Our ANZAC In The Attic

•Chapter 3•

{Elouise Green}
"El listen, this ones dated September 2nd 1914," Eli was captivated.
"Read it," I said.
"September 2nd 1914, Albany, Western Australia, Dear Luce, we just discovered we're the first South Australian battalion to leave Australian shores, doesn't that just make your heart skip?
It's incredible Luce, the training, the ocean, everything. It's like nothing I've ever experienced before.
We depart in an hour on HMAS Ascanius or that's how Ollie said its spelt.
I can't wait to see the world Lucy, everything I'm about to see I almost certainly never see again.
I feel so proud Lucy, so brave.
All the boys and I are ecstatic, it's a feeling I've never felt before.
All of this is so new.
Yet, Every night I close my eyes and wonder how on earth I bought myself to leave you heart broken at the Quay.
I look at the sunset some night and imagine you standing beside me and ask myself how I got so lucky.
I miss you my darling, but I'll see you again and our wedding is going to be deadly.
Love always my sweet,
Shearer." Eli smiled, he wasn't good with words and reading.
"So we have Lucy and we have Shearer." I smiled writing it down in a note book.
Down stairs we heard the phone ringing, I stumbled down the ladder,
"Hello, Elouise Green,"
"Elouise where are you?"
My mother hated Eli With a passion.
She was extremely racist and had no time for filthy Shearers.
Like I mean to the point where she doesn't talk to either of us only to tell me I'm making a bad decision and that I'll regret it.
"HANG UP LOU!" Eli bellowed.
"Bye mum," I said cheekily slamming down the phone and running back up the ladder.
"Ok," we laughed as I pulled another box from the corner of the attic.
I opened it slowly and inside were wooden soldiers, all hand crafted and beautiful.
There was a pair of half knitted socks and a recipe book with a piece of paper marking the page.
I handed it to Eli as I took out the small diary.
It was decorated with pressed flowers and wattle and on the front it had;
L.M.H
Written in huge letters.
"ANZAC biscuits, well it says Oat biscuits but I've made ANZAC's enough times to know," Eli laughed.
"Hey check this out, April 25th 1914; today it's Shearer's birthday and everyone in the shed shared a fruit cake Cook made last night. 20! I've known him for 5 years, if that doesn't blow your mind I don't know what will. Anyway, I must hurry, I have a bag or 6 to pack," I read out.
"She was quite the character," Eli laughed.
"Do you find it slightly odd, you're a spitting image of that ANZAC if you put on a uniform and a slouch hat you could recreate that photo and there would be no difference, your name is Shearer, and by the sounds the ANZAC's is too, you can't not be related," I was astonished.
Eli laughed heartily,
"The picture isn't in colour, if he was related to me you'd be able to tell by his skin colour,"
"You cant use the colour of your skin to determine your relatives Shearer," my New Zealand accent was strong.
"Yes I can I'm dark but those photos we took remember, I look exactly like he does." He said.
"I wonder if Lucy had any idea that her Shearer was as stubborn as mine?" I shook my head.
________________
{Lucy Hamilton}
"Hello! LUCY!" Mrs Shearer came running down the street.
"What are you doing in Hillford Mary?" I questioned taking her in a hug.
"I've come to see my boy and of course my little kiwi!" She laughed.
"Did he not tell you?" I gasped.
"Tell me what?"
"The bastard I knew he'd leave it to me," I chuckled rolling my eyes.
"Your son decided to go to war, he's on his way to Egypt apparently according to his last letter," I informed.
Mrs Shearer stopped in her tracks,
"War?"
"Haven't you heard about it?"
"Of course I have doesn't mean I expected my boy to go!" She yelled.
I blinked a little stunned at how abrupt she was.
"Oh I do apologise Mary," I felt my nose start to prickle.
"It's alright sweet I honestly don't know why I didn't expect it, the eldest two Louis and Graham are already gone and who knows when Charlie is going to enlist." Mary sighed wiping her hands on her dress.
"Well at least you have Lincoln, James, Trevor and John," I whispered.
"Angus is different, you know that, he isn't like the other 7. He's always the one who happily does things for no reason, he's humble and doesn't mind what people think which drove him to prove them wrong which only makes you a better person am I not correct?" Mary shrugged her shoulders, her heart obviously broken.
"Yes I fully understand," I hung my head.
________________
Later that night as I lay alone in my bed, the house quiet and the outside world asleep, I closed my eyes, instantly I was taken back to a shearing shed in Birdsville.
Which happened to be the where I shore my first merino sheep.
~~~~
•••BIRDSVILLE - 1910•••
"RIGHTO!" Shearer yelled as I ran into the yards and grabbed a sheep. I grabbed it by the front legs and dragged it out to him.
"Go for it!" I yelled back as I ran back to the fleece I was classing.
I picked at the wool and threw the good parts into the creates and the bad parts under the table.
"Oi Lucy come over here," he called.
I looked up and slowly made my way over to him,
"Right I know you can shear but how do you shear a merino?"
"The same way right?" I questioned.
"Nope different shaped body, ok so you start from the head and make a strip down it's back then you do the left side, right side, legs then belly ok?" Shearer explained.
"Right I understand," I swallowed hard.
"Just go for it Kiwi!" He clapped stepping away from the sheep.
I clipped the shears through the wool, shearing just as fast as Angus.
I finished off the belly about 2 minutes later.
Angus clapped slowly, before pulling me into a hug,
"You're gonna be a bloody good shed hand one day," he whispered.
I went to kiss his cheek but he turned his head and kissed my lips.
"I promise to love you forever,"
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Hearing that as a sixteen year old gave me a lot of hope.
An unbelievable amount.
Did I think I was going to marry this crazy Australian bloke?
Course not at the time.
Now it's the only thing on my mind.