Читать книгу The Friday Night Debrief - Kylie Jane Asmus - Страница 6
ОглавлениеLeaving The Isa
“Be Strong, Look Ahead, but don’t forget about what is in your rear view mirror,” Kylie said to herself as she combed her shoulder length dark burgundy hair and then began applying eye shadow above her lovely blue eyes. After covering her light dose of freckles with some foundation and powder, she gave her cheeks a bit of colour and stood back in the mirror to view herself fully. She let out a deep sigh, very aware of the massive change she was facing in her life. Then she patted down her summer dress against her tall and slim frame and rested her hands on her hips as her head leaned over to her right shoulder and she got lost in her thoughts for a moment.
The job Kylie had accepted was not very exciting on paper but she wasn’t someone who saw the glass half empty. Yes, the awful fact was that half her job entailed cleaning the showers, washing and folding the laundry and cleaning the men’s urinal and toilets.
“I can do that, it’s not beneath me. Everybody poos. Everybody! Even cleaners marry mining magnates. This is just my little stepping stone: to better opportunities, to a new life, in a new town and who knows, this little step may lead me to one day finding my husband,” Kylie told herself.
Kylie had looked and looked, every time she went out her front door, every weekend, in every bar and under every bar stool, for the man who would be her husband. Yes, in a mining town like Mount Isa there was a glut and an oversupply of the male of the species on offer but even though the odds were good, the goods were odd. And so was Kylie to be quite honest. She was definitely a little bit different and as such not in very high demand so she fled what she thought was a ‘suitable for her’ man drought and headed 1000 kilometres east, to Townsville. Maybe someone there would appreciate her humour and crazy personality? But whatever her prospects, she had spent long enough looking in the wrong places for this mystery man. She had searched high and low, at times very low, in fact. Leaving no rock unturned, after all, it was a mining region. She had looked out at Lake Moondarra, at the Gregory River, at the Mount Isa Rodeo, the Quamby Rodeo, the Saxby Round Up, the Kynuna Surf Carnival, the McKinlay Races, the Julia Creek Dirt ‘n’ Dust, the Cloncurry Races, the Mount Isa Races, the Boulia Camel Races, and the Pentland Races. Yes, she had tried all the BnS events on offer – Bachelor and Spinster Balls – and always wondered why ‘bachelor’ sounds sexy and appealing whereas ‘spinster’ sounds dried up and on the shelf? Kylie had no luck at the infamous Cloncurry BnS, the Hughenden BnS, the Charters Towers BnS, the Mount Isa BnS, the Camooweal BnS. Nor did she find anyone at various friends’ weddings, or closer to home at the Irish Club, the Barkly Hotel, Boydies, Switches, The Kave, Diamond Lils or The Snake Pit. The Argent was boarded up by the time she hit the legal drinking age so it didn’t make the list. None of her many, many daytime occupations yielded any spoils and she even perved on a couple of her older brothers’ mates. But she found no leads, nothing, nuddah, zip, zero, diddly squat. There was no one she was especially interested in and they sure as shit weren’t interested in the long haul requirement of hanging out and being cool with her for the best part of forever. To say the least, she was bloody exhausted but she was out of options. So, when the opportunity presented itself, Kylie decided it was high time to act like a banana, and split.
The thought of leaving all her life-long girlfriends saddened her immensely. Though at the time, the selection of girlfriend social activities on offer was lacking, with dwindling choices of places to go to have a coffee, or lunch together. The 24-hour cafe at the Shell Roadhouse in Grace Street had just closed down and the only real option to have a cappuccino with girlfriends was at Polkies Cafe in the middle of Kmart Plaza Shopping Centre. This meant sitting within twenty very small centimetres of the person at the next table who was never a stranger. Consequently, although you weren’t meeting them for a coffee, you were afraid that anything you did speak of would be broadcast on the grapevine within five steps of them leaving their warm empty coffee cup on the table. There was a Truck Stop on the Barkly Highway near the old Drive In with a 24-hour cafe but it wasn’t a place you would meet a girlfriend for coffee. Therefore, the mindset of ‘meeting for coffee’ had not yet evolved in her world, instead she would meet them, with their boyfriends at the Irish Club or another bar, or another after dark social occasion, which was great but it always involved alcohol. This mindset was also in part a fault of her own as she lived at home and didn’t invite her friends over for instant coffee or a tea bag and Tim Tam. In Kylie’s mind, the idea of ‘let’s meet for coffee’ was very New York and she was hoping to appreciate in her new life. It seemed a very grown up concept to her despite being in her mid twenties and not having done it except while on holidays to Brisbane or Melbourne.
