Kandanga Falls - 7. Chapter 7

-- Chapter Seven --

It was early afternoon by the time Danny and Nate made it back to the humpy that was being turned into a house, their skin was shining and slick with sweat, hair sticking to their foreheads. In the heat of the day they were both thinking that another dip in the creek about now wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

They found Jake and Loz sitting in some shade between the house and the studio, with beers in their hand, while Loz was also holding a dubious looking cigarette, the smoke from which could be smelt in the air. The Sandman was parked nearby with a box trailer attached, upon which a squat-shaped cement mixer sat.

‘About time you pair showed up! We thought we were going to have to unload this thing ourselves,’ Jake gently scolded them. ‘Hope you had a good time out there?’

‘What happens at the falls, stays at the falls,’ Danny replied, before dropping down beside him and reaching for the beer Jake was holding. After swallowing a mouthful he handed the can back to him.

‘There are some more inside,’ Jake said. ‘You want to grab a couple for yourselves,’ he said to Nate.

‘Sounds like a plan. Thanks,’ Nate replied, before heading inside. Moments later he returned with two cans and passed one to Danny, before finding a spot on the ground in the shade, near to the others.

Nothing much was said for the next few minutes, while the four of them sipped their beers.

‘So, did you get everything in town that we need?’ Danny asked. ‘Are we good for tomorrow then?’

‘All good, I think,’ Jake replied. ‘Though we’re going to need to get some sand from the river to mix with the cement, as well as gather some more stone this afternoon. Loz said we can use the trailer if we want to, so we might as well take advantage of that. We can pay a visit to that hill down the front and do some rock picking.’

‘Thanks for that, Loz. And for the use of the mixer,’ Danny said.

‘Anytime,’ their visitor replied. Then holding up his beer can, he added, ‘Cheers.’

‘So, render party tomorrow then,’ said Jake. ‘We better get the word out.’

‘Too easy,’ answered Loz. ‘You should get those kids to help with the rock picking. I’ll probably be seeing ‘em when I head home shortly. Hopefully they’ll be there.’

‘Which kids?’ asked Danny.

‘Them twins, and that new boyfriend.’

‘Yeah, they should be back by now. Couple of them were with us at the falls this morning,’ Nate replied, glancing at Jake as he said so.

Loz just gave a nod, while Jake gave Danny a wry smile, to which he only received a shake of the head in response. Jake would get the story later.

‘Well, we better unload this machine I suppose,’ Jake suggested, before knocking back the last of his beer and then getting to his feet. ‘Then we can grab a load of sand, before filling the trailer with rocks.’

‘I can almost feel the sweat running down my back now,’ Loz said, with a laugh. ‘Glad it’ll be you guys doing the rock picking later, and not me. I’ve got to head into town, to pick up Tugger.’

‘That’d be right,’ Jake responded.

With only a few grumbles and swear words being uttered, the four of them managed to manhandle the cement mixer down onto the ground and push it close to where they would need to be using it tomorrow. Then, after saying their farewells to Loz, the boys unloaded the supplies from the back of the panel van, stacking the bags of concrete in the shadows of the humpy.

‘So, what’s next? Nate asked.

‘Sand, from the river. But only after we have some lunch,’ Jake answered. ‘Maybe we’ll have some help by then . . . I was talking to Finn earlier as well, and mentioned what we needed to do. He’ll spread the word for us.’

‘Fucking amazing,’ Nate replied. ‘You wouldn’t see that happening back home.’

‘No, I guess not,’ Jake mused. ‘Anyhow, first things first, today . . . who’s up for some lunch? Nothing special, just a platter of some fruits, with some muffins from Phoenix‘s mum.’

‘Anything’s good. Thanks,’ replied Nate, as Jake placed an arm around his shoulders and led him inside.

The humpy was cool inside, way different to what it had been like before the roof went on, back when there were only tarps. The change was amazing, and with a slight breeze wafting through the still open areas, it was a pleasant place to be.

Danny pulled some glasses from the shelf and poured something from a jug, which proved to be cold and sweet once Nate managed to taste it, and the three of them settled on stools in the kitchen as they helped themselves to the contents of the bowls and trays on the counter, while chatting about their morning, and the afternoon ahead. Plans soon formed, and once they had finished eating they were back outside once more, loading shovels and a wheelbarrow into the trailer, ready for the job ahead.

With Jake driving the van, while Nate and Danny sat in the trailer for the short trip down to the river – where there was a beach with plentiful sand – they were laughing like two twelve-year-olds with every bounce, as if they were reliving their childhoods, without any care in the world.

