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Back The Orchardist's Daughter Save as PDF
Chapters (57)
  1. COVER PAGE
  2. PRAISE
  3. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  4. DEDICATION
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. PART I SEEDS
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. PART II GERMINATION
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. PART III GROWTH
  29. 21
  30. 22
  31. 23
  32. 24
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. PART IV UNDERSTOREY
  42. 33
  43. 34
  44. 35
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. 44
  54. 45
  55. 46
  56. EPILOGUE
  57. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

‘We read books and sang songs, learned how to write.’

‘What were your teachers’ names?’

Miki knew these by heart, but she liked hearing just the same. The only teacher she’d ever had was Mother. She wished she had gone to school. She wished she could go now.

She hesitated before her final question, because she’d never asked this one before. How would Kurt react? If she was out of line it could ruin the whole day. She felt the forest breathing around her; it gave her courage. ‘Why did you stop going to school?’

‘Because you were born.’

‘Why did that matter?’

‘That’s when Father and Mother decided to retreat to the farm. They’d had enough of the church. Decided to go their own way. Do their own thing. Make their own rules.’

Miki was confused. Hadn’t they always lived by God’s rules? She hadn’t known those rules were open to interpretation. ‘I don’t see what that had to do with me.’

‘Timing, I suppose.’

‘Why couldn’t I go to school?

‘Because you’re a girl and they wanted to protect you.’ He scraped the stub of his cigarette on the tree trunk and tossed it in an arc to fizz in a puddle. Then he stood and reached for his pack.

Miki felt that she was on the edge of something important so she pushed on. ‘Why didn’t we have visitors? And why don’t we have any relatives? Are they all dead?’

Kurt dodged her eyes and shouldered his pack. ‘I’m done with questions.’

Miki was frustrated. Why wouldn’t he tell her? ‘Please.’

His face clouded and he turned away. ‘I’m off. Make sure you stay close to the tree.’ He started up the track, pausing to toss her the car keys. ‘Get in the ute if it rains. I’ll be back in an hour.’

She watched him disappear into the forest: the thud of his feet on the trail, the swish and crack as he shouldered into the scrub. She knew he might glance back so she remained outwardly composed, but inside her questions rippled and seethed like the wind.

For a while, she stayed by the tree, turning over questions in her mind. Then the clouds condensed, the light faded and rain began to spill from the sky. She retreated to the car, still going over questions, preparing for an imagined day when Kurt might treat her like an adult and open in honesty towards her, impossible though this seemed.