Читать книгу Davey Jones's Locker - C.R. Cummings - Страница 8

FADED MEMORIES

Andrew stared at Old Mr Murchison’s pale, waxy face in dismay, worried that he had caused the old man to have a heart attack. “Is he alright?” he asked.

Muriel moved to hold the old man’s head and Carmen helped her keep him in the chair. Grandma Murchison stood up and went pale, making Andrew wonder if she was also going to have some sort of attack. PO Walker then took charge and shoved the boys aside to kneel and feel the old man’s pulse.

“I think he has just fainted,” he said. “His heart seems to be beating strongly.”

That was a relief. Andrew looked around at the faces of Muriel’s mother and father and felt an irrational feeling of guilt. This flared into anger when Muriel turned on him.

“Oh Andrew!” she cried. “Look what you’ve done!”

The accusation was so unexpected and seemed to Andrew to be so unjust that he snapped back, “I didn’t do anything! He was just looking at the old photograph.”

For a moment he and Muriel stared hard at each other. Andrew was at a loss for words but now did feel guilty. He was saved from the necessity of a reply by Old Mr Murchison uttering a loud groan and opening his eyes. Mrs Murchison and Grandma Murchison both moved in to help sit him up. As Mr Murchison arrived with a glass of water Andrew stepped back, to join Blake and Shona on the edge of the group.

Helped by Mr Murchison and PO Walker Old Mr Murchison was lifted to his feet and assisted to walk into the house through the nearby double doors. Only when the group, including Grandma Murchison and Mrs Murchison, had gone from view did the remaining people speak. An anxious babble broke out as they discussed the old man’s collapse.

“He just fainted,” Sub Lt Sheldon offered.

Shona frowned. “But why?” she asked.

Carmen answered. “Andrew showed him this photo,” she said. She turned to Andrew, even as he experienced another wave of guilt. “Is this really our grandad?” she asked.

Andrew nodded and pointed to the diver on the left in the photo. “I’m sure it is. We have a copy of this in that old photo album that dad has. See, you can make out the name of the lugger on this lifebuoy behind them.”

Carmen bent to study the photo. “Pearl Reef,” she read. She nodded. “I seem to remember dad telling us that grandad was a pearl diver for a while.”

The others also moved to study the photo and Andrew found himself looking into Muriel’s eyes. She looked upset but also puzzled. He said, “I’m sorry Muriel, I didn’t mean to cause any harm. I was just curious.”

Muriel shrugged. “If it really is your grandad then I suppose your curiosity was justified.”

Mr Murchison and PO Walker came back out, followed a few minutes later by Grandma Murchison and Mrs Murchison.

“He is alright now,” Grandma Murchison said. “He is resting. I wanted to phone the ambulance but he assures me that it was just the shock of seeing young Collins here that caused him to have a bad turn.”

Andrew felt deeply embarrassed. “I’m sorry Mrs Murchison,” he replied.

“That’s alright. Not your fault. You weren’t to know.”

Carmen cut in. “Know what Mrs Murchison?”

Grandma Murchison looked at her, “That Joshua and Bert Collins worked together.”

“I’m Carmen Collins Mrs Murchison. Herbert Collins was our grandfather.” She gestured to include Andrew.

Andrew was puzzled. “But even if they did work together, why should seeing me cause Mr Murchison to.... to faint?”

“You don’t know?” Grandma Murchison asked.

They both shook their heads. Grandma Murchison shook her head sadly, then said, “Because they were both working on the same ship, as partners, when your grandfather died.”

Andrew knew that his grandfather had died at sea but had never really been interested enough to enquire into the details. Now he was seized by a desire to know. “How Mrs Murchison? What happened?”

Grandma Murchison settled herself in her chair and took a sip of fruit juice before answering. “It was very sad,” she said, staring off over the balcony towards the ocean. For a minute she was silent then she went on. “It was a long time ago- nearly fifty years. Joshua had just retired from the navy when Basil here was born. Joshua teamed up with Bert Collins. They had met during the war. Between them they managed to put up the money to buy a pearl lugger, a little sailing schooner thing, called the ‘Pearl Reef’. It wasn’t much but they had great hopes.”

Grandma Murchison paused and gave a wry smile. “They were going to make their fortune with pearl shell. It was much in demand then, but that was before the days of plastic buttons and cultured pearls of course. But I wasn’t very happy as it took a lot of our money and we had four young sons to look after.”

“Buttons?” Blake interjected.

“Yes buttons. They used pearl shell to make them for fashionable attire. Divers went down and picked the pearl shells off the seabed and sent it up in baskets. The shells were then cut open and the meat scooped out. The shells were then cleaned and stacked for sale. Of course they always hoped they would find a pearl and make a lot of money.”

