Navigational by Stuart Luijerink

Author:Stuart Luijerink
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BookBaby
Published: 2021-05-10T19:03:05+00:00

Chapter 9

The evening’s lantern lights draped over the pub’s high, green iron roof, always instilled in him a sense of Christmas. He felt his spirits lift as he walked from his rig, over the gravel path that led to the front stairs that he took in twos. In the mild spring evening he expected to find half a dozen familiar faces gathered out in the beer garden.

‘Oi!’ he called, in the manner of a deep, grunting ritual that brought several chins up and around from about the table upon which his attentions were focused, as well as from a handful of other patrons scattered about the tables, for whom he had no regard.

‘Soldier boy!’ the call came up from Warwick, who stood to the side, and took the cigarette out from his mouth, flicking it into the bushes, as he exhaled.

The two men shook hands with an enthusiasm fortified by the spirit of reunion.

‘G’day Glen,’ Butter said, getting to his feet to shake the newcomer’s hand.

‘Butter! How’s it going?’

‘Glen.’

‘Glen.’

‘Eh Morrie! Trev!’

‘G’day Glen, how are ya?’

Each bloke greeted him with a lesser warmth, down to Higgsy, who met his eye and shook his hand cordially.

He looked to the glasses upon the table, most of which were still well filled with amber and froth.

‘Who’s ready for another one?’ he asked.

Butter drained his glass, though it had been far from empty, and nodded, but everybody else appeared right for the moment, so he moved over to the bar and returned with a couple of schooners.

‘So,’ he said, passing a frothing glass over to Butter, and raising his own, ‘here I am, a lusty devil!’ he proclaimed, then he motioned to the other upraised glasses, amidst the chuckles of Marley, Butter and Warwick, and took a draught of his beer.

‘How was W.A?’ Butter asked.

‘Good! I was up to Broome and even across into the Territory for a while there. Almost bought a house. Lot of road-kill but. More than here. Kangaroos, wombats, rabbits, galahs; crows picking at em.’ He turned to Trev. ‘How’s business?’

‘Pretty reasonable,’ Trev remarked, flicking at his ear. ‘Got Morrie and Marley here hauling full time, Michelle over there’s in the office, nursery’s the same, and I’ve got a bloke full time on admin and accounts.’

‘The Administrator,’ Marley added sarcastically.

‘He’s all right,’ Morrie asserted, ‘just co-operate with the bloke. Did you know Matthew, Glen? Come in with Rachael?’

‘Yeah, of course I knew him,’ Glen replied, looking to Butter, ‘how is Rachael?’

Butter shrugged. ‘Seems happy enough.’

Glen smiled.

‘Hello!’ a female voice sounded from further along the bar.

It was Michelle. She made her way over to the gathering with a bright eyed enthusiasm. ‘I heard somebody calling “Oi!”, but I thought to ignore it. I didn’t realise it was you,’ she called across the table. ‘How are ya?’

‘Not like you not to notice any man who walks in here,’ Warwick retorted.

‘Shut up you,’ she replied, draping an arm over Warwick and giving him a slow slap on the cheek.

She was more of a ripe

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