Family Farm (35 page)

‘Well, maybe you should think about it.’ Blake stood up and held out his hand. ‘Come on. Let’s go. If Simo’s not ready by now, we’ll just leave without her.’

Simone yelled from her bedroom. ‘I heard that. I’m just getting my jacket.’

Blake picked up the large esky full of drinks and headed to the door with Izzy, who paused to grab her jacket from the kitchen bench.

Simone heard the front door slam and came running from her room. ‘Wait. I’m comin’, I’m comin’.’

Blake got into his Hilux and started it up as Izzy and Simone both squished into the passenger seat. They sat in silence, all deep in thought.

Darkness had fallen early and it brought with it cold, moist air and the smell of freshly turned dirt from the paddock next to the house. Izzy loved that about seeding time – driving the tractor through the night, stopping for a break and being engulfed with the smell of the earth. It was a heavenly scent, one of nature’s purest, and she always felt grateful to experience it. People in the city missed out on so much. The smells from restaurants and takeaway shops and pollution would never have that effect on her.

Blake interrupted her train of thought. ‘I can’t wait to introduce you to Mickey, Izzy. He’s a top bloke and I know you’ll like him. Then there’s the rest of the guys from town, not to mention Mickey’s brother Jacko.’

‘You’ll like Mickey. He’s the oldest of four – two sisters and Jacko,’ Simone added. ‘He’s down to earth, like you.’

Izzy could see the red glow of the bonfire as they followed the narrow gravel road into the farm. They swung past the farmhouse and headed towards a clearing in front of one of their machinery sheds. Light danced off the tin shed, which helped illuminate the area. Utes were parked around the bonfire a safe distance away, and dark shadowed bodies stood before the red arching flames. Izzy reckoned there were about twenty people or more.

‘That’s a ripper bonfire. They must’ve been stockpiling it for ages,’ Simone said, bouncing on her seat.

Blake parked and they climbed out and headed to the fire with stubbies in hand.

Smoke was thick in the air. A couple of large gum trees near the shed towered over them. They gave the feeling that something was watching, lurking in the dark. Izzy watched the flames rise up and paused for a moment, transfixed by the twirling smoke.

‘What’s up?’ Simone asked, when she noticed Izzy had stopped walking.

‘Izzy?’ Blake rested his hand on her shoulder. ‘You okay?’

‘What’s the problem?’ asked Simone.

Assuming Izzy was remembering the header fire, Blake told Simone about Bill’s accident, and saw Simone’s eyes bulge in shock. ‘He’s okay, but still badly burnt,’ he explained.

‘Will you be all right?’ Simone asked Izzy tenderly.

‘Thanks, I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.’ She didn’t want to tell them that she hadn’t been thinking of her dad. Instead she’d been remembering the sight of Will’s face through the flames at the bin party night. The events of that night had been the first telltale sign she had feelings for Will, not that she’d admitted it then. But that kiss had been something else. Her knees had lost all strength and her body had quivered. She’d been trying to savour the picture of him while it was still clear. With the memory lost, Izzy asked, ‘Did anyone think to bring marshmallows?’

Blake laughed. ‘No. Simo would have just eaten them all.’

‘Hey, Macca, Simo. Over here,’ someone shouted from over by the fire.

Blake and Simone grabbed an arm each and led Izzy over. ‘Come on. That’s Mickey.’

They approached a well-built man who was a fraction shorter than Izzy. He wore a blue beanie and had short black stubble across his narrow jaw. His black pearl eyes reflected the red flames dancing in front of him.

‘Mickey, this is Izzy, our new recruit,’ Blake said.

Izzy held out her hand. ‘Nice to meet you, Mickey. I’ve heard a lot about you.’

Mickey laughed. ‘Good things, I hope. One never knows with Blake. Simo I’d probably trust.’

‘What do you mean
probably
?’ Simone asked defensively.

Mickey gave her a cheeky smile before introducing Izzy to one of his sisters, Julie, who was short and solid and had a smile that made you want to hug her, and his brother, Jacko. Jacko was stocky and strong, like a roo dog – all solid and muscle.

‘Gee, is the whole football club here too?’ Blake asked.

Mickey shrugged. ‘Who knows? Jules did most of the ringing around. I’m just here to make sure things don’t get out of hand.’