“Wow, A Baby, you leave in a week!” Kylie’s Dad said to her as he cooked her a monsterpiece. A monsterpiece was the term used to describe a dish her dad Roger cooked which was a masterpiece of food containing at least twelve different types of vegetables on one very stacked plate, everything tasting delicious, and every pot had been used.
“I know,” said Kylie, stifling her emotions and staring blankly at the kitchen wall.
“When do all your things get picked up to get taken to Towns-bull Town?”
“Hey hum.” She cleared her throat through the tears that came with saying it out loud, “Tomorrow morning.”
“Wow, A Baby, your room will finally be clean!” her father laughed his signatory high-pitched, jovial laugh. “I forget what the floor colour is? Do you know?”
“Yeah. You won’t have to put up with my mess ever again Rargee.” She could hardly finish her sentence before the tears in her eyes welled up and made her throat wet. If she didn’t stop herself now she would be too upset to be able to taste or desire the glorious meal her father had just spent hours cooking.
“Oh Love, it’s alright,” her mum said walking into the room and hugging her as she stood up to find some tissues. “This day was always going to have to come.”
“What, my nose being so full of snot and my eyes being puffy and welled up from tears from leaving this crazy place?” she tried to laugh.
“Oh Baby, this cwazy place and this cwazy family will always be here for you to come back and visit,” said her dad, joining in the group hug. He knew the time to comfort her with a warm heart and human touch was to be cherished, as in one week, the family unit would never be as one again and any time spent with her would forever be on the clock.
“I know, that’s what I’m going to miss. You crazy buggars. No one understands me like you do. It’s your fault I’m so bloody different,” she cried.
“Oh sweetheart, you have no idea what a blessing it is that you are so different. That’s what people are drawn to,” her mum said.
“You’re biased because I was born out of your vagina,” Kylie said trying to keep her answers light. “You harboured me for nine long months, confined me to a womb, a bit like when I was a teenager and grounded.”
“You certainly made yourself comfortable in there, you wouldn’t budge! I thought you were going to live in there for another term.”
“Probably knew that I’d have to get up before the crack of noon on the outside world,” Kylie said laughing
“Come on A Baby, eat your monsterpiece before it gets cold,” said her dad, serving her and her mother and sitting down at the table with them with a plate for himself too.
“Oh no!” Kylie said suddenly.
“What is it A Baby?”
“I just remembered that I can’t even cook! This is like, literally the last supper for me!” she said.
“You bet, I cooked enough to feed us all, for the rest of the week! My job is done!” he said laughing.
“Come on, let’s eat and just enjoy this time together,” her Mum said softly.
As they ate and enjoyed the delicious vegetarian feast before them, they reflected on the fun times they’d had as a family and the many, many laughs they had shared together. Behind the laughter, each one felt their heart breaking at the thought of Kylie finally leaving the nest while at the same time recognising that the time they had been able to spend together was priceless.
The moving van arrived at nine am sharp the next morning and Kylie’s furniture and boxed up possessions were loaded into the back of the sea container with minimal fuss. The amount of clothing, shoes and handbags that she had boxed up was triple that of actual furniture and other items and the removalists commented that this was quite common when moving ladies who had spent many years with shopping as their hobby. Kylie’s mum took photos of her room before and after the removalists had come and also of Kylie standing beside the van as it was leaving their driveway. As sad as it was to witness, it was a huge moment in her daughter’s life and she felt that by documenting it, they would both be able to accept the shift and see the change for what it was, the start of another chapter in Kylie’s life. Her time at home was now over.
To escape the emptiness of her now stark room, her mum said, “C’mon Kylie, let’s go for a drive out to the lake. Take your togs, we might go for a swim.”
Kylie grabbed a pair of swimmers from the suitcase she was now living out of and teamed them up with a pair of board shorts and a comfortable T-shirt. They jumped in her mum’s car and headed out to Lake Moondarra, a half hour drive from their family home. It was a drive they had taken together frequently. Especially in the blistering heat of the summer months they would cool off with a refreshing swim in the less populated swimming areas near the ski ramp on the dirt road. This was a pastime they enjoyed together and they would talk about the events of the week and just enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the water and the comfort of each other’s company. Kylie and her mother had a close and honest relationship and were the first line of support for each other.
