The Golden Land (24 page)

‘When you bring the baby home, can we help?' asked Thi. ‘I am happy to do what I can and I'm sure that Thomas is too.'

Thomas smiled and nodded in agreement.

‘Thanks, you're both kind, but Mark will be there. It's going to be a bit scary, having Andrew home without the backup of the medical expertise he's had in the hospital.'

‘You'll manage just fine. But if you want help, you just call,' said Thi.

‘Thank you,' stammered Natalie, close to tears. She wished she could share the burden of Mark's desperate search for work, but she held her tongue. ‘It's just been lovely to have a break like this.'

When Mark got home from the hospital later that afternoon, he eyed the fresh vegetables, leftover biscuits, jam and spicy pickles Thi had sent home with Natalie. ‘That's a lovely lot of food, Nat. Thi is very generous, but I hope she doesn't think we need charity.'

‘Don't be silly. Thi is just a generous person. She gives stuff to everyone. I didn't say anything about you being made redundant. You really should go to her community market again. Thi would love to see the kids, and Charlotte would like another pony ride,' said Natalie lightly. She could tell from his comment about charity that Mark was deeply worried.

Later, sitting at her computer to send her mother an update on Andrew's progress, Natalie saw an email from Peter Michaelson, the antiques trader in London. Perplexed, she opened the email.

I am wondering if you are still holding the kammavaca you asked me about? If you have not yet sold it, I am still interested in acquiring it. I have a serious collector who would be willing to offer you AU$40,000 for your artefact. Could you please let me know if you will sell it to me at this price?

Natalie stared at the message in shock then burst out laughing and called out to Mark, ‘You're not going to believe this.'

Mark didn't show much reaction when Natalie read him the offer but instead looked at her seriously and said, ‘That's a lot of money, Natalie.'

‘Yes, someone really wants it!'

‘What are you going to do?' asked Mark evenly.

‘I told you. I'm sending it back to Princess Aye Aye. I'm going to email Michaelson and tell him I'm sorry, but it's being returned to its rightful owner.'

‘But, Natalie, we need that money!' exploded Mark. ‘That offer could save us.'

‘Mark, I've already written to Aye Aye and told her that I'm returning the kammavaca, and I'm not going back on my word. I owe it to Uncle Andrew. He wanted to do the right thing, and so do I,' she said stubbornly.

‘I agree, and it was a nice gesture when the thing was only worth a third of this offer and I had a job! But we need that money now! Our circumstances have changed. We have to keep a roof over our heads, put food on the table and be responsible for three children!'

‘Mark! Yes, we need money, but we also need a longterm solution. Selling the kammavaca is a drastic step that we may not even need to take. Sure, we didn't see things unfolding like this but you won't be out of work forever. We have to bite the bullet and hope —'

‘That's the point, Nat. I don't know how long it's going to take for me to get a job again. Everyone is doing it tough, there's been a downturn and companies are cagey. We're not just talking about putting the renovations on hold. We're using up all our money.'

‘I understand that. But we'd be in the same boat with or without the kammavaca. You were okay about returning it to the princess when it was worth a lot less.'

Mark answered through gritted teeth. ‘Exactly. Now we know it's worth a helluva lot more, and selling it can
help us
now we're in financial trouble.'

‘I'm not going back on my word,' repeated Natalie stubbornly. ‘I promised the princess that I would return it. It should never have been taken in the first place. Keeping it is wrong and so is selling it.'

‘If it goes back to Burma, who's to know, and what's to stop her from getting forty grand for it?'

‘Aye Aye wouldn't sell it! It means something special to her. It's about giving, Mark, about karma!' retorted Natalie.

‘Nat, sit down, and let's talk this through sensibly.' Mark led her to the sofa.

‘Don't treat me like a child.'

‘I'm not, I'm just trying to get you to see the sense of this. Perhaps that thing did come to you for a reason. And this is it. We need the money we can get by selling it. Don't you think Uncle Andrew would have liked to help you and see some good come of his kammavaca? Help his namesake?'

