Ch 5 continued. Fictitious Facts I

Ch 5 continued. Fictitious Facts I

They drove many miles south past Naretha, turned east, and continuing their journey along a dirt road lined with ‘Spotted Gum’ and thick scrub. At the roads end was a place called Skishon which was situated in a large bay named; Visarg Bay. It was there they parked. The street was long and wide and lined with old but functional retail outlets. Behind the shops presented a marvellous ocean scenery upon which moored a fleet of fishing trawlers. While Ted was questioning a local shop keeper regarding who was able to authorize his intent to camp on the foreshore, everyone else got out of the car, took a deep breath of fresh air and stretched their legs in play. Ted returned with good news; they were allowed to camp anywhere they wished for a small fee payable on-site to a Council ranger, when and if they made their rounds. The campsite they chose was on an elevated bank overlooking the vast blue waters of the bay. Only another two tents were in view and they were placed far enough away to afford the Scotsdon’s complete privacy. The land virtually encircled the bay, reaching nearly to the centre on one side, and in the distance perched high on the end of the headland was a lighthouse; it looked to be lonely and isolated like it sprouted in a forsaken land. A small island to the far right of the bay likened itself to images of paradise. It was empty and secluded and yet near enough to fantasize how great it would be to settle on it for a reclusive lifestyle, familiar only to the rich and famous; the setting was inexpressible and warranted many admirable and silent stares. They remained speechless while their senses adapted to the beauty and freedom the townsfolk and the wildlife inhabiting this area so nonchalantly enjoyed. The helical threaded eggs of the ‘Port Jackson’ sharks scattered the beach, and the clean grains of sand swept in and out with the roll of each wave leaving a perfect reflection of the clouds in the wet smooth glistening surface. At first Don beheld the same appreciation to the scenic setting as his family, he thought it to be the biggest and best bay in the world, but as all children his admiration soon wavered into decline and it did not take long before his boredom and restless nature began looking to annoy someone. All tried to ignore his disruptive conduct, instead focusing on relaxation and absorption of the splendour around them. Ted was contemplating the possibility of being marooned on that little island: ‘It would allow perfect isolation to dodge the problems and predicaments of work, finance, housing, and life in general.’ His mentations led to a mixture of extraordinary adventures lending fabrications only possible within storybooks; ‘It’s nice to dream,’ he thought. Rene and the older two children went about organising the site while chastising Don.

Over the following few days they explored as much of the area as possible. Regrettably the essence of time meant they had to move on because Ted wanted to make the best of his planned schedule to involve seeing as much of the wider region as he could before returning to work; this meant it was time to pack up the gear. All chipped in, but not without gripe and objection. Leaving a place with such magnetism brought on heavy hearts, yet they knew deep down the infeasibility of staying. A continuation of their journey was out of Skishon by return of the same road as already travelled inbound. When they got to a point where the road met the main highway at Wirrageen a decision was called for. Here at the junction two petrol stations rest adjacent to one another; one on each corner. Don and his siblings expected their father to head north for the return home but Ted adjudicated otherwise and made a sharp left turn. When a few miles further south he looked at the map and positioned himself about two miles short of the next town named, Tongerma. At first he was going to stop there to refuel, but a glance down at the petrol gauge found the needle near empty so he chose to pull into the first ‘service station’ in view; it was a ‘Golden Fleece’. Besides he had to stop because members were complaining of their bladder issues needing instant attention.

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CH 5 'LEAVING EAST HILLS HOSTEL' continued...

Read the continuation of "Fictitious Facts I: 'Cultivation of a Murderer'. Ch:5.

Chapter 5

Leaving ‘East Hills Hostel

Rene eventually conformed just as others do in times of hardship. Her and her family formed bonds with neighbours making easier each other’s circumstances, but unknown to them, just as life settled into a routine there were changes looming. Their lives were about to turn another corner; a pleasant modification to their now happier existence was building by way of a succession of events to change forever the future of their existence.

Late 1959, nearly two years passed since arriving into Australia. In this time the Scotsdon’s ventured no further north than Bondi and no further south than Heathcote. They were definitely not associated to any portion of the honoured ‘jet-set’ and when they learned about Ted’s plans to take them on a vacation a little further afield they were elated. Where they went was of no concern, they were just happy to know they were to experience their first real holiday in Australia. He borrowed a small tent from Mr Sharp, loaded the car with the necessities he was able to accommodate and squeezed everybody in around and over those items. Rene, Zoe, Tim and Don gladly accepted any discomfort caused by the essentials carried; there was no hullabaloo in protest because the snugness was overshadowed by the excitement. They headed south towards a small town called Naretha, located about ten times further from the ‘Hostel’ than they ever travelled before. Why this area was chosen for a holiday no-one knew, and no-one really cared, they just wanted to get away from the mundane daily routines and the ‘hustle and bustle’ of the ‘Hostel’ and take pleasure in exploring other parts of Australia.

