Heart of The Tree

Chapter 24

Alex and Bobby watched as the last of the cars disappeared from view. Alex sneezed once as the wind blew some of the dust in their direction, but otherwise the two guys stayed silent.

Bobby glanced around and noticed that Vince’s parents had gone back inside. It was early, but it was going to be another hot Saturday. There were forecasts of possible storms for the afternoon. Bobby had a healthy distrust of the weather bureau, but he hoped they were right. A good storm would deliver some much-needed rain, and it would suit his sour mood, with most of his friends on their way to Dubbo.

“That’s it, then.” Alex’s shoulders slumped as he gave a very audible sigh.

Bobby raised an eyebrow at his friend. “What do you mean?”

“It’s over. It’s been a good month, but Jamie’s gone back to uni.”

“What are you talking about? I thought he said he’d see you in a couple of weeks.”

The left side of Alex’s lips curled up as he snorted. “Yeah, right, but how long is that going to last? It’s two hours in each direction and he’s going to get sick of it pretty quick. He’ll be back a few times, but I don’t think it’ll be long before he starts finding excuses.”

“I didn’t get that impression. The impression I got was that Jamie’s been doing some long-term planning on how he could be with you as much as possible. He was originally going to go back at the end of January, but he stayed an extra two weeks so he could spend more time with you. The only reason he’s going back now is he needs to get ready before classes start on the twentieth. Didn’t you talk about this?”

Alex shrugged. “Jamie tried a few times, but I wouldn’t let him. I wanted to keep my illusions for as long as possible.” He looked up at Bobby. “You know about unrealistic expectations. I just wanted to dream.”

Bobby stretched out and put an arm across Alex’s shoulders. “Yeah, I know. I hated Jamie for a couple of days for what he did, but he was right. I’ve got to accept that Mum and Dad are splitting up and I can’t do a thing about it. It’s only a matter of time now, and I think it’s weeks, not months.”

Alex leant against Bobby. “He didn’t like doing it, but he told me he knew it was for the best.” Alex chuckled. “It also meant that he spent more time with me for a few days, so it wasn’t all bad.”

“Do you really want to give up on Jamie?” Bobby’s voice was gentle.

“Fuck no, but I’m a realist. It’s not going to work out. I’d prefer to break it off now than to get hurt further down the track.”

Bobby considered the pain in Alex’s voice. He sensed that Alex wanted things to work out, but was too afraid that they wouldn’t. “Will you do me a favour?”

Alex looked up at Bobby. “What?”

“Speak to Aunt Cynthia before you burn your bridges. I know Jamie loves you and I’m sure he’ll do his part to stay a couple. Don’t give up too early.”

Alex gave it some thought before reluctantly agreeing. “Not today, but maybe tomorrow morning.” He pulled away from Bobby and smiled. “I need to get back to work. Mum and Dad let me go to see Jamie off but it’s time I left.”

“What time do you finish?”

“About four. Why?”

Bobby smiled. “I’ll meet you at the pub at about five, then. I think we should drink to absent friends.”

Alex nodded. “Okay, that sounds good. What will you be doing until then?”

Bobby tilted his head in the direction of the farm house where Tony Aster was standing by the door, waiting patiently. “Learning to be a farmer. I’ve got a promise to keep and I’m not going to give up just because it’s getting difficult.”

* * *

“Okay, this is it. My dad recommended the place, but despite that, I think it’s okay,” Rhys said as he led the way into the house. “The rent’s reasonable and it’s a short bus trip to the uni.”

Mark, Mia, Vince and Matt looked around. The carpet was a nondescript mottled grey that was designed to hide stains, though there were several places where it had failed to achieve that goal. The walls were dull, with a few cheap prints as decorations. Vince absentmindedly reached up to touch his left ear lobe.

Mia started to giggle. The four guys stared at her.

“What’s so funny?” Vince asked.

“I’m sorry, but I’m still not used to you having your ear pierced. Not only that, but you and Matt have matching studs. It’s just so cute.”

Vince blushed. He turned to Matt. “I’m still not sure why I let you talk me into doing that.”

Matt shrugged, then grinned. “I’d promised Shane I’d get it done, and he’d given me two studs, so I thought you could have the other one.”

Vince saw the others grinning at him and went even redder. He turned to look around the room. “Doesn’t seem much of a place — pretty drab.”

