Kylie & Jack 2: Slice of Heaven

9. On the Road Again

Sunday 23rd Feb, 6:25 PM

Everyone sat outside while Uncle Laurie and Max argued over how to cook steaks and snags on the barbie. Kylie and Jack would be leaving first thing in the morning and heading for South Australia to meet Jack's Uncle Rick, Aunt Nadine and cousins, Jen, Stan and Paige. Kylie could tell how excited Jack was just by the way he chatted her ear off about the last time he the Anscombes because it was where he learnt to surf and seriously considered studying teaching in Adelaide so he could nearer to the Great Australian Bite.

"So where exactly are your aunt and uncle? Like what part of South Australia do they live in?" Kylie asked Jack quietly.

"Ceduna –"

"– I know I'm not an expert on geography, but Jack, Ceduna has to be a few days' drive from here!"

"Yeah it is, which is why I booked us a room in Port Augusta. Should get there tomorrow night by the latest. Then get to Ceduna sometime the day after, depending on when we leave."

"You know, it sounds so easy and straightforward but are you forgetting something?" Kylie whispered back to him.

"Kylz?"

"I have a condition that means I either kill you or feel like my bladder's about to burst, remember?" Kylie whispered and to show she was mocking him, quirked her eyebrow at him.

"Of course I remember! I've got whiplash burns all over my ego from you over the last two and a half years!" Jack teased her. Kylie gaped in shock and smacked his arm for his trouble.

"Kookaburra, you won't know what whiplash is!" Kylie teased.

Their hushed conversation ended when Laurie placed two large oven trays on the table, one full of charcoal black steaks and the other (cooked by Max) of well–done snags and rissoles. Aunt Sue and Andie laid the table with two loaves of bread, a large tub of margarine, salt and pepper, tomato and barbeque sauce bottles; Lincoln balanced an armful of plates in one hand with his iPad in the other and Jessy dawdled outside with two large bowls full of freshly tossed salads. Her husband Kris was close behind with his arms full of cutlery and glass tumblers.

Jessy and Kris had arrived only an hour ago. While Jessy made a grand fuss about getting through baggage claim at Tullamarine that morning, Kris headed straight outside to greet everyone and spent the next twenty minutes talking to Kylie.

At first, she thought Kris was rather snobbish, but when he became more comfortable talking to her, Kylie realised he was actually quite sociable. He was a lawyer and although at first he loved the luxury the lifestyle offered, especially in North America where he lived for several years, but since getting married to Jessy and living in Melbourne's outer suburbs he was looking for a major lifestyle change.

"... we've got friends that live in Ballarat and they sometimes go camping along the Murray River – just kicking back round a fire bucket, few drinks, maybe some music. Nothing better – but Jessy hates it ..."

"Well life is all about trying new things," Kylie said as neutrally as possible. Kris shrugged and quickly got to his feet to help Andie and Aunt Sue serve up the salads onto everyone's plates.

While they sat in the baking evening sun eating (Kylie did her best to eat, but too much red meat made her sick and Jack was covertly taking food off her plate so it looked like she had eaten more), Jessy turned to Kylie at long last. She looked bored shitless and rather unimpressed with her parents humble setup.

"So ... Mum says you teach like Jack?"

"Oh – yeah. I love it, best job there is!"

"Hm. Personally I don't know how you can spend your day around ..." Jessy stuck out her tongue, feigning being sick and shuddered.