Ted nursed the car like a baby to minimize the risk of breakdowns, and as the car was not capable of excessive speeds the travel was at a safe and steady pace. Air conditioning was a luxury not available in the cars of low income affordability; hence, paramount in stopping sufferance from heat exhaustion was by the opening of windows. As a result the hot summer rush of air would burn exposed skin and sting the red soreness as each trickle of perspiration oozed from ones brow, but there were no complaints from the kids or ‘are we there yet dad’ irritations. Everyone was overjoyed with the chance to holiday and no-one was going to spoil the thrill by upsetting either parent.

The road along the ‘Princess Highway’ was hilly and narrow with lots of bends and as a result of the past foul weather there unforgiving potholes the size of craters. In general the road was in very poor condition and for the driver a mental effort. The car found most hills a challenge and demanded many radiator re-fills along the way to prevent the engine from overheating. Don was in awe at the miles and miles of bush, interrupted occasionally only by the odd house and spasmodic sightings of vehicles. On the climb of steep hills and on the turn of bends at the top offered gaping sights of beauty; Wollongong and Kiama gave them their first glimpse of the coastline outside of places such as Bondi. They were astonished by the amazing scale of exquisite unpopulated land. None of them could believe the greenery and sloping grassy hills rolling ever so gently into the calm deep blue ocean was part of the same earth they inhabited to date. The scenery through and after Kiama was astonishing and symptomatic of the pamphlets perused in England; it was beautiful. The beaches proudly displayed fine bright yellow sands together with spacious surroundings and unfaultable, uncontaminated panorama giving the impression this area had been unoccupied and untouched by humans throughout history. Ted was in awe and gasped;

       “This is what it’s all about, stunning isn’t it? What fantastic views.”

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Chapter 4 conclusion....

Conclusion of CH 4.....

Another stupid prank was when he wrote a note with his name and address on it saying he had been kidnapped and threw it out the train window. Someone found it and immediately presented it to the police. Without delay they went around to his parent’s house and began questioning them to try and find a logical reason for their child’s abduction. When Bing arrived home it was to a reception of police, devastated parent’s, and to what could only be described as another complete debacle. When the truth was told he was warned by the police and grounded forever with another sore rear end.

Bing was lucky to escape serious injury during his growth spurt. He had not gained a lot within the throes of formal education, and not yet reached full maturity, but was old enough for recruitment into the army. His parents fought hard to sway his decision because they wanted him to follow a path of education and become a professional like his father, but in the end they acceded to his request and agreed enlistment would be the best thing. They came to believe the discipline would rectify his unruly manner, and their resolve gave positive results when in hope of attaining a ‘trade’ he became a model soldier at ‘Ingleburn Army Camp’.

CHAPTER 5 NEXT WEEK

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CHAPTER 4 CONTINUED.......

Chapter 4 continued.............

When she returned home with her arm in a sling, upon first entry in facing the family, she burst out in a lusty guffaw to hide her embarrassment and went on to endorse gingerly the obvious with sarcasm towards self clumsiness;

       “You have to be dumb to fall out of a stationary car don’t you?”

       “Well you are”, replied Tim with brotherly sardonic pleasures.

       “Leave her alone,” Ted barked. “She needs rest and is in no state for stupidity.” Following this reprimand Bing walked in, and much to Zoe’s delight and Ted’s trepidation he immediately begins cosseting her like a queen. She thrived on the attention and Bing enjoyed the fact she was home bound and helpless.

Around this point in time Ted saved a small nest-egg and gave great thought towards prospects in work and housing outside of the comfort zone of the ‘Hostel’. He was an altruist whose sole aim as patriarch was to care for his family and try to offer them the best chance for success in life. He was making the most of the limited leisure time he had available to scour newspapers for business opportunities outside of the square; he thought the ‘Hostel’ had been good to them but it was time to move on. One factoring fixation of influence to his thinking was; he could see Bing and Zoe getting a little too cosy together and preferred they break and be of a larger distance away from each other. Also, he was truly passionate about wanting to sample new adventures and test other moneymaking prospects. His reasons took in a diverse mixture of considerations, each one egging him on to change the present circumstances. His concerns about Zoe were not placed on a complete disparagement of Bing’s calibre, it was more to the fact he thought her too young to be getting so heavily involved in an immature crush, and as most fathers would think in the same situation, he was not impressed with any boy who intimately invaded the space of his daughter; as proven by the secret surrounding the disappearance of Battista. It became very clear to him his concerns could well be ascertained as correct because the fulfilment of Bing’s endearing demeanour was ultimately captivating all her attention.

