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Chapters (21)

Sue:	What happened to you?
Jack:	Nothin’ …

	Got knocked with a bit of wood. I worked after school.

	Can we just start?
Sue:	Sure.
Jack:	Have you been to the cemetery?
Sue:	Nah.
Jack:	It’s out on Little Pomona Road if you want to have a look. It isn’t big, it’s old but it’s not big like say Wagga or Gympie. But that doesn’t matter, it’s in a pretty spot.
	The best spot in Taralune we all reckon.
	Mum and Gran are fatidous … fastid … fastidious when it comes to cleaning and weeding and sprucing resting places for dead people. I’m probably just as bad.
	We’ve only been here three months and Mum and Gran just about knows everybody.
	Mum and Gran are there twice a week, all day. They pack smoko.
	I used to help out every Thursday after school.
	Each time they have a break they sit with someone new. Last week it was Lilly Green who died of old age and her husband Bob who died three weeks later of a broken heart.
	How sad is that?
	The week before that was Rodney Blackney. He’s a 23-year-old local who drowned himself in the river cause he was high on shit and was drinking while trying to fish.
Sue:	How about you?
	Who did you have lunch with last time?
Jack:	Let me see …
	It was down the back and it was a black marble headstone. She was pretty with long brown hair and a cute dimple on her right cheek.
	I remember because she had a clear photo. But I can’t remember her name.
	I’m not embarrassed I’m a bloke and I’m helping Mum and Gran clean up the place.
	If Mum or Gran … or if I didn’t live anymore I’d be happy if someone helped out and made things nice. I like knowing someone cares. I guess it’s one of those things I inherited from Mum and Gran.
	Eh, Sue?
Sue:	You betcha.
Jack:	Old Bill died from a shrapnel wound while fighting in Papua, he’s next door to that girl whose name I can’t remember.
	And Clarice has only a headstone, the rest of her grave is a big dip of dried dirt.
	Poor Clarice … I’ve still got to clean her up.
	Old Bill and Clarice are buried together but they have different surnames. Someone said they were girlfriend and boyfriend for years but didn’t get married. Clarice should be called Clarice Malcolm same as Bill. I reckon they’d both like that.
	Mel … the girl I’ve been thinking about …
	Her name’s Mel. Mellisa Agnes Draper, 1980– 2015. She died when she was thirty-five.
	I knew I’d remember.
	Sue?
Sue:	Benny Boy’s beautiful smart sister.
Jack:	Yeah! That’s the kid who likes fish?
	I know Benny Boy. Him and his nan keep Mel looking special. We like Benny Boy and his nan.
	Mel’s always got fresh flowers and clean water and a few candles too and she has my favourite …
	Six whirly windmills. They’re real colourful like a happy rainbow. Once the wind hits, they spin fast as.
Sue:	I thought all rainbows were happy?
Jack:	Not all, Sue. Faded rainbows are tired. They give the people a show but, really, they just wanna chill and listen to Rodriguez or Paul Kelly or Cat Stevens.
	Happy rainbows are bright. And vibrant because they listen to AC/DC, you see.
	Anyway, whirly windmill things just like Mel’s are awesome.
	You know the ones?
	We all like ’em, even Pen. Pen and Benny Boy and me and Nan reckon we don’t want crosses on our grave when we kick it, too sad. We want heaps of whirly windmills.
	When Pen’s hanging with Benny Boy out at the cemetery, he’s the only one who has the patience to fix them if they come apart.
Sue:	Whirly windmills make me smile.
	Especially if there’s no wind …
Jack:	I know!
	That happens all the time.
	Spooky … but I like it.
	On the other side of the cemetery fence the grass is knee-high, dry and full of seeds.
	But …
	That’s where I found five more graves … they’re just rocks, lots of rocks piled up on each other. Sharni didn’t even know they were there.
Sue:	Sharni?
Jack:	She’s a Murri girl. A Queensland blackfulla.
	We both like movies. She doesn’t care if I talk too much. She’s a good mate.