Ch. 26 Bad news
Port Campbell
Kate and Dylan
Just after lunch
Kate went inside with a tray loaded with empty glasses and Dylan was cleaning his bar with a tea cloth.
"Pfft, it's busy today!", she sighed as she put down the tray.
"Tourist season!", he replied raising his eyebrows but at that moment his mobile buzzed.
"Charlie?", he replied as he saw who called.
"Dylan, I'm afraid that I've bad news", she said with a teary voice. "Dad has passed away this morning".
"Oh shit! I'm sorry for you Charlie", he said and Kate noticed his sombre face. What's going on, she mouthed.
"… died in his sleep", she croaked out.
"Hmm, it was to be expected huh", he said to comfort her.
"I know, I know, but when it happens, it's like you're hit by a freight train", she said, her voice distorted by tears.
"I'll come over", he said.
"Oh, it would be really good. Admin, funeral and all that fucking stuff", she said.
"Right, I'll take a couple of days off and I'll be with you, maybe already tomorrow I hope", he replied.
"Taking days off? I thought you were still on holidays?", Charlie replied surprised.
"Nope, I have a job for a couple of weeks already", Dylan said while looking at Kate's questioning face.
"What?! You have a job and you didn't tell me! You rascal!", she said indignantly.
"Sorry Charl, I was too busy, really", he said giving Kate a wink.
"Charl, I've to hang up now, they need me", he said seeing a colleague with an order.
He ended the call and looked at Kate, "Dad died and Charlie would like me to go to the funeral and to settle the administrative things".
Kate was affected by the news and put her hand on his arm. "Oh gosh! I'm sorry for you."
He shrugged. "Don't be too upset darling, it was to be expected. He was already 85! But for Charlie it's hard. They lived together on the farm you see."
Kate nodded, "Uh-hu. Did you love him?".
"How could I say? We drifted apart. ", he said.
"Quarrels?"
"Yes and no. He assumed that I was going to work on the farm, but that wasn't my thing. I chose the Navy and it's something he never accepted. Every time we saw each other he was looking for an opportunity to reproach me. Initially it irritated me a bit, but I learned that if I didn't react it remained a reproach and nothing more. Each of us marched to the beat of a different drummer".
"I see, and your sister, what did she say?"
"Charlie? She accepted my choice. It's always better than watching a face as long as the Nile day after day".
"Uh-hu".
"I've to ask Sonny if I can take a few days off to fix it there", he said looking around.
"I shall go with you!", she said determined.
He put his hand on her arm, "There's no need to do it honey. It's just", and he shrugged, "such a boring task, a madhouse. It would be better if you meet Charlie at a better time, really"
"Ok, I can only propose it", she said with a slight shrug.
"I know, I appreciate that", he replied kissing her forehead.
The next day he was on his way to Newcastle area where his parents' farm was. He had assured Kate that he would be careful and that he would call her. He was picked up by his sister at the airport.
Dylan recognised her right away at the exit. Despite of what one might think, she was a slender woman, just like Kate. She had dark brown curly hair that she got from their mother. She was wearing her inseparable T-shirt, jeans and sneakers.
He smiled.
When did I see her in a dress? Eight years ago for Christmas!
He could see by her look that she had recognised him, not so difficult because he was a head taller than the average man.
"Hey Charlie!", he greeted and embraced her.
"Buddy!", she greeted him back bravely.
"How are you doing now?", he asked wrapping his arm around her shoulders.
It was the breaking point because she burst into tears. "I miss the old bugger! He could be such a nag but he was always nice", she croaked wiping the tears away with anger.
"I understand", he said as they walked to the car.
"And how are you doing now? Your leg? And you have a job?", she said asking several questions at the same time.
"Well the leg is pretty good. A lot of training and sometimes it hurts a bit, but you get used to it."
Meanwhile they had reached the car and they left the car park.
He continued, "And the job, hmm, it's a job. I'm the bartender. It's not great, but with that I can be with Kate", he replied.
"Kate? The officer of your ship?", she asked glancing at him suspiciously while driving.
"Yep, that Kate, I started a relationship with her", he said deadpan.
"Oh you bastard! I always ask you if you have a relationship and now that you have one, you bluntly refuse to tell your poor sister! Bastard!", she shouted and she hit his chest a couple of times with her left arm while guiding the car.
"Poor sister? Feeling your blows, I think it's the biggest nonsense I've ever heard", he replied with an evil smirk.