His attempt to change the topic was transparent to all, but they let him get away with it.

“Looks like a standard student house to me,” Matt said. “Cheap, but liveable. I have to admit it’s in a good position, with the grog shop around the corner and the bus stop at the end of the block.”

Mia rolled her eyes. “The supermarket’s around the corner, too. There’s more to life than alcohol.”

Matt grinned. “Of course there is, but I was talking to Rhys, and he’ll only be interested in the party prospects.”

“Speaking of which, we need to have a housewarming party.” Rhys rubbed his hands together while grinning in anticipation.

“If I’m going to be living here, I want a few ground rules.” Mia crossed her arms and tapped her foot as she stared at Rhys.

“Such as? You’re not going to ban parties, are you?” Rhys looked surprised.

“No, of course not, but we’re not having parties here when we need to study.”

They were interrupted by Mark calling out from down the hallway. “Hey, look at this!”

“What is it?” Vince asked as they joined Mark.

“There’s only three bedrooms and there are four of us. Someone is going to have to share.”

“Oh, yeah. I forgot about that.” Rhys ran a hand through his hair as he grinned sheepishly.

“Well? What were you planning?” Mia asked.

Rhys shrugged. “The way I see it, Vince is going to be spending most nights with Matt, so it won’t be a problem.”

Vince blushed. “Umm, sorry, Rhys, but that’s not going to happen, at least not much.”

Rhys opened his mouth to say something, but Matt got in first. “Vince needs his own place — to study if nothing else. My room isn’t big enough for two people.”

“Okay. In that case Mark and Mia can have the master bedroom,” Rhys said.

“Try again,” Mia said, her voice cold.

“But I thought that you two…”

“You thought wrong. Mark and I have an understanding, but it doesn’t include sleeping together.”

Mark turned to Vince. “Would you like to share? I noticed one of the rooms has two beds.”

“You don’t mind sharing with a gay guy?”

Mark smiled. “I’ve got a choice between a good friend who just happens to be gay, and Rhys. Unless you want to share with Rhys, there’s not much of a choice, is there?”

Vince laughed. “Put that way, nope.” He stuck out a hand. “Shake, roommate.”

Rhys was puzzled for a moment and then his eyes opened wide. “Wait! What are you saying about me?”

Mark and Vince looked innocent. “Nothing,” they chorused and then broke into laughter.

“And in that case, I’ll take the master bedroom, since Rhys offered it to me,” Mia said.

“Hey, I wanted that one!” Rhys didn’t appear happy.

“Vince, what do you think?” Mark asked. “I think Mia should have it.”

“Sounds good to me.” Vince turned to Rhys. “Sorry, Rhys, but it looks like you get the other room. At least you have it to yourself.”

Rhys sniffed. “Not the way I planned it, but okay.” He contemplated Matt. “I know it's a long stretch, but I don’t suppose you know some girls interested in attending a party?”

Matt chuckled. “I do, but I think you need to speak to Shane.”

“Why Shane?”

“He’s doing nursing, and three-quarters of his classmates are females. He knows lots of girls who love to party.” Matt’s smile slipped. “Be careful how you ask him, though. He doesn’t like being treated as just a way to find a girl.”

“Don’t worry, but thanks for warning me. Where is he, anyway?” Rhys asked, reflexively looking down the hallway as if he expected Shane to appear.

Matt smirked. “He was on the phone to Karen when I left him. They were discussing something to do with her course, but I didn’t try to listen in.”

Mark shook his head. “I still can’t believe it. I’ve never met two people more different.”

“They aren’t that much different,” Mia said. “Both of them are on the outer most of the time, because they don’t fit in. They’re both very bright and capable of seeing past the surface when they want to. Shane acts more feminine than most guys, but then Karen has a more masculine attitude than most girls. They balance each other, and I hope it works out.” She poked a finger in Mark’s direction. “You stay out of it and let them sort things out themselves.”

Mark took a step backward and raised his hands in surrender. “I wouldn’t dream of it. You’d kill me if I messed things up.”

“Too right,” Mia said, hands on hips as she glared at Mark.

“Now, about this party,” Rhys said, dragging everyone’s attention back to himself. “It’s too late to organise it for tonight, so how about tomorrow night?”

