Some old friends of Alex’s were having a BBQ for New Year’s Eve. Many of them were married and had children, so Kate and Jo were both welcome. They lived on a medium-sized property in the Southern Adelaide Hills, just outside of Coromandel Valley. A slip and slide had been set up on a gentle slope for the kids and you could hear their whoops and laughter as you came up the drive. Jo rushed to check it out as soon as they arrived and Kate was glad she hadn’t bothered to dress him up. There were a few adults keeping an eye on the slide, so Kate left him to it and followed Alex and Bess to the BBQ. Peter had come along too, but had already spotted some friends and was headed in their direction. Alex introduced Bess and Julie to his friends and everyone was given a beer. It was a hot afternoon and Kate savoured the cold brew. She joined in the small talk as the alcohol loosened her tongue. She was less outgoing and more guarded these days.
Meat was soon added to the now hot BBQ plate and a couple of women disappeared into the house to prepare salads. Kate followed them and stepped into the cool interior of the house with considerable relief. “Can I do anything to help?” she asked. A woman looked up, “sure, can you chop these tomatoes for the salad?” she handed Julie a small chopping board and a sharp knife, “they’re in the sink.” Kate collected a few tomatoes from the sink and began chopping. Someone put some music on and they were all soon singing along to the familiar tunes. The woman next to Julie introduced herself, “you came with Alex and Peter, didn’t you? How do you know them?” Kate nodded and explained that she’d met Alex through his girlfriend in Melbourne and was now living with his family in Glenelg. “I only moved to Adelaide with my son last month.” The woman asked if she was enjoying Adelaide and Kate said that she was. They continued to chat as the salads were being prepared. Thankfully, none of the questions that the woman asked were too personal. They were mainly about how Adelaide compared to Melbourne. The atmosphere was friendly and Kate was glad that she had allowed Alex and Bess to drag her along.
A feeble attempt was made to dry off the now sodden kids before dinner, but it was largely useless. The sun would soon dry them off anyway. Kate found Jo, a little bruised and dirty, but very happy. She filled a plate for him with salad, bread and sausages with plenty of sauce. They found a shady spot to enjoy their food and were soon joined by others. Kate couldn’t see Bess or Alex, but she wasn’t bothered. Everyone was friendly at the party. Conversations soon resumed, “you’re not from Adelaide, are you, Julie? I heard you talking to Wendy inside about Melbourne,” a woman near her asked. “No, Jo and I moved over here last month. I work for Alex’s dad.” Kate further explained how she knew Alex and Bess. The people around her were interested, but didn’t pry and Kate was happy to answer their simple questions. “Your boy sure is a quiet one!” another lady commented. “He doesn’t talk. His step-father was cruel…” Kate didn’t finish her sentence, but left it to her listener’s imaginations. She felt she had said enough.
The kids were directed into the house for videos after dinner and the men started up a game of cricket. Some of the women joined in, including Julie. She was tired of the small talk and thankful for the diversion. It was a friendly game with the usual additional backyard rules, like one-hand-one-bounce, but everyone was given an opportunity to bat. Julie even had a go at bowling an over and managed to get a cocky batsman out. Kate was enjoying the game, but it drew to a close as the sun began to set and the dwindling light made it difficult to see the ball. Coloured lights had been strung up along the veranda and they emitted a gentle light. Citronella flares were lit to ward off the mosquitos and their scent soon dominated the night air. It remained hot and still despite the lack of sunlight. Julie knew there wouldn’t be much sleeping done tonight. She found Bess and borrowed her phone to call Ben. They spoke briefly as Ben was about to leave for work. Kate had anticipated this though, so she wasn’t disappointed. She found Bess again and returned her phone. She stuck with her friends for the remainder of the night.
Five minutes before midnight Julie found Jo asleep inside and gently woke him. She led him outside and rejoined her friends as sparklers were being handed around. At one minute to all the sparklers were lit and everyone joined in to count down the last ten seconds of 2006. “Happy New Year!” everyone exchanged greetings and kisses. The unmistakeable sound of popping champagne corks would be distinguished within the merry hubbub. Plastic glasses of champagne were passed around and several toasts to the New Year were made. Bess handed Kate her phone, “it’s Ben.” Kate withdrew a little so that she could hear more clearly. There was also a lot of background noise from where Ben was calling. “Happy New Year, Kate!” he said cheerfully. “Yes, Happy New Year, what’s going on?” Ben sighed, “oh, just the usual. It’s hard to find a quiet spot around here.” They spoke only briefly as Ben had to get back to it. “I love you Ben, thanks for calling.” “I love you too, Kate. I couldn’t miss wishing you a Happy New Year, oh, and there haven’t been any riots!” he finished playfully. Kate smiled as she returned to the group and gave Bess back her phone. People began to leave soon after and Alex carried Jo to the car. Both he and Kate fell asleep on the homeward journey.
