Page 129 of The Side Road
He wanted her to read the passage too, but it was out of his hands. Arthur’s two children came out of the woodwork. Peggy and Mark travelled to Eagle Nest from Blackbutt. The town was two hours northeast of Brisbane, and they had driven down via the Newell Highway. It had taken them twelve hours of shared driving to travel nine hundred kilometres.
‘It’s a bloody big country,’ Leo said.
Oliver thought a horse and cart might have been quicker. That Arthur even had children was a surprise to him. But he was the only one. Peggy and Mark knew everyone in town. They greeted Blanche and Leo with polite disdain. Flora also received an icy reception. When the introductions came his way, Oliver hovered over his daughter like a protective shadow. They wouldn’t dare.
The following day, Reverend Rebecca knocked on the parsonage’s back door. Seeing Oliver in the kitchen, she stepped inside.
‘We have a problem,’ she said, placing her handbag, a sturdy black satchel, on the table. ‘They’re burying Arthur in town.’
Oliver wasn’t sure why this was a problem. But when she asked him if he wanted tea, he nodded.
After filling the kettle, she placed it on the stove and adjusted the flame. She was a woman who knew her wayaround Elsie’s kitchen. Pointing to the overhead cupboards, she said, ‘Cups. Would you mind?’
He passed her the crockery.
‘It’s against his wishes.’ Reverend Rebecca plucked a manila folder out of her bag. She waved it in front of his face, then slapped it down on the table with a force that made Oliver reel.
‘I like a hard copy, always have. The will is right there.’ She pointed to the folder. ‘He wants to be up on the Bells Line of Road with Elsie.’
Oliver took a deep breath.
The kettle whistled. The reverend poured the tea.
‘I can hold them off for another twenty-four hours, but after that, it’s out of my hands.’
‘What do you want me to do?’ He pictured himself with Tash at the graveyard, swapping bodies. One hand holding the flashlight and the other resting on the shovel. The Citroën would make the perfect getaway car.
‘Your lawyers, Equity and Associates in Sydney. They don’t muck around. I thought a stern email might change the family’s mind. We could send them a copy of his last wishes, along with the will. Of course, the church has no money to pay.’ She stared at Oliver.
‘Okay, I’ll take care of it.’
Reverend Rebecca opened the folder and tapped her finger on the documents. Then she stepped back and once again looked expectantly at Oliver.
He looked expectantly back.
‘Don’t just stand there, get out your phone. Take a photo and write an email. Time is of the essence.’
The following week,Arthur was laid to rest in the Bells Line of Road cemetery, next to Elsie. Peggy and Mark were less accommodating than Oliver would have liked, and Tash didn’t get to read the passage fromTheVelveteen Rabbit. If Arthur’s will had specified it, he could have made it happen. But once the lawyers got involved, everyone was sticking to the script.
Only Peggy and Mark remained dry-eyed throughout the funeral service. They stood tall, their faces reflecting an unwavering composure. The large gathering, which showed the town’s palpable love for Arthur, astonished his children. They were not a close family; that was obvious to everyone. Oliver, thinking of his own father, wondered about unspoken words and missed opportunities. A love strangled by distance and unresolved tension.
Then Mia reminded him that Arthur had had an affair that produced an illegitimate child. He stayed with his wife – their mother – but might not have loved her. The children grew up in the same house and they all lived under the one roof.
‘Riding a superbike around a racetrack is difficult,’ Mia said. ‘I understand that, but it might be easier than pretending to be happily married for decades when you aren’t.’
PART V
COMMISSION & TEST RIDE
The last step in your restoration journey is to commission the motorbike. Fully restored, it’s now time to take it for a ride in the countryside. While the mechanics are deceptively simple, it’s up to you to learn how to ride, manage, and handle the bike. Treat it well. It’s a two-way relationship, and you want to get the most out of your machine.
Remember, classic bikes are not always easy, but they are full of character.
41
A WEDDING
‘Mia.’