“Did they?” Carmen asked.

Grandma Murchison gave a dry laugh and shook her head. “No. I think they only found a few tiny pearls. Anyway it all ended when a cyclone sank the lugger. That was in nineteen fifty six. They were wrecked on the beach at Bathurst Bay and were lucky to survive.”

“But you said grandad died at sea,” Andrew said.

“No, not then,” Grandma Murchison replied. “They went and used the insurance money and raised a loan to form a diving and salvage company. They bought two boats. One was a worn out old harbour tug named the Wallaman Falls. The other was some sort of little workboat named the Deeral. They fitted them for diving and salvage. There should be a picture of the tug somewhere there.” She indicated the photo album.

Andrew nodded “Yes, the Wallaman Falls. We have several photos of it at home. What happened Mrs Murchison?”

“Blasted boat!” Grandma Murchison said, shaking her head in annoyance. “Here I was with four children, young Basil only three years old, and your father has to throw all our money away in a wild scheme to try to salvage some gold.”

“Gold?” Mr Murchison echoed.

“Yes, gold. A coastal steamer named the Merinda had struck a rock or a reef or something during a storm and she was supposed to be carrying a load of gold from Cooktown. Josh and Bert worked out where they thought she might be and went sailing off to try to find her.”

“When did this ship, the Merinda, sink Mrs Murchison?” Andrew asked.

“Only a few days before,” Grandma Murchison replied.

Andrew frowned. “So how come they did not know where she was?” he questioned.

“She went down in a storm at night and there were only a couple of survivors, and they had only a rough idea of where the ship sank,” Grandma Murchison replied. “I think there were six or seven men in her crew, plus five or six passengers. It was very sad as some of them were young girls on their way to boarding school.”

“Did they find the gold Mrs Murchison?” Carmen asked.

Grandma Murchison shook her head. “No. All they got was more bad luck. Their boat struck a reef at night in bad weather and sank. All the others on board were drowned. Grandad only survived by sheer good fortune. He drifted in a lifebuoy for four days before he was washed ashore. He landed on Hayman Island, that’s down in the Whitsundays I think, and crawled to the tourist resort.”

Sone nodded. “I’ve been there,” she added.

Grandma Murchison went on, “Anyway it was such a cruel blow that Joshua never went back to sea again. I don’t think he ever went diving again either.”

Muriel looked puzzled. “What did he do instead Gran?” she asked.

“It was terrible hard for a few years,” Grandma Murchison replied. “Joshua worked as a storeman, then as a surveyor’s offsider. Finally he took a job with a tin mining company for a few years. During that time Joshua became interested in prospecting. He went tin scratching in his spare time, and wandered around looking for garnets and opals and such like. Found some nice ones too. There are some in that brooch of mine you like so much dearie.” She looked at Muriel, who nodded happily.

Grandma Murchison went on, “Then Josh went off up Cape York Peninsula with an old crony from the war days, crocodile shooting and fossicking. They found a bit of gold and Josh got the gold bug bad. From then on he would go away for weeks at a time up into the Cape and usually came back with enough gold to pay our bills.”

“That must have been hard on you Gran,” Muriel said.

“It was dearie, but people thought it normal for husbands to go away for long periods in those days.”

“Not my husband,” Muriel said firmly.

“Then don’t get married,” Grandma Murchison replied. “Till death us do part is what you swear to; and ‘for better or for worse’; so you choose well and stick by your promises.”

“Yes Gran,” Muriel replied, looking slightly annoyed at the lecture. Andrew felt sorry for her but agreed with Grandma Murchison- a promise is for ever.

“So when did you come to live here Mrs Murchison?” Carmen asked.

“Oh about twenty years ago- nineteen eighty four it was,” Grandma Murchison replied.

“It’s a lovely house, and a wonderful view,” Carmen added.

“Yes it is,” Grandma Murchison replied.

Blake gestured with his hand. “Must have cost a bit,” he added, looking around at the spacious patio and quality furniture.

“We were lucky,” Grandma Murchison agreed. “Joshua made some investments that returned a good profit so we were comfortably well off. So when the boys had all left home we moved here.”

“It’s a long way from town,” Shona commented, “don’t you get bored?”

Grandma Murchison shrilled with laughter. “Heavens no dearie. At our age you don’t need the shops and theatres to keep you entertained. Anyway, we have TV and radio.”

Muriel nodded. “It’s only about half an hours drive to Edmonton,” she added.

“It’s a nice spot,” Andrew agreed.

Mrs Murchison now cut in. “We had better have lunch if you young people want to do any more swimming this afternoon. It is nearly one O’clock.”

