Country Retreat - 9. First Day

“Yes Mum, the second one this week, he had one on Friday, at school too, and it was for the same reason. Someone opening their big mouth, about something that is none of their business,” Jarrad said sourly as he looked and frowned at his sister. With that said, Mrs Drake grabbed Jessica by the arm, forcing her to stand and dragging her inside the house. “I am sorry about this happening… I am guessing that you live not far from here?” Jarrad said to me, as I started to get my breathing under control, and I nodded my head and pointed towards the other side of the river, “About 300 metres in a straight line, that way, on the other side of the river,” I replied.

“What Really? We are practically neighbours, that is awesome. Now can I help you walk home, or should I get my Mum to drive you home?” Jarrad replied. “I should be able to get home, just help me up, I just have to walk to the back of your place, cross the river at a shallow spot, and walk 180 metres across the river reserve, and I am home,” I replied, as I struggled to stand and staggered a bit, and Jarrad grabbed my elbow to steady me.

“I want to put your arm over my shoulder and my arm around your waist, to help you get home, is that going to be, ok?” he asked me, which surprised me a little, and I briefly sighed before nodding yes, and Jarrad did this, before walking towards the still open gate. “Where are you going?” I heard Mrs Drake call out.

“It turns out, Oscar is a neighbour, I am just going to make sure he gets home safely,” Jarrad called back, as we passed through the gate and headed down the path towards the back of the property. After about 140 metres, with some of it struggling to stay upright, we arrived at the back fence.

“You know, I have heard that meditation is good for overcoming anxiety, and there is a Tibetan Buddhist temple just a few kilometres south of here,” Jarrad said to me, just as my legs gave way, and we both collapsed onto the hard ground. “Do you have a mobile, I left mine at home, maybe we should call your Gran, and get her to come and collect her,” Jarrad suggested, and I nodded my head in agreement as I struggled to get my mobile out of my pocket.

“Hello, Mrs Kingston, this is Jarrad, I am with your grandson Oscar. He has had another anxiety attack, he is ok, but he is very tired, and I can’t carry him anymore. We are just at my place, 377 Cathedral Ave, just 700 metres past the state equestrian centre, the second last house on the left-hand side… Ok, we will wait here for you, bye,” I heard Jarrad say.

After lifting and half-carrying me to the side of the house, we sat down under a shady tree to wait, but I had fallen asleep before help arrived, and once again Gran woke me up when it was time for dinner, and I found myself on my bed, with my jacket and shoes off. “How did I get here?” I asked in a confused manner.

“Your friend helped Gramps to carry you inside after he collected you both, and he is still here. Jarrad has phoned his Mum to let her know that he is having dinner with us,” Gran informed me, before heading back to the kitchen. “This is a very nice place you have here Mr and Mrs Kingston; it looks big too from what I saw when we drove in earlier,” Jarrad said as we started to eat dinner.

“Yes, it is nice, we have just over 17 acres in total here, quite a lot less than our farm back home, which we sold up some of, to move down here. Oscar’s family still live on the main farm, which is just out of Moore and is over 5,000 acres in area, where my son, that’s Oscar’s father is a Deisel mechanic, when not working on the farm,” Gramps responded.

“Wow, that is a lot of farmland, we only have just over 6 acres on the other side of the river,” Jarrad said in reply. “What do your parents do for work?” Gran asked, “Dad is a Diesel Mechanic and is currently working away up north on FIFO, Mum is a teacher, but she only does part-time work, as my younger brother is still only in year three. Do you have horses? As I love riding horses. I often go up to Yarrada Farm Horse Riding School and ride for a few hours, “Jarrad said.

“Yes, this is a small horse agisting property, and I have two horses that I take care of as well as riding them every day when I am not struck down by this damn anxiety all the time,” I replied. “Not to worry dear, they have been looked after for you today,” Gran informed me.

After dinner, I took Jarrad to see my two horses, and I could see that he was so much wanting to jump on and go for a ride. “If all goes well with my anxiety this week, how about next weekend you come over one day and we go riding for a while,” I suggested to Jarrad.

