with his arms still out, and the towel fell to his ankles. She let out a gasp in shock. How to fix this? She didn’t have any safety pins around, but she had an idea. Jeanette headed out the back door, toward the steel netting she was using to protect the tomatoes from the birds. She unravelled a short piece, flicked it back and forward and bent it into shape. It was a bit crude, but it should do the job of holding up a towel. She returned to Richard and fastened the towel with her new pin.
This time the towel held. He looked back up at her with that cheeky smile. ‘Nice work, but I was going to tell you that the washing was dry. Think I like what you have put me in a little better.’ Jeanette paused for a moment, and then just burst out laughing. Richard smiled and chuckled too.
Jeanette went and retrieved all the washing while Richard prepared the food. He then changed out of the towel, before serving up his masterful creation.
‘So where did you learn to cook like this, Mr Pilman?’ Jeanette asked as she laid out the cutlery onto the table
‘Please, just call me Ric, Mr Pilman was my Dad.’
‘Was?’
‘Yeah, he was drafted to the war,’ Richard took the carving knife and started to carve off slices of meat. ‘He was the one that got me into cooking. He was really great with a camp oven. But I’ve developed my own style since then.’ He took two slices and put them on a plate for Jeanette before putting three slices of meat on his plate.
‘My Dad was drafted too.’ Jeanette put the bowl of vegetables onto the table. ‘He had his aeroplane license and was good with the wireless radio. He was aiming to be working within the communications crew.’
Richard poured the gravy over the meat. ‘My dad was drafted as infantry. He was a bit rough around the edges, my old man, but he taught me a few tricks. Are you a Cobar native?’
‘No. I was born in Bathurst. Only child. A few months after we received the letter that Dad’s battalion had been hit, mum got really sick and passed away. I was shuffled to a few different foster homes, but it wasn’t until I landed with Bill and Debbie that I found a home.’
‘And you’ve been scooping drunks off the street ever since,’ Richard jibbed.
Jeanette smiled at his attempt to lighten the mood. ‘No. Well, yes. But you’re the first that I have given shelter.’
Richard had shovelling a large portion of vegetables onto his plate. He then sat across the table from Jeanette, facing her.
Jeanette continued, ‘Bill and Debbie helped me finish my schooling, up until year 10 anyway. They couldn’t have their own kids, but I feel like I am part of their family. By the time I left school, I was working with them in the cafe. That is where I’m at now.’ Jeanette took a bite of the roast. It was delicious, and just melted in her mouth. ’And what is your story, Richard Pilman. Where did you start from?’
Richard pondered while he chewed. Once he swallowed, he answered. ‘Originally, I’m from Burra, down south. Didn’t finish my year 10. Started working in the shearing sheds as a rouser, til I tried shearing. I’m pretty good at it. Well, the boss says I am. He said I should try for the national championships.’ He paused for a moment, watching Jeanette. Feeling a little uncomfortable with the pause, he nervously continued ‘I’m seeing a lot of the country and the shearing team is a bit like my family. But I guess eventually, I’ll settle down and I want to be like the Dad I had but do it for a longer time.’
Jeanette thought about this. She hadn’t stopped to think much about what had happened to her and how that would have shaped her. Richard could feel Jeanette watching him, as he put some more vegetables in his mouth.
Once he finished chewing, ‘And what about you, Jeanette. Where are you going?’
Jeanette had just been pondering this, but no one had asked her where she was going before. She didn’t really believe that she had a choice in her path. ‘I’m really still finding that out’ she blurted, and quickly turned back to her food.
‘Mmm,’ Richard noted. He cut up another piece of meat, dragging it through his gravy before putting it in his mouth.
For the rest of the meal, they chattered and bantered with each other. Jeanette found that Richard was a very charming man. As they finished the meal, they both cleaned up the table and did the dishes together. They sat on the back porch and watched the sun set.
‘So,’ ventured Jeanette once the burning color of the sun had left the sky, ‘Where are you staying for your time here in Cobar? Shouldn’t you tell the rest of the team where you are?’
‘Boofa’s set us up down at the caravan park. He’s got us a cabin there.’
Jeanette looked at him with inquisitive look, ‘Boofa?’
‘Yeah, Boofa. He’s the crew chief. I think his name is Colwitz or something. But everyone seems to call him Boofa.’
‘Well’, continued Jeanette, ‘Shouldn’t we let Boofa know where you are?’
Richard made a grumbling sound in the back of his throat. He looked at the ground tilting his head and awkwardly shuffled his feet. ‘If you don’t mind,’ he started, a little nervously, ‘I’d rather stay with you. The guys won’t be leaving until next Monday, I’ll catch up with them before then, and you’re much better company than the guys’
Jeanette couldn’t hide the smile that crossed her face. Richard didn’t see it as he couldn’t make eye contact with her. As the question hung in the air, Jeanette enjoyed watching his awkwardness. She felt all giddy inside but was trying to prolong this moment for as long as it was worth. She wasn’t sure why, but she didn’t want to say goodbye to Richard either. Not after such a lovely evening.
‘Sure,’ was all she managed to say without exploding with excitement.
Surprise
Their week together went swiftly. So fast that Jeanette didn’t realise that a week had passed. She was happily working through the day at the cafe, and at the evening she would be greeted with a huge hug and a smile. She couldn’t remember being happier than she was around Richard. He made her giggle and smile and feel like the teenager that she missed out on being.
In the evenings, they made some games to play and shared stories. Richard would happily elaborate the tales as he told them to Jeanette. She listened, smiled and laughed at all his jokes.
Richard had never talked so much. He had not shared much of his personal life with anyone. It was something that he kept buried deep inside himself. There was a lot of pain and a lot of hurt dealing with not knowing his father. He had found that he connected with Jeanette and had talked through a lot more than he had for many years. With talking about it, it was confronting but he was finding that sharing it with someone who had gone through a similar situation helped him feel more stable than he had in years. Even though they were uncomfortable discussions, Jeanette’s warmth helped them both open up to each other.
It was Thursday evening as Richard and Jeanette were washing their dishes.
‘Ric,’ started Jeanette, ‘I’ve got something very important to ask you. I’m a little nervous about it, but I have to do it’
‘I’m not liking the sound of this, Button.’ Richard had started calling Jeanette Button,
