-- Chapter 11 --

It seemed that word of Matt’s son arriving in Thompsonville had travelled fast.

First, it had been Father Costas who mentioned that he had heard the news, then, by the time Luke and Levi had arrived home from church there were other friends of Matt and Luke’s who were already there, wanting to meet him.

As they pulled to a stop, they noticed Matt sitting with two guys on the rear deck, all with beers in hand.

‘Who are they?’ Levi asked, while sounding a little unsure of himself.

‘Friends of ours, Scott and Justin, they run the caravan park,’ Luke answered. ‘They’re good guys. You don’t need to worry about them.’

Levi managed a nod, but he still looked concerned about meeting yet more strangers.

‘Are they, like . . .’

‘Yeah, mate. They are a couple,’ Luke replied, while at the same time pulling his phone from his pocket. ‘I’ve got an idea . . . before we get out and join them, how about I just text Matt and ask him to ask them to keep any PDAs toned down?’

Levi looked at Luke, confusion written all over his face.

‘PDA equals Public Display of Affection. We meant what we said earlier, we respect your feelings and don’t want you to be uncomfortable around our friends, so a little heads up for them might just help, okay?’

‘Ummm . . . okay. Thank you.’

Quickly, Luke punched a message into his phone and hit send. Moments later they noticed Matt pick up his phone and glance their way, with a curious expression on his face.

He quickly read the message and gave a nod, then turned towards their friends and said something to them.

‘Okay, time to move,’ Luke said cheerfully, as he opened his door. Levi did the same, and together they crossed the lawn and climbed the steps up onto the deck, as the visitors stood up to greet them.

‘Hey, guys, good to see you,’ Luke cheerfully greeted them. ‘You’re just in time to meet Levi.’

The older of the two stepped forward and thrust his hand out towards Levi, ‘Hi, Levi, I’m Scott, and this is Justin,’ he said as he shook the boy’s hand, with Justin then doing the same.

‘Nice to meet you,’ Justin said. ‘We’ve heard a lot about you already. We hope you like it down here.’

‘Th-thanks,’ Levi replied, as he glanced towards his father and wondered just what had been said. ‘Nice to meet you also.’

‘You don’t have to worry, Levi, it’s all been good so far,’ Scott added. ‘I’m sure we could tell you some stories about your dad though, if you think you need some payback!’

Levi gave a nervous laugh.

Sensing Levi’s nerves, Luke stepped in before things might disintegrate any further. ‘Now guys, I’ve just taken him to meet Father Costas, so let’s keep it clean, okay? We don’t want to go and ruin it for him before he officially moves in!’

‘Oh, absolutely,’ Scott replied. ‘We’ll save it all for later, when young Levi here is a little more used to us!’

‘Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m worried about,’ Matt responded.

Levi managed half a smile, but he still wasn’t quite sure how to take these friends of his father and Luke just yet.

‘So, you guys want to stay for some lunch?’ Matt asked Scott.

‘Not this time, mate. We’ve got some stuff to do at the park before some bookings arrive this afternoon, but we’ll catch up with you guys and Levi soon. We’re looking forward to getting to know you better, Levi.’

‘Thank you,’ Levi answered.

The visitors left straight after that, promising again to catch up soon, leaving Matt, Luke and Levi alone on the deck.

Matt turned to the others and asked, ‘How was church?’

Luke placed a hand on Levi’s shoulder and they exchanged a look.

‘It was . . . good,’ Levi answered. ‘I like Father Costas. He seems . . . open and welcoming.’

‘Yeah, I’ve only met him a few times, and he does give that impression. So do you think you’ll go back there again?’

‘Yeah, I think so . . . if that’s okay?’

‘Of course it is, mate. That’s a part of you, and we’re certainly not going to stop you from being yourself.’

‘Thank you.’

‘Now, what are we doing for lunch?’ Matt asked, while turning to Luke.

‘I’m sure we can find something inside,’ Luke replied.

* * *

They finally made it to the beach by early afternoon, just the three of them, and Levi couldn’t believe that they had this wide expanse of golden sand, stretching in a horseshoe shape between two headlands, all to themselves.

