Kandanga Falls - 1. Chapter 1

-- Chapter One --

The old school bus rattled and shook with each passing mile, as it headed north along the narrow road that led to the small, rainbow coloured, town of Nimbin. With each bump in the sometimes bitumen – though sometimes dirt – road, Nate’s guts were churning. It had been more than a year since Danny and Jake had left Thompsonville, and while he had seen them a couple of times since then, briefly, this was the first time he would be visiting them in the place they had made their home.

A lot can happen in a year. Life can pass you by if you’re not careful. People can move on. People can change. Nate just hoped that his friends won’t have changed too much.

This would be his last chance to see his friends for a while, as he had just enlisted in the army, with a view to hopefully gaining a trade while in there, just as Danny had suggested. He had a week before he needed to report for basic training, and so he had said goodbye to his family and left his hometown the day before, catching a bus north to Lismore. He figured he had four or five days he could spend with his friends, before having to complete his journey to Brisbane.

On his arrival in Lismore, after finding a room in a local hotel, he had asked around and found there was a school bus that travelled to Nimbin twice daily, dropping off and picking up students from there who attended the local high school. When that bus returned empty to Nimbin after the morning run, there were almost always passengers who wanted to head in that direction, and so he was told that it would be easy for him to pick up a seat for the final part of this journey, which had proved to be the case.

As he gazed out the dirty bus window, he was struck by the beauty of the lush, green countryside and rolling hills, and could easily see how Danny had fallen in love with the place, as he had mentioned in the cards and letters they had exchanged. Of course, there was another reason why Danny loved the place; it was his partner, Jake, who had swept him off his feet more than a year ago, with the two of them now building a life together. Now aged eighteen – just – and fresh out of school, Nate found it difficult to comprehend doing the same at his age, yet he so admired his friend’s guts and determination for following both his dreams and his heart.

Maybe one day he could see himself doing that, but how far away that could possibly be was impossible to know.

After winding through hills and forests and crossing countless creeks and waterways, the bus finally began to slow.

‘Almost there now, young fella,’ the old bus driver called over his shoulder to Nate. ‘Just a couple of miles to go.’

He was the only passenger on this journey so Nate sat up and looked out the front window. As they came around a bend in the road they were at the top of a rise, with a valley opening up ahead of them, and he caught his first look at the town, which in recent years had established something of a notorious reputation. Nate had no idea whether his friends would have been changed by this town and the new lifestyle they were living, but he knew he was excited to be seeing them again.

The bus rolled down the hill, passing old houses painted in all the colours of the rainbow, some with rusted carcasses of old motor vehicles parked beside them, and with long grass growing out from beneath them. An old garage beside one house, leaning at a precarious angle, looked like all it needed was a gentle breeze to blow it all the way down, but as they passed it Nate noticed a couple of tree branches propped up against one wall, which seemed to be holding it upright – for now at least.

Nate smiled to himself when he realised what it was he was seeing, then looked across at the other side of the road, where he noticed an old, flat-bed truck in a paddock, rusting and ugly, the bonnet open to the world, as if it were a beast asking to be fed.

Of course, Nate had seen similar sites in his own hometown from time to time – in fact, the two towns weren’t that different – but here, mixed with bright colours and what looked to be progress, it struck him as being somewhat surreal.

Moments later the old bus pulled to a stop in front of a building that proved to be a general store and cafe, along the front of which hung a string of colourful flags, which were in sharp contrast to the weathered timber walls.

The bus driver shut down the engine, then noticed Nate looking at the store with an odd expression.

‘The old folks who own it are digging in,’ he said. ‘They don’t fancy all this change, all this colour and stuff, but their daughter insists they get up to speed, so the flags are their compromise . . . for now at least. My guess is the daughter will win this battle in the end. The old folks would be mad to hold out, what with all the cash that is floating around here these days.’

‘Cash?’ enquired Nate.

‘You know, from the hootchy-kootchy grass, or whatever they call it. It’s everywhere. There was a big festival here back in ’73 and after it, the hippies all stayed, or most of them anyhow. And now the town has a new industry.’