Matt considered it. “Probably still too short a notice, though if you don’t want a big party it’s doable. It doesn’t have to be on the weekend, though. You’ll be busy during O-week, but there’s no reason you can’t have a party on a weeknight. Classes don’t start until Monday week.”

“Sounds good to me,” Rhys said. He looked around the group. “So, which night do we want it?”

* * *

“To Jamie, absent friend,” Bobby said, raising his glass.

“To Jamie, absent lover,” Alex replied.

Bobby smiled before he took a sip of his beer. They were each on their third schooner and Alex was relaxing. Bobby had to admit that he was feeling better, too. One friend to drink with was better than none, and he still had Padma he could go to if he wanted to just chat. Bobby was leading the toasts and had deliberately left Jamie until the end.

“What do you think they’re doing?” Alex asked.

“Well, if I know Rhys, he’s organising a party. He’ll drag Jamie along, like he tends to drag everyone along when he’s got his mind set on something.”

Alex chuckled. “That sounds like Rhys.” He frowned. “Do you think it’s too early to ring him?”

“Rhys?”

Alex rolled his eyes. “No, Jamie.”

“Go for it, mate. You can go outside if you want a bit of privacy.”

“Nah, I don’t think I need that. Just a sec.” Alex pulled out his phone and rang a number. “Jamie! It’s Alex.”

Bobby watched Alex’s face light up. He was glad he’d convinced Alex to go see Aunt Cynthia. He hoped that she would be able to stop him from giving up on the relationship.

While Alex chatted with his boyfriend, Bobby glanced around the pub. With the last of the schools starting the following week, there were only a handful of tourists still around. Most of the locals were ignoring Alex and Bobby. Alex had had his fifteen minutes of fame and only a handful were still upset by the presence of the young gay guy in town. Bobby was happy about that, as it implied that Vince wouldn’t have any serious problems when he finally came out of the closet.

It was ten minutes later that Alex finally ended his phone call.

Bobby grinned. “You had a good chat?”

“Yep! And you were right. Rhys is organising a housewarming party.”

“He’s somewhat predictable.”

“Excuse me. I hope I’m not interrupting.” Bobby and Alex looked up to see Kevin Inkermann standing next to them.

“Not really. We were just drinking and thinking of our friends who’ve gone to uni, that’s all,” Bobby said.

“We were doing the same.” Kevin waved a hand in the direction of another table where three girls and another guy were sitting. Bobby recognised Scott, Hayley, Maria and Christine from school, though he only really knew Hayley, who, like Bobby, was a volunteer firefighter with the Rural Fire Service.

“Why don’t you join us?” Kevin asked.

Alex and Bobby exchanged glances.

“It’s kind of you to ask, Kevin, but why?” Bobby asked.

Kevin’s mouth twisted into a wry half-smile. “We’re all missing our friends. It’s not quite a wake, but it feels a bit like one.” He shrugged. “Maybe it’s time to make sure we don’t lose touch with the others from school that aren’t moving on. Hayley suggested it, but we all thought it would be good if you joined us.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind?” Alex asked. “I don’t really know your friends.”

Kevin smiled. “I’m sure. Come on.” He led the way to his friends. Scott quickly dragged in a couple of chairs for Bobby and Alex.

After introducing everyone to Alex, Kevin took the drink orders and headed to the bar.

There was a moment of awkward silence, broken by Christine. “I take it that boyfriend of yours has gone, too, Alex.”

“Yeah. He had to go back to get ready. He’s in his second year and still needed to organise textbooks and stuff.”

“Are you going to keep seeing him?”

“Christine! That’s none of our business.” Hayley was shocked.

Alex smiled. “That’s okay. Yeah, I’d like to, but it’s going to be difficult. Dubbo’s close, but not that close.”

“My big sister was in a long distance relationship for a couple of years. It was tough, but they managed. Let me know if you want any advice,” Maria said.

“Thanks, Maria. I’ll let you know,” Alex said.

A couple of minutes later, Kevin returned with the drinks. Alex and Bobby had settled into the group by then. They resumed their toasts to all of their school friends who’d moved on. Bobby found himself being dragged into the conversation, as each toast was followed by gossip about the person in question, and Christine made sure Bobby added his memories to the rest of group’s recollections.

It was two rounds of drinks later, with everyone mildly intoxicated, that Christine proposed a toast that caught Bobby by surprise.

“To the new Heart, whoever they are. I hope they find love soon.”