Kylie would often joke about the pain and suffering she felt as a result of having to learn the piano for twelve years of her life but also made it very clear to her mother that when she was distressed or unsettled, she could turn to music to calm herself down. Music had given her that connection and outlet to pound away any anger or frustration she felt in her day-to-day life, onto eighty-eight unsuspecting innocent keys, a bit like going for a walk or a jog clears your mind. Even after Kylie stopped learning the piano she still maintained a few key pieces that she could play repeatedly on her own, or duets she could play with her mother to ease any woes. She also felt a huge connection to music itself and enjoyed sitting and listening to the different styles created throughout history from classical to jazz to pop to country music and was extremely grateful to her Mother for giving her the opportunity to experience different facets of music, from solo and duets on the piano to playing clarinet in the school and Mount Isa Concert Band as she grew up. The broad range of sounds and parts that she, at the time seemed to have to endure, had since given her the appreciation for the overall composition of music and she felt she was able to appreciate a musical piece at a deeper level than someone who perhaps didn’t get the opportunity.
“But I still felt that doubling my practices when I didn’t do them was a bit rough,” Kylie complained after she had thanked her Mum for the musical experience. “Especially when it impacted my ability to engage in social interaction!”
“I guess I was just trying to teach you some kind of discipline towards reaching specific goals,” her mum answered calmly. “For example, to play the piano to the standard you did and to pass your Piano Grade Exams required hard work, determination and dedication. You had the desire to reach certain levels of piano, and to achieve them, you had to work hard. You can’t believe that you would have achieved those goals without the hard work and dedication? I mean, practise makes perfect right?” her mother asked.
“Yeah, towards the end, the level was very hard and I needed to put the time in,” Kylie said.
“I mean, if you are going to do something, you give it your best, don’t you?” her mum asked.
“Absolutely. Why bother doing something unless you are going to do it properly,” Kylie replied.
“Well that’s what I hoped you’d say. That in itself shows me that I did something right. Apart from that, I just love music and I wanted to give you the opportunity to love it as much as I do.”
“Yeah, I love it, but I don’t love it like you love it. Woo! You have quite a relationship with music Mumsy, you and your pianola, and pianola rolls, and your organs, and keyboards, and piano accordions. Remember when we used to joke that your grave would have to be deep enough and wide enough to accommodate all of those instruments because when you croaked we would be free of having them in our lives!”
“Yes! You kids were buggars. I was only trying to give you something that I loved.”
“Yeah, well, it’s lucky you persisted, because now I can see why.”
“So, I’ll just buy the ordinary size plot now at the cemetery.”
“Yeah absolutely! I mean, I think there is going to be confusion when you kark it anyway.”
“What do you mean love?”
“Well, I can imagine you on your last legs in hospital and the doctor thinking, hmmmm, if we give her the kybosh we can use all her parts to fix other people, because she has stated her intention to be an organ donor. But actually, you ticked the organ donor box because you wanna donate your organs, you know, your two and three-tier keyboard organs, not your heart and lungs. You want to keep the music alive after you’re gone!”
“Yeah, I see the potential mix up, that would be funny.” She laughed.
Kylie wriggled in her seat so that she was facing her mother as she drove. She looked out the window past her mum’s profile and enjoyed the view as they continued to talk. When they arrived at the lake they took a poignant last swim together, laughing and looking back on the life they had had together and especially all the fun. It was the perfect way to spend the afternoon after such an emotional morning.
Two days later, Kylie was getting ready for her going away party that she had organised herself. All the invitations had been sent and the final preparations for the food, music, chairs and tables were complete. Her school friend Nicole arrived first, bringing her a farewell card and three mini chocolate mud cakes, all with different messages on them. One said “Goodbye and Good luck Kylie”, the second said “I miss you already”, which was a sign off Kylie used whenever she said goodbye to someone, and the last one had a picture of a mop and bucket and the words “Here’s to cleaner pastures at BHP”.
“Wow! These are great Nicole. You didn’t have to bring me anything!”
Nicole set them down on the table and gave her a big hug. “It’s nothing. I wanted to celebrate with you and have a laugh before you headed off, since you and clean have never really gone together before.” She started giggling.
