Country Retreat - 13. More new friends

“Well Koen and Hugh would like to stay in touch with you now they know that you are still in Perth, and they gave us their contact information to pass on to you,” Rebecca informed me. Thanks, I will get that off you later, I said in response. It was now Saturday morning, and I realised that I only had one week left of school holidays remaining, before the start of the new school year.

“What are we going to do for the last week of the holidays?” Giles asked us all, “Hey, how about we ask Koen and Hugh to join us, maybe we could take your two horses up the road, and we can go on a ride together at Yarada Farm,” Rebecca suggested. “I like that idea, let's go and talk to my grandparents about it,” I suggested.

Twenty minutes later, after making a phone call firstly to Koen and Hugh, to make sure that they can ride horses, and making a call to the riding school at Yarada, it had been arranged, that we would float Dixi and Charlie up to that riding school farm, and with some of their horses, we would go be able to go for a ride together. Both Koen and Hugh would be at the farm at 9 am, with the assistance of Hugh’s Aunty, where they have both been staying for the last one and a half weeks of the holidays.

We had worked out that it is 650 metres from the riding school up to their north-eastern boundary with the national park, and we would follow the trail eastwards, the Bells Rapids bridge, and remaining on the North side of the river, we would head west and until we reach Copely Road, where we would take a meal break and also feed and rest the horses at home, before continuing Northwards back to Yaranda Farm.

We estimated that it would be about 5 kilometres and about 75 minutes to get to Bells Rapids, and about 2 kilometres and 30 minutes to get to Copely Rd, and after a thirty-minute rest, it would take us another 3 ½ kilometres and an hour to get back to Yaranda.

When we had Dixi and Charlie off the horse float, saddled up and ready, with the owners having the other four horses made ready for us, we set off on our horse adventure together, happily chatting away as we went. It was a bit tough going with some of the tracks in the national park, as there are lots of loose rocks everywhere, so we had to be extra alert with the horses, but they managed to get around the rocks without any issues.

By the time we arrived at Copley Road and my grandparents' place, Hugh and Koen had become part of my friend pack, and I was glad that they all got along well together. Gran had a delicious lunch prepared for us all by the time we arrived, so we sat down and told my grandparents all about our ride so far, and that we just had about an hour of rising remaining before we would arrive back at Yaranda Farm.

At the end of the ride, we all helped to feed and rub down the Yaranda horses, and loaded my two horses onto the float when Gramps arrived, with Hugh’s Aunt arriving to pick up the two lads, we said farewell as we headed home, where, Giles and Jarrad said they would rub down and feed Dixi and Charlie for me, and Rebecca came inside to hang out with me until they had finished the work.

Later that evening, just after we had finished eating dinner, there was a telephone call from Hugh, asking if we could hang out again in the next few days, so I suggested that we meet again on Monday, as our family had to attend church tomorrow morning, and they agreed to this, saying that his aunt would drop them off at my place at about 9 am, and if Gramps could bring them back before dinner time, which Gramps said was fine.

On Sunday evening, we had another call from Hugh, asking if it was permitted for Koen and him to stay overnight on Monday night, and return on Tuesday afternoon, and I asked Gramps and Gran about this and they agreed to the idea, with the lads were happy to hear.

My Grandparent's home was just a three-bedroom and two-bathroom house, with the spare bedroom next to mine having double beds, for when my siblings stay over, and this would be perfect for my old friends to stay, and in the end, we spent most of the night just chatting and getting to know one another again, even though it had been only a few months since I had left my old school suddenly.

At breakfast time the following morning, we all gathered around the kitchen table with Gran happily cooking up a huge breakfast for the three of us, when I noticed the lads looking at me strangely and I could tell that they were trying to ask me something. “OK guys, whatever it is just tell me or ask me, whatever it is that is you want to know,” I said to them both. “You told them everything?” Gran asked me upon hearing this news, “Yes, and I didn’t have a panic attack like before, I am feeling much better,” I responded to Gran.

“Now that we know the full story of what happened to you, and why you had that panic attack at Adventure World, and you didn’t have one when you told us the full story last night… Is it possible that you would return to your old school? As we miss having you around buddy,” Koen asked.

