Jack's Last Summer

Part 22

Matilda watched uncomfortably as Garland stormed off, dripping wet and radiating anger. She jumped up a small outcrop and rapidly disappeared into the wall of coastal trees. Seth froze in confusion and looked to Matilda for guidance with confused, wordless desperate hand gestures signalling his complete bewilderment. Ghost also ran between the treeline and Seth’s heels, stressing now that his ‘pack’ had split up.

After a few moments of silent distress, Seth sighed loudly and ran into the trees. Ghost yapped and galloped ahead of him with his tail in the air like a victorious little flag and without a word they disappeared too.

The hot golden sand began to burn Matilda’s bare feet so she took a few steps forward into the cool water. Kyle appeared to get the same idea and threw himself belly first into the waves beside her with a huge splash. Mattie laughed quietly and took a few more steps deeper, letting the water tug her out gently. The rolling waves here were so gentle and small.

“Matilda, look!” Kyle shouted and flung a hand to the water not far from where they floated.

“What?!” She panicked for a second. Sharks? A dangerous fish of some kind? Why wasn’t he moving?

“Dolphins!”

Matilda held still for what felt like eternity, scanning the water intently. Nothing, nothing, nothing….

There! A tail! She felt a huge grin spread across her face. The animals were only a few lengths from Kyle and herself; maybe ten or twenty metres at the most. There were four in this little pod, breaching and flipping their tails playfully. Droplets from the splash almost touched Mattie’s outstretched hand as she stared in wonder.

“Isn’t that so cool?! Dolphins!” She found herself gushing. “Right in front of us, dolphins!”

“You’re not wrong, those things in front of us are dolphins.” Kyle laughed and pretended to be injured when Mattie playfully punched him in the arm.

When the dolphins had finished their frolicking and moved on to greener pastures – or would you say clearer waters? – Matilda decided her burning skin had had enough and took one last duck dive before swimming to shore, with Kyle following her.

They packed up the picnic gear and began the walk home.

 -

“There’s no milk!” Matilda had only just set down the picnic basket on the kitchen bench when Kyle let out the cry of heartbreak.

“What do you mean?” She sighed and approached Kyle where he was standing in the open fridge door.

“I mean, I go to make a chocolate milkshake, and there’s no milk! Conspiracy!” He shrieked.

Almost instantly there was a response from upstairs.

“Soz boz, we got to it first!” Skylar yelled.

Kyle grumbled and went to get the keys from where they hung on a rusted nail above the sink.

“Really? You’re that fussed on some milk?” Matilda eyed him over incredulously.

Kyle shrugged.

“We’re short on a couple things and I haven’t been on a grocery run before, so I’ll take the van and pop over.”

“I’ll keep you company then.”

Kyle nodded and strode off towards the door whilst Mattie stayed, fixed to one spot, halted by the awful sound of a hacking, wet cough from upstairs. She felt sick.

“You coming?”

Matilda sighed and followed Kyle out of the house.

 -

“Holy shit dude, can you even drive?!” Matilda shouted in pure terror when they pulled up on the main road of the small town.

“Of course I can! I have my L – plates!” Kyle said defensively and jumped out of the car nervously like it was about to explode. His driving had been shaky and faltering mixed with the hints of speed demon tier velocity.

“Okay, on the way back, I am designated driver.” She shook her head and took the keys off him, locking the van behind her.

To Kyle’s credit, he had parked pretty well, and the grocer was only a shopfront down from the van.

“Shelley’s Quality Goods” read the sign in faded letters surrounded by comical depictions of sea creatures. Cloudy plastic flaps hung from the doorway and the windows were covered in peeling paint that boasted well aged accolades. Matilda prepared herself for the exorbitant prices that was the signature move of every country town grocer and gingerly pushed aside the plastic with her elbows. A dinging sounded through the shop and a small woman appeared from behind the counter. She smiled and waved.

Kyle snatched up a basket and slowly the two made their way through the store, picking up various goods as they went. As she suspected, a can of coke was $4.00. Ridiculous.

“Did you hear Jack coughing back there?” Matilda asked in a lowered voice.

“Yeah. Didn’t sound too good,” Kyle furrowed his brow. “What happens after he goes?”

Matilda dropped a bag of Doritos into the basket. $6.00.

“Depends what you believe. He goes to heaven, he returns as a cockroach, or he just… goes.” She said cautiously.

“You know what I mean.” He said contemptuously and eyed off a tube of Pringles.

“I do.”

She took a moment to think.

“I guess life just keeps going. We keep moving. After a while it won’t hurt as much. That’s the thing about time. It might not heal wounds; but it does smooth them over.”