Springbank - 16. Spring Ch 16

After nearly four weeks in the hospital, the doctors had me begin physical therapy, and this showed how badly affected I was by this disease, as I had become very weak, and I needed to get all the muscles in my limbs working properly again, and after the first two daily sessions I was very frustrated at how weak I had become and how hard it was to move my arms and legs. A week later, shortly after lunch, I was surprised to see Mum walk into my room with Mr Battersby following, and I frowned as I was confused.

“I am here to thank you properly for what you have done for my son Kristian, without your support goodness knows where he would have ended up. Kristian is back home again, and he is back at college but on a part-time basis, as he has stated he wants to do something special for a good friend if he will allow it,” Mr Battersby said to me, which got me a little confused, but that changed suddenly when Kristian appeared at the door.

“Hello my friend and saviour, I have come to see how you are getting along?” he said to me, which had me smiling and almost in tears, as he stepped forward and sat down on a chair. Suddenly I realised that we were alone, as my Mum and Mr Battersby had disappeared, which I was fine with. “So, I hear you are not coping very well with the physical therapy sessions? I would like to help you with those if you will allow it?” Kristian said to me and I just smiled and nodded my head yes.

We chattered for a while until I started to get tired, where I scooted deeper into my bed, and I was soon fast asleep again, waking up when my physio spoke to me, announcing it was time for my afternoon physio session, which made me groan. “I don’t feel well go away,” I complained, as I rolled over and tried to ignore him, as he tried to get me to comply with his request. “You touch me once more and I will scream,” I warned, as he tried to get me out of bed with not much success, “GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME,” I screamed, as I saw him jump back in surprise, and a nurse entered to see what was happening.

“I’m not feeling very well, and this idiot is ignoring me and trying to get me out of bed,” I said to the male nurse, he put his hand on my forehead, and frowned, as he grabbed the finger sensor, which gave an oxygen and pulse reading, and a BP cuff on my arm was activated to give a blood pressure reading. “Right, out, no physio this afternoon, as he said he is sick, I will be reporting this,” the nurse said to the physiotherapist, who stormed out.

I had a few more tests done that afternoon, and my medications were altered to help combat an infection, and when not having tests done I was sleeping or trying to sleep. I woke up the following morning with Jasper and Kristian in the room, and they were quietly chatting while waiting for me to wake up. “Keep it down to a dull roar will you please guys?” I said to them.

“Hey buddy, I am so glad to see you, I have been so worried since you stopped coming to Uni, and it took a bit of convincing my folks to allow me to come and visit you plus you have your phone off, so I couldn’t speak to you, and your mate here has been updating me on what has been happening on the Estate,” Jasper said to me. “Hey there, I have been helping Kurt and Joe on the property on the weekends, and all is going well. The lads asked me to let you know that your police mate has called by asking how you have been, as he hasn’t heard from you,” Kristian added.

“That would be Constable AB Frazer, an old high schoolmate of mine, I will give him a call later,” I replied smiling as a thought came to mind, which I wanted to ask Banjo when I spoke to him next, remembering that not only did Andrew play the Banjo, which earned him his nickname, but he also played the bagpipes. I was able to catch up with my studies while I had been sick, and after just one more week in hospital, I was finally released and allowed home to South Perth, where Mum kept a very close eye on me which was getting a little bit annoying.

Once I was allowed to return to university and work, I did my best to make sure I was well ahead with my studies before planning a full weekend up on the estate, and I had arranged for Kristian who was now working part-time for me on the estate, and Jasper to spend the weekend with me, and I managed to convince Banjo to come and visit me on the estate on Saturday afternoon.

Jasper and I drove up to the estate on Friday evening, arriving just before dusk at the Watch Tower, where work was now well on the way to completing the extensions on the lower level, which will now have two bunk rooms, as well as the lower lounge room, and the second bedroom on the upper level will be come my private lounge, I also had the spiral stairs changed, so that the Western stairs go only worn to the lower level, while the Eastern stairs go up to the to my living area.

Kristian was now living in the cottage on the estate where the lads used to live before moving across the river to the Cobblers Cottage, and he was assisting Leah wherever needed, which included feeding all of the staff, which he enjoyed doing. This weekend, he had a roast dinner ready and waiting for our arrival on Friday evening, and joined us for dinner, along with Kurt and Joe, and we had a great social evening, especially when I had arranged for Giles to manage operations of the campground for a few hours, to give the lads a few hours off.

The following day, while the lads were busy at the campground, Jasper, Kristian and I were wandering around the Cobblers Pool Property, discussing options for updating the area in preparation for the next Avon Descent in August next year. While it will be closed for general campers for August, to allow for preparations and for cleaning up afterwards, it will be the base for the Avon Support Unit for the weekend before the big event, as their main training location.

In no time at all, the end of the education year had arrived, and I had graduated from University with another degree, and everything was running smoothly on the estate. It was going so well, that I had decided to give Davies, Leah and family a well-deserved holiday for three weeks during Christmas and New Year, and I would take over things while they are away, Alex & Mei Ling and the lads would be taking two weeks off for holidays, leading up to and including Christmas, and I was looking forward to this challenge, with Jasper volunteering to come and spend some time on the estate helping me where I need it, along with my cousins.

The lads, my friends and I had been spending weekends at the Watch Tower working on plans for the future of the property, which included the planning for the Avon descent for next year. It was suggested to extend the camping area further east, using the front eastern paddock on the other side of the trees and dam, still on the Cobblers Pool Road side of the railway line. It would mean additional work for the lads, but it would also provide additional holiday and camping accommodation for guests as well.

Once we had worked out a plan of what is the best option, we quickly submitted these plans to the local shire council for approval, so that we could get the work completed before the next Avon descent event in August next year. The 4.5 acres of land in that front paddock would provide a variety of accommodations, that include three 2-bedroom cabins, and four camping huts, similar in design to those used by hikers and mountain bikers on the Bibbulmun and Munda Biddi trails in the South-West of Australia.

The design is 4 separate double bunks on each side, instead of one long double bunk platform on each side as the two trails have, that accommodate up to eight people on each side, and this design includes tables along the centre aisle instead of at the end of each building, where there is a cooking bench and kitchen sink at one end, and an open sheltered area at the other end.

The four camping huts are close together, with a shelter over the top for additional weather protection, and we will have two twin toilets and a twin shower located behind the huts, while the cabins will have their separate bathrooms, with them being closest to the trees, and a larger shelter will be built between the cabins and the huts, that will provide a gathering space for meals or meetings or socialising.

With Christmas fast approaching, my university studies now completed and the campground now closed for the summer season, with a notice on the website stating that bookings would resume in February in time for the reopening of the campsite in April and a big sign on the front gate stating the campsite is closed, I was spending a lot of my time assisting with farming duties on the estate, and before leaving for their holidays, the lads informed me that there were still people arriving at the front gate expecting the camping grounds to be open.

I was now living full-time at my new home in Upper Swan, and I often had Kristian or Jasper spending a few nights a week there keeping me company, as we travelled up to the estate together to monitor the final stages of construction of the lower-level of the Watch Tower, which now includes a 25-metre long, 4-metre wide and 1.5-metre deep lap pool located directly behind the stairs on the lower level.

I had invited my parents and siblings up to the estate for picnic lunches at the Watch Tower on the Saturdays that Dad was home, and since graduating from University, and this gathering included our two cousins, who already reside on the estate. Although I relied on Davies and Leah Carter to run the whole estate, I was relying on my good friends, Kurt and Joe to manage the camping grounds and Kristian, Jasper and now Andrew (Banjo) to be my advisors on everything that I am managing as owner of the lands that I own.

Just a week before Christmas, while I was the sole manager and senior worker on the property, with just my cousins Reuben and Roderick as my only farmhands, we were kept busy with making sure all watering points were operating as they should be with a plentiful supply of fresh water during the hot summer days ahead, and when not doing that, we were busy checking and repairing the boundary fencelines, which are getting regular damage from invading Kangaroos and Emus looking for better pastures to graze on.

The family decided to have Christmas Day celebrations at the Watch Tower, now that we have a swimming pool there, and with the lads mostly home but spending their days away from the property, they were invited to attend Christmas Day celebrations with us. Mum arranged for all of the cooking and food preparations, and Dad managed to get three days off work, from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day, so to spend time with the family.

Banjo’s family were all over East visiting family for Christmas, so when the roster changed and he had Christmas and Boxing Days off, I happily invited him to join us. Jasper would not be joining us, because his family was returning home to Canada for Christmas and New Year, leaving on the 22^nd to get there on time, while Kristian’s family had decided to travel to Alice Springs to spend Christmas with relatives, and Kristian refused to go, and on learning of this, I invited him to spend Christmas with us on the Estate, and for him to stay with me while his family was away, which he happily accepted.

I had moved to the Watch Tower for the period that the majority of my estate staff would be away on holidays, and Kristian joined me once the last of them had left five days before Christmas, settling into the foldaway bed that now is located in my private lounge room upstairs. On Christmas Eve morning, while we were doing a stock and water check on the estate, my mobile rang with Jasper’s number.

“Hello, have you arrived safely in Canada?” I asked when I answered the call, and I pressed speaker so Kristian could listen in. “No, we are still in Tokyo, there have been a lot of flights inbound that have been delayed and cancelled due to severe storms along the West Coast of Canada and Northern USA, so my Dad has decided that we are having a summer Christmas this year. We will be boarding a flight for Perth in a few minutes,” Jasper replied. “Can you put me on speaker so your parents can listen in please,” I asked him, “Ok, go ahead they are here,” Jasper replied.

“Ambassador Wright and Mrs Wright, I would like to invite you and your family to spend Christmas Lunch with me and my family here at the Watch Tower,” I announced. “That is very nice of you to invite us at such short notice, are you sure that it will be ok?” the Ambassador asked, “Yes sir, I will let my mother know that we have additional guests attending Christmas Lunch, which will be at Noon. I will have someone at the front gate at 11.30 am to let you onto the property,” I replied.

“Thank you, Cooper, we look forward to being there. Is there anything that we can bring along with us to contribute?” Mrs Wright asked me, “No Ma’am, just yourselves, we have everything already planned for the meal, oh and bring swimmers, as we now have a swimming pool at the Watch Tower,” I replied.

Christmas celebrations were a huge success at the Watch Tower with family and friends, although Banjo had to leave mid-afternoon on a call out with work, and I invited him to return if it was a short callout, which it wasn’t, he did say on leaving that he had enjoyed the Christmas celebrations very much and thanked me for inviting him there, as he gave me a big long hug in appreciation before leaving, which caught me by surprise, and made me wonder if he was Gay or Bi too.