"Wait! Wait rascal until we get home and then you'll experience it a tad! But I'm extremely happy to hear that you finally found a good girl and not again a fart in a bottle!", she answered with twinkle in her eyes.
He grinned at her.
"How did he pass away?", he asked her after a few minutes.
Charlie looked at him without saying anything, then she raised her hand as if to apologize, "He didn't show up for breakfast. So I went to his room and knocked on the door but he didn't answer. I came in and found him in bed, dead. He died out like a candle".
Dylan nodded, "Yeah, it's hard to have a smoother death".
They continued the drive to the farm chatting about the day-to-day things of the farm until they reached it.
He got out of the car and straightened his back while looking around. A large cottage house surrounded by trees, a lane and a white picket fence. Still the same since the last time, since two years ago, since... ever!
Charlie got out as well and walked around the car and embraced him.
"Uh?", he mumbled surprised.
"Idiot! I'm so happy you finally found someone. Take care for her and don't screw it up mate!"
He patted her back, "You don't have to be worry, but it's a good thing that you reminded me of her. I promised to call her as soon as I arrived", he said as he fished his mobile out of his pocket. He chose Kate's number and waited.
He smiled as soon as he heard her clear voice.
"Hey honey, I arrived, how are you?"
"Darling! I'm happy to hear you! Here everything is normal. Sonny is muttering there's too much work and I have a show tonight, with the two new songs, you know huh?"
"Yeah, I know, these are pretty good, I wish I could be there tonight. "
"How's your sister?"
He looked at Charlie who was carrying his sports bag inside. He sighed, "She' s a strong woman, she'll manage".
"Ok, listen, I've to end the call, customers are waiting", Kate said.
"Yeah, that's fine. Good luck for tonight!", he said before hanging up and going inside.
"Buddy!", Charlotte yelled, "I've put your bag in your room".
"Uh, sister, don't bellow like that, I'm right behind you. Thanks, a shower will do me good, oh by the way, when is the funeral?", he said when he entered his old bedroom
"The day after tomorrow, so, make sure you wear that dark blue suit that's still in your wardrobe", she replied with a grin.
The next day, they had just finished breakfast.
"How do you manage it here?", he asked sipping his coffee.
Charlie stretched in the chair and yawned. "I run the farm with the two employees and Dad was in charge of the accounting and financial matters. He said he was too old for field work but he still wanted to do something useful. I never asked him a question. My job and his job, everything was fine. He had been doing it for 2 years already ", she said.
"Hmm, can I have a look?", he asked.
"Sure! Go ahead, I'll be busy on the farm", she said clearing the table.
Charlie left for the stables and Dylan wandered inside their father's office. He sat in the old big leather chair and remembered that their father always chased him when he climbed in it. He smiled sadly. The chair had survived the owner.
He nodded slowly, "Yeah, no PC, the old bugger didn't like that thing", he mumbled and started opening the drawers.
"What the fuck...?", he grumbled as he found heaps of papers and still closed envelopes in the first drawer. He pulled open another one and found more papers en envelopes as well in other drawers.
"Oh no! Tell me it's not true!", he murmured as he started to fear the worst.
One by one he began to examine the letters and after one hour he slumped into the chair looking desperately at the pile of paper on the desk.
He heard a noise in the house.
"Charlotte? Is it you?", he yelled.
"Yeah!", he was told.
"Come here!", he replied.
Charlie entered the room and looked at her brother frowning. "Buddy what's the matter, you barely call me Charlotte."
"Sit down Charlie", he said and she sat down. A worried glance appeared on her face.
"How is the farm doing?", he asked.
"Great! We have good results. A few months ago we've bought more cattle", she said.
"Yeah, I do believe that. When you don't pay the bills you've a lot of money", he said.
"Wha...what do you pretend?", she replied scowling.
He grabbed some invoices and several letters of reminder and put them in front of her.
Charlie looked the invoices in disbelief and gave him a questioning look.
"He hasn't paid a single invoice for three years. Reminders, interest, everything you can think off. Did you know that he even loaned huge sums of money?", Dylan said passing her a contract.
Charlie turned pale, "No! No , this can't be true", she murmured beginning to read nervously all the letters.
Finally she looked at him with tears in the eyes and shook her head, "Dylan, brother, tell me please that this isn't true!"
"Where did he keep his bank account documents and did he had stocks and bonds? ", he asked.
Speechless she pointed to one of the desk drawers, but he shook his head as he weighed a small file. "As good as empty"
"I'm afraid that we have to se...", but she interrupted him.
"That we have to sell the farm to pay the debts, I know, but I don't want to hear it!", she replied angrily.