Talk soon turned to the weather and farming, Izzy’s favourite topics of conversation. She instantly liked Mickey. The way he greeted her as an equal and spoke to her about farming instead of assuming she wouldn’t be interested. His eye contact was strong but kind. Simone was right – he seemed much older than twenty-five. Blake was the same age and appeared younger by comparison.

‘So, Izzy, what do you think about GM crops? Are you for or against?’ asked Mickey, shooting a question straight at her.

‘Personally, I’m against genetically modified anything. Yes, it has its bonuses, like herbicide-resistant plants and crops, but I just can’t get past the fact that you’re messing with Mother Nature. It’s like playing God. Who knows what outcomes or side effects there will be that can’t be foreseen.’ Mickey scratched his forehead, moving his beanie back and forth as he listened intently. ‘Why? What’s your take?’

Mickey smiled. ‘I’m totally with you on this one. I know there have been trials of GM canola in Victoria and New South Wales, but I don’t want it on my farm or even in WA.’

Jacko stood next to his brother and nodded his head. His shoulders resembled a length of four by two but the smile on his face was that of a cheeky twenty-year-old. ‘Farming’s turning to shit, unless you’ve got the big bucks to make it work. And there’s not many of us that well-off. I think I’ll stick to shearing,’ said Jacko.

‘If you like having your feet stuck up sheep arses and standing in their shit all day, then good for you, Jacko.’ Blake raised his beer in a salute. ‘Someone’s gotta breed the sheep for you to shear and it might as well be me.’

‘Good to know you’ll keep me in work, MacDougall,’ Jacko added cheekily. Izzy noticed Simone yawn before sculling her drink.

The temperature began to drop and everyone gradually moved closer to the fire. People were wrapped in bulky jackets and beanies, with one hand holding their drink and the other hovering towards the heat.

Simone had wandered off, bored of farm talk, and made her way around the fire catching up with friends. Blake and Izzy just stayed in the one spot, warming rotisserie-style by the flames.

Blake had his arm around Izzy’s shoulder. It worked wonders in keeping the girls away, especially Kelly – plus it had the added advantage of keeping them warm. Blake was telling Izzy what a special friend Mickey had always been to him. His breath turned to fog in the cold night air. ‘There was this one time when Dad got a new ute and I wasn’t allowed to drive it. I was only ten at the time. Anyway, Dad was away so I took it for a test drive to check the sheep. I ended up getting bogged and it was Mickey who borrowed his dad’s ute to help. It took us half the day to get it out and to clean the mud off. We laughed about it for ages. Mickey’s always been the one bailing me out of trouble. He has a strong right hook too.’

Izzy studied Blake’s attractive face closely. His eyebrows were full but not too bushy, and his jaw was strong with a faint dimple in his chin. Looking at his strong features made her want to touch his face and run her hand through his perfect soft hair. ‘Yeah, I liked him straight off,’ Izzy said, then paused in thought for a second, wondering if she dared ask the question on her mind. She decided to bite the bullet. ‘Have you ever liked him as more than a mate?’ she asked curiously. Mickey was good-looking and obviously a really popular guy.

Blake looked into Izzy’s eyes. ‘I can’t believe how well you read me,’ he said, then continued slowly. ‘I did, long ago. There was a time when I found it hard to be around him, when I’d get insanely jealous of the girls who liked him. But I soon figured out that I had to get over it. The hardest thing was keeping it a secret. It took a lot of effort, let me tell you.’

The light from the fire flickered over his face. Izzy could only guess how difficult it must have been for him, especially with no one to share his feelings with. She leaned in and gave him a hug. Resting her head on his shoulder, she couldn’t help but feel tormented. Having a firm, male body to hold made her think of Will and how much she longed for his touch.

‘Hey, you two, get a room,’ shouted Jacko as he staggered towards them.

‘Piss off,’ said Blake, laughing.

Jacko, unlike his brother, was a real shit-stirrer. He had the same black eyes and dark hair as Mickey, but a devilish look to his face.

‘So, what’s it like working for Blake?’ Jacko asked Izzy, curiously.

Izzy smiled. ‘Great. I can’t wait to learn some more about the stud, though.’

Jacko looked at her oddly, then back at Blake. ‘That’s one weird chick you found, mate, but I bet she looks better in a work singlet than you do. If you get sick of working with Macca, you can always come and work for us.’

Blake looked at him sternly, then tried to change the subject. ‘Our Jacko’s a bit of a gun shearer, when he’s not out pissing his talent away.’