As Jake backed the trailer down close to the sand they heard the rumbling of another vehicle, and moments later an old, green Land Drover pulled up at the top of the bank, with three people soon piling out of it, led by Loz.

‘Many hands, and all that,’ he called out, while retrieving a couple of shovels from the back and handing them to his companions. One of them Nate had met previously, that was Bing, while the other face was a strange one to him. ‘You haven’t met Tugger yet, have you, Nate?’ Loz asked.

‘Can’t say that I have,’ Nate replied, as he stepped up and shook the newcomer’s hand. ‘Nate Buchanan.’

‘Pleased to meet ya,’ Tugger answered.

The newcomer was considerably older than Loz, or any of the others whom Nate had met so far. His hair was grey and short, but thinning, his face round and cheerful and covered with grey stubble, while his body was obviously hard, from years of work. Tugger was a guy who had been around, and it showed in every line etched into his face. He was a guy, Nate knew, whom they would all be able to learn from.

‘Tugger’s a mate from town,’ Loz added. ‘Said he’ll give us a hand with the rendering tomorrow. He knows his way around wet cement.’

‘Sounds like an interesting project you guys are working on,’ Tugger added. ‘Happy to lend a hand.’

‘Well, like the man said, many hands and all that,’ Jake said. ‘Thank you. They tell me that first we need some sand?’

‘Yeah. It helps,’ Tugger replied with a grin. ‘We better help you get a load then, eh?’ he added, as he stepped down the slope of the bank, shovel in hand.

In the heat of the afternoon, very little was said.

Shirts came off and before long, bodies were glistening with sweat, as the floor of the trailer was quickly covered, and then the sand level began to rise.

Nate found himself watching these men, especially Tugger, with his bulging, tattooed biceps. Bing was the quiet one amongst them, but he was definitely worth looking at too. Nate had never really looked upon semi-naked guys with any real desire, but this trip, these past few days and nights, he had found himself thinking thoughts and doing things he had never before entertained.

Was this the real Nate, he found himself asking? He didn’t really know any more, but what he did know was that his eyes had been opened to a whole other world, and a whole other life, and his future was maybe not as straight, or as straight-forward as he had been thinking up until this point.

It was a hand placed on his shoulder and some words whispered into his ear, which snapped his attention back to the present.

‘A penny for your thoughts?’ asked Danny.

His head snapped sideways, and he found himself staring into the soulful eyes of his best friend.

‘Oh, just wondering how I got here,’ Nate answered.

Danny knew exactly what he had meant, but now wasn’t the time for that conversation.

‘Well, it was by bus, wasn’t it?’ Danny replied, before squeezing Nate’s shoulder, then leaving him and moving on to Jake. Nate could only smile at his friend.

A few minutes later the trailer was full, and shovels were being driven into the pile, standing up like dead sticks in the scrub, before the wheelbarrow was then tipped upside-down beside them.

‘Righto, then. We better unload this and then start looking for some rocks,’ Jake commanded, before heading for the driver-side door.

The others watched as Jake started the engine and gave it a bit of a rev, then tried edging forward. Being parked in soft soil and with the weight of the trailer on behind, it took a bit of power before there was any sign of movement, but eventually the vehicle started inching forward.

‘Give it a bit more juice,’ Nate called out, and so Jake did just that. Gradually, the panel van and trailer inched up the slope, wheels slipping on the slippery green grass on occasion, but eventually making it to more level ground, where it was then able to pull away more easily.

‘Geez, I thought we might need to hook the Land Rover on there for a minute,’ Tugger exclaimed.

‘What? You think that piece of shit would have pulled it out? You just keep dreamin’,’ Loz spat back, while giving his friend a slap on the back.

There were smiles all around as the banter continued, before Jake soon rejoined them.

‘So, what’s next?’ asked Danny.

‘We need to dump this load back near our little hovel, ready for tomorrow, then we start rock picking, I guess,’ answered Jake.

‘Well, let’s get to it then!’ Danny proposed. ‘No time like the present, and the sooner it’s done the sooner we can head for the creek!’

‘Sounds like you’ve got your afternoon all sorted then,’ Loz said. ‘We might leave you to it, then.’

‘Righto. You’ll give us a hand tomorrow though?’ asked Jake.

‘Of course. We need to make sure you’re doing it right,’ Tugger replied, while laughing, before he and the others headed for the Land Rover.

‘Hey, if you see those boys anywhere around, send ‘em over to the rocky knob, will ya?’ Jake called out after them. Loz waved back in reply, but didn’t say anything.

‘I think that was a yes, wasn’t it?’ asked Danny.

