Ophelia Adrift (3 page)

“My mother is Malaysian but my father is Australian. They met when my father was working overseas; he’s a violinist and so is my mother. They met performing. Romantic huh?”

“Sure,” I agreed following Peggy. I didn’t really like small talk ... once you got past the weather chat, it seemed kind of pointless, but I gave it a shot.

“So are you musical?” I asked her.

“Not a bit.”

Well that went well.

“Must be exciting to be new in town and at a new school,” Peggy continued, her eyes lit up. “I’ve been here all my life. Mum and Dad go away to perform sometimes, but we’ve always lived here. Are you excited?”

“No, not really,” I said. “I’ve left behind my best friends and I’m guessing most people here have their own group by now ... so I feel a bit ...”

“On the outer?” Peggy finished as we walked into a hallway stacked with lockers.

“Exactly ... on the outer,” I repeated.

She pointed me towards an empty locker. “Will that one do? You just need the English text books and a pad.”

“Sure,” I said and fished for my lock and key in the side of the backpack.

“Don’t worry,” Peggy grabbed a few books from the locker three-up from me. “I’ve been on the outer since day one, so I get it,” she laughed. “You’ve always got me.”

“Thank you,” I smiled at her. “I appreciate it.”

Peggy blushed; I don’t think she was accustomed to praise. I’m glad I had her though—it would make entering the classroom easier.

“Let’s go meet Mr. Wall, our English teacher, you’ll like him, he’s funny.” She waited as I locked up and then Peggy led the way.

*****

Mr. Wall stood at the front of the classroom and held a thin book to his chest. He was a small, skinny man with large, black-framed glasses, a full crop of dark hair and a big grin. I did a rough count; twenty four students sat in the class.

“Okay, how many of you read
The Glass Menagerie
like you were supposed to over the holidays?” he asked.

There was a show of about a dozen hands.

“Hmm,” he sighed. “There should only be one hand not up and that’s our new person who didn’t know she had to read it. Well those who haven’t read it will be reading late tonight then, won’t you? Any chance you have read it, Ophelia?”

“Ah yes, we did it last year,” I answered.

He grinned. “Excellent, we have an expert in our midst. I would start paying Ophelia off now if you want help.”

“But it’s depressing, Sir,” Rodney Brady quipped.

“Yes, Rodney, it is. But so is the Australian cricket team at the moment and that doesn’t stop us playing cricket does it? Now let’s begin by looking at the lead characters, do we like them? Mr. Jones?”

“No, Mr. Wall.”

“No indeed, they are not likeable,” Mr. Wall agreed. “Mr. Smythe, stop staring at the new girl and look at me please!”

Everyone laughed and I felt everyone’s eyes turn to me except Smythe’s. I sunk down lower in the chair.

HOLLY

On our way home from school, I saw Ophelia—the new girl—at the bus stop. She was small, thin and pale with dark hair and big eyes ... sort of startled. I was about to say hi when the bus arrived so we all piled on.

I sat behind my brother; we don’t want to sit together. “Sit here, if you like,” he piped up as she passed; he would.

Ophelia turned towards him, I don’t know if she recognised him from the English class earlier. He pointed to the empty seat beside him.

“Thanks,” she dropped next to him.

“We’re neighbours, sort of. I live at the end of the street, near the dead end and you’re ... well perched on the edge. I’m Harry. Harry Geering.”

“Ophelia ...”

“I know,” he cut her off. “We all know your name—you’re the only new person this year, but you’ll find it harder to remember all of ours. How do you shorten that? Got a nickname?”

“Lia,” Ophelia answered.

“Better,” he agreed. “I get called Geers.”

I couldn’t help myself and I leaned forward and stuck my head between them.

“No one calls you Geers,” I said and Harry rolled his eyes. I extended my hand to Ophelia. “I’m Holly.”

“She’s my twin sister,” Harry said in a flat voice.

I smirked. “Ophelia can tell that, I’m sure, except I’m clearly the better looking twin.”

Ophelia laughed. “You look nothing alike,” she looked from Harry to me. Harry had ginger hair and freckles with green eyes, while I was blonde, bleached blonde, with green eyes which I heavily traced in pencil because they popped like that.

“We looked alike when we were kids before Holly started ruining our natural given beauty,” Harry said.

I ignored him and addressed myself to Ophelia. “You’ve come from Brisbane? I heard you’re staying with Sebastian. He’s lovely, our mum has a crush on him, but I don’t think he’s ever noticed, even though she’s been dropping over meals and cakes since she and Dad divorced five years ago.”

“Perhaps you can put in a good word for her,” Harry added.