‘Ahhh . . . right,’ Nate replied. ‘I guess that makes sense.’

Getting to his feet, Nate picked up his swag and carryall from the seat beside him, then the driver swung the door open for him.

‘Thanks for the ride,’ Nate said.

‘No problem. When you need to get back to civilisation just look me up here before I head back to Lismore on an afternoon run. I usually try to leave by two o’clock, or so.’

‘Will do. And thank you,’ replied Nate, before stepping down onto the footpath outside the store, while being followed by the driver.

He watched the man as he stepped up onto the verandah, where he was greeted by a large white cockatoo in a spacious cage.

‘Hello, love! Hello, love!’ the bird screeched at him, before the driver disappeared inside.

Nate stepped out into the sunshine, onto the road, and took a look around him at the town. It looked surprisingly tidy to him, given the run-down status of many of the buildings. Everywhere around him, though, he could see signs of activity, with fresh paint and repairs being carried out. There didn’t appear to be many people around, or vehicles, but the signs were there that this was a town that was coming back to life.

Looking at his watch, he noticed that it was nearing lunchtime, which was soon echoed by the growling of his stomach. He hoped that Danny and Jake had received his message, which he had left with Jake’s family, just as they had originally organised, to let them know what day he would be arriving. Until they got here, however, he had needs to satisfy, and so he decided to head inside the store.

Stepping onto the verandah, Nate too was greeted by the bird.

‘Hello, love! Hello, love!’

‘Are they the only words you know?’ he asked the bird.

‘Hello, love! Hello, love!’

Smiling to himself he continued inside. The hinges of the old screen door protested loudly as he opened it and stepped inside the cool, and somewhat dark, country store, with walls lined with shelves, some souvenirs on a stand, refrigerators for drinks and ice creams, and an ancient timber counter, against which the bus driver was now leaning, while chatting to a dark-haired girl, possibly a few years older than Nate.

Through a doorway behind the counter, Nate could see a kitchen, where an older lady was busy cooking up something on a hotplate. This, along with the smell of meat and onions cooking, brought Nate’s stomach to life once more. He had missed out on breakfast that morning after all.

‘Can I get you something, honey?’ the dark-haired girl asked him. ‘Menu’s up there,’ she added, while pointing to the wall behind her.

Looking up at the wall, Nate took in what was on offer.

‘Yeah . . . uhh . . . a hamburger and a chocolate milkshake, please,’ he replied.

‘Coming right up,’ the girl responded, before heading out into the kitchen, where she spoke to the older woman.

Nate noticed her glance back at him a couple of times and smile, which caused something to flutter inside him. He wasn’t used to getting very much attention from the opposite sex, and he had to admit that this girl, with her curious smile, certainly intrigued him.

For a few minutes, while waiting for his order, he struck up another conversation with the bus driver, who it seemed was a regular visitor at the store. He heard a little more about the town and its newfound prosperity, which he was fascinated by. Jake and Danny, when he had seen them last, had already given him some idea about how it had all come about. That had been the time when they had all pitched in and helped Danny’s family escape from Thompsonville while his stepfather was away on one of his trips.

Those few days had been touch-and-go, as they all feared the possible return of Danny’s stepfather, Brad, but they had somehow managed to pull it off and get Jude, Pete and Jodi out of there and on their way to Danny’s aunt’s place in Brisbane, while also finding temporary storage in Lismore for some of their belongings. With the help of Nate and Jake, Danny’s family had managed to put Thompsonville behind them, and Nate couldn’t help but wonder now just how they were all doing in their new lives. He was sure that Danny and Jake would be able to fill him in on that subject though.

After they had all left, with Nate being the last one of them remaining in Thompsonville, he had taken it upon himself to watch out for the return of Brad, who he knew would be arriving home to an almost empty house. That had happened just a few days after the great escape had been pulled off, when Nate had almost collided with Brad as he was leaving the local milk bar one day.

He had jumped out of the man’s way to let him pass, but Brad just stopped and stared at him. Nate could see the anger that was boiling inside the man and hoped to God that he wasn’t about to be assaulted, verbally or otherwise.

In the end Brad had simply sighed and asked, ‘Do you know where they are?’

