The Aloe (4 page)

From the store the road completely changed – very slowly, twisting as if loath to go, turning as if shy to follow it slipped into a deep valley. In front and on either side there were paddocks and beyond them bush covered hills thrust up into the moonlit air were like dark heaving water – you could not imagine that the road led beyond the valley. Here it seemed to reach its perfect end – the valley knotted upon the bend of the road like a big jade tassel –

“Can we see the house from here the house from here” – piped the children. Houses were to be seen – little houses – they counted three – but not their house. The storeman knew – He had made the journey twice before that day – At last he raised his whip and pointed. “That’s one of your paddocks belonging,” he said “and the next and the next” – over the edge of the last paddock pushed tree boughs and bushes from an immense garden –

A corrugated iron fence painted white held back the garden from the road – In the middle there was a gap – the iron gates were open wide – They clanked through up a drive cutting through the garden like a whip lash, looping suddenly an island of green and behind the island out of sight until you came upon it was the house. It was long and low built with a pillared verandah and balcony running all the way round – shallow steps led to the door – The soft white bulk of it lay stretched upon the green garden like a sleeping beast – and now one and now another of the windows leaped into light – Some one was walking through the empty rooms carrying a lighted candle. From a window downstairs the light of a fire flickered – a strange beautiful excitement seemed to stream from the house in quivering ripples. Over its roofs, the verandah poles, the window sashes, the moon swung her lantern.

“Ooh” Kezia flung out her arms- The Grandmother had appeared on the top step – she carried a little lamp – she was smiling. “Has this house got a name” – asked Kezia fluttering for the last time out of the storeman’s hands.

“Yes,” said the Grandmother, “it is called Tarana.” “Tarana” she repeated and put her hands upon the big glass door knob.

“Stay where you are one moment children.” The Grandmother turned to the storeman. “Fred – these things can be unloaded and left on the verandah for the night. Pat will help you” – She turned and called into the hollow hall – “Pat are you there” – “I
am
” came a voice, and the Irish handy man squeaked in new boots over the bare boards. But Lottie staggered over the verandah like a bird fallen out of a nest – she stood still for a moment her eyes closed – if she leaned – she fell asleep. She could not walk another step – “Kezia” said the Grandmother “can I trust you to carry the lamp.” “Yes, my Grandma” – The old woman knelt and gave the bright breathing thing into her hands and then she raised herself and caught up Lottie. “This way” – Through a square hall filled with furniture bales and hundreds of parrots (but the parrots were only on the wallpaper) down a narrow passage where the parrots persisted on either side walked Kezia with her lamp.

“You are to have some supper before you go to bed” said the Grandmother putting down Lottie to open the dining room door – “Be very quiet,” she warned – “poor little mother has got such a headache.”

Linda Burnell lay before a crackling fire in a long cane chair her feet on a hassock a plaid rug over her knees – Burnell and Beryl sat at a table in the middle of the room eating a dish of fried chops and drinking tea out of a brown china teapot – Over the back of her Mother’s chair leaned Isabel – She had a white comb in her fingers and in a gentle absorbed way she was combing back the curls from her Mother’s forehead – Outside the pool of lamp and firelight the room stretched dark and bare to the hollow windows – “Are those the children – “Mrs Burnell did not even open her eyes – her voice was tired and trembling – “Have either of them been maimed for life.” “No dear – perfectly safe and sound.”

“Put down that lamp Kezia,” said Aunt Beryl “or we shall have the house on fire before we’re out of the packing cases. More tea – Stan?” “Well you might just give me five-eighths of a cup,” said Burnell, leaning across the table – “Have another chop Beryl – Tip top meat isn’t it. First rate First rate. Not too lean – not too fat – “He turned to his wife – “Sure you won’t change your mind – Linda darling?” “Oh the very thought of it” . . . She raised one eyebrow in a way she had – The Grandmother brought the children two bowls of bread and milk and they sat up to the table, their faces flushed and sleepy behind the waving steam – “I had meat for my supper,” said Isabel, still combing gently.

“I had a whole chop for my supper – the bone an’ all, an Worcestershire sauce. Didn’t I, Father –” “Oh, don’t boast, Isabel,” said Aunt Beryl. Isabel looked astounded – “I wasn’t boasting was I mummy? I never thought of boasting – I thought they’d like to know. I only meant to tell them –” “Very well. That’s enough” said Burnell. He pushed back his plate, took a tooth pick out of his waistcoat pocket and began picking his strong white teeth. “You might see that Fred has a bite of something in the kitchen before he goes, will you Mother.” “Yes, Stanley.” The old woman turned to go – “Oh and hold on a jiffy. I suppose nobody knows where my slippers were put. I suppose I shan’t be able to get at ‘em for a month or two eh?” “Yes,” came from Linda. “In the top to the canvas hold all marked Urgent Necessities.” “Well you might bring them to me will you Mother.” “Yes Stanley.” Burnell got up, stretched himself and went over to the fire to warm his bottom and lifted up his coat tail – “By Jove this is a pretty pickle, eh Beryl.” Beryl sipping tea, her elbow on the table, smiled over the cup at him – She wore an unfamiliar pink pinafore. The sleeves of her blouse were rolled up to her shoulders showing her lovely freckled arms she had let her hair fall down her back in a long pig tail. “How long do you think it will take you to get straight – couple of weeks? eh –” he chaffed. “Good Heavens no,” said Beryl. “The worst is over already.

