head. The Chinese had a saying: wait long enough by the river and the bodies of your enemies will float by. It seemed it was true. And to think he had once tried to swim upstream and push him in.

  'Speak of the devil,' Cam said. George was making his way across the hall, head down, like a steer attacking a gate.

  They did not shake hands and George pointedly ignored Tanaka.

  'I see you're enjoying a yellow Christmas again this year.'

  'George are you trying to insult me or Mister Tanaka here?'

  'Both.'

  'Aye well, you did what you came to do. Now I'll wish you a good evening.'

  'Stay away from my wife.'

  'I don't think I understand your meaning there, George.'

  'She came to see you in the hospital. The whole town knows about it.'

  'I was paralysed, George. Lying flat on my back. What was I supposed to do.'

  'Just stay away from her!' he said and walked away.

  ***

  It was suffocatingly hot inside the hall, little paper fans fluttered like butterflies among the jewels and tuxedos. The supper table at the end of the hall was laden with food, limp salads and sweating sides of beef. Mrs Rathbone was on the stage singing arias and her husband, almost deaf, beat out the melody on the piano, a little before or after time.

  She had been to every Race Club Ball since 1912, and they had blurred in his memory into a montage of cold collations, punch and Mrs Rathbone.

  This was the first year she had noticed a change, not in the catering or the entertainments but in the attitude of the guests to herself and to her husband. People who had fawned to her before were suddenly either aloof or overly familiar.

  George's chief accountant approached with his wife and George made desultory conversation with him. She watched Jamie fidgeting
beside her while several young girls eyed him speculatively. Mrs Rathbone finished her rendition from La Bohème and left the stage to a smattering of polite applause. The orchestra returned to their seats and began a waltz.

  Kate saw Cameron moving in her direction. 'Good evening Mrs Niland, Jamie.' He held his arm out to her. 'Would you care to dance?'

  'Certainly, Mister McKenzie,' she said.

  He escorted her onto the dance floor. 'You look beautiful,' he whispered.

  'Thank you.'

  'Good to see you up and walking again.'

  'I dance with a limp now. You may have to lead.'

  'Did you give the matron a boot up the backside for me?'

  His teeth flashed white in the shadows. 'Aye, that I did. Then I ran, in fear of my life.'

  'Kate!' George broke away from his accountant and stormed over. 'Kate, what are you doing?' He turned to Cameron. 'I told you to stay away from her.'

  'Aye, you did that. You ken though, I can't do that.'

  George turned to Kate. 'We're going home,' he said.

  'Good. I've never enjoyed these things. Good night, Cam.' She let him kiss her cheek, in front of everyone. 'Take care.'

  'Goodbye, Kate. If you need anything, just whistle.'

  Chapter 60

  George paced the veranda, smoking a cigarette. The Wet had broken and the thunderstorms that had been gathering over the ocean broke with violent force. The garden steamed under the assault, while sheet lightning flashed across the horizon.

  Kate came out, still in her ball gown. He thought she had gone to bed.

  'You defied me,' he said.

  'Did I, George?'

  'I told you to stay away from McKenzie. What in God's name do you think you were doing?'

  'I'm leaving you, George.' At first she thought he had not heard her over the drumming of the rain on the roof. 'George, I said-'

  'Shut up!' He stared at her, eyes wide. 'God Almighty!'

  'I only stayed for Jamie-'

  George turned away, his shoulders heaving. When he turned back to her, his face was wet with tears. 'How dare you, you filthy bitch.'

  She took a step towards him. 'Call me that again and I'll slap you down.'

  He just stared at her, his fists hanging limply at his sides. His mouth worked, but no sound would come.

  'I only ever stayed for Jamie. We've been sleeping apart for years. Surely you knew.'

  George covered his ears. 'Stop it. Stop it!' He slammed his fist on the veranda rail. 'I saved you!'

  'I should never have let you.'

  'Easy to say that now!'

  'Yes, I suppose you're right. But I can't keep living with that mistake forever.'

  He raised his hand to strike her. 'Shut up!'

  Kate did not flinch. 'If it makes you feel better to hit me, then do it. But I cannot stay in this marriage any longer.'

  'You won't get a penny, you know. You'll be left destitute. It's adultery so I don't have to give you a penny!'

  'I don't want anything of yours. Flynn left me a little. I can live on that.'

  'What about McKenzie?'

  'He has less than I do.'

  The fight seemed to go out of him. He bent double at the waist. 'Please,' he whispered. 'Don't.'

  'I've made up my mind.'

  'Look, just wait a while. The business is having a few problems. Don't leave me now. Please. When the price of shell picks up ...'

  'For God's sake, George, I'm sick of pearls. Sick of them, sick of you, sick of this town. Sick of hearing about pearls!'

  George's knees buckled under him and he slid down the veranda post, plumping on his haunches into a puddle of rainwater. "Please, don't leave now. Wait until the end of the season.'

  'Stand up, George.'

  'Please don't go.'

  'I have to, I have to get away from here,' she said and left him slumped on the veranda before her resolve left her. If she stayed any longer she would never get away from this awful little town. She wanted to live before she died. She had made too many compromises in her life, she would not make any more.

