Tears of the Moon (57 page)

‘Ahmed will be in shortly. He’ll be pleased to see you. We all are.’ He glanced down at her. ‘So why are you here? Who was with you earlier?’

‘She’s the reason I came up.’ Now the moment was here Olivia was at a loss for words. How was she to prepare him, or should she just blurt it out? You never really knew how Tyndall was going to react. ‘John … this might come as a shock … well, surprise … ’

Struck by the serious tone of her voice, he cut in. ‘Olivia, I tend not to like your surprises … ’ His voice trailed away as they came around the corner of the shed and he saw Maya sitting on an upturned dinghy a little distance away. He frowned slightly, narrowed his eyes against the sunlight trying to see her better.

Olivia linked her arm through his. ‘John … ’

Maya stood and walked towards them. Olivia said nothing as the gap narrowed between them. Each studied the other and as Maya drew close, Tyndall stiffened, halted for a moment and then saw Maya’s carved pendant worn outside her deep red blouse. Her hair, her eyes, the lithe shape of her body, the small smile …

‘Niah …
Maya
… ’ he whispered.

For Maya, the tall dark man with the teardrop pearl at his ear, was suddenly achingly familiar.

Olivia reached out and took Maya’s hand and placed it in Tyndall’s. ‘Yes, John, it’s Maya. It’s been a long time, a long journey … for both of you.’

‘How … ’ he began, the stunned expression giving way to a broad smile and then suddenly both of them were laughing and weeping and Maya flung her arms about his shoulders, burying her face in his chest. Watching him stroke her hair, a look of such softness, longing and tenderness on his face, Olivia had to turn away. Her eyes were filled with tears and the gladness she felt for both of them was tinged with envy—an envy she didn’t want to think about.

Later over cups of tea on the rickety verandah of the office above the shed they pieced the story together. Olivia added the further news about Hamish, and Tyndall gave Olivia such a look of possessive love. ‘It seems right, doesn’t it? That this is how it should be. We are joined, you and I, Olivia, by our children.’

Maya looked at them strangely, recognising there was an interplay of great intensity beneath the surface.

‘We also share a granddaughter, John,’ said Olivia, a smile lurking at her mouth.

‘Oh, this is too much,’ Tyndall laughingly clutched his head.

Olivia stood. ‘Speaking of that little rascal, I’ll go back and see how matters are at home. You two spend a little more time together. You’ll come to dinner tonight, John?’

He rose and gave her a quick hug. ‘Of course. With champagne. It’ll be the best dinner ever. How can I ever thank you, Olivia? I thought my world ended when I lost you … finding Maya has turned on a light in my life.’

They drew apart, both conscious of the comforting familiarity of their touch. Olivia broke the silence. ‘Maya, enjoy this time with him before Georgie bowls him over.’

He took his daughter’s hand. ‘Would you like to come and watch the luggers unload? Do you remember Ahmed … ’

‘I have so many questions about my mother … ’ said Maya. ‘I remember little things … but I want to know more. About her family too … ’

‘Minnie can help you there. She’s part of Niah’s Aboriginal family, they know the Dreamtime story of Niah’s family in Macassar.’

Olivia slipped away with a light wave. But she didn’t go home. She ordered the sulky driver to take her to the house on the headland, the house Tyndall had built for them. She walked around it, the trees they’d planted had grown, but there was no garden. Olivia loved gardens. One day, she decided, one day, she would have the garden of her dreams combining the violent-coloured strong native shrubs, trees, vines
and blooms with the delicate, perfumed flowers of her English childhood. It would have to be created down south, not in this harsh climate. She’d speak to Gilbert about it one day. With a start Olivia realised it was the first time she’d thought of Gilbert in many days. Venturing onto the verandah, she sat in the heavy wooden settler’s chair and looked across the bay where the tide was receding through the mangroves, exposing the wet grey tangle of braided roots.

She closed her eyes. And thought of Tyndall. She had no doubt Maya would stay here in Broome. Tyndall had a family now.

Suddenly the loss of Hamish hit her once more. He would not be around to watch Georgie grow, to tell her of his little doings and plans. She ached for his soft voice, his warm smile. She again envied Tyndall, but she had Gilbert, she told herself. Tears of self-pity trickled down her face, and Olivia had to admit to herself that life down south was not enough. She sat, lost in grey thoughts until, drawing a deep breath and wiping her cheeks, she looked again at the turquoise water. It was so beautiful—the sweep of the bay, the indigo sky lightly dusted with a swirl of cloud, the soft breeze dancing on top of the wavelets. She lightly lifted a strand of hair away from the coil atop her head and felt her emotional strength returning. Feeling more cheerful, she decided that she would just let life happen and stop worrying about the future. She grinned to herself, Broome had this effect on people. Time took a sidestep and tomorrow could be worried about tomorrow.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

F
or the rest of the day Georgie attached herself to Minnie who kept the youngster occupied with kitchen activities supposedly contributing to the big dinner that evening, but which simply created an enormous mess all over the floor. Olivia and Minnie stepped over it all with good humour as they cooked and polished glass and silverware and dug out the linen from a camphorwood box.

Maya arrived home late in the afternoon, excited and exhausted at what the day had brought. ‘If I don’t have a rest and a bath I’ll die,’ she groaned happily as she sipped a cold drink in the kitchen. ‘It has just been the most glorious day. My father’s so wonderful, isn’t he?’ Olivia smiled and Maya went on, ‘It’s better than the best dream, Olivia.’

Soon after sunset Tyndall arrived, dressed in his whites and carrying a brightly wrapped parcel. The
two women were relaxing on the verandah and rose when they saw him swing through the gate. Maya ran inside to find Georgiana and Olivia greeted him at the top of the steps.