Kevin raised his glass. “Yeah, I hope he does, too.”

Hayley’s glass stopped halfway to her lips. “You said ‘he’. The Heart’s a girl, isn’t she?”

Kevin’s eyes went wide. “Uh, of course! I meant ‘she’. Of course The Heart’s a girl.”

Bobby tried to think of a way to change the topic but his mind wasn’t working at top speed.

Maria pointed a finger at Kevin. “You know who it is, don’t you? And you know it’s a guy. That might’ve been a slip of the tongue, but you knew what you were saying.”

Kevin squirmed in his seat and avoided eye contact. “Can we just drop it, please? Let’s just forget that I said anything.”

Scott looked thoughtful. “If The Heart is a guy, then does that mean it’s a girl who they’re supposed to marry, or something else?” His head turned slowly until he was looking at Alex. “Or is it that they’re gay and they’re going to find a guy from out of town?”

The three girls joined Scott in staring at Alex.

“Are you The Heart, Alex?” Scott asked

Alex glanced at Bobby before turning back to the others. “No, it’s definitely not me.”

Scott looked sceptical and opened his mouth to ask another question, but Kevin jumped in first. “Look, let’s just drop it. We’re here to drink to our missing friends, not The Heart.”

Maria’s forehead wrinkled as she narrowed her eyes. “We’re not going to let you off that easily, buster. Who is it, Kevin? Don’t you trust us?”

Bobby leant forward to attract their attention. “I can’t say who it is, but what do you want to know?”

“You know, too?” Hayley asked. “How many people know?”

Bobby shrugged. “Not many.”

Scott clicked his fingers. “Of course! We crossed off that Sterling guy as The Heart’s partner because he’s gay, but if The Heart is gay, then he’s back at the top of the list. Now, who did he spend his time with while he was here?”

“It was with Bobby and his friends,” Christine said. She raised an eyebrow at Bobby. “So, it’s you or one of your friends. I heard a rumour that you’re gay, too. Come on, we’re that close, surely you can tell us?”

Bobby glanced at Alex, then the table, and finally up at Christine. “Do you know what Alex got hit with when he came out? There wasn’t a lot of abuse, but it was there. Are you that keen to have someone else go through the same thing before they’re ready?”

Christine rocked back in her seat and nodded her acceptance. “Okay, I see your point. How long do we have to wait?”

Bobby shrugged. “How long does it take to fall in love?”

* * *

Cynthia paused outside the shop to catch her breath and let the tightness in her chest dissipate. She had been feeling sore across her shoulders since she had woken up, and the walk up to the cemetery and back had taken more out of her than she had expected. There had been a shipment of goods to move the day before and she put the soreness and tiredness down to working too hard. She resolved to take it easy for the day. Reverend Cloister would understand if she didn’t make it church. She was there most Sundays — missing one wouldn’t hurt.

Once she wasn’t panting and the chest pain had gone, she opened the door and stepped into the coolness of the store.

“Aunt Cynthia! I was beginning to wonder what was keeping you.” Paul slipped his feet off the desk and sat up straight.

She waved a hand in the direction of the young man. “It’s okay, Paul. Make yourself at home. The season is winding down, so there’s no need to act busy.”

Aunt Cynthia grimaced from the shoulder pain as she made her way across to the seat Paul had just vacated.

“Are you all right?” Paul asked as he helped her sit down.

“I think I worked too hard yesterday. Can you get me an aspirin or a Panadol? I just need something to ease the aches, that’s all.”

“Sure. Where do you keep it?”

“You’ll need to go next door and ask Belinda for some.”

“Okay.” Paul disappeared out the door.

While Cynthia took a few deep breaths, she rolled her shoulders in a vain attempt to relieve the pain. She was glad that Paul had offered to help. She had been at her daughter’s home a couple of nights earlier and had mentioned that with Mia off to university, she’d need some assistance with the shop. Paul had volunteered immediately. He had told her later that since Mia had agreed to have The Treasure Chest transferred into her name, he should do his part to keep it going.

Cynthia looked up when the door opened, expecting to see Paul, but was surprised to see Alex Landeau instead.

“Alex, what can I do for you?”

Alex looked around the store before he answered. “Hi, Aunt Cynthia. I was wondering if I could talk to you about Jamie.”

