Scattered families
Chapter 1
Twelve years after the explosion of the dirty bomb.
Canberra Navy Headquarters
The officers' kitchen
"Come on guys! It's cleaning time! I don't want to see any smudges anymore!", Chief Warrant Officer Rebecca Brown told her team in the kitchen. She grabbed a clipboard, opened a fridge and started checking supplies.
Afterwards she walked into her office, put her cap on her desk and sat down. She started to process her inventory notes into her computer. A knock on the door made her look up.
"Sir!", she said, raising up, to the sight of the head of the Navy, Vice-Admiral Tim Barret.
"Chef, you've made another great lunch. Delicious", he said.
"Thank you sir", she said .
"I'm looking forward to tomorrow", he said with a wink and left.
She sat down again, smiling.
It's the biggest compliment you can get! That's why you keep doing it, day after day.
She turned in her chair and looked at the photos on the wall. She along with high-ranking officers, also from abroad, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense and the biggest one with Prince William and Princess Catherine Middleton.
It was a real honour to cook for the prince and his wife. Few people can say that!
She looked at another big photo and smiled. It was Hammersley's entire crew before she left.
Rebecca huffed.
Did I leave Hammersley? Physically yes, but I never left or better said, they never left me. All have sought to contact me over the past twelve years. For all kind of things, from joy to drama to catch up chats. Charge complained that Lani left him, Harpie announced the birth of his first child, Spider wanted to know if I had all the crew's addresses, 2Dads told that he had a girlfriend and asked me for advice on keeping her. Nikki and Pete saw each other again and got married. She asked me to organise their marriage. She's the CO of Hammersley in Cairns and Pete is a warrant officer and works at Navcom. They have a daughter, Hazel. Dutchy sees us from time to time to chat when it suits him. He worked his way up and is now Nikki's XO. After a while I heard from Mike too, but I politely brushed him off. The only one I haven't seen or heard yet is Kate. Shortly after taking Hammersley back from Mike, she disappeared. No wonder. She didn't want to deal with anything that reminded her of the Hammersley period anymore. I can understand it, but I regret it.
Rebecca smiled sadly.
It's weird the way history unfolded. I was an able seaman, cook and medical assistant and now I'm the head chef of the vice-admiral and his staff. Besides, it looks like I've become the Hammersley's XO behind the scenes or better yet, the mother hen of the crew.
She turned back to her desk and glanced at the photo of Robert with their two boys, Edward and Jonathan. Smiling, she looked at her papers.
Okay, what do we need tomorrow? Pork cheeks, roux, ….Hmm…
When she had finished preparing the menu for the next day, she stood up and entered the adjoining room of her office. This is where she kept the files and used it as her dressing room to change and take out her uniform. She kicked out her sneakers, took off her cook's uniform and put on her white uniform with blouse and skirt.
Rebecca looked at herself in the mirror and combed her hair. She tilted her head slightly and touched her temples.
Um, some grey hair. I'm going to start dyeing my hair. I don't know if Rob has ever seen it. Frankly? I doubt it.
She smiled and put on her pumps.
"Okay, that's it for today. Now, I'm going to fetch the kids", she whispered.
She left the headquarters and drove to the school to pick up the boys, Edward and Jonathan. They were eleven and eight years old. All she had to do was to wait five minutes for the children storm out of school. The boys recognised their mother's white uniform and ran towards her.
She smiled.
"Mummy, mummy! Do you know what happened today?" or "What are we going to eat?" or "Did you see famous people today?", were the most common questions I usually get first.
"Mummy! Do you know what happened today?", Edward asked.
Rebecca chuckled.
"What mum? Why are you laughing?", the boy asked.
"Oh no. Nothing. What happened?", she asked taking over the schoolbag from the youngest.
"Nicole was running and she tripped over and fell. She has grazed her knees and it was bleeding. Everything was red! Spectacular! We were all watching", he said.