‘Welcome back to the verandah, John,’ she said warmly. ‘It’s been a long time.’

He took her extended hand, then leaned forward and impulsively planted a small kiss on her cheek. ‘Thanks, Olivia. Thanks for so much. You’ve no idea what the day has been like. But then, perhaps you do.’ Before she could respond Maya came through the front door carrying Georgiana, and stopped a few steps from them. No one said a word, and the little girl stared at the stranger in white with big brown questioning eyes, and the stranger stared back, but with eyes that smiled.

‘Georgiana, this is your grandfather,’ said Maya softly.

Georgie said nothing but there was a flicker of a grin and those big eyes went on sizing him up.

‘Hello,’ he said at last. ‘I’m very pleased to meet you. I hope you’ll like the present I’ve brought. Would you like me to help you open it?’ He reached out a hand and with a big smile she leaned forward in her mother’s arms towards her grandfather. As he swept her up he gave Maya a big wink over Georgiana’s shoulder. Together they unwrapped the gift and Maya’s hand flew to her mouth as she recognised the toy lugger she had played with as a little girl.

The dinner was a huge success. Olivia helped with the serving and deliberately let Maya and Tyndall set the flow of conversation, joining in
occasionally with stories of Shaw House or memories of the early days of the pearling venture, a subject Maya found absorbing.

Olivia was pleased when Tyndall offered to take Maya and Georgie for a sail in one of the luggers, but no sooner had she expressed her delight than a sudden surge of guilt made her stiffen. Memories of those distant days at sea with Tyndall and acknowledgement of Gilbert waiting in Fremantle clashed with the violence of a tropical cyclone. It was a struggle to keep her turbulent emotions under control and as soon as the tea was served she picked up her cup and rose from the table. ‘I think the three of you should have a little time together before Georgie falls asleep, which I don’t think is very far off. I have to write to Gilbert and tell him all about the day and I want to catch the mail before the steamer goes. I’ll see you before you go, John.’ She kept up a facade of forced calmness until she closed the door of her room, then leaned against it, shut her eyes and began to weep quietly.

Maya looked after her and back to Tyndall. ‘Will you get around to telling me about you and Olivia? I sense there is a lot I don’t know about you both.’

Georgie was almost asleep on Tyndall’s lap and he pushed back his chair and hoisted her to his shoulder where she nestled her head and toyed with his pearl earring. ‘Yes, I will, Maya. It’s right you know everything. And I think it will make me feel better too. It’s hard keeping things inside you that you can’t
share with other people. Now, lead on to the sleeping quarters for the small wretch here.’

The news of Tyndall being reunited with his daughter and that he also had a granddaughter gave the town something cheerful to discuss other than the gloom of falling business due to the drop in pearl shell prices. Taki decided to return to Japan when his contract was up and there was a farewell party for him at the Japanese Club where several other divers and tenders announced they were also going back to their villages. Yoshi had made one more trip back to Japan over the years to bury his father-in-law. Now he hoped to eventually retire and run a small business, perhaps a little noodle restaurant, with his wife Sachiko and his son.

There was the inevitable gossip in the white community about Olivia’s return and speculation about her relationship with Tyndall. As always, they chose to ignore this and kept to themselves. They did not appear in public together but he resumed his habit of calling by each evening for sundowners and to play with Georgie.

Maya spent almost every day with him and Tyndall had taken great delight in seeing how she enjoyed Ahmed and Yoshi and asked them to teach her about the practical side of diving and the luggers.

‘She has a good grasp of figures and bookwork. The nuns taught her well, though she says she hated the schooling at the time,’ observed Olivia.

‘Poor kid, going from a good home here to barefoot in the bush and then having to knuckle down alone under the nuns. The Barstows should take
more pride in her, she’s turned out well. But I feel bloody dreadful about the whole thing.’

‘John, there wasn’t a thing you could do about it. I’ve told her how you tried to find them after Niah went bush. But there’s nothing life can throw at Maya that she won’t be able to handle. She suffered so much and yet she can still smile her way through the days. She’s been an inspiration to me,’ said Olivia quietly. ‘I just wish Hamish was here to share in all this … ’

‘I sometimes feel he is,’ said Tyndall with understanding. ‘But Maya will need a man’s hand in Georgie’s upbringing, that’s for sure.’

‘Gilbert and I have offered Maya a home, but I imagine you have other plans,’ said Olivia.

‘Yeah. I’m working up to asking her to stay here. Would you have any objection to her coming in to help with the business?’

‘Not at all, it makes sense. She’ll be able to take over my role soon enough.’

‘Oh no, Olivia! I don’t want you to leave Star of the Sea! We need you.’ Tyndall looked distressed. The business was his link with Olivia.

Olivia was relieved. In her heart she realised she didn’t want to sever the ties that linked them. But another voice in her head whispered that perhaps she should cut the mooring ropes. Tyndall now had a new life just as she did. But Olivia was uncomfortable with the thought and pushed it to one side.

The days slid by. Maya and Georgie moved in with Tyndall. Rosminah and Yusef had had another baby and Georgie spent hours playing with the baby girl.
Olivia helped Maya settle in and together they decorated rooms for her and Georgie. They spent part of every morning in the office and in the evenings Tyndall continued to ensconce himself on Olivia’s verandah with a drink. She was intrigued with his stories of the time with Mikimoto and they discussed at length the feasibility of setting up a cultured pearl farm in or near Broome.

‘Why don’t we sail up the coast a bit and look for a site in remote river and creek inlets? You haven’t been sailing for a time and I know you love it.’