Page 6 of Nothing Without You
Chapter Six
From that night on, Evie decided she would be more grown up. If her father had decided that work was more important than going on holidays with her, and if Mother wanted to have time to herself, well they could do that. It was time to think about what she wanted to do. Without asking for anyone’s permission, she got her ears pierced at the local hairdressers. When she cleaned her bedroom, she packed up ornaments, dolls and other toys, putting them all into a box that she pushed to the back of her cupboard. Starting immediately, she began to call her parents, Mum and Dad. No more ‘Father’ and ‘Mother’. She was a teenager now. Thirteen years old and on the cusp of becoming a woman. Well, that’s what Layla told her.
The place where they would stay on Stradbroke Island was called The Magic Fish. It was a small timber cottage in a row of houses at Flinders Beach, on the eastern side of the island. There wasn’t much else at Flinders, apart from a park down the end of the street, where a track led down to the beach. There were just a few rows of houses, separated from the beach by thick bush. They had stayed there several times before and her parents loved the quiet location.
Dad came to the ferry to see them off. Her mother wore dark sunglasses and a dress that was covered in yellow daisies. A matching scarf held her hair back, her arms and legs were bare, her feet in flat white sandals. Evie also looked summery and dressed to go on holiday. Red cotton shorts showed off her smoothly shaved legs and a floral sleeveless blouse that buttoned up the front added a sunny look. She threw her thongs on the ground before slipping her feet into them, determined to look happy she was going on holiday.
Dad hugged her. ‘You two will have a great time. Hopefully I’ll be over for the last few days, and we can fish and walk. Remember to help your mum, and have a lovely holiday.’
He touched Mum on the arm, but she was still unhappy about him staying behind. Although Mum’s lips curled up in the corners, and she held her hand up to wave goodbye, Evie could tell it wasn’t a real smile. As her mother drove her little yellow Datsun over the metal gangplank and took her place on the ferry, Evie’s chest felt heavy. Although her father often went away, this time his departure seemed different. This time it was like he was letting them all down. She turned in her seat and waved to him through the back window of the car. He stood alone, his shoes shining in the sun, his suit and tie looking out of place amongst the holidaymakers lining up to board. When he lifted his hand and waved back at her, she felt something had shifted in their lives. She wasn’t sure what that change was, but the feeling in her stomach told her that something wasn’t right.
She turned around quickly at the sound of her mother’s voice. ‘Give the man our tickets. The ones I gave you to hold.’ When Evie held out the tickets, the man punched holes in the top part and ripped the bottom part off, before giving them back. When she turned back to wave again, her father was gone.
Once they left the mainland, her mother must have decided to make the most of the holiday, and the unhappy look left her face. ‘C’mon. Let’s get out of the car. We can’t see much with these trucks on either side of us.’
Together they walked through the lines of vehicles, making their way to the end of the ferry. Here there were seats positioned for people to sit, take in the view, and soak up the sunshine. Mum removed her headscarf and ran her hands through her hair, the wind whipping strands across her face. She laughed and stood up, facing into the wind, her hair now streaming behind her. Her dress billowed around her legs, threatening to lift it up, and she held it down with her hands as she looked across the ocean.
Evie knelt on the bench seat, her arms resting on the handrails of the ferry. To the north, a couple of small islands emerged, their shores edged with white sand. Beyond the islands’ beaches, dark green foliage stretched out, interrupted occasionally by a fishing shack nestled in amongst the bush.
As she turned her gaze towards their departure point, the mainland grew increasingly distant, with the buildings and terminal they had left gradually fading from sight.
In front of them lay North Stradbroke Island, a long stretch of land still too far away to pinpoint anything of interest. She settled in next to her mother, the two of them enjoying the salty fresh air and the warmth of the sun on their faces.
For once, her mother didn’t nag her to wear a hat or to sit still on her bottom. Instead, she also kneeled next to Evie and pointed out the different islands. She gripped Evie’s arm when a pod of dolphins appeared beside the ferry and swam alongside them. They both squealed with delight and leaned out further as the grey bodies of the dolphins weaved in and out of the water. The huge mammals dove under the wash and spray from the ferry, a few swimming further away before leaping high above the water, twisting their bodies in the air as if they were putting on a show just for them.