He found himself walking forward to the water’s edge and gradually turning in circles, looking all the way around him, from the headland with the old lighthouse on it, down the rocky cliffs that led to the beach, then from one end of the beach to the other, before finishing up at the grassy, northern headland.

When he turned back to Matt and Luke the grin on his face was massive, and infectious.

‘They call it Hidden Bay,’ Matt told him. ‘And like I said, sometimes it’s like we have our own private beach, that nobody in the world knows about.’

‘It’s breathtaking,’ Levi replied.

‘It certainly is,’ Matt replied. ‘You’re going to love it here, mate. And we’re going to love having you here.’

Levi managed a smile, and a nod of his head, but he wasn’t quite sure how to respond. He knew this was soon going to be his home, but he still had reservations; about what the future might hold, and what he would be leaving behind.

Sensing his uncertainty, Luke stepped in and placed an arm around the boy’s shoulders. ‘No pressure here, Levi. All we want is for you to be safe and happy, and your father and I will do everything we can to ensure that is what happens.’

The boy looked from Luke to Matt, and then back again, before nodding. ‘Thank you,’ he replied, quietly.

‘Righto, you two. Who is going to dive in with me? Are you a good swimmer, Levi? I’ll race you to the rock ledge,’ said Matt.

‘The what?’ Levi asked.

Luke pointed towards the headland where the lighthouse stood.

‘Can you see that pale coloured spot at the bottom of the cliff?’ he asked Levi. ‘That’s the rock ledge. It’s easy to climb onto, and then from there, there is a path that leads back around the bottom of the cliff from there, and onto the beach.’

Levi smiled. Swimming was something he was good at, but he had never swum in the ocean before. It looked like today was going to be the day when he finally got to have his first ocean swim.

‘I take it that grin means you can swim?’ Matt said, as he peeled off his shirt and kicked off his crocs, before Luke then did the same, leaving them both standing in just their shorts.

‘I . . . I haven’t swum in the ocean before, just in the river and the lake near home . . . but I’m game,’ Levi replied, before pulling off his t-shirt and kicking off his joggers.

Luke did a double-take at the sight of the kid standing before him, as physically, he looked so much like Matt did at that same age that it was scary – but he knew he shouldn’t say anything, as Levi’s state of mind was foremost in his own mind, and he didn’t want to say or do anything that the kid might take the wrong way.

He glanced at Matt, who looked Levi up and down and then turned away, towards the cliff.

‘The bay is quite sheltered, and it’s a fairly easy swim,’ Matt said, before turning back to face the others. ‘You still game?’

‘W-what about sharks? Or stingrays? Or . . .’

‘Never seen anything like that around here. The place must be so hidden that they don’t even know about it,’ Matt said, with a laugh.

Levi looked at Luke and raised his eyebrows.

‘He’s right,’ Luke replied. ‘We haven’t ever seen a shark or anything here. But if you like, you can swim between us.’

‘But I’ll be in front of you both!’ said Levi, with a cheeky grin, before he took a few steps forward and started to wade in.

‘You be careful there, kiddo,’ Matt said, laughing, as he followed.

‘I hope you’re not going to call me kiddo for the rest of my life,’ Levi responded, as he looked back over his shoulder, still grinning.

‘I’ll let you know after we see who wins this race,’ Matt shot back at him, just as Levi dived forward into the water and struck out for the cliff.

The distance wasn’t great – possibly a little over fifty metres, or the length of an Olympic swimming pool – but even with a head start Levi struggled a little, being his first time in the ocean. Matt and Luke were behind him all the way, and the one time that Matt looked like he might be able to overtake his son, Luke deliberately grabbed his leg to slow him.

A quick glance back from Matt, to see Luke shaking his head slightly, was enough to let him know he needed to let Levi land first – to give the kid some sort of victory, however small – so that was what he did.

