Belonging to the Iceman

Going Back Home

Warrawee House was just the way she had left it.

The only difference was, Pharaoh wasn't there to greet her with a great, big slobbery lick.

Pharaoh was now Sacha's, she had seen a photo of the big, hairy giant as the wallpaper on his iPhone.

Dumping her bag on the floor she headed over to her glass cabinet in her lounge room that housed her rare and expensive bottles of Whiskey, Scotch, Gin, Vodka and Rum that she had collected from her stonemasonry days.

*

Kimi arrived back at the Station a few days later.

As he headed to his Quarters, a smile formed on his face, Angeline was taking her very first steps on the red dirt towards her ever-so-proud Mother, Delphine.

For a few precious moments, he was able to forget his troubles and his heartbreak.

Finally, the little girl reached the safety of her Mother's arms.

Delphine laughed happily as she hugged the baby.

"You did so well, sweet Angeline!" She said happily "Wait til Aunty Shantelle and Uncle Kimi see you walk!"

And like reality had smacked him hard he was back in the real world. He pushed past Delphine causing her smile to vanish as she watched him head into his Quarters and she knew something wasn't right.

She scooped Angeline up into her arms and rushed after him.

"Where's Shantelle, Kimi?" She asked, watching him pour a glass of Rum and milk and light an expensive cigar.

He headed back outside, knowing there was no smoking inside the Stockman's Quarters, not even for him.

"Kimi?" Delphine asked again as she joined him on the front verandah. "Kimi? Something happened in Gstaad, didn't it?"

"You bet something fucking happened in Gstaad, Dedeline!" He finally snarled, making Angeline cry.

She soothed the baby girl.

"I'm sorry Delphine, I shouldn't have lost my temper like that, I hope you can forgive me." Kimi apologised gazing at Angeline who was snuggled into her Mother's chest.

"Kimi, what happened?" She asked yet again.

"Shantelle and Nicolas are back together...happy?!?" he growled, taking a sip out of his glass.

To say she was shocked was an understatement.

"What the hell happened?" She finally growled, shocking him.

"She spent the night with him" Kimi growled back.

"With Nicolas?" Delphine asked.

"And I found her in bed with Sacha" Kimi answered.

"Oh Kimi, now this doesn't sound like Shantelle at all!" Delphine said, defending her friend.

He pulled out his phone and accessed YouTube, when he found the video he handed it to her.

She watched in silence as someone filmed her friend and her ex-husband madly and drunkenly kissing and making out in the Club. There was no denying it, even though it was hard to see, it was Shantelle and Nico.

She gave him a sympathetic look. She knew his whole world had just crumbled around him.

"You can't go mustering in the morning Kimi, you're not in the right state of mind!" She protested as he puffed on his cigar.

"I have to Dedeline!" He said, finishing his drink and then his cigar. "I am The Head Stockman!"

"Kimi, something, anything could happen!" she tried again.