CHAPTER 5:

On Sunday it rained all day. Gab spent the day studying in her room, with a few stolen hours of leisurely reading in the afternoon. The water pooled on the dust outside, so devoid of moisture that it was hydrophobic; then slowly, slowly, slowly, gravity did its work and the seeping-in began. It hadn’t eased off by evening when Brian dropped Jack home. Gab put Jack straight in the bath before putting him to bed with a story.

By next morning, the rain had stopped. Gab was up early to fix her bike before Gina had even stirred. Porridge for breakfast for Jack and herself, lunch made and packed for them both—and still time to fix her bike with the puncture kit that sat in the bottom drawer of her dresser.

Gab worked outside in the fresh morning light, as the sun danced through the maze of eucalypts along the property’s edge. The birds sang their morning songs and the occasional bovine moo cut an awkward contrast to the dainty twittering of blackbirds and the melodic hymns of the currawongs. Gab had fixed plenty of punctures before, and she had the tyre patched up and pumped without a hitch. She and Jack headed off as Gina was just waking up.

Gab’s first interaction with her mother that day was hearing her name shrilly called as she pulled open the front door that afternoon.

“GABRIELLE!”

Gab didn’t answer immediately. She put down her bag, took off her shoes and walked quietly to the sunroom, her socks sliding along the linoleum.

“Hi Mum. What’s up?”

“Gabrielle!” said her mum melodramatically. “Where did you leave my bicycle on Saturday after you borrowed it?”

Gab thought back and frowned. What had she been doing again? Oh, yes—Jack’s scream, racing to him, wrangling him with visions of cold milo.

“I guess … I probably left it out the back. I went to check on Jack because he was screaming.”

“Don’t justify yourself! Tell me what you did then?”

“I came inside and cooked dinner.”

“And the bike?”

Gab looked sheepish. “I guess I left it out there. Sorry Mum.”

“And what happened yesterday?”

“I studied … and … it rained a lot.” Gab could see where this was going.

Gina had a pained look. “It’s alright Gab. I … forgive you.”

The words came out with effort that sounded almost feigned. “Just … don’t do it again. Remember, that bike was a special gift for my thirtieth birthday. You treat it like junk! That’s not the way you should treat other people’s things!”

“Mum…” Gab swallowed down the sick feeling rising in her throat, “you don’t even ride that bike.”

Gina’s eyes snapped open quickly.

“That’s not the point Gabrielle,” she said, her voice hard. “It’s the principle of the thing. If you borrow something, put it back. Don’t leave it out to get ruined!”

“But Jack was upset. I was just seeing if …”

“Enough! No excuses. Now, I need some quiet. I’m practicing a new healing mantra. I’ve had terrible stiffness in my wrists this week. I can hardly move them.”

“I’ll go and put it away, Mum.”

“Good!”

Gab turned around, pushed it all from her mind and went to put the bike away. She was looking forward to her homework.