"No Eddy, it's not spectacular! It's very painful. You could always help her but watching for fun is naughty. So, you don't do that anymore!", she reprimanded her eldest son.
"Okay mum".
She opened the car door, "Alright guys, get in!".
"What are we going to eat?", asked Jonathan, the youngest, eagerly when Rebecca took place in the driver's seat.
Rebecca smiled.
What did I say?
"Steak with chips", she said while steering the car in traffic.
"Yeah! Chips!", they cheered.
"Can't we eat every day?", the youngest asked.
"Nope! It's not healthy. Once a week only", she replied.
"Ooh…", they muttered.
"You've something different every day, so there's nothing to complain about".
When they arrived home, the same scenario was repeated as every day.
The kids rushed into the kitchen, sat down at the table and waited for their mother to follow them.
Rebecca left her pumps and hat in the entrance hall and put on her Birkenstock slippers, put her handbag on the living room table and went to the kitchen.
"Guys, how many times have I not told you to wash your hands first? Go on!", she said sternly.
"Mum, we did it!", the youngest said.
"Certainly not! I didn't hear the water running. Get moving!", she said, pointing to the tap.
"You can only eat your apple with clean hands!", she said watching them wash their hands.
She also washed her hands and prepared two apples and two glasses of water for her sons.
"When is daddy coming home?", the elder asked.
"He has the late shift. Around six o'clock", she said.
"Can we watch TV?", tried the youngest after eating his last piece of apple.
"Nope! Homework first and then we'll see where you two are", she said.
"All right, sailors. Take your schoolbags and start your homework. Mummy is going to have a shower", she said to put the kids in action.
After a refreshing shower, she put on a tank top and a shorts and went downstairs to prepare supper. Soon after, Robert came home.
"I'm home!", he said entering and the kids pelted down the staircase to greet their father.
After a few cuddles he headed for the kitchen where she was cutting mushrooms. "Hey Becca".
"Rob", she said and they kissed.
"You come home early".
"Yeah, it was a quiet day. A bit boring in fact, but how was yours?", he said stealing a slice of mushroom.
"The admiral was happy and that's all that matters, huh?".
"Good. What are we going to eat?"
"Steak with chips, mixed fried mushrooms and bordelaise sauce", she said.
"Hmm, that sounds lovely", he said as he kissed her on the cheek and laid more kisses on her cleavage. He put his hand on her waist, slowly moved it upward and stroked her breasts.
"Rob, the boys! Save it for tonight", she whispered back.
"You look sexy", he whispered in her ear.
She lifted her foot to show the slipper with a strap on her toes, "You call that sexy? I don't think so".
"Hmm, I mean what's inside the clothes", he grinned.
She nudged him in response.
"Alright, I'm going to look at the boys' homework", he said with a wink before walking away.
Rebecca headed to the staircase and yelled, "Ro-ob, Eddyyy, Jooo!"
She strained her ears but there was no reaction.
She wrinkled her nose and yelled, "Supper's readyyyy!"
Immediately, she heard, "Coming!" and "Yeaaah!"
Smiling, she shook her head and returned to the kitchen.
When they were down, she said, "Now it's proven. A man's love goes through his stomach!"
"Huh? What do you mean?", Robert asked.
"Ah? Oh, nothing", she said, deadpan.
During supper, Rebecca saw that their sons were eating the mushrooms without any problem. She knew from her colleagues that it could be a real drama to make children eat vegetables. She was glad that they had accustomed them to eat both vegetables and fish from the moment they were old enough to stop bottle feeding. Now they eat everything without complaining. Her colleagues' children swear by pasta, pizza, chips and sausages. Although…
"Mummy?", Jonathan asked.
"Yes Jo?", she answered.
"When can we eat pizza?"
"Yeah! Watching TV!", Edward added.
"Oh no! Eating it with your hands and put fat everywhere. No way!", Robert replied.
"I'll make them this weekend and we'll eat them at the table, okay?", she answered.