Bing, being a lot older than Don, was in his last few years of completing school. In many ways Don was a lot like Bing, who in his younger days would go to school in the mornings and walk off the grounds at recess with his mates to ‘hitch’ a ride back to the ‘Hostel’. Letter after letter from school authorities were sent home to Bing’s parents in disapproval of his raft of truancies. They punished him severely, countless times, and ‘strap’ after ‘strap’ to his rear was painfully applied; but all to no avail. He continued such taxing conducts all through his schooling years. Don enjoyed the familiarity Bing undertook to establish a friendship with him and his family; even with the age difference they shared a bond. His continual presence was prioritised towards Zoe, and being friendly to Don was probably an excuse to help prevent invidious discrimination from other family members, but regardless of the reasons for his amity, and the likely tactical obsequious charm, he was good to Don and his friends. He would spend a lot of time teaching Don to swim in the water hole located a short distance from the ‘Hostel’ and took a great interest in his safety; sadly he was not so prudent as to the relevance of his own wellbeing and continued to do stupid things. At times his inanity was surpassed only by his inability to realise the consequences of his actions. He and his mates climbed out of the window of a moving train, just like in the Western movies, and stood on the roof top playing ‘chicken’ with the face of overhead tunnels. The rules, unlike the skills in reflex, was lacking in complexity; as the tunnel grew nearer and nearer the first to ‘duck’ would lose.

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CHAPTER 4 OF FFI CONTINUED.........

CHAPTER 4 OF FFI CONTINUED.........

On another day, relaxing at a pleasant beach outing, Tim was playing around the rocks and throwing stones to kill crabs. Don did not appreciate his abusive act and began throwing stones at him, ordering him to stop or he would keep throwing stones. The age difference between them caused Tim irritation at the best of times but he took great offence to being stoned, in retaliation with a degree of rage he chased Don along the beach throwing sticks and anything else he could use as a missile. Don sprinted as hard as his small legs would alternate until he reached sight of his mother. Her instincts knew trouble was brewing and shouted aloud at both to behave, she was too late a large seashell hit Don in the back of the head; it drew blood, but his screams were much worse than the injury.

       “What are you doing?” She bellowed. “Come here Tim this instant!” Tim complained from afar so as not to get a hiding;

       “Don’s throwing stones at me.” Safely in his mother’s arms getting first aid Don whimpered;

       “He was killing things.”

       “What do you mean he was killing things,” she asked inquisitively.

       “He was killing crabs,” cried Don.

       “Oh Don,” she said with a sigh, “you have to grow up. Leave Tim alone and don’t ever throw stones at people again. Go away and play nicely.” She checked his head; “It’s just a scratch, go and play,” she ruled while pushing him off her lap. When that little scuffle was sorted, Ben and Ted, who during the fracas did not move anyway, stayed lazing about on the sand discussing their dreams whilst Rene and Peg set the picnic blanket with home-made cordial, baked beans sandwiches and tasty treats. They called out to all the kids to come for food. Most sat happily and replenished the energy lost from running and bellyaching, but not Don, he decided he was still peeved with the prior dispute regarding Tim and himself and tormented him by making snorting noises in close proximity to his face, and provoked him further by prodding his leg with his fingers. Tim pushed Don’s face away with the palm of his hand, in anger Don latched his teeth into the flesh of his wrist and gnawed firmly. Don’s father was quick to react with a few mighty slaps around his thigh and bum. Don bellowed loudly, not only because of the pain but because his feelings were hurt and his brother won the battle without chastisement. He was told to be quiet and never, ever, bite again. Ted made him sit quietly, eat his lunch and threatened another smack would be forthcoming if he did not behave; silent he was.

The afternoon clouds made unwelcome the glow of full sun and gave warning of a storm appearing imminent. Zoe was the first to feel the chill and walked to uncle Ben’s ‘van’ to change into warmer clothes. The back of the ‘van’ had two doors which opened outwards for easy access and allowed for room and privacy when closed. She completed her change from scanty swimwear into shorts and a blouse, on exit from the ‘van’ she caught one foot in the jumble and stumbled head first onto the ground. On the way down she extended her arms with her palms smashing into the gravel to break the fall and screamed an agonizing pain as she made contact with the rough surface. Ted was alarmed and startled by her screams and rushed to her aid. Being the first on site he tried to calm her, as others arrived and huddled around they offered various appraisals of the injury. She could not move one arm and was in immense agony with stone bruises and cuts on her hands. Ted asserted his authority and ordered the immediate packing of the cars. He sat her down and made her as comfortable as he could until those travelling with him were in the vehicle, then he took her to hospital. She was diagnosed with a fractured shoulder and admitted for two nights.

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