When I woke up, I was full of panic. I wanted to know what was going on with Sissy and the baby. I was in such a rush to get ready, I was still doing my flies up as I burst through my bedroom door into the dining room. Seeing Dad there made me jump. I felt sick. But then he smiled and said, ‘Morning, Uncle Danny.’
Sissy had had a baby boy in the night. Dad said he was a healthy little fella, just like all us Dawsons. Mum and Sissy had to stay in Alice for a couple of days because Sissy had to stay in hospital – but not because she was crook. He said it was just what happened after having a baby. I didn’t know what he meant. If the baby was out of her belly, I reckoned they should just come home. When the pigs or the cattle had babies, they just went back to normal after an hour or two. Dad reckoned it was a bit different for humans.
He said Mum wouldn’t come home until Sissy and the baby were ready. I said Aunty Veronica could bring Sissy out to Timber Creek once she’d finished in the hospital, that way Mum could come straight home. Dad shook his head and said that wasn’t going to happen. I didn’t say anything else. I just ate my breakfast.
‘Don’t you want to know what your nephew’s called?’ Dad asked. I didn’t – not really. I didn’t get it. I thought we were meant to hate the baby – because of Sissy rooting with Gil. I was kind of sick of it all, especially with it happening during the worst muster ever. Anyway, I didn’t answer, I just shrugged, like I didn’t give a damn. That annoyed Dad just about as much as the weather forecast. He slapped his hand down on the table, which made my plate jump. He said, ‘Stop being a selfish little brat, Daniel. There’s other people in the world apart from you. Sissy needs Mum a lot more than we do. You’re an uncle now – so grow up!’ He stared right at me and I felt my heart beating against my chest.
I’d finished eating, but I didn’t ask to get down from the table. I had a lump in my throat, which meant that if I tried to say anything I might blub. After a few minutes with us both just sitting there, Dad got up. As he reached for his hat he told me to brush my teeth. He opened the door and added, ‘And your nephew’s called Alexander James – after your granddads. Now get a move on.’ I waited to hear the door slam shut before I got up and touched the picture of Jonny.
When I came out of the bathroom, I could hear Dad in the kitchen on the radio to Reg. Reg said everything was fine at Gum Tree. They’d finished there and were on the way to Timber Creek for the last part of the muster. Just before Dad could say over and out, Reg remembered to ask about the baby. ‘So, was it a girl or a boy – Granddad?’ That made Dad laugh a bit, but not like it was funny – if you know what I mean? He said, ‘As of four-thirty this morning, I have a grandson. Healthy little fella – Alexander James – and Sissy’s doing OK too. Over.’ Reg laughed and said congratulations. ‘The Dawson dynasty continues.’
Just after Dad put the radio back on top of the fridge, it fizzed and old Dick Croft’s voice came through. He must have heard Dad talking to Reg because he said, ‘Come in, Timber Creek. Congratulations – great news about little Alexander James. Over.’ Dad lifted the receiver down again and said: ‘G’day, Dick, and thanks. Over.’ He didn’t need to explain to Dick why Sissy had called the baby Alexander James. I could almost hear Dick’s grin when he said, ‘Old Alex’ll be strutting around up there in heaven with a smile from here to Alice Springs.’ Dick said it was a good, strong name and that he and his boys looked forward to wetting the baby’s head. I couldn’t work out why any of them would be bothered about washing Alex. I was thinking about that when I heard Dad say, ‘Sue reckons Alex looks just like his Uncle Danny.’ My mouth fell open as Dick’s laughter came through the radio. I lifted my hand up to my face to feel the smile I was wearing – like it suddenly belonged to someone else.
I went back to the dunny. I didn’t need to go – I just wanted to look at myself in the bathroom mirror. I looked real hard at my face, turning my head from side to side, so I could see it from all angles. I tried to imagine what a baby with my face would look like, but I couldn’t. All of a sudden I wanted to see Alex. I needed to know if he really did look like me.
Dad and me drove to the yards at Timber Creek to meet the fellas. They’d finished taking down the yards at Gum Tree and were real near the station – getting ready for the last place they’d muster. Reg and the fellas were waiting for us. The yards at Timber Creek were permanent ones, which Dad and Granddad had built about fifteen years before. It meant we didn’t need to build the fences – they were already there. Dad looked at me and said, ‘Well, we’d better get cracking, I guess.’ It was the last part of the muster – I was going to make the most of it.
Reg threw the last of his coffee out of his cup onto the ground. He reckoned we’d have a real big mob from Timber Creek because he’d seen some healthy-looking steers. Dad nodded and said he hoped Reg was right.
Lloyd had already started pumping water from the tanker into the troughs in the yards, and the Barron brothers were unloading the motorbikes from the back of a trailer. Jack walked over and tipped his hat at Dad and me. There was a bit of breeze and Jack looked around at the sky and said, ‘It’s changing.’ Dad shrugged and said he hoped a bit of breeze might help cool things down. Jack said: ‘Drought won’t last for ever.’ Dad said he hoped he was right about that.
Before I knew it, everyone was ready to go. I was real excited. Reg asked if I wanted to go with Dad or him. Knowing I’d be in school in Alice Springs when Reg and his fellas came back the year after made my excitement slip down into my belly – like when you realise you’ve forgotten to do something.
I told Reg it was OK – I was going to go with Dad.