“But then, if they hitch up, we could all end up living in the one house,” I pointed out the obvious. “That would be insane. How many bathrooms does your house have?”

“Three,” Ophelia said.

I smiled, getting ahead of myself. “Three, well, that might work.”

Ophelia laughed, I think we were going to like this new girl.

ADAM

I finished work early today and got home just after three. I hadn’t met Sebastian’s niece yet. She was in bed when I got home last night and she was still up in her room this morning when I had my shower and left for work. Poor kid, must be awful to have your world pulled out from underneath you. I changed out of my work gear and made my way down to the beach for a surf. The waves were crap, so I had a quick swim and then ventured onto the rocks so I could watch the tide come in. I took a deep breath; I loved the salt air.

As the last wave was sucked back out, I saw all the bubbles from the little pippis appear in the sand before the next wave returned to cover them. I licked the salt spray from my lips. One more month until it was officially winter and the warm air would be replaced with a chill and all the summer tans would fade. I brushed some sand off my arm looking at the tan I got this summer.

The water level began to rise—I moved higher to sit down onto a dry rock and rested my chin on my legs. The wind rose and whipped my hair into my eyes; it was thick with salt from my earlier swim. I glanced out imaging as I often did what it must have been like to row out in wild conditions in the dark to rescue someone like William, my great-times-by-three-grandfather did, especially when he couldn’t swim. Don’t think I’d do it, not really heroic I know but that’s the way it is. You learn the strength of the ocean growing up with it and you gain a healthy respect for it if you’re clever.

I heard a car and turned to see Seb driving along the nearby road heading home after work. I raised a hand in salute as Sebastian’s arm extended, waving from the 4WD window. I followed his journey up the winding road to the ramshackled house perched on the edge that we call home. I saw her then, Ophelia, I hadn’t seen her come home. She was standing framed in her bedroom window—a small figure, a silhouette, but it was her. I thought she was looking at me so I raised my hand and waved to her. She seemed to hesitate, like she didn’t want to look like she had been looking at me, and then she waved back.

She move away from the window and I saw her pass the next level of windows as she made her way down, probably to greet her uncle.

I jumped as a wave licked my feet and brought me back to reality. The tide was coming in fast. I rose and scuttled off the rocks before it was too late.

Time to meet Ophelia in person.

Chapter 4

OPHELIA

“Excellent,” Uncle Seb exclaimed swallowing his last mouthful of Mrs. Duck’s beef stew.

“Delicious,” I nodded my agreement and Uncle Seb smiled, pleased I had done my part in devouring it. It was great beef stew. Sometimes I felt guilty that my appetite was returning.

“She can cook our Mrs. Duck. She would make a good wife,” Adam ribbed Uncle Seb who laughed and shook his head.

“Except she’s married and twenty years older than me,” Uncle Seb reminded him.

“Except for that,” he agreed.

I had been trying to study Adam without staring. He was only two years older than me and had finished senior last year, but he seemed a lot older. He was easily a head taller than me, but slight and sporty. He had a runner’s physique.

“It is inherited,” Uncle Seb said.

“What is?” I asked, having lost the train of the conversation. I topped up everyone’s tea from the pot in the middle of the table.

“Talking, it’s inherited. Either that or you’ve caught it from me already.”

I guess I had said more over dinner than I had probably said since I arrived a few days ago. I shrugged. “First day at school, I had a lot to tell you ... about Peggy the Prefect, and Harry, although he wants to be called Geers but Harry’s easier to remember because he has a twin, Holly—Harry and Holly—but you probably knew that ... and then Mr. Wall was fun, but I liked Mr. Meadows too, he made history interesting. So there you have it.” I could feel myself redden. I’m sure Adam thought I was a rambling idiot.

“My parents are rovers,” he said, “so I’ve changed school six times.”

I gasped. “That’s awful.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. “Fine if you’re an extrovert, but I’m not. So think of me as your big brother. If anyone hassles you, I’ve got your back.”

“Thanks,” I liked him already. “I’ve always wanted a brother or a sister.”

“Yeah, I did too until I got one,” he said.

Uncle Seb sat back and smiled watching the interaction between us. “I’m relieved that your first day went well, I was worried,” he said.

“Thanks Uncle Seb.” I was touched by his concern. “I thought I’d go for a walk on the rocks. I’ll be back before it gets dark if I’m allowed?”

Uncle Seb rose, reached for my plate and Adam’s and took them to the sink. “You are your own person now, Lia, I trust you.”

“Want some company?” Adam asked.

“Sure,” I shrugged casually. “Can we take the dogs Uncle Seb?”

“They would love that, Lia,” he agreed.

