Page 75 of Wings Above the Mallee

Sean tapped a pen on the page in front of him. Heath had noticed his father fidgeting with the pen, doodling in the margins or turning it end over end in an unusually agitated fashion. Again a prickle of concern ran through him. Dad wasn’t acting the way he usually did; his hard won calm and aplomb was slightly lacking, although he rallied each time one of the women flirted with him, turning on his Irish charm in full force.

Sean set the pen aside and linked his fingers, as though physically controlling his distractedness. ‘The Regional ActionGroup still exists as an overarching body, though perhaps we meet a little less often.’

‘I’m not sure that’s a good idea!’ Dave leaned forward to grab two biscuits at once. Maybe it wasn’t all about the food, Heath realised. The poor old bugger was probably a bit lonely.

‘We could make it a monthly meeting for the main group to catch up with what the sub-committees are doing. And maybe we appoint a finance officer to oversee all of the committees, manage the funding for different projects.’

Heath knew Sean aimed that suggestion at him and, to his surprise, he was keen to take on the role. That, along with managing the finances for Fur and Feathers Farm, would go some way to reawakening his passion for figures.

‘Then,’ Sean continued, ‘if another project pops up, we could go back to fortnightly meetings for the RAG.’

Christine tutted. ‘We’ve managed all these years without an action group. I can’t imagine we’ll have another pressing issue to deal with any time soon.’

‘Actually,’ Charlee said, surprising Heath from the mental calculations he’d already started on, ‘I have something I’d like to table.’ She looked to her grandfather, seeming to check she had the terminology correct.

Sean nodded and Charlee took a deep breath. She reached for Amelia’s hand on the table.

‘A few weeks back there was an unofficial discussion about the lack of childcare facilities here.’

Christine rolled her eyes. ‘Hardly a matter for the Regional Action Group.’

Undaunted, Charlee shook her head. ‘But it could be. I researched, and in New South Wales, a community banded together to purchase a building and set up their own childcare facility. Isn’t that something the Regional Action Group could look into? If we had our own facility, maybe we couldensure that only locals the kids already know would be employed. And we could mandate and facilitate training for the carers, so the parents could be confident that their child is being properly looked after.’

Amelia’s knuckles whitened in Charlee’s grasp and her eyes glistened.

The sight of her pain, and his pride in Charlee’s unusual compassion, had Heath damn close to tears himself.

‘Not exactly a venture that is aimed at the whole community,’ Christine said sourly.

‘That’s what I said about the skatepark, and look where that got me,’ Dave muttered, though his words didn’t hold true rancour. It seemed that the promise of sub-committees—and ongoing afternoon teas—had him pacified.

‘And if you’ve got Tara in mind for this childcare centre,’ Christine continued, ‘I would thank you not to poach my trained staff.’

Charlee squared up for the confrontation and Heath tensed. If his daughter spoke her mind, she would have them run out of town on a rail. Or, if the Charlee of old was back, with her quick intellect and passionate drive, she’d be the town mayor within a couple of years.

‘I—’ he began, with no real idea what he’d say to placate the situation before the disagreement spiralled out of control.

‘I think it’s a brilliant idea.’ The woman who cut across his words had been trailed by four boisterous children at the previous meeting. ‘And if you end up short-staffed, Christine,’ she continued, ‘I’d be keen to pick up a few hours.’

Christine’s eyebrows hit her hairline. ‘I lose my trained staff to look after your children, so you can come and work for me, Danielle? What kind of logic is that?’

‘It’s about mental health. I love those kids, but sometimes I need a break.’

Christine sniffed. ‘Your children are all at school. That should be more than enough of a break.’

‘Okay, then maybe I need a bit of a challenge. Change. Balance. If Tara or someone else is keen to look after our kids, why shouldn’t we share workloads?’

Heath admired Danielle’s candour, not to mention her resolve. Though her colour mounted with every word, she was sticking to her guns.

‘What a fabulous idea,’ Tracey agreed. ‘Raised by the village. I’m sure Taylor and Lucie would both be keen. They have such busy lives and are both so important to our little town, aren’t they? Well, we all are, really.’ She gazed around the crowded room. ‘Goodness me, I do wish Marian was here to see this. Well, I wish she was here, full stop, of course. But wishing won’t fill our plates.’ She frowned. ‘That’s not right, is it? Wishes will fill dishes with fishes; is that how it goes? Anyway, never mind. Just look at us all! We didn’t initially all agree with the skatepark, yet here we are, making it happen. Christine, you’d remember what Marian always said, wouldn’t you?’

‘Probably far more than I want to,’ Christine muttered, but she waited for Tracey to continue.

‘“It’s not the size of the community, but the size of the heart in that community”,’ Tracey quoted with a look of fond remembrance. ‘Don’t you think that the Regional Action Group can achieve anything we set our minds—and our hearts—to?’

‘You should take up public speaking, Tracey,’ Sean said as he helped clear the plates from the table twenty minutes later.‘You hit just the right note of admiration and inspiration with that little number.’

‘For goodness’ sake, she didn’t say anything the rest of us haven’t thought.’ Christine sounded jealous of Sean’s approbation, and Heath hid a grin. Even on the rare occasions he wasn’t trying, Dad managed to get the women riled up.

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