All the beds are up – Everything’s in the house – yours and Linda’s room is finished already. The servant girl and I have simply slaved all day and ever since Mother came she’s worked like a horse, too. We’ve never sat down for a moment. We
have
had a day.” Stamping he scented a rebuke. “Well I suppose you didn’t expect me to tear away from the office and nail carpets did you –” “Certainly not” said Beryl airily. She put down her cup and ran out of the dining room – “What the hell did she expect to do,” asked Stanley – “Sit down and fan herself with a palm leaf fan while I hired a gang of professionals to do the job? Eh? By Jove if she can’t do a hand’s turn occasionally without shouting about it in return for —” and he glared as the chops began to fight the tea in his sensitive stomach. But Linda put up a hand and dragged him down – on to the side of her long cane chair. “This is a wretched time for you old boy,” she said fondly – Her cheeks were very white but she smiled and curled her fingers round the big red hand she held – “And with a wife about as bright and gay as yesterday’s button hole,” she said – “You’ve been awfully patient, darling.” “Rot,” said Burnell, but he began to whistle the Holy City a good sign – “Think you’re going to like it?” he asked – “I don’t want to tell you but I think I ought to, Mother,” said Isabel. “Kezia’s drinking tea out of Aunt Beryl’s cup –”

They were trooped off to bed by the Grandmother – She went first with a candle – the stairs rang to their climbing feet. Isabel and Lottie lay in a room to themselves – Kezia curled in the Grandmother’s big bed. “Aren’t there any sheets, my Grandma?” “No, not to-night.” “It’s very tickly,” said Kezia. “It’s like Indians. Come to bed soon an be my indian brave.” “What a silly you are,” said the old woman tucking her in as she loved to be tucked. “Are you going to leave the candle.” “No. Hush, go to sleep.” “Well kin I have the door left open?” She rolled herself into a round. But she did not go to sleep. From All over the house came the sound of steps – The house itself creaked and popped – Loud whispery voices rose and fell. Once she heard Aunt Beryl’s – rush of high laughter. Once there came a loud trumpeting from Burnell blowing his nose. Outside the windows hundreds of black cats with yellow eyes sat in the sky watching her but she was not frightened –

Lottie was saying to Isabel – “I’m going to say my prayers in bed to-night –” “No you can’t Lottie.” Isabel was very firm. “God only excuses you saying your prayers in bed if you’ve got a temperature.” So Lottie yielded –

“Gentle Jesus meek an mile

Look ’pon little chile

Pity me simple Lizzie

Suffer me come to thee.

Fain would I to thee be brought

Dearest Lor’ forbd it not

In the Kinkdom of thy grace

Make a little chile a place – Amen.”

And then they lay down back to back their little behinds just touching and fell asleep.

Standing in a pool of moonlight Beryl Fairfield undressed herself – she was tired but she pretended to be more tired than she really was – letting her clothes fall – pushing back with a charming gesture her warm heavy hair – “Oh how tired I am very tired” – she shut her eyes a moment but her lips smiled – her breath rose and fell in her breast like fairy wings. The window was open it was warm and still. Somewhere out there in the garden a young man dark and slender with mocking eyes, tip toed among the bushes and gathered the garden into a big bouquet and slipped under her window and held it up to her – She saw herself bending forward – He thrust his head among the white waxy flowers – “No no,” said Beryl. She turned from the window she dropped her night gown over her head – “How frightfully unreasonable Stanley is sometimes,” she thought buttoning – and then as she lay down came the old thought the cruel leaping thought “if I had money” only to be shaken off and beaten down by calling to her rescue her endless pack of dreams – A young man immensely rich just arrived from England meets her quite by chance. The new Governor is married. There is a ball at Government House to celebrate his wedding. Who is that exquisite creature in eau de nil satin Beryl Fairfield.

