Page 103 of Lost In Kakadu

“What’s wrong?”

The concern in his eyes made her want to cry. She rolled up the leg of her tattered cargo pants. “I hurt my knee when I fell.” Her knee was swollen, and her kneecap was already an angry purple bruise.

“Oh, Abi.” He smoothed his hand over her leg. “This doesn’t look good.”

Abi shrugged. “Good timing, hey?”

Their eyes met and then Mackenzie swept his arm toward the view. “Well, if we have to be stuck anywhere, it might as well be the penthouse.”

She loved that about him. He had an amazing ability to look on the bright side of anything. Although a childhood like Mackenzie’s would force a person to choose between pessimism and optimism. She was grateful he committed to the latter.

“Okay,” he said. “Let’s see if we can get you more comfortable, then I’ll get some things ready for the night.”

The cave was an ideal place to stay. It was as wide as two buses and the ceiling was high enough for Mackenzie to stand. Abi felt like she was sitting in the belly of a sleeping giant. The rock walls were worn smooth from centuries of wild Kakadu winds and the floor was covered in a layer of fine red gravel.

Mackenzie prepared a clothing bed against the rock wall and helped her lower herself onto the soft pile. Then he busied himself with the firewood. The unfortunate limitation of using the camera lens to make a fire was that it needed the sun. Tonight’s meal was going to be cold snake meat and bush tomato.

Charlie’s letters were nearby, and she hadn’t read one for a few days.She propped her leg up and reached for them, welcoming the distraction. She was just five letters from the last one, the one he’d written by the fire at their campsite, and she was both compelled and reluctant to finish reading them. Slipping a letter from the bundle, she lifted the flap, unfolded the pale cream paper and began to read.

My dearest Holly,

It’s your father here. I have some important news you must know. My whole life has been a constant battle and I thought I’d been dealt everything God could throw at me, but it seems he hasn’t finished punishing me yet.

As the mother of my beautiful grandchildren, I thought you should know that I have been diagnosed with Myotonic Dystrophy. Unfortunately, it’s hereditary and I pray neither you nor the kids are punished with it. Early diagnosis will help you manage the disease. But I won’t bore you with the symptoms. Please take the time to look it up.

If you only ever read one of my letters, make it this one.

I do have some exciting news though. I’m finally going on a field trip to find my Ozioxidant. The University have agreed to pay for me to spend a whole week in Kakadu. I wish I could tell you about it in person. I’ll write about my journey when I get back.

Thank you for being part of my life, for giving me the drive to carry on hoping that one day we’ll meet again.

I love you and I hope this letter makes you want to see me, before it’s too late.

I will love you forever,

Your father,

Charlie.

Abi refolded the letter and placed it in order back in the bundle. She wondered why Charlie’s wife didn’t let him be a part of Holly’s life.What would make someone hate that much?But then she also had barely any relationship with her daughter.

Abi was saddened at how little she’d fought for Krystal’s love. Unlike how hard she fought to keep her marriage intact, as worthless asit was. Although Spencer did many cruel and calculating things that took Krystal out of her life, she hoped Krystal never found out about his affairs.

There were some things a daughter shouldn’t know about her father.

Her mind drifted to the letter that changed her life forever. It was hidden in Spencer’s diary, amongst dozens of cryptic notations. The letter was from one of his mistresses, though Abi never did work out which one.

Was Spencer punished for his infidelity?

And if so, did he deserve to die?

If she’d never found that note, she would never have come to Kakadu. Without that note she would never have met Mackenzie. She glanced over at him while he was busy unpacking their things.

“Hey Mack. . . how come you never asked me what I was doing here?”

He cocked his head at her. “What?”

“It’s pretty obvious Kakadu isn’t the ideal holiday for a woman like me. Well, more specifically, the woman I was before the crash. So how come you never asked?”

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