“I am not sure about that guys, I am happy at my new school, there is no bullying, and I get along well with most of the students at school, and it is real close to where I live here,” I replied, “That is something that needs to be discussed with the family boys, and I think it is still a bit too early for such a big change, especially now that he has finally settled,” Gran added to the conversation.

“Understood Mrs Kingston, we just missed having our good friend around that is all,” Hugh responded, just as there was a knock on the door. “Just us Mrs K. Is Oscar up and about yet, as we have noticed that the horses haven't been tended to yet,” a voice called out from the front door. “Oh bugga!” I forgot all about Dixi and Charlie,” I responded, as I stood up to go and do the work.

“Finish your breakfast first dear. I am sure your friends will attend to the horses while they are waiting,” Gran said to me, as I headed to the front door. “Sorry guys, I had the lads stay over last night, and I told them the whole story of what happened, and now I am fine and feeling much better that it is all out in the open. I just have to finish breakfast and I will be right over,” I explained to Rebecca, Giles and Jordan.

For the rest of the week, the six of us met after breakfast at my place, and we did various activities, apart from horse riding, we also went hiking through the national park, and we even retrieved the double kayaks out of storage, and we kayaked down the Swan River, but further downstream from where the river changes from the Avon River to the Swan River at Woorooloo Brook, just up from Bells Rapids, as it had been a very dry summer.

Once the trailer was loaded up, Gramps took us down West Swan Road and after the right turn that would take us to School, we turned left onto Swan Road. “Why are we going this way? I thought the Middle Swan Reserve near the highway bridge would be the best launching place,” I said to Gramps.

“Usually I would agree with you Oscar, but it just happens that we are very good friends with a family that owns a riverfront property on this road, and we have been given permission to use it to launch the kayaks,” Gramps replied, as the road bent sharply to the right and we slowed down and turned left into the driveway of No. 27 property, that had three rows of grapes and a large mango orchard behind them.

The driveway starts with a large rose bush on either side of the double gates, with tall palm trees down the right side boundary fence, that change to pine trees, then native shrubs. Following the driveway around to the left, passing the main house, we came to a stop opposite a large shed, where there was a wide road heading towards the river, sloping gently downwards to the water’s edge.

“Hello Oscar and Mr Kingston, welcome to my home,” a voice called out, and I turned to see a teenager who looked familiar, but I couldn’t quite place his name. “I am Marcus Gresham, I am a year younger than you at our school just up the road,” he said as he held out his hand, and I shook it firmly before I introduced Hugh and Koen.

“Hello Marcus, I didn’t know that you lived this close to the school,” Rebecca said to our young host, as she watched my interaction with Marcus carefully. “Yeah, and it can be very annoying sometimes, as I get asked by teachers to stay behind and help clean up since I live so close by,” Marcus responded. “Marcus and my sister Jessica are in the same year at school, and I knew that you lived close by, but not this close, you poor thing,” Jarrad commented, and Marcus just laughed at this comment.

“I have a single and a double Kayak, so how about I drag them out, then we have enough for everyone,” Marcus suggested, and ten minutes later, we had our two double kayaks on the water edge as well as Marcus’s double and single kayaks, as we put on our PFD jackets and helmets.

“I will take the single if that is ok with you Marcus?” I asked, “It is, but don’t you want to buddy up with one of your friends?” Marcus responded, “Oh don’t worry, he will be, and he has no say in the matter,” Jarrad responded, as my other friends all nodded in agreement, and I sighed with disappointment, “So not fair,” I said in response.

“Yeah! Life sucks when you have caring friends eh!” Rebecca replied smiling. “I know I am missing something here, but I will leave it up to you when I can know more,” Marcus stated, “Good move there mate. When he feels comfortable, he will tell you,” Hugh replied. For the next few hours, we kayaked upstream as far as where the river splits into two passages near the amphitheatre and back, which was about two kilometres, and downstream as far as the large bend in the river, near the Supa Golf & Putt Putt Course, which was about 4.5 kilometres return.