Pat Ritter. Books

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'The Shearer' - Page 118:

‘You’re not only a hero, but a smart bloke too.’ George said. ‘A man after my own heart.’ He smiled and finished his beer, ‘Got another of these Nat? This one didn’t touch the sides.’ George handed Nat an empty tumbler. ‘What about you Joe – want another one?’ Joe handed Nat his empty tumbler and nodded.
‘Dinner’s ready.’ Hannah called from inside, ‘come and get it.’
‘Joe you sit beside me. Pa you’re beside Mother, Grandfather is beside Nana and Ma.’ Hannah directed each one to their seat. Once everyone was seated, Hannah said, ‘I’ll say grace. Dear Lord bless this food of which we are about to partake. God bless the people seated around this table for I love them all, particularly Joe.’ Hannah wiped a tear from her eye. Martha looked at her, nodded and smiled.
‘Will you slice the turkey please dear?’ Martha asked her husband.
‘Why don’t we have Joe slice the turkey? This is his first Christmas with us and hope it won’t be the last.’ Nat handed Joe the carving knife and fork.
‘Thank you.’ Joe sliced the turkey and forked pieces onto each person’s plate. When Nana held her plate for Joe to place a piece of turkey she used her left hand. Hannah stared at her grandmother’s left hand, particularly the back of it. She saw a birth mark in the shape of a heart. Instantly she looked across to Ma whose eyes fastened onto the same mark. Their eyes met.
‘Thank you, Joe.’ Nana said and placed her plate in front of her.
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'The Shearer' - Page 119:

Hannah’s mind flew back to the time Ma told her about when she was ten years old and her mother died giving birth to her young sister, Gloria. Could Nana be Gloria? Hannah wondered. They do look similar in appearance. Nana is younger than Ma. These thoughts rushed through her mind. How to find out? She decided to speak with her mother, but she also wanted to know from her mother how her father had suddenly changed his mind about Joe.
After a hearty Christmas Dinner the men retired to the veranda whilst the women tidied the table and collected the dishes to wash them. Hannah washed whilst her mother dried.
‘Mother, can I ask you a question?’ she asked in a quiet voice which only her mother could hear as Ma and Nana prepared refreshments for the men.
‘Of course you can. What do you want to know?’ Her mother answered whilst drying the dishes after Hannah placed them on the table for her mother to dry.
‘How did you get Pa to change his mind about Joe? He’s been nothing but nice to Joe since we arrived.’
‘You will learn we women have a way of persuasion when it comes to getting what we want. Why do you ask?’
‘I need to know your secret in case.’ Hannah ed.
‘Joe is a nice man, level headed, and as for Ma, she is a delight. If Joe was bad or no good Ma would not defend him the way she does.’
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'The Shearer' - Page 120:

‘Yes I know all that, but what did you do to change Pa’s mind? He was adamant he didn’t want to know Joe,’ Hannah pleaded.
‘We spoke after leaving your home. He thought you could’ve done better by meeting a cocky’s son. I agued we needed shearers to shear our sheep and without shearers we’d be lost. Then he heard about the capture of Billy Wells and how Joe captured the armed robber. He’s since known about Bluey Simpson and what Joe did when he grabbed the snake from Bluey’s neck swung it around in the air and cracked the head off. Actually he was impressed with Joe.’ Martha smiled, ‘I told him if he didn’t like Joe he should tell him straight to his face and not beat about the bush. He saw how much you love him and I think that was the straw which broke the camel’s back in his change of attitude. You’d swear the way he looks at Joe; he is the son he never had.’ Martha finished.
‘Here is another question I want to ask. What is Nana’s Christian name? All my life I’ve known her as Nana.’ Hannah asked while she had her mother’s attention.
‘Gloria – why?’ her mother asked, frowning.
‘You know when I bought Ma here to meet you and Pa? We stopped at the six mile to boil the billy. I asked Ma about her life and family. She told me when she was ten years old her mother died giving birth to her sister whose name was Gloria. Ma hadn’t seen her sister since birth because her father gave them away to different people in Sydney town ‘like a pair of pups’. Ma told me the only time she saw her sister was shortly after her birth. Gloria had a birthmark in the shape of a heart on the back of her left hand,’ Hannah explained almost out of breath.
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'The Shearer' - Page 121:

Her mother stopped wiping the plate, looked directly into Hannah’s eyes and said, ‘Do you think Gloria is Ma’s missing sister?’
‘Do you know her maiden name?’ Hannah asked.
‘Johnson I think I remember seeing her birth certificate one time and asked why the name on her birth certificate differed to her name Gloria Wilson.’ Martha explained.
‘What did she say? Do you remember?’
‘This was when she told me she’d been adopted by a family named Wilson and took their name. They were wealthy and high class in Sydney town.’ Martha explained. ‘Do you really think Nana could be Ma’s missing sister?’
‘Only one way to find out. We’ll ask.’ Hannah wiped her hands. They heard loud sobbing from the other room. When they entered the room they saw Gloria and Ma embraced both sobbing over one another’s shoulder, ‘I think they’ve worked it out.’ Hannah smiled and walked over to the two women.
‘Is everything all right?’ Martha asked when she approached the two women tightly embraced.
‘Martha, this is my sister. We haven’t seen one another since I was born. Ma or should I say, Margaret, saw my birthmark I have on the back of my left hand.’ Gloria showed the birthmark, a small brown coloured heart shape. ‘She saw the birthmark just after I was born.’
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'The Shearer' - Page 122:

Ma cried, ‘I wanted to know Gloria’s life and after she told me she’d been adopted, I felt she was my missing sister. We’ve put two and two together.’
‘Ma explained how our father gave us away in Sydney town after our mother died.’ Gloria explained.
‘Gloria lived not far from where I lived growing up in Sydney Town and we never met one another until today.’ Ma stopped weeping, continued to hold Gloria tight.
‘Isn’t this the most wonderful Christmas present anyone would want.’ Gloria expressed between wiping her eyes and holding onto her sister. She trembled.
‘This is like a dream come true; I always wanted a sister. Hannah this makes you my grandniece,’ Ma cried, letting go of Gloria to embrace both Hannah and Martha, ‘This is best Christmas I’ve ever had.’
‘Nana, this is wonderful.’ Hannah embraced her Nana. ‘We’d better let the men folk know.’ Hannah released them and the women walked onto the veranda, ‘Pa would you and Grandfather and Joe please come inside. We have some special news to share with you,’ Hannah said, with a smile. She took Joe’s hand and led him into the parlour. ‘You are in for a surprise,’ she whispered.
After everyone was settled, Gloria told her story of how much she remembered, and then handed the remainder of the story to Ma to tell her side. After convincing everyone Ma and Gloria were sisters, everyone embraced them slapping them on the shoulder to show their excitement and gratitude of the two sisters having finally found each another after sixty-five years of separation.
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'The Shearer' - Page 123:

‘I can’t believe how everything has come together,’ Nat announced. ‘This is meant to be and to think if Hannah hadn’t fallen in love with Joe, perhaps Gloria and Margaret would never have met! This is indeed a wonderful Christmas to remember,’ He smiled. ‘This calls for a celebration.’
‘How did you work this out?’ Joe asked Hannah, once they were alone. How do Ma and your grandmother come to be sisters? I’m puzzled.’ Joe questioned.
‘When you were slicing the turkey Nana held her plate for you to put a slice of turkey on it using her left hand. I saw a birthmark on the back of her hand and immediately looked across to Ma who also saw the birthmark,’ Hannah explained.
‘So when they put two and two together, they worked out they were sisters,’ Joe concluded.
‘You’re a genius! No wonder I love you so much.’ Hannah wrapped her arms around Joe’s neck and kissed him on the lips, ‘Merry Christmas, Darling. I love you.’
After an exciting afternoon Ma, Hannah and Joe farewelled their relatives, ‘We’ll be in at your place to stay before we return to Brisbane,’ Gloria called waving goodbye to her newly found sister.
‘I can’t wait to show you around Cunnamulla and show you off as my long lost sister. Goodbye for now.’ They waved and Joe clicked the horse to go faster. Hannah leaned against Joe’s shoulder smiling. She couldn’t feel happier. She put her hand out and took hold of her aunt’s hand, ‘Do you mind if I hold your hand, Aunt Margaret.’
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'The Shearer' - Page 124:

‘You may still call me Ma – I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to being called ‘Aunt’. Isn’t this the most wonderful day?’ Ma felt she owned the world!

After a break over Christmas and New Year, Joe needed to return to work. ‘Crutching just started and I need the money,’ He told Hannah whilst they were seated on the steps at the back of Ma’s Guest House.
‘Do you have to leave so soon?’ She murmured holding his hand, eyes pleading for him to stay. ‘It’s been so wonderful to have you home.’ She leaned over and kissed him on the lips.
‘I know. Wish I didn’t have to go back shearing but it’s all I know. Crutching is easier than shearing and I can still come into town most weekends now I have a horse.’ Joe explained. He didn’t want to leave, but he needed to get on with his job of helping shearers and he couldn’t do it sitting on his backside in town. He needed to get to the sheds and speak with Joe Gibson to hear the latest news.
‘This will be our last night for awhile.’ Hannah smiled and looked into Joe’s eyes. She was deeply in love with this man and knew he felt the same.
‘One last kiss and off to bed. You have your own bedroom now,’ he said with a smile. ‘I’ll be heading off before daybreak in the morning. I won’t wake you so I’ll say goodbye tonight.’ He wrapped his arms around Hannah’s waist, kissed her deeply on the lips, moaning at the feelings he had for her. ‘Goodnight Darling – I love you.’
‘I love you too. I’ll make you breakfast before you leave and make something for the road,’ Hannah whispered in his ear. ‘Goodnight sweetheart, I love you so much it hurts.’ She broke away and left to go to her bedroom.
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