Carmen reinforced this by taking out her camera and snapping another photo. That secretly pleased Andrew and he determined to obtain a copy at the first opportunity.
All too soon the voyage ended. Andrew watched the familiar landmarks come into view and then slide astern: Cape Grafton, False Cape, Koombal, Bosuns Bay, Giangurra, then Bessie Point. When the dark smudge of the mangroves lining the eastern side of the Inlet slid into view he knew that the end was close. As the ferry slowed and turned to berth Muriel sat up and disengaged her hand. She did this with such obvious reluctance that Andrew’s hopes went even higher.
“When can I see you again?” he asked. He knew she lived out at White Rock and that was a long way for him to ride his bike after school.
“I don’t know. What did you have in mind?” Muriel asked.
“I was hoping we could go out, like to the movies or something. I know your parents think you are too young but I thought if we could organize it as a group thing they might let you,” he suggested.
“That’s a good idea,” Muriel agreed. “When?”
“What about one night during the week?”
Muriel shook her head. “No chance. It will have to be next weekend.”
That was a disappointment but what Andrew had expected. “Ok. Will you ask your parents?”
“Yes. But first I will get a few friends to agree to make up the group,” Muriel replied.
“Can I call you on the phone?”
Muriel made a face. “Y..e.s, but I think you had better let me phone you. That way it won’t be so obvious.”
Andrew had to leave it at that, all hanging up in the air and nothing tied down. Regretfully but bubbling with hopes he stood up and followed Muriel down the gangway, his bag held across his front to hide his aroused condition.
The sight of his mother waiting to pick them up quickly cured that physical state but it returned several times during the evening. At home Andrew had to sit and tell his parents all about the diving. To his own private shame he made himself sound enthusiastic but every time he thought of that deep water or of having to take the mask off he shuddered and vowed he would avoid such experiences in future.
Carmen then put him on the spot by saying to their parents, “We can do the Advanced Open Water Diving Course now. That will be really good. “
“What does that involve?” their father asked.
“Oh, deep diving, down to thirty metres; and a study of marine life; and a night dive.”
“Night dive!” their mother cried. “Oh, I don’t know if I like that idea.”
Andrew certainly didn’t. The very idea seemed to him to be like a nightmare and he doubted if he had the courage to face such an event. All he could do was give a sickly grin and hope it never happened. The fact that both parents seemed less than enthusiastic about the idea gave him hope.
Carmen kept on though. “Oh Mum! It isn’t that bad. They do it all the time. And there is a wreck dive too, if we want it.”
“Wreck? What wreck? That sounds dangerous,” their father said.
“I think it is a bit risky,” Carmen agreed. “But that is what the training is for. I think they dive on a wreck somewhere down near Townsville.”
“Townsville!” their mother said. “This all sounds like it is getting a bit too expensive. I think you might have to wait till you are older and have saved a bit more money.”
That was music to Andrew’s ears. He had no desire to crawl around inside sunken ships with all the risk of getting trapped or attacked by some horrible thing like a moray eel. He took himself off to his room to lie down and think about Muriel.
“How can I win with her?” he asked himself as he lay on his bed. Romantic images of actually kissing and of her wanting to be with him floated in his consciousness. It mingled with memories of the walk around the island and the ferry trip home and it was a very happy and hopeful boy who dropped off to sleep that night.
CHAPTER 8
ROMANTIC HOPES
Monday meant school. It also introduced a new interest. This happened during History. Andrew’s History teacher, Mr Conkey, handed each student an assignment sheet.
“You must select a topic yourself to research,” Mr Conkey said. “As it says on the form the subject must be about some aspect of North Queensland history.”
Andrew liked Mr Conkey, who was a chubby and cheerful man in his late forties. He was also a captain in the army cadets and OC of the school’s army cadet unit. That increased Andrew’s respect and also sometimes led to a bit of good-natured chaffing between teacher and student. After reading through the sheet and noting the main requirements: minimum of 1000 words, must have maps, illustrations optional, must use more than one reference and include a Reference to Sources, he pondered what topic to choose. The class had just studied the Sea Explorers: The Dutchmen, Cook, Flinders and so on, and were now starting on European Settlement: First Fleet, convicts, etc.
‘I could choose an explorer,’ he thought, ‘or maybe do something on the goldrushes. I wonder if I can do something about ships, perhaps the navy in the Second World War?’
He put this question to Mr Conkey. The teacher thought for a moment, then shook his head. “We study the World Wars in Year Ten. I think you should save that till then.”
Andrew felt disappointed but nodded. That still left plenty of subjects. Luke Karaku, the only Melanesian in the class, helped by asking if he could write about Pearl Divers.
Mr Conkey nodded. “That would be a very good topic. There was a lot of that in the early days and it led to some fascinating stories.”
Graham Kirk then put his hand up. “Sir, could I write about the history of coastal shipping, or about one of the ports?”
As Graham’s father actually owned and operated two coasters, a ship and a landing barge, that was logical. Mr Conkey agreed. “You could certainly do that. Remember there used to be a very important coastal trade, even to the south. That was before the railways were built. They even had big passenger liners that serviced all the ports up the coast from Sydney and Brisbane.”
“Didn’t some of them get sunk in cyclones sir?” Graham asked.
Mr Conkey nodded. “Yes they did. The biggest was an eight thousand ton steamer named the S S Yongala. It was sunk near Townsville back in Nineteen Eleven or thereabouts. And there was a smaller one named the Merinda that went down somewhere off Bowen in the Nineteen Fifties. There have been hundreds of shipwrecks off the east coast of Queensland.”
‘Merinda!’ Andrew thought in surprise. Hearing the name gave him quite a jolt. ‘That is the ship Grandad was looking for when he was drowned.’ He thought about it for a few more minutes and as he did the idea grew until he knew he just had to find out as much as he could. He put his hand up.
“Sir, could I write my assignment on the Merinda?”
“Yes. But you might find it a bit hard to get information,” Mr Conkey replied. “You might find it easier to try another topic.”
Andrew shook his head. “I would like to try sir.”
“Alright. I will see what I can do to help you get