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im. For both of you.’
‘It is. I’m not sure where it will go though. I would like a family and I’m not getting any younger. Unfortunately, women have this biological clock. We want everything: career, marriage, family. It’s tricky to fit it all in.’
‘Alec’s a great friend. I feel he is almost like a brother. But sadly, I also like you a great deal! Strange to think we’ve known each other only about four years. It feels like for ever.’
‘Why ‘sadly,’ I thought you were a friend too?’
‘Of course, but you must realise I am in a difficult position. I would love to be the one dating you but there’s no way I would even think of it while Alec and you are an item.’
‘Oh! Petri. I hate these triangles. I love both Alec and you, but in different ways. I want both of you as friends forever but Alec is the one I’ve really fallen in love with.’
‘As Ned Kelly said, ‘such is life’!’ Petri laughed.
The conversation, moving into quicksand territory, was fortunately ended by the arrival of Alec.
‘Sorry I’m late. Good to see you, Petri.’ He greeted Petri while kissing Shelley’s cheek. ‘So what’s the plan? We have to do something special before Petri goes.’ He referred to the fact that Petri had finished a week of research in Melbourne and was due to return in the morning.
‘Tra-ra!’ Shelley held up three tickets. ‘All organised: MSO tonight for an evening of music. And good seats too.’
‘Great! Dinner first at our favourite restaurant in Lygon Street. Let’s go.’
* * *
A few weeks later Petri was back in the desert of Western Australia putting into practice the results of his research. The area he had to cover was huge. With just one man it was going to take some time. He had been in the field for a couple of weeks and now was gratefully heading home. The Toyota travelled comfortably westwards and Petri relaxed. He knew this road well.
Suddenly conditions changed. As Petri rounded a corner he slammed on his brakes. The truck skidded wildly across the gravel road. He fought to regain control, cursing himself for not concentrating. He brought the sliding vehicle under control and relaxed. Almost in the centre of the road was a battered yellow Holden utility, surrounded by a group of men. Wearing jeans and singlets or check-patterned shirts, they were standing around looking at the vehicle. Petri stopped and reversed back, angry at their choice of parking place.
‘What kind of a dumb place is that to stop?’ he angrily asked the group.
‘Sorry, mate. We broke down an’ bin trying ta git it off the road when youse come along too fast,’ answered one of the men, cleverly shifting the onus of responsibility on to Petri.
Petri didn’t rise to the bait. ‘Well, I don’t see much moving. Anyway, which way are you heading?’
‘We from Cundeelee. Trying ta git back there from Kal when the bloody ute broke down.’
Although he’d never been there Petri was vaguely familiar with the existence of the Cundeelee Mission north of the main east-west Trans-Australia Railway line.
‘Okay. You want me to have a look?’
‘Yeah, thanks mate. But reckon it’s serious.’
Petri, although competent at carrying out minor repairs, was no expert. He looked under the open bonnet. With the amount of oil that had seeped into the sand, the smell of burnt grease and the apparent crack in the head, Petri knew it would be nigh on impossible to get the utility going again. The radiator cap was off and there was no water in the radiator.
He looked up, ‘Too bloody right, mate! It is serious. This ute isn’t going anywhere.’
‘Can youse give us a lift?’
Petri did a quick mental calculation. He was about a hundred kilometres from the mission, in the opposite direction to Kalgoorlie. It would be at least two hours to the mission, and then about the same to get back to where he was. By then it would be dark and he still had to find a suitable campsite.
‘There’s no way I can fit all of you in my Tojo, too many.’ He looked around the dejected group of ten. ‘Anyway I’m heading the other way. To Kal.’
‘Yeah, okay. Thanks anyway.’
Petri went back to the Toyota and stopped at the open door. It seemed mean to leave them stranded out there. There was little likelihood of another vehicle coming along for ages.
He turned back to the men. ‘Alright, I reckon I could take a couple of you blokes back to Cundeelee to get help and you’re sure going to need a helluva lot of help with that heap of crap you’ve been driving.’
There was no immediate response. The men started talking amongst themselves while Petri waited for a reply, wondering if they’d even heard what he thought was a pretty generous offer. Then two of the men stepped out of the group. One said, ‘I’m Jimmy. Me an’ Tommy’ll come with ya. Thanks mate.’