"Sorry Charl", he said as he stood up. He took a step forward to hug her but she raised her hand.
"No! Don't! Leave me alone", she said firmly and she turned around and went away hurriedly.
Dylan watched her leave and raised his hands slightly as if he meant "sorry, but I can't help it either".
Somewhat later she went back into the house and he noticed that her eyes were red and puffy.
"And?", he asked her.
Charlie shrugged, "Sorry, I needed to stay alone for a while. I could only be mad at myself and not at others", she said dejected.
She plopped down on a chair and he shoved her a bottle of beer.
"Here, a drink".
"Thanks", she mumbled as she held the bottle to her lips.
"Do you know anyone who might be interested in the farm?", he asked her.
Charlie rolled her eyes, "More than you could think. I know for sure that three of them have already approached Dad over the past three years. They're from the neighbourhood and you'll meet them at the funeral", she said taking another sip.
"Hmm, it's at least a good news".
"You call that good news?", she said sarcastically.
At that time his mobile buzzed and he fished it out of his pocket. Dylan smiled when he saw who was calling, 'Kate'.
"Hey, Sweetie, how are you doing?"
"Great! Knowing I have a future is working miracles", she replied joyously.
"And the show of yesterday?"
"Also great! People were more than enthusiastic. How is it going over there?", she asked him.
"Hmm, not so good. Dad has messed up the finances and we've to sell the farm. And even better today than tomorrow, because there're too many creditors", he said.
"Oh gosh! I'm sorry for you both. Well, it looks like a nasty mess, so take all the time you need there to settle it. I'll talk to Sonny", Kate said.
"Hmm, ok will do".
"Sorry darling, I've to hang up, customers, you see".
"Yeah, I know, keep well!",
"Thanks, you too", she replied and ended the call.
Charlie was looking at him, the chin in support in the palm of her hand. "You're a lucky bastard! Don't lose her", she grumbled.
He gave her a sad smile, "I won't".
The next day, the day of the funeral, Dylan was fighting a tie in front of the mirror, he frowned.
Just like our winter uniform, dark blue, white shirt and a black tie! I wish we were already a couple hours away, not only for that funeral but also to know a buyer. Jeez and all those people from the village. They're more interested in what's happening than by our father. Hundreds of questions, how, when, what. What about the farm. Yes indeed, it will probably be the only good question today!
Yeah, finished!
He looked at his reflection in the mirror and smiled.
He left his bedroom and headed to the living room and at that moment he heard a sound of heels behind him and he turned around.
Charlotte was wearing a smart black town dress and black heeled pumps.
"Wow! You look great Charlie", he said.
"If you show up dressed like that in town or in the pub with my former colleagues, then you'd have a boyfriend in a second", he said with a smile.
"Shut up!", she grumbled as she walked to the kitchen with difficulty to put items on the table for breakfast.
"Have you hurt your feet?", he asked.
"No!, I'm not used to this kind of shoes, I can barely keep them on", she said shuffling to the table with cups and dishes.
"You'd better start practising walking with if you had to go into town", he replied with a grin as he brought her the coffee jar and the milk.
"Knock it off brother!", she said with a glare.
"I just want to give you good advice", he replied with a smirk.
"Do I have to give you good advice, too?", she asked dangerously.
"Uh?"
"Sit down. Shut up and eat!"
"Hmm, a short fuse today?"
Charlotte grumbled something while sitting down as well.
Later that day they came back to the farm. Dylan took off his tie while Charlotte kicked out her pumps. She plopped down on the couch and put her feet on the coffee table.
"These last few days have made us age at least by five years ", she sighed rubbing her puffy eyes.
"I asked you if you needed sunglasses", he said padding to the kitchen to grab two bottles of beer out of the fridge.
"I know, but I didn't think it would upset me like that", Charlie replied tiredly.
He handed her the bottle and made them clink. "Cheers! To a good sale".
"Yeah! It was the only good thing of the day! We've got a good price for it. It's true, Paddington had been waiting for it for a some years."
She sighed, "but what now? I've done nothing else! I've a degree in biology, but I was a farmer. I don't know Dylan. What remains of the farm's yield will be too small to start over again."
"With your degree and knowledge, you can do anything you want".
She shrugged. "Pfft, let's put that aside! Let's first sign the sale contract, then pay the debts. And now, let's prepare something to eat and forget this fucking day!", she said standing up. Charlie picked up her shoes and padded to her bedroom to put on her classic jeans and T-shirt.
To be continued