Benworden Page 16

  “I’m already on it,” he called with a muffled reply from the library before I had a chance to finish my sentence.

  Roo quickly returned with the logbook dating back to the days when Mr Gowdy attended year 8 and was flicking through the pages as he re-entered the room.

  “Here it is,” he said, handing me the book and looking at me like the cat that had just swallowed the mouse. I sometimes thought he was psychic the way he knew what I was thinking.

  “Ha-ha! Edith Evans recruited at the beginning of year 8 after Wendy Williams left Benworden and our club when her parents moved to New Zealand.”

  “Well, well, well. Who would’ve known that this was the reason that he’s hated the club for all this time?”

  “Shhh!” said Gerry with a frown that commanded silence, and then quickly turned her eyes back to the monitor. “This is better than any soapy I’ve ever seen.”

  Some of the other club members couldn’t help but giggle out loud but that stopped abruptly when she flicked her head around again and gave each one a steely stare.

  Miss Fickle was now walking back towards his desk. She sat down on the chair across from Mr Gowdy and reaching forward grabbed both his hands with hers.

  “Look at me,” she said. “It’s ok. We can start anew. Nothing has been lost; only lessons gained. Anyway, why do we need to break up a good team? I’m sure we can work this out.”

  Mr Gowdy looked down at her hands and then up into her eyes. “Does that mean you’ll stay?” he said hopefully.

  “As long as you want me to and as long as you don’t threaten me about my job if I haven’t done anything wrong,” she replied.

  “I promise I won’t, and I’m telling you now you won’t regret your decision. I can change. I know I can. In fact let me prove it to you now. It’s getting late and neither of us has eaten. Can I take you out for some dinner? There’s a great little Chinese restaurant that’s just opened in town. Will you join me?”

  We could see from Miss Fickle’s face that she couldn’t believe what she was hearing and there was no hesitation in her reply. “Wow, this may take some getting used to. I would love to join you but I must call home first to check on my dogs. Is that ok?”

  “Of course, of course,” he said while raising himself from the chair. He strolled around to the other side of the desk and pointed his elbow toward her. “Shall we then?” he asked.

  Miss Fickle looked up and smiled. She rose from her chair and hooked her arm through his. “Most definitely,” she replied and they left the room like a couple of newlyweds.

  At this point the whole club room erupted into conversation and you could barely hear yourself think with all the club members trying to talk at the same time.

  “SILENCE!” Gerry shouted and everyone immediately stopped speaking, including me. Gerry was thinking it was time to get the real reason for our celebration on track and that a statement at this point would be beneficial to everyone.

  “Ok. Now that everyone is quiet,” she continued,” I would like to officially welcome Talbert and Isabel as our newest recruits to the club. A warm hand please.”

  By this time everyone was feeling warm-hearted and Isabel’s deeds of the past were soon forgotten. There was loud cheering and clapping along with plenty of pats on the back. Gerry fired up her very professional speaking voice again and began her speech. “As we all know, things haven’t been easy at Benworden lately.”

  There were a few murmurs of, “That’s for sure!” and, “You can say that again!”

  She continued, “But it seems that the cloud may have finally been lifted from this great school, boarding house, and club. Look at what we have just witnessed on our monitor. Who would have believed it possible to see such a change in our beloved principal?”

  Quite a few giggled at Gerry’s successful attempt at sarcasm – Mr Gowdy was far from our beloved anything. “No, but seriously, good lessons can come out of what we have just witnessed – we can so easily get stuck in the negatives of our past and waste the precious moments of the here and now.”

  Bungles was totally moved by her statement and threw his fist into the air while yelling out, “RIGHT ON!”, but in typical Bungles fashion he accidently smacked Roo in the back of the head. Everyone burst into laughter as Roo’s hat went flying across the room.

  Although Gerry kept a staunch profile she admitted to me later that she could barely contain herself.

  At this stage I stepped in and said, “All right, all right. Let the president finish what she’s saying!”

  “Thanks Dylan. As I was saying, what has happened here today will hopefully ease the pressure that Mr Gowdy has been putting on us. Both Dylan and I would like to thank you all for your loyalty and also how each and every one of you has handled yourselves in the face of adversity.”

  She picked up a glass full of punch and cried out, “Cheers!”

  We all raised our glasses and were about to touch them together when Roo grabbed hold of Bungles by the wrist.

  “Let me help you,” he said to Bungles. “We don’t want to be walking around on broken glass now, do we?”

  Bungles screwed up his lips and brow at the same time and replied, “Huh?” and everyone broke into laughter, including Gerry.

  22

  HARRY’S FAREWELL

  Harry was caught between two worlds – he loved Australia and planned to become an Australian citizen after he completed his education but would always remain proud of his heritage and homeland of China. He spent a couple of days pondering over how he could farewell his ancestor, and finally decided he would mix Chinese and Australian ceremonies and traditions so that the other club members could be involved. He explained to us his intentions and we covered for him while he worked tirelessly setting up an altar at the far end of the small shaft where his great, great, great grandfather lay.

