Thick sooty smoke billows from beneath the huge steam train that pulls into the Kununurra station. Banners hang from every carriage screaming at men to enlist and see the world. Khaki faces grin, their arms waving vigorously as people applaud their gallantry.
"You'll visit when you're on leave won't you Clancy Taylor?" Elsie clarifies.
"Definitely, I'll make a point of it." I smile and she falls into my chest.
"Be careful, bloody idiot." She mutters.
"You too, I'll write to ya, I promise." I say.
"You better, now go on, go and be a hero." Elsie looks up at me through her eye lashes.
She has a knack for that.
Placing me under her spell with one look of her erinite coloured eyes.
I place my hand on her cheek and caress it for a moment before turning to the door of the train. Elsie ushers me forward, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Get on you wombat." Ned pushes me into the carriage and I fly onto a window seat. I draw the window open and lean out.
Elsie runs forward.
I grab her face.
"I love you." She says as the whistle blows.
"I love you." I press my lips against hers as the wheels start to roll.
Lost the moment.
My heart is pounding.
I'm leaving Kununurra.
I'm leaving home.
I'm leaving Elsie.
"I'll seeya when I seeya! Let me know when you're in Egypt!" I tell her.
"I will Clan, not if I see you first!" Her soft voice replies with a desperate tone.
Elsie, Mary and Kate wave as we begin to roll away. Their faces fill with regret and sadness.
"THIS ISNT THE END!" Tom yells.
"FOR KING AND COUNTRY!" Ned bellows.
"FOR LOVE AND RED DIRT!" I add.
"FOR BLOODY AUSTRALIA!" The three of us chant as applauds and whistles echo through the tobacco smelling carriage.
-
The rumbling train takes us on a journey.
Two days worth of Tom's bad jokes and everyone's off pitch singing.
Ned's head rests against my shoulder as he sleeps soundly. The dark passes by as I stare out the window.
3am and tired.
3am and thinking.
3am and excited.
3am and scared.
"In my wild erratic fancy visions come to me of Clancy, gone a-droving down the Cooper where the western drovers go, as the stock are slowly stringing, Clancy rides behind them singing, for the drover's life has pleasures that the townfolk never know." I mutter the words of Banjo just so I can hear them. So I can remember the days of droving on the wide open plains of Kununurra, with Elsie laughing beside me and Ned wanting to race.
"And the bush hath friends to meet him, and their kindly voices greet him, in the murmur of the breezes and river on it's bars, and he sees the vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended, and at night the wondrous glory of the everlasting stars." A deep voice echoes behind me.
I turn quickly but see no one except sleeping soldiers.
The carriage is quiet, other than the consistent clatter of the wheels rolling down the tracks, not a soul could be heard. Suddenly, tiredness overcomes me and I find my eye lids closing.
-
"Welcome to Albany Gentlemen!" The loudest voice wakes me from my slumber.
"C'mon Clancy we've gotta go the ship leaves in ten minutes!" Ned shakes my shoulders.
I scramble for my pack and secure my pictures in my pocket. Tom, Ned and I bolt towards the docks, people line the streets, waving Australian flags and union Jacks with all their might.
I cant help by smile.
They're cheering for me.
I wave back before Ned drags up the gangway.
"Life is truely grand upon a ship!" Tom's knuckles are white as he grips the railing of the ship.
"Isn't it just?!" I reply and wave to the public as the ship pulls away from the quay.
"Shit we were late." I chuckle. The three of us agree to find our cabins and we trek down below deck.
"Number 25." Ned twists the key in the door and two bunks and a window come onto our view.
"Well shot gun top, with the window." I laugh, throwing my kit up onto the bed. I draw the tiny curtain that reveals the most amazing sight.
Colourful fish swim past, a rainbow of colours dancing in front of my eyes. Dark blue water laps at the window, club Les rising the the surface.
"We really are below deck." I scoff in awe.
"I ain't never seen anything like that." Tom grins.
"Aren't we the luckiest blokes in the world?!" I state. Tom nods but Ned twists the ring around his finger.
"It's been two days Ned, c'mon." I say.
"Shut up Clancy, what would you know?!" Ned responds angrily.
"More than you think." I reply.
"You're so naive, Elsie is going to marry Hamish, she has no bloody choice Clancy can't you see that?"
"Who said anything about marriage?" I ask, "I've loved her since we were small, you know that."
Ned shakes his head, "when you get your heart broken don't come crying to me."
"Will Kate wait? Probably not." I say.
Almost instantly I have a fist in my eye socket.
The three of us are stunned.
I have to fight to get my breath back.
"Clancy I'm so sorry." Ned gasps.
This isn't a first.
Ned's been punched.
I've been punched.
But never over something as petty as this.
"You two have to stop. This has to be stopped before it starts, because no one will be putting up with either of your arguments. Save your punches for the enemy not each other, hell we're all on the same side here. I know you're twins and all but c'mon girls? Kate is engaged to him Clancy of course she'll wait and Elsie, well, we all know she and Hamish aren't going to last, so instead of trying to hurt each other, shake hands and forget this ever happened." Tom lets out a breath that he seemed to be holding.
I put out my hand and Ned shakes it.
"I'm really sorry mate." He repeats.
"Me too." I embrace him and we forget instantly the incident before.
YOU ARE READING
The Echo Of Youth
Historische Romane"I didn't realise that I could miss something as much as I miss my innocence." It's 1914, the world is at war, and it's unlike anything anyone has seen before. The men of cities and country towns are leaving for a cause much bigger than they realis...