Natalie was annoyed at Mark's calm and reasonable voice. ‘It was not
his
kammavaca. He only got it so he could return it to Princess Tipi Si. There's a very big principle involved and I'm not selling out my principle. I saw people dying for their belief in doing the right thing!'

‘Yes, I saw that TV coverage, too.'

‘It was
real.
Why should I compromise my beliefs and principles now, just weeks after realising what the right thing to do is? I won't go back on my word. It's what Uncle Andrew wanted, I know it. I've been given the chance to complete his journey. That's the reason I found the kammavaca. We could have just as easily got rid of it in the clearing sale.'

‘But you didn't. It's here, and it gives us a chance to get over a rough patch,' insisted Mark.

‘Mark, don't you see? I can't go back on my promise,' said Natalie quietly. ‘We have a baby called Andrew because I admire my uncle and what he was trying to do. How can we teach our children about principles and standing up for what is right if I can't lead by example?'

‘The old princess didn't look after her family's precious kammavaca! She sold it
because she needed the money
! What's the difference for us?' demanded Mark.

‘She regretted it straight away, Mark. I don't want to be like that. We can't get it back once it's sold. I'm happy to sell anything of mine that's worth selling if we need to but not the kammavaca.'

Natalie stood up and walked from the room. She heard the front door close as she stood in the half-finished bathroom, the cold light of the unshaded light globe illuminating the unfinished walls and untiled floor.

Natalie was more than upset. She was hurt and angry, and frightened about the severity of their financial situation, which scared her as much as it did Mark. But the fact that he couldn't see, or wouldn't agree, with her point of view was like a huge boulder landing on their relationship. She knew they were both stressed and tired since Andrew's premature birth, each out of their comfort zone, but the severity and intensity of her feelings and the stalemate she'd come up against with Mark was, she hated to admit, making her wonder just how well they knew each other.

This was the first big test of their marriage. Her mother had always said that if things fall down, it's almost always over money.

Natalie had never thought of herself or Mark as being money hungry. She and Mark had sometimes giggled over the ostentatious vulgarities of style on the Gold Coast. The pampered women wearing too much jewellery and make-up, owning too big a home, too many cars and enormous boats, while ageing men in white linen pants and artificial tans escorted partners who were either too young for them or who'd had too much cosmetic surgery.

But she and Mark had found a different lifestyle. When they'd moved into their house they'd met neighbours like Vicki and other young couples who were also struggling to raise families and make ends meet. They were making sacrifices to establish homes and build family lives that were more authentic than the shiny tourist exterior of this strip of prized Queensland coast. Perhaps she and Mark were being too ambitious. Had they taken on too much when they'd bought this house?

Confused by all that had happened to them, she went to bed and fell into a troubled sleep. When she woke up she was surprised to find it was already 7 a.m. She could hear Mark giving the children their breakfast. Her breasts felt hard and she knew she had to express some milk.

By the time she was ready to leave for the hospital, the children were playing outside and Mark was cleaning the kitchen.

‘Thanks for doing that. You're a good father. I'm heading off now. Do you need me to do anything?' she asked quietly.

‘No, dinner's taken care of. You have Andrew's breakfast?'

Natalie gave him a small smile. ‘Yes. Take-away.'

‘I'll see you later, then.'

‘I'm sorry about last night, Mark. But I haven't changed my mind.'

‘Nat, I can't believe we can't agree on something this important.'

‘Me either.' Natalie walked outside and got in the ute.

At the hospital, she found Andrew very alert and when he gave her a smile, her spirits lifted.

‘I'm sure you mean that, my lovely boy, and it's not just tummy gas.' She smiled back at him.

After she'd fed him and he'd gone to sleep, she went outside the hospital into the sunshine with a bottle of water and rang her mother at the shop.

‘That's wonderful, he's gaining even more weight,' exclaimed Sarah. ‘He'll be home before you know it. What's the plan then? Is Mark going straight back to work? How long can he be on leave?'