  Chapter 61

  The Jabiru picked its way through the red mud outside the picture house like an old woman with her skirts pulled up, trying to avoid the puddles. Cameron honked at it with the klaxon mounted on the Ford, and it straightened up and stared back at the impertinent intruder with utter disdain. Cameron was forced to drive around it, through a deep pool of water right there in the middle of the street, the water splashing over the running board.

  The Sun Picture Cinema was an institution in Broome and one of the favourite entertainments during the layup season. Tonight they were showing a new Charlie Chaplin film, City Lights. Elvie had pleaded with Cameron to take her.

  After they had parked the Ford she climbed on his shoulders and he carried her across the flooded street to the picture house. Just then another motor car pulled up in front of them and a young man and woman got out. Cameron stopped.

  'Hello Jamie,' he said.

  'Mister McKenzie,' Jamie replied.

  'How are you?'

  'Well, thank you.'

  'I hear you're working with your father these days.'

  'I hope to learn a little.'

  'I'm sure you'll do well.'

  Jamie held out his arm for the pretty young girl at his side. Cameron recognised her; the governor's daughter. Yes, the boy had a knack of doing well for himself.

  'Well, good evening,' Jamie said. 'I hope you enjoy the picture.'

  After they had gone, Elvie, still perched on Cameron's shoulders, leaned forward and tapped him on the head. 'He's stuck-up, isn't he?' she said.

  'He's a fine boy.'

  'I still think he's stuck-up.'

  'You mind what you say, lassie, he's nae like his father. The boy has guts.'

  Cameron bought their tickets and they took their seats inside, in the open section near the front of the screen, where it was cooler. Mister Rathbone took his seat at the piano. At least they wouldn't have to endure his wife singing opera, Cameron thought.

  Jamie and the girl were sitting two rows in front of them. Elvie leaned towards Cameron and whispered: 'She's rather too fat for him, isn't she?'

  'And you're rather too young for him, lassie,' he said and she pouted.

  'Well, it doesn't matter anyway,' Elvie said. 'We're related.'

  The words took him between the eyes. How long had she known? He could not concentrate at all through the rest of the picture, he was the only one not laughing. Oh God, I've got to tell her the truth, he thought. If she knows about Jamie, someone will tell her about Rose soon enough, so she had better hear it from me first.

  ***

  Breathless hot, their bodies slick with sweat. She kissed his chest licked the salt sweat off his neck. She wrapped her thigh over his belly. 'What's wrong Cam?' she whispered.

  "It's Elvie. She knows about Jamie.'

  'What does she know?'

  'I was teasing her the other night in the picture theatre, about her having moon eyes for Jamie. She said, well it can't come to anything, we're related.'

  'How did she find out?'

  'Kids at school, I suppose. People don't forget, Kate. They let things slip, kids pick up on it and then they jabber it all around the schoolyard. You know how it is.'

  'What did you tell her?'

  'I have nae told her anything yet.'

  'You have to tell her something.'

  'I know.'

  'Does she know about us?'

  'Does she know her pa's still sleeping with Mrs Niland after all these years? I dinnae think so. But she's sharp and that day you came to the hospital? Afterwards she was asking a lot of questions.'

  'It's best she finds out from you and not form the other kids again.'

  'Aye, I'll have to tell her right soon. How's young Jamie these days?'

  'He was at the Race Club Ball.'

  'Aye I saw him. Grown into a fine lad.'

  'He hates me.'

&nb
sp; 'He does nae hate you Kate.'

  'Oh yes he does. He has reason to.'

  'What possible reason for a lad to hate his mother?'

  'He hates me for making me do things he didn't want to do. He hated boarding school and that was my idea. He wanted to work for Niland and Company and I tried to stop it. And he hates me for hurting George.

  'Does he ken your reasons?'

  'Well, that's the question isn't it? If he doesn't, he soon will.'

  Cameron sat up. 'What do you mean, lass? What have you done?

  'I told him I'm leaving him. I can't keep living like this. Stolen afternoons, being some man's mistress. Even if that man is you. I hate living like this, sitting around here for months on end while you're at sea and then when you do come back we have to sneak around behind everyone's back. I want a life, Cam. I stayed for Jamie's sake. I married for Jamie's sake. Enough is enough now.'

  'What will we do?

  'I'll go down to Perth. Flynn left me a little bit of money and I've managed to hide it from George if he knew about it he'd tried to get it off me and throw it down the bottomless pit he calls Niland and Company. You can come with me, Cam. We can start again.'

  'You know it's all I've ever wanted.'

  'Really?'

  'I'll marry you, if you'll still have me.'

  'What will you do?'

  'I can get a job on the fishing boats again. If there's one thing I know, it's the sea. There's plenty looking for a good skipper.'

  'What about Elvie?'

  'Elvie will nae like it but she'll get used to the idea. Especially if she does nae have to stay at the boarder every time I go to sea. What's that look for?

  'I worry what Elvie will think of me.'

  'Do nae worry about Elvie. She's feisty but she'll come around. It's Jamie I worry about.'

  'He won't even know I'm gone.'

  'Oh I think you underestimate him, lass. He may seem cool to you now, but once he know's what's coming he'll fight you tooth and nail.'