Page 46 of The Side Road
After she had left Alfie and moved to Eagle Nest, the road ahead was like a new beginning. With each passing year, her confidence had grown, fuelled by the realisation that she was finally taking control of her own happiness. When the journey of self-discovery began, she welcomed it with open arms. Without a partner, there was time to pursue other things. Not being in love freed up weeks and months for more productive passions. Like building a business.
Later that night, as Mia closed her eyes in bed, movies began to play inside her head. Pornographic films. His neck. His lips. His thighs. Firm hands on her bare breasts. A hard cock, she had missed that. Smiling, she drifted off to sleep.
14
SIT & KNIT
Kandos wasthe town that made the cement that built Sydney. To the locals, it was the town that raised Australia’s largest city from the ground. When the cement works opened in 1914, the little mining village, which consisted mostly of tents, shanties and shacks along the railway line, soon became an industrial hub. A copper mine followed. A century later, Kandos was a tree-change destination.
Mia climbed onto the BMW. With Snood in the sidecar, they rode to Leo and Blanche’s house in Kandos. It was early Sunday evening; the monthly gathering of the Sit & Knit group started at six. While Mia planned the event, the knitters took turns hosting. This month, Blanche had volunteered. They were expecting a dozen knitters, including two new members.
Blanche and Leo’s small Federation house featured orange brickwork and a red tin roof. Leo had painted the woodwork and gables glossy white to match the roses and gardenias in the front garden. While the classic turn-of-the-century charm continued inside, with high ceilings, polishedtimber floors, and wide skirtings, the house remained unrenovated. Inadequate storage made the small rooms feel cluttered and poky. The old stained-glass windows rattled in the wind, and the original kitchen and bathroom fittings needed an upgrade.
As Mia entered the kitchen, Blanche looked up from the table. ‘I got Wordle in three. It took Leo four, so I’ve been in a good mood all day. Let’s have a cup of tea.’
At the sink, Mia filled the kettle. She placed it on the stove and adjusted the heat. On the windowsill, an avocado seed, held aloft by toothpicks, floated in a half-full mason jar. The seed had sprouted months ago, and its pale shoots filled the glass. Several times, Mia had suggested they plant it; given the price of avocados, a tree teeming with the fruit would be an asset. But the seed was still in the jar. The breakfast dishes stacked in the sink had not made their way to the dishwasher, either.
Noticing the compost was overflowing, Mia picked up the container and stepped toward the French doors that led to the back garden.
‘Leave that. I’ll do it later,’ Blanche said.
‘I’m almost outside,’ Mia dismissed.
The backyard resembled a market garden. Railway sleepers formed the raised beds, and nets covered the citrus trees, almost ready for a winter harvest. In the far corner was a well-used garden shed. Leo, ankle-deep in the brassica bed, was stalking through broccoli, kale and cauliflower plants. ‘Do you like mustard greens?’ he called to her.
‘I’ll take anything you give me.’ Mia emptied the kitchen scraps into the compost bin.
‘You should know, she’s setting you up with Josh.’
Mia paused. ‘Who the fuck is Josh?’
Leo let out a small laugh. ‘That’s what I said. You met him at the country club dance. He found you captivating.’
‘Well, he’s mistaken me for someone else because I didn’t go to the dance.’
Leo gave that some thought. ‘You picked us up, remember? Stayed for a chat. Indulge my wife, won’t you? It gives her something to do.’ Leo gave her a conspiratorial smile, which she didn’t return. She had no intention of indulging anyone.
When she returned to the kitchen, Blanche handed her a carton of milk. ‘Darling, smell this. It might be off, and it’ll do me more harm than you.’
Mia sniffed the carton. ‘It’s fine.’ She took a seat at the table.
Blanche added the milk to the mugs of hot water. She jiggled the tea bag between the cups. ‘I can get three cups from one bag.’ She joined Mia at the kitchen table. ‘Now, I want to talk to you about Josh. He’s an English professor. Teaches at the high school. Shocking dancer. Gallops, like a horse, but no one’s perfect. He might ask you out.’
Mia’s heart sank. Her expression followed and she blinked despondently at her aunt.
‘I’m not suggesting you marry the man. Just go out with him. Dinner and a walk along the river. That sort of thing.’
Leo returned from the garden. He rinsed a handful of beans under the tap and left them to dry on a towel. ‘After the date, if he asks you in for coffee, it means sex. If he offers to cook dinner, it also means sex. Always be on guard,’ he said.
‘What if he offers to cook me lunch?’ Mia asked. ‘What does that mean?’
‘Oh, that’s a tricky one.’ Leo rubbed his palms over histhighs. ‘He might try to kiss you. Always be suspicious. And remember, the truth is more highly prized by women.’
‘That’s terrible advice,’ Mia said, her expression a mixture of amusement and disdain. ‘Let me get this straight. You want me to go out with Josh, not have sex with him, and freeze my eggs?’
‘When you put it like that,’ Blanche said.
Mia shook her head. ‘I will not be going out with Josh or anyone else.’