‘Mum, I have to tell you, the mine has made a lot of people redundant, and Mark was one of them. He's out of a job.'

‘What?' exclaimed Sarah. ‘Darling, that's terrible. Didn't they know about Andrew? That's outrageous. Can't he go back to his old job? He must know every builder on the Gold Coast. Why didn't you tell me?'

Natalie hesitated. Why had she delayed telling her mother about Mark when usually her mother was the first person she called in any crisis? ‘I'm not sure,' she said slowly. ‘Maybe because it's scary and upsetting, and I didn't want to worry you.'

‘Mark will get another job, darling!'

‘He's been searching, but things aren't looking good.'

‘Nat, how bad is it? I mean, I can't believe Mark can't get a job. It won't be long, I'm sure.'

‘I hope so. It's just that we're going to have to live on our renovation savings.'

‘There'll be plenty of time for renos, Natalie, don't worry.'

‘Yes. Unless . . . no, forget it.'

‘Unless what?' asked Sarah, sensing something was amiss.

‘Mark wants me to sell the kammavaca.'

‘For heaven's sake! It's not worth that much is it? It won't keep you going long. I thought you wanted to keep it.'

‘I've had an offer of forty thousand dollars, which would be a huge help now. Mark wants to sell it because he doesn't know how long it will be before he sees another pay cheque and I want to return it to Burma. It's caused a bit of a rift between us.'

‘Good grief!' exclaimed her mother. ‘Forty thousand. To think we nearly threw it out. Who wants to pay that?'

‘A dealer in London. He said he had a buyer. But Mum, I've already made up my mind that I'm going to send it back to the family it came from in Burma. I've already offered it to the person concerned and she's really pleased, so I can't go back on my word, can I?' said Natalie.

‘Natalie, are you sure? I mean, no-one would blame you for changing your mind. Seeing you have very different circumstances now,' added Sarah quickly.

‘Mum, I can't go back on my word! I've learned a lot about Burma and I know that this is the right thing to do. I can't sell something that doesn't really belong to me. Uncle Andrew was trying to return it to this family when he was killed. He never got to return it to the rightful owner!'

‘I see,' said Sarah quietly. ‘And that's why you named the baby Andrew.'

‘Yes. But Mark and I have had a huge fight over the kammavaca.'

‘I'm not surprised and I can see your point of view,' said Sarah. ‘But surely your family should come before some strangers in Burma? How do you know she won't sell it once they get it?'

‘I don't know, though I'd be very surprised. But even if she does, it's her decision,' said Natalie adamantly.

Sarah didn't sound convinced. ‘Nat, are you sure that you're not just emotionally exhausted by all that you've been through? Are you sure that you're making the right decision? That sort of money would come in awfully handy for you both right now. And how are you going to manage? I just wish I could give you some money, but after Steve's misadventure with the shares, I'm not in a financial position to help at all. Have you thought about returning to work?'

‘Mum, how can I possibly go back to work with a sick, premature baby in hospital? It would be completely impractical. I would have to express my milk every morning, get Mark to drive it up to Brisbane, with the other two in the ute, more than an hour each way, because he couldn't leave them by themselves. Anyway, even if I was mad enough to try to return to work, I wouldn't really be able to concentrate knowing that I had abandoned my baby. It's out of the question.'

‘I didn't mean to upset you, Nat. I was just looking at options.'

‘It's all right, Mum. We'll manage somehow. As you say, I'm sure Mark will land a job soon.'

‘The main thing is little Andrew has pulled through,' said Sarah. ‘When will you bring him home?'

‘I'm not exactly sure. It will be good to have him at home, but it's going to be a challenge,' said Natalie. ‘I'm a bit scared about it. He's still so tiny, and I've got two others who aren't very old either.'

‘I know, but there's a lot of pressure on Mark, too.'

‘Me too, Mum! We're using up our savings so we can't do the renos and we're living in chaos. We won't be able to afford preschool so the kids will be home twenty-four seven with a fragile new baby, and I'll have a grumpy husband getting depressed and feeling a failure,' said Natalie.