gave him the hose, went inside and rang the fire brigade.
‘Someone’s garden fire’s out of control,’ she said politely.
She could see Nick on the lawn, shouting directions, training the hose on the stand of toe toe, a couple of other neighbours stamping out embers in the grass.
It was surprising how quickly the firemen showed up, their massive hose so powerful that much of what remained of the toe toe blew apart in a watery explosion of ash and earth and sticks. They had it under control fast, although they stayed for a while to make sure Eloise hadn’t set any roofs on fire, and that the dry grass wasn’t going to reignite.
Not much remained of the pile, apart from a burned patch of lawn and some unidentifiable rubble. The toe toe, once a large stand of beautiful feathery white plumes, was a charred mound, and most of the bushes along the fence were blackened. A long dark smear stretchedout from the toe toe like a shadow, a black finger pointing towards the dog park.
Beyond the lawn Nick was listening to two people, who gestured towards Eloise and spoke animatedly.
The senior fire officer had pale blue eyes and cheeks ravaged by fine wrinkles. Eloise watched him coming towards her in his creaking silver coat. He began to talk about public nuisance, damage to council property. Her actions had endangered the entire peninsula. Open burning was an offence under the Resource Management Act. Was she not aware of the drought, of current fire restrictions?
Nick came across the grass, looping the garden hose around his hand and elbow.
The fireman said to Eloise, ‘Your daughter could’ve been injured.’
‘Yes I’m sorry, it was stupid. Actually, she’s my niece, I’m just looking after her for a few hours.’
The fireman said something about completing paperwork. A fine.
She was seeing them off at the front door when Carina turned up.
‘Oh my God, what’s going on?’
‘Everything’s fine, we had a little fire.’
‘Quite a big fire actually,’ the fireman said.
Eloise faced her sister. ‘I’ll explain, the Sparkler’s fine, she’s on the lawn.’
Carina went inside.
The firemen left and Eloise went to find Carina, who was inspecting the lawn with her hands on her hips.
‘Sean did it once. There was never any danger.’
‘But there’s a drought. Have you gone crazy?’
‘I didn’t think. I’m going to have to pay a fine. And the neighbours will hate me.’
Carina looked at her narrowly.
‘Please don’t be angry. Shall we have a drink? There’s some wine in the fridge, I’ll be back in a minute.’
Nick’s back door was open. She knocked, called out and he came along the hall shirtless, drying his hands. She looked at his thin, muscular chest and thought: karate.
He said, pained, ‘The toe toe was beautiful.’
‘And all your bushes. Sorry.’
‘They’ll grow back.’
‘I got the idea after we talked. I decided, okay, clean slate.’
He leaned on the door frame. ‘So you thought torch everything.’
‘I really am sorry about your toe toe. Would you like to come and have some takeaways? My sister and I are going to order pizza. If she’s not too angry with me. She’ll think I’m not a fit babysitter now.’
‘Let me just get a shirt. Come in.’
She stood in the hall, looking into the bare rooms. He seemed to be camping in a virtually empty house.
‘What were you burning?’ he called out.
‘Stuff from my marriage. Junk.’
‘From the recent relationship or the one before that?’ He came out, buttoning up a shirt.
She looked at him, surprised. ‘The recent one.’
‘Oh?’
‘It was all just junk,’ she said.
Eloise introduced Nick to Carina and the Sparkler, who fingered her gold earrings, bobbed her head shyly and said, ‘Demelza’s here.’
Demelza Hay appeared on the deck, an elegantly dressed old woman with dyed blonde hair, painted eyebrows and an angular face. She was trailed by a dachshund of significant girth and pomp:
‘Someone’s garden fire’s out of control,’ she said politely.
She could see Nick on the lawn, shouting directions, training the hose on the stand of toe toe, a couple of other neighbours stamping out embers in the grass.
It was surprising how quickly the firemen showed up, their massive hose so powerful that much of what remained of the toe toe blew apart in a watery explosion of ash and earth and sticks. They had it under control fast, although they stayed for a while to make sure Eloise hadn’t set any roofs on fire, and that the dry grass wasn’t going to reignite.
Not much remained of the pile, apart from a burned patch of lawn and some unidentifiable rubble. The toe toe, once a large stand of beautiful feathery white plumes, was a charred mound, and most of the bushes along the fence were blackened. A long dark smear stretchedout from the toe toe like a shadow, a black finger pointing towards the dog park.
Beyond the lawn Nick was listening to two people, who gestured towards Eloise and spoke animatedly.
The senior fire officer had pale blue eyes and cheeks ravaged by fine wrinkles. Eloise watched him coming towards her in his creaking silver coat. He began to talk about public nuisance, damage to council property. Her actions had endangered the entire peninsula. Open burning was an offence under the Resource Management Act. Was she not aware of the drought, of current fire restrictions?
Nick came across the grass, looping the garden hose around his hand and elbow.
The fireman said to Eloise, ‘Your daughter could’ve been injured.’
‘Yes I’m sorry, it was stupid. Actually, she’s my niece, I’m just looking after her for a few hours.’
The fireman said something about completing paperwork. A fine.
She was seeing them off at the front door when Carina turned up.
‘Oh my God, what’s going on?’
‘Everything’s fine, we had a little fire.’
‘Quite a big fire actually,’ the fireman said.
Eloise faced her sister. ‘I’ll explain, the Sparkler’s fine, she’s on the lawn.’
Carina went inside.
The firemen left and Eloise went to find Carina, who was inspecting the lawn with her hands on her hips.
‘Sean did it once. There was never any danger.’
‘But there’s a drought. Have you gone crazy?’
‘I didn’t think. I’m going to have to pay a fine. And the neighbours will hate me.’
Carina looked at her narrowly.
‘Please don’t be angry. Shall we have a drink? There’s some wine in the fridge, I’ll be back in a minute.’
Nick’s back door was open. She knocked, called out and he came along the hall shirtless, drying his hands. She looked at his thin, muscular chest and thought: karate.
He said, pained, ‘The toe toe was beautiful.’
‘And all your bushes. Sorry.’
‘They’ll grow back.’
‘I got the idea after we talked. I decided, okay, clean slate.’
He leaned on the door frame. ‘So you thought torch everything.’
‘I really am sorry about your toe toe. Would you like to come and have some takeaways? My sister and I are going to order pizza. If she’s not too angry with me. She’ll think I’m not a fit babysitter now.’
‘Let me just get a shirt. Come in.’
She stood in the hall, looking into the bare rooms. He seemed to be camping in a virtually empty house.
‘What were you burning?’ he called out.
‘Stuff from my marriage. Junk.’
‘From the recent relationship or the one before that?’ He came out, buttoning up a shirt.
She looked at him, surprised. ‘The recent one.’
‘Oh?’
‘It was all just junk,’ she said.
Eloise introduced Nick to Carina and the Sparkler, who fingered her gold earrings, bobbed her head shyly and said, ‘Demelza’s here.’
Demelza Hay appeared on the deck, an elegantly dressed old woman with dyed blonde hair, painted eyebrows and an angular face. She was trailed by a dachshund of significant girth and pomp:
Similar Books
