Long Road - 1. Lon Chapter 1

Chapter 1

“Right Mum, I am off now, see you in a few days’ time” I called out, as I headed towards the back door of the family home on the South East outskirts of Perth.

“Ok dear, take care and drive carefully” Mum called back, “Will do Ma, and thanks for putting up with me, this past few years, I do appreciate it and I love you” I said at the doorway, and I stopped to look back at Mum, who had tears welling in her eyes.

Seeing this, I dropped my bag, rushed to her, and wrapped her in my arms to comfort her. "I am so proud of you Harrison, and you will always have a home here, now off you go," Mum said into my shoulder, and she pushed me away and set me off on a weekend that I hoped would get me to relax and enjoy myself for a time.

In the past twelve months, our family had been through a lot, with Dad passing away from a massive stroke, the third one in two years, which had forced him into retirement, at the tender age of 42 years. The family own a 14-acre property in the suburb of Darling Downs, just out of Armadale, that consists of two adjoining blocks of land.

The Kellet Drive block has a large machinery shed and workshop, with a lean-too, plus hay shed, two large water tanks and three good sized paddocks.

Around the corner, the Hodkinson Roadblock, on the front house paddock, it has a huge four bedroom house, with a separate triple vehicle garage, a bit of a garden, a good size swimming pool, and one large paddock out the back.

We have had horses all of my life, as Dad was a Farrier by trade, and both Logan, my younger brother, by 6 years and I have had horses since we were each six years old. Today I was off on a weekend trip to attend a rodeo, in the Mid-West town of Mullewa, which is a 6 hour, 475 - kilometre journey from home.

With the family home being just 850 metres from the South end of the Tonkin Highway, it was not a problem to get out of Perth, especially in the Ford F450 twin cab truck with the 38-foot long Gooseneck horse trailer behind it, with my stock horse - Bonnie loaded in the back.

Since Dad bought the trailer a few years back, he had been doing a number of modifications and improvements to the trailer.

He had installed two single bunk beds for my brother and me, updating the bathroom and toilet.

Instead of having a three-stall horse area, it now has just two horse stalls, and a workshop area, accessed from the side, for storing all of Dad's farrier equipment, including the portable gas fuelled forge and anvil.

I knew that I was wasting a lot of money taking the whole setup with me, but I wanted to be able to fix anything that may happen since I had the equipment and skills to do it.

When I was in my first year in high school, Dad took me on as an apprentice, and over the next five years, he taught me everything that I needed to know about the being a farrier. Stanton had pleaded with me to take him with me until his school friends decided to go on a hiking and camping trip on a section of the Bibbulmun Track from Armadale to Jarrahdale over the long weekend.

With no university lectures on a Thursday, I am able to set off early, with an overnight stop planned in the town of Moora.

Family friends of my parents would be allowing me to camp out on their property, just South of town.

When I arrived at the Morgan farm, there were another two vehicles parked near the shed, that looked like they were too good to be farm vehicles, and the small group gathered turned as I entered the shed yard, and parked a little way away, so as not to block anyone from getting out.

"Hello Harrison, it is lovely to see you again, how is your Mum," the lady said to me as she approached and wrapped me in a warm hug. "Hello Mrs Morgan, it is nice to be here again" I replied.

"Now none of that, you are an adult now, and we have known you practically all your life, please call me Gloria," she said to me, "and you must call me Ted, hello Harry, or do you prefer Harrison," Mr Morgan said as we shook hands.

"Either is fine thanks, sir… err Ted" I replied, as we turned to face the visitors, a lady and a teenage lad with the lady looking familiar, but I couldn’t quite remember where I knew her from.

“This is our neighbour Marg Wellstead, and her son – Thomas, when I mentioned that you were staying over with us, on your way to the rodeo, they wanted to come and say hello Gloria said making the introductions.

"Hello Harrison, it has been a long time since I last saw you, and we are so sorry to hear about your father's passing, he was a real gentleman," Marg said to me, as I frowned in thought.

“When you were about seven, our three families went camping together up north, when both Logan and Thomas were about nine months old, as they are only two weeks apart in age" Ted explained".

Oh, I am sorry, I knew you were familiar somehow, but I couldn't remember where from" I answered.

"Wow, you have an awesome trailer, what does it have in it? Can I have a look inside please, I wish I could go to the rodeo, but Mum won't let me" the teenager said as he began to look at it closely, and I chuckled at his keenness to look inside?

“Sure, you can have a look, but let me get my horse, Bonnie out first, and give her some fresh air" I responded, as I headed to the back of the trailer, and unlocked the back gate, and lowered the ramp to the ground.

"Wow, beautiful stock horse, how old is she? have you had her long?" Thomas said, as Bonnie came into view, "She is 5 years old, and I have had her since a foal" I replied, as I unlocked the gate and opened it, before walking forward to untie the lead rope, and leaned onto Bonnie, to let her know to back out.

Once Bonnie was out, Ted led the way to the nearby round yard, where she could walk around, and get some fresh water and hay. "I have a stock horse too, but I only use her to help with mustering the cattle and taking her on rides on weekends," Thomas said to me, once I had returned to the trailer.

"Gloria tells me, that you are a qualified Farrier, and that you did your apprenticeship with your father" Marg said to me, "Yes, that is right, but at the moment, I only do the family horses, and sometimes the neighbours, as I am a full-time university student also" I responded.

“Oh, what are you studying?” Marg asked, “I am in my fourth year to be a Doctor in Veterinary Science, I graduated with a Bachelor in Vet Science last year, and I have just a year and a half to go, to be a doctor” I replied.

I walked inside the back area of the trailer and retrieved the pooper scooper, and bucket, to collect all of Bonnie's droppings.

"Sarah, Harrison's Mum is very proud of him, having finished his high school studies a year early, and gone into University studies the following year," Gloria said to Marg, "Well that explains why the maths didn't add up, so you are 21 now?" Marg said.

"Yes, just a month ago, so I can now legally tow this beast around now" I replied. "How come there are only two horse stalls, and the trailer is so long?" Thomas asked me.

"That would be because my late father had reduced it in size to make room for his… farrier workshop and storage area, plus there is the living area at the front" I replied to Thomas, as I tried to fight back tears thinking of the amazing job he had done.

“Wow, can I have a look inside the living area?” Thomas asked me, and smiling, I put the scooper down, and walked around to the side of the trailer, pulled out the steps and unlocked the door, with Thomas racing up the stairs. "Take it, easy son, no need to rush around so much," Marg said to Thomas.

"Wow, awesome, Mum come and have a look at this, a full kitchen, large television, DVD, shelving for books and DVD's, twin single bunks and a huge double bed, and … a bathroom and a separate toilet. Wow, this is like a hotel on wheels" Thomas called out from inside, as Marg and Gloria stepped inside, while I headed back to the horse area, to finish cleaning up.

We have a long water hose with good strong pressure on the corner of the shed here, I will go and get it for you” Ted said to me, and he walked off before I could respond. Once I had the horse dung all cleaned up and the feed bins closed, I hosed down the floors, to clear away any small amounts of waste, while Ted went to get rid of the bucket of horse dung.

"…I don't know son, you will have to ask him, and we will have to talk with your Dad before we decided" I heard Marg say, as I approached the side of the trailer, as they were stepping out.

“Ask me what," I asked, and I looked between Marg and Thomas a few times, as the teenager put his head down and kicked the dirt, which made Marg laugh. “Can I please come with you to the rodeo, this weekend please Mr Alpike?” Thomas asked eventually, and I looked at Marg who gave a little shrug of the shoulders, before looking at Gloria, who just smiled.

If Thomas is the same age as Logan, then he was also 15 years old and would have had a birthday just last month.

I wondered about all the hazards of being at the rodeo, and if it is advisable to take on the responsibility. “Let’s see what your Dad says first, and let me think about it for a bit, and I will let you know before I got to bed” I responded eventually.

"That sounds fair enough, I will give Gloria a call, to let you know what my husband says to the idea," Marg said, as she indicated to Thomas to follow her. “Bye Marg, see you next week, if not before” Ted called out, as he approached from the direction of the shed.

"Now, young man, I have just got off the phone with your Mum, it appears that it is going to bucket down with rain in the South West, so your brother and his friends have called off the camping trip.

Instead, your Mum is on her way to deliver Logan here so he can join you" Ted announced to me, and I looked at my phone and saw a number of missed calls from Mum.

"Oh damn, I had my phone on silent" I commented as I hit the return call button. "Hi Mum, do I really have to take Logan with me, can't he just stay home with you," I said as soon as the call was answered, "I heard that," Logan said in the background, and I groaned, as Mum chuckled.

“Ok Logan, you can come with me, but you got to be on your bed bloody behaviour or else I will turn you into horse feed” I said, “Now, now son, no need for threats, he knows to be good, especially if he wants to go with you again in the future” Mum said to me.

“Ok, so where are you guys?” I asked, “Bindoon, so we will be there, in about an hour’s time, I am staying overnight with Ted and Gloria, before heading home tomorrow” Mum replied.

"Did Ted mention about…" I asked, not sure if Logan was still listening, "Yes and Logan knows, although he has no memory of Thomas or that camping trip, I am bringing extra blankets and pillows for the other boys, and some extra food for you all” Mum replied.

"Ok, see you when you get here," I said before ending the call. "Let us get you turned around and parked along the end of the shed, so you have a little extra shelter, and you can plug into the power" Ted suggested.

He pointed at the track which runs along the end of the shed and beyond.

A few minutes later, I had the truck and trailer turned around, and about 4 meters from the end of the shed.

This allowed me enough room to pull out the side awning, and I would still be close to the round yard, where Bonnie would be spending the night. Once I had set up the awning, I retrieved the blanket, saddle and tack from the storage area of the trailer, and commenced to saddle up Bonnie, so as to take her for a good ride around the paddock, behind the sheds.

Ted had informed me that the 160 - acre paddock was free of any rocks and stumps, and has a good wide fire break around the boundary, that would be ideal for a ride.

By the time I had arrived back, Mum had arrived, and Logan was sitting in a camp chair under the awning reading a book, and he jumped to his feet as I approached. "Hey bro, thanks for letting me tag along like this, I am looking forward to this trip," Logan said to me as he grabbed hold of the halter, as I climbed down from the saddle.

"Well you can start earning your keep by hosing down and brushing Bonnie, you will find the gear in the tack box" I responded.

I headed into the trailer to take a shower, “sure bro, not a problem, anything to be able to come along to the rodeo" Logan said happily, which surprised me a little.

Once I stepped out of the trailer, showered and dressed in fresh clothes, I sat down in the chair, to relax and enjoy the sounds of country life, no traffic, or emergency sirens, just fresh air, birds and animal noises in the distance.

I closed my eyes and smiled, ignoring the sound of approaching footsteps and someone sitting in the chair next to me.