“You are a breath of fresh air, Maggie,” smiled Mrs McKinnley. “I love to cross stitch too, perhaps we’ll do some in the evenings and get Mrs Heppler, Emily and Elsa involved as well? It will be fun. I had high expectations that Sylvia would take up sewing one day, but it doesn’t seem to interest her in the slightest. After I’ve finished the cushion covers I hope to make a wedding dress for Jack’s fiancée.”
Maggie felt her heart catapult into her throat. Dreamy Jack was engaged? “That’s a lovely gesture,” she responded, keeping her voice steady even though her heart was pounding in her chest. Why was she reacting this way? “I didn’t realise Jack was engaged, I should’ve congratulated him when I arrived,” she said.
“Sorry Maggie, I’ve jumped the gun. Jack and Kara aren’t engaged yet, but it’s only a matter of time, you’ll see,” she said gleefully. “You will love Kara and her mother. Between us we have more or less arranged everything already. We all think Jack will propose in front of everyone at the rodeo in March. Kara, Mrs Sampson and I are hoping for a very short engagement with the wedding by the end of the year. It’s so very exciting.”
Maggie smiled, as she felt her heart sink.
Next, Mrs McKinnley opened the doors to two offices where Maggie peered in for a quick look. Mr McKinnley senior had the main office where the radio stood on a sturdy antique mahogany desk. There were a number of bookshelves and a couple of filing cabinets, a safe and a gun cabinet that was affixed to the wall. This room also had a spectacular view of the garden.
Both Jack and Mr Price shared the adjoining office where there were two modest desks with stacks of paperwork and two filing cabinets. Mrs McKinnley said that she would also teach Maggie how to operate the radio, as it was a rule that everyone on the Station knew how to do so.
They then made their way back to the kitchen.
“If you’ll excuse me now Maggie, I need to help Elsa with lunch but I’ll get Ted to continue the tour and take you to the immediate outbuildings so you can get a feel for the place.” Mrs McKinnley handed Maggie an Akubra hat. “You are welcome to keep it as it’s a spare and it looks like it might be about your size.”
With the hat on, Maggie felt as if she belonged to the Station now. She followed Ted outside to walk over to the staff quarters.
“How are you settling in, Maggie?” Ted asked, with a cheeky grin. He looked to be in his late twenties and was quite tall and slim.
“Very well Ted, thank you. The whole place is huge compared to what I am used to.”
The yard was extremely generous in size and walking at a leisurely pace it took them a couple of minutes to walk the distance over to the long wooden building with a corrugated roof. The staff quarters were where the men bunked down in two large rooms that could be stretched to accommodate thirty with basic kitchen facilities. Outside there were three outhouses and a shower block. Ted explained that Mrs Heppler’s and Elsa’s accommodation was much smaller in size, but they had everything they needed, including a tin bath and overall the area looked comfortable. And, as Mrs Heppler was sleeping, they decided not to go in as they didn’t want to disturb her.
“The quarters here are none too exciting,” Ted said. “But it’s a roof over our heads and at the end of the day we’re all so dog tired that we just crash on our bunks. I’ve been around, and this is quite good compared to most on offer.”
“How long have you been here?”
“Five years now and I have no plans of moving on just yet.” As they walked in and out and around the various outbuildings Ted continued to chat about the Station. “It’s a good place to work and we all get on reasonably well. Dusty and Mellow have been here much longer and I don’t think they will ever move on.”
“Nicknames? I didn’t like to ask before.”
“You got it,” he laughed, “Dusty’s real name is Phil but no matter how much he tries not to, he always comes back from a muster covered in more dust than anyone else – and that includes the sheep!”
Maggie laughed. “Makes sense, I noticed he wiped the dust off his hand before we shook hands earlier. That’s funny.”
“It is. And Mellow’s real name is Jim but we call him Mellow because you don’t expect such a big fella to be called Mellow, although he can have a somewhat fiery nature.”
“Thanks for the warning,” she smiled, “no nickname for you?”
“No, none for me or Sid. Our names are quick and easy, so why change them?”
Maggie nodded. “And what of Mr Price?”
“Ah, well, that’s a different kettle of frogs altogether. See, we tend to keep nicknames to us young ones, the older folk aren’t really into all that.”
“Ah, understand.”
They began to walk down to the shearing shed where five kelpies caught up with them and ran around excitedly as Maggie tried to pat them all.
“I wonder if I will get a nickname?” she said jokingly.
“You already have,” exclaimed Ted, as if it was the best news for ages.
“Surely not. I haven’t been here a day yet.” She looked at him in surprise.
“Bullet.”
“You’re pulling my leg.”
“No, seriously. From the way you drove in here yesterday. Mellow said that you drove like you’d been fired from a gun – so a new nickname was born,” he laughed.
“Blimey, Ted. You take no prisoners here do you?” she said in jest. Bullet, she didn’t mind it at all.
“All the outbuildings are quite a way from the homestead and the shearing shed further still. I know you have all this space out here, but why are they spread so far apart?”
“Fire prevention mainly. With the buildings being a reasonable distance apart, the fire shouldn’t spread if we hose down properly to prevent embers from travelling in the wind. Also, the shearing shed is quite near to the sheep pens and the drainage is good down there, very important for keeping the sheep dry just prior to shearing. You’ll see why when the season starts in July.”
It was stifling hot by the time they reached the shearing shed and Maggie had built up quite a sweat.
“You’ll get used to the heat,” said Ted, as Maggie took off her hat and fanned herself.
“Do you know that at this precise moment in England it’s probably minus five and snowing?”
“No kidding? I’ve never seen snow.”
“Believe me, you haven’t missed much. It gets so cold that your fingers and toes go numb.”
“Can’t imagine being that cold at all.”
The shearing shed was a massive timber framed building covered in corrugated iron sheets and before even going inside, Maggie knew that it would be like a furnace.
“Mind your step Maggie,” said Ted more seriously, as they climbed up inside, “this building isn’t used too much out of season so there may be the odd snake or five, but you will get used to that.”
“Ted,” she said as she put her hat back on, “in all honesty, I’d prefer rabbits.”
Chapter Nine
Elsa helped Mrs McKinnley serve up beef stew and potatoes when everyone was present, with the exception of Mrs Heppler who was taking Emily a tray of food.
“So,” said Jack, as they tucked into their dinner, “What have you been doing