he’d still had to reach up.
‘How are they? It’s been donkey’s years since I’ve been over there…’
‘Mum, they’re really upset. Someone’s going to build a—’
‘A resort? Yes, I know.’ Mum ran her hands through her hair. They were interesting hands, scarred and marked from her work with the cows. Mum might have streaks in her hair these days, but her hands never changed.
‘Someone down in Sydney was saying something about a new resort up here.’
‘You knew ! Why didn’t you say anything?’
‘There wasn’t anything to say. Not really. Just rumours. You know how things get about.’
‘But…but aren’t you worried? All those people…’
Mum went back to the kitchen and started to stir something on the stove. ‘It won’t affect us much, not on this side of the mountain. We might even get a regular air service from it.’
‘But what about the Fishers? Mr Fisher says it’ll ruin them.’
‘What? Don’t be silly, darling. You’re exaggerating. It won’t be that bad.’
‘But what about the water?’
‘What water?’
Luke sighed. How could Mum be so dense? ‘The water the resort will use! They’re going to have a golf course and…and everything. Their water will come from the Fishers’ creek.’
Mum stopped stirring and stared at him. ‘Hell’s bells and buckets of blood! I didn’t realise!’
‘Of course it’ll probably be okay,’ said Luke hurriedly. The last thing he wanted to do was worry Mum. He suddenly remembered the day Anderson’s in town had told her it’d take a thousand dollars to fix the car and she’d had to leave it there; he’d never forget that look on her face as they’d hitched back home together…
They’d been through a lot together, he and Mum.
‘Megan’s got an idea,’ he added. ‘She thinks if Sam can put something on his show the Council won’t approve the development.’
‘Maybe.’ Mum looked uncertain. ‘But lobbying the Council is a good idea. I’ll give the Fishers a ring afterdinner. The more people who can start ringing up and writing letters the better. We can do a ring-around…’
‘Mum, there’s no need to get worked up about it. I’m sure it’ll be fine. What’s for dinner?’ he asked, to change the subject. It was always a formal dinner in the dining room on Sam’s first night home.
‘Chocolate mouse,’ said Mum. Mouse, mousse. It was a family joke.
‘Good,’ said Luke. ‘Where’s Sam?’ he added. ‘I’ll ask him about the Fishers now.’
‘On the verandah.’ Mum glanced at her watch. ‘I’m just going to check the calves. Sometimes I think they could turn into beetles and Mr T wouldn’t notice. Like to run down with me?’
Luke shook his head. ‘I’d better talk to Sam. Then you can tell the Fishers it’s all fixed.’
‘Yes.’ Mum still had that strange look of uncertainty. But then she nodded. ‘You talk to Sam!’ The door shut behind her as she went out to check the cows.
Sam was sitting watching the rosellas clamber about the bird feeder that hung on the verandah post. A magazine sat on the table next to him, with half a cold cup of coffee, but Luke doubted that he’d been reading. Sam always spent the first few hours at home just sitting. ‘Letting Sydney slide away,’ he put it.
He glanced up at Luke and smiled. It was his ‘being friendly to the public’ smile, the one that looked so good on camera. Sometimes, thought Luke, it was as though it took a while for the real Sam to take over from the public one. ‘Hi, mate. Take a seat.’
Luke sat down.
‘Sam…can I ask you something?’
‘Of course,’ said Sam. He looked surprised at the seriousness in Luke’s voice. But his forehead didn’t wrinkle. Was that Botox? wondered Luke.
You read about TV stars having their lines Botoxed and collagen-injected these days. But it wasn’t the sort of thing you could ask your stepfather about.
‘I’ve been over at the Fishers’. This development company, they’re
‘How are they? It’s been donkey’s years since I’ve been over there…’
‘Mum, they’re really upset. Someone’s going to build a—’
‘A resort? Yes, I know.’ Mum ran her hands through her hair. They were interesting hands, scarred and marked from her work with the cows. Mum might have streaks in her hair these days, but her hands never changed.
‘Someone down in Sydney was saying something about a new resort up here.’
‘You knew ! Why didn’t you say anything?’
‘There wasn’t anything to say. Not really. Just rumours. You know how things get about.’
‘But…but aren’t you worried? All those people…’
Mum went back to the kitchen and started to stir something on the stove. ‘It won’t affect us much, not on this side of the mountain. We might even get a regular air service from it.’
‘But what about the Fishers? Mr Fisher says it’ll ruin them.’
‘What? Don’t be silly, darling. You’re exaggerating. It won’t be that bad.’
‘But what about the water?’
‘What water?’
Luke sighed. How could Mum be so dense? ‘The water the resort will use! They’re going to have a golf course and…and everything. Their water will come from the Fishers’ creek.’
Mum stopped stirring and stared at him. ‘Hell’s bells and buckets of blood! I didn’t realise!’
‘Of course it’ll probably be okay,’ said Luke hurriedly. The last thing he wanted to do was worry Mum. He suddenly remembered the day Anderson’s in town had told her it’d take a thousand dollars to fix the car and she’d had to leave it there; he’d never forget that look on her face as they’d hitched back home together…
They’d been through a lot together, he and Mum.
‘Megan’s got an idea,’ he added. ‘She thinks if Sam can put something on his show the Council won’t approve the development.’
‘Maybe.’ Mum looked uncertain. ‘But lobbying the Council is a good idea. I’ll give the Fishers a ring afterdinner. The more people who can start ringing up and writing letters the better. We can do a ring-around…’
‘Mum, there’s no need to get worked up about it. I’m sure it’ll be fine. What’s for dinner?’ he asked, to change the subject. It was always a formal dinner in the dining room on Sam’s first night home.
‘Chocolate mouse,’ said Mum. Mouse, mousse. It was a family joke.
‘Good,’ said Luke. ‘Where’s Sam?’ he added. ‘I’ll ask him about the Fishers now.’
‘On the verandah.’ Mum glanced at her watch. ‘I’m just going to check the calves. Sometimes I think they could turn into beetles and Mr T wouldn’t notice. Like to run down with me?’
Luke shook his head. ‘I’d better talk to Sam. Then you can tell the Fishers it’s all fixed.’
‘Yes.’ Mum still had that strange look of uncertainty. But then she nodded. ‘You talk to Sam!’ The door shut behind her as she went out to check the cows.
Sam was sitting watching the rosellas clamber about the bird feeder that hung on the verandah post. A magazine sat on the table next to him, with half a cold cup of coffee, but Luke doubted that he’d been reading. Sam always spent the first few hours at home just sitting. ‘Letting Sydney slide away,’ he put it.
He glanced up at Luke and smiled. It was his ‘being friendly to the public’ smile, the one that looked so good on camera. Sometimes, thought Luke, it was as though it took a while for the real Sam to take over from the public one. ‘Hi, mate. Take a seat.’
Luke sat down.
‘Sam…can I ask you something?’
‘Of course,’ said Sam. He looked surprised at the seriousness in Luke’s voice. But his forehead didn’t wrinkle. Was that Botox? wondered Luke.
You read about TV stars having their lines Botoxed and collagen-injected these days. But it wasn’t the sort of thing you could ask your stepfather about.
‘I’ve been over at the Fishers’. This development company, they’re
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