“I’ll just get a pullover,” Adam said, leaving the room.

I grabbed my cup of tea, moved to the sink and reached for a tea towel as Uncle Seb filled the sink with hot sudsy water. He lowered his voice and turned to me. “You’ve had that sex talk haven’t you?”

I choked on my mouthful of tea. “Uncle Seb!”

“I didn’t say I was going to give it to you, but you know, I guess I have to check you know what happens you know when ...

“Yeah,” I cut him off, “thanks I’ve got it under control.”

He nodded, scraping off the plates. “Good. Do you need to go on the pill?”

“What! Really?”

“I don’t know, Lia, I’m supposed to be responsible but I’m not really, well I’m very good at looking after the furry kids—they’ve been desexed, but that’s a bit different. You have to tell me if you need me to organise something for you ... you don’t want to get pregnant ... but Mrs. Ducks can help you with that sort of thing.”

I held up my hand willing him to stop talking now. “Uncle Seb, stop right there. I’m not going to get pregnant, I’m not even doing ... you know what ... and I have no intention of doing it at this point in time... and I can go to the doctor by myself if need be, but thanks for asking.”

“Good, good,” he exhaled and turned to the sink to wash up. “But you had better come grocery shopping with me, at least the first time or every time if you like, so I know what to get you each week ... do you buy special girl products?”

“Grocery shopping we can conquer together,” I assured him adding my tea cup for washing.

He sighed with relief and placed a washed plate in the dish rack. I grabbed it and wiped.

“Thank goodness, that’s over,” he said. I’ve been thinking all day how to raise the topic.”

“Really? Because you could have fooled me just blurting it out like that!” I teased him.

He grinned and looked a bit sheepish. “Well everything else should be easy from now on.”

Adam reappeared, with dog leads in hand, a pullover and the dogs sticking close.

“They knew before I grabbed the leads,” Adam said.

“Yes, you’ve got to spell it not say it,” Uncle Seb told us. “Forget the wiping, I’ll do these. Go and hang around the rocks, look out for Neptune’s necklaces.”

“What are those?” I asked as I put the salt and pepper shakers back in the cupboard.

“It’s green-coloured algae that can grow to thirty centimetres long and it has all these pieces joined together that look like a string of pearls only ...

“It’s a string of algae,” I grimaced and flicked the towel at Uncle Seb before hanging it up. “See ya,” I called and headed out the door behind Adam, Argo and Agnes, before he could go into more detail.

JACK

I had been watching her the last few days, mainly at night but she didn’t see me. Although, she caught a glimpse of me on her first day. Now she was coming towards me, Adam beside her and the dogs running in circles around them. She took off her sandals and hitched her fingers through the straps. I saw her dig her toes into the sand; that lovely feeling when it is cold and moist—strangely good. She looked out to the ocean and inhaled the salty air, then glanced back conscious of the security of her new home behind her.

For a moment it was like she looked right at me, then turned to Adam. He was leaning over looking into a rock pond and pointing something out to her. They weren’t comfortable together yet, but he seemed to be taking her under his wing. They looked like they could be brother and sister; she had the palest of blue eyes and his were almost the same colour as the deep blue of the ocean. His black hair was straight and long at the front; it kept flicking in his eyes. She reached for a band around her wrist and tied her own dark hair back as the wind whipped around them. I was near enough to hear them. The dogs sensed me and circled.

“Want to walk that way?” he nodded up the beach.

“Sure.” Ophelia followed him as he turned and began to walk further up the beach towards the public swimming area and the surf life savers’ building. He stopped and waited for her to walk beside him. The beach was empty except for the occasional seagull hovering above and the big limbed dogs lolling around them. I followed them too but they couldn’t see me.

“So you know most of my teachers?” Ophelia said to him.

“Yeah,” Adam said. “And I know a lot of the kids in your grade because the middle grades do sport and dances together.”

“So what do you do now?” she asked.

“I’m an apprentice boat builder. The company I work for builds and fits-out boats and we do repairs too.”

“That’s kind of cool,” Ophelia said. If she thought that was cool, wait until I introduced her to my world. She continued. “Uncle Seb loves his boats.”

“Yeah doesn’t he just,” Adam smiled. “Don’t get him started ... I’ve been trapped before.”

Ophelia laughed.

Her laugh was almost musical; I could listen to that all day.

Adam continued. “I’m only working on the small stuff at the moment like jet skis and pleasure craft, nothing that would interest Seb, but I’ll work my way up. Last year they had naval vessels to work on and I’d love to do that.”

“Here?”

