Published: 02 Jan 2017

George Brody was back in town, this time instead of taking a room at the Hotel he arrived late at the door of the Brody house, armed with news on his nephew Jack but more to truth, needing a free bed and meals until his next dole payment.

“I suppose you haven’t eaten?” Esca commented, clearing away his evening dishes. George invited himself in, going directly to the refrigerator in search of beer, “I’ll do you an omelette if you like.” Esca offered.

“Any beer?” George asked despondently discovering an almost empty refrigerator.

“There isn’t any.” Esca declared as his uncle closed the refrigerator door.

“Do you want me to go to the pub and get some?” George suggested.

“Have you any money?”

“No.”

“That makes two of us.” Esca lied.

“I’ll have coffee then.”

Esca boiled the kettle, “what did you find out about Jack?”

“A mate of mine just returned from up north, Jack was working on a sheep station somewhere near Julia Creek.” George spoke as a knock came to the front door. Esca hesitated. “Aren’t you going to answer it?” George asked making gesticulation towards the door with a wave of his hand.

There wasn’t any need the door opened allowing Luke to enter. Seeing George seated at the kitchen table Luke displayed a measure of surprise. “George,” Luke declared pausing before entering into the kitchen.

“Well I’ll be – its young Luke and all grown up.” George declared, offering the lad his hand.

Luke cautiously accepted, “I’ll come back later if you wish.” He offered.

“Well well, I often wondered when you two would get together.”

Both boys looked towards each other, laughed but didn’t answer George’s statement. “How old are you now Luke?” George continued.

“Eighteen.”

“Don’t suppose you would run down to the Railway Hotel and get me a couple of bottles and have them put on the slate.” George asked.

“He’s still at school George and no he wouldn’t.” Esca abruptly cut across his uncle’s request. “Luke would you like a coffee?” Esca offered.

“No thanks.”

“Friday eh, are you staying the night?” Esca asked.

“I was going to but,” he paused.

“Don’t mind George, he can use the mattress in the spare room; how long are you in town George?” Esca enquired.

“Until dole day, do you mind?”

“Suppose not, it isn’t my house and you and dad grew up here, I guess you have as much right as I have.”

The three sat talking for a time, with George reminiscing the good old days until he finished his coffee. Standing he declared he was heading for the pub. There were a couple of old mates who owed him a drink or two and not to wait up for him.

“Don’t worry, we won’t.” Esca called after his uncle as he closed the front door.

“Do you want me to stay?” Luke asked, more out of respect for Esca than embarrassment for having George around.

“Of course I do.”

“What about George?”

“Bugger George, he’ll probably stay at the pub to closing.”

Luke laughed at Esca’s statement.

“What’s so funny?”

“Bugger George, I’ve never done that.” Luke answered.

“Neither have I and I don’t fancy doing so either.” Esca responded.

“Why not, he’s not bad looking.”

“I don’t have sex with relations.” Esca answered coolly.

“You did once.”

“No George had sex, if you can call it that, with me. I was only a kid and didn’t ask for it.”

“I suppose there’s a difference.” Luke accepted Esca’s reasoning, even if he remained somewhat unconvinced.

George arrived home well past closing and fully tanked. He had found his mates who owed him a drink or two, which at their expense turned into five or six or more. Stumbling through the front door he fumbled for the light switch but failed to find it. In the darkness he cursed loudly after bumping his shoulder against the wall before reaching Esca’s bedroom door. He opened the door. “You awake Kiddo?” George whispered loudly. His voice croaked with alcohol as he peered into the gloom of the bedroom.

“I bloody am now!” Esca growled.

“So am I.” Luke echoed.

“Oh the boys are sleeping together.” George gave a drunken giggle and roughly closed the door. Moments later he was heard stumbling into the spare room. Soon the sound of a boot hitting the floor – and another, then some minutes of silence before the peace was once again broken by a chainsaw snore.

“How long is he staying?” Luke groaned, placing his pillow over his head.

“Not long I hope.”

Breakfast was already served when George surfaced from the spare bedroom, wearing nothing but his shirt and a pair of y-fronted underpants with both hands shoved down their front, scratching savagely at his balls.

“That’s a great sight first thing in the morning.” Esca sarcastically remarked.

