Gracie Chapter 2

I saw Gracie hanging out the washing a week later. I had come out the back to check on my cabbages, having seen the odd white butterfly about, before heading out. Gracie had her back to me.

“Hi Gracie,” I called, not expecting her to react so violently. “Sorry, didn’t mean to make you jump like that.” I generally don’t intend to make people jump, but I do seem to have a talent for it.

“It’s ok,” she murmured. I could see she had been crying.

“What’s been happening Gracie?” I asked as I carefully climbed over the fence. My bones aren’t as young as the kids anymore. Give it a couple of decades and I’ll have to go round the long way; or just get Dave to put a gate in.

Gracie sniffed. “It’s nothing.”

“Nonsense.” I gave her a hug. She seemed unsure at first but willingly leaned into it. “Come on over. I’ll make you a cuppa. You don’t have to talk about it; we can just chat you like.”

And that was how I missed picking up Raewyn to take to our biweekly craft group. I didn’t actually find out what was bothering Gracie, but she did have a cup of tea.

I did find out that Gracie had just moved here with her partner, having moved away from her family and friends for the first time. She didn’t think there was much chance of seeing them often as her home town was too far away to be able to afford the visits. I learnt that her partner was on the dole, though she phrased it as “between jobs”. I learnt Gracie was not expected by her partner to work and she enjoyed the role of housewife. I learnt that she missed her animals on her parents farm, also.

Gracie left an hour or so later but not until she had been greeted thoroughly by the cat, and I went back to my garden.

I thought about Gracie as I was weeding. She seemed very hesitant to trust me and I didn’t hear her talk about her partner much at all. She was more willing to speak about her family instead. She was a very sweet young girl but quiet, the very opposite of our Kate. I wondered if I should introduce them; Gracie’s housekeeping skills might rub off on Kate, and Kate might be able to help Gracie over her shyness.

I worked until Dave came home. Once we had all our usual greetings out of the way, he mentioned, “I thought you’d still be at craft group.”

That was the point at which I remembered Raewyn. Feeling bad, I tried to call her several times, but no luck. I didn’t know if she was out or just not answering.

I’m sad to say I forgot about things in the next several days drama, so I never did get round to apologising to Raewyn.

I had to rush to the hospital the next day. My grandson, Kyle, had been one step ahead of his mother and pulled a tablecloth down on himself. He was fine after some hugs and a few stitches from playing with the sharp knife that had – thankfully – missed.

My daughter, on the other hand, was in near histrionics. She continued to beat herself up about it, loudly. “Snap out of it, girl. Nothing serious came of it and it was not worse than anything you or brothers had done to you,” Dave said after Kate’s latest tirade against herself.

“Do you remember the time Liam and Alex got into the liquor cabinet?” I asked Dave.

“Oh yes. Having a couple of toddlers rolling around drunk was not my idea of entertaining the in-laws. I don’t think they have forgiven me yet,” Dave said rather ruefully. “Anyway, Kate, that just proves my point.”

“So where was Mum? Why didn’t she stop them?” Kate asked.

“I was in hospital having just had you, of course.” If we had to embarrass ourselves to bring Kate to her senses, then so be it.

At least when the washing machine died that same week, we could be thankful it wasn’t someone we love. The same was true when the toaster started burning more slices than it toasted.

After a week of this, I decided to pop over to Gracie’s to see how she was. I could have sworn she was home but there was no answer when I knocked.

The phone rang while I was having a cup of tea. It was Alison from craft group to say she had heard about Kyle and asking how he was. “Oh, before I forget, Raewyn has been saying a few nasty things about you. Thought I’d better let you know.”

“Raewyn?” I hadn’t remembered her all week. “I forgot to pick her up for craft last week. I couldn’t get hold of her to apologise either. What’s she been saying?”

“Just the usual when she’s upset with someone. You know how she is, saying you deliberately left her out. She even said you deliberately let Kyle get that knife. We all know you wouldn’t, but that’s what she has been saying.”

“I don’t think I’ll be offering her anymore rides, if that’s the case. I’ve had about enough of that woman.”

“So have most of us. I think she’s found a new audience though. I saw her in town with that new neighbour of yours. She won’t know what Raewyn’s like, so you might need to watch out.”