Roo’s On The Veranda

Howard and Mae were only married two years when the war came. They had been blessed with a little boy they had named Darwin. The call went out for all men to enlist and go fight for Australia. Most men answered the call. Howard enlisted like most and was proud to serve his country.

The day the local lads all marched off a good crowd had gathered to give them a good send off. The soldiers marched into the main street of town and stood to attention outside the community hall where all their loved ones had assembled. Howard stood proudly to attention with his twelve pound rifle resting on his shoulder. After hearing the order to stand at ease and fall Howard made his way over to his wife and son. Not knowing if they would ever see each other again Mae and Howard looked into each other’s eyes.

“Remember to keep Smoke out of the chooks cage.” said Howard.

Mae smiled and held her husband’s hand. “Sure.”

“Don’t forget to water the corn and keep those galahs away.”

“Howard, don’t forget to come home. Keep away from bullets and things.”

He held her close and with a lump in his throat he replied, “I will darling.”

She started to get a little teary but had to remain strong for his sake and said, “Remember to write. Let me know what’s going on. “

“I will darling. Remember we are always only a thought away.” he replied.

They held each other close and in one last long heartfelt embrace they looked into each other’s eyes. They both put on a brave face before saying goodbye.

A truck pulled into the street and parked beside the community hall. The soldiers were ordered to get on board. Howard climbed on to the back with the rest of the soldiers. As the engine was started Mae looked at Howard. He looked sad sitting there with his head down and she tried to think of something to say that would lift him.

Somewhere deep down she got the courage and shouted out, “Howard! Remember Australia loves you… and so do I.”

Howard looked at Mae and gave her a big smile. Within a few moments the truck was out of sight. Everyone stood there for a while crying and comforting one another. There were hugs and offers of morning tea in the hall. Some of the ladies spoke about making their own war effort each week by making up food parcels and knitting blankets and warm clothes for the soldiers. As the talk seemed more positive Mae decided to head for home as she was tired and the baby was in need of a feed.

She pushed the pram all the way back home. It was a good hour’s walk in the dust and heat. As she approached the old homestead Mae noticed there were a few kangaroos sitting around the veranda. Sometimes the ‘roos would come looking for a feed, but this day Mae was not really up to feeding kangaroos or having visits from anyone or anything.

As she walked through the gate she made her way to the front door.

After opening the door she lifted Darwin from the pram and went inside the house. Once inside she grabbed the shotgun from above the fireplace and returned back out to the veranda.

Lifting the barrel into the air she let both barrels go. The kangaroos hopped off into the scrub. She reloaded and fired off another two rounds.

““Keep off the veranda! Bloody pests. “

She screamed.

Feeling a little better now she placed the shotgun into the pram and sat down on a chair on the veranda. After a few moments she stood up and walked to the front gate and shouted,

“You can’t say that you haven’t been warned.”

It was quiet. She had never heard it so quiet before… almost eerie. Deep in thought she headed back towards the veranda. She was thinking about how she was going to cope on her own and how lonely and empty the place felt, when her attention was spun by a large frilled neck lizard that scurried across the veranda. The scent of the lizard stirred Smoke from its sleep.

These days the old cattle dog seemed to sleep a lot more than anything else. Smoke ran through the red dusty front yard scattering a group of pink galahs on its way. The lizard went one way and Smoke went the other. Then Smoke and began to bark at the post beside the water tap.

“Go lie down Smoke. You might scare the post. “

Smoke came running over to Mae who had stopped thinking and feeling sorry for herself. Work had to be done and that was that. Howard was gone and she had to carry on. The next thing she heard was the baby screaming inside the house. She ran inside and cradled Darwin in her arms.

“Aw poor baby… If it’s not one thing it’s the other. Sure life’s a hard battle isn’t it my little son. “

The crying stopped and the baby settled down again. She took the old steel tub from the wall and filled it with water. In the heat of the day she gave Darwin a splash bath and when he was wrapped up in his blanket, she carried the bath water out to the corn and watered each stalk from the ears to the roots. She checked to see if the chickens had laid any eggs and brought back two into the house. That evening she made a nice omelette for tea.