“This is true. And it is going to be interesting believe me, but it’s a foot in the door and I’m really excited about it!” Kylie replied honestly.
“I can’t believe I moved away, missed this place, came back, and now you’re leaving,” Nicole said.
“Yeah, I know. I never thought I’d ever leave but I guess I’m going. I mean I have to....I’ve got to find my husband!” Kylie said.
“So what happened with Alex? I heard you ........broke up?” she said softly.
“Yeah, I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to talk about it to anyone. He was never going to marry me and by the end of it, all he ever said to me was Don’t. Don’t do this, don’t wear that, don’t you think you should exercise more, Don’t think you’re funny! You’re Not! Don’t think I’m ever going to be dropping anything to be with you. It was for the best and I’m all good about it. Surprisingly, I don’t hate him. But I’m sure that will change if I hear he’s banging someone else too soon?” Kylie said.
“I probably shouldn’t say this but I never liked him.”
“Oh, Why didn’t you tell me mate?”
“Chicks can be funny when you tell them the truth, especially when it’s something about their boyfriend. I didn’t want to lose you so I just kept my mouth shut.”
“I know and if I could change the way people feel about telling and hearing the truth I would because I reckon life is too short to pussyfoot around stuff that can really make a difference to someone if they have all the information. You and me could’ve started the whole awful truth scenario off! Oh mate. I’m gonna miss you. But we can talk heaps on the phone, whenever we need a chat,” Kylie said hugging her and giving her bottom a squeeze so that Nicole pushed her away and they didn’t wallow in sadness. “Come on, let’s get a drink!” said Kylie as she stood back and tried to smile
“I don’t think I’ll be drinking too much tonight, I’m a bit emotional” said Nicole, putting her fingers under each eye to catch the tears before they ran down her face and ruined her make up.
“I know, I feel the same way. At least if I’m holding a stubbie of beer I won’t be groping your arse!” Kylie said playfully.
“Well then, let’s get you a beer!” Nicole said laughing.
Nicole had arrived at the time specified on the party invitation, whereas everyone else arrived in Mount Isa time which was casually about an hour after the general time you should have arrived. Kylie didn’t let it phase her as it gave her plenty of time to catch up and reminisce with Nicole. For twenty years Nicole and Kylie had been best friends since Primary School and had walked together to school each day. As other guests turned up and the yard began to fill with cars and people and the noise levels grew with music and chatter, Kylie looked around and realised that it was when you left a place you realised who your friends really were. She had previously thought you had to get married to find that out. When she noticeably missed people who had been invited but still didn’t turn up to say hello and goodbye, she took it for what it was and appreciated the time she had with the people who did show up. And that’s what mattered to her. Lifelong school friends, workmates and girlfriends she had met through her boyfriends’ mates were all there. They gathered around the barbeque and in groups around the back yard of her parents’ place with the back drop of the Mount Isa Mines operational lights behind them. The choice to stay at her folks’ place all night instead of going on to the Irish Club with a smaller group of friends was the best decision she could have made as the large group of well wishers stayed until dawn. Throughout the night they chatted, made each other laugh and retold old stories of fun times they had over the years. The group of revellers finally left the backyard party at 8 am without any interference from the neighbours or requests to keep it down. It was the best night Kylie had experienced since her 21st Birthday Party.
She had now only one sleep to go before driving east. After finally crawling into bed at 10 am and sleeping for a few hours, she decided to spend the remaining time, at home, with her family. That day went so fast it was like Kylie blinked and it was over.
At 6 am on Sunday morning Kylie turned over and switched off the alarm before it rang at 6.15 am. She got up and had a shower and returned to the room to pack some final things into her suitcase. She walked into the kitchen by 6.20 am. Her Mum and Dad had everything waiting for her so that they could spend as much time with each other as possible then say goodbye and let Kylie get on the road.
After breakfast Kylie packed her final bag into her little white car and stood out the front to say her final goodbyes to her family.
Everyone had lined up, like a procession, waiting for their goodbye hug and kiss. Last in the line was her Mum. Kylie and her brothers were close enough to talk about anything and both her brothers offered to continue to be her “Man sounding boards” for all matters relating to the heart from a male perspective, and anything related to general car maintenance.
