peter1953
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This is something i wrote. I'm no scholar as you will see, and not very little about punctuation. But writing things down seems to bring them to life.
It was just turned eight thirty am’ and the temperature outside was already well into the eighties. However that was something you either got used to out here, or went mad trying.
The northern territories of Australia were well known for high temperatures and low rainfall, and it was a miracle that anything managed to survive out here, but survive they did, and under the right conditions even they even flourished.
The hottest temperature ever recorded had been back in the nineteen eighties when the thermometer topped sixty four degrees Celsius. However, that was long before Veronica had arrived to join Sally, and help in the running of the old Badoro cattle station.
Making the decision to leave England hadn't been easy. In fact the idea of giving up a comfortable lifestyle in London to travel half way around the world for what she had convinced herself was love, but was probably just lust had seemed not just daunting, but stupid. But come she had, and at first it had been a bit of a nightmare. Now though with the house built and the garden and its surrounding farmland established, she wouldn't leave it for anyone.
The Badoro cattle station actually sat astride the borders of the Northern Territory and Western Australia, and a lonelier more inhospitable place you could never imagine.
Their nearest neighbours was over four hundred miles to the west. The nearest town was Johnson’s creek, and was close to five hundred miles east of them, and to the north and west there was nothing but dry arid desert. Yes life here was hot and lonely, but Veronica loved it, and as she stood on the veranda of their American style ranch house, and looked out over her beautifully landscaped gardens, she was in heaven.
Taking a deep breath she sampled the air, her senses assailed and almost overcome by a mixture of freshly cut and watered grass and the perfume of over a thousand shrubs and flowers. Her garden was her passion, after Sally of course.
Sally of course had grown up here. And apart from her time at agricultural collage in England where they had met she had never been away. She new every inch of the thousands of acres of scrub-land and desert as well as the more hospitable pastures where her cattle grazed.
She spoke fluent Aborigine, and understood their culture and customs, and to Veronica she was like the heroine in one of the adventure stories she read as a child.
Her daydreaming was disturbed by the voice of a young woman, who for the whole time Veronica stood looking out over her garden had been laying the breakfast table behind her.Slightly annoyed at the interruption she turned, and walking over to where the girl stood Veronica took a few moments to check the place settings and that the cutlery was clean.
“That looks fine Louise; we will eat at nine thirtyâ€.
“Yes Missâ€
"And remember Louise that our guests are English, and will probably want tea with their breakfast, so make sure there’s a pot ready.
“Yes Missâ€
“Good, now you may goâ€.
When Louise left Veronica lit a cigarette and returned to stare out at her beautiful garden.
She watched the antics of a small flock of budgerigars that had taken up residence in the trees beside a small pond. Attracted by the water features and a ready supply of food they added another dimension to the garden with their bright colours and cheerful voices.
Finishing her cigarette she went inside to check her hair and makeup before the others came in. If anyone ever asked her to list her faults, vanity would have to be number one. Veronica liked to look nice and even now spent a few minutes applying more lipstick and eye shadow.
A few minutes later Sally brought their guests out and introduced them as Paul and Elizabeth from England.
Ever the perfect hostess Veronica served them with ice cold lemonade while they all waited for breakfast.
“Breakfast will be at nine thirty, if there’s anything special you want just tell the girl when she’s serving. We have most things, but obviously not everythingâ€.
The boy smiled, “Believe me anything would be wonderful after the last few days†And the girl agreed.
Their guests it seemed were newlyweds, and for some strange reason had decided that spending six weeks back packing around Australia would be a novel way to spend their honeymoon. Within a week they had found themselves stranded in Johnson the small mining town to the south, and where sally had found them trying to arrange transport into Alice.
Badoro station sat mid way between the two towns, so when Sally offered them a lift half way with the promise of helping them with their onward journey they readily accepted.
Eating breakfast outside was one of the things Veronica loved about living here and it always seemed to her to be such a shame that by lunchtime it was just too hot. Sitting around the table chatting was nice, and gave veronica time to study her guests.
She got the impression that Elizabeth was a bit of a society girl, and from an old possibly titled family. One that was rich in history, but poor in the bank.
Paul on the other hand was new money, which was probably why Elizabeth had married him. He was quiet and unassuming simply letting her dominate their side of the conversation, every now and then he just nodded or agreed with whatever she was talking about.
One thing Veronica did love about Elizabeth though was her voice, obviously the product of an expensive private education with its ever so slightly condescending tone.
Breakfast over they sat chatting while Louise cleared the table and brought fresh tea and pastries. Eying the home cooked delights Elizabeth commented.
“You do seem to live very well out here?â€
Veronica smiled happily. “It’s all down to getting the right staff and being able to grow most of our own foodâ€.
As they spoke a small group of men and women came into the garden. Four of the GROUP were young black aborigines women dressed in nothing more than a short skirt like garment and carrying short handled spears, spears and what looked like a two pronged fork. The rest of the party was a mixture of men and women. Some were black and some where white. But, they were all naked, and chained together by their ankles. Elizabeth who was just accepting a light for her cigarette from the ever attentive Louise stopped dead.
