Glenrock by Lee Christine

Author:Lee Christine [Lee Christine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Published: 2023-12-12T00:00:00+00:00

19

At 3 p.m., O’Connor pulled up outside Miles’ primary school on the hill. He could see Miles in the bus line talking to a group of mates, most of whom O’Connor knew well. Several teachers were on bus duty, their faces familiar to him because of the numerous times he’d visited the school to talk about his job.

It wasn’t long before O’Connor saw Frankie tug on Miles’ sleeve and point at the car.

Miles swung around, his face lighting up and making O’Connor’s heart swell.

‘Hi, Dad,’ Miles said, sliding into the passenger seat and dumping his schoolbag in the footwell. ‘Frankie said can you pleeeease put the siren on.’

O’Connor smiled and ruffled Miles’ hair. ‘How are you, mate? I didn’t text in case I got held up and didn’t make it in time. How was school?’

‘It was okay.’ Miles looked anxiously at O’Connor. ‘Why are you here, Dad? You didn’t get fired, did you?’

It was strange the things kids became fixated on. Miles had developed a fear of O’Connor losing his job after a classmate’s father had been laid off a few months back. With four kids to provide for, the mother had been forced to find work. The school had linked the family up with support services but it was no secret they were doing it tough. O’Connor felt Miles was particularly worried because he realised should O’Connor lose his job, Claire was unable to work.

‘Lose my job? No way,’ O’Connor said, making light of it. ‘The last few days have been crazy busy. I’m taking a few hours off so we can hang out and have dinner.’

Miles smiled, his fears allayed for the time being. ‘I’m hungry now.’

O’Connor reached into the back seat and handed a white paper bag to his son. ‘It’s a raspberry muffin. Don’t get crumbs on the seat or Castelli will be complaining there’s grease on his butt.’

In less than ten minutes they were inside the apartment. That was the best thing about living on the harbourfront—the apartment, school and station were all located within a one-kilometre radius. That could change slightly, depending on where Miles went to high school, but for now, he could easily walk to and from school.

While Miles went to his bedroom, O’Connor opened the fridge and studied its meagre contents. That was the second-best thing about living here—the restaurant strip downstairs.

He poured two glasses of orange juice and carried them out to the deck. The weather had warmed to one of those sunny winter afternoons that O’Connor loved. He put their drinks on the table and went to lean on the balcony railing. While the water still carried a slight brownish tinge from the floods further north, most of the rubbish and driftwood had been cleared away, save for a few extra-large branches caught on rocks on the harbour shore.

After changing out of his school uniform, Miles joined O’Connor on the deck. ‘Here comes a monster,’ Miles said, pointing towards the mouth of the harbour where two tugs were guiding a bulk carrier to its berth.

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