‘N-no. Danny never told me anything,’ he replied, hoping the man would believe his lie. ‘He just . . . left me. Week before last it was.’

‘Yeah, I knew that. The weak little prick. Left his mother in tears, he did. And what about the others . . . Jude and the kids? They were here when I left.’

‘W-what about them?’ Nate asked, while trying to hide his disgust at the way the man had spoken about his best friend.

‘Don’t give me that shit! They’re gone too . . . all they left was a note.’

‘Fuck . . . I didn’t know that . . .’ Nate lied.

‘Yeah, whatever you reckon, kid,’ Brad replied.

‘Why would they tell me anything? I’ve been riding by . . . you know, just in case Danny came back . . . but I just saw there’s been no lights on . . .’

‘Well, he hasn’t come back, but you just keep dreamin’, kid. That’s one thing you won’t have to worry about though, I reckon. Your boyfriend’s long gone and good riddance. The boy couldn’t wait to get out of here . . . and to be honest, if you had any brains, you’d probably best do the same.’

‘W-what’s that s’posed to mean?’ Nate asked, as he boiled inside.

‘Well, maybe he was smarter than I gave him credit for. You just think about it. You really think you’re going to have a future here?’ Brad said, then abruptly turned and walked away from Nate and up to the counter.

Nate watched him for a few moments, quietly seething, then just turned and left the milk bar, wanting to put as much distance between him and his best friend’s creepy stepfather as he could.

It was just at that moment that Nate’s reminiscing was interrupted, as the girl in the Nimbin store returned to the counter and said, ‘Here you go, honey. One burger. One chocolate shake.’

‘What?’ Nate replied, then looked at the counter where his order now sat. ‘Oh. Thank you. How much?’ he said, will digging into his jeans pocket for his wallet.

After handing over his few dollars he thanked her and headed outside, where he was greeted once again by the bird, before he headed to some tables and chairs set up beneath the shade of the verandah, then sat down to eat.

He was about halfway through his burger when the screen door squeaked once again and he looked up to see the girl who had served him coming out.

He watched as she sat down opposite him

‘So, are you new in town?’ she asked. ‘I’m Skye.’

‘Errr . . . Nate . . .’ he replied, while still chewing. So much for the manners his mother had tried to instil in him. ‘And no, I’m just here to visit some friends for a few days,’ he replied.

‘Hmmm . . . anyone I might know?’

‘Their names are Danny and Jake. Been here about a year or so.’

‘Yeah, I know those guys. They live out on a property called Kandanga Falls, along with a dozen or so others.’

‘Yeah, I think that’s the name of it.’

‘Do they know you’re coming? They usually only come to town once a week or so.’

‘I left a message with Jake’s family in Newcastle, saying that I’d be here today . . . that’s how we always communicate, so I hope so.’

‘Oh well, it’s not that far. I can drive you out there if they don’t show up.’

‘Really?’

‘Oh, yeah. It’s only fifteen miles or so. And I have to do deliveries out that way tomorrow anyhow, so if they don’t show up by then I can give you a lift if you like,’ Skye answered.

‘Oh, you don’t have to . . .’

‘It’s okay. I wouldn’t mind. In fact I’d be glad of the company. Most of the people around here that are our age are all stoners. Might be kind of nice to talk to someone normal for a change.’

Nate smiled at her.

‘How do you know I’m normal?’

‘Just a hunch,’ Skye answered, smiling at him, as Nate bit into his hamburger once more and wondered if she was flirting with him.

As he continued eating he watched the girl, who was watching him, while somewhere deep inside him something unfamiliar stirred. He knew exactly what it was. He just didn’t know what to do about it.

‘So, if my friends don’t show today, is there anywhere around here I can spend the night? A pub, or maybe a boarding house, or even just somewhere I can roll out my swag?’

‘I’m sure we can find somewhere for you,’ Skye replied, before abruptly getting to her feet. ‘I better get back to work. Your stuff will be okay here if you want to go for a wander around town and check the place out. We can sort out something for you later if you’re stuck.’

