The wind woke Rebecca from a deep sleep. The interrupted slumber of last night had meant she had not forced herself to get up when the alarm had gone off. Instead, she had rolled over, hit the button, and snuggled back down under the covers. Why she had even bothered resetting it, after the power had come on escaped her, but it was just what you did. But now it was nine thirty, and she could hear gusts of wind screaming outside. That alone would not have gotten her to rise from bed, but something was banging against the side of the house, something metal, and she hoped that a sheet of roofing had not come loose.
After putting on a few layers of clothing, she finally ventured outside. Despite the time it still seemed quite dark and the state of the sky told her why. A massive storm was brewing and if the wind did not blow it over the range quickly, it would likely dump some heavy rain before the day was out. She continued outside, investigating the clanging metal noise she had heard, and which was even now screeching and banging as she rounded the corner of the house. She saw it immediately. A metal downpipe hung precariously from the dislodged gutter. The pipe was bent almost in half, partway down its length, and she doubted it would be able to be fixed. A replacement pipe seemed more likely. Now she needed a tradesman, a plumber and it dawned on her that she knew just who to call.
She grabbed the business card stuck to the fridge and found herself saying the numbers out loud as she punched them into her phone and waited for it to ring.
“Braye’s Plumbing. Angela speaking.”
“Oh, hi Angela. My name is Rebecca. I live out at Shattered Falls, and I’ve got a bit of a problem with some guttering and a downpipe. So, I was hoping someone could come out and look. I don’t think it’s a big job, just think it could be an issue if we get a big storm.”
“Let’s see who is available. Have you used us before Rebecca?”
“No, but Craig gave me your card and told me to ring if I needed help with anything.”
“ I think we can get someone out there around lunchtime. Don’t know if it will be Craig, but since it might storm later today, I think it best we get someone out ASAP.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Ok I just need to get address details and phone number…and payment is due at time of work for new customers. It’s just policy.”
“Umm…yeah that’s okay. I can arrange that.”
“Ok then Rebecca. Thanks for calling Braye’s.”
“Bye”
Rebecca walked back outside, giving Sarge a moment to run out into the backyard. She stood at the top of the steps, feeling the strong breeze kick her hair up into the air. As she waited, she looked down at the worn grass beside the back stairs and spotted something that she was sure had not been there before. She stepped down, bent to the ground, and picked it up. It had been pushed into the ground as if something heavy had landed atop it. It had more than likely been there when she had come outside only moments before, but she had been focused on finding what was making the scraping noise, but it had not been there yesterday. She held it up to her face looking for any clue to its origin but found no markings and then her phone rang, and she put the small, black flashlight into her pocket.
“Hello.” Rebecca answered tentatively, not recognising the phone number. After Uncle Paul had given her the phone, she had spent time entering the names and numbers of almost everyone she knew, so that when they called their name would pop up and some even had photos. This one however was just a number.
There was silence on the other end of the line, then a groan and a brief, muttered expletive.
She tried again, “Hello’”
“Hello…Sorry…Hello…umm this hands-free thing is rubbish. Let’s start again. Hi Rebecca, this is Craig from the Plumbing service.”
“Oh, hi Craig. Sorry I rang and used your name, but you did say to ring if I needed help.”
“Yeah, it’s fine, really. We can use all the business we can get. Listen Angela said you got a busted downpipe and gutter.”
“Is that something you can fix?”
“Sure. Just ringing to let you know I should be there in about two hours. Just finishing a hot water system repair and I’ll be on my way.”
“That’s great. I was worried with the storm coming.”
“Well don’t worry. I’ll take care of it. See you in two.”
Once back inside she placed the small torch on top of the fridge, made some tea and set about solving the other mystery of the night. The whereabouts of her mother’s diary. Firstly, she checked the floor of the bedroom. Down on hands and knees, head poking under the bed. Peering into the dim light, struggling to find any shape that resembled a diary. She had a thought and went back to the kitchen, returning moments later with the small torch. The light from it gave life to the shapes under the bed. A pair of old slippers, plus one lonely boot; a small box, possibly a shoebox; and the old chamber pot that she hoped had not been used in a long time; but no diary. Next, she searched the bed, lifting the pillows and shaking them vigorously, pulling back the quilt, blankets, and sheets. Searching every inch of them as she went. In the end she pulled them off the bed. A change of sheets was due anyway. Finally, in desperation she pulled the mattress from the bed. Its weight surprised her. Comfortable but extremely heavy. Still no diary, but she did find an old yellowed envelope. It had been tucked under the mattress, sitting atop a metal slat and almost in the middle of the bed.