They were so busy watching the dolphins they didn’t realise that other people had gathered behind them. The excited chatter and ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ made them both turn around at the same time. Evie was shocked as she looked straight into the eyes of someone she knew very well. It was that boy from primary school. Chris McIntosh. He stood with a man, who she assumed was his father, as well as two older girls, who must be his sisters.
The strangest thing was that her mother, who had turned around and now sat sideways so she could still see over the rails, was talking to the man. ‘Mr McIntosh. Lovely to see you.’
‘You too, Mrs Romano. This must be your daughter.’
‘It is. Evie, meet Mr McIntosh. He’s the English teacher where you’ll be going to school next year.’ She threw one of her best smiles the man’s way, then looked back to Evie. ‘I clean Mr McIntosh’s classroom.’
‘And you do a great job.’ He put his hand on the boy’s arm. ‘This is my son, Christopher, and my daughters, Lily and Rose. We’ve got two weeks’ holiday on the island.’
‘So have we,’ her mother replied. Evie turned her back so she could continue to watch the dolphins. Chris, who she had not seen since he was at primary school, stared at her without speaking. His sisters moved away and hung over the railings, their fashionable knee-length knickerbockers and tight T-shirts making her feel like a kid in her stretchy shorts and old shirt. And where was her other thong? She looked at the seat, but it wasn’t there. Scanning the deck, she tried to work out where it could be. How embarrassing to be sitting here with just one thong on. She wished she could throw the other one overboard. What would he think?
Chris must have realised what she was looking for, because he bent down and reached under the bench, pulling out a blue thong. ‘Yours?’ he asked, with a smirk on his face.
Snatching it from him, she gave him her grumpiest look before slipping it on her foot.
Her mother nudged her. ‘Evie. Manners.’
Looking him in the eye, she muttered, ‘Thank you.’
He grinned back at her. ‘You’re welcome, Evie.’
A woman came up behind him, and Evie watched as she spoke to the group. ‘What are you all doing? You said you would only be a few minutes.’ The woman’s eyes ran across Evie and her mother. ‘Who are you?’ she asked. Her voice grated and there was nothing pleasant about her approach. Her lips were covered in bright red lipstick, a distinct circle of pink rouge on her cheeks, and her brown hair up in a tight bun. She pursed her lips when she talked and crossed her arms. Evie couldn’t help but stare at her pencil-style trousers, the black stripes on a white background reminding her of a zebra. The woman followed her gaze, her tone harsh. ‘It’s rude to stare.’
It would have been fun to poke her tongue out at the woman, much like Chris had the first time she’d seen him. But that would not have been a good start to the holiday, so instead she held her tongue and looked to her mother for support. Mr McIntosh intervened and introduced them all to each other. The lady, whose name was Bettina, was his wife, and when Mr McIntosh mentioned that Evie’s mother was a cleaner at the school, the immaculate-looking Bettina took a step back, almost as if being a cleaner could make her catch germs. Chris’s face reddened when that happened, and he walked away, joining his sisters on the other side of the boat.
Bettina wasn’t up for any more introductions, or talking, and she made it clear her husband was to return to the car and collect the rest of the family on the way. ‘I’ll be waiting,’ she said without a backward glance, her heels tapping on the deck as she walked away.
Mr McIntosh shrugged and looked at them. ‘I apologise for my wife. Sometimes she can be a bit abrupt.’ Evie’s mum didn’t reply, and they watched him as he beckoned his three children to follow him back to the car. Chris looked up and waved to Evie, and she found herself waving and smiling back. At least he had manners, unlike his horrible mother.
Chapter Seven
When Evie turned her gaze back to the ocean, she saw the island they were headed for looming much closer. Vehicles and people waiting on the shoreline became visible, and beyond that, the buildings of the small township of Dunwich. The timber jetty and cluster of buildings were where the ferry arrived and departed from twice a day. With its load of essential supplies, cars, passengers, and tourists who came to enjoy the beaches and fishing, the vessel served as a vital lifeline for the island's residents.