Gibber’s Creek Gazette, 14 December 1975
Yesterday Australia’s voters spoke, electing Malcolm Fraser’s Coalition government in a landslide victory with at least a 53-seat majority in the new parliament . . .
JED
The sun woke her, creeping across the sky to rise in a new place until mid-summer.
Jed rolled over and saw Maxi lying on the sofa, her head on her paws. She must have nudged the back screen door open. The dog whined softly, hopped off the sofa and headed to the kitchen. She sat by the fridge as if to say, ‘This is what you must do now. Feed the dog.’
Jed ran to the phone and dialled the Drinkwater number.
No answer. It would be an hour at least before Anita arrived.
And if . . . if . . .
Whatever had happened, if anything had happened, family should be there, not hired hands, no matter how loved.
She grabbed the leftover roast lamb, chopped off pieces and put them on a plate on the floor, filled an empty ice-cream container with water, dressed, scribbled a note for Sam and Scarlett, then paused by the front door. ‘Are you coming?’ she asked Maxi.
Maxi glanced up from the water, the roast meat ignored. She whimpered, once, then padded back up onto the sofa, lowering her head once more onto her paws.
‘Your choice, old girl,’ said Jed softly.