Chapter 115
"Are you ready for this, Sweetheart?" asked Russell as he drove the moving van right past where the heavy duty security gate had recently been removed from. Adelaide was sitting on the bench seat between the two of them looking around with his tail wagging.
"I can't believe we finally get to make this place ours," said Kate. "It looked a little hairy there with Heath's offer. I'm glad Grace and James helped us out with it."
I never doubted you would find a way to make this happen. You're Kate Manfredi, you are tenacious, persistent and relentless. I love that about you," said Russell. "Have you settled on a name for the place yet?" asked Russell.
"Well, I think I may have. I've been thinking about what this place really is, or at least what I want it to be for us and for my students, and I keep returning to three main ideas. Knowledge, Friendship, and then finally, Transformation. I hope my students gain knowledge and friendship while they are on the station and that those things help them on their own individual transformation and growth," explained Kate.
"I reckon you're on the right track at least," said Russell.
"Well, I was playing around with ideas related to those themes and I started thinking about animals that represent those themes and I came up with owls for knowledge, dogs for friendship, and butterflies for transformation. What do you think of Noctua, et Canis Gloria?" asked Kate. "Or just Gloria Station for short?"
"Is that Latin?" asked Russell.
"Yeah, it's just the three animals, owl, dog and butterfly in Latin. I know it's a little long, but I think Gloria Station on it's own sounds good too, as a shorter nickname"
"I think you've got the name, honey. I think it's great. Tradition is so important to you that it makes perfect sense that it would be in Latin, the language of history and tradition. I think it's perfect, honey."
"I'll call and notify the university and have the gate sign made," said Kate as Russell stopped the moving van in front of the big house. "I'm glad that crazy security gate is gone. I don't want to think about those assholes who held the McLeods hostage."
"Here we are, love, let's go inside our home!" said Russell. "We've got a lot of work ahead of us."
Kate and Russell climbed out of the front of the van and walked around back to open the cargo area. Adelaide jumped out of the car and started running around sniffing everything. Kate ran up to the front door and unlocked it, but she didn't go in yet. "Russell, I want to walk in with you, together. Come here."
"Okay, we do this together," said Russell as he ran up the front stairs. "I love you baby! Congratulations!" He said as they held hands and squeezed through the front door together. He picked her up and spun her around right in the entrance way to the house and kissed her. "We're home, baby!"
"It feels good to be home with you, but I guess we should go get the stuff now," said Kate.
"I'll get the dolly, let's start with the bedroom stuff first," said Russell as he walked back out the door. As he walked out, he saw Matt, Jodi, Tess and Finn pull up in a ute.
"We thought you could probably use some help today," said Matt.
"We will take it, thanks! Beers are on us," said Russell, and he guided them to the full moving truck. "I'm glad you guys showed up, we've got a lot of work to do."
"I think you'll be finished a lot quicker than you think,'' said Jodi as they saw a train of cars coming towards the main house. "We brought some reinforcements."
Bobby, Grace, and Blake climbed out of the first ute with Regan, Dylan, and Ben following behind them. Stevie and James, got out of a Killarney ute, and finally Charlotte, Claire, and Meggie pulled in last, in Charlotte's old ute.
"Jaz said to tell you she's helping by watching the young kids so everyone else can help move stuff," said Grace, knowing that Kate would know why it had to be Jaz babysitting and she couldn't help with the heavy lifting of furniture or moving boxes.
"With this many hands, we should be through before lunch!" said Kate. "We only had a two bedroom flat in Addie. We don't have that much stuff."
"The place looks great guys," said Regan. "Congratulations!"
"I can't believe we got everything moved that quickly. But I guess having the entire Drovers Empire working together makes short work of most things," said Kate. "We really appreciate all the help. I can't carry anything heavy, so it would have been a really rough day for Russell."
"Welcome neighbor," said Grace. "I am so happy that you are our new next door neighbor. The property is beautiful, and you will build such a wonderful learning community here. I wish I had something like this when I was young, maybe I would have gone to Uni. I know you will build it into something great, something spectacular. Congratulations Kate. Well done."