‘I hope so,’ Jake replied, before climbing into the driver’s seat of the panel van, while Nate and Danny climbed up onto the trailer. Soon they were following the Land Rover back along the dusty track, before arriving a short while later at Jake and Danny’s place.

It proved easier to shovel the sand off the trailer than it had been to load it, so it wasn’t long before the trailer was once again empty, and they were heading off along a dusty track once more.

Nate couldn’t remember an afternoon working alongside Danny like this, that he had enjoyed as much. Maybe that day in his past life, not long after Jake’s arrival, where they had got stuck in and mowed the lawn. There was something about the camaraderie of pitching in on a job alongside friends and working to just get it done. He just hoped that it wouldn’t be forever before he would next be able to do this with these guys.

The rocky knob that Jake had been referring to was back closer to the entrance to the farm; a bare little knoll that seemed oddly at sorts with the rest of the landscape. After they parked the vehicle, they all started scouting around for a spot where the rocks would be plentiful and easy to load.

‘I think they need to be small, so they can mix with the render easily. But if all we can find are bigger ones we’ll just have to use them, and maybe lay them like they are bricks,’ suggested Jake.

‘Maybe we could do one of the walls like that anyhow?’ Danny replied. ‘We’ll just sort the stones into a couple of piles and feed the right size to the right wall. Might be a good job for the twins to do for us in the morning, if we can convince them.’

‘I’ll pay them, if I have to,’ Jake declared.

‘Let’s not be too rash,’ Danny laughed, before grabbing the wheelbarrow off the trailer and starting to scout around.

Beginning in silence, the lads started collecting rocks of all shapes and sizes, but soon fell into their usual, casual conversation; talking about life in the bush, and about art, and about fixing motors, and anything else that came to mind. There was an easy companionship amongst the three of them; something that didn’t need to be worked at. It was just how they were.

Before long they heard voices approaching and soon found Ethan and Phoenix, accompanied this time by River and a blonde-haired girl of about the same age, hand in hand, and all heading their way.

‘Well, that answers one question,’ Jake said quietly.

‘Trust you to be the only one thinking it,’ Danny jibed.

‘He wasn’t the only one,’ Nate confessed.

Danny gave them a wave, which was returned by the three boys.

‘Someone said you old guys needed some help getting stoned,’ Phoenix said, once close enough.

‘I think you’ve been misinformed,’ Danny shot back. ‘Anyway, who are you calling old?’

They all just grinned at each other.

‘But seeing as you’re here, want to give us a hand?’ Danny asked.

The four kids just looked at each other.

‘Sure. Nothing much better to do,’ replied River.

* * *

‘So, it’s render day,’ Nate announced, like he was still getting used to the language of this life, almost as if it was something foreign. Despite that, he was finding he liked it.

‘Yeah,’ replied Danny, as he served up coffee and toast – that was both underdone and burnt at the same time. With lashings of butter and some Golden Syrup, it was still a good way to start the new day. When they headed outside a short time later, they were greeted by Fergus, and they looked up just in time to see Finn coming up the track, whistling, as grasshoppers and other insects flew up around him, easily seen with the morning sunlight behind them.

‘Don’t tell me you’re going to get those soft hands of yours all dirty again?’ Jake called out to him.

‘Well, what else are friends for?’ Finn shot back.

‘I could think of a few other things,’ Jake answered.

‘Not in front of the children, Jakey boy!’

‘Oh, right. I almost forgot!’

The others just laughed, but Nate had to admit that he was kind of both surprised and curious by the exchange. But then again, why should he be? Apparently, there was nothing sacred around here.

It wasn’t long after that when the troops started to gather, with four misfit kids trudging up the track, just before the old green Land Rover from yesterday swept past them, showering the kids in dust and diesel fumes.

‘All set?’ Tugger asked as he and Loz stepped from the Land Rover.

‘Ready as we’ll ever be,’ Jake replied. ‘You do know what you’re doing, don’t you?’

‘Maybe we can all just learn together?’ Tugger replied.

‘Oh, this’ll be fun,’ Finn answered.

With the skill of someone with obvious experience, Tugger set about delegating duties so they could get to work. The twins and their companions were given the task of separating the rocks into piles of different sizes. Nate and Danny were responsible for loading the mixer with sand and cement, while Jake became the concrete man, all in order to be able to mix the correct proportion. Finn was in charge of handling the water hose, while Loz and Tugger would handle the actual rendering.

Once their responsibilities were all sorted, the work began.

Bags of cement were mixed with crushed rock and river sand, with water added to form just the right consistency.

