The Lonely Bushranger

- Chapter 3 -

Suddenly the door creaked open, the bushranger snapped out of his trance and bolted behind the piano. Two people walked into the lounge room. One was an old woman who was supported by a walking stick. The other was a young man who looked slightly older than the bushranger.
"Be a good man and put the fire on love, please," the woman asked lowering herself into one of the couches in front of the fire.
"Sure Mother," replied the man. He knelt down beside the fire and started to fiddle with it. The bushranger sat frozen behind the piano. Oh no! thought the bushranger. He started to sniff, the dust from the floor was up his nose...then it came, it seemed like the loudest sneeze he had ever sneezed. The man who had finally lit the fire stood bolt upright.

"Was that you mother?" he asked. His mother shook her head.
"It sounded like it came from near the piano," she said pointing to the piano. The bushranger had no choice, he rose from behind the piano. His insides were shaking but he stood steadily. The woman gasped.
"No!" muttered the man.
"Mother, Brother," the bushranger said. He tried to sound casual but his voice was unusually high.

There was a long silence where everyone was staring disbelieving at each other. "Did you know?" mouthed the bushrangers brother at his mother who slowly shook her head. Then after a while the bushranger asked "May I ask why you're here?" his voice was still high.
"Well..." stumbled the mother. "Well, after your letters stopped arriving we decided to move here..." but she was cut off.
"Your letters stopped arriving first!" shouted the bushranger, he was now annoyed at them that they didn't tell him that they came. "I was out of my mind with worry wondering why you and Charles weren't replying to my letters!" he was fuming now, the light of the fire lashing on his face making him look mad.
"Well son, we didn't receive your letters either!" replied his mother on the verge of tears.
"Hmph!" the bushranger rolled his eyes.
"Err... back to the story?" asked the person who must have been Charles (the brother). The bushranger said nothing. "Anyhow, we came here and asked anyone and everyone if they had seen you!"

To be continued.......