today I was sorting tyres with Mia, prompting her on the finer details of high school life.
She said pretty much fuck all, and that’s not like Mia. She’s quiet but she’s not that quiet.
“What’s going on?” I said. “Is it a pile of shit?”
She shrugged. “It’s alright.”
“Just alright?”
She nodded. “Just alright.”
I met her eyes, but she looked away. “I hated high school. Hated all of it. You can tell me if something’s shit for you, you know that, right? Maybe I’ll get it.”
“I’m alright,” she said again, but she wasn’t. She wasn’t alright at all.
I let it go for now, gave her a smile.
“Let’s get you home before your nanna sends out a search party.”
Nanna has always been Nanna to me, too. Even now. Her eyes lit up for me as she opened the door to let the girls in, and I had that fucking sadness again, that horrible pang that rears up in my gut no matter how many times it happens.
“Kids!” she said, giving them a smile as they raced on by. “There’s cake on the rack! Don’t gobble it all at once!”
“Alright, Nanna?” I said.
“Oh, Darren,” she said, and that was it. Two simple words with one simple smile. I’d normally have made myself scarce, hopped back into the truck and taken off before I could think about it too hard, but not today.
“Alright if I come in?” I said, and she pulled the door wider.
“Yes, yes,” she said. “To see Jodie? She’s not back yet…”
I shook my head, held up my tool bag. “No,” I said. “I’m not here to see Jodie. I’m here to see your washing machine.”
Afternoon one of gigolo-gate, and I already felt like a zoo exhibit. The cafe had been busier than it had all summer — streams of villagers heading in for coffee, cake and a gawk.
Does she know? Is it true? Is he really whoring his cock out?
I may as well have put a sign up on the counter. One giant YES.
Yes, it’s all true. Yes, I fucking know about it. Now eat your bloody Victoria sponge and stop with the whispering . I’d never say it, of course. That would never do. Not in my job. Not with two girls to bring up here. I kept quiet, kept smiling, serving those coffees like this was just a day like any other day.
And then I went home with a scowl on my face, cursing Darren Trent and his easy fucking dick.
The front door opened with a creak, and I stepped into the ambient sound of the girls bickering over whose turn it was on the laptop. Same old shit, different day.
Nanna was in the kitchen clearing up crumby plates. My heart softened as I saw the rack of sultana cupcakes, my favourite since I was a kid.
“You looked tired this morning, love,” she said, and squeezed my arm. “Thought I’d make your favourite.”
I watched her potter about the kitchen, and she was so much smaller than she used to be, her slippers shuffling across the tiles. She used to be so big and strong.
“Aww. Thanks, Nanna.” I put her pills on the table and grabbed a seat. I’d managed two bites by the time the girls were upon me, not with hellos or questions about my cruddy day. No. I was simply a referee in their escalating laptop war.
They both set their case out at the same time, competing for volume.
“Ruby’s watched YouTube for half an hour already! I want to check my farm!”
“Mia doesn’t even have any crops ready yet! She’s just being greedy!”
I held my hands up. “How about you give it a rest and come and sit at the table?”
Silence.
“Sit down, please,” I said. “Both of you.” They pulled up their chairs and their morose expressions summed up my day completely . “Ruby,” I began. “Did your dad speak to you today?”
She kicked her heels against the chair legs and nodded.
I folded my arms. “And what did he say? Hmm? About your swearing?”
She sighed. “He said don’t say bad words because people get all butt… upset… People get all upset if you say bad words.” She paused. “And then they all
She said pretty much fuck all, and that’s not like Mia. She’s quiet but she’s not that quiet.
“What’s going on?” I said. “Is it a pile of shit?”
She shrugged. “It’s alright.”
“Just alright?”
She nodded. “Just alright.”
I met her eyes, but she looked away. “I hated high school. Hated all of it. You can tell me if something’s shit for you, you know that, right? Maybe I’ll get it.”
“I’m alright,” she said again, but she wasn’t. She wasn’t alright at all.
I let it go for now, gave her a smile.
“Let’s get you home before your nanna sends out a search party.”
Nanna has always been Nanna to me, too. Even now. Her eyes lit up for me as she opened the door to let the girls in, and I had that fucking sadness again, that horrible pang that rears up in my gut no matter how many times it happens.
“Kids!” she said, giving them a smile as they raced on by. “There’s cake on the rack! Don’t gobble it all at once!”
“Alright, Nanna?” I said.
“Oh, Darren,” she said, and that was it. Two simple words with one simple smile. I’d normally have made myself scarce, hopped back into the truck and taken off before I could think about it too hard, but not today.
“Alright if I come in?” I said, and she pulled the door wider.
“Yes, yes,” she said. “To see Jodie? She’s not back yet…”
I shook my head, held up my tool bag. “No,” I said. “I’m not here to see Jodie. I’m here to see your washing machine.”
Afternoon one of gigolo-gate, and I already felt like a zoo exhibit. The cafe had been busier than it had all summer — streams of villagers heading in for coffee, cake and a gawk.
Does she know? Is it true? Is he really whoring his cock out?
I may as well have put a sign up on the counter. One giant YES.
Yes, it’s all true. Yes, I fucking know about it. Now eat your bloody Victoria sponge and stop with the whispering . I’d never say it, of course. That would never do. Not in my job. Not with two girls to bring up here. I kept quiet, kept smiling, serving those coffees like this was just a day like any other day.
And then I went home with a scowl on my face, cursing Darren Trent and his easy fucking dick.
The front door opened with a creak, and I stepped into the ambient sound of the girls bickering over whose turn it was on the laptop. Same old shit, different day.
Nanna was in the kitchen clearing up crumby plates. My heart softened as I saw the rack of sultana cupcakes, my favourite since I was a kid.
“You looked tired this morning, love,” she said, and squeezed my arm. “Thought I’d make your favourite.”
I watched her potter about the kitchen, and she was so much smaller than she used to be, her slippers shuffling across the tiles. She used to be so big and strong.
“Aww. Thanks, Nanna.” I put her pills on the table and grabbed a seat. I’d managed two bites by the time the girls were upon me, not with hellos or questions about my cruddy day. No. I was simply a referee in their escalating laptop war.
They both set their case out at the same time, competing for volume.
“Ruby’s watched YouTube for half an hour already! I want to check my farm!”
“Mia doesn’t even have any crops ready yet! She’s just being greedy!”
I held my hands up. “How about you give it a rest and come and sit at the table?”
Silence.
“Sit down, please,” I said. “Both of you.” They pulled up their chairs and their morose expressions summed up my day completely . “Ruby,” I began. “Did your dad speak to you today?”
She kicked her heels against the chair legs and nodded.
I folded my arms. “And what did he say? Hmm? About your swearing?”
She sighed. “He said don’t say bad words because people get all butt… upset… People get all upset if you say bad words.” She paused. “And then they all
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