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“No, love. We can’t force him. He wants to know more about his mother and Dawn, but it’s affecting him more than he’s saying. Your father is a strong man, and when he allows emotions to break him, he often falls sick for weeks. When I see the signs, I protect him by spacing out whatever is causing him stress. It’s why I’m not pushing him. The photos are enough for now.”
56
EDEN
Ten Days Later…
Samuel smiles as we sit at the base of a waterfall in the Daintree rainforest. He dives into the waterhole and surfaces, waving for Rose and me to join him. “It’s too cold,” I call out after dipping my toes in the freshwater.
Four days into our holiday, we have bathed in the cultural experience of North Queensland. While Dana works, we have snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef and traveled to Mossman Gorge, to fast-moving streams, and found organic cafés with tropical fruit that agrees with him. He’s booked an Indigenous tour, a guided walk through the rainforest, and to learn about the medicinal plants. He can’t contain his excitement.
“You know there could be crocs in the water,” I call out to him.
He chuckles. Other people are swimming closer to the falls. It’s unlikely crocs are in this part of the stream.
He wraps a towel around his waist then lifts Rose to his hip. He stops and points to a spider web. “Look, spider.” I shudder at the sheer size—bigger than my palm—yet he’s undeterred.
“Gross,” I remark.
“They remain in the trees,” he says as though spiders have never bothered him. They didn’t in Ulara, but in the city, it’s another matter. It doesn’t make sense, yet I know this is where he thrives, so it’s natural for his anxiety to subside.
By the time we arrive back at Dana’s apartment, she has finished work for the day. We talk about our adventures, then head to bed, ready to do it all again tomorrow.
The following day, Samuel decides to do the indigenous tour alone. He borrows Dana’s car, and it gives us time to catch up.
“Fishy pool. Fishy pool,” Rose says in excitement.
“Yes, sweetie. We’ll take you to the fishy pool.” The kids swimming lagoon is on the Cairns esplanade. Large metal fish sculptures rise from the water and is something Rose identified with the pool.
Dana and I take a stroll with Rose to the esplanade lagoon. We sit with our feet in the shallow water while Rose splashes about to cool down.
I tell Dana about Gran’s journal, how she came to be in Ulara, and why she was depressed at times. “I identify with Dawn as Kaikare. Mum and Dad like to call her Dawn, as it’s the name Gran gave her. While in the village and knowing her personally, it’s what I called her.”
Dana adjusts a cap over her eyes. “And the photos?”
“We’ll have the photos restored.” I peer up at the fluffy white clouds in a blue sky. The humidity is extreme, and even Rose has adapted. She screams as she runs, falls in the ankle-deep water, then giggles to herself. I laugh at Rose’s antics and imagine myself living here until my thoughts drift to my family and friends. My father...
“I worry about Dad. At first, he didn’t want to know about the jungle. Then he accepted it all and wanted to know more, especially about Kaikare. Now he’s guilt ridden about Gran. A complete misunderstanding and the secrets didn’t help.”
“Your Gran had a kind heart. She’d come into the office to say hi and see Winston. She’d take you girls out for the day when Grace cared for Will.”
“It must have been when she took us to visit Brenda. At least she had a friend to confide in and not judge her.”
“We all need friends like Brenda. I have one, only she lives in Bali. Thank God for FaceTime. Her photos are what inspired me to live in the tropics.”
“Lucy?”
Dana nods. “She reminds me of Yasmine. All worldly and spiritual and looks at everything with positivity.”
“I feel like I know her already,” I joke.
“We should get this little one out of the sun.” Dana scoops Rose from the water, and she kicks her legs in protest. She kisses her cheek. “You’re like your mum. But Aunty Dana needs to go home and finish packing as we’re taking you to the jungle.”
I laugh. “It’s not really the jungle.”
“It’s as close to it as I’m going to get.”
* * *