"Thanks. We still need to buy a lot of furniture. There is a whole huge farmhouse to furnish. I'm most excited about doing the nursery though. I'm glad we were able to move in with several months still to go before the babies come. There is so much to do and I know it's going to be a lot harder once the twins come." I want to have as much done as possible. I also need to start riding around the property, because I won't be able to ride for much longer and I get a much better feel for the land from horseback than in a ute. It's all really exciting," replied Kate.
"Feel free to come by if you want to borrow some horses until you've got your stables established, so far you've only got War Machine right? You can borrow a couple more if you need them." said Grace as she walked away.
"It's official, Squirt, you are back in Gungellan, running a big cattle station and teaching the next generation of farmers. You have beautiful twins on the way and a bloke who is mad about you. You made your dreams come true. You are amazing, Kate. I'm so proud of you," said Jodi, as she gave her friend a hug. "I am so happy to have you back. I'm sorry Kate, I'm sorry I wasn't there back then, but I promise I'll always be here when you need me."
"Stretch, it's okay, it was a long time ago. I'm okay. I have an amazing life now," said Kate. "I'm really happy."
"I know. I just love you so much. You are such a wonderful person and you deserve everything you have achieved," said Jodi.
"So guys, I wanted to show you this. It's not much yet, but it's going to be awesome!" said Russell as he walked Matt, Bobby, Finn, Dylan, Ben, and Blake, into a large shed.
"It's a shed," said Blake "I don't get it."
"Blake this isn't just a shed," said Matt. "No, this is much more."
"This is Ironman's laboratory, isn't it?" asked Dylan.
Russell smiled. "I see many fun projects being built here, lads. I see a billiards or ping pong table here. I see a dart board hanging here on this wall, and a big projector screen here for the footie, and even some NFL for Finn. This is the ultimate manspace. I'll put a couple amps and guitars over here, maybe I'll get a keyboard too, too bad no one in our group is any good at piano, but I like to mess around a bit. I reckon I could even build us a little recording booth in the back, eventually." he said as he motioned around the space.
"Brooks plays piano," said Blake. "I remember him taking lessons when I was a kid. I wasn't any good at music, but Brooks was pretty good before he moved away," said Blake.
"That's true, Brooks does play piano, and he's moving here in a few weeks, I can ask him to jam with us if you want," Bobby said to Russell and Finn.
"Yeah, if he wants to play with some old dudes, " said Finn.
"All we need now is a second guitarist, and we would have one rocking band," said Russell.
"Hey, we already have a rocking band," said Bobby.
Russell turned to Matt, Ben, Dylan, and James, and said, "I wish one of you blokes played guitar."
"I play, but not well, certainly not well enough to play with you blokes," said James. "And I don't live here, so I'm sorry to disappoint you."
"James! Mate, you've been holding out on us. You play?" exclaimed Russell.
"After I stopped drinking, I found I needed a lot of hobbies to keep myself busy. That's when I learned to cook and when I started running too. I bought myself a little fender starter kit and started working on learning cords. I definitely don't have much natural talent at it, but it gave me something productive to do so I didn't make self destructive choices and relapse. I can play most of the cords and a few songs, but I saw you guys perform. There is no way I could keep up with what you blokes can do," said James. "I've never played in front of anyone but my kids, even Stevie hasn't seen me play guitar. She doesn't even know about it. I'm really not very good."
"Well, we certainly won't force you to join us, but if you want to just come and jam with us, you're very welcome whenever you're in town. I've got a few guitars, so you could borrow one while you're here. If you can play the basic chords, you can play rhythm guitar, and you know what they say," said Russell. "Practice makes perfect. The more you play, the better you'd get."
'Thanks, I'll keep that in mind, but I really think I'd just slow the rest of you down," replied James.
"Ironman, this is a really nice set up you've got here. I'll be sure to come over to hang out whenever Regan and I are at Wilgul," said Dylan.
I think we just found the new base for our monthly poker games," said Ben patting his friend on the back.
