Unlike Michelle and Roddy she wore khaki long shorts and a faded blue Billabong tee-shirt and sandals. When she saw Pat she held out her arms to her and enveloped her in a genuine hug. “I’ve been waiting so long to meet you. Ewen never stops talking about you every time he phones me. Now, what do we call you? I know Ewen calls you Pat, so is it Pat or Patricia?”
“Pat.”
“Good. Now, Roddy, where’s my backpack?”
“Round the other side, Rachael; haven’t had time to get it out yet.”
As she got her old and well-travelled backpack from the other side of the plane there was another flash of lightning followed by another door-rattling clap of thunder and the heavens opened again.
Angus got his station wagon as close to the doors of the hangar as he could and they all clambered in after putting the luggage in the back. Pat couldn’t help but notice the contrast between Michelle and Roddy’s expensive matching leather cabin and suit bags and Rachael’s old backpack covered in airline and hotel stickers. She also couldn’t help noticing that Michelle got in the front of the station wagon and left Roddy and Rachael to stow the luggage and Angus to slide the doors of the hangar closed.
The storm passed as quickly as it had arrived and before they got back to Bangalore there was only light rain falling. Angus pulled up at the front of the big house and Michelle quickly got out of the Mercedes and ran up the steps on to the veranda and again waited for the others to unload the luggage. Angus hadn’t said a word to Michelle since they’d arrived. She’d given him a quick peck on the cheek when Rachael had been giving Pat a hug; that had been all the greeting they’d exchanged.
Angus, carrying Michelle’s bag and suit bag, and Roddy, carrying his own, followed Michelle up onto the veranda. “Where have you put us, Angus; in the main guest room?” Michelle asked.
“No, Pat is in there. I’ve put you three in the South Wing.”
“Wouldn’t the girls be better together down there? Then they can talk and things.” Michelle’s voice had taken a harder more strident note, almost demanding a change in the arrangements.
Before Angus could reply and before Pat could offer to move, Rachael said, “For God’s sake Mother, stop making a fuss and trying to change everything. We arrive almost without notice and you want Dad to move poor Pat. We’ll be very comfortable down there. It will be like old times.” She hadn’t raised her voice but in one sentence she’d settled the matter without giving Michelle a chance to reply, let alone argue. Rachael picked up her backpack and led the party into the house and down to the South Wing. As she strode down the hall she called out, “Alice, Alice, where are you?”
“In here, darling. In the kitchen.”
Rachael dropped her backpack in the hall and ran into the kitchen. Alice was standing by the big wooden table putting salad into a bowl and as Rachael ran into the room, Alice dried her hands on a tea towel and held out her arms. The two of them stood there hugging and kissing each other on the cheek. Rachael was crying and Alice brushed her hair from her eyes and gave her another kiss and held her at arm’s length, “My, you do look well, Rachael. Sydney must agree with you, darling.”
“It does, Alice, but there’s no place like home. It’s just a pity that I’m here because of Ewen.”
“I know. Has Pat told you we’ve had a call from the army?”
“We haven’t had time yet, but Mum caught up with her calls while we were coming up here so we’ve got the news. I’m so worried.”
Alice stroked Rachael’s hair. “I know, sweetheart, he’ll be all right I’m sure. Now go and wash your face. Lunch will be about half an hour. Tell Michelle will you?”
Michelle wasn’t there to see the emotional re-union. As soon as Rachael had run into the kitchen she had turned down the short passage leading to the South Wing telling Roddy and Angus to follow her. Finding herself the only witness to the re-union, Pat turned and went back out onto the front veranda and found Angus, hands in pockets looking at the gathering storm clouds.
He turned to see if Pat was on her own and smiled. “She doesn’t change – Michelle, I mean.”
“Rachael said that Michelle had spoken with the army, so they know about Ewen. I didn’t get a chance to tell them when they landed.” Pat was half-apologetic but realised that since they had arrived less than half an hour ago, the time had been packed with family emotions which she didn’t really understand.
Angus put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a squeeze. “Don’t worry about it, Pat; it’s always the same. If Michelle were honest, Alice spent more time with Rachael as a child than she did. Alice and Rachael are very close as you’ve no doubt seen.” Before he could continue, Michelle and Roddy came out of the house and joined them.
Michelle looked at them standing there, Angus with his arm around Pat. “My God, Angus, you could be Ewen standing there. I know you are alike but I’ve never seen it so strikingly before. I’m dying for a drink.”
“What would you like – wine, gin and tonic, beer?”
“Cold white wine would be lovely.”
Angus looked down at Pat, still with his arm around her, “Pat?”
“Could I have a beer, Angus?”
“Course you can. I’ll join you. Roddy?”
“Same again, Angus, please.”
Angus went off into the house to get the drinks and for a moment they stood in silence. Then Roddy spoke to Pat and she looked at him and immediately felt uncomfortable; his eyes seemed to be boring into her even though he was smiling. “Now Pat, you’re in the RAAF and a pilot, so what is it, Pilot Officer Fawcett?” The question was blunt and Pat felt unnecessarily probing considering that they had only spoken a few words of greeting over the previous half-hour.
Trying to look as relaxed as he could she smiled and said, “No, it’s Flight Lieutenant, actually, and yes, I’m a career officer in the RAAF, nearly ten years now since my commission. After this tour with the army I hope to go Canberra and take up my profession again.”
Roddy stood there smiling at her and before he could speak Michelle butted in, “Patricia, I had no idea you had a profession – I thought all the RAAF did was fly and maintain aircraft.”
“That’s only what the public see, Michelle. The RAAF is a high tech business these days. We operate a wide range of aircraft from VIP passenger aircraft, to the planes which are used by the PM and cabinet, as well as our defence capabilities. We have to keep up with the rest of the world and we have to be part of, and act as an interface with, what the military and in some cases the civil aircraft industry are developing.”
Almost demeaning, but not quite, Michelle asked, “So what is your – profession?”
“I’m an aeronautics engineer.”
Before either Michelle or Roddy could ask another question Rachael joined them and Michelle turned to her. “Rachael, did you know that Patricia is an engineer?”
“I did, and a very good one I’ve heard. Ewen told me. He also told me, Pat, that you have been resisting going to Canberra and a promotion for some time. What would the promotion make you, Squadron Leader Fawcett?”
Pat gave a little laugh, “That’s only part true Rachael, I’ve been working on my last semester for my Master’s Degree, externally. I’m here looking at the particular operational needs of the Special Forces in both fixed and rotary wing and at the same time trying to get my final ratings for a number of aircraft. Heavy lift rotary is the area I want to specialise in, the RAAF understands, so far, anyway.
“The army does rotary wing; that’s helicopter flying. That’s why I’m based with the RAAF in Perth and working with