On the road

Somewhere between Christmas and New Year when Pam and Ruby and Joey were visiting, the suggestion was made we meet for the Easter holidays at her parents’ place 300 km west of Rockhampton.  For about five years now, Tony and I have harboured a fantasy of travelling around Australia with the kids, fuelled by tales of excitement and family bonding told by his fishing charter clients or new friends to TI when they have come for dinner. So when Pam was with us and we were sitting around our kitchen table yarning, the idea of a road trip and get-together seemed plausible, even exciting.  And since plans made just before New Year carry great potential of achievement, the idea of a road trip took hold and gained momentum during the term.  It would be a great rehearsal for our trip around Australia.

     Here we are, all smiles, just as we collected our camper trailer from Top End Trailers in Cairns, 13 km into our road trip.

     While Tony and Sutchy transferred our belongings into the trailer, Kibby and Seffy waited in the Prado.  When I saw the vehicle swaying, I looked through the privacy glass and found Seffy bashing Kibby with her three-volume, hardcover Nancy Drew.  I wasn’t going to let children’s fights spoil my holiday.  I was just proud Seffy was reading, something she started to do a week ago.

     I texted Pam the happy photo of us next to our rig with the message.

     We are really on our way.  We have just headed south from Gordonvale for the first time in 20 years.

     When we stopped for a wee at the Mobil roadhouse at Tully for a wee and a small altercation in the chip aisle,’ I checked my phone and saw this message from Pam.

     Are you still smiling?

     Of course we were still smiling after the small altercation in the chip aisle.  Here’s why.

     When we stopped at the roadhouse we were busting and hungry.  Seffy announced as we walked to the toilets she wanted to buy some food.

     ‘We’re not buying food.’

     ‘I’m hungry.  I need something to eat.’

     ‘We are not buying food.  We have enough food and snacks for six weeks including a stove top espresso for making coffee which we will do and a billy to make tea and hot chocolate.’

     Thereafter we volleyed ‘I want to buy something’ and ‘we’re not buying anything.’

Kibbim got in on the act and by the time we’d all exited the Unisex Ambulant toilet, the only spare one, I was close to tears, desperate to preserve the good spirit of family road trips.  Tony was walking, stony faced and gazing off to the side, as if to say, ‘I don’t know this woman and children.’

     I looked at him and said, ‘Perhaps just this once’ and we entered the Mobil road house shop (except Sutchy who waited outside as if to, ‘I don’t know this family’). As good fortune had it we’d entered at  the chip aisle.  ‘Chips, they can have chips.  Look 2 for $6.50.’

     Seffy was happy.  Kibby wanted Twisties.  

     ‘No, there is too much food colouring,’ I said.

     He stamped his feet and wouldn’t move.  Tony twisted his ear and told him to get moving.  Kibby started to cry.  I grabbed a packet of Twisties and thrust it at him.

     ‘It doesn’t matter,’ he wailed.  ‘I don’t need Twisties.’

     ‘Tony, look what you’ve done. Take him outside and Seffy.  I’ll get the coffee.  Why did you have to twist his ear?  Just go.’

     I paid for our purchases and hurried outside, desperate to placate everyone and make sure they were smiling.

     After handing out the chips and Twisties, we were all smiling.  Seffy because she had her chips and Kibby because he had his Twisties.  Tony was smiling because that’s how he appears when he is gritting his teeth and clenching his jaw.  Sutchy was smiling in an ironic way saying over and over, ‘You’re all retarded.’

     And I was smiling because everyone else was smiling.  And we were just 150 km into a 2800km round road trip.