"I've got some work to do, and this isn't the priority, but I'll get it done before too long. I think my first projects here will be assembling cribs, changing tables, prams, and two of everything else a baby needs."
"You and Kate will be great parents. If I'm managing to keep a baby alive, you'll be able to handle two, you're Irondad," said Dylan.
"Thanks I hope so," said Russell. "Here, let me show you the backyard. I've already got plans for a treehouse and jungle gym," said Russell.
"While Russell is in the shed, shall we get War Machine here to surprise him? I've got Xander and Rose hanging, out of sight with him, waiting for my text to come here. Russell hasn't even seen him yet. He's gorgeous, Kate. His coat is even shinier than when you saw him before. Russell is going to be thrilled with him. Rose has Amos for you to borrow so the two of you can take a ride together around your new home when we all leave," said Stevie.
"Yes! That's perfect. Thank you Stevie. Lets just tie him up right in front and then go in the house and let Russell find him. Thank you for taking care of him. It was absolutely fate that he became Russell's horse. As soon as I heard the name, I knew he had to be Russell's. He's such a beautiful boy. It's so sad he was so neglected, but I'm happy he will have a good home and owners who know how to take care of him," said Kate.
"I would gladly take him if he wasn't yours. He's got a great spirit. He definitely hasn't let his previous neglect ruin his personality. Tayler definitely found a diamond in the rough with War Machine," said Stevie.
Stevie sent a text and Rose and Xander came riding out on War Machine and Amos. Rose and Xander dismounted and tied up the two horses in the front yard.
"Rose! So good to see you. Grace said she saw you yesterday. I'm sorry you missed the wedding, but I'm very glad to see you here now," said Kate as she hugged her friend. "How's Paul doing?"
"Paul's good, he'll be here in a couple days. I'm staying for a week or so. I just had to come meet James. Stevie hasn't stopped talking about him. I just wish my flight hadn't gotten stuck in Perth, it sounds like the wedding was a great time," said Rose as the girls all came and gave her a big hug.
"Consider the saddle on War Machine a house warming gift from your neighbors at Wilgul," said Grace.
"Aw Grace, you didn't have to do that. Helping us move was more than enough." said Kate.
"But we did, so tell Russell to enjoy it," said Grace. "It's from Jaz, Ben and Bobby too. Tell him to take a good look at it. There are some details I think he'll like. Lucky for him, I know a guy who is really good at leatherworking," said Grace as the women went inside to look at some of the different rooms and talk about design plans.
"So any ideas on a theme for the babies' room? Grace painted horses all over Gracie's nursery," asked Regan as Kate took the women on a tour of the house.
"Well, I'm going to have three animals actually. We are going to paint Owls, Dogs and Butterflies in here. It's going to be a theme throughout the whole property." said Kate, preparing to share the new name of the station with her friends.
"Those are three very different and specific animals to choose," said Jodi. "Why those?"
"Because I've chosen the new name for this property," said Kate, smiling at her friends.
"And you named it after Owls, Dogs and Butterflies?" asked Stevie.
"Yup," said Kate, smiling.
"So what is the name?" asked Claire.
"Noctua, et Canis, Gloria" said Kate.
"Is that Italian?" asked Jodi.
"That's Latin," said Regan. "I've studied enough science to recognize Latin. What does it mean?"
"It translates directly to Owl, Dog and Butterfly." said Kate. "I think it sounds better in Latin though. I know it's a little long, but I thought Gloria Station as a nickname sounded pretty good too."
"I think the full name and Gloria Station as a nickname sound great, but what is the significance of those animals?" asked Charlotte, realizing she got to know the name of the new Higgins learning farm before any other students.
"Well, I thought about what I wanted this place to be for my students. This isn't just a home for Russell and our twins, it's a learning community for all of my students. I just kept thinking about what I had gained at Drovers and at St. Gabriel's. I really just kept coming back to three ideas. Knowledge, Friendship and Transformation," said Kate.
"I get it." said Tess. "Knowledge is the Owl, Friendship is the Dog, and Transformation is the Butterfly. I love the name, Kate. It's perfect."
