an old rock song that was being murdered by several of her friends. Nina was
amazed Karin had held back for so long. When she met the others back in the
foyer by herself Nina had a few loud, "ohh nudge, nudge, wink, wink, what
you been up to then," comments and sniggers. Karin had merely smiled and
squeezed Nina's arm.
Nina
had smiled. "Talking, and forgot the time."
There
had been commiserations from her friends, and a wink from Athol, which she
ignored along with the knowing grin on his face. He might think he knew what
she'd been up to, but Nina knew he didn't. And if she had her way, nor would he.
She was under no illusion that Athol hadn't been doing his own form of Domming
meddling. Somehow she thought Dominic would keep his own counsel about the time
they spent together, and Athol would be doomed forever to wonder.
Karin
on the other hand was like a hungry bird tugging on a worm, and Nina accepted
her friend wouldn't give up easily.
"And
don't give me that talking crap. This is me. Karin who needs
to know all. Karin the ferret. So while we were
giggling over Monica all tied up over her clothes and Mary-Ann going white at
the sight of the St. Whosit's what's it, what were you up to? Really."
Nina
shrugged. Evidently Karin was never going to believe her, whatever she said.
"Discussing
what we could get up to," she said lightly and rolled her eyes. "When,
where, and how."
It
was enough to make Karin giggle. "Oh okay, you were just talking then. How boring." She tutted. "Nina, why?"
"Why what?" Nina was pleased that telling
her truth wasn't believed. "Why am I boring? It's me rebelling against my
heritage. Dad was in the Australian Navy of all things, and we saw him as and
when. It didn't bother us; it was life. In fact I spent a large chunk of my gap
year with him. He owns a fruit farm in Western Australia now, and lives with
his boyfriend Ron. My mum was—is—a hippy, and dragged Donny and me all over the
place. She writes kids books, so in those days it was have typewriter, can travel, and by all the gods we did. She called it soul growing,
and I called it soul shriveling. At the mercy of someone else's whims, when
they really don’t understand you, is not good. Mum, bless her, could never
grasp how she could have given birth to someone as conventionally minded as me,
and said I was a throwback to Dad's side of the family. Not hers because she
has suffragettes and conscientious objectors for ancestors. She's in a yurt
somewhere in the Highlands at the moment, with a tall dark Russian called Yuri,
her cat Mischa , and her laptop." She smiled as
she remembered her flower loving, folk singing, unconventional parent.
" Me , all I wanted was a regular home, with a garden, and a
pet. Instead I got an old bus, which she moved when the mood took her, and a
twin. Well the twin bit was okay. We were best mates, but the rest? I got so
sick of outdoor living and home schooling that when I was fourteen I rebelled. Got
bossy and bolshie, yeah okay, I know I still am. I so don't like being given
orders. Told Mum either we moved into a regular house and I got to go to school,
take my exams and stuff, or I'd go to the authorities and ask to be taken into
care. She was so shocked she agreed, with the proviso we travelled in the
holidays. So that's what we did. Then after higher exams and stuff, and a
fantastic gap year, Donny did medicine, and I ended up as a teacher. Mind you I
guess I did get something from her, apart from my hair and my temper. Even
though I live in the city, and don’t want to live anywhere else, I still love
to be in the great outdoors as well. Just not all the time. We all meet up every few months, and have a few days of carrot juice, her
fantastic veggie stews, and do our meditation together. It really recharges the
batteries. But her life is so not for me, and I guess nor mine for her."
"Aw, poor you." Karin patted her on the arm. "Poor both of you in one way and good for you both in another. At
amazed Karin had held back for so long. When she met the others back in the
foyer by herself Nina had a few loud, "ohh nudge, nudge, wink, wink, what
you been up to then," comments and sniggers. Karin had merely smiled and
squeezed Nina's arm.
Nina
had smiled. "Talking, and forgot the time."
There
had been commiserations from her friends, and a wink from Athol, which she
ignored along with the knowing grin on his face. He might think he knew what
she'd been up to, but Nina knew he didn't. And if she had her way, nor would he.
She was under no illusion that Athol hadn't been doing his own form of Domming
meddling. Somehow she thought Dominic would keep his own counsel about the time
they spent together, and Athol would be doomed forever to wonder.
Karin
on the other hand was like a hungry bird tugging on a worm, and Nina accepted
her friend wouldn't give up easily.
"And
don't give me that talking crap. This is me. Karin who needs
to know all. Karin the ferret. So while we were
giggling over Monica all tied up over her clothes and Mary-Ann going white at
the sight of the St. Whosit's what's it, what were you up to? Really."
Nina
shrugged. Evidently Karin was never going to believe her, whatever she said.
"Discussing
what we could get up to," she said lightly and rolled her eyes. "When,
where, and how."
It
was enough to make Karin giggle. "Oh okay, you were just talking then. How boring." She tutted. "Nina, why?"
"Why what?" Nina was pleased that telling
her truth wasn't believed. "Why am I boring? It's me rebelling against my
heritage. Dad was in the Australian Navy of all things, and we saw him as and
when. It didn't bother us; it was life. In fact I spent a large chunk of my gap
year with him. He owns a fruit farm in Western Australia now, and lives with
his boyfriend Ron. My mum was—is—a hippy, and dragged Donny and me all over the
place. She writes kids books, so in those days it was have typewriter, can travel, and by all the gods we did. She called it soul growing,
and I called it soul shriveling. At the mercy of someone else's whims, when
they really don’t understand you, is not good. Mum, bless her, could never
grasp how she could have given birth to someone as conventionally minded as me,
and said I was a throwback to Dad's side of the family. Not hers because she
has suffragettes and conscientious objectors for ancestors. She's in a yurt
somewhere in the Highlands at the moment, with a tall dark Russian called Yuri,
her cat Mischa , and her laptop." She smiled as
she remembered her flower loving, folk singing, unconventional parent.
" Me , all I wanted was a regular home, with a garden, and a
pet. Instead I got an old bus, which she moved when the mood took her, and a
twin. Well the twin bit was okay. We were best mates, but the rest? I got so
sick of outdoor living and home schooling that when I was fourteen I rebelled. Got
bossy and bolshie, yeah okay, I know I still am. I so don't like being given
orders. Told Mum either we moved into a regular house and I got to go to school,
take my exams and stuff, or I'd go to the authorities and ask to be taken into
care. She was so shocked she agreed, with the proviso we travelled in the
holidays. So that's what we did. Then after higher exams and stuff, and a
fantastic gap year, Donny did medicine, and I ended up as a teacher. Mind you I
guess I did get something from her, apart from my hair and my temper. Even
though I live in the city, and don’t want to live anywhere else, I still love
to be in the great outdoors as well. Just not all the time. We all meet up every few months, and have a few days of carrot juice, her
fantastic veggie stews, and do our meditation together. It really recharges the
batteries. But her life is so not for me, and I guess nor mine for her."
"Aw, poor you." Karin patted her on the arm. "Poor both of you in one way and good for you both in another. At