Levi touched first and quickly hauled himself up onto the rocks, water streaming from his dark hair, and down over his pale body. He was slim, but defined, though possibly not as fit as Matt had been at that age, Luke noted, when he touched the rocks and looked up at the grinning boy and his father, who was now sitting beside him.

‘Who won?’ Luke asked, innocently.

‘That would be kid- - errr . . . Levi,’ Matt replied, before placing an arm around his son’s shoulders. ‘Seems he’s one up over his old man now.’

‘I have a feeling that you better get used that,’ Luke said, as he pulled himself up out of the water.

Levi grinned at that simple acknowledgement from Luke.

‘Righto then, what do you want to do now? Swim back, or walk back?’ Matt asked.

‘Let’s just walk,’ Levi replied. ‘Provided it’s not too rocky.’

‘No, it’s easy going,’ Luke answered, as he got to his feet and held out a hand to pull Levi upright. Levi looked at it for a moment, then reached up and allowed Luke to help him to his feet. It was just a small moment of acceptance, but important nonetheless.

They took their time walking back to where they had left the gear, with Matt and Luke pointing out some of the local points of interest, such as the trail that led from the beach and over the headland, back into town, and the paths that led to some of the other houses along Beachside Lane. Just as they reached their pile of clothes and shoes, Matt looked up and noticed two people walking from the far end of the beach towards them.

‘Don’t look now, but it appears we no longer have the place to ourselves,’ he said, while grinning. Luke and Levi looked up in the direction Matt was looking and saw the newcomers as well, then Luke gave them a wave, which was returned.

‘So, you know them?’ asked Levi.

‘Sure do,’ Matt replied. ‘The taller one is Luke’s cousin, Tony Scott . . . you might have heard of him, he’s the writer we mentioned, and the other guy is his partner, Aaron. They are a part of our local crew that we hang out with quite a bit, along with Scott and Justin, who you met this morning.’

‘So, they’re . . .’

‘Yeah, mate. They’re just like us. Like I said, they’re part of our tribe. You’ll see quite a bit of them at our place . . . and we visit their place quite a bit as well . . . they live just up near the end of Beachside Lane.’

Levi nodded, as he took on the news that he was about to meet more of his father’s and Luke’s friends. They had reached their pile of clothes, and he quickly pulled on his t-shirt and joggers, just as Tony and Aaron reached them.

‘Hey, guys,’ said Tony. ‘I heard you’ve taken in another boarder!’

‘Yeah, something like that,’ Matt answered. ‘Tony, this is my boy, Levi. Levi, this is Luke’s cousin, Tony Scott . . . you might have heard his name before . . .’

‘Hello, Levi. It’s nice to meet you,’ Tony said, as he stretched out his hand. ‘And I’m so very sorry to hear about your mother.’

Levi looked at the hand for a moment, before eventually reaching out and shaking it and saying, ‘Thank you. And it’s nice to meet you too.’

An introduction to Aaron followed and shortly afterwards the five of them were walking back along the sandy path through the scrub, towards Matt and Luke’s house.

‘They probably haven’t told you this,’ Tony said to Levi as they walked. ‘I was the first boarder these guys took in, way back when.’

‘You were?’

‘Oh, yes. I was thrown out by my mother for being gay, but somehow, I managed to make it all the way up here from Sydney in one piece, and land on their doorstep. They have hearts of gold, these two . . . you can trust me on that.’

Levi managed a small smile in reply, as he studied his father and Luke up ahead of him.

When they reached the house a few minutes later, they found Tim and Guy in the backyard, with beers in hand, and it wasn’t long after that when everyone was settled in with drinks of their own and shooting the breeze. The yard was soon filled with laughter and light, which carried on throughout the late afternoon and then into the early evening, around a fire pit that was eventually lit, as was the barbeque.

For much of it, Levi sat back and simply listened to everything that was being said, learning a good deal about how all these guys came together and about their lives in this beautiful, but different, little town. It soon became evident that if he was to build a life for himself here with his father, then he had a great deal to learn about the world in which Matt and Luke lived.