The view now gave her a clear picture of what lay under the bed. Lots of dust, the box (which ended up containing a bunch of old plastic flowers and a note ‘They ran out of real ones. Love you always’) and the collection of boots and shoes, but still no diary.
Rebecca grabbed the old envelope, frustrated that the diary had still not been found. As she opened the envelope and looked inside, she closed her eyes and shook her head.
“You silly old bugger.”
She reached in and pulled out a wad of fifty-dollar notes. She knew Pop had liked to hide money in the house and possibly in the shed, but she had thought he had stopped that years ago when she had roused on him before. ‘Never know when I might need it. When anyone might need it and the banks…don’t trust ‘em. Not when you’re depending on em.’ She could almost hear him say those words. In all she counted out six hundred and fifty dollars.
It took her mind off finding the diary for the moment, and she did have the task ahead of remaking her bed. ‘Maybe’, she thought ‘This will come in handy for the plumber.’ She looked up, waved the money, and gave a nod. “Thanks Pop.”
Putting the bed back together was more of an effort than taking it apart. Rebecca took the opportunity to rotate the mattress. Judging by the indentations on the base of it from the slats, she doubted it had ever been turned. New sheets, new pillowcases, and an extra blanket, and in just over half an hour, despite the cold she had worked up a sweat and a worrying muscle pain in her left shoulder. But still, no diary. Her mind began to come up with extravagant explanations for its disappearance. Rats, or maybe Sarge had chewed it up somewhere, or did she dream the whole thing, was there ever really a diary. She threw her hands into the air and for the moment gave up. ‘Maybe’ she reasoned, ‘I just need to stop looking and it will come to me.’ So, she did, but it did not.
She stepped outside again, needing some air and a bit of space to stretch her arm. Sarge followed her out and ran off as usual to do what dogs needed to do.
“Hope you’re not going to shit out a diary. I’ll be very cranky if you do.”
Her phone gave a buzz and a message flashed onto the screen.
[15 minutes. In town now. Gutter will be fixed in no time. Craig@Brayes]
She typed back a message.
[OK. C u soon]
She yelled across the yard to Sarge. “C’mon girl. Time to get presentable. We’re getting a visitor.”
She barely had time to wash her face and change out of her pyjamas when a van pulled up in the driveway. Sarge began her barking and Rebecca had to calm her. The barking grew in intensity as if she sensed danger, and it was only when Rebecca commanded her to sit and be quiet that she stopped.
Craig knocked on the front door and Rebecca answered immediately. Craig wore a hi-vis jumper and a pair of mud streaked pants. His boots also were laden with their own fair share of mud.
“Hi Rebecca. Sorry didn’t get here sooner.”
“Oh, that’s alright. It doesn’t look like the rains going to hit us anyway. It’s all blowing over the mountain.”
“Yeah. Radio said Coffs Harbour was already getting a drenching. So, whereabouts is this gutter issue.”
“Yeah. Ex police dog, and she’s been told to guard me with her life. So, don’t take it personally. I’ll come out and show you the downpipe.”
Outside the clouds had started to thin out. The wind still blew ferociously, sending Rebecca’s hair flying into her eyes. She held it back as she pointed down the side of the house to the gutter and downpipe, which swayed even more dramatically now with every gust of wind.
“Looks like it’s just about to fall off. I can fix it, but it will just be a PVC pipe and a few adapter fittings and should be able to get the gutter seated back up there properly. Just have to ask one thing.”
“Ok.” Rebecca creased her brow, wondering just what request was about to come. “I’ve got cash to pay, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
“Ha. No, No. Just wandering if you would be able to steady the ladder. This breeze is likely to send me flying if it catches me at just the wrong time.”