‘Not too thick. Not too runny,’ Tugger kept reminding them. ‘Make it like soft butter, or icing that is being applied to a cake,’ he said over and over again.

The outside of the first tank took the new skin easily. They smeared the slurry on with trowels, a thick grey icing, hiding rust and curves alike. Tugger’s hands moved with experience and economy, as he offered his lessons. ‘Thin, then thick,’ he instructed. ‘Just let it flow. Don’t fight with it. It’ll tell you where it needs to go.’

Jake, beside Nate, grinned. A crescent of grit on his cheekbone looked like a second smile. ‘Hear that? This is like therapy.’

‘You’ve been in therapy?’ Nate shot back.

‘Mate, with my family, my whole life has been like a therapy session.’

Somebody had a small radio on, its sound cheap and tinny, with the morning serial, Blue Hills, coming out over the airwaves, until finally it was over, replaced by the ABC news. Tunes from an era that wasn’t exactly recent followed, but then the radio died, its battery giving up the ghost.

The workers wore dust and sweat proudly, like badges of honour. The work made the day simple, allowing Nate’s thoughts to settle as he watched and listened and took in the day that surrounded him.

In the shade at smoko, talk roamed. Someone mentioned the Aquarius Festival in ‘73 like it had happened last month.

‘Everything started there,’ Loz said, handing around a plate of cut mango. ‘Or ended. Depending which way you look at it. People came up the mountain and remembered there were choices. There was another life they could lead, if that’s what they wanted to do. So some did.’

Tugger gestured at the array of pipes, painted black, on the roof of the studio. It had begun as an idea, and somehow it had worked. ‘And now people are stealing heat from the sun and turning it into hot water. Or are talking about stealing it from panes of glass. Imagine that. What’ll be next?’

‘Stealing?’ Finn echoed, amused. ‘How about borrowing with intent to never repay.’

‘Just sayin’,’ Tugger said, with a shrug of his shoulders. ‘The future’s going to be weird.’

‘It already is,’ Jake said, laying his head on Danny’s shoulder for a minute like his neck had given out. ‘Just take a look at us.’

‘I bet by the time these kids get to be my age,’ Tugger said, while pointing to the twins and their friends, ‘you’ll all be driving flying cars.’

‘Let’s not get too carried away here,’ Jake replied. ‘I ain’t gonna be replacing my Sandman in that big a hurry.’

At lunchtime, a feast of fruit and salads was spread around. Sliced up mangoes, bananas, watermelons and other stuff that Nate had never seen before, were all served up in the shade of the humpy. The banter and the discussions continued, and Nate learned more and more about this wonderful place and the people who lived here.

Some weed was passed around, with even the kids getting their share. They were doing the work of grown-ups, so deserved the grown-up benefits, Tugger had insisted.

They finished the render on the first two tanks by mid-afternoon. Standing back, they admired how a skin could make a thing look so new. ‘She’s a beauty,’ Loz declared, patting the gentle curve. ‘Won’t fry your brains during summer anymore,’ he enthused.

‘Nah, especially now that there’s an extra layer of roof,’ Jake said.

‘And what about in winter?’ Nate dared to ask.

‘By the time this is fully closed in, all we’ll need is a fireplace and a chimney, and we’ll be as snug as a bug in a rug . . . or however that old saying goes,’ Jake answered.

In the afternoon, Skye’s ute appeared, the stuttering sound of the motor announcing her coming presence, almost as if the bush was about to cough it up. She pulled up in a cloud of dust, then stepped out with a whistle, waved at everyone at once, and made a beeline for Nate.

As she hugged him, he noticed her hair knotted up and with a pencil through it, then he was hit with the fragrances of honey and peppermint gum, with just a hint of petrol thrown in. It was intoxicating.

She already knew them all, of course. ‘Just doing a run to Poet’s and Mel’s places, so thought I’d try my luck,’ she said, her grin as warm as the summer day.

Nate’s heart did that fluttering thing. There was something about this chick. Not just for what had passed between them – though that had been enlightening and memorable and exactly what they had both wanted that night – but also just for her being the person she was; carefree and bright, like a breath of fresh air.

‘Hey,’ he said, before then realising his face had arranged itself into a smile that gave away more secrets than it was keeping.

‘Hey, yourself.’

This was when Danny walked over to them. ‘We’ll keep going. You two sit it out for a while and catch up.’

Nate shot him a look.

‘Go on,’ Danny said. ‘Fuck off!’

Skye laughed – she knew the game – then dragged Nate away by his hand, the two of them heading down a track, as the kids wolf-whistled and carried on behind them, and knowing smiles followed them.