With each meeting with his father’s friends, Levi was left with conflicting feelings about what the future might hold, but he was determined not to say anything that might reveal those feelings, so he largely kept quiet during the conversations. He had a feeling that even though his father and Luke were happy for him to have his own opinions on things, it might be best if he remained quiet and held on to some of those opinions, for now at least. He didn’t want to come across as sounding like he was a total religious nutter – which was a term he had already heard Tim and Guy use when they thought he wasn’t listening.

Eventually the night wound down and the visitors finally said their goodbyes. He liked these two guys, just as he had liked Justin and Scott, and later, alone in his makeshift bedroom, Levi went over and over the events of the entire day in his head. And it had certainly been quite a day.

* * *

Sleep eventually came, with Levi falling asleep to the steady sound of the nearby waves, but so too, did something else. Dreams. Vivid and real. Just as they had been each night when they had come to him since his mother’s passing.

In this dream, he was standing in the old paddock behind his mother’s house. The dry grass swayed gently in the breeze. His mother was there, looking just as she had in her best days – soft smile, warm eyes, sunlight catching in her hair.

‘Levi,’ she said softly, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from his forehead. ‘My beautiful boy. I love you. I always have, and I always will. Nothing can change that.’

Levi felt his throat tighten. ‘I miss you.’

‘I know, sweetheart. But you’re not alone anymore.’ She glanced over his shoulder. Matt was standing a little way off, waiting patiently near the fence line, with his back to them.

His mother’s voice stayed gentle but firm. ‘You need to be brave now, Levi. This is a big change, but it’s a good one. Trust Matt. He’s a good man, and he loves you. He chose you.’

Levi looked uncertain. ‘What if I mess it up?’

She smiled that familiar, patient smile and gave him a light nudge toward Matt. ‘You won’t. Just take it one day at a time. Go on now . . . follow him. He’s waiting for you.’

As Matt began walking slowly down the dirt track, Levi hesitated. His mother gave him another gentle push between the shoulder blades, warm and encouraging.

‘Go, my love. I’m right here with you, even if you can’t see me.’

Levi took a few steps, then looked back. His mother was still watching him with love shining in her eyes. She gave him a small wave and a nod.

He turned and started walking after Matt. The path ahead suddenly felt brighter than before.

* * *

Levi woke slowly the next morning, the dream still lingering like a soft blanket around his heart. For the first time in a long while, the ache of missing his mother felt a little lighter – almost like a quiet blessing instead of just pain.

He lay there listening to the waves, thinking about her words.

Trust Matt.

He whispered it to himself, testing how it felt. Somehow things didn’t feel quite so scary anymore, but he also knew that there was still a long road ahead.

Just a few hours later he and Matt were driving into town. Monday morning, and Matt needed to check in at work, so he thought it would be a good opportunity to introduce Levi to his boss and workmates. Later they would be hitting the road and heading back to the country, to continue packing up his old life, after having already said goodbye to Luke.

It was still early, and the store had only just opened. As they parked out front, Levi noticed a guy wheeling a display trolley out the front door, before then going back inside, once he had positioned the trolley against the front wall.

‘That’s Troy,’ Matt said. ‘One of the guys I work with. My boss, Don, will be inside, so I just need to let him know what’s going on, and make sure everything is okay here, before we head back up the mountain to the old home town.’

‘Okay,’ Levi replied.

When they made it inside a few minutes later, they were greeted by an older guy who was behind the main counter. He reminded Levi of the grandfather he had only just met, and figured he was about the same age.

The guy’s face lit up when he saw Matt come through the sliding door.

‘And about time you showed up,’ he said, but he was laughing as he did so.

‘Keep your shirt on, Don. I’m not staying.’

‘Yeah, I already knew that. Must have been wishful thinking,’ Don replied, before switching his attention to Levi and looking him up and down.

‘Don, this is Levi, my son. And, Levi, this is my boss, Don. You’ll probably hear me swearing a lot about him from time to time,’ Matt said.

Don stepped out from behind the counter and reached forward with his right hand. ‘Very nice to meet you, Levi.’

‘You too,’ the boy answered, as he shook the offered hand.

To be continued . . .