Time passed and the first letter arrived from Howard. Mae was so excited and frantically opened the envelope to read all the news from Howard. The letter began,

My darling Mae,

Hello. It’s quiet tonight and I thought it would be a great time to write to you. I am doing fine. Lots of Aussie lads here with me seem to be young bucks, just out of school. I’ve made a good friend. His name is Norm and he is an artist. Often during the day he does drawings of the places we have been through. Today we are camped near a field that is scattered with tulips. I am sending you a sketch of them that Norm has done. He asked after you and Darwin. I miss you lots and give Darwin a big kiss and a hug from his Dad. I hope the corn tastes good this year.

Love you always
Howard

Mae put the letter in a special box and put the picture of the tulips in a wooden frame she had. The framed picture she hung near her bed and that night she looked at it and tried to imagine being there with Howard as she drifted off to sleep.

In the letter that Howard had send he omitted the real truth from his young wife He did it so Mae wouldn’t be worried. If Norm had sketched a real picture of where they were it would have shown a much different scene. In a cold and damp battlefield Howard and the other soldiers were huddled together in trenches. They were under constant attack from the enemy and many had been killed.

The next morning Mae went and had a look at the corn. She decided it was time to harvest it. So she brought Darwin outside and placed him inside a wooden fruit box while she picked off cob by cob, all of the crop.

Darwin looked up at her intently and now and then she spoke to him. She told him all about the wonderful things his Dad was doing for Australia. The little nipper tried to talk but didn’t make much sense. Mae took him up and gave him a cuddle. After the crop was picked she thought how beautiful it looked and decided to share some with the other ladies in the local community hall.

She was glad to make the journey into town that day. Speaking with other adults was important. She shared Howard’s letter and they shared their news with her. They were pleased and happy to accept the corn from Mae and offered in return carrots and cabbage the following day. After tea and scones Mae pushed the pram back home. When she reached the front yard again there were a group of Kangaroos sitting on the veranda.

Once she opened the door she put the baby in the cot and grabbed the shotgun and ran to the front door. Stepping put on the veranda she raised the barrel in the air and let go both barrels and then shouted,

“Get off the bloody veranda.”

One of the ‘roos hopped off in such a hurry that it knocked over the fence. Mae stood there and took a deep breath and whispered,

“Relax Mae. It’s only a fence. “

She returned back into the house and went in to comfort Darwin who was screaming. She lifted him and walked around the house talking softly to him about his Dad who is so proud of him.

The dark night fell as Smoke began to bark at the moon or another lizard or another fence post or a shadow or another whatever. Mae opened the window and shouted,

“Ok Smoke, we get the message. Go back to sleep. “

After Smoke was quiet and Darwin was sleeping she lay down on the bed, but found sleep wouldn’t come. She got up and did some knitting. She thought about Howard and dropped a stitch and wished she hadn’t. Then her eyes began to go together. She awoke in the morning with the needles still in her hand and a stiff neck. She got up and looked out the window as morning sun rays splattered across the sky. She thought about Howard and put the kettle on. The baby awoke and she went in and lifted him. She threw him up in the air and he squealed. She caught him and kissed his chubby cheek. Again she threw him up in the air and he let go another squeal in wonder.

She fed Darwin and the dog and then herself before making her way into town to collect some carrots and cabbage.

When she got to the community hall she was so happy to have another letter from Howard which she put away in her basket until she got home. She collected her green groceries and spend a while talking with the ladies auxiliary before heading for home.

The ‘roos were back on the veranda again and Mae began to realise that she better try to live with them. As walked into her front yard she plucked some of the cabbage leaves and scattered them on the front yard. The kangaroos all hopped over and began to eat them up. Then parked the pram on the veranda and took Darwin inside the house. After she fed the baby she made herself a cup of tea and sat down and opened the letter from Howard.

Hello my Darling,

I have so much to tell you but so little time to write. We are all in good spirits and getting lots of sun. The beach is near to where we are stationed. There are these beautiful purple flowers scattered on trees all over the hills where we are camped. Norm has done a sketch again for you. He really has a wonderful talent. When he comes home he says he will open a studio and begin painting his images of war on canvass. Maybe he will have an exhibition and you and I will go there. All the lads are still waiting for orders and we still haven’t seen the enemy. I miss you and our little son but the day will soon come and I’ll be with you both again.

