James remembered the desperate tone of his father’s shouting. Each bark of his brother’s name, shortened to just sharp cries of ‘Greg! Greg!’ had become increasingly dead-sounding beyond walls of tin.

‘They’d only just started talking about dragging the dam when the young officer shouted from just outside that he’d found Gregory,’ his mother said.

James turned away from her, knowing there’d be no relief on her face.

‘He shouted: “Here he is!”’ she said, imitating the voice of the policeman.

Despite not remembering it, and the years since the incident, James sensed his mother had done a good impersonation of the hopeful way in which the words had been spoken, like the terrible story was about to have a happy ending.

But he did remember his mother throwing her chair back and shoving the young policeman out of the way. Someone’s hand must have landed too heavily on the table, because his grandmother’s teacup had gone onto the floor and James had dropped his doll and started crying.

‘You were wailing,’ his mother confirmed. ‘But it was nothing compared to the sound coming out of your father’s mouth when I found him at the door. Daniel was holding your little brother up in front of him, but I wanted him to hold Gregory close and not keep him out at arm’s length,’ she said, the breath going in and out of her with a tremble. ‘And he was moaning, and when he saw me, he started shouting at me to stop your crying, but then he started howling so loud that it silenced even you. Gregory’s face was blue, all down to his neck, and he was dripping wet, but not from being in the dam...’

She gave up the fight and hung her head between her hands.

‘I couldn’t believe it,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘I just couldn’t believe your brother would have climbed into the new water tank your father had left chocked up against the laundry wall with the round hole right down at ground level. Rain had gotten in, just a little bit, but enough to drown in,’ she said. ‘And I’d read him a story about rabbits going into their holes because we had rabbits in the lawn,’ she said, forcing the words out.

‘The thing was, everyone told me how common it was for farm kids to drown in water tanks. What did I know about any of that? I grew up in the suburbs. If I’d been aware, I could have made sure Daniel put the tank up the other way, with the hole out of reach.’

James stood as motionless as the posts while his mother shuddered, her face hidden by the fall of her hair. She lifted her head, inhaled, and looked at him, red blotches where she’d forced her face against her hand.