Sub Lt Sheldon glanced at his watch. “Oh heavens yes!” he agreed.

The party moved to where a long table was loaded with covered plates and bowls. These were uncovered to reveal cold meat, salad, fruit, bread and biscuits. Andrew suddenly felt very hungry and was only too glad to ‘tuck in’ as he was bid. For the next half hour he sat and ate, happy just to be beside Muriel.

After eating lunch Sub Lt Sheldon said that they were all to lie down for a rest. Muriel objected strongly. “Oh sir! We are fourteen, not four! We aren’t kindergarten kids.”

“Too bad,” Sub Lt Sheldon replied. “You should never swim just after eating, and diving is harder work than you realize. Half an hour’s rest will do you good. Besides, PO Walker here certainly needs his beauty sleep.”

At that PO Walker snorted indignantly then burst out laughing. He said, “I certainly need my ‘kindy’, so let’s all have a little nap, and no arguing.”

Muriel and Blake both grumbled but had to give in. Andrew was glad as it postponed the moment of having to go back under water again. He took the opportunity to go to the toilet and had another big drink, cordial this time: Mango and Orange.

He then helped clear the lunch plates and carry them to the kitchen. Carmen helped and cried with delight at the kitchen, which was large and airy and overlooked the patio and sea from the back windows. “It is certainly a lovely house,” she said.

Andrew usually didn’t notice such things but had to agree. The walk along the tiled corridor to the toilet was sheer pleasure in his bare feet and the toilet and adjoining bathroom were both spotlessly clean and smelt of pine and lavender.

By then the others had made their way downstairs. Andrew and Carmen thanked Grandma Murchison and followed them. Back down at the beach they made their way over to where the others were spreading towels and blankets in the shade of the paperbarks and cottonwood trees which lined the foreshore. Muriel was already lying down and gave Andrew a smile as he unfolded his towel.

‘Will I lie next to her?’ he wondered, ‘or is that too obvious?’ For a moment he pondered this, before walking over to her. ‘Faint heart never won fair lady,’ he quoted to himself, ‘and anyway, the others all know I like her.’

As he spread his towel and lay down he looked around. Carmen was making herself comfortable beside him and the two Instructors lay nearby. “Where are Blake and Shona?” he asked.

Muriel giggled. “They went off around the other side of those rocks.”

“Why?” Andrew asked, then blushed at the thought of how silly the question must have sounded.

“What do you think?” Muriel whispered with another giggle. As Andrew stretched out beside her she looked into his eyes and set his heart pounding and thoughts racing. ‘Is she trying to give me a message?’ he wondered. But he did not dare ask. Instead he lay back and closed his eyes.

He had not wanted to lie down but now that he had he was glad. Tiredness seemed to sweep through him and he deliberately relaxed his muscles and tried not to think about Muriel lying beside him. This proved impossible and she wriggled to try to get comfortable. Once her knee touched his. To Andrew it was like an electric shock and caused his heart rate to shoot up.

‘Was that accidental?’ he wondered. He risked a glance but saw that her eyes were closed. Not having gained any clue Andrew moved slightly further away and rolled on his side. ‘I don’t want her to think I am hassling her,’ he told himself.

For perhaps ten minutes he lay resting, his mind exploring options to help him speak to Muriel. She then provided it by rolling over and resting her arm on his back. This got his mind racing and he became even more hopeful.

To his surprise she began to tickle his ear with a piece of grass. Not sure what was happening he sat up and turned to look at her. Her face crinkled into a mischievous grin.

“Stop it,” he whispered. “I’m trying to rest.”

“Don’t you want me here?” Muriel whispered back.

“Of course I do, but there are others here,” Andrew replied. By ‘others’ he particularly meant Carmen. Having his big sister present was a real cause of anxiety. ‘If I try anything she will frown disapproval or tease, or tell Mum,’ he thought.

Carmen made her presence even more noticeable by saying, “Stop whispering you two. I’m trying to sleep.”

Muriel giggled aloud and this drew a muttered grumble from PO Walker. She lapsed into silence and snuggled against him, her bare arm just touching his. This caused Andrew to get even more aroused and he was glad he was dressed in the baggy old shorts and shirt and was able to lie so that it wasn’t noticeable. He badly wanted to be alone with her and to kiss her but contented himself with taking the daring step of touching her arm with his finger tips.

That caused Muriel to murmur with pleasure and to snuggle even closer. Andrew lay on his back and stared at the leaves moving gently in the breeze. ‘I might be in luck,’ he thought hopefully. After a while he closed his eyes and gave himself up to the sensual pleasure of feeling Muriel’s bare skin and the soft caress of the afternoon sea breeze.