The Long Journey. Susan Wright
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The door opened and a very large woman backed into the room and then turned around. She had in a tray in her hands. ‘Good evening Mrs Kruger your husband said you where feeling poorly so I have brought you something to eat.’
‘That’s very kind. I didn’t think I was hungry but the fragrance of that tells me that I am.’
Helmut returned to the room later and told her he had been to see the Dooley’s and that they acted very strangely and would not tell him anything about their reason for not coming out to the farm. They had made it very clear to him that they had no intention of enlightening him about the matter until both he and Katherine were present. Then she told him what the Doctor has said about them and they both agreed it as all very mysterious.
The next day although feeling much better Katherine did as she had been instructed and stayed in bed. Helmut went back to the Dooley’s and told them that Katherine was under Doctor’s orders to rest so Jean said that they would expect them both for lunch the next day. He then went to the blacksmiths to check on his animals. Satisfied that they were all in good shape he set about getting the provisions which necessitated finding a Chinese translator. He went to the general store where much to the amusement of the owner and all who happened to be in there he told them the story of the Chinese list. Nearly everyone in there knew somebody, who knew somebody else, who had a Chinese cook or house-boy and so the list was left with the assurance that it would be deciphered.
The following day Katherine claimed to be feeling much better when Helmut inquired. However she had not really recovered and made a pretense of feeling better. She knew if she had told the truth he would have made her stay in bed whereas she really wanted to go and visit her friends. Also on her list of priorities for this trip was the acquisition of materials for the establishment of the school and so no matter how out of sorts she was feeling she had to make the effort as so many were depending on her.
They arrived at the Dooley’s house to be greeted warmly. Jean embraced Katherine. ‘It’s so good to see you both.’
Jean was absolutely blooming and appeared fatter and happier than ever. As for James he looked like a small boy who had just been given a sweet. He was so happy.
‘Whatever has got into you two?’ said Helmut. ‘You look like a couple of kids.’
At this point Jean began to cry. ‘I am sorry,’ she said. ‘It is just that I am so happy.’
Women! Thought Helmut. I will never understand them.
It slowly dawned on Katherine what was the reason for their happiness. ‘Are you trying to tell us that you are going to have a baby?’
‘Yes isn’t just amazing,’ said a beaming James. ‘We had given up hope years ago. We can hardly believe it ourselves. So you can understand why we could not risk a trip out to the farm. I have to take care of this precious wife of mine.’
By this time Katherine was crying as well. The two women hugged and cried and hugged again until James said, ‘By the look of these two lunch will be while coming. Let’s go and have drink across the road at the Hotel.’
The two men went across the road and left the women happy talking baby talk about names and what clothes to make. Jean showed Katherine the room that they were going to convert into a nursery.
‘I am so happy for you Jean.’
‘Well maybe it will be your turn next.’
‘Yes, maybe,’ said Katherine without enthusiasm or conviction.
Jean was to remark to James later when they were on their own, ‘There is something not quite right there.’
They had a pleasant lunch together and agreed to come back for dinner that night, meanwhile Helmut loaded the supplies and as promised Katherine went to visit the Doctors wife. Then she went and got the equipment she required for the school.
When she went to dinner she was feeling far from well and could only pick at the meal that Jean had prepared. She tried to pass it off by saying that she was just tired which was not entirely untrue and so was not unhappy when Helmut suggested they return to the hotel. The two women embraced again and Katherine promised to come back in the autumn by which time the baby would be born.
For Katherine the return journey seemed endless and she felt worse with the passing of each day. By the morning of the third day Helmut was desperate with worry about her. She was hot, then cold, and at times almost delirious. He drove the animals hard, this was something he would never normally do but at this moment his only concern was for Katherine. The bullocks where sweating and showing signs of great discomfort by the time the farm came into view. Some of the men who observed them knew that something was amiss for their boss to treat his animals this way. When they went past the stables Helmut saw Hugh Tall standing outside and called to him, ‘Hugh, go and get your Sarah and send her up to the house. I need her help with my wife.’
Sarah happened to be gathering eggs along the creek bank and heard this and so ran as fast as her legs would carry her after the cart. Helmut drove on past the wool shed up the hill to the front of the house. He gently lifted Katherine down who by this time was unable to stand. He carried her inside followed closely by Sarah. They went up the stairs and along the hall and into Katherine’s room,
‘Turn back the bed covers please Sarah.’ He laid her down on the bed and turning to Sarah he said, ‘Would you get Mrs Kruger into her nightgown. I will go and find Too Gum, try and keep her as warm as possible.’
Helmut was frantic with worry and set off in search of Too Gum. He found him in the kitchen and as briefly as possible told him what had happened. ‘Can you help Too Gum? I don’t know where else to turn. I shouldn’t have brought her back, we should have stayed in town, and if anything happens I just do not know what I will do.’
He was pacing backwards and forwards, up and down the kitchen, all the time wringing his hands.
So as to occupy him more than anything else Too Gum said, ‘You make plenty hot tea, I go and get things needed to make her better.’
‘Anything you want just ask, no don’t ask. Take whatever you want just make her better.’
Too Gum went straight to his room and from a shelf containing a variety of jars he selected two along with a small bowl and a wooden spatula. He then went to the linen cupboard under the stairs and found some old sheeting from there he went up to Katherine’s room. He courteously knocked on the door and then entered. Approaching the bed he could see that she was indeed running a very high temperature and her breathing was irregular. Sarah watched as he took a portion of the contents of each jar put them into the bowl and mixed them Turning to her asked, ‘Please tear off two pieces of sheet about this big,’ he indicated with his hands, ‘then lay them beside fire.’
Sarah did as she was bid. He then spread the mixture on these and held them up to the fire to warm.
‘Now you please velly gently turn Mrs Kruger on side and raise nightgown so I can place this on back.’
Once again Sarah did as asked and Too Gum applied the first poultice across Katherine’s back.
‘Now velly gently again while I hold poultice in right place you turn her onto back. First pull down night gown.’
Too Gum held the poultice with one hand while Sarah pulled down the night gown then Too Gum gently put his hand inside the back of the gown while Sarah pulled it right down.
‘Good, now turn her onto back.’
Sarah turned her while Too Gum held the poultice in place.
‘That velly fine, now open please front of nightgown while I heat other piece and we place on chest.’
If Sarah thought it was just a little bit unconventional that a Chinese cook should be taking such liberties she made no comment. Like Helmut she was very concerned for Katherine. They applied the second poultice and Sarah did up the nightgown. This procedure they repeated every six hours over the next two days, Helmut and Sarah