Her father held both his arms out and gave her a bear hug. “Good bye my Baby. Take this little brown package and open it up when you are in an emergency okay. And take this little bag of gold A Baby, it will help pay for your pedderol and maybe an ice cream and a sandwich and a coke, if you get hungry or thirsty on the drive over,” her dad said knowing she lived by the theory of life being too short so she always liked to eat dessert first. “Now, you drive safely, and remember”, he said softly but then ramped up into over-protective mode with a stern voice, “if you’re going to go over 100 kilometres an hour, and you roll it, you probably won’t survive and they’ll airlift you back here and you’ll end up on my x-ray table and I’ll have to look at you all messed up. So if you are going to speed over 100 kilometres an hour, do it past Richmond, cause anything past Richmond gets flown to Towns-bull hospital.”
“Yes Dad, thank you. Thank you for everything you ever did for me,” she said her eyes spilling over with tears and her cheeks flooding with run off.
There, also in tears, with her hands over her mouth to hide her agony, was the last person for Kylie to hug, her Mum.
“Oh Mum,” Kylie said crying and hugging her for as long as she could.
“Oh, I’m alright, I’m just being silly,” her Mum said. “This is a great opportunity for you sweetheart and I know everything will be okay. I’m really excited for you!”
“Really? These are tears of excitement?” Kylie huffed a laugh.
“No, these are tears from having to let you go, and not to see you so often, but I knew I would have to let go of you one day sweetheart.”
“I know. And I can’t wait for you to visit me, okay. You just tell me when you want to come and visit me and I’ll always have a bed waiting for you, okay!”
“Yes love. Now, dry your eyes, you have a long drive ahead of you.”
“Yep,” Kylie said. Picking up the bottom of the T-shirt she was wearing, she dried her tears and wiped her face. She jumped up and down on the spot trying to shake the emotion she felt then splashed water from her water bottle onto her face to refresh herself. After wiping her face again her T-shirt was now very wet now but she was in a better position to drive after being able to see more clearly. Taking a deep breath, she got into her car and started it, reached over her shoulder to grab the seatbelt and then put both hands on the wheel. Her mum and dad held each other as she reversed her car out of the driveway, and her two brothers stood beside her mum. As Kylie reversed back onto the road, she looked through her passenger side door and saw her mum’s knees buckle. Her father and brothers caught her before she hit the ground. Kylie’s stomach sank and she quickly pulled back into the drive and raced towards her Mum who was now sitting on the lawn.
“I just ca-can’t seem to control my legs,” Kylie’s mum stuttered through her tears. “I’m sorry sweetheart, I didn’t mean to make it even harder for you to drive away.”
Kylie dropped down next to her mum and hugged her and they had a massive cry together. The whole family sat in a circle on the front lawn, cherishing the extra time together.
Kylie’s brother Tom piped up, “So now what do we do? Hold hands and sing Kum Bah Yah?”
Everyone laughed but they all still sat there. If it wasn’t for the automated sprinklers turning on they may have sat there for hours. When the spray hit their circle, they bolted off the lawn and quickly gathered themselves and said goodbye again.
“Crikey, it’s like déjà vu, All over again” Kylie laughed.
“Righto. Is everyone all good so we can let Kylie go?” her Dad asked.
“Yeah, buggar off!” her oldest brother Dale said. “I should be somewhere else, perving on women.”
“Yeah, on your way, it’s a long drive, you don’t want to be driving in the dark,” Tom said a little bit more compassionately.
“I’m fine now. Off you go Love. I’ll see you soon okay?” her mum said hugging her.
“Mmm,” Kylie said not convinced.
“Bye baby,” her dad said.
Holding her mum’s and dad’s hands, Kylie slowly walked back towards her car. With a last quick squeeze, she loosened her grip on her parents’ hands and slowly let go. Kylie got back into her car and started it up. Wetting the hand towel she had on the front passenger seat, she refreshed her face again. She tooted the horn and then slowly drove away, up the street. A glance in the rear vision mirror showed her family had moved onto the street and were waving and standing strong. She stuck her hand out the driver’s side window to wave goodbye just before she turned the corner and headed out towards the highway.
“Don’t cry Kylie. Don’t cry. Turn up the music, sing along, keep your eyes open, and don’t cry!” she said as she navigated the traffic and headed towards Cloncurry. Kylie pressed play on her CD Player and the song “Bye Bye” by Jo Dee Messina came on. It was a song she knew very well and could sing along to. The words seemed very real to her right now.