“I can hold the ladder. Just don’t drop anything on my head.”
“It’s a deal.”
Craig returned to his van and came back a few moments later with a ladder and a belt full of tools. Once the ladder was secure against the side of the house, he looked Rebecca straight in the eye.
“You got this?”
“Trust me, I got this.”
‘Ok then my young Padawan.”
“Padawan. Don’t tell me you’re a Star Wars fan too.”
He gave her a bemused look as he stepped up onto the later, “Isn’t everybody?”
The wind gusted again, and Rebecca put one foot against the base of the ladder and braced her arms along its side, as Craig reached the higher rungs. She looked up, squinting her eyes as if that would protect should anything fall, but all she saw was his behind as he reached his arms up unto the gutter. As Craig pulled a hammer from his belt, he caught her upward gaze.
“Stop looking at my butt.”
“I wasn’t looking at your…Ok…I’ll stop looking at your butt.”
“Ohhhhkay…I was actually just kidding…didn’t think you were looking at it.”
“Enough butt talk okay, I’m embarrassed enough.”
“Deal. Let’s change the subject then. The gutter has just come loose from a couple of clips. I should be able to get them back on for now, but it probably should be replaced sometime soon.”
Rebecca heard the hammer bang against the metal gutter several times, but she did not dare look up. She heard Craig strain and grunt as she guessed he was putting the gutter clips back into place and then a yell of pain and a curse.
“Look out.”
Rebecca stepped back quickly as a hammer fell to the far side of the ladder. It would have missed her, but survival instincts had taken over for just a second. The ladder wobbled and Rebecca moved quickly back into position to secure it.
From above Craig yelled. “It’s okay. Just me coming back down. Sorry about the hammer. Caught my finger on the edge of the clip.”
“Are you bleeding?”
“Nah…just nearly pulled my fingernail off. Stings like a …stingy thing.”
Craig stepped down the last few rungs and stood beside Rebecca on the grass. He shook his finger, and then squeezed it in the palm of his other hand. After a moment he released it, stretched out his fingers and they both saw a bright bruise growing under the nail of his pointer.
“You want me to get some ice?” Rebecca asked concernedly.
“Nah. It’s okay.”
“Good ‘because I don’t think I’ve got any anyway.”
The final remark set them both laughing. “Mind if I just sit a moment. Let the pain ease.”
“No problem. Back veranda is just the right size for sitting on.”
Both set off to the back yard, sat down on the old wooden planks that made up the veranda and let their legs dangle down to the grass below. The bulk of the house shielded them from the worst of the breeze. Still, whirling gusts of errant wind came screaming around toward them every few minutes, sending Rebecca’s hair flying across her face.
“You should tie that up. Your hair I mean. It’s pretty but not built for handling this wind.”
“Well that was a roundabout way to give me a compliment.”
“You’re welcome. So, you all settled in since I saw you last. It’s been what…about two weeks?”
“Yeah about that, and yes I think I’ve found my place in the world. Beats the city hands down, and the sky, especially at night, those stars…well there are no words.”
“I know, right. Just makes you want to lay out under it and stare up all night.”
“How’s the finger now?”
Craig stretched out his palm, turned it over, back and forth a few times and then clenched his fist. “I reckon I’ll be able to keep it.”
“You sure, because I think there’s a pair pretty sharp garden shears in the shed that would cut right through it.”
“Now that just sounds evil. I think you’re supposed to do the crazy laugh when you say things like that.”
“I’m laughing on the inside.”
Craig just gave a huge grin and stood up, “Ok, best get this job finished then.”
Rebecca followed the wounded plumber back to the ladder and gripped its frame as Craig once again climbed up.
“Let’s see if we can’t get this old downpipe off now.”
He made his way toward the top of the ladder, stopping when he was just above the broken downpipe and pulled a nail from a twisted bracket that was supposed to have held the pipe in place. The pipe now hung on just one lower bracket and it dropped slightly lower so that the opening was now level with Craig’s face. He peered inside.
“Well this would have been useless anyways. Looks like a tennis ball or something wedged a bit further down inside.”