‘Thanks. That would be great, and yeah, I might just go and take a look around,’ Nate replied, before Skye turned and walked back inside the store, the squeaking hinge on the door protesting yet again.

After tossing his rubbish into a garbage bin, Nate decided to take Skye up on her suggestion and go for a walk around town. The place proved to be somewhat smaller than his own hometown, with the main drag into town only having one street branching off it, before eventually there was a fork in the road, with the two branches each then intersecting with another road.

Across the road he noticed there was a small petrol station, which an old Holden utility pulled into as he set off. He found the Freemason’s Hotel, some other shops, and the police station. He even managed to give a curious black and white Shetland pony right beside the police station a pat and a scratch behind its ear, when it came over to the fence to check him out, before a young girl, all of about seven years old, came out of the cop shop and studied Nate carefully.

‘Is this your pony?’ he asked her.

‘Yes.’

‘What’s her name?’

‘It’s a boy, not a girl,’ the kid huffed. ‘And his name is Star.’

‘Oh, sorry about that. Well, he is cute.’

‘Yes. And he doesn’t like strangers patting him.’

‘Oh . . . well I better leave him alone then, in case he bites me or something,’ Nate replied, before stepping back and turning to leave.

The girl continued to watch him as Nate moved on, heading back in the direction of Skye’s shop, while chuckling to himself.

The more that Nate saw of the town during his walk, the more he liked it. The place had a laid-back vibe, mixing the old with the new, and apart from the serious-looking policeman’s daughter, everyone he came across – not that there were that many people around – seemed friendly and accepting.

By the time he returned to the store it was mid-afternoon and the bus was just pulling out, for his return trip to Lismore. Nate returned the bus driver’s wave and continued walking, passing the store and soon taking a road that veered off the main drag and seemed to loop around behind the row of shops and houses. It was here that he found a park, though it really wasn’t much of a park, by most standards at least. Backing onto an open paddock, it had a few benches, some overgrown garden beds, and a run-down building with long-drop toilets; which he made use of and then got the hell out of just as soon as he could – he knew the words to that song about there being a Red Back spider on the toilet seat – before then continuing along the road until he joined the main drag once more. Again, he was near to the general store, so he decided to head there and buy himself a cold drink, as all this exploring of a new town on a summer afternoon was proving to be thirsty work.

‘Hello, love! Hello, love!’ the cockatoo again greeted him as he went inside. Nate wasn’t sure if he should be amused or annoyed by it. Were they really the only words the creature knew?

‘So, no sign of your friends yet?’ Skye asked as she handed him his change.

‘No, not yet. I’ll just sit tight, I guess. It’s not like I have anywhere else to go. I’m curious about the bird though . . . are they the only words he knows?’

‘Yeah . . . long story, that one,’ Skye answered.

Taking his drink outside, Nate sat down at one of the tables once more and watched the world go by. The pace was dawdling in this little town and he began to wonder how the locals defined excitement around here. He even thought a tumbleweed might blow down the main street any time now, but of course that wasn’t going to happen. Things were way too green around here for that to happen. Maybe a herd of milking cows with bells around their necks would be more the town’s style?

Just then he heard the sound of a vehicle coming, a noisy, clattering kind of sound, which could possibly be a sadly out-of-tune Volkswagen, he thought, as he waited for the source of the noise to appear.

Just a minute or so later his suspicions proved correct, with an old VW Beetle, white and rust in colour, arriving and pulling to a stop right in front of where he sat.

There looked to be a crowd inside the vehicle, but it was a little difficult to tell exactly – possibly five thought Nate – as there also seemed to be quite a bit of smoke in the air. Nate’s rough count was confirmed a few moments later when the doors opened and five people eventually emerged – two young men and three young women – all of whom perfectly fit the modern-day description of a hippie, with long hair, clothes that ranged from shabby to way-out, and bare feet.

He couldn’t help but smile to himself as they all unfolded and stretched, and he managed to get a good look at them. One of the guys noticed him smiling and smiled back, cocking his head sideways and giving Nate a good look up and down as he did so. Nate knew exactly what the guy was thinking, as he had seen that look often enough back home, so he gave a slight shake of the head.

