Chapter 3

With Clarrie laid to rest, Annie was a little out of her league for a while. The rest of the villagers were a lot older than both of us and although they tried to help her with her grieving it wasn't enough. She came over to milk Rosie every day and we become fast friends. We would sit and talk, her about her early life in the Philippines and me talking about my job at the supermarket.

One day she came over and I was playing the banjo, "I've heard you playing that thing quite often, I don't know how Rosie puts up with it."

"She didn't for a while but she missed her tickles and scratches so she now turns a deaf ear to it."

"That's animal cruelty you know."

"Jeeze, I didn't think it was that bad, at least I can get a tune out of it."

"I was only joking Jim, I wish I could learn to play an instrument but I wouldn't know where to start."

"Actually Annie, when I was on the net looking for information I came across a site run by a guy called McNally. He makes an instrument called a 'Strum stick'. What he has done is taken all the sharps and flats frets out and it only uses full notes, most of the tunes he displays are Mountain Dulcimer tunes and are very simple to learn."

"Wow, that sounds like something I might be able to get a grip on, could you get me some more information Jim?"

"I'll do better than that Annie, with all the info I gleaned from his web site I've managed to start building my own stick, it's nearly complete but for the strings and the machine head tuners. Those I'll get the next time in town."

"Can I see it now Jim?"

"Of course you can, come this way, it's in the workshop."

I took Annie into the workshop and showed her the nearly completed strum stick.

"Gee it a bit skinny Jim, are you sure you got the measurements right?"

"Yeah Annie, its pretty close, I got the fret spacings of another web site, they had a fret calculator, all you did was put in the number of frets and the chord length and it gave you the spacings. That was for the full run of frets so it was just a matter of leaving out the sharps and flats, pretty cool I thought."

...

Later in the day I had a call from Ed, he'd visited a few times and it was great to catch up on what was happening in my old office. This time he asked if I minded him bringing someone with him. "OK by me Ed, as long as they realise the woman of the house is a goat." We both had a laugh and arranged that they would be over in the morning.

I heard Ed's car pull up so I went to greet them. Surprise surprise, the friend turned out to be young Erin the checkout girl I put with Ed as an assistant.

"Good morning to both of you, Erin it's good to see you, did Ed talk you into coming over to see this old retire?"

Erin looked at Ed who said, "Erin and I are engaged Jim, we wanted you to be the first to know about it."

"Well congratulations are definitely in order, I'm happy for both of you and I feel honoured you thought of me."

"Well it was you that threw us together and things just took off from there. Erin and I have a lot in common but we wouldn't have known it if you hadn't given Erin the job."

"And I want to give you a big kiss for making it happen, Ed's a great guy and we really love each other."

Rosie had heard the voices and came down to investigate; she knew that Ed would give her the required scratch and tickle so she nosed up against Erin. Ed had fore warned her that Rosie was affectionate and to give her a scratch and tickle behind the ears.

"Hello Rosie, Ed told me all about you, there, how does that feel."

Rosie had made a new friend.

We went inside and I put the kettle on for a cuppa. "Excuse the goat smell Erin, Rosie is the lady of the house, I'm used to it but some folk find it a bit on the nose."

"No worries Jim I grew up on a farm and I'm used to animal odours, they're better than some humans I've smelled."

Annie had seen the car arrive and knew Ed was visiting so she came over to say hello.

Ed introduced Erin as his fiancé. Annie and Erin started talking and I looked at Ed and gestured towards the workshop. "Woman talk Ed, always the same, engagements, weddings and babies. They all seem to have the same software," I ducked as Annie threw a tea towel at me. "Men, they're all the same, unsentimental."

We all had a laugh and left the women to talk while I showed Ed the workshop fridge and a cold beer.

Ed and I returned to the house and they were still gabbing away so we sat on the front porch and enjoyed our beers. "Nice beer Jim, I don't think I've tried this one before."

"It's one of my home brews Ed, naturally brewed and fermented, this one is low alcohol but I've some back in the workshop that are full strength. Light ones during the day though or you'll finish up with a sore head."

Ed brought me up to date with the stores progress and told me that Alan Tatlow was doing a great job as manager. "He has the ability to listen to what anyone tells him and then make his mind up as to what action to take."

Bruno's health had picked up and he quite often showed up at the three stores, Teresa had Joey well and truly under her thumb and she let Mama know that she was to keep out of the way. She was handling him and no interference, it seemed to be working.

We had an enjoyable weekend, Annie had someone new to talk to so Ed and I just took things easy. I suggested we take the tinnie out in the evening and do a spot of fishing, the girls declined so Ed and I went out and caught the evening meal. Fried flathead tails takes a lot of beating, Annie saved the shoulders to make a chowder, she's a great cook although some of her native dishes are a bit hot for my palate.