I Headed To The Country

I headed to the country, Friday morning. It was my long weekend. Marty and Leah were expecting me. 

Monty came with me, of course, he was in the car before I was. He has a 6th sense about any car journeys that may be in the offering. He sat on the passenger seat looking out the window panting for the whole trip.

I picked up bakery on the way, you know, as you do. Fresh crusty bread and fruity fruit buns. Up the country with the universes fresh air what more could you want, I ask you? Fresh bread, perhaps some salami I had bought last night, and good coffee. Leah was a coffee snob so that was sorted.  And Marty churned his own butter.

It is just nice to get out of the city and its closed in feel, out to the wide open spaces. The blue overhead for as far as the eye could see, the green stretching out to the horizon, and everything in between. The free flowing space, the expanse above us all, beautiful and complete, without being compromised by property developers selfishness.

The fresh air, you can taste on your tongue, that you can feel on your skin, that feels fresh and clean all around you, the perfume of the earth and the trees. And the depth of being you lose in the city.

I love the crunch of stones under my tyres on Marty and Leah’s long driveway.

Marty and Leah came out and met me on the drive.

“Welcome,” said Marty.

“Welcome, welcome,” said Leah.

“Hello,” I said.

“Hello Monty,” said Marty

“Come inside, warm yourself by the fire,” said Leah. “I have made soup for lunch.”

“I have bought crusty bread,” I said.

“Oh, lovely, we’ll get that buttered up in no time,” said Leah.

“Come on Monty, we have a spot by the stove just for you,” said Leah.

Monty hopped out of the car and walked inside like he owned the place.

“Let me take your jacket,” said Leah.

“Can I get you some wine?” asked Marty.

“Can I butter the bread?” I asked.

“I’ll get you a knife and chopping board, and then we should all be ready,” said Leah. “Sit up, and you can cut the bread at the table.”

“I’ll get some glasses,” said Marty

“I’ll get the soup,” said Leah. “Sit up, sit up. We should have a place for you at the table, Monty.” Monty grinned his big grin then sat at my feet under the table.

Marty poured the wine. Leah ladled the soup into the bowls. I cut the bread into thick slices and then slathered each one with butter.

We all sat at the table, we lifted our wine glasses and chinked them in the middle of the table.

“To good friends,” said Marty.

“To a lovely lunch,” I said.

“To peace on earth,” said Leah.

“You don’t really think there is ever going to be peace on earth, do you Lee?” Marty asked.

“Oh Marty, of course I do.”

“You have to be careful of this one, Julian, she can lie with a straight face.”

“Anyone who makes soup this good can lie all they like.”

“Oh, smooth,” said Marty. “You have to be careful of this one, Lee, he will say anything to get into the good graces.”

“Have you ever met a bad Grace?” ask Leah.

“I have,” I offered. “Grace Tubbs..." 

“We went to school with her,” Marty butted in.

“She poisoned her mother and was taken away,” I said.

“Oh, poor Grace Tubbs,” said Leah.

“Except the truth was far more prosaic,” said Marty.

“Her mother died of an overdose,” I said.

“And Grace Tubbs was taken into care.”

“Poor Grace Tubbs,” said Leah. “No father?”

“Her father was a drunk,” said Marty.

“He ran down poor Mrs Beasley in the street,” I said.

“And was sent to jail,” said Marty. “For drink driving.”

“And Mrs Beasley?” asked Leah.

“Dead,” said Marty and I in unison.

“Oh, dear god, now that I am totally distraught,” said Leah. “I better have some of that bread and butter.”

“Elspeth Beasley was in our class,” I offered.

“Oh, poor Elspeth, left without a mother,” said Leah.

“Veered right off the tracks…”

“Drugs… 

“The entire footy team in a motel in Drouin.”

“Allegedly?”

“Allegedly.”

“And then dropped out of school to have twins…”

“From the encounter in the motel room?” asked Leah.

“Allegedly,” Marty and I said in unison.

“Dear God, poor Elspeth,” said Leah.

“She won 5 million in TattsLotto a year, or so, later,” said Marty.

“Then doubled it investing in property,” I said.

“Allegedly,” both Marty and I said in unison.

“I don’t know whether to laugh or cry,” said Leah.

“Oh laugh,” said Marty.

“One of the twins is Jacki Jospeh.”

“The pop star?” asked Leah.

“The very one,” said Marty.

“That’s what she used the lotto money for,” I said.

“Setting her kid up to be a star,” said Marty.

“Elspeth is now a pop stars manger,” I said.

“Well, good for Elspeth,” said Leah.

“I’ve heard Jacki Joseph is unhappy with her lot, though,” said Marty.

“I’ve heard that too,” I said.

“Well,” said Leah. “What happened to Grace Tubbs?”

“She was hacked to death in front of her kids on the central coast by her partner Xmas morning,” said Marty.

“Oh, so no happy ending for Grace Tubbs,” said Leah.

“Nor her children?” said Marty.

“Happy fucken Xmas kids, hey,” I said.

“There’s a day they’ll be looking forward to for the rest of their lives,” said Marty.

“Ho, ho, ho,” I said.

Marty and I laughed.

“You two are going to hell,” said Leah.

Monty put his paws over his ears.