Just as he did that, however, one of the guy’s companions draped an arm around his friend’s shoulder and then looked directly at Nate.

‘What’s this?’ he said to his friend. ‘Some fresh meat?’

The first guy just shook his head and said, ‘No, I don’t think so. Too straight is my guess.’

‘Damn. That’s a shame,’ the second guy replied, before taking his companion by the hand and dragging him away, and into the store, saying, ‘Oh, shut up, Percy!’ to the cockatoo as it greeted them with its usual script as they went.

The remaining friends smiled at Nate upon seeing the confused expression on his face.

‘Don’t worry about them,’ one of the girls said to him.

‘Oh, that’s okay, I wasn’t too worried . . . just thought it was a little odd, that’s all.’

The three girls all disappeared inside, leaving Nate alone once more. About fifteen minutes later they re-emerged, carrying their bags of supplies, which they soon piled into the storage compartment under the bonnet of their old rust bucket of a car.

The first guy that had looked Nate up and down came over to him and sat down beside him. Getting a close up look at him now, Nate figured he wasn’t any older than he was, about seventeen or eighteen at most. As his companions gathered around, he could see they were all of about that same age as well.

‘Sorry if I offended you, or anything,’ the boy said to him.

‘Nothing to be sorry for,’ Nate replied. ‘I’m used to it.’

‘And what’s that supposed to mean?’ the other boy suddenly demanded to know.

‘Nothing . . . just, ummm, I have friends that are . . . like you guys, that’s all. So, I guess I know the kind of things they cop all the time.’

‘Like us? As in, they are queer?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Here in Nimbin?’ the first boy asked.

‘Yep. That’s what I’m here for . . . to see them before I join the army.’

‘Oh, you would look good in a uniform,’ one of the girls said.

‘Bet he’d look better out of it though,’ the second boy added.

‘Taren!’ the girl scolded, while the boy just leered at Nate.

‘You’ll have to forgive our friend,’ the girl who had spoken to Nate added. ‘He can be such a slut sometimes.’

‘Hey, speak for yourself, Nova!’

The others all laughed, but Nate wasn’t quite sure how to take all this. There was something he was curious about though and he decided that he needed to ask them.

‘So, can I ask you guys something?’

‘Sure. Provided you tell us who your friends are,’ the first boy replied.

‘Oh, my friends are Danny and Jake. They live out at Kandanga Falls. Do you know them?’

‘The dudes with the Sandman?’

‘Yeah. That’s them. Now, are they all, like, your real names? I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone with names like those before,’ he asked.

The first boy laughed. ‘No, most of us don’t go by our old names here. We consider ourselves to have been reborn. We’re starting over in a new environment, so we’ve chosen to change everything about us, starting with our names.’

‘Oh . . . I see.’

‘I’m Arlo, by the way,’ the boy said. ‘And you’ve met Taren and Nova. The others are Wren and Luna.’

‘Nice to meet you all. I’m Nate.’

‘Yeah, we know,’ said the girl named Luna, with a cheeky laugh.

‘You do?’

‘Oh yes, Skye has told us all about you already,’ Luna replied. ‘It seems you’ve made quite an impression there.’

Nate didn’t know what to say to that, especially as Skye had chosen just that moment to join them on the verandah, but he could certainly feel the heat rising in his cheeks and figured they would all be able to see that right now. He just hoped that he didn’t have to get up from his seat right then.

Looking up at Skye, Nate’s eyes locked with hers and suddenly a question came to mind.

‘So, are you really a Skye? Or have you been reborn also?’

‘Definitely reborn,’ she replied. ‘Even if mum doesn’t understand that bit.’

‘Well, I like your new name. It suits you,’ Nate said.

Skye simply grinned at him, as the other girls gently ribbed her.

For the next half hour or so the group hung around, chatting and laughing together as if they were all old friends, while other customers also came and went. Everybody that Nate had struck since he had arrived in Nimbin seemed so open and friendly, happy to tell their stories about why they had moved here to this idyllic place in the country; to celebrate freedom and a lifestyle built around that, along with the burgeoning market for a certain green product. It was little wonder that Danny and Jake had only ever said good things about the place.