There was talk about the visit and how things were going. There was talk about the little shop in Nimbin with great burgers. Nate didn’t know of too many places around here where they could go, but then he spotted the track that led to the creek and steered Skye in that direction.

‘What day are you pushing off?’ Skye asked him a short time later, while they were sitting by the water’s edge.

‘Day after tomorrow. Back to Lismore, then whatever . . .’ he said, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the rest of his life. ‘Or everything, I guess.’

They listened to the bush for a while, chatting quietly, then letting silence stretch. This was all new to Nate. Everything on this trip was new to him.

‘If you can come in a day early, it might be good,’ she suggested. He knew what she meant. ‘I mean, if that’s what you want.’

He hesitated. Inside his rib cage, things were pumping. Inside his head, things were spinning. What was he supposed to say here?

‘I . . . I’m not too sure,’ was all he could muster. ‘We still have stuff to finish here. I’ll see what we can do, though.’

He was sure he could say yes and it would be alright. It would be easy to say yes. He just wasn’t sure he should, because of what that might mean, and where it might lead.

‘That’s okay,’ came her reply, her nod full of knowing. It was neither disappointed nor neutral; it was a thing of understanding. ‘I hope I can see you again before you leave.’

‘Me too,’ Nate answered, before they kissed.

It wasn’t a promise, or even a goodbye, as much as a mark of mutual acceptance: of each other, and of the circumstances in which they found themselves. When they walked back to the humpy sometime later, hand in hand, there was only Danny and Jake still there. Nothing was said, as there was nothing that needed to be said. All there was, was another kiss, and then Skye climbed back into her utility and started it up.

‘We don’t say goodbye out here in the bush. Out here we just say see you later,’ Skye said, as she reached out through the window for him.

Nate reached out and took her hand in his.

‘I guess I’ll see you later then?’ he said. She smiled at him, and then she was gone, driving back down the road, waving at Jake and Danny as she passed them, the view of her ute quickly being followed up by a thick cloud of dust, hanging in the still summer air like a thought that was clouding his mind.

Nate watched until the dust finally settled, and the ute was only a memory, then felt an arm settle around his shoulders. Danny’s arm.

‘Only you can decide,’ Danny murmured.

‘Yeah. I know,’ Nate said. He wanted to say something braver, something more profound, but the words had yet to form.

* * *

After a swim in the creek, dinner that night was simple, and it made Nate smile.

‘Real men don’t eat quiche,’ Nate said, as he watched Danny serve up quiche and garden salad.

‘That’s your father talking,’ Danny shot back.

‘Oh, you know him then?’ Nate said with a smirk.

‘I believe we’ve met,’ Danny answered. ‘So, how is your family doing? Everyone well, I hope?’

‘Oh, yes, as well as can be expected, I guess. Lachie is working for the local mechanic these days, and loving it.’

‘Still smoking a bit of weed?’

‘You know it! Reckon he’d fit right in around here.’

Jake was over in the studio, so Danny was interested in hearing about his old hometown. There was one question he had been wanting to ask, and with Jake out of earshot, he felt now might be the time.

‘And what about Frank Thompson? Has he been locked up yet?’ Danny asked softly, almost as if he wasn’t wanting Jake to hear it.

Nate looked sharply at his friend. Frank Thompson! Man, that was one name he had been trying to forget . . . though it was impossible, of course.

‘Yeah, the cunt is still around,’ Nate replied, with as little emotion in his voice as he could manage.

‘I was hoping he’d be dead by now.’

‘I think there are quite a few who would be hoping that. Apparently, he’s got a woman now.’

‘Fuck. Let’s hope they don’t bring any kids into the world. What fucking chance would they have?’

‘Yeah. No chance at all I’d say.’

Danny gave a nod, then crossed the floor to the doorway.

‘Oi! Come and get it!’ he called out, in the direction of the studio.

‘On my way,’ Jake called back. When he turned back towards Nate, he found his friend smiling at him. ‘What?’

‘Oh, nothing much . . . just thinking this whole domestic thing seems to suit you.’

‘Fuck off!’

‘I’m trying to pay you a compliment,’ Nate pleaded. ‘You’ve settled in here way better than I thought you would.’

‘Is that so?’

‘Oh, yeah. You’re a regular little house-husband.’

‘Don’t be a bitch!’ Danny scolded.

‘Who’s a bitch?’ they suddenly heard from the doorway.

‘I was just telling your boyfriend here, how domesticated he’s become! And that he’s a regular little house-husband . . . then he told me not to be a bitch. I mean, seriously?’ Nate said, laughing.

