When We Were Two by Robert Newton

Author:Robert Newton [Newton, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781742534084
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia
Published: 2011-08-30T00:00:00+00:00

9

Maybe I’m mistaken, but there seemed to have been more men in the ranks when they walked down the main street of Walcha. Now there’s only six all up, six brave men wearing sun hats and boots. As Eddie backtracks down the line on the left and introduces himself to each man, I wonder what they’re thinking as they walk. I wonder if they’re going forwards or back; if they’re thinking about a girl they’ve left behind or about the trenches that wait and the likelihood they’ll never return. Like everyone else, I’ve heard stories about the war, about the number of casualties our soldiers endure and if those stories are true then it’s quite possible that most of these men, maybe all, will never lay their eyes on this country again.

The first stop comes after three hours of walking.

‘Righto, lads,’ calls Henry.

Eddie’s keen to do things right so he watches the others and follows their lead. The men break the lines and saunter off into a shaded clearing by the side of the road. They each find a comfortable spot and sit themselves down. Some of them dig into their pockets and roll cigarettes and one of the men, a boy really, no more than eighteen, takes some paper from his pack and begins scratching down some words. Off to my right, a man called Bluey removes his hat, exposing a crop of flaming red hair. He calls Bess to his side and gives her a pat.

‘What’s her name?’ he asks.

Eddie steps forward with a proud-owner smile.

‘It’s Bess,’ he says.

Something tells me that Bluey knows his dogs. He runs a hand gently along the dip in Bess’s back.

‘She’s a beauty,’ he says. ‘Just dropped a litter, has she?’

Bess muscles in between Bluey’s legs, wonders why he’s stopped patting.

‘They got drowned,’ says Eddie, crouching low. ‘In the river.’

Bluey nods his head then reaches a hand in under Bess’s stomach. After he’s inspected her teats, he brings his hand out, lifts it to his flattened nose and sniffs.

‘Infected, we’re they?’

‘Yeah.’

‘What did you put on them? Smells bloody awful.’

‘Herbs,’ says Eddie. ‘Chinaman herbs.’

‘Chinamen herbs. Well, I never.’

While it’s clear that Eddie’s keen to keep talking, he’s interrupted by a voice behind us.

‘A volunteer to make the tea, lads?’ calls Henry Shaw, holding two metal billies in his hand.

Eddie’s on his feet in a flash.

‘Me, sir. I’ll make the tea.’

The others look up at Eddie and smile.

‘Good lad,’ says Henry. ‘We’ll need a fire started.’

‘Yes, sir. I’m good with fires.’

Eddie tramps off into the scrub with Bess and starts collecting wood. When he reappears with an armful of timber, one of the men tosses a box of matches onto the ground by his feet.

‘Good to have you along, Eddie.’

‘Thank you, mister.’

‘Our very own mascot, that’s what you are.’

‘What’s a mascot?’ asks Eddie.

‘Well, it’s …’

The man casts his eyes, right to left around the circle of men. He stops halfway, at a man who’s reading a book.

‘Pommy, what’s a mascot, exactly?’

I get the feeling Pommy’s not happy about being disturbed.

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