He turned up the radio for the next few kilometres, but his mum’s words kept echoing in his head. ‘He’s not sure where he sits with you.’

‘Shit.’ He punched in Dean’s number and listened to it ring. He half hoped Dean wouldn’t answer.

‘Dave?’ The hope in Dean’s voice was evident and suddenly he couldn’t say anything.

‘Dave, is that you, mate?’ The hope turned to uncertainty.

‘Yeah,’ he finally managed to get out. ‘It’s me.’

‘Are you okay? You sound strange.’

‘I’m … not sure. I’ve just been talking to Mum.’

‘Is she okay?’ Dean’s voice was fearful now.

‘Oh, yeah, she’s fine. No worries with her.’ Pause. ‘She, uh, suggested I ring you.’

‘I’m glad. It’s great to hear from you. We don’t speak often enough.’

Before he knew it, the words rushed out of Dave. ‘Why didn’t you stick up for me that night Dad kicked me off the farm?’

Now it was Dean’s turn to be silent.

The humming down the interstate line seemed to grow louder as the silence stretched.

Finally Dean spoke. ‘To be brutally honest, Dave, I don’t think I have a clear reason. It all happened so quickly. One minute you were there and the next minute you weren’t. And I guess I’d sound like a tosser if I told you I was frightened of Dad. But I was. He hit me when I was out in the paddock one day. I was fourteen and I hadn’t shut the gate in between the rams and the ewes properly. Well, the flogging he gave me … I’ve never forgotten it and probably never forgiven him for it either.’

‘I don’t remember that.’

Dean made a sound that was half-snort, half-groan. ‘You wouldn’t. He made sure he hit my back, where my shirt covered me. No one ever saw the bruises and I never told Mum.

‘And then when I saw him standing over you like that, I thought it wasn’t a place for me to be. I didn’t want to get in the middle. All these images flashed through my head—like when he hit me, like me being the boss, like being able to farm the way I wanted to. And then there was the horror of the situation. God, Dave, I can’t tell you what it looked like from where I was.’

‘Try being where I was,’ Dave shot back, anger seeping into his voice.

Silence.

‘I know. It was horrible on all accounts, but especially for you since no one stood up for you. Look, mate, I know I acted like a prat and you wouldn’t believe the amount of times I’ve wished I could’ve acted differently, but I didn’t and I’m sorry. I know my behaviour hurt you very badly.’