He pulled a screwdriver from his belt and poked it into the opening of the pipe.
“Must have been here for a long time. It feels all soft. Almost like tissue paper. I reckon I could push the screwdriver right through it.... Ohhhh Shit…. RUN.”
Rebecca looked up and saw Craig barrelling down the ladder, two and three steps at a time. Jumping the last section to land heavily on the grass.
“I SAID RUN…. WASPS.”
Rebecca let go of the ladder and ran, as instructed. Craig’s foot caught the ladder and made it topple onto the downpipe, which in turn now fell. Fell directly onto Craig’s head. Rebecca could hear the hum of the wasp’s wings but kept heading for the front of the house, covering her head with her hands as she ran. Craig however now had his shirt caught on the bent bracket that still clung to the ladder. He struggled and pulled hard, ripping the shirt, a shredding tear that Rebecca heard over the sound of the wasps, but it was what she heard next that made her stop and turn. Craig gave three huge screams of pain. Howls that she was sure would be heard by her distant neighbours, and then the obligatory swearing, that invariably accompanies a wasp sting.
“You little striped bastards. Shit, Shit, God damn, Shit.”
Rebecca ran back to him, grabbed him by the hand and half led, half dragged him to the back veranda and in through the back door to the relative safety of the house. Once inside she could stop and take the time to look what damage had been done to Craig. He was clasping his hand across the top of his other arm. Rebecca pulled his hand away, ignoring Craig’s pained moans, so that she could see. His shirt had been torn open there when he had attempted to escape the clutches of the downpipe, and the wasps had taken advantage of the entry point. One of the wasps was smeared across the reddened flesh on his upper arm, with two swollen stings getting redder by the second. A third sting showed on the back of the hand that had been clenching his arm. She led him into the bathroom, turning on the tap in the sink and throwing a towel into the basin. She wiped the stung areas with the wet towel, applying some liquid soap to ensure she removed as much venom as possible. She looked Craig in the eye.
“Hold the towel over the sting for a moment. I’ll find something cold to put on it.”
“You got no ice remember.”
“Maybe I keep some for special occasions…or maybe a pack of frozen peas will do just as good. I’ll be right back.”
Rebecca went as quickly as she could, hoping that there was a pack of frozen peas in the freezer. There was. She grabbed the peas and a frozen pack of corn as well and rushed back to Craig. She found him now sitting on the floor, the towel wrapped tightly around his arm, strangely smiling at her as he came back.
“What’s so funny?”
“You think maybe they could be radioactive wasps. I could turn into a superhero. Climb up walls, hide in drainpipes and stuff.”
“You are delirious.”
She squatted down and removed the towel, wrapped it around the peas and placed it back on the stings on his arm. “Now put this one on the back of your hand.” She pushed the corn into his hand as she tied the towel off.
“I don’t like corn.”
“Then no dessert for you.”
Craig closed his eyes and lent back against the wall and closed his eyes.
“How’s the pain now?”
“Not getting any worse, or better…but the back of my head feels a bit achy too. The pipe must have caught me there. Happened so quick. I don’t remember it all.”
Rebecca made Craig bend his head forward and felt through his hair until she found the lump.
“Yep. You got a massive egg there. Maybe I should check you for shock…back in a sec.”
Rebecca went to her bedroom where she had left the little black torch, she had found in her yard earlier. As she bent to pick it up from the bed, she heard a crash as something hit the tiles in the bathroom.
“My god. What Now?”
As she re-entered the bathroom, she found Craig head down in the sink gulping down mouthfuls of water. Above him the bathroom mirror had been slid to one side, revealing bottles of old medication. Pops old tablets.
“What are you doing now?”
“Sorry I needed something for the pain. Panadol, Nurofen, something.”
“So, did you take anything?”
“Yeah some of these and that one.”
Rebecca read the bottles and packets that Craig had indicated. Paracetamol and some type of antihistamines.
“How many?”
“Umm four of the Paracetamol ones and a couple of the antihisty thinghies.”
“Bloody hell…That was stupid…I don’t think that’s a good mix.”
“I’m gunna sit down.”
