Gibber’s Creek Gazette, 18 December 1941
Cabinet Approves Employment of Women in Factories
Prime Minister Curtin has announced that as a war measure Cabinet has decided to approve the extensive employment of women in industries where men are not available. The Prime Minister assures us that such employment will only be for the duration of the war, and that the women will be replaced by men as soon as male labour is available. A sub-committee will be formed to prevent the encroachment on men’s jobs by cheap female labour.
KUALA LUMPUR, 18 DECEMBER 1941
NANCY
He looked like he always looked, rumpled, even if these clothes were army uniform. He even had a beer in his hand. Trust Ben, Nancy thought, to find himself a drink in the middle of an air raid.
He drained the glass, placed it on the ground, then enveloped her in a hug. He even smelt the same, the sweat that was essentially Ben sweat, still, she thought, with a tang of gum leaves.
He pulled back. ‘You’re looking good. I like that dress.’ He grinned at her. ‘Even wearing lipstick.’
She flushed. With Miss Reid managing to wear lipstick, it had seemed — to use Moira’s phrase — to be letting the side down if she couldn’t keep her lips rouged too. ‘Where have you been?’
The grin grew wider. ‘Fighting a bloody war.’
‘Don’t you swear at me, Ben Clancy.’
‘Who was it who called Mrs McNaughton a silly old —’
She punched him, hard, on the shoulder. He stepped back, laughing, the exchange the same as it had been since she was four and he was thirteen, and she discovered that if she punched him he wouldn’t hit back. Some things, at least, were easier as a female, and punching your brother — or that shearer up past Nyngan with the (she hoped) broken nose — was one of them.
‘Moira all right? And Gavin?’ His voice lost its laughter.
‘They’re fine. Gavin can sit up all by himself! We’re staying in a bungalow up towards the tin mine — no danger from the bombs there, the Japs won’t want to damage the mine.’ She was about to offer to drive him home, then realised that he might want — need — time alone with his wife and son, without worrying what a sister might hear. ‘Ben, you have to get Moira to leave. Down to Singapore, and a ship to home.’
‘I will.’
‘She says she’s been waiting to see you.’
She thought he’d be as exasperated as she was at Moira endangering Gavin by staying in Malaya. Instead he gave a half-smile. ‘I married a good ’un, didn’t I?’
She stared at him. Moira a good ’un? Spoilt, snobbish. Thinking if she went to Overflow, she’d be expected to sit in the kitchen and drink her tea with a black woman, and call her Gran. And she’d be right. But Nancy had never tried to talk to her brother about his choice of wife. This was not the time to begin.
‘I’m glad she’s here. I know, I know,’ he held up his hand as she began to protest, ‘I tried to get her to go south months ago, as soon as she was strong enough. But the way things are going, well, I may not get a chance to see them for a long time. But I’ll tell her she needs to go now. For Gavin’s sake. For mine, so I know they’re safe. And you. But Moira makes her own mind up about things.’ His smile was different now, the one he always had when he spoke of Moira, or saw her when he came in from the plantation or manoeuvres. ‘Gavin’s tooth come through yet?’
‘Not yet. But he’s drooling enough to fill a bathtub. Here.’ Nancy handed him the car keys and its piston rings — all vehicles had to be immobilised now so no Japanese paratroopers who might come down after the air raids could use them. ‘Take the street to your right, then drive towards the tin mine. It’s in the last street, the house with the bougainvillea in front and a million nappies hanging up under the veranda. Can’t miss it.’
‘Thanks, sis. How will you get back though?’
‘Have to stay on duty here till late,’ she lied. ‘Then be up to start breakfast. We’re shorthanded.’ Which was no lie. Nor was, ‘There are plenty of spare bedrooms now.’
‘With locks on them? Wouldn’t trust some of these chaps as far as I could chuck them.’
‘With locks on them, big brother. How long can you stay?’
‘Got to be back on duty by six am.’
‘You want some food?’
‘Is there food at the house?’
‘Plenty,’ she assured him. ‘Well, eggs, fruit, rice.’
‘That’ll do me.’
They looked at each other. There was so much she wanted to say — that she loved him, that she would look after Moira and Gavin, would give her life for them if necessary (except that would mean no one to look after them, so she’d make sure it didn’t come to that). But one thing must be said.
‘Ben, when this is over, come home. Please. Not to the plantation. Your real home. Overflow. Dad needs you. We all need you.’
‘All right.’
She had expected him to argue, to tell her of the career he was building for himself, that he didn’t want to just take over a family property. To say that Dad could hire a manager, if he needed to take things more easily.
‘You really will?’
‘I really will.’ He met her eyes. ‘I’ve seen the world outside now, sis. Enjoyed it too. But when we’ve got the Japs beat I’ll be home. And Moira and Gavin will be there with me. For good.’
‘Oh. Well then.’ She hesitated, hugged him, hard. Whispered, ‘Stay safe.’ Kissed his stubbled cheek, as brown as hers, then forced herself to walk away, back to the dining room, so that he wouldn’t waste precious minutes he might spend with his wife and son with his sister.
He had left when she got back after serving breakfast the next day, the yellow linen dress rumpled, crumpled, the silk slippers caked in grease. Moira lay on the chaise longue on the veranda, idly pulling the punkah to fan herself and Gavin, who was lying on a blanket at her feet, drooling and gumming a slice of lime Ah Jong had given him to distract him from his emerging teeth. He waved his arms and legs at her. ‘Mnmmert!’
She picked him up, kissed his soft cheek and breathed in his baby smell. ‘Hello to you too, froglet. Did Ben get here all right?’
For once Moira made no comment about Nancy’s appearance. ‘Yes. He left before dawn. He wouldn’t say where he was going.’
‘Might not know.’
‘That’s true. Thanks for giving us time alone,’ she added.
‘No worries.’ She saw Moira frown at the Australian colloquialism. ‘We were busy at the Club so I was useful anyway. Did Ben convince you to go to Singapore and get a ship home?’
Moira’s face closed off. ‘He tried. I don’t want to go quite yet. Another week or two can’t make any difference. Ben might get leave, or even be posted here. And anyway, Mr Sanderson at the Club says that the army can hold back the Japs for months.’
‘Did Ben tell you that?’
Moira hesitated. ‘No.’
‘Well then.’
‘We didn’t talk about the war.’ Moira got to her feet. ‘Gavin’s nappy needs changing.’
And you have no amah to do it for you, thought Nancy. No maid to button your dress and slip on your stockings. No boy even to pull the punkah to keep you cool. ‘Moira, please. Think of Gavin. Even if you don’t want to go to Australia, at least let’s go to Singapore.’
Moira looked at her expressionlessly; Nancy knew it was not her face she was seeing, but Ben’s. ‘Soon,’ she said. ‘Ben might even get stationed here. Just a week or two, and we’ll see.’