“That would be so awesome, thanks mate, I would like that. You are my friend for life for this,” Jarrad replied super happily, and I smiled broadly at his eagerness. Once we were back at the house, Gramps took Jarrad back home, while I had a shower and went to bed early since I had my first day at school tomorrow.

I was super nervous as I prepared for school the next morning, and Gran had to force me to eat breakfast, even though my stomach was in knots and I was feeling nauseous, plus it took me ages to get dressed in the new school uniform. Gran drove me to school, and when we arrived at the senior student's drop-off place, we spotted Jarrad, Rebecca and two other students waiting, and I smiled at seeing this.

“Hey mate, welcome to your first day of hell at school… I am kidding, just welcome to your first day. Can I introduce you to our head girl and head boy of senior school, Sally, and Trent, who happen to be cousins, you already know Rebecca from last week,” Jarrad said giving her a serious look.

“Nice to meet you, Oscar. Now if you need anything at all, just find us and we will do what we can. We will leave you in the capable hands of these two scallywags,” Sally said in response, while Trent just smiled and nodded his head before they walked off. “Can we start fresh again, please? … Hi, I am Rebecca, I am this one’s best friend, do you fist bump?” Rebecca said to me. I laughed at this and gave her a fist bump before doing the same to Jarrad.

“Hello Mrs Kingston, have a nice day,” Jarrad called out to my Gran before she waved and drove off. “Hey, do you know what Oscar said, when my sister straight out asked if he knew that I was a poof? He said I was Sex Orientation Challenged, and that he is straight,” Jarrad said to his best friend who laughed out loud, while I just smiled. “You are going to fit in here just fine, my new friend,” Rebecca responded, “Don’t I have a choice on who my friends are?” I asked, “Nope, we voted, and it was unanimous,” Jarrad replied smiling.

I had either Jarrad or Rebecca or both in all my classes during the day, and we gathered briefly between classes, I think to make sure that I was doing ok, before dashing off to the next class. At lunch break we sat and ate together, chatting about the different teachers that we have had so far, and what to expect from the others in the afternoon session of school, with our core subjects of English, Health, Humanities and Social Science, Mathematics, Science, Religious Education and Physical Education.

We also have elective subjects, with those being Foreign Language, plus there are 5 Technology subjects and 5 Arts subjects. When school finally finished for the day, the three of us walked out to the senior's pickup location, where I found, my Mum parked waiting to collect me. “Hello Mum, this is a nice surprise, did you come down to just see me, or did you need to escape the terrible two siblings of mine?” I said smiling, and Mum laughed at this.

“That is not a nice thing to say about Amara and Deacon… now how about introducing me to your two friends,” Mum said to me, “Ok, these are my two scallywag new friends, Ms Rebecca and Master Jarrad, guys, this is my mother dearest, Mrs Selena Kingston,” I said formally.

“How, do you do,” Rebecca said formally, trying to put on a posh accent, and Jarrad repeated what she said before both burst out laughing. “Can I drop you off somewhere?” Mum asked my friends, “Thanks for the offer, Mrs Kingston, but my mother is here to collect me and my younger brother Lucas, and we usually drop Rebecca off at her home also,” Jarrad replied, as I climbed into the car.

“Thanks for making my first day bearable, it was great to have you close by all day. See you both tomorrow?” I said after opening the window, and both nodded and waved as we left the school. The rest of the week went well, and to keep my promise, I invited Jarrad around for some horse riding, after carefully crossing the river, I arrived at Jarad’s place bright and early.

“Is Jarrad home, we are supposed to be horse riding today?” I asked when a man answered the door, “You’re the new kid from across the river… Hang on, I think he is still in his room,” the man responded, “Jarrad, get your scrawny butt down here, you have a visitor, and two horses parked out the front” the man called out into the house. Moments later we heard a response, “Awesome, I will be right there,” Jarrad called out.

“Dad the horses are not parked, they are secured to the fence,” Jarrad said chuckling, when he appeared and gave me a fist pump as a greeting. “Whatever, just make sure you clean up the mess they leave behind. Do you know where you are going?” Mr Drake said to his son.