Crossing the floor to Danny, Jake placed an arm around his waist and pulled him close. ‘My little domestic goddess,’ he said, before planting a kiss on Danny’s lips.

‘Don’t you fucking start!’ Danny said, which cracked them all up.

After dinner, they retreated to the studio, where Jake showed them what he was working on.

‘Got the idea today,’ he said, proudly. ‘It’s going to be called The Rock Pickers.’

There wasn’t really much to see so far, other than some outlines of people, some looking like they were carrying something, others looking like they were bending over. Off to one side there looked to be a stone wall, or a fence, that was under construction. Some dark backwash had had been applied in places, and you could at least see what the end result might be.

‘That’s going to look pretty cool, I think,’ Nate said, as he watched Danny nodding quietly.

‘I also have an idea featuring Phoenix and Ethan that I want to sketch out. Saw them lying about this afternoon and looking all comfortable with each other. It was kind of sweet, really, so I think it’ll come up a treat as well. You just never know when inspiration might strike.’

‘So it seems,’ Nate replied.

Leaving Jake to his work, they retreated to the humpy and lounged in the centre space with the lamps turned down low as they chatted about the past, the present, and what the future might bring. After a long and physical day, tiredness was creeping in and when it came time to turn in, while Jake was still toiling away in the studio, they did just that. And when closeness came, it came because it was a natural thing, and it would have been wrong to resist. Nate slept with the scent of Danny in his head and his friend’s back pulled close to his chest. His arm was draped over Danny’s body, and his fingers were entangled in the soft nest of hair that surrounded his friend’s manhood.

At some point, Jake joined them, snuggling up behind Nate and striking a similar pose, and that was how they stayed until morning found them.

Nate lay awake, listening to a world that was still deciding what it wanted to put on show today. This would be his last full day here. Tomorrow he would be bugging out, catching a bus back to civilisation. There was a decision to be made, but it was no nearer. No matter whether he met up with Skye once more, or not, he knew he was going to miss her, miss these friends, and miss this place.

Maybe that’s just what this whole adventure was all about? Experience. Enlightenment. A preparation for the world he was getting ready to face.

* * *

The day wasn’t all work. They finished the last of the rendering. People came and went. Phoenix and Ethan became his shadows, which was something he found he liked. Jake sketched the three of them together, encouraging their conversations, which seemed to flow, along with their youthful laughter.

It was a natural scene. One filled with love and friendship, even timelessness.

Nate learned more about these kids, and about the entire community, than he thought possible. They were the future of Kandanga Falls. And he believed that.

Then Fergus appeared, dropping himself down beside Nate, between him and the boys, and resting his jaw on the visitor’s thigh. Like clockwork, Finn appeared soon after, dropping himself down on Nate’s other side, and he saw Jake smile at them as he did so.

‘Stay there, you lot,’ he ordered. ‘I need another sketch pad.’

‘He’s been inspired,’ Nate suggested. Finn could only grin at him.

The conversations continued, adding more snippets of the past, present and future to Nate’s previous night’s discussion: talk of how a person could cast their life into a new world; talk of leaving and returning and what came next. Nate found himself telling Finn some more about the army, almost making it sound like more adventure than dare. Finn listened without judgement, his acceptance meaning a great deal to Nate, showing him that not everyone is as narrow-minded as some that he has struck.

Phoenix and Ethan seemed to hang on every word, as if this newcomer in their world was worth listening to. They shared their own hopes and dreams, and felt better for having been taken seriously.

When the sun softened, the creek beckoned Nate and Danny once more, though Jake was on a mission, too busy for distractions. This was a life he could get used to, Nate figured, while Danny fetched beers from the bucket with holes, which sat in the creek, serving as a cooler. They sat on the ground, leaning against a log in the shade.

‘You going to write?’ Danny asked.

‘I’m not much of a writer.’

‘I know that. Doesn’t matter though. I’ll still read whatever you send.’

Nate smiled. ‘Yeah. I’ll write.’

‘This week’s been too short.’

‘Yeah.’

‘And what about Skye?’

‘I’ll say goodbye tomorrow.’

‘Goodbye, or see you later?’

‘We’ll see,’ Nate answered, before taking another sip.

* * *

The bus hissed up to the curb, and the same driver as last week stepped down; an old guy with a grandfatherly kind of face. He opened up the sides of the bus to the world and pulled some freight and luggage out, then set it down on the verandah of the general store, before giving the group of guys at the table a nod, then headed inside.

‘Hello, love! Hello, love!’ the cockatoo squawked.

Somebody laughed.

