An Endless Summer(94)

But if they could only see what they wanted to see, that I was frivolous and irresponsible and off gallivanting with boys rather than working in the pub, well, I couldn’t help that. Mum had come in with dagger eyes for her huge disappointment of a daughter; but what I really needed was to talk to Dad, and alone. I didn’t hold out much hope as I changed into some cutoff jeans and a singlet top, scooping my hair up into a high ponytail. My concentration faltered as I heard a knock on my bedroom door. At first I half expected Chris’s grim face to peek through the crack as he unleashed how much trouble we were in, so when I saw my dad stick his head in the door, I let my arms fall slowly from adjusting my hair as I warily watched him step into my room.

As soon as his grey eyes settled on me, he smiled.

“G’day, Chook.”

It was a sentiment and warmth that had me remembering the Dad of old. There was no malice or anger behind his words.

I hadn’t realised I had been holding my breath until that point, but as soon as he said my nickname I let all my defences down and quickly closed the distance between us. I threw my arms around him and burst into tears.

“Hey, hey, hey, what’s all this?” Dad rubbed my shoulders.

I pulled back, wiping my eyes as I tried to speak, but the words were just a series of nonsensical noises. I felt like a child who had just fallen over and was too wracked with shock and sorrow to explain what had happened.

“Amy, come on, love, sit down.” Dad sat on the edge of my bed and motioned for me to sit beside him. I did. He gently rubbed me on the back, his soft, grey eyes pained to see me upset – it made me want to cry even more. I knew how Dad didn’t deal with me or Mum crying at all and it was the one thing that gave me the strength to pull myself together before he joined me in sympathy. Dad was hopeless like that.

“What’s with all the waterworks? Did you miss your old man that much?” Dad tried for light and jokey, but it did little to raise anything more than a weak smile from me as I brushed away the tendrils of hair that had fallen from my ponytail.

“Dad, I don’t even know where to begin,” I said with a sniff.

Dad squeezed my hand. “How about at the beginning?”



***



It felt like I had talked forever as my dad sat and patiently listened to everything I unloaded. From the way I had come home to find the place in such a shocking state, to find the Onslow wasn’t even open most of the time under Matt’s management. I even told him how I had fallen through the balcony and how Sean had been an integral part in helping me. I told him how Chris and Adam had come to the call as had all of my friends and even Dad’s friends. Because we all loved the Onslow.

I told him about how we had all pulled together to bring it back to the way it should be, the way it was. I even told him about Melba, knowing she would be mad at me for doing so, but I was tired of secrets. With each confession, it was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

With every piece of information, as it all spilled out, I saw my dad’s face become grimmer and grimmer, the colour practically draining from his complexion.

That’s when I stopped, remembering how Dad shouldn’t be exposed to stress. I bit my lip and fell silent.

My dad was silent too, thoughtful as he rubbed his brow.

He sighed. “Is that all?”

“Isn’t that enough?” I asked.

Dad patted my knee. “It’s enough, Chook, it sure is enough.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” I said, sniffing and wiping my bloodshot eyes.

My dad’s eyes met mine. “Don’t be sorry, Chook, I’m the one that’s sorry. I put too much trust in the wrong people for my own selfish reasons. I was too caught up thinking I was helping my family but all I did in the long run was hurt them.”

I squeezed Dad’s hand. “I don’t blame you, Dad. You’re a Henderson, remember? As I’ve been told a lot lately, we’re pig-headed and stubborn. You just have to learn to reach out for help when you need it – there’s no loss of pride in that.”

Dad looked at me, as if he was seeing me for the very first time. “You’ve done an incredible job. When your mother said she wanted to come up here I was braced for a lecture on how I had let the place go. But when I pulled up in that drive …”

“The newly re-stoned drive,” I added.

Dad smiled. “The newly re-stoned drive,” he corrected, “I thought I was dreaming. I haven’t seen this place sparkle since my grandfather owned it. Your mother didn’t understand my emotion but as I walked in the front bar and saw the shine on the windows, the gloss of the bar … it felt like the days of old.” He shook his head. “It was magic, Amy.”