Chapter 8 - i

Jo had been waiting on the doorstep for Alex and Bess’ arrival all afternoon and he leapt up with glee when he spied Bess’ sporty car approaching. He ran into the house and grabbed Kate, his eyes sparkling. Kate laughed and allowed herself to be led outside. “Hi there stranger! Have a good trip over?” Kate asked as she embraced her friend. Alex held Jo aloft, “Boy have you grown!” Jo had a huge smile plastered over his face, even before Alex swung him around in the air like an aeroplane. The girls laughed, Kate lent towards Bess’ ear as she saw Lydia and Yuri approach, “remember its Julie now,” she reminded her quietly. Bess nodded, “don’t worry,” and winked. They laughed again. “So this is the lovely lady we’ve heard so much about!” exclaimed Lydia as she warmly embraced Bess. Yuri shook her hand and kissed her on the cheek, “please call us Yuri and Lydia, Julie does.” The all smiled and turned back into the house. It was soon filled with talk and laugher. Peter appeared from his room and joined them. “Bro, how you going?” he asked his older brother and they had a friendly wrestle. Peter was a head taller than Alex, but Alex was all muscle and easily bested his younger brother. Presently they sat down to dinner. Lydia had prepared a roast and it was the liveliest dinner Kate had yet experienced in the Morova household.

They all went on a day trip to Victor Harbour on Friday. They took two cars so that everyone would fit comfortably as it was a fairly long way. It was a glorious day and there was quite a crowd on the foreshore. They caught the old, horse-drawn tram to Granite Island and went for a walk before returning to the foreshore for lunch. Peter said he knew the best fish and chip shop in South Australia, so off they went in search of delicious fried food. It was a tiny shop tucked away from the main strip of shops, but its reputation had drawn a reasonable lunchtime crowd. They all put in their orders and then the women and Jo returned to claim a spot on the beach, while the men waited for the food. “Mmmn, that really was delicious,” commented Bess as she licked the salt off her fingers. “Yes, I haven’t had fish and chips this good in ages!” Kate added. Jo had taken the scraps and wandered off a short distance to feed the seagulls. A pelican also made its way over to the delight of Jo. Peter produced his Frisbee and the brothers attempted to outdo each other in a contest of sorts. Bess and Kate wandered off together and Jo joined them once he had finished with the birds. Once they reached the rocks Jo got down and began to explore the shallow pools of water, collecting shells and other sea life. He occasionally returned to Kate to deposit his latest findings in her t-shirt. Kate and Bess relaxed into easy conversation. It was so good to be together again that they could hardly believe it.

The sun was setting when they finally arrived home. They had detoured via a couple of wineries on their return journey. Kate put Jo in bath and joined the adults for a light supper of toasted sandwiches. They had bought Jo some takeaway on the way home, so he had already eaten. He was almost asleep in the tepid water when Kate returned a quarter of an hour later. She gently dried him off and helped him into his PJs, then steered him to her room where they had set up a mattress on the floor for him. He was asleep by the time his head hit the pillow and Kate returned to the lounge after tucking him in. Yuri and Lydia had retired to their room and Peter was showing off his collection of albums. Their sister was due to arrive with her family from Brisbane in the morning, but they would stay at a beach house, as the Morova house was now full. The boys selected some music and rejoined the ladies on the couch. They were all tired from their busy day, but decided to sample some of the port Alex had purchased that afternoon. They moved into quiet conversation as the port took effect and it wasn’t long before they all started yawning. Alex was the first to get up and he assisted Bess up from the couch. Kate followed them while Peter tidied up and switched off the lights.

“Why won’t he talk to me, Mum?” asked a puzzled, seven-year-old Katerina. Maria had arrived with her husband and two daughters just minutes ago. Kate knelt down to Katerina’s height and gently explained that Jo didn’t talk to anyone. “Why?” asked Katerina, still puzzled. “He just doesn’t. Some bad things happened to him, so he doesn’t talk. But he likes to make new friends. Why don’t you go outside and he’ll introduce you to his dog, Benny?” Katrina brightened at this suggestion and raced outside with Jo and her younger sister, Tatiana. The adults could hear them laughing and playing in the backyard and were enjoying the peace it brought to the house. Lydia introduced everyone and began setting out lunch. They had already extended the table and scavenged extra chairs from around the house. The women helped Lydia in the kitchen while the younger men brought the luggage in from the car. Lydia had been waiting for her granddaughters to arrive before decorating the tree, which Yuri and Peter had brought home from the hills earlier in the week. Its fresh pine scent filled the rear of the house. Kate called the children in and sent them all to the bathroom to wash their hands. The table was again beset with convivial chatter over lunch.

The Hancock’s left after lunch to settle into their accommodation nearby and peace was restored to the house. Bess and Kate went shopping for last-minute gifts while the boys went to the beach. Kate was really enjoying having Bess around, though it painfully reminded her of the absence of her other friends and family. Bess had done most of her shopping in Melbourne, but Kate hadn’t really had a chance yet, so they headed into the city. Kate found some lovely gift baskets for the Morovas, and bought Jo some clothes and books. As they left the department store, Kate spied a new board game that she couldn’t resist. She thought Jo deserved to be spoilt this Christmas anyway. He had been put through so much for a boy of such tender years. They found cute little gifts for the Hancock girls and bought vouchers for their parents. Kate found a CD and book that she thought Peter would like and she bought a silk tie for Alex. She had bought some cufflinks for Ben, but she had already sent them so that they would reach him in time. The ladies took a break at Cibos on Rundle Street and watched the passing foot traffic. “It’s a lot quieter than Melbourne, isn’t it?” commented Bess. “Yeah, it sure is. You should see it at night, it’s practically a ghost town!” They laughed and nibbled their cakes. It was time to head home.