“No, we go to Williamstown for that, or sometimes Portland,” he said. “Oh, you’re not from around here ... that’s still in this State; Portland is about an hour’s drive from here and Williamstown about three-and-half hours by car.”

“Right,” she smiled at him. “I’m still not sure where I am now, but I’ll get there.” She looked out to the ocean. She felt a stabbing pain in her heart which I picked up on too. She was remembering that she didn’t have a home anymore. I involuntarily touched my own heart; I knew what it was to be displaced.

“I’m sure you will find your way eventually,” he smiled at her.

“You like the sea then?” Ophelia asked him.

“I love the sea. I couldn’t imagine not being near it or seeing it every day. When summer comes, this beach will be filled with surfers, swimmers, and sunbakers,” he looked over at her. “You surf?”

“No.”

“Swim?”

“If I can touch the bottom,” Ophelia blushed. “I’m not much of a fish.” She wandered to the edge of a rock pool and looked at the small life inside it. Adam joined her and they climbed up higher. I wanted to show them the power of the ocean, test Adam a little to see if he would run or help her. This would show him up.

My rogue wave hit the rock with a roar and she fell back in fright. Adam grabbed her, helping her off the rock and onto the sand. He lowered her down.

“Sorry, that scared me,” she righted herself, her hand on her heart.

“Yeah, it does that.”

I wouldn’t have let her come to any harm, it was just a test. Her heart was beating too fast.

“That could have sucked me out to sea!” she stared at the now calm water. “Where did that come from?”

Adam shook his head. “Beats me. But there’s no rips there at the moment and I’m here, you wouldn’t have been sucked out.”

I saw her shudder and she moved further onto the sand away from the rocks. The dogs circled them again, Argo licked her hand reading her stress, and she ran her hand over his coat. It probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do—creating that wave—chances were I’ve made her more scared of the sea now.

They continued their walk with the dogs in a blissful zone of fresh air and open space. I was trying to read Ophelia and Adam’s body language; it wasn’t flirting I felt between them, it was needier. If she liked him, she wouldn’t fall for me and I would have to fix that. I know girls thought Adam Ferrier was handsome with his tan and athletic build—strong arms and chest, probably from his work. He looked fit. I was the complete opposite—girls have said I’m cheeky and boyish, they like my dimples and fair hair, yeah girls usually love that stuff. I returned to watching them.

“So how long will you be staying with Uncle Seb?” she asked.

Adam picked up a stick and threw it. Both dogs chased in pursuit.

“Not sure,” he said. “As I mentioned, my parents were wanderers,” he started. “Since I was born, we’ve been on the road, they’re real nomads. But this is their base, they own a place here and always come back—sometimes it might not be for a couple of years. I’ve been home schooled as well as started at six different schools. I begged them to just let me finish high school in one place. So when I got into year eleven, they agreed to stick around for the two years.”

“That’s tough,” Ophelia said. “I miss my friends and everyone has been really kind, but they already have their groups.”

“I know. Bit easier for guys because if you’re okay at sport, you can at least hang out in a team. Anyway, the folks agreed to stay put until I finished school and they had their bags packed before my graduation dance,” he laughed.

“So they left with your brother or sister?” Ophelia asked.

“Little sister. She’s only eight—she was a ‘surprise’ baby.”

“Don’t you miss them?”

I could feel by his reaction that he did, but he wasn’t going to show Ophelia his soft side.

Adam shrugged. “Sometimes. I could have gone with them, but it was a big deal getting the apprenticeship ... over two hundred applied. So I really wanted to do it rather than go on the road. They’ll be back for Christmas and then head off again probably.”

“How did you come by Uncle Seb though?”

“He and my dad met a few times at the Maritime Museum. They became a bit chummy and Seb helped me with my apprenticeship application. When Dad and Mum wanted to move on, they didn’t want to leave me in the house or with flatmates in case we had too many parties,” he grinned. “So they rented it out on a six month lease and they just keep extending it if they’re not ready to come back yet. Seb offered his place. He won’t accept rent, but I put in for groceries and I try and do a bit around the house like mowing and repairs. Seb’s not much good at that.”

I could read that she was thinking of her uncle taking in strays—her and Adam.

“Why are you here ... I mean, why have you moved here?” Adam asked.

Ophelia looked surprised. “Didn’t Uncle Seb tell you?”

“No, he just said his niece was coming to live with him and we decided we’d make the bachelor pad downstairs and you could take the upstairs.”

“My parents died.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah, kills a conversation,” she shrugged. “So Uncle Seb is my closest living relative. He’s mum’s brother. Dad’s got a few sisters but one is overseas and the other, well I don’t really know her and she didn’t want kids.”