“I can smell coffee” George paused sniffing at the air, “and bacon.”

“Greasy bacon after last night,” Esca commented.

“Best thing for a hangover.”

“Here you go have mine and the runny eggs; I’m not all that hungry.” Esca offered.

“Thanks any bread.”

“You can thank Luke he was the cook.” Esca comment throwing his uncle the packet of bread, “It’s a bit stale.”

George finished the eggs and bacon. Wiping the plate clean with a slice of bread he burped loudly. “That was good Luke, someone should marry you.”

“George what other information did you have on Jack?” Esca asked.

“That was about it, he was seen by Ron Linton in the pub at Julia Creek and said he was working on a station close by. Ron didn’t remember the name of the station, besides it was a good six months back. Jack could be anywhere by now.”

“Jack probably doesn’t know that dad is dead or mum’s moved.” Esca assumed. His thoughts on how he could contact his brother.

“I couldn’t say, suppose he doesn’t.” George lifted his coffee mug gesturing towards Luke.

“Any more of that wonderful coffee you make?” He asked.

“Don’t get too excited George it’s only instant.” Luke said supplying a refill.

“When was the last time you had a meal?” Esca asked as his uncle helped himself to another slice of bread, heaped with jam and butter.

“Two days back, I only had enough money for the bus, there was a relief driver and I had to pay.”

“Are you going back the way of Julia Creek?”

George sighed deeply, his answer coming from somewhere deep within. From a part of the man that rarely surfaced. “I’ll be thirty soon. How old are you now Esca?”

“Twenty.”

“To be twenty again eh, no I think it’s about time I settled somewhere, the problem is where.” George paused looking about the kitchen.

“Here.” Esca exclaimed somewhat abruptly.

“Don’t worry your pretty little head, I have had an offer, Clem Leet up in Cooper Street has asked me to house sit while he and his wife are travelling.”

Esca felt relieved his uncle’s intentions were not to burden him for too long a period but having George in town and as indiscrete as he could be may also bring them all undone.

“There isn’t any work.” Esca said in an attempt to dissuade his uncle from remaining too long in town.

“Work what’s that, I’ve been on the dole so long, I wouldn’t know how.” George laughed, his gaze fixed on the kitchen’s far wall. “See that rise in the plaster board near the fridge?” He asked.

“Yes.”

“Your father did that, threw a punch at me but missed; Broke his hand.” George gave a melancholy smile. “Your Grandad gave us both a whipping and made us fix it – reckon we did a bloody good job.”

“How long will you be looking after the Leet house?” Esca asked, more interested in his Uncle’s tenure than his past history.

“Quite some time why?”

“I hope you behave yourself while back in town and don’t hang around the park.”

“Oh young Luke’s been telling stories.” George answered flashing the lad a wicked grin.

“When are you house-sitting for Mr. Leet?” Esca asked believing the offer came on somewhat sudden.

“Right away, he was at the pub last night and asked me.”

“Good.”

“What do you mean good Esca?” George asked.

“Only that it may give you a little responsibility, you can’t drift forever.”

“I don’t see why not, it was good enough for the likes of the poet Henry Lawson.”

“Yea and he died young.” Esca informed.

“Henry Lawson was in his fifties when he died, I don’t call that young and it would be good enough for me. Besides who wants to live until ninety and spend your last years reminiscing in some retirement home, eating soggy biscuits because your teeth have rotted and your gut doesn’t work?

“I would, I like dunking biscuits.” Luke interjected.

“What about you Esca, if the house is sold, won’t you be hitting the road?”

“I would like that.” Luke again interjected.

“Luke I guess you would. Well Esca what are your plans?” George asked.

“I don’t rightly know, mum has sort of asked me to live down the coast but she didn’t appear enthusiastic about it – Besides.”

“Besides what?” George asked.

“Doesn’t really matter but what about Jack?” Esca was thinking of Luke but didn’t wish to admit to doing so.

“As I said I don’t have any more information except what I’ve given you.” George checked the time, “I should be moving, Clem wants to show me the ropes; he is leaving some time this afternoon.”

“Before you go, I have something to show you.” Esca left the room, returning moments later with a number of old photographs he found earlier in the bottom of the chest of drawers salvaged from the shed.