"Thank you. That's exactly it, and having it be Latin, which is the language of tradition and history, it pays homage to the generations of farmers that were here before us. I want to get some sort of logo or symbol made to represent it that has all three animals in it. I'm guessing the students who study here might like to have jumpers or T-shirts with it on it." said Kate.
"You know, Kate, I happen to know a handsome bloke who's a fantastic artist. I reckon he could draw you something," said Grace, smiling.
"You should see what he made Grace for Christmas," said Regan.
"I'm wearing it actually," said Grace as she took her belt off. "He made this for me as a Christmas gift," she said, proud of what Bobby had made for her.
"He made you this, this amazing piece of leatherwork, with you and your beloved horse on it, and you still didn't believe he was in love with you? I'm glad you two finally came clean to each other, and clearly he's the guy who did the work on the saddle too!" said Kate as she admired the work Bobby had done. "Do you think he would do the job?" asked Kate.
"He's in a band with your husband, I reckon he'd help out a couple mates, but you can ask him yourself." said Grace.
Russell had shown the other blokes his plans to build a playset and treehouse for his kids. He loved the backyard at Gloria Station. It was already pretty private with the L shaped house, but he wanted to put up a privacy fence and add some landscaping. He had big plans for the backyard for his kids, and he couldn't wait to get started on it. He walked back into the house through the back door with the other guys to join everyone in the dining room that was full of boxes..
"Guys thank you all so much. This is the exact reason why we are so happy to be back here. We are here for the community and the friendship, and you all just exemplified that here today. We're sorry we don't have beers ready for you, but honestly, this was such a surprise, you've caught us unprepared," said Russell.
"But give us about a month to buy some furniture and a grill, and we will have all of you back for a barbeque to thank you," said Kate.
"We are always happy to help our own," said Jodi "I'm so happy this all worked out, Squirt. You will be an incredible professor and an incredible mom." Jodi gave her best friend one last hug before getting back in the Drovers ute with Tess, Finn, and Matt and driving away. Kate was out on the front porch waving goodbye when Russell finally came to the front of the house to see War Machine.
"Is that him, is that War Machine?" asked Russell excitedly. "Man, he really is a beautiful horse. It's so sad he was neglected," said Russell as he walked out to meet his horse. He gave him a nice pat on the nose. "Hey, War Machine. I'm sorry your last owner didn't take care of you like he should, but I promise I will. You are home now, boy. We are going to have many great adventures together."
"Stevie reckoned we would want to take a ride around the property together, so she is lending me Amos for the day. We just need to ride them back to Killarney when we're finished," said Kate. "Oh and check out that saddle. That's a house warming gift from Wilgul."
Russell looked closely at the saddle and saw that it had been embossed with images of Ironman and War Machine from the comics, and the logos for each of the characters. "Did Bobby do this?" asked Russell.
"I think so. I saw the belt he made Grace, and it's professional quality. I reckon Grace asked him to do it," said Kate.
"Wow, this is amazing. Shall we ride? We can go check out the creek and the wildlife corridor. We didn't get to do much of that on our tour with the realtor," said Rusell as he climbed onto War Machine.
"That sounds great," said Kate as she climbed onto Amos. "I'm so excited about getting to know this property, and really making it ours. I reckon that we should get the stables set up sooner rather than later so War Machine can stay here. Stevie and Grace have both offered to lend me horses while I can still ride, so I'd like to try to make that a priority,"
"I want this guy with us as soon as possible. I'm already in love. Thank you Kate, this was a wonderful gift. I reckon I may just start on that job tomorrow. We have so much work to do, but all of it is so exciting," said Russell as he trotted with War Machine. He knew they would become very close mates.
"Yeah, we have so much work to do, and it's going to get much harder once these two arrive," said Kate as she rubbed her baby bump. "But I'm so excited to do the work, and make this place great for our family and for my students."
"You did it, Kate. You made all of our dreams come true. You are the most incredible woman I could ever imagine. I love you so much. Thank you for loving me, and being my family," said Russell as the two rode off towards the creek together. Adelaide running along with them.