Pat Ritter. Books

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‘Sorry Nat. Only Billy can help because he was with me. He is the only one who can help me.’ Joe started crying. ‘I’ll help you become Mayor of Cunnamulla. Sorry Nat. I can’t do anymore.’ Joe wiped his eyes, stood, ‘We’d better move on inside before the women start asking questions.’ They opened the front door to enter the house.

Chapter 5

Joe and Hannah sat on the front swing after dinner. ‘Hannah. I need to go to ‘Tilbaroo Station’ for a while.’ He told his wife.
‘Is this because I’m pregnant?’ Hannah asked.
‘No. Nothing to do with your pregnancy. Your father asked me today to become his deputy in the upcoming election. I refused. Hannah, I need to have time to myself to sort my head out. These nightmares are more regular than before. I break out in a cold sweat without thinking about anything.’ Joe tried to explain his predicament.
Hannah wrapped her arms around Joe’s shoulders. ‘You take as long as you want to sort this out. Whatever this is. Don’t forget you’re going to become a father in the next four months. I need you to be here Joe. When bub arrives.’ Hannah explained. Joe nodded. Kissed his wife.
‘I promise to be here for the birth of our child.’ Joe promised.
Soon after Alex’s hotel opened next morning Joe being his first customer. ‘Alex, I need a jimmyjohn’. Joe asked Alex.
‘What for?’ Alex inquired. Over his time as publican in Cunnamulla he didn’t have much call to sell jimmyjohn of rum. Never sold one to Joe before.
‘I’m off to ‘Tilbaroo Station’. I need to be back before the baby is born. Why all the questions?’ Joe asked.
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‘I’ve only a couple of jimmyjohns left. You want both?’ Alex asked.
‘He’ll take both.’ A familiar voice echoed behind Joe. Joe recognized his friend’s voice. How he’d ever forget this tone? Joe turned to come face to face with his friend Billy Campbell. ‘We’re we going? Captain.’ Billy asked, put his hand out to shake his friend’s hand. They shook hands.
‘Sounds like we’re going to ‘Tilbaroo Station’.’ Joe smiled. ‘Did you follow me here?’ Relief flooded his face to have his friend accompany him on his sojourn.
‘A little birdie told me to visit the hotel at this time.’ Billy replied showing a smirk on his face.
‘Ah! You’ve been speaking with my wife?’ Joe asked.
Billy nodded. ‘You ready Captain.’ Joe collected both jimmyjohns carried them from the hotel to the stables at the rear of his house. Saddled his horse. Billy readied his horse. They both rode side by side through Cunnamulla to swim across the Warrego River.
Swimming their horses across the Warrego River they made certain both jimmyjohns were secure in their saddle bags. Each rode in silence until they reached ‘Tilbaroo Station’ front gate. Joe dismounted to open the gate, waited for his friend to enter the property to secure the gate from intruders. They rode onto the shack Joe built for Hannah beside the bore at the eastern end of the property.
Approaching the shack memories from the past flooded Joe’s mind. He missed Hannah already but needed to go through this ritual to clear his mind. After unsaddling each horse, allowing them to roam through the thick Mitchell grass which grew to almost as high as each horse Joe said to Billy. ‘Thank you, Billy. For coming with me. You didn’t need to. I can drink on my own terms.’ Joe carried his saddle to the shack placed the saddle on the front room floor.
‘I’ll always have your back Joe. What you did in South Africa only you and I understand why things had to be done the way they were. Wasn’t your fault what Breaker and Handcock did. Don’t be so hard on yourself.’ Billy explained throwing his saddle near where Joe lay his saddle.
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Thank you dub: Much appreciated my friend. Here is the page for today:

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‘Better start this stove. We’ll need to eat right if we’re to drink ourselves stupid.’ Joe prepared the stove placing kindling into the front, lit the kindling to form a fire. He stoked the fire with thicker wood.
Billy placed both jimmyjohns on the table. No need to have glasses with jimmyjohns because holding the handle with your index finger, throwing the jimmyjohn on your upper arm, swigging from the neck of the bottle. Only way to drink rum.
‘What’re we going to have to eat?’ Billy asked.
‘Don’t worry Hannah packed sufficient food for both of us. She must’ve had some idea you would come with me.’ Joe placed the food into the Coolgardie safe.
‘I came to visit you this morning. Hannah told me what you intended to do. She wasn’t upset only instructed me to have you back before the baby was born.’ Billy confessed.
‘She’s quite a woman my Hannah. I miss her already. Not the same this place without her.’ Joe sat opposite his friend. Both jimmyjohns sat on the table between them.
‘She’s clever no doubt. Because she’s a school teacher, I suppose.’ Billy answered.
Joe thought of the great times he enjoyed at the shack with Hannah and their friends. Christmas Dinner cooking a goanna came to mind. He ed.
‘What’s so funny.’ Billy asked.
‘Just thinking about one Christmas we had here when Daisy cooked a goanna for Christmas Dinner. Sounds funny now. Much water has flown under the bridge since those days.’ Joe grinned.
‘You remember when we had Christmas Dinner with the Captain and his staff Sergeant. The Captain asked what you had for Christmas Dinner the previous year. You told them goanna. Remember the look on their faces.’ Billy remembered this time as if happened yesterday. Laughing, he continued. ‘Tell me any story you want my friend. I’m here for you. When I first laid eyes on you after the fire here at ‘Tilbaroo Station’ when poor Russell Clarke perished. I didn’t like you. You were up yourself. Now my friend, I call you my best friend because you’re the closest person a friend would ever have Joe.’ His voice shook with emotion.
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‘You mean much to me also Billy. Over in South Africa you kept my back for the whole duration. I never in my wildest dreams thought this Breaker/Handcock thing would worry me.’ Joe sobbed, placed his hands over his face. ‘Sorry mate. Can’t erase them from my head.’
‘We’d better start drinking to rid you of those ghosts.’ Billy leaned across to take hold of one jimmyjohn of rum. Poked his finger through the hole in the handle, threw the bottle onto his right elbow, popped the cork. A strong odour of rum vaporized from the top. Billy opened his mouth took a swig from the neck of the bottle. Hot thick strong rum ran down his throat to his stomach. He released the neck of the bottle from his mouth. ‘Wow! Joe. Wait until you drink this rum mate. Make a willy wag tale fight an emu.’ Billy ed. Recorked the jimmyjohn.
Joe copied Billy’s action. After swallowing a mouth filled with rum, he also, pulled the neck away replaced the bottle on the table; resealed the cork. ‘This is going to be a long couple of weeks. Is strong stuff.’ Joe coughed.
‘None of my business. Hannah asked me about Breaker/Handcock. I told her she should speak with you about them.’ Billy admitted.
‘I can’t tell Hannah about what happened. Bloody hard enough speaking about what happened now with you. I keep having these nightmares. Breaker and Handcock revisit me nightly, tell me they’re sorry for putting me through what I went through. Blood covers their chests. Awful!’ Joe explained; taking the jimmyjohn, uncorked, lifted to his mouth swallowed a mouth full. Coughed. Replaced the jimmyjohn on the table, recorked the top.
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‘You drink as much as you want my friend. I’m here for you.’ Billy stated also taking his swig from his jimmyjohn. Billy sat upright swiping back of his hand across his mouth. ‘Bloody hell Joe. We’ll be drunk in no time drinking this stuff.’ Billy sat back in his chair to take a deep breath.
‘I think I’ll go and have a nap Billy. This rum has made me tired.’ Joe stood walked to his bedroom. Soon after he lay his head on the pillow snores erupted from his nose. Sound asleep. Billy decided to do the same as his friend choose the second bedroom to have a rest. He also fell deep asleep once his head struck the pillow.