Lots of love
Howard

Mae stood up and went to the window and looked out and whispered, “Remember Australia loves you and so do I Howard.”

Mae placed the letter in a special box with the other one. After finding another empty frame she put the sketch of the beach in it and hung it besides the other drawing. The baby started crying again and she went in to settle him down. She lifted him and brought him out to the veranda and they both sat there for some time. Mae looked out at the distant horizon thinking of Howard and all the boys over there and sent out a loving thought. She tried to imagine what it would be like over there.

She remembered the words Howard had said the day he left, “Remember we are always just a thought away.”

She thought about him and all the other soldiers who had to leave their loved ones and to go war and fight for Australia. A half a dozen white kookaburras glided over the house and perched on the gun trees around the property. Their squawking brought Mae back to reality again. That old familiar call stirred her into action again. She had to get the nappies off the line and get the ironing done. The sink was still a mess and there was cleaning to be done around the house.

She looked into the small play pen on the veranda and the baby looked up and her and smiled.

“Come on my little man. It’s just you and me now. Your Dad is at war and we have to keep the fort until he comes back. Oh please God bring him home safely.” she said, and the little nipper tried to talk but again didn’t make much sense.

Some nights Mae cried softly in the silence but never allowed herself to fall into despair. She kept busy and knitted and stitched. She made new curtains and the little home was always spotless.

As time passed the ‘roos became regular visitors on the veranda. Mae was used to their company and gave them whatever scraps of food she had. Smoke had no worries about them being on the veranda.

Mae had started a garden and for some strange reason the kangaroos kept away from the vegetables. There was a bond of trust that had developed between them. Sometimes she found herself talking to the kangaroos who sat close to her on the veranda. The ‘roos had become more than mere friends. One day as the baby was crawling around the yard, a black snake appeared on the scene; before Mae could reach her little child, one of the ‘roos brought its tail down heavily on the snake’s head, and proceeded to jump on it. When the danger had gone, the roo hopped away. On another occasion, some brumbies had strayed into the yard only to be confronted by the kangaroos that chased them off into the scrub. Mae was astonished and as crazy as it would seem, the kangaroos had become her protectors. She gave each of them a name and after a while they even responded to that.

She wanted to tell everyone about the ‘roos, but she thought if she did people might think she was a bit weird. Some days she felt Howard’s presence so near, that she almost heard him speak to her. Sometimes the loneliness was too much.

She found she could talk to God about things and felt the urge to build a shrine somewhere in the garden. The shrine became a tribute to all the Aussie soldiers. She made it with bush rock and cement. She carved out some figures out of wood and after painting them, she placed them inside the shrine along with a wooden cross.

Mae woke up one morning and heard the sound of scratching and digging around her shine. Cautiously she looked out the window and saw the ‘roos digging up all the soil around the shrine. Mae was furious and ran outside screaming.

“Hey John what are you doing. Stop that Jake. Get away from there!”

The kangaroos hopped off and Mae stood in wonder.

Suddenly in an instant she knew that the war was over. She kissed the ground and ran inside the house. She lifted the baby up into her arms and threw him high into the air. He screamed in delight and she caught him and again threw him up into the air.

That same day the local fire truck pulled up in a hurry at the front gate. Mae looked out the window and saw one of the ladies auxiliary run from the truck with her arms in the air. She was shouting.

“Mae. Have you heard the news?” she said.

“What news?” Mae replied.

“It’s over… the war is over. The boys are coming home. “

The two ladies threw their arms around each other and danced like never before.

Sure enough later on that week as Mae was sitting on the veranda, an army truck pulled up, and Howard got out. They both ran into each other’s arms; they cried and they laughed as baby Darwin came crawling down from the house. That evening as they all sat on the veranda, a few of the kangaroos hopped by the old house. They lay in the last rays if the sun until it was time to leave.

 

The End 

 

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