It was after nine o’clock that night before Vic reached the community where Jane lived. He felt fatigue wash through him as the town lights came into view, but he was driven on by a surge of nervous anticipation.
Sure enough Buck had a car waiting for him in Cairns by the time he landed, with the details texted to him on his new mobile number. It was an older model Ford Falcon with a big six cylinder engine which ran sweetly. The car had a couple minor dints in the body work, but they were trivial, and the upholstery had seen better days. But it was sound and as good as expected for nineteen hundred dollars. Cash was king and Buck had negotiated down from the asking price of $3000.
It was registered in Buck’s name at his own family’s farm address in Queensland, down near Rockhampton. The story Buck had given was that Vic was driving it down there as a favour to him where it would serve as a second farm car. Buck had made it clear that if the car was a lemon he would pay the salesman a visit on his next trip to Cairns, looking for a refund, and he had a persuasive manner about him when needed.
It was a slow drive over unfamiliar roads to reach the isolated aboriginal community where Jane lived. It was long after dark before distant lights came into view. Vic felt anxious about how Jane would react to him turning up late at night, unannounced. But he was driven to keep going, no matter how he was received. Most of all he wanted to see her again.
He would have to play the encounter by ear. It seemed a huge ask to say to a girl, who barely knew him, to come away with him. He felt a little foolish for proposing it, though his mind and emotions joined together in telling him this was what he needed to do.
He was certain her safety was a terribly precarious thing, particularly if she suddenly became the centre of attention over something she had no prior knowledge of. It would be a disaster if they returned her to jail and took her children away.
His emotions for her were a complex mix of a hundred things but first and foremost he felt hugely protective of both her and her children, very conscious his contact with her and telling others could bring her undoing.
He was glad when he pulled up outside that a light was still on in her cottage, hoping that meant she was still awake. He sat in the car for a few seconds, composing himself. Then, realizing that planning was pointless at this stage, he opened the car door and walked towards the house. He was glad there were no other houses nearby, just the bulk of the back of the shop 50 meters away. He was also glad there were no dogs barking.
He knocked on the door and another light came on, lighting the outside. She stood there with the light behind her, illuminated in silhouette. She was wearing a light slip, not quite a nightie but something similar. It illuminated the outline of her body. He felt a huge rush of affection for her, this new Jane who seemed to have occupied his Susan’s body. He wanted to take her to him, hold her close and give her reassurance, as she stood there looking uncertainly into the outside night, seeking to make an identification.
His voice came out a bit croaky, “Jane, I needed to see you again.”
Now recognition came to her, half puzzled, half welcoming, another bit apprehensive. “Vic?”
He continued, “I am sorry I did not get here until it was so late. I hope I have not frightened you.”
As he spoke she seemed to relax. She opened the door to invite him in. They stood facing each other, a meter apart. He knew he needed to connect with her in a way that went beyond words.
He put out his hands to greet her and she responded in kind, a mirror. He walked forward a step and took her small hands in his. They felt so delicate, even though hardened with manual work. She gave him a tentative smile, such an open and trusting face.
All his rehearsed words fell away, he looked at her and she looked back at him with a curious intensity, as if seeing him for the first time. He released one of her hands and put his hand to her cheek and stroked it. She brought her hand to his hand and squeezed it, softly. Almost unconsciously she stepped forward, moving towards him, their bodies were almost touching.
He put his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into the small gap until all the space was gone. As he felt her body come against him he knew it was still her, made anew but still her. He cradled her in his arms and stroked her head. She was the most precious thing he had ever touched. He lifted her face to his, as if to kiss her.
She looked at him, serious trusting eyes locked on his, not knowing, but open to his soul.
He said, “You are all I have thought of since I left you yesterday. I just needed to see you again. More than anything I needed to see you again, to touch you and feel you and know you were not just a dream, but a living breathing person.”
She nodded, “I am glad you came, I have wanted to see you again too. It has a feeling of rightness to see you though I do not know why. I think partly it is because David trusted you. I trust you too”
Vic said, “Will you come away with me, leave here and come with me, just you and your children?”
She said, “If that is what you want then I will come with you. How soon shall we go?”
He asked, “Can we leave tonight? I would like to leave before the night is over. Perhaps we could rest for a while and go an hour before the daylight comes, when others in this place are still sleeping.”
She said, “Yes, we will come with you, we can leave then.”
She went to the fridge and found some bread which she toasted and served to him with a mug of tea. As she sat beside him at the table she picked up a pen and paper, saying. “I must write a note to tell Matilda at the shop along with Pastor Doug and Ruth that I have gone away and will get in touch with them again as soon as I can, or they will be worried about me.”
When it was done she put the folded note on the table.
Then she said. “We should rest now.”
He looked around and saw some cushions on the sofa which he could lay on the floor to make a bed. He said, “I will fix cushions to lie on for the night.”
She said, “There is space to lie beside me on my bed.”
So they lay on the bed, side by side. She turned her body to face him, she took his arm and placed it over her shoulders, then she closed the space until she was fully alongside him and pushed her face into the hollow of his neck. So they slept, bodies touching. It felt so good to him and it felt right to her.
She awoke in a small hour of the morning, number around three or four. Her mind was sharply awake in an instant. She did not know where her body was, except it was in a bed and the bed was unfamiliar.
A sound came of another human drawing breath, in and out, regular but not loud. She moved her arms around to explore the bed space. There was another body lying not far away, source of breath sounds, it was hard and angular shaped, a body of elbows and bony protuberances. It must be a man. Now she knew who this man was. The man had a name and a face. He had no history but his name was Vic, he was with her and she was so very glad.
She could remember no other past and her future was an unknown place, but he was here and he was known. That was enough so she would trust her life to him. She slept again until he woke her in the early dawn and she knew him still.
As the first light tinged the eastern sky they each carried a sleeping child to the car and drove together to another unknown place.