By the time the sun had started making its way behind the mountains to the west of the town, the VW driving locals had departed, while Nate was now beginning to grow a little anxious about his own friends. With no sign of Danny or Jake he finally conceded that they must not have received his message that he was going to be arriving today, which meant that he now needed to make arrangements for somewhere to stay.

Pulling out his wallet he checked how much cash he still had left, which he figured would be enough to get him through this week and then onto a bus to Brisbane, provided he didn’t go crazy, so if he wanted to minimise his spending his best option was going to be to roll out his swag someplace. He was counting his cash again as Skye came out onto the verandah just on closing time to start packing things away.

‘Have you sorted out some place to stay yet?’ she asked, as she noticed what Nate was doing.

‘N-not really. Any suggestions where I can roll out my swag. Need to save my cash if I can, especially if I want to make it to Brisbane.’

‘And what’s in Brisbane?’

‘The army. Joining up, to try and get a trade . . . I hope.’

‘And after that?’

‘Not sure yet. May head off and see a bit of the world. May end up going home yet . . . will see what happens when I get there, I guess. A lot can happen between now and then.’

‘Oh, yes, that goes without saying,’ Skye responded, before picking up one end of a small stand that was on wheels and pushing it inside. Seeing that there was another similar stand remaining, Nate jumped up and helped wheel that inside also.

It didn’t take very long for the few display items on the verandah to be packed away inside the shop, along with the cage containing Percy, the cockatoo, with the two of them continuing to talk as they did so. While they were doing this Nate spotted Skye’s mother in the kitchen, keeping a wary eye on the two of them as she set about closing away her part of the store.

‘Does your mum always keep such a close eye on you?’ Nate whispered as they headed back out onto the verandah once more.

‘Only when she thinks I’m up to something,’ Skye replied.

‘And are you up to something?’

‘Well, I asked her about letting you stay in the old caravan out the back,’ Skye replied. ‘It’s not much, but it would give you somewhere for the night at least. And she said okay, by the way.’

‘Really? Oh, wow! Thanks a million for that.’

‘You’re welcome. Anyhow, come on. Grab your gear and I’ll show it to you if you like.’

 

* * *
 

Skye was right about the caravan not being much, but Nate was still grateful. At least it would be a roof over his head.

The inside of the van was lined with thin masonite, painted in a very pale blue, with stains and holes that he felt sure could tell stories about its past. There was a double-sized bed at the rear of the van, with a mattress that was definitely going to be softer than hard ground, while along one wall there were some cupboards, as well as a gas stove and a mini-refrigerator. Opposite this was a table sticking out from the wall, with built-in seats on either side.

‘We don’t live here at the shop,’ Skye said, ‘so you’ll have some peace and quiet at least.’

‘Oh. Right,’ Nate replied.

‘There’s an outdoor shower below the tank stand at the back of the house, along with a toilet, if you need them. And the pub over the road serves meals. Nothing fancy, but cheap enough. Maybe I’ll see you there later?’

‘Oh, okay . . . yeah, that sounds good. Thanks for this. I really appreciate it,’ Nate said, before Skye excused herself and headed off into the descending twilight. Nate watched her from the caravan door as she walked back up the path to the front of the store, a strange feeling welling up inside him. When Skye stopped at the street and glanced back, she gave him a wave, which he returned, and then she was gone.

Nate stood there for a few moments, just breathing in the fresh country air and listening to the sounds of the emerging night. It sounded like there was some traffic coming into town, and there was some music playing somewhere – probably at the pub, he thought – but above all this there was a raucous sound coming from the stand of dark trees along the creek behind the row of shops and houses, which was only growing louder.

He studied the trees for a few moments, noticing something flying around them and soon realised that there must be a colony of Flying Foxes, or fruit bats, living there.

‘So much for the peace and quiet,’ he said to himself as he stepped back inside the van and closed the door.

Sitting down on the bed, he bounced up and down a couple of times to test it out, finding that it felt comfortable enough. As he dropped back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling, his head was filled with unfamiliar, confusing thoughts. There was something about Skye that had certainly caught his attention, but that wasn’t really the reason why he was here. He needed to see his friends, as this would be the last chance he would have for quite a while to catch up with them, and there were things that he needed answers for. Skye would only be a distraction he wasn’t sure he needed right now, or was it that she was exactly what he needed?