  After the completion of the altar, he placed 50 candles on it as well as a number of incense holders. He used the club’s computer to enlarge an old copy of a water-colour portrait of his ancestor and hung it up over the altar and then he washed and redressed the bones and sealed them in a pine box with several Chinese coins.

  The evening of the ceremony Harry had asked me and the others to arrive at a certain time so that he was prepared for us when we came. On arrival we could see he had set up a ladder leading down the hole to the shaft below. Harry stood at the base of it and welcomed us by presenting us with incense sticks to burn and showed us where to place them in the holders provided. He had asked us to bring anything we thought appropriate for a funeral. Some members brought flowers and wreaths, while others brought letters of farewell written on coloured paper and cards.

  The girls did a wonderful job of arranging the flowers and cards around the altar and then we lit the incense sticks and placed them in the holders. I don’t think I have ever seen or smelt anything more beautiful than the aroma of the incense and the flickering candlelight dancing over the array of colours.

  I felt like I was drifting through a dream and my entire body was consumed with heart-felt warmth. I was caught between feeling empathy for Harry and a release of pent up emotions for myself after the stressful few weeks the club had endured and it wasn’t long before my eyes welled with tears. Gerry touched my shoulder and I looked around to see a tear running down her cheek; I knew things had taken their toll on her as well.

  “Are you ok?” I said

  She replied, “I will be once this is all over.”

  We half smiled at each other and then turned our attention back to the ceremony.

  Harry gave everyone a chance to say their final farewell by asking us if we would like to give a short oration. Most of us spoke about our respect for Harry and how his ancestor would be proud. There was also talk of his ancestor’s bravery and strength as we all knew how he had battled between life and death to inscribe his last words on paper to ensure his family knew he hadn’t abandoned them.

  As the ceremony came to a close, Harry bowe
d before the coffin and we bowed as well. It was clear he needed some time alone for his own personal farewell so we all headed back up the ladder. Talbert, Brian and I waited at the top in the main shaft while the other club members headed back to the club rooms.

  Once Harry had said his goodbyes he climbed the ladder for the last time and when he arrived at the top we dropped the ladder into the hole and then lowered boards down the shaft, boxing the coffin in. Phillip Paver had organised a loan of a cement truck which he drove to the entrance of the main shaft. We had deliberately left the ceremony till evening so the truck could unload undetected. We all worked hard connecting up the large hoses that would lead up the shaft and then pump cement down to entomb Harry’s ancestor in his final resting place.

  As soon as this was completed we smoothed it over and I gave Harry my farewell gift. Tears began trickling down his cheeks when he read the inscription on the brass plate that was to be embedded into the cement. It read in English and Chinese, “Here lies an honourable man.”

  We thanked Phillip for his help and headed back to the club rooms. To our surprise we were welcomed back in the foyer by the others who had decorated it with Chinese lanterns and the table was laden with Chinese food from the takeaway restaurant. Burning incense, candles and red ribbons were everywhere – even the old fruit box bookcase was filled. The biggest surprise was when Harry broke open a fortune cookie and it read: “Good friends are like family. Keep them close.”

  23

  OUR LAST MEETING

  We decided our last meeting would be as upbeat as possible because although we all knew this wasn’t going to be a final farewell – everyone wanted to stay in touch – we also knew that it would be a little emotional due to the year we had experienced.

  I asked everybody what they had planned for the summer break and Bungles replied, “Roo and Talbert have made the finals with the Ballarat Bandits and I’m going to be their mascot and dress up as an outlaw, then we’re heading to Lakes Entrance for some fishing and swimming. The best part of all is this time there won’t be any secrets kept from Talbert now that he’s a Bull Ant as well.”

  Carla put her arm around Brian and pulled him close to her and said, “My little adopted brother here has asked me to attend a fashion show that his father is exhibiting in and then we’re considering visiting some very special friends of mine in Hollywood.”

  She put her free arm around Greg and pulled him close. “Just to top it off, Greg and his family are going to meet us in the Big Apple after that.”

  Bonnie smiled and said,” You guys are so lucky!”

  Greg was still a little red after Carla’s hugs but he had something special to tell everyone and nothing was going to stop him. He looked around the table and said, “Dad came home last weekend and told me how he had missed me and what a fool he had been by avoiding me because I looked so much like Mum. We sat together and watched all the movies Mum had made for both of us. We cried and laughed and hugged and Dad said he wished he had watched them earlier because the journey he had travelled had been a painful one.

  “Anyway, Dad wants me to spend the holidays with him in New York. Oh, by the way Bonnie, Dad asked me if I would like to bring someone along and seeing you’re at loose ends I was wondering...”

  Before Greg could finish Bonnie had jumped out of her seat and raced around the table screaming. She threw her arms around Greg and said, “Thank you Greg, thank you, thank you, thank you!”

  Greg had gone from a pale red to a deep blush but still managed a timid smile. As usual, Gerry was quick to take the attention away from someone who felt uncomfortable and said, “What about you Sean, what are you going to be doing?”

  Sean replied, “I must tell you I’m also very excited. There just happens to be a wonderful science exhibition in Melbourne and after that I’ll be working on some new ideas for the club as well.”

  Gerry looked over at Isabel and said, “Have you got any plans you’d like to share?”

