Fiona Higgins - Wife on the Run (Extract)

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First published in 2014

Copyright Fiona Higgins 2014

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11

Blow QueensPaula squinted at the words on the screen, emblazoned in red font

across the top of the Facebook post. Worse still, the image beneath: an erect penis, with multiple lines of lipstick streaked along its shaft, like coloured quoits stacked on a wooden pin.

Then, the shocking caption bearing her daughters name: Look what Caitlin McInnes and Amy Robertson got up to last weekend.

Thats . . . disgusting. Asuffocating heat was rising in her chest and rampaging up her neck.

The school principal turned the computer screen back towardshim.I wanted you to come in person, Mrs McInnes, for obvious reasons.Who . . . who did this? she stuttered.Mr Nelson pressed his lips into a terse line.We cant confirm that yet. The post appeared last night on Charlotte

Kennedys Facebook page. Do you knowher?Everyone knew Charlotte Kennedy, a popular Year Eleven student

widely predicted to be elected school captain nextyear.

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2F IONA H IG G I N S

The author of the post is James Addams, the principal continued,

but we dont have a student of that name here. Ive spoken to Charlotte

and shes never heard of him. Weve lodged a formal complaint with

Facebook, requesting the post be removed immediately, but more

than a hundred students have already liked it. Mostly boys in their

senior years, unfortunately.

Oh, thats horrible. Paula felt physically sick.

Mr Nelson studied her for a moment. Does Caitlin have a boyfriend,

Mrs McInnes?

She shook her head, incredulous. Shes fourteen. Caties more interested in soccer than boys. Her daughter was one of the schools

rising sport stars.

Mr Nelson didnt appear persuaded. And has Caitlin been herself

lately? Has she been fighting with any of her friends?

Paulas mind spun, trying to recall anything unusual over the past

few weeks. No . . . shes been her normal, happy self. If something

was wrong, Im sure she wouldve told me.

Her words didnt seem to register with the principal.

Weve seen cyber-bullying in senior years before, he said, but

never in YearNine.

Cyber-bullying?Paula had only ever conceived of this happening to other peoples

children. Not in middle-class suburban Melbourne. Not at Burwood

Secondary College. And certainly not in her family.

But Caitlin doesnt have any enemies.

The thing is, Mrs McInnes, Mr Nelson interrupted, we need to

get to the bottom of why your daughter and Amy Robertson have been targeted. Presumably theres a reason.


3W I F E ON T H E RU N

Have you spoken to Caitlin yet? she asked, hugging her handbag to her chest. As if it were her teenage daughter, at risk of slipping out of her grasp.

Yes. Shes very upset, understandably.Where is she? Iwant to see her.A protective surge propelled Paula out of her chair; she needed

to take Caitlin in her arms and comfort her. The winsome child whod shadowed her for years, clambering onto her lap and into her bed, tugging at her hands and heartstrings. An extension of Paulas own body, before morphing into a lanky and enigmatic teenagerbeautiful, confident and talentedalmost overnight. And yet, more vulnerable than ever to all manner of threats that Paula couldnt bear to contemplate. Drugs. Sex. Unwanted pregnancy. The unspeakable risk of so much potential being squandered before her young life had even really begun.

Caitlins with the school counsellor now, theyll be finished after lunch. Mr Nelson stood up, as if to show Paula out. Youre on canteen duty today, arent you?

Not anymore, she said quietly. Will you please call Caitlin now.I see. Mr Nelson reached for the telephone on his desk. Then Ill

have to tell Leanne youre not coming.Leanne. It was almost a threat.The cantankerous canteen manager at Burwood Secondary College

was a person with whom Paula would never ordinarily associate. But shed endured her every Thursday lunchtime for the past nine months, as an act of goodwill towards the school.

The principal spoke quietly into his telephone, then walked to his office door. Take a seat out here, Mrs McInnes, he said, opening it for her. Ill let you know when Caitlin arrives.



Before she could reply, hed closed the door after her.

Feeling like a truant schoolgirl, Paula sat down on the green

leather sofa.Would you like a cup of tea? a kindly-faced secretary asked,

looking up from her work.Thatd be nice, thanks, Paula replied, without knowing why. She

really didnt feel like anything at all.How do you haveit?Just white, please.The secretary disappeared into a kitchenette, returning promptly

with a steaming mug.There now, she said, passing it to Paula. Careful, itshot.The secretary took her place behind the desk again and began

to engage Paula in benign small talk. The senior toