Desert Air - 62. DA Ch 62 - The End

While they did that, I would travel to Marble Bar, where I have started doing a one-day a week of clinic work, at my old clinic, which I still own, along with the aircraft hanger. There is still demand for Veterinary services in my old hometown, even thou it is a long way out of the way, now that I am based in Kununurra, but I felt that I owe it to my fellow townsfolk to help them out.

Every week that I am in Marble Bar, I plan to stay at the complex at the Airbase, which sadly is hardly used, as the Army has decided to keep the base locked up and use it for training purposes during the dry season, and so the camping ground now remains empty.

On my third week of visiting Marble Bar, and flying to the airbase at the end of the day, I circled around the base to see how the two army base camps are looking, and I was surprised to see a single private vehicle parked at the main camp.

I landed on the 2^nd airfield, and taxied to the end, where I would park, so it wasn’t a long walk to the compound, as I had to carry my overnight bag and food supplies with me. I was relaxing on the front verandah, when I heard a vehicle close by and soon saw the headlights as it turned and headed this way.

“Who are you and what are you doing on Federal Government land?” one of the men said to me as he jumped out of the Hawkei and walked to the steps, climbing them two at a time, as the other man followed. “This is not Federal Land, it is private freehold land, and I am the owner,” I replied as I casually stood and was soon face to face with the first man.

“Oh is that so, well we will see about that won’t we,” the man growled, and I just smiled, “Go ahead, I am not going anywhere until tomorrow morning,” I replied as I sat back down to take another drink of Ginger Beer as the two men walked away to the corner of the verandah.

There was not a single breath of a breeze, so I knew that I would be able to listen into one side of the sat phone conversation. “Hello Sir, this is Briggs at Corunna Airbase, speaking, I have an intruder, who has made himself comfortable at the Administration Complex, and he states that the base is not Defence force land, but private freehold land…” I heard the man say into the phone.

I watched his face for changes of expression, but there were none, just a quick glance in my direction, “He didn’t say who he is, just said that he isn’t going anywhere until tomorrow morning, and he flew onto the base in a private plane…” I heard the man say.

“Yes sir, it is Tango Oscar Kilo 401, and the intruder looks to be in his early to mid twenties, about 6 foot tall, sandy brown hair that is short, and he is well tanned…” the man said after a short moment of listening, and he glanced at me again.

“Just a moment sir, I will ask… Hey you, is your name Kendrik?” the man asked, and I just nodded my head yes, “He nodded his head yes… oh? Is he? I am sorry to have bothered you sir, good night,” the man said before ending the call and walking back in my direction.

“Mr Kendrik. My apologies for the miscommunication, regarding who you are, and what you are doing here. The new CO in Perth has informed me that you are an Army Reservist, and currently based in Kununurra, and that this place is indeed your land, I will leave you to enjoy your evening,” the man said to me.

“Before you leave, a few questions for you. Are you civilian caretakers, and if so how long have you been here?” I asked. “Well sir, there was a complete change over of personnel in Perth, and that also included with the caretakers before us.

We have been here for two months on a six-month contract, and yes we are civilians. We regularly patrol the base each day, six days a week, and on the seventh day, which is a Tuesday, we go into town to buy supplies for the following week, and have a meal at the pub,” the lead man said to me.

“Ok, I will be visiting Marble Bar once a week and I stay here overnight, which is my former home, before heading back to Derby and then to my new home in Kununurra, so expect to see me fly in and out each week,” I said to the two men, before watching them head back the way they came.

When I arrived in Derby the following morning, at around lunch time, Marcus was waiting for me, at the airport. “We finished early today, so I caught a taxi out here to save you some time,” Marcus said to me as he climbed into the plane, securing the door and taking a seat beside me.

“You know, one of these days, I would like to make the trip to Marble bar with you and stay overnight in the famous Airbase compound that I keep hearing about,” Marcus said to me. “I will see if we can fit it into our busy schedule one of these days,” I replied smiling, as I began to think how lucky I was to have such good friends and work colleagues, as we headed East back to Kununurra.

I decided that I needed to somehow work a way of making weekly visits to all of Mum’s cattle stations, to make sure all the stock are healthy, and I would somehow fit it the visits to other cattle stations in the region, with my current workload.

“How would you feel about getting your pilot’s licence, so we have two flying vets, as I think that my workload is getting too big for just one flying vet to handle?” I asked Marcus, “I have already been thinking about that mate, and I had decided that I would do it, when I moved back to Kununurra,” Marcus replied.

“That would be great, we can divide the work load a lot better, and still continue my government work which has been a lot more than I had expected,” I replied.

“Now, I have a question for you,” Marcus said to me, and there was a moment of silence, and I glanced over to see a smiling Marcus, as he held up a small box in his hand which he opened, and inside was a gold band with a diamond set inside it.

I was so shocked at what I saw, the plane wandered from side to side for a moment, until I took a breath and calmed down a little, and once steady I looked to Marcus.

“Will you do the greatest honour of being my husband?” Marcus asked me…

The End.