  “I certainly do,” she replied. “Kate, Sophie and I are also attending Brian’s father’s fashion show and after that the girls have asked me to fly to England with them to visit their parents. I’d also like to say how sorry I am for all the trouble I’ve caused each and every one of you, and want to thank you for making me feel like I’m part of something special.”

  Harry said, “We’re all part of something special. I guess we’ve all found something deep within ourselves that we never realised we had and that’s an emotional bond – one that’ll never be broken.

  “As for me, I’m going back to China for the holidays and for the first time in my life I will walk down the streets of my neighbourhood with my head held high. And I won’t be just walking for me – I’ll be carrying my great, great, great grandparent in my heart knowing his spirit will fill me with pride and honour and the cloud of disrespect will no longer linger over my family.”

  Everyone was silent as we all shared that pride and honour with Harry.

  Gerry and I looked at each other and smiled and I said, “Ok you guys, it’s our turn. Firstly we have an announcement to make. We have started dating.”

  Bonnie said, “It’s about time! We were wondering how long it would take for you guys to finally see that you had a thing happening.”

  Now it was my turn to blush. I had no idea that the others knew how I felt.

  Bonnie continued, “So what’s going to happen when you’re at different unis?”

  Gerry jumped in, “Well, that’s the other good news. We’ve both applied to Melbourne University and have been successful. Dylan wants to study agriculture and I’ll study law.”

  Carla cut in. “I thought you didn’t want to follow in your father’s footsteps?”

  Gerry replied, “I’m not. I want to become a prosecutor. Dad and I have worked things out and he’s just glad that I’ll carry on the family tradition of law. He said he’ll help me any way he can. He also said he looks forward to the challenge of coming up against me in the courts, and I guess I do too.”

  There was one more thing I needed to take care of before we closed my last ever meeting. I had been thinking about my relationship with Gerry and how long it had taken for us to start dating even though both of us had had feelings for one another since year 7. I could see the parallels between us and Mr Neals and Miss James. Everyone knew they were interested in each other but like us neither had taken the first step to do anything about it. It was clear by their body language and nervousness whenever they were together that it was inevitable they would end up in a relationship sooner or later, and before I left Benworden I wanted to make sure it was going to be sooner.

  Mr Neals had done so much for me, now it was time to return the favour. I looked around the room and thanked every member for their support over the past year and asked them if they would be interested in one final project before Gerry and I departed. When I explained what I wanted to do there was no hesitation from any member and suggestions came instantaneously.

  Carla came up with the first thought and said excitedly, “We could arrange a date for them at the fanciest restaurant in town, The Golden Clover.”

  Brian could sense Carla’s excitement and said, “Great idea, and how about them being picked up in one of those fancy white carriages they have in town? You know, the one those two beautiful white horses pull.”

  The twins began jumping up and down and said in unison, “Oh yes, and Miss James should have a brand new dress to wear, and we mustn’t forget a makeover!”

  Isabel, who was new to this sort of thing, began to feel the buzz that was going around the room and couldn’t help herself getting involved. She said, “What about Mr Neals? He’ll need a new suit, won’t he?”

  These were all fantastic ideas but there was a bit of a hurdle to overcome first. I replied, “So how do we get them to cooperate?”

  Gerry was as eager as I was to make it happen and said, “ That’s easy, Dylan, you need to do your thing and ring the manager of the Gol
den Clover and book a table for two on Saturday night. Make sure it’s in a quiet secluded spot and tell the manager he is to spare no expense on them. We’ll pay for everything on the club’s credit card. Then we must contact Milani Men’s Wear and Salina’s Styles in town to notify them that at two o’clock on Saturday afternoon an adult will enter their stores, accompanied by a youth sporting a gold ring with a Bull Ant on it. When the attendant sees this ring they must inform the adult that they’ve just won the store’s lucky customer competition and they can any outfit in the store to the cost of one thousand dollars.

  “We’ll pay the store owners in cash and also give them a hefty tip for their services.”

  Gerry paused for a moment to think and then said, “This will be where Carla and Brian can play a part. Carla, what do you think about asking Miss James if you can come over on Saturday afternoon to try out some new make-up you’ve just received from the United States? You can also tell Miss James that you have no one to help pick out a dress for the valedictory, and would she mind helping you.”

  She turned to Brian and said, “And could you do the same thing with Mr Neals? Apart from the make-up, of course.”

  Everyone burst into laughter. I was so proud of Gerry and her plan I said, “Brilliant, just brilliant.”

  Gerry was on a roll and my comments served to spur her on even further and she continued, “Bonnie, how about you helping me design and print up some ‘secret admirer’ invitation cards? And Dylan, can you organise the horse-drawn carriage as well please?”

  Both Bonnie and I replied in unison, “Sure.”

  Everyone had their jobs to do and there was no time to waste. It was already Wednesday and everything needed to be in place before Saturday.

  24

  MAKING IT HAPPEN

  There was a horse and carriage business in town called “Romantic Journeys” that catered for weddings and events such as this one. Putting on my deepest voice I rang and ordered one for Saturday night. I told them which address they needed to go to first and the time of arrivals.