The Long Journey. Susan Wright
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what her boys would be like.
‘I apologize about her,’ said Jane feeling embarrassed.
‘Don’t worry Jane every community has their Florrie Brown’s. Now who lives here?’
They had crossed the path that separated the two rows of houses and were now at the gate of another immaculate cottage.
‘This is Beverly and Graham Steeles place they have only been married a short time and has no family as yet.’
Beverly was a plain homely person who made them welcome and offered to help in any way she could. At the next cottage she met Elsie Duggan whose husband Fred she had met earlier. She was a happy cheerful soul who enjoyed playingGranny to all the children in the row and she jokingly offered a large wooden spoon that Katherine could use for discipline.
The end cottage was occupied by a hard working no nonsense women called Ethel Reekie who had three children. There were the nine year old twins Nellie and Beccy and a five year old boy who was the apple of his father’s eye called Joseph. Ethel turned out to be the most enthusiastic of all of them believing a good education was essential to get anywhere in this young country.
It was lunch time when all the introductions had been made. Apart from Florrie, she looked forward to meeting them all again. She thanked Jane for her assistance and promised to get in contact again as soon as anything was definite. Jane offered to send Sarah up to the house the next day with some fresh eggs and said Katherine could give her any message.
Katherine walked back to the homestead and was pleased to be inside her own house and to eat some of Too Gums chicken and corn soup with hot freshly baked bread. The afternoon she spent mulling over different ideas for the school. Over dinner that night she approached Helmut about the use of the old house as a schoolroom.
‘What a great idea, I don’t know why I did not think of that myself. It will need a few repairs but I am sure I could spare a couple of men to help. When do you want to start?’ he asked, although he could tell by the look on her face it would be immediately.
‘Well I thought if you agreed, I would send word to the women and we could meet tomorrow and at least begin cleaning the place.’
‘First you will need the chimney cleaned as I am sure you will want to use the fire. I will get one of the men to do that first thing in the morning and then you can go about your cleaning.’
They had finished their meal and were sitting beside the fire when Katherine said, ‘I’m concerned about the Dooley’s, they agreed to come early in the month if the weather was fine which it has been. I just hope that nothing is wrong.’
‘It’s funny that you should say that as I have to admit to being a little concerned myself. We are getting short of a few provisions for the farm so if they are not here by next week we could make a trip into town if you wish.’
‘That would suit me fine as there are some things I will need for the school that I didn’t think of before.’
‘It might be an idea to ask Too Gum what he needs in the kitchen how he has managed over the winter is beyond me.’
‘I think that wooden box of his that he keeps locked must contain some magical items.’
With that in walked Too Gum with their hot bedtime drink, while standing outside, was the ugly ginger cat but still neither would admit to noticing the other. It was cozy and warm beside the fire and Katherine was pleased with her day’s efforts.
Noticing this Helmut said, ‘It is nice to see you looking relaxed and you know you only have to ask if there is anything you require. I hope you are happy here Katherine.’
‘Of course I am happy.’ She smiled at him and thought I wish I could return this man’s love. It had slowly dawned on her over the winter months that his feelings of concern for her had become more intense and that he was in love with her. At first he had been kind and polite which he still was but it was different somehow. There was a softness about him that had not been there in the beginning or if it had been she was not aware of it. She struggled to come to terms with her feelings for him. First she had had strong feelings of guilt but then she reasoned that after all they had entered into a bargain and she was keeping her part and she could not help it if he became emotionally involved which had not been part of the original conditions set by their agreement. She then suppressed these guilt feelings and asked herself over and over what were her feelings towards him. Always she got the same answer she liked him, no more than liked him, she was very fond of him and respected him immensely but that was not the same as love. Not the overwhelming kind that she had felt for John when she had been prepared to come half way across the world to be with him. As she attempted to see into the future she could see herself eventually coming to love him. Not the mad passionate kind of love of youth but the kind that comes following appreciation and admiration of a person. Feeling a certain amount of affection for him already she rose, walked across and bending down and kissed him on the top of his head.
‘Goodnight Helmut and thank-you for everything.’
He reached up and took her hand, ‘Goodnight, my dear.’ He felt happier than he had felt for a long time thinking that maybe she was beginning to feel something for him.
The next few days were taken up with cleaning the school, as it was now called, as promised Helmut had arranged for the chimney to be cleaned and now a fire burned brightly. The grass was cut and the fence and gate repaired. It was at this stage that a cart turned up at the gate loaded with desks that had small seats attached. Katherine could have cried she was so grateful as this had been one of the problems she did not know how to overcome.
‘Where did these come from?’ she asked.
Fred, who was driving the cart said, ‘The head stockman Matthew Grant likes doing woodwork in his spare time and so he made these for you over the winter.’
‘Where is this Matthew Grant? I owe him my thanks.’
‘Oh, he spends most of his time out with the animals.’
‘Well when you see him Fred please thank him for me.’
‘Will do Mrs.’
At last it looked like a schoolroom. The blackboard was nailed in place and in one of the sheds was found a suitable desk for Katherine. It was cleaned and polished and put in place at the head of the class. Later Katherine was to notice a vase full of fresh daffodils on it. She was standing alone looking at it all when Helmut walked up behind her. He put his arm around her waist and said, ‘Happy Mrs Kruger?’
‘Very happy Mr Kruger,’ she said as she laid her head on his shoulder.
Chapter three
The Dooley’s did not arrive by the end of the week and so Katherine and Helmut set off on their trip into town. They were accompanied by Bing and Moss, the dogs, who felt a bit peeved at having to sit on the back of the cart. Until now they had always rode up front.
Katherine had arranged with the mothers and children that school would begin the following Monday at 9 p.m. sharp. Meantime she had left the children with some small tasks to do at the school feeling that if they took a personal interest in the place they might be more eager about attending.
It was a cool clear morning when they set off but a chilly wind was blowing and so they were both well wrapped up. Katherine had a large rug around her legs for which she was grateful as before too long she was beginning to feel cold.
‘I don’t like the way those clouds are gathering. I think we maybe in for some rain,’ said Helmut. ‘There are two oilskin coats in the back should that happen.’
The road had deep ruts after the winter and so the journey was far from comfortable, but that was compensated for with the scenery which was breathtaking. The mountains where still covered in snow, which was why the wind was so cold and the water in the river which is always pale gray-green looked even colder.
Katherine shivered. Noticing this, Helmut suggested