"But mum, you don't have to make them. The pizza guy will bring them", Edward said.
"Eddy, that are cardboard pizzas. Do you know what? We'll make them together this weekend and you may choose what you want to put on them. Isn't that a good idea?", she said.
"Ooh yeah!", the boys exclaimed.
She smiled.
Okay, another battle won.
"Yeah, but what for tomorrow?", she asked.
"Fish fingers!", Edward said.
"Okay, I'll drop by the fishmonger's after my job", Rebecca said.
"The fishmonger's? Why? They are in the fridge at Coles", Edward replied.
"Eddy, I'll make them myself with fresh fish, not frozen stuff", Rebecca said.
"Oh?".
A little later, Edward said, "At school they sell a map with four coloured pens to help the poor people of the Pacific Islands".
"Yes, our teacher told us that too", Jonathan added.
"Guys, we have enough pens, even too many in reserve. So we don't need them", Robert said.
Rebecca put her hand on his arm, "Darling, let me handle this. You're right, but this is a matter of charity and if the boys don't buy pens, they will be out of favour. So".
He rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders, "Okay, if you say so".
When they boys were in bed, Rebecca got a phone call.
"Rebecca Dixon", she answered.
"Hey Becca! It's me, Nikki. How are you?", she heard her friend ask.
"Hey Nikki! It's been a while. We're fine and you?"
"Fine! I'm just back from a patrol. Nothing special, a few FFV's, that's all. Does it sounds weird if I say it gets boring without something exciting?"
"I can imagine", She replied, winking at Robert.
"When are you coming? It's been so long ago", Nikki asked.
"A year, since last summer. We still have a lot of holidays. Maybe, we could arrange something. Can you give us your sailing schedule? It would be really rubbish if we were there and you at sea, wouldn't it?".
"Yeah, indeed, I'll send it to you by email."
"Nice. How' are Hazel and Pete doing?"
"Hazel is fine, but she misses you and the boys. And Pete, yeah, Pete is Pete, huh".
Well, we can't wait to see you again", Rebecca said.
"Bec?"
"Yes?"
"I miss you. I really wish I had a ladies night with you again. Drinking, getting drunk, yelling songs at the karaoke, having fun", Nikki said.
Rebecca sighed, "Nikki, what we had in the past was fine. But now is now. I'm married and the mother of two boys. I don't do this out of respect for my family anymore".
"Oh. Pete and I go often to the pub to get wild".
Rebecca frowned, "And what about Hazel?"
"Oh, sometimes she likes to stay with Bird. These two are soul mates", Nikki said lighthearted.
Rebecca raised her eyebrows, "Sometimes? Hmm, okay, if you say so."
"Listen, I'm going to discuss our holidays with Rob and you send me your sailing schedule, okay?"
"Yeah, good. I can't wait any longer", Nikki said excitedly.
Rebecca ended the call and saw Robert's nod, "And? "
Rebecca shrugged her shoulders, "Looks like Nikki isn't growing. I'm a bit worried. They go to the pub. Okay, so are we, but I've heard they drink more than usual. Hazel is at home and sometimes with Bird", she said with her well-known worried frown.
"And what can you do about it? They're in Cairns and we're here. We need to take care of our family. Moreover, the crew still considers you as a councelor and they are already coming to you with their problems. So, don't have anymore problems", he said in his typical Robert style.
"Yeah, you're right, but I feel like it's wrong with them and Hazel".
"Becca, darling, forget it", he said.
"Rob, about our holidays, would you mind if we went back to Cairns again this year? Then we could catch up with our old friends".
"Hmm, that sounds good to me. So we can stay in a civilised country and not be afraid of food, germs and strange diseases", he said.
"Oh Rob, there are times when you stay incorrigible!", she said, shaking her head, smiling,.
"That's fine. Nikki will send me her sailing schedule and then we can look for an AirBnB cottage", she said.
"Good, I'll start searching the Internet", he said.
To be continued