Danny had brought Nate into town for the bus, but Jake had needed to catch a ride with Finn. Phoenix and Ethan decided they needed to come too, so in the end it seemed like half the Kandanga Falls community was here for the sendoff.

‘Plenty of time yet,’ Danny said to Nate, as he took a bite of his hamburger.

‘Yeah, I know.’

Plenty of time before the bus would be leaving . . . another hour at least. Plenty of time for Skye to make it back from her morning deliveries. Nate hoped he would see her. He needed to say sorry for yesterday.

She hadn’t been behind the counter of the general store when they got there; but her mum was. ‘She’s out on a delivery run,’ she told Nate, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. ‘Said to tell you thanks for everything. Said she’ll see you when the stars say so.’

‘Tell her thanks,’ Nate managed. ‘I’m going to miss her.’

‘Not half as much as she’s going to miss you, I don’t think,’ Skye’s mum said. There was meaning behind it.

Jake came out of the general store carrying an assortment of cans of drinks, setting them on the table in front of them all, before then passing them around. As he cracked open his can of Passiona, the others did the same, then he held his can up in the middle of them all.

‘Here’s to friends, old and new. To whoever we are now, and to whoever we might be next month,’ he said.

‘And here’s to badly-written letters that haven’t been posted yet, and to houses without proper roofs and walls,’ Danny added.

Nate felt his guts tighten. These guys were his kind of people, and he could only hope that he would be able to find his way back to them.

A few other people were starting to gather and hang around: a grey-haired couple, a boy with a skateboard, a woman with a small stack of parcels tied together with twine. Luggage was sitting on the front verandah of the store, patiently awaiting loading. Nate looked inside the general store and could see the bus driver still eating his own lunch.

Yeah, there was still some time left. Time for saying see you later. Time for Skye to make it before he left. Time for a lot of things, in fact.

The chatter continued. The young boys, one sitting either side of Nate, jostled for his attention. He still didn’t know why he’d been such a hit with them, but he didn’t mind. Maybe it was just because here, he could be himself, and he was himself. No hiding anything, just letting it all hang out, so to speak. If he could do it, then anyone could do it. It gave them permission, without them having to ask.

Somebody went inside the store and the bird did his thing once more.

Then the bus driver came out. Time was ticking.

‘Who has luggage to stow?’ he asked nobody in particular, but saying it for everybody.

‘We do,’ the old lady said.

‘Should I put these in there?’ the kid with the skateboard, who also had a backpack, asked.

‘Only if you don’t need them while travelling, mate,’ the driver replied.

Nate got to his feet, then picked up his carryall and handed it to the driver. It was soon swallowed by the yawning mouth on the side of the bus.

Nate stepped back, and then his friends joined him. They had a moment for the ritual of standing near but not too close, and for making small talk and the dumb observations that keep you from saying the final thing. A few minutes later the driver climbed the steps and settled in his seat, then started the motor, with the diesel engine stuttering to life and belching a cloud of smoke, which hung in the still summer air.

Nate looked up at him, questioningly.

The driver glanced at his watch, then back at Nate. ‘You’ve got a little bit of time yet, mate.’

Nate turned to Danny. He could see all the emotions there: the love that he hadn’t learned to hide, the joke that was waiting for the right time to surface, the sadness that he didn’t want to show. It was all there anyhow. ‘I’m gonna miss you,’ Nate said.

‘I know,’ Danny said, as he swallowed. ‘I love you, man.’

He hadn’t meant to say it like that, especially not with Jake right beside him, but here they were. It didn’t clang. When Jake placed a hand on his shoulder, Danny knew it was okay. They would talk about it later. Or not.

‘Thanks for everything.’ Nate hugged the words into Danny’s neck and then said a quieter thing there. ‘I never knew it could feel so good.’

The others didn’t hear it, but it caused Jake to let out a laugh.

‘Come back sometime, will you?’ Danny said. ‘Not to fix what isn’t broken. Just . . . to be.’

‘Of course I will.’

Jake stepped in, pulling Nate into a quick, fierce hold that clapped his back and pressed their cheeks together like brothers. ‘You’re welcome here any time,’ he said. ‘You’re more family than our family. You got that?’

‘I will,’ Nate promised.

‘And if you see Frank Thompson, tell him I said, FUCK YOU!’ Jake added.

‘I’ll be sure do that . . . next time I’m home,’ Nate promised, laughing.

Finn came next. A handshake. A hug. Followed by a, ‘It was great to meet you. You look after these two for me, won’t you? And tell Fergus I said see you later.’

‘As if they were my brothers,’ Finn replied.