“What have you there?” George asked curiously.

“Some old family pictures, I was wondering if you know who is in them, or if any are of Jack.” Esca passed the photos to his uncle.

George scanned the photos. Most he hadn’t a clue and none were of Jack. “That one is of your mother just before you were born.” George smiled and passed the small snapshot to Esca.

“It doesn’t look like her.” Esca admitted.

“It is and this is you as a baby.” George offered the picture.

“Give me that.” Luke snatched the photo before Esca could view it. “What an ugly baby.” Luke laughed as Esca snatched it back.

“No I wasn’t!” Esca protested loudly.

“Just joking, all babies look the same to me.” Luke admitted as George scanned each picture in its turn.

“No, don’t know, don’t’ know, maybe,” but he wasn’t positive on any. “Ah there is your dad and me when we were kids.” George passed the photo to Esca and continued his search.

“You were a good looking turkey.” Luke admitted.

“Still am.”

“Self appraisal doesn’t count George.” Luke corrected.

“Well I think so. Now here’s one I remember, your Grandad had a larger copy in a frame in the lounge when I was young, I don’t know where it went.” George passed the photo to Esca.

“Where was it taken?” Esca asked noticing a row of scruffy men sitting in line upon what appeared to be the tailings of some mine.

“It was taken when the gold mine at the Two Mile was still in operation, for a while your grandad and my Uncle Josh worked there.” George explained.

“Which one is grandad?” Esca asked.

“The one on the far left.”

“Can’t be he’s only a kid.” Esca confessed.

“He was and only about fifteen then, Josh is the one seated next to him.”

“He doesn’t appear to be much older.”

“He wasn’t, I suppose seventeen, maybe eighteen,” George released an all knowing snigger, “and I could tell you a thing or two about Uncle Josh.” Collecting the photos together he passed them to Esca, “well can’t help you with the others, I should be on my way.”

“Don’t tell me you and Josh?” Esca asked.

“Josh was killed some years later in a mining accident.” George related without answering Esca’s question, “as I said I should be on my way, see you tonight.”

With George gone to visit Clem Leet, Esca become interested in the photo of his grandfather and Great Uncle Josh. His grandfather had died before Esca was born and he had never before herd of Uncle Josh but did remember the very same enlargement once hanging on the lounge room wall. Back then he considered it to be nothing more than decoration, neither his mother nor father had given explanation to its importance and it disappeared about the same time Jack left home. Maybe it was still somewhere in the shed, he would look for it some other time but for now he could not force his sight from the line of men.

His grandfather appeared too young to display true character but there was much in the face of Josh and as he sat, his shirt opened to the waist and tight canvas trousers, cut a handsome sight. What stories could that line of men tell, maybe one was gay, maybe others and if so how could they, and would they cope with being so in such a man’s world. George had planted the insinuation about Josh but didn’t relate what. Had George learnt his trade from his uncle? Esca became uneasy and saddened by the early demise of Josh, even more so that his family had never told him about his great uncle and little about his grandfather. He felt cheated as he returned the photograph to the pile.

“What’s the matter?” Luke asked, noticing his friend’s sadness.

“I was thinking about my grandfather, I never knew him and while growing up he was never spoke about, as for Josh, I didn’t even know of his existence.

“Think yourself lucky, I know all my cousins by name but don’t like any of them.” Luke admitted.

“Yes I also have cousins and aunts and uncles but most am on my mother’s side; dad’s lot are a mystery. If it wasn’t for George I wouldn’t know any of them.”

“Does that concern you?” Luke asked.

“Not a lot but seeing the photograph of Uncle Josh and knowing he was killed in some accident, makes it all appear somewhat pointless.” Esca collected the photographs and returned them to the bedroom drawer. “Did you hear George suggest Josh was gay?” Esca asked on returning to the kitchen.

“No I wasn’t listening.”

“Another gay uncle,” Esca laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“Something I just remembered from when I was living with Ian back in the city. On our first meeting I told him my only experience was with Uncle George and all he said was, not another uncle story, the world’s full of gay uncles.”

Gary would appreciate your thoughts on his story. Gary dot Conder at CastleRoland dot Net

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