Chapter 3

The last few months were going down hill for Mum and Dad, the old man was screwing around again and Mum was talking the big 'D' word. I arrived home from my casual job to see a military staff car parked in the driveway, "looks like the old man's got a promotion" I mused.

As I entered the lounge room I was met by one of Dad's colleagues. Matt and Dad had served together in many conflicts and were best mates, His wife Sally and Mum were close friends before a heart attack took her. He took hold of my shoulder and spoke in an emotional voice, "Peter, there is bad news; I think you need to sit down."

"Your father was preparing a battle plan for the forthcoming manoeuvres when the vehicle he and his driver were using detonated an unexploded ordinance. The area was supposed to have been cleared, apparently this one went un-noticed."

The words I was dreading he would say "Your father died instantly, the driver died later in the hospital."

I was shattered; I felt a hollow sickness in my guts. "Why him? Why not someone else's Dad?" I knew they were selfish thoughts but it was my Dad who was dead.

"The military will take care of all the funereal arrangements; it will of course be with full military honours."

"Yeah" I thought "fat lot of good that will do him."

Mum was struggling to hold up appearances, so I put my arm around her.

"We will leave you now Beth, you have my card, anything you need just ask; my secretary will confer with you on the arrangements."

"Will you contact Tili and let her know what happened" Mum asked. "I will personally take care of that myself" replied Matt.

After they had departed Mum and I broke down in tears. "We were going to get a divorce you know" she quavered "I loved him but he couldn't keep his dick in his pants. We tried but it just didn't work out, now he's dead, it's the last thing I wanted for him."

We talked late into the night, we reminisced about all the good times, the trips to 'The Womb', the fish we caught and the ones we lost. Mum thought it would be a good idea to take the motor home back there after the funeral. To take stock of our lives. My job was only a casual one so I wouldn't have any trouble getting the time off.

The funeral was a full military one, they carried Dad's coffin on a gun carriage. His slouch hat, swagger stick, medals and ribbons were displayed on the Australian flag wrapped coffin. At Mum's request the only flowers were one red and one white rose.

After a dreary sermon we followed the procession to the cemetery where he was laid to rest, a volley of shots saluted his passing.

It was all over, we were both wrung out, it felt strange walking into an empty house, knowing that Dad would never be there again. But life must and will go on. Aunt Tili stayed over for a few days, but then had to leave to go back to work.

I had gained my drivers licence and was on provisional P plates, I wanted a medium ridged licence so I could drive the bus but I had a twelve month wait for that. The stupid thing was that I could drive the bus if Mum or some other driver with the medium ridged licence accompanied me, go figure.

While Mum provisioned the bus I hooked up the tandem trailer and put the 14ft tinnie on the Land Rover roof rack. When I was happy that the boat was secured I set the ramps up and gingerly drove the 'Rover up onto the trailer. Once in place I connected the tie downs and it was ready to go.

Our intention was to take a week at the 'Womb' and if we felt we needed more time we could take it. Mum had her assistant take control of her conveyancing business so there was no rush to return home.

It was a six hour trip, so we broke it into three stages, I took the first leg, and then we had a pit stop and a snack. Mum then took the second leg, we were both feeling a little burnt out by the time we had the second break, so Mum decreed "a two hour break, a meal and a bit of a nap." All the pressure of the last week was catching up with us so common sense prevailed, there was no deadline, we didn't have to be anywhere at any special time, so we just took it easy.

We finally reached our destination and was met by the van park owner. He had been made aware of Dad's death and offered his condolences. Once the talking was out of the way he directed us to a site that we had previously used; it was a bit away from the main area and offered a little more privacy.

Once we connected the power, water and sullage lines, we wound out the sun awning, we pulled the deckchairs out from the panniers under the bus; we sat back and enjoyed the fresh air and the freedom.

After a while I dug out the gas barby and fired it up, Mum brought out some steaks from the fridge and a salad she had prepared before we had departed home. Once the grub was ready she opened a bottle of white wine and we had an enjoyable meal.

Well sated from the meal and the wine we made an early night of it. A few times during the night I heard Mum's muffled crying, I wanted to go and comfort her but I knew it was best to leave her cry herself out. I know I was still feeling pretty miserable and could well imagine how she felt. We both had a restless night and I was glad when morning came.

During breakfast Mum suggested we take the tinnie out into the estuary and try a spot of fishing. I might add that out of the whole family, Mum was always the one to put her hand up first when it came to fishing, she was a fanatic.

I backed the 'Rover off the trailer and pulled the outboard motor out of the back, the tank needed fuel so I drove over to the van park shop and filled it with petrol. By the time I got back to the bus Mum had packed us a lunch and a thermos, there was also cold drinks in the Esky. A final check that we had all the gear and we were away.

I drove the 'Rover down to the boat ramp and we pulled the tinnie off the roof rack, I fitted the outboard motor onto the transom while Mum dragged all the gear out the back and loaded it into the boat. We had a bait pump and sieve and intended pumping sand worms and clickers, both top bait for this area. We also had a few soft plastic lures with vibrating tails.