“What on earth?â€
It was just turned eight thirty am’ and the temperature outside was already well into the eighties. However that was something you either got used to out here, or went mad trying.
The northern territories of Australia were well known for high temperatures and low rainfall, and it was a miracle that anything managed to survive out here, but survive they did, and under the right conditions even they even flourished.
The hottest temperature ever recorded had been back in the nineteen eighties when the thermometer topped sixty four degrees Celsius. However, that was long before Veronica had arrived to join Sally, and help in the running of the old Badoro cattle station.
Making the decision to leave England hadn't been easy. In fact the idea of giving up a comfortable lifestyle in London to travel half way around the world for what she had convinced herself was love, but was probably just lust had seemed not just daunting, but stupid. But come she had, and at first it had been a bit of a nightmare. Now though with the house built and the garden and its surrounding farmland established, she wouldn't leave it for anyone.
The Badoro cattle station actually sat astride the borders of the Northern Territory and Western Australia, and a lonelier more inhospitable place you could never imagine.
Their nearest neighbours was over four hundred miles to the west. The nearest town was Johnson’s creek, and was close to five hundred miles east of them, and to the north and west there was nothing but dry arid desert. Yes life here was hot and lonely, but Veronica loved it, and as she stood on the veranda of their American style ranch house, and looked out over her beautifully landscaped gardens, she was in heaven.
Taking a deep breath she sampled the air, her senses assailed and almost overcome by a mixture of freshly cut and watered grass and the perfume of over a thousand shrubs and flowers. Her garden was her passion, after Sally of course.
Sally of course had grown up here. And apart from her time at agricultural collage in England where they had met she had never been away. She new every inch of the thousands of acres of scrub-land and desert as well as the more hospitable pastures where her cattle grazed.
She spoke fluent Aborigine, and understood their culture and customs, and to Veronica she was like the heroine in one of the adventure stories she read as a child.
Her daydreaming was disturbed by the voice of a young woman, who for the whole time Veronica stood looking out over her garden had been laying the breakfast table behind her.Slightly annoyed at the interruption she turned, and walking over to where the girl stood Veronica took a few moments to check the place settings and that the cutlery was clean.
“That looks fine Louise; we will eat at nine thirtyâ€.
“Yes Missâ€
"And remember Louise that our guests are English, and will probably want tea with their breakfast, so make sure there’s a pot ready.
“Yes Missâ€
“Good, now you may goâ€.
When Louise left Veronica lit a cigarette and returned to stare out at her beautiful garden.
She watched the antics of a small flock of budgerigars that had taken up residence in the trees beside a small pond. Attracted by the water features and a ready supply of food they added another dimension to the garden with their bright colours and cheerful voices.
Finishing her cigarette she went inside to check her hair and makeup before the others came in. If anyone ever asked her to list her faults, vanity would have to be number one. Veronica liked to look nice and even now spent a few minutes applying more lipstick and eye shadow.
A few minutes later Sally brought their guests out and introduced them as Paul and Elizabeth from England.
Ever the perfect hostess Veronica served them with ice cold lemonade while they all waited for breakfast.
“Breakfast will be at nine thirty, if there’s anything special you want just tell the girl when she’s serving. We have most things, but obviously not everythingâ€.
The boy smiled, “Believe me anything would be wonderful after the last few days†And the girl agreed.
Their guests it seemed were newlyweds, and for some strange reason had decided that spending six weeks back packing around Australia would be a novel way to spend their honeymoon. Within a week they had found themselves stranded in Johnson the small mining town to the south, and where sally had found them trying to arrange transport into Alice.
Badoro station sat mid way between the two towns, so when Sally offered them a lift half way with the promise of helping them with their onward journey they readily accepted.
Eating breakfast outside was one of the things Veronica loved about living here and it always seemed to her to be such a shame that by lunchtime it was just too hot. Sitting around the table chatting was nice, and gave veronica time to study her guests.
She got the impression that Elizabeth was a bit of a society girl, and from an old possibly titled family. One that was rich in history, but poor in the bank.
Paul on the other hand was new money, which was probably why Elizabeth had married him. He was quiet and unassuming simply letting her dominate their side of the conversation, every now and then he just nodded or agreed with whatever she was talking about.
One thing Veronica did love about Elizabeth though was her voice, obviously the product of an expensive private education with its ever so slightly condescending tone.
Breakfast over they sat chatting while Louise cleared the table and brought fresh tea and pastries. Eying the home cooked delights Elizabeth commented.
“You do seem to live very well out here?â€
Veronica smiled happily. “It’s all down to getting the right staff and being able to grow most of our own foodâ€.
As they spoke a small group of men and women came into the garden. Four of the GROUP were young black aborigines women dressed in nothing more than a short skirt like garment and carrying short handled spears, spears and what looked like a two pronged fork. The rest of the party was a mixture of men and women. Some were black and some where white. But, they were all naked, and chained together by their ankles. Elizabeth who was just accepting a light for her cigarette from the ever attentive Louise stopped dead.
“What on earth?â€
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