Then it was the turn of the boys, Phoenix and Ethan. They had been standing back, but soon stepped forward, with Phoenix quickly wrapping his arms around Nate’s midriff.

‘You made it cool,’ the boy said.

‘Made what cool?’ Nate asked.

‘Just being you. Most people we know hide their real selves . . . but you were like, I dunno, like you were just discovering it all yourself, but you didn’t care anyhow. You just went with it and showed us what we needed to see.’

‘I’ll let you in on a secret,’ Nate said. ‘I really was just figuring it out as I was going along. But it couldn’t happen without friends who loved me and showed me the way.’

The three of them turned and looked at Danny and Jake, who were looking somewhat surprised.

‘Boys, if there’s anything you ever need to know, just come and ask us, okay?’ Danny said. ‘Nate won’t be here, but remember you’ve still got friends here.’

‘And besides, we’ve got some paintings to finish off, so I expect to see you to help me finish those,’ Jake added. ‘You might be surprised by what you can learn while we chat, as I paint and you model for me.’

‘Sure thing,’ Ethan replied.

‘Good,’ Jake said.

It was then the driver called, ‘All aboard,’ because drivers have clocks they need to follow.

Passengers started climbing the steps, as Danny clapped Nate on the shoulder, eyes glinting against the afternoon sun.

‘Don’t forget, that in the country,’ he said, ‘we don’t say goodbye. We just say see you later.’

Nate managed a smile, even as his throat tightened. ‘I guess it’s see you later, then!’

There was a hug between Jake and Nate, which didn’t go unnoticed by those already on the bus. That was followed by a kiss between Danny and Nate, that lingered. It was more than a kiss between friends, but less than a public declaration. Nate glanced up at the nearest window and saw the skater boy, staring at him, bug-eyed.

As he was about to mount the steps, a noise came to him, which caused him to stop. Looking down the road, he heard a car coming, and fast.

Everybody heard it.

The driver sighed with theatrical impatience.

Moments later, Skye’s ute screamed to a stop and she jumped out, looking just as she had the other afternoon, complete with balled up hair being held in place with a pencil.

‘Thought you must have got a better offer,’ Nate said to her as she walked over to him and hugged him.

The bus driver revved the motor a couple of times. The signal was clear.

‘Well, thanks for coming. I guess it’s see you later, then?’ Nate said.

‘I guess it is. You’ll be back, I reckon.’

Nate laughed because it was either that or cry.

‘You coming, young fella?’ the bus driver called out. Nate looked his way, then back at Skye.

‘I gotta go,’ he said.

‘I know.’

Quickly he hugged her close and kissed her, then he released her and jumped up the steps and into the bus, taking a seat where he could look straight down on his friends, and directly in front of the skater boy.

The door squealed shut and there was a clunk, as the driver put the bus into gear.

Through the glass, Nate could see Danny standing with his arms crossed tight in front of him, a figure drawn large, with Jake a little behind and to the side, appearing slightly smaller. Skye stood beside them, with Finn behind her, his hands on her shoulders. The boys were beside them, hand in hand.

The bus pulled out. The town began to slide by. The curve of the street carried them from view. Nate twisted to look back, Danny stepped forward onto the street, as if the same string tugged at both of them. And then the bend took them, and they were truly separated from each other.

Nate faced forward. The seat smelled like the hundred other people who had sat here before him. The road bucked, then smoothed. He watched the trees blur past in green and grey, but he felt something inside, a thing. Not quite closure, but something different. Maybe it was a future. Maybe it was that thing he had just lived, which was new to him?

They passed a stand of ironbark and the land opened up, like two closed hands, which had just opened, like a breath that had been held for too long. Behind him, there was a humpy built of water tanks, which now wore a new skin and had become a strange home in the shape of circles. Somewhere ahead, a uniform was waiting on a hanger, and there were more than a thousand unknown mornings he would still need to face.

Nate leaned his head against the cool window and closed his eyes for a moment. He saw Danny’s smile, and Jake’s paint-covered hands. He saw Skye’s pencil holding up her hair, and the creek, cool and inviting. A dingo trotting along a dusty track. And young love taking flight.

It was a world he hadn’t known existed until recently, and he thought: One day, I’ll come back.

Moments later, he sensed movement beside him, he turned his head to see the skater boy take the spare seat.

‘Hey,’ the boy said to him. ‘Mind if I join you?’

Nate just smiled at him and said, ‘Sure.’

The bus rolled on, taking him to his next adventure. Who knows just where he might end up.

 

It's not goodbye... It's see you later...
There will be a Kandanga Falls: Book Two