Until the Rivers Run Still

Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – June 1950

Lucy moved into the boarding house the following Saturday. Lifting her two bags on and off the train by herself was a struggle. Her parents had offered to help her, but she was stubbornly determined to do it by herself. The trip from the railway station to the new house turned into a juggling act, as she changed her bags from hand-to-hand, stopping regularly to rest her arms. When Lucy arrived at the house and knocked on the door, an attractive girl in her early twenties answered it. Lucy liked her vivid blue eyes and bright smiling face surrounded by a riot of blonde curls.

'Hello, you must be Lucy, I mean Miss King. Mrs. Carstairs told me to expect you. I'm Sally. I live in the rooms below yours. I can help carry your bags up for you.' The words tumbled out of her mouth in a rush.

'Thanks, if you don't mind, that is, and please call me Lucy.' Lucy smiled back at her, grateful for the help.

Sally took the small suitcase, while Lucy hefted the larger suitcase up the stairs. Sally chattered all the way up. She told Lucy what a lovely place it was to live, how long she had been there (six months), how delightful most of the people were (with some exceptions) and how pleasant it would be to have another young lady there. She gave Lucy a brief description of the other boarders. There was Mr. Smith (a grumpy old so-and-so), Jimmy (lots of fun), Mr. Thompson (an old gentleman, known to everyone as Tommy), and Mrs. Lock (a lady of Lucy's age who had been widowed in the war, thing).

Sally seemed to want to stay and chat while Lucy unpacked her belongings, but Lucy hinted that she needed some time to put her clothes away, and said she'd look forward to seeing Sally later. She shut the door behind Sally's retreating back and sank onto the bed with a sigh.

What a lovely girl, even if she is a bit of a chatterbox. She could talk the leg off a table, as her mum would say.

Lucy bounced on the bed to see how it felt: comfortable enough, she thought with satisfaction. She poked around the room, deciding where she would put her books and other knickknacks. Yes, this would do nicely. She smiled to herself and hummed her favourite song as she unpacked and made herself at home.

***

Next day, Lucy was too excited to eat. She skipped breakfast and instead explored the nearby streets, and wandered through the grounds of her new home. Roseville was an affluent suburb with huge blocks of land, sprawling houses and big shade trees lining the streets. The trees would be a welcome relief from the sun in summer, she thought, as would the beautiful Moreton Bay fig in the yard of her new home. It was a massive tree with ropey roots running a great distance from the trunk. Underneath it, she found a swinging seat, a few garden seats, and an old outdoor table. She thought what an enchanting place it would be to sit and read. As she explored further into the garden, she discovered another seat close to the back fence. She almost missed it as it was hidden underneath a trellis, which was covered in a trailing potato vine. She thought it was a charming little hideaway. She was trying out the seat when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

Lucy waited, wondering who was coming. As the footsteps drew closer, she saw through the gaps in the trellis that it was Mr. Smith. He was strolling down the path reading a book, chuckling to himself. When he reached the trellis, he ducked and glanced towards the seat, but stopped dead when he saw her. His smile disappeared, replaced by a questioning frown.

'Good afternoon Miss,' he murmured, a questioning tone in his voice.

'King,' Lucy clarified. 'Miss King that is.' She jumped off the seat, her face red with embarrassment. She felt as if she'd been caught in someone else's room. 'I'm the new boarder,' she added.

'Good afternoon Miss King,' he repeated gravely, adding her surname. 'Welcome to Berrilee.'

'Thank you, Mr. Smith. Was I sitting in your seat?'