again and I had to give her a full explanation why I had hung up. The stupid bitch wasn’t going to put me through to the ambulance for a minute she told me that I was a crank call. Then I rang Dad and told him to hurry up here.
Norm What time did you stab him?’
Amelia ‘I don’t know, I wouldn’t have a clue, what’s the time now?’
Keith ‘Ten to five.’
Amelia ‘God I honestly don’t know. You’d have to check with the operator, she’d have to register the time she got the calls, wouldn’t she? It was only a minute or so before I rang her the first time. Then it was at least another four minutes before I rang her again. It could have been two o’clock or half past, I just don’t know.’
Keith ‘What happened after you spoke to your father?’
Amelia ‘I was only talking long enough to tell him that I had stabbed Frank and that he was in a bad way, and that I had rung the ambulance. He said that he was on his way and I hung up. I turned to Frank who was lying in a straight line directly behind me. I grabbed a cloth and started to mop his brow but he told me to piss off. I told him not to be so stupid and he said, ‘If you want to do something for me pour me a beer.’
Norm (in a disbelieving tone0 ‘He said what?’
I nodded in disgust.
Amelia ‘Yeah, he asked me to pour him a beer can you beat that?’
Norm ‘Christ.’ turning to Keith he said to his partner, ‘You couldn’t beat that with a stick.’
Keith just shook his head in total disbelief.
Norm ‘What happened then?’
Amelia ‘I took his shoes off him and undid his belt and trousers I don’t know if I did the right thing or not. I remember reading somewhere that if a person is in distress to remove any tight-fitting garments. I couldn’t take his shirt or trousers off. I wouldn’t even try to. So, I just took his shoes off and I think I packed the tea towel under his head to sort of try and relieve the pain. I guess that was a bit dumb, but I was panicking. I get a bit confused when I panic.’ I shuddered as I remembered. ‘I know he was vomiting stale grog and bile and that made me almost vomit on him.’
Norm ‘How long did you have to wait for the ambulance?’
Amelia ‘Oh. It could have been five to seven minutes, but it seemed a hell of a lot longer.’
Norm ‘Who arrived first the ambulance or Gordon?’ Keith asked.
Amelia ‘They arrived together the police car was directly behind the ambulance. I couldn’t do any more for Frank, and besides, he kept telling me to piss off. So, I just paced up and down until I saw the Ambulance. I ran out to let them know which house to come to.’
Norm ‘When they came in, what did you do?’
Amelia ‘I showed them to the kitchen.’
Norm ‘Did you say anything to them?’
Amelia ‘Yes, I said, ‘I’ve stabbed my husband, he’s on the kitchen floor, you’d better hurry, I don’t think he’s going to pull through.’
Norm ‘Did you think he was dying?’
Amelia ‘God yes there was too much blood to be just a small nick.’
Norm ‘Did you go into the kitchen then?’
Amelia ‘No I stood in the doorway I didn’t want to be in their way.’
Norm ‘Where was Gordon?’
Amelia ‘He went over to Frank and said ‘How are you mate?’ and Frank abused him and told him to get out because it had nothing to do with the cops.’
Norm ‘He told Gordon that it had nothing to do with the cops?’
Amelia ‘Yes Frank said something like ‘It was an accident, I did it myself when I was cutting the ham, now piss off.’
Norm ‘Are you sure of that, Amelia?’
Amelia ‘I’m positive, you ask Gordon, because he came out of the kitchen into the living room and said, ‘He’s an aggressive little bugger, isn’t he?’
Norm ‘What happened then?’
Amelia ‘You two walked in then.’
Norm turned to Keith ‘I think we’d better get over to the hospital now, hey?’
Keith nodded and stood up. I looked at the two of them inquisitively and Norm told me that they’d take me to the hospital to find out what was happening. I gave them directions of a short cut to the hospital and I thought the drive over, was incredible. I still had difficulty accepting what was happening. I kept thinking on the journey, here I am, sitting in a car that’s identical to the one Frank and I own, chatting pleasantly to two men I had only met a couple of hours earlier. These men should be arresting me for stabbing my husband, but they’re not. Instead they’re talking and laughing with me as if we are old friends. Surely this can’t be reality.
Norm ‘Which school do the girls go to Amelia?’
Amelia ‘Vivian goes to high school and Heather goes to primary school. Claire starts pre-school next year.’
Keith ‘Do they like school?’
Amelia ‘Vivian does, but Heather hates it, I think she’s nearly as dumb as her mother. I pity the teacher who gets Claire though she or he will wonder what hit them.’
Both men laughed and I pressed the fleshy part of my left arm between my right thumb and index finger. ‘I am awake.’ I muttered to myself.
Norm ‘What was that?’
Amelia ‘Nothing, I was just thinking out loud. I can’t believe what’s happening.’
As we drove into the Princess Alexandra Hospital grounds
Keith ‘Here we are, we’ll park in the ambulance zone, I doubt very much that we’ll get booked.’
Both men laughed and I stifled a grin
Amelia ‘I wonder if I could get away with parking in a no parking zone? My car’s exactly the same as this one even the colour’s the same.’
Norm winked ‘Don’t push your luck too far I think that after today you’ve run out of a bit of luck.’
Amelia