‘Where’s Joe gone?’ Nat asked Hannah at lunch.
‘He and Billy have gone to ‘Tilbaroo Station’ for a time. I told Joe he needed to return for the birth of the baby.’ Hannah answered. She didn’t want to tell her father the reason for their going.
‘Why? They could’ve taken me along with them.’ Nat answered.
‘Pa, I thought you wanted to become Mayor of Cunnamulla. You’ve got much work to do in town here to convince people to vote for you.’ Hannah instructed.
‘Is Joe okay?’ Nat inquired.
‘Yes. He and Billy wanted time together.’ Hannah answered setting the table for lunch.
‘Why are you so concerned about Billy and Joe?’ Martha asked her husband.
‘Joe doesn’t seem the same since he and Billy returned from South Africa. I asked him to be my Deputy Mayor. He almost chewed my head off for asking such a request. Joe and I would do a great job together as we’ve done with the properties.’ Nat explained.

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‘I’ve seen a different Joe. When I come to think about what he must have gone through in South Africa. We’ll never understand.’ Martha stated setting the table.
‘They’ll be right after a couple of weeks with two flagons of jimmyjohn rum to drink.’ Hannah informed her parents.
While they were having lunch, a knock sounded on the front door. ‘Wonder whose visiting?’ Hannah said rose from her seat, walked to open the front door. ‘Miss Wallace. What a surprise. Do come in. Have you had lunch?’ Hannah pleased Miss Wallace visited her at home.
‘I wanted to make certain you were okay Hannah. Hated doing what I needed to do. Sorry again.’ Miss Wallace entered Hannah’s home. ‘Hi Martha, Nat.’ She said sighting the two-elderly couple seated at the table. ‘Thank you, Hannah. I haven’t eaten lunch. Don’t go to any trouble on my account.’ Miss Wallace replied taking a place at the table.
‘Would cold meat and salad be sufficient?’ Asked Hannah. With a nod from Miss Wallace Hannah prepared her past Principal a plate of cold meat with salad placed in front of Miss Wallace. ‘Tea.’ Asked Hannah.
‘Thank you, Hannah. Tea would be lovely.’ Miss Wallace replied eating her lunch. She was unaccustomed to eating with others. She lived alone. Hannah placed a cup of tea on a saucer in front of Miss Wallace. ‘Thank you again Hannah. You are so kind and thoughtful.’
‘The Education Department haven’t changed their mind about Hannah. Have they?’ Nat asked.
‘No! I’m here to speak with you Nat. On a personal matter.’ Miss Wallace stated, eating her lunch.
Nat frowned. ‘How can I be of assistance Miss Wallace. I can’t teach.’ Nat implied.

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‘I want to help you with your Mayoral campaign. Want you to win. You will make a grand Mayor.’ Miss Wallace stated.
Nat became lost for words. Miss Wallace the Principal of the school wanted to help with his campaign for him to become Mayor of Cunnamulla. ‘I’m impressed Miss Wallace. Yes! I can use your help. Hannah is helping me to understand the Act of Parliament for the position. Do you want to become my campaign director? What do you think Hannah?’ Nat asked his daughter.
Hannah didn’t want to speak. Her thoughts ‘Why’ Miss Wallace want to help her father become Mayor of Cunnamulla? ‘I suppose so.’ Hannah finally stated. ‘Needs to be a better explanation Miss Wallace.’ Hannah finished.
‘Please call me Margaret instead of Miss Wallace. Makes me like an old spinster, which I am of course.’ Margaret expressed placed her hands on her lap. She continued, ‘I have a method to my madness. I’ll explain. Women are not permitted to vote in Queensland. In my mind I consider not having the opportunity to vote stops us women from providing a voice.’ Margaret Wallace determined to have her message voiced by many before she finished.
‘I can’t change the law to have women vote? I tried to have Indigenous People included in our Constitution. Didn’t work.’ Remarked Nat.
‘I realise Nat you can’t. I want to commence a suffragette movement. Help women to win the right to vote.’ A smile spread across her face.
Silence fell in the kitchen. No person wanted to share their thoughts of Margaret’s idea. Nat finally said, ‘Margaret, I’m more than happy to have you help me with my election. You need to understand this campaign is not about women voting in this election or any other election.’ Nat finished hoping his message received loud and clear by Margaret.