Page 99 of The Side Road
‘Adultery is more common than you think.’
Oliver smiled. ‘Who told you that?’
‘Nan.’
‘We never really know what other people’s relationships are like. Why two people – or sometimes it’s three – are attracted to one another. We all want different things. The best you can do is be honest with yourself.’ Oliver paused. ‘Does this look like breadcrumbs?’
Tash peered into the bowl. ‘Yes.’
‘What’s next?’ Oliver brushed the flour off his hands.
Tash picked up the phone and read. ‘Beat the eggs with the milk and add this to the flour mixture. Make a dough, roll it into balls.’ The syrup boiled. She turned the heat down.
Oliver mixed the ingredients. Together, they rolled the dough into balls and dropped them into the sticky syrup to cook.
‘I think Elsie was grieving,’ Oliver said. ‘She lost her husband and then she lost her daughter. Lizzy was the best thing in her life. After she died, the lights went out and Elsie didn’t know what to do with her pain, so she got angry. It was tough for her.’
‘Nan fought with Pops all the time.’
‘Some relationships are like that.’
‘Do you think she was happy?’
‘Honestly, no. But you made her happy.’ He checked the dumplings. They were ready. He served them in bowls with extra syrup.
‘Why do you think she left everything to the church? I mean, it wasn’t hers, it was ours.’ Tash scooped a dumplingonto her spoon and took a bite. ‘Good, but we need ice cream.’
‘She was getting old. Maybe she had early dementia. Or maybe she wanted to piss everyone off one last time.’
Tash smiled. ‘We should make these again.’
‘In the middle of the night?’
‘Definitely in the middle of the night. Can we go see Nan’s grave on the weekend?’
‘Sure.’
They took the Citroën.Oliver suggested flowers, so they stopped at the florist in town. Tash selected winter-flowering daphne, and the rose-citrus scent filled the interior of the car as they headed to the Bells Line of Road cemetery.
Late winter, the poetic country landscape was bathed in a soft, misty light. After they found Elsie’s grave, they sat down on the grass and Tash placed her flowers.
‘Do you regret scattering your mum’s ashes?’ Oliver asked.
Tash shook her head. ‘She’s on the wind. On the wings of a bird.’ She lay back on the grass. ‘Tell me again how you and Mum met.’
‘You know this story backwards, but okay. I went to school with Lizzy. Always had a crush on her – everyone did. After I left school, I didn’t see much of her because she was studying.’
‘And you were racing and working in the garage.’
‘That’s right. One day, she came in with Elsie and I caught her eye. That was all it took. One look and I knew she liked me.’ When he paused, a serious expression crossed his face. ‘I mean, how could she not? I was an under-eighteen champion, on my way to becoming an Australian?—’
‘Oliver!’
He laughed. ‘So, I did what every man tries to do.’
‘Impress her?’
‘That’s right. I wanted to win her over. First, with my exceptional riding skills, but that only got me so far. Then, I took her dancing. Impressed the socks off her.’