“Ok, but not here. Out in the lounge room.”
Rebecca led Craig once again. Sat him down on the couch and turned on the torch.
“What’s that for?”
“To check your eyes.”
“What…did they take my eyes? Wasps took my eyes? Look quick, make sure they’re there.”
“Ok. You’re starting to scare me. Just open your eyes and look at the torch.”
She waved the torch in front of his face a few times, checking his pupil dilation and tracking, but it all seemed normal.
“Hey.” Craig announced, sounding groggier and groggier by the moment, “That’s my torch. What’cha doing with my torch?”
“Found it.”
“Ok. Do you have any more corn? I think I like it now.”
“Think we best get you to the doctors.”
“Doctors? Let’s go baby, I’m driving.”
“Umm…No. We’ll go in my car. You can pick yours up tomorrow.”
“You think I can. Did they make me strong? The radioactive wasps…so I can pick up cars.”
“No…I didn’t mean…Holy Shit. You need to rest.”
Rebecca called to Sarge, who in all the commotion she had forgotten about. She turned and found the dog standing behind her, just watching, cocking her head from side to side, almost looking amused at the situation. In fact, Sarge had been shadowing her the whole time, or more precisely watching Craig. Watching, doing her job, protecting. Craig was after all, a stranger and there was something else. Something that Sarge just could not make out, but it worried her. Rebecca grabbed a few of her things and went outside to open the garage and saw that the driveway was blocked by Craigs van. She went back to Craig, who now seemed to be playing Incey Wincey spider with his fingers.
“I need your keys. I have to move your van.”
“Ok, but you be home before midnight young lady.”
He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out the keys, which Rebecca grabbed. “You know if this wasn’t so serious, you would be quite funny.”
She walked out the front door once again, the screen slamming shut behind her. From inside she heard Craig yell “BINGO” and Sarge gave a muted bark.
The side door of the van was still open, and she moved to slide it shut. Looking inside she was surprised by how neat it was. Everything seemed to have a place. As she began to slide the door, she noticed a black torch hanging from a holder on the wall of the van. A torch that looked identical to the one she had found earlier. Another the same hung beside it and beside it an empty socket that looked like it would hold yet another torch.
The door slid shut, and she went around the white van and climbed into the driver’s seat. Instead of reversing out, she turned the steering wheel and parked the van on the grass in front of the house, locked it up, opened the garage and brought the Suzuki out onto the driveway.
‘Now’ she thought to herself, ‘the tricky bit.’
She was surprised how easy it was to get Craig to the car, strap him in and get Sarge into the back. She had been expecting to struggle to get Craig to walk down the stairs and step up into the car, but he did it with a minimum of fuss. She climbed into the car herself, started it up, turned down the radio and began the at least half hour journey to Tamworth Base Hospital. She could have tried one of the doctors at the medical centre, but she just did not know how serious it all was.
It was mid-afternoon and the wind had finally died away as they headed out of her front gate. Craig looked at her, then looked into the rear vision mirror at his van for a moment, then turned back to Rebecca.
“You stole my ladder didn’t you.”
‘No. You can get it tomorrow or whenever the Doctor says you can drive.”
“Ok, because I need my ladder, but you can keep the torch.”
“Are you sure this is your torch?”
“I think so. I bought two of them last week. Bunnings had a crate full of them. Three dollars. Lots of people bought ‘em. I could go for a sausage sandwich.”
“Soon. Soon. Just rest.”
“Ok. Thanks, pretty lady.”
Rebecca was not sure if he was being sincere or if it was the tablets and head knock talking, but it did make her smile.
Before they left town, she made one last stop. Tracey was behind the counter as Rebecca walked in with Sarge by her side.
“Bec. Mum don’t usually let dogs in the shop.”
“I’m really sorry, but could you look after her for a while. I got to make an emergency dash to Tamworth.”
“Emergency?”
Rebecca explained the situation and Tracey took it all in and before there was even a chance to ask questions Rebecca ran out the door with a final pat on Sarges head and a “Love you both.”
Tracey and Sarge just looked at each other both thinking the same thing, ‘What the f…”