Fuck!

As it was now growing dark inside the old caravan, Nate decided it was time to head to the pub for a meal, so getting to his feet once more he headed out into the falling darkness, as what seemed like a million winged creatures continued to make a cacophony of noise nearer the creek.

Crossing the road to the Freemason’s Hotel, he found that the place was just starting to come to life. Light spilled out the doors and windows onto the pavement, as did the music that was playing inside. He could see people milling around, both outdoors and indoors, but nobody seemed to pay much attention to him as he sidled up to the bar.

‘What can I get you?’ the barman asked him. The guy was a few years older than Nate, and with his longish hair and moustache seemed to fit the hippie vibe that many of the other patrons seemed to have, other than the obvious farm boys. Nate couldn’t help but notice the barman’s bare chest, which was showing behind a checked shirt only done up half way.

‘I was told I could get a meal here,’ Nate answered.

‘Yeah, sure. Dining room is just through there,’ the barman said, while pointing to a doorway just past the end of the bar.

‘Thanks,’ Nate replied. ‘And I’ll take a beer please.’

‘You old enough?’ the barman enquired.

‘I’m eighteen.’

‘That’ll do,’ the barman said with a grin, before picking up a glass and pulling Nate a beer, then placing it on the dark timber counter.

Nate pulled out some money and paid for his drink, then headed for the dining room. When he glanced back at the barman, just before passing through the doorway, he noticed that the guy was still watching him.

Beer wasn’t exactly his favourite drink, but when you’re in a pub and you don’t want to stand out, it’s what you do drink. When he reached the dining room there were only a few tables with people sitting at them, so he quickly found a small table along one wall and took a seat, positioning himself where he could see most of the comings and goings. There was a chalkboard on the wall behind the serving counter, which showed that today’s special was meatloaf and gravy with vegetables, followed by apple pie and ice cream for dessert. That sounded good to him, so he went and placed an order, before resuming his seat.

While he was waiting, he noticed some photographs and plaques around the walls of the dining room, which upon looking closely at the couple that were close to him, he found that they described the recent developments in the town, beginning with the Aquarius Festival that had been held a few years ago, in 1973. That must have been what the bus driver had been talking about earlier, he realised.

As he studied them, which made him get up from his seat and take a closer look at those that weren’t nearby, he found photographs of festival goers enjoying activities in the streets and the parks, hippies with long hair and not many clothes, even photos where some little kids were running naked in a park. There were musicians, artists, people drinking and smoking – probably pot if the plaques were accurate – along with people locked in passionate moments, as well as people passed out in the streets and parks.

He then discovered that once the festival had ended, that was when some of the hippies had decided to stay, forming a co-operative and buying land, and establishing their own communities just outside of the town.

Now it was all starting to come together for Nate. That was what Jake and Danny had done. They had become a part of the movement that followed that festival. They had bought into this whole lifestyle new deal, and he couldn’t help but be both proud and amazed at their taking such a leap of faith.

It was as he thought about all of this, and the guts required by his friends in order to make such a move, that he was startled when a voice quite close to him said, ‘Did you learn anything new?’

He turned and saw Skye standing there smiling at him.

‘Actually, I think my mind has been blown,’ he replied. ‘I had no idea about all . . . this,’ he said, while waving an arm around the room at everything on display.

‘Yeah, it is kind of mind-blowing really. The town was almost dead when the alternates came and said they wanted to hold a festival here.’

‘Alternates?’

‘Alternate lifestyle people . . . you probably know them better as hippies.’

‘Yeah, that word I do know.’

‘So, when the party was over a heap of them just stayed . . . a heap more returned, and the town is what it is today because of that party.’

‘And what exactly is the town now?’

‘Oh, not much, to be sure, but it’s still alive and things are happening, and it has a future . . . even if it is as the grass capital of the world.’

Nate could only smile at that last comment, as he wondered if his brother, Lachie, had visited as yet.

