The Long Way Home by Phillip Overton
Chapter 26
March 1988
1988 was supposed to be a year of celebration. As the country launched into a year-long party to mark the Australian bicentenary, Simon drifted aimlessly through the first two months of high school. As much as he found it a culture shock, it remained a sad fact that without it he had nothing to look forward to in life.
Saying goodbye to Gosford Primary School had been hard, especially after his Dad had married Miss McKenzie and the two of them had moved to the Gold Coast before the year had even ended. Not only did it feel like he had lost his Dad along with the best teacher he’d ever had, he also had to say goodbye to one of his best friends in Cameron Carpenter. Cameron knew before the year ended that he was going to Gosford High School instead of Henry Kendall High School, so the last day of primary school had been a sad one as Simon, Brian and Craig parted ways with a friend that had been with them from the first day of school.
Loss, it seemed had been the theme of last year. Strangely for every distraction high school had brought to his life, there was always a reminder of what he had lost lurking somewhere around the next corner. There was the final visit from his Dad and Sally early in the New Year after they had returned from their honeymoon in Fiji, they had briefly stopped by for the afternoon before returning to their new home on the Gold Coast. A few months later his Uncle Barry and Aunty Teresa had called by the week before Simon’s birthday for a surprise visit, before they too headed off for a new job, new house and a new life in Sydney.
Sometimes it was painful too. Like the day he saw 3801 pass through Gosford at the head of the Bicentennial Train, remembering as though it was only yesterday the last memory he had of his Poppy, the two of them standing together on the platform watching as the train pulled away. It was like bumping into Cameron after school one day and seeing him in a different school uniform with the new friends he had made in his first month at Gosford High. It was recognizing the past while at the same time being shocked at how empty the present had become.
Simon fell back on his bed, the amount of homework the teachers dished out in grade seven sucked! Having a different teacher for each subject to him meant getting seven times the homework. Where once he would ride home from school with Brian and spend the afternoon exploring town and the surrounding bush land on their BMX bikes, they both would now spend their time at home, noses buried in study books. English, history, mathematics, science, geography, social studies, whatever, they were all poor replacements for tearing down the lookout road as fast as their bikes would allow them. Lying on his bed he listened to the radio playing softly in the background. The station had just returned from an add break and launched straight into another song while the DJ talked over the entire introduction.
‘4.13 on the coast’s own summer station 2GO, train information and news to come shortly, in the meantime here’s some more music to get you through the afternoon, stereo 801 am….’
Simon put his hands behind his head and stared out of his bedroom window. The sun was sitting high in the late afternoon sky. There was still plenty of daylight left to ride his bike over to Brian’s house, he could do the rest of his homework tonight after he had finished dinner and washed the dishes. His mother didn’t get off work until 5.30, so long as he was back before then she wouldn’t know any better.
In the background, a slow ballad wallowed out some words about a ferry, and there it was. Another reminder that immediately sent his thoughts back to the days of school holidays and watching the ferry arrive from across Sydney Harbour at his Aunty Gail and Uncle Tim’s house at Manly. He wondered when he would see his cousins Lynnie and Justin again. It had been nearly two years since they moved to Melbourne and apart from the birthday card he had found in the rubbish last year, he hadn’t heard from them at all. It only seemed like the other day he was riding the ghost train with Lynnie at the Manly Pier, now it felt like they were so far away that he may as well not even exist.
Simon wondered if one day it would be the same with his Dad. Eventually they would want to start a new family together and he would just become that other kid who lived in Gosford. Immediately hating himself for thinking that way, he stood up and walked over to his wardrobe. Opening it he took out the Manly Sea Eagles rugby league jersey that hung proudly from the hanger and slipped it on. It still felt four sizes too big for him but instantly he felt better for wearing it, slowly without realising it a smile broke out across his face.
The sound of the telephone ringing in the kitchen returned his thoughts from afar. Turning the volume down on his radio he raced out of his bedroom to answer it.
“Hello.” Simon said as he picked up the phone.
“Simon!” The voice on the other end of the line sounded surprised to hear him. “It’s Dad.”
“Dad, you called!” Simon couldn’t contain the delight of hearing his father’s voice. “I was beginning to think you’d forgotten about me, it’s been months since I last saw you.”
“I’ve been trying to catch you at home little man but every time I phone you’ve been out. From what your mother tells me you’ve been keeping busy. How’s high school treating you?”
“Not bad.” Simon thought for a moment. “I mean it’s a lot harder than I thought it would be but I get to do lots of cool stuff. I do a lot more subjects than I did in primary school so there’s heaps of homework to do every afternoon when I get home.”
“Yeah, I remember what that was like. I hate to be the one to tell you Simon but it gets a lot worse before it gets better. Think grade seven is bad then you’d better watch out when you get to grades 10, 11 and 12.”
“How about you Dad? How do you like it up there?” Simon asked.
“Well,” he paused. “I think we’ve both settled in now. The weather is great, lots of sunshine, water’s always warm, can’t complain really. Sally’s happy at her new school, she said to say hello and to let you know she’s back teaching the fourth grade. From what I hear all her students like her.”
“That’s good.” Simon said, still fighting the guilt he felt for changing his story last year and getting her in trouble at school. His mother had been so livid about the whole situation she hadn’t even let him go to their wedding, leaving the two to get married in a small sunset ceremony on the beach at Terrigal. Simon had only managed to escape her wrath by lying against Sally. Life since then was a case of keep out of his mother’s way, and keep out of trouble.
“I take over ownership of the office in Coolangatta next week.” Doug said, breaking a small pause of silence that had ensued between them. “As of now you’re talking to Doug Small, Managing Director of Twin Towns Realty. I’ve finished all my real estate institute of Queensland accreditation, and since we live right on the New South Wales – Queensland border, I’m now certified to handle sales in both states. The owners have all the paperwork ready for the bank to sign off on next week, so the office is finally going to mine. I still can’t believe that I’m about to become the owner of my own real estate company.”
“Great Dad.” Simon tried to sound excited for him. “I guess it’s a lot different to your old office back here.”
“Oh you’d like where the office is located Simon.” His Dad continued to talk excitedly. “It’s right in the main street of Coolangatta only a block from the beach. You step outside and you’re in Queensland, but if you walk a block down the street, you cross the border into Tweed Heads and you’re suddenly standing in New South Wales. How’s that for amazing?”
“That’s great Dad.” Simon shook his head. All he could talk about was real estate. “Have you heard from Uncle Barry?”
“Yeah, your Uncle and Aunty Teresa are both doing well, they’ve settled nicely into their new house now and your Uncle Barry likes his new job. He told me when I spoke to him last that they called in recently to see you for your birthday. Hey, tell me did you like the card Sally and I sent you for your birthday?”
“What card Dad?” Simon asked, suddenly aware that his b
“Nice try son.” His Dad laughed. “Your Mum already told me that you bought some tapes for your cassette player with the money we sent down. She said you’ve been driving her crazy by playing them so loud all the time, she better watch out next year when you’re a teenager hey!”
“No Dad, I didn’t….” Simon tried to correct him.
“It’s alright son, I was young once too.” Doug interrupted him as he talked quickly now. “Look I’ve got to go, Richard has just stopped by to see how I’m going. You remember him don’t you?”
“Yeah, but Dad….”
“It was nice hearing your voice again Simon. Give me a call anytime, your Mum has my number and try to go easy on her little man. I know she hasn’t always been the most supportive mother in the world but it sounds like she is trying really hard at the moment with all the counseling she’s going through. I’m glad she’s agreed to let you go to Sunday school again mate. Poppy would have liked that, and boy’s brigade sounds like a fun thing to do at the church every Friday night.”
“But wait Dad, listen….”
“I’d love to hear all about it some other time Simon, but I really have to go. Listen, Sally and I are going to send some money down in a couple of month’s time so your Mum can buy a train ticket for you to come up for the school holidays in July. Would you like that?”
“Yeah, but Dad….”
“Sorry Simon, I really have to go. I’ll call again soon, I promise. Bye then.”
“But, Dad no, wait….” Simon protested before the clunk of the receiver hanging up on the other end of the line cut him short. “I was going to say don’t send any money because, my mother is a lying drunk who steals money from her own kid!” He screamed as he slammed the phone back down on the holder, nearly tearing it from the wall in the process.
Simon slumped against the kitchen bench and felt like crying. The tears welled up in his eyes, held back only by the knot of anger that caught in his throat. Sure everything in life would change at some point in time. He only wished that for once in his life things would change for the better.
The rustle of a shopping bag as it dropped softly to the floor had him whirling on his feet to the sight of his mother standing only metres behind him.
“Mum.” He gasped, suddenly fearful of how long she had been standing there. “I didn’t hear you come home. I thought you weren’t finishing to half past five.”
“Well I finished early today didn’t I. Now do you mind telling me who on earth you were talking to?” She screamed at him.
The sound of their voices yelling at each other floated uneasily over the rooftops as the sun began to cast long shadows over the white weatherboard house at the end of the street. The screams of an angry young boy turned slowly into cries of pain, interrupted only by the occasional thud from something being thrown against a wall. Long after the sky had turned dark and the street lights claimed the still of the night air, Simon’s quiet sobs into a deep river of hurt went largely unnoticed against the backdrop of traffic noise heading out of town and the whine of the electric trains as they crossed the Broadwater.