‘Hey, I’m still young and I’m enjoying it while I can. So, Izzy, if you want a real good time, you just call me. I’m right down the road.’

Blake put his hand on Jacko’s chest and pushed him backwards gently. ‘Piss off. This one’s mine,’ he said, trying to sound tough without laughing. Jacko gave them a thumbs up and headed over to a crowd of young girls.

Izzy just smiled and shook her head.

The night went quickly. The black sky was twinkling with stars and the moon was only a sliver. The air had cooled and become crisper. Even the fire had died down, and you could see over to the other side.

‘Yo, bro.
Hooow’s
it
haaanging
?’ slurred Simone as she tottered up to them.

‘Simo, you look plastered. How ’bout you take it easy?’ said Blake, shaking his head.

Simone saluted. ‘
Suuurre
thing, boss.’ She tried to give him a wink but it looked more like she was constipated.

‘Hey, Mickey. I’ve got a
booone
to pick with
yooou
,’ she yelled out before heading off in his direction.

‘She’d get there five minutes faster if she could walk in a straight line,’ Izzy laughed. ‘Will she be okay?’

‘Who knows? But she’s old enough and ugly enough to look after herself.’

Izzy thought back to the last time she’d partied with her sister. Izzy had just turned sixteen and it was the first time that she’d finally been old enough to go to a party with her parents’ consent. So of course she’d sneaked more drinks than she was allowed and ended up blotto. Luckily, Claire had found her passed out in a ditch and cleaned her up before any great harm was done. If she remembered correctly, it was Will who’d carried her to the car. The things siblings did and the secrets they kept for each other – any parent would be astonished to know the half of it.

‘Hey, look at Kelly, Mac. D’you think she’s trying to get your attention?’ Izzy nodded towards a girl gyrating on the other side of the fire with her top above her head and her jugs jumping around for all to see. She laughed. ‘If only she knew you’d rather see a wang.’

Blake kicked her up the bum with his boot and spilt his drink in the process. ‘Now look what you made me do,’ he laughed.

‘Hey, looks like Reggie’s ready to have her.’

Blake turned to see the evidence for himself. Trying not to laugh, he put his hands over her eyes. ‘That’s too disgusting for your innocent eyes.’

‘No different to watching a randy old ram.’ She laughed and choked, causing beer to come out her nose.

Izzy had met quite a few of the locals and it was clear that Mullawoon was just like any small town. Everyone seemed to get on and everyone knew everything about everyone else – or at least they thought they did. Most of the blokes she’d talked to had nearly finished ripping up or had started seeding by now. The talk of rain was always the hot topic at this time of year. If you could get a dollar every time the weather was mentioned, you’d sure be rich. As the evening wore on, the more the topic changed to dirty jokes and stories, usually involving pranks or nudity. Finally, most of the older locals headed home, leaving just a few stragglers around the hot coals.

‘I don’t know about you, Mac, but I was ready for bed ages ago. We’ve still got work tomorrow. Any chance we can head home?’ Izzy asked as she stifled a yawn.

Blake had his beanie stretched down over his head to cover his cold ears. He rubbed his hands together, holding them over the remaining embers and trying to bring back some feeling in them. ‘I’m with you there. See if you can spot Simo.’

The walked in opposite directions around the fire, saying a few goodbyes, as they tried to find Simone. Izzy was so tired she could hardly keep her eyes open. The smoke had dried them out and her bones were aching from the cold. After coming up empty, she went and joined Blake, who was talking to Mickey. ‘I didn’t see her. Did you, Blake?’

‘Nup. Mickey, have you seen Simo?’

Mickey’s face glowed like a spotlight. ‘Yeah, she’s passed out in the back of my ute.’ He turned and led them in that direction.

Simone lay buried under a sleeping bag. It almost seemed a shame to wake her.

Mickey must have been reading their thoughts. ‘How ’bout you just take my ute home and we’ll swap them over later?’ he said. ‘Then if she wakes up, she can crawl into her own bed.’

Blake slapped Mickey on his back. ‘Shit, you’re not just a pretty face after all. Cheers, Mickey. I’ll catch up with you later. Night.’

‘Nice t’meet you, Mickey. No doubt I’ll see you around,’ said Izzy as she waved goodbye.

It was lucky they didn’t have far to drive, otherwise Izzy was sure they both would have fallen asleep and probably ended upside down in a ditch. Blake wasn’t too drunk and managed to keep the ute on the road, and no kangaroos jumped out at them in the dark.