Crush

Five

After dinner that night, Tess was in the kitchen helping with the dessert when Gran said, "Pop tells me you've met our new neighbours."

Tess stopped pouring custard into the serving jug and asked, "What did Pop say?"

"That you almost ran her over on the bike." She jabbed at Tess with a serving spoon. "You know I don't like you roaring around the farm on that thing. It's not safe."

"I wasn't going fast, and she was the one who ran out in front of me anyway."

"Well I'm just glad you didn't hurt the poor girl," Gran said, pouring chocolate sauce over the puddings.

"Actually," Tess said, "she kind of might have sprained her ankle. And got a graze on her knee. And her white tracksuit is ruined."

Gran clicked her tongue. "Has she got ointment?"

Tess shrugged. "I told her about it."

"You should take some over to her. And some washing powder. They're not from around here, so I doubt they'll have anything that can get red dirt out." Gran bent down and pulled a Tupperware container from the cupboard. She spooned in some chocolate pudding, poured over some custard and said, "And take this. As an apology for almost killing the poor girl."

"I didn't almost kill her."

Gran glared at Tess and Tess put her hands up in surrender. "Okay. I'll take it over and apologise." She didn't need to be told twice.

Gran nodded at the dessert plates and said, "Help me take these out."

Tess took two plates as well as the custard jug and followed Gran into the dining room where Pop, Lonny and Pete were talking.

Pete nodded his thanks when Tess handed him his dessert. Lonny, as usual didn't have any. He was skinny as a rake and would eat as much roast meat and vegetables as he could fit in but Tess had never seen him eat dessert. In fact, Tess thought, Gran's Sunday roast was most probably the main reason Lonny and Pete stayed out late to finish the harvesting. If they'd had to come back tomorrow, celebratory dinner would have been made by her, and the only thing she knew how to cook was spaghetti.

Tess poured custard over her pudding and settled into the conversation.

"Mary's got another treatment to go," Lonny said. "Then we have to just wait and see."

"Is she getting new ones?" Pete asked.

"New ones what?" Tess asked.

"New boobs," Lonny said.

"Oh," Tess said. She must have looked confused because Gran said, "Mary opted for a double mastectomy, just in case."

"Oh," Tess replied. She knew Lonny's wife had been diagnosed with cancer but didn't know the extent of it. "I didn't know it was that bad."

"It's not," Lonny said. "She just wanted to make sure, that's all."

"You didn't answer the question," Pete said.

"Mary said once she's over everything and has the all clear, she's going to get a new set that would remind me of when she was in her twenties," Lonny said.

Tess almost spit out her pudding. Gran said, "I'm glad Mary's doing well Lonny, but I don't think breasts are appropriate dinner table conversation."

"Sorry," Lonny said. He turned to Pop. "Mary says you're still waiting on the cheque."

"Barry's supposed to drop it off this week," Pop replied.

"Did they give you what you wanted?" Lonny asked.

"Half," Pop said.

Pete shook his head. "Bloody council."

"Language," Gran said and Pete apologised. There were two rules at her table; no singlets and no swearing.

"They're not helping with the advertising either from what I've heard," Pop said.

"Idiots," Pete said. "Montgomery's probably siphoning of money for his campaign next year. Corrupt bast-" He stopped mid-sentence. "Sorry. Corrupt man," he said instead.

"It's not going to matter though, right?" Tess asked. "I mean, we still get a piece in the paper. Lizzie's dad puts something in every year for free, so that's something isn't it?"

"We can't just keep relying on the locals to come, Tess," Pop said. He tipped his bowl up to scrape out the last of his pudding. "People around here are all still suffering from the drought. They haven't got money to spend. The council was supposed to get us some advertising on the radio this year but I doubt that's gotten any further than a brainfart."

"Jack!" Gran said, and Tess had to stifle a giggle.

"Idiots," Pete said again, this time shaking his head to emphasise the point.

Pop sighed. "We're missing a lot of stallholders this year too. No-one seems to be interested anymore."

"Will and Lizzie and I will talk to everyone we know. We'll get through this year and then next year we'll-"

"There might not be a next year," Pop said, pushing himself away from the table and standing up. "I'll wash up," he said to Gran and walked into the kitchen.

"But-"

"Tess," Gran warned. When Tess looked at her she just shook her head.

Tess couldn't believe Pop was thinking about not having the festival anymore. Stupid council. We're just going to have to work out a way to make heaps of people come this year, she thought. If they made more money from it, they wouldn't have to rely on the council for grant money next year, and the council couldn't have a say in it. She'd talk to Lizzie and Will when they got back to see if they could come up with some ideas to take the pressure off of Pop.

"You should take that stuff over to Maddie before it gets too late," Gran said. She took Tess's empty bowl and placed it on top of hers. "I'll clean up."

"We should probably get going too," Lonny said, helping Gran stack the plates.

Tess pushed away from the table. Maybe a visit with Maddie might pick her up a bit.