‘So, are you eating out tonight?’

‘Oh, yeah,’ he replied, while pointing at the table where his beer and cutlery were still sitting.

‘Do you mind if I join you, then?’

‘Not at all. I’d be glad of the company,’ he replied, being careful to use the same phrase that Skye had used earlier. He had no idea of what the night may hold, but he did know that he enjoyed the company of this dark-haired girl.

‘I’ll pay for mine,’ she insisted, before starting for the counter to place an order.

‘Can I at least buy you a drink?’ Nate asked.

‘A Bacardi and coke would be great, thanks,’ Skye said with a smile.

When Nate returned from the bar a few minutes later with her drink, Skye had settled in at the table, opposite where he had left his beer.

‘Thank you,’ she said as he placed the glass on the table and sat down.

‘You’re welcome.’

‘So, do you like our little town?’ Skye asked, as she took a sip.

‘Actually, yes, I do. And after reading all this,’ he said as he pointed to the nearest photo and plaque, ‘I can see why my friends settled here. It’s like, oh, I dunno, a new frontier, where people can start over and just be who they want to be, and not be judged like they would be everywhere else in the world.’

‘Yeah, that pretty much covers it.’

‘There was nothing much at home for young guys like us, so that’s why most of us leave . . . to chase our dreams, or learn a trade, or whatever . . .’

‘So is that why you’re joining the army?’

‘Yeah. I need to give myself a chance, learn something, then after that I can work out where I want to go, what I want to do.’

‘We’ve all got to have a plan,’ Skye responded.

‘Ha! That’s what Danny used to always say.’

‘Well, he’s obviously a smart guy.’

For the next hour or so, Nate and Skye continued to talk, eventually moving out into the beer garden with fresh drinks, after they had finished their meals, and continued to chat. Around them there were people drinking and chatting and laughing. Music from the bar spilled out into the garden through the open doorway, while in the background the sound of raucous bats in the trees that surrounded the town ensured there was never a moment of silence.

‘So, how long have you known Danny for?’ Skye asked.

‘Almost all my life, really. He's always been my best friend, for as long as I can remember really.’

‘And how long ago did you find out he was . . .’

‘What? Queer?’

‘Yeah, I guess. Did it surprise you? How did you react?’

Nate took a moment before he answered, choosing to stare off into the night as he gathered his thoughts.

‘It was only after we met Jake really,’ he eventually answered. ‘Danny was having trouble at home with his stepdad and it was about that time that Jake showed up and they fell for each other, and hard! I didn’t see it happening at first, but eventually a heap of little things started to add up . . .’

‘So, what about the two of you? Have you ever . . .’

‘What? No way. I don’t think either of us had ever even thought about anything like that until Jake showed up. It just wasn’t something on our minds.’

‘That's good to know then,’ Skye said, as she slid her hand over the table and placing it over Nate’s, while giving him a seductive smile as she did so.

Nate looked down at their hands, then up into Skye’s questioning expression. He cottoned on quickly to the flirty tone.

‘I think maybe, we should be heading back . . . your mum might be wondering where you are.’

‘Oh, she doesn't stay up late,’ Skye replied.

‘And what does that mean?’

‘It means that I've got time up my sleeve . . . but I think you are right . . . it is getting late, so how about you walk me home?’

‘Your place, or mine?’ Nate asked, as he downed the last of his beer, and then stood up, holding his hand out for Skye.

Leaving the beer garden they headed out onto the street for the walk back to the caravan. The night was dark and warm, with the only light being that which spilled from the street lamps.

Nate knew what was ahead of him, but still, he was nervous. More nervous than he has ever been in his life, and when they reach the general store he was easily led down the driveway to where the caravan was parked.

Skye opened the door and he followed her inside, then closed it behind him, only to suddenly find himself being spun around and pushed back against the door.

In the dim light he could see the shape of Skye standing before him, as one of her hands reached up and cupped his face, while the other snaked around his waist.

‘Have you ever?’ Skye asked.

With a shake of his head, Nate answered. ‘No.’

‘Then let me show you,’ Skye said, before then leaning forward and kissing him gently on the lips.

To be continued . . .