Aunt Cynthia smiled. She had been wondering what was going to happen between those two. She was about to find out. “Sure, Alex. Why don’t we move into the back room so we can have some privacy?”

* * *

“So, how did it go?” Bobby asked as he and Alex strolled back toward the hardware store.

Alex shrugged. “Pretty much as you predicted. Give it a go and see if it’s going to work out. She said it’s too early to call things off.”

“See! You need to learn to trust me.”

Alex smiled. “I’ve trusted you for a couple of years. Now it’s your turn. How are things going at home?”

Bobby’s frame slumped and Alex immediately regretted asking. Both guys slowed down and then stopped. Bobby put out a hand and leant against a telephone pole.

“The house goes on the market this week.”

“They’re selling?”

Bobby nodded. “They plan on renting small places at opposite ends of town.”

“What are you going to do, then? Which one will you be moving in with?”

Bobby shook his head. “How am I supposed to choose? I can’t favour one over the other — that’s wrong.”

“Shit. Yeah, I see what you mean. I couldn’t choose between Mum and Dad. It’d be worse than having to choose between Jamie and my family!”

Bobby glanced at him. “Do you think it’ll come to that?”

“I hope not, but it’s a possibility and I’m not ignoring it. If Jamie can’t find a job around here when he graduates, I’m going to need to decide which side of my heart I want to follow. Aunt Cynthia and I had a long chat about that. She made me realise that that was what was making me think of giving up on Jamie — give up now rather than having to make that choice later.” Alex shivered. “All I can do is pray that it won’t come to that.”

Bobby sighed. “Relationships can be tough.”

Alex nodded. “Yeah.” He frowned at Bobby. “Back to what we were talking about. What are you going to do when your parents sell the house?”

Bobby looked away. “Mum and Dad have already thought about it. They’ve told me that a portion of the money from the sale will go to me, so I can get my own place. They didn’t say it, but they put aside their differences long enough to make sure I wasn’t going to be a bone of contention between them.”

The silence stretched out for several seconds. Bobby straightened and they started walking again.

They were almost at the hardware store when Alex spoke. “If you need a place to stay for a few weeks, or even months, we’ve got a spare bed at our place. Mum and Dad won’t mind you staying.”

“What about when Jamie comes to visit?”

Alex grinned. “I’m still working on Dad. If I can get him to let Jamie stay in my room, Mum won’t say no.”

Bobby raised an eyebrow. “Just how far is it from the spare room to your bedroom?”

Alex smirked. “Far enough that you won’t have to worry about any noise.”

Both guys were grinning when they walked into the hardware store.

* * *

“Aunt Cynthia. I can handle things here and lock up. Why don’t you go back home and rest? You’re not looking too good.”

Cynthia sighed. It had only been a couple of hours, but she felt like she’d been working all day. “You’re right, Paul. Maybe I need to lie down. If you have any problems, just call me.”

“Sure, but I don’t think I’ll need to. Now go! If you keep hanging around, I’ll start thinking you don’t trust me.” He gave her a cheeky grin.

“I can’t have that, now can I? Okay, I’m going. I’ll see you tomorrow, after school.”

Paul rolled his eyes. “Please, don’t remind me. I’m not looking forward to starting another year. Yeah, I’ll see you then.” He moved up and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Bye, Aunt Cynthia.”

She patted him affectionately on his arm and then left the store. Paul didn’t really like working in the shop, but Aunt Cynthia was impressed by her grandson’s resolution. He was doing his little bit to make sure everything worked out.

The walk home was slow, as the tightness in her chest returned. She was pleased that it wasn’t hot, as the skies were still overcast from the storm of the night before. Despite that, she was panting by the time she reached her gate. Perspiration beaded her forehead, but she was starting to feel cold. Aunt Cynthia started to go inside, but something attracted her to the rose bush to her right. Taking the couple of steps required, she peered at a flawless blood-red rose. It hadn’t been fully open when she’d last checked.

She reached over to grasp the stem, intending to move the flower closer so she could smell it, when a sharp pain ran down her arm. She reflexively tried to take a breath in, but she couldn’t — the chest pain seemed to stop her. Suddenly lightheaded, Aunt Cynthia swayed before falling forward onto the rose bush.

Despite the pain, a small smile appeared on her lips. She closed her eyes.

“Andrew, is it time?” she whispered before losing consciousness.

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