“The thing that pleases me” said Stanley leaning against the side of the bed in his shirt and giving himself a good scratch before turning in – “is that, on strict q.T. Linda I’ve got the place dirt cheap – I was talking about it to little Teddy Dean today and he said he simply couldn’t understand why they’d accepted my figure you see land about here is bound to become more and more valuable – look in about ten years time . . . Of course we shall have to go very slow from now on and keep down expenses – cut ’em as fine as possible. Not asleep, are you.” “No dear I’m listening –” said Linda. He sprang into bed leaned over her and blew out the candle. “Goodnight, Mr Business man” she said and she took hold of his head by the ears and gave him a quick kiss. Her faint far away voice seemed to come from a deep well – “Goodnight, darling.” He slipped his arm under her neck and drew her to him . . . “Yes, clasp me,” she said faintly, in her far away sleeping voice . . . .

Pat the handy man sprawled in his little room behind the kitchen. His sponge bag coat and trousers hung from the door peg like a hanged man. From the blanket edge his twisted feet protruded – and on the floor of his room there was an empty cane bird cage. He looked like a comic picture.

“Honk – honk” came from the snoring servant girl next door she had adenoids.

Last to go to bed was the Grandmother.

“What – not asleep yet.” “No – I’m waiting for you,” said Kezia. The old woman sighed and lay down beside her. Kezia thrust her head under the Grandmother’s arm. “Who am I –” she whispered – this was an old established ritual to be gone through between them. “You are my little brown bird,” said the Grandmother. Kezia gave a guilty chuckle. The Grandmother took out her teeth and put them in a glass of water beside her on the floor.

Then the house was still.

In the garden some tiny owls called – perched on the branches of a lace bark tree, More pork more pork, and far away from the bush came a harsh rapid chatter – Ha Ha Ha
Ha
. Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha!

Dawn came sharp and chill. The sleeping people turned over and hunched the blankets higher – They sighed and stirred but the brooding house all hung about with shadows held the quiet in its lap a little longer – A breeze blew over the tangled garden dropping dew and dropping petals – shivered over the drenched paddock grass lifted the sombre bush and shook from it a wild and bitter scent. In the green sky tiny stars floated a moment and then they were gone, they were dissolved like bubbles. The cocks shrilled from the neighbouring farms – the cattle moved in their stalls – the horses grouped under the trees lifted their heads and swished their tails – and plainly to be heard in the early quiet was the sound of the creek in the paddock running over the brown stones – running in and out of the sandy hollows – hiding under clumps of dark berry bushes – spilling into a swamp full of yellow water flowers and cresses – All the air smelled of water – The lawn was hung with bright drops and spangles – And then quite suddenly – at the first glint of sun – the birds began to sing – Big cheeky birds, starlings and minors whistled on the lawns; the little birds, the goldfinches and fantails and linnets twittered flitting from bough to bough – and from tree to tree, hanging the garden with bright chains of song – a lovely king fisher perched on the paddock fence preening his rich beauty –” How loud the birds are” said Linda in her dream. She was walking with her father through a green field sprinkled with daisies – and suddenly he bent forward and parted the grasses and showed her a tiny ball of fluff just at her feet. “Oh Papa the darling” She made a cup of her hands and caught the bird and stroked its head with her finger. It was quite tame. But a strange thing happened. As she stroked it it began to swell – It ruffled and pouched – it grew bigger and bigger and its round eyes seemed to smile at her – Now her arms were hardly wide enough to hold it – she dropped it in her apron. It had become a baby with a big naked head and a gaping bird mouth – opening and shutting – Her father broke into a loud clattering laugh and Linda woke to see Burnell standing by the windows rattling the Venetian blinds up to the very top – “Hullo” he said – “didn’t wake you – did I? Nothing much the matter with the weather this morning.” He was enormously pleased – weather like this set a final seal upon his bargain – he felt somehow – that he had bought the sun too got it chucked in, dirt cheap, with the house and grounds – He dashed off to his bath and Linda turned over, raised herself on one elbow to see the room by daylight. It looked wonderfully lived in already, all the furniture had found a place – all the old “paraphernalia” as she expressed it – even to photographs on the mantelpiece and medicine bottles on a shelf over the washstand. But this room was much bigger than their other room had been – that was a blessing. Her clothes lay across a chair – her outdoor things – a purple cape and a round sable with a plume on it – were tossed on the box ottoman – Looking at them a silly thought brought a fleeting smile into her eyes – “perhaps I am going away again to-day” and for a moment she saw herself driving away from them all in a little buggy – driving away from every one of them and waving – Back came Stanley girt with a towel, glowing and slapping his thighs. He pitched the wet towel on top of her cape and hat and standing firm in the exact centre of a square of sunlight he began to do his exercises – deep breathing – bending – squatting like a frog and shooting out his legs. He was so saturated with health that everything he did delighted him, but this amazing vigour seemed to set him miles and worlds away from Linda – she lay on the white tumbled bed, and leaned towards him laughing as if from the sky –