Benworden (22 page)

“If the past is the reason for how you're acting today then you need to stop searching for this so-called secret club and start looking for answers within yourself.”

“What do you mean?” he replied.

“It's simple,” she said. “It seems to me that this secret club was a small part of how you were really feeling back then. At one point or another in our lives we are all left out of something, yet most people move on and get involved in other things. But it seems that you couldn't. Why?”

I could see that Miss Fickle had hit on something that even Mr Gowdy had long forgotten and his face was overcome with a mask of sadness. He looked down and began to tell his story. “When I first came to Benworden I met a girl called Edith Evans. She was the kindest, most caring person I had ever met. In fact, you remind me a lot of her. She was the only friend I had in year 7 and I didn't care if no one else wanted to be my friend – as long as I had Edith, everything was great.

“Then when we advanced to year 8 she started having less time for me and I noticed she was wearing one of those stupid rings. I asked her why she was avoiding me. She told me I was still her best friend but she just didn't have the time that she used to have. I asked her where she had got the ring from and she wouldn't tell me and we began to argue about it until eventually we stopped talking to one another.

“I hated them for taking my only true friend from me and I swore I would search out and expose their secrets if it was the last thing I ever did. I always thought that there may be an old mine shaft running under or near the school where the club members would meet. I believed this because those who wore the ring seemed to disappear and reappear at will. I can now see I've been living in the past and a lot of good people have
been hurt by my stupidity.”

It was almost like old Gowdy had been struck by a lightning bolt from the blue. He understood that he was continuing to pursue his meaningless personal vendetta against ghosts of the past with those who surrounded him today.

He continued, “I don't think you should be the one to leave. I will hand in my resignation first thing Monday morning.”

“Roo,” I called. “Get me the...”

“I'm already on it,” he called with a muffled reply from the library before I had a chance to finish my sentence.

Roo quickly returned with the logbook dating back to the days when Mr Gowdy attended year 8 and was flicking through the pages as he re-entered the room.

“Here it is,” he said, handing me the book and looking at me like the cat that had just swallowed the mouse. I sometimes thought he was psychic the way he knew what I was thinking.

“Ha-ha! Edith Evans recruited at the beginning of year 8 after Wendy Williams left Benworden and our club when her parents moved to New Zealand.”

“Well, well, well. Who would've known that this was the reason that he's hated the club for all this time?”

“Shhh!” said Gerry with a frown that commanded silence, and then quickly turned her eyes back to the monitor. “This is better than any soapy I've ever seen.”

Some of the other club members couldn't help but giggle out loud but that stopped abruptly when she flicked her head around again and gave each one a steely stare.

Miss Fickle was now walking back towards his desk. She
sat down on the chair across from Mr Gowdy and reaching forward grabbed both his hands with hers.

“Look at me,” she said. “It's ok. We can start anew. Nothing has been lost; only lessons gained. Anyway, why do we need to break up a good team? I'm sure we can work this out.”

Mr Gowdy looked down at her hands and then up into her eyes. “Does that mean you'll stay?” he said hopefully.

“As long as you want me to and as long as you don't threaten me about my job if I haven't done anything wrong,” she replied.

“I promise I won't, and I'm telling you now you won't regret your decision. I can change. I know I can. In fact let me prove it to you now. It's getting late and neither of us has eaten. Can I take you out for some dinner? There's a great little Chinese restaurant that's just opened in town. Will you join me?”

We could see from Miss Fickle's face that she couldn't believe what she was hearing and there was no hesitation in her reply. “Wow, this may take some getting used to. I would love to join you but I must call home first to check on my dogs. Is that ok?”

“Of course, of course,” he said while raising himself from the chair. He strolled around to the other side of the desk and pointed his elbow toward her. “Shall we then?” he asked.

Miss Fickle looked up and smiled. She rose from her chair and hooked her arm through his. “Most definitely,” she replied and they left the room like a couple of newlyweds.

At this point the whole club room erupted into conversation and you could barely hear yourself think with all the club members trying to talk at the same time.

“SILENCE!” Gerry shouted and everyone immediately
stopped speaking, including me. Gerry was thinking it was time to get the real reason for our celebration on track and that a statement at this point would be beneficial to everyone.

“Ok. Now that everyone is quiet,” she continued,” I would like to officially welcome Talbert and Isabel as our newest recruits to the club. A warm hand please.”

By this time everyone was feeling warm-hearted and Isabel's deeds of the past were soon forgotten. There was loud cheering and clapping along with plenty of pats on the back. Gerry fired up her very professional speaking voice again and began her speech. “As we all know, things haven't been easy at Benworden lately.”

There were a few murmurs of, “That's for sure!” and, “You can say that again!”

She continued, “But it seems that the cloud may have finally been lifted from this great school, boarding house, and club. Look at what we have just witnessed on our monitor. Who would have believed it possible to see such a change in our beloved principal?”

Quite a few giggled at Gerry's successful attempt at sarcasm – Mr Gowdy was far from our beloved anything. “No, but seriously, good lessons can come out of what we have just witnessed – we can so easily get stuck in the negatives of our past and waste the precious moments of the here and now.”

Bungles was totally moved by her statement and threw his fist into the air while yelling out, “RIGHT ON!”, but in typical Bungles fashion he accidently smacked Roo in the back of the head. Everyone burst into laughter as Roo's hat went flying across the room.

Although Gerry kept a staunch profile she admitted to me
later that she could barely contain herself.

At this stage I stepped in and said, “All right, all right. Let the president finish what she's saying!”

“Thanks Dylan. As I was saying, what has happened here today will hopefully ease the pressure that Mr Gowdy has been putting on us. Both Dylan and I would like to thank you all for your loyalty and also how each and every one of you has handled yourselves in the face of adversity.”

She picked up a glass full of punch and cried out, “Cheers!”

We all raised our glasses and were about to touch them together when Roo grabbed hold of Bungles by the wrist.

“Let me help you,” he said to Bungles. “We don't want to be walking around on broken glass now, do we?”

Bungles screwed up his lips and brow at the same time and replied, “Huh?” and everyone broke into laughter, including Gerry.

22

H
ARRY'S
F
AREWELL

H
arry was caught between two worlds – he loved Australia and planned to become an Australian citizen after he completed his education but would always remain proud of his heritage and homeland of China. He spent a couple of days pondering over how he could farewell his ancestor, and finally decided he would mix Chinese and Australian ceremonies and traditions so that the other club members could be involved. He explained to us his intentions and we covered for him while he worked tirelessly setting up an altar at the far end of the small shaft where his great, great, great grandfather lay.

After the completion of the altar, he placed 50 candles on it as well as a number of incense holders. He used the club's computer to enlarge an old copy of a water-colour portrait of his ancestor and hung it up over the altar and then he washed and redressed the bones and sealed them in a pine box with several Chinese coins.

The evening of the ceremony Harry had asked me and the others to arrive at a certain time so that he was prepared for us when we came. On arrival we could see he had set up a ladder leading down the hole to the shaft below. Harry stood at the base of it and welcomed us by presenting us with incense sticks to burn and showed us where to place them in the holders provided. He had asked us to bring anything we thought appropriate for a funeral. Some members brought flowers and wreaths, while others brought letters of farewell written on
coloured paper and cards.

The girls did a wonderful job of arranging the flowers and cards around the altar and then we lit the incense sticks and placed them in the holders. I don't think I have ever seen or smelt anything more beautiful than the aroma of the incense and the flickering candlelight dancing over the array of colours.

I felt like I was drifting through a dream and my entire body was consumed with heart-felt warmth. I was caught between feeling empathy for Harry and a release of pent up emotions for myself after the stressful few weeks the club had endured and it wasn't long before my eyes welled with tears. Gerry touched my shoulder and I looked around to see a tear running down her cheek; I knew things had taken their toll on her as well.

“Are you ok?” I said

She replied, “I will be once this is all over.”

We half smiled at each other and then turned our attention back to the ceremony.

Harry gave everyone a chance to say their final farewell by asking us if we would like to give a short oration. Most of us spoke about our respect for Harry and how his ancestor would be proud. There was also talk of his ancestor's bravery and strength as we all knew how he had battled between life and death to inscribe his last words on paper to ensure his family knew he hadn't abandoned them.

As the ceremony came to a close, Harry bowed before the coffin and we bowed as well. It was clear he needed some time alone for his own personal farewell so we all headed back up the ladder. Talbert, Brian and I waited at the top in the main shaft while the other club members headed back to the club rooms.

Once Harry had said his goodbyes he climbed the ladder for the last time and when he arrived at the top we dropped the ladder into the hole and then lowered boards down the shaft, boxing the coffin in. Phillip Paver had organised a loan of a cement truck which he drove to the entrance of the main shaft. We had deliberately left the ceremony till evening so the truck could unload undetected. We all worked hard connecting up the large hoses that would lead up the shaft and then pump cement down to entomb Harry's ancestor in his final resting place.

As soon as this was completed we smoothed it over and I gave Harry my farewell gift. Tears began trickling down his cheeks when he read the inscription on the brass plate that was to be embedded into the cement. It read in English and Chinese, “Here lies an honourable man.”

We thanked Phillip for his help and headed back to the club rooms. To our surprise we were welcomed back in the foyer by the others who had decorated it with Chinese lanterns and the table was laden with Chinese food from the takeaway restaurant. Burning incense, candles and red ribbons were everywhere – even the old fruit box bookcase was filled. The biggest surprise was when Harry broke open a fortune cookie and it read: “Good friends are like family. Keep them close.”

23

O
UR
L
AST
M
EETING

W
e decided our last meeting would be as upbeat as possible because although we all knew this wasn't going to be a final farewell – everyone wanted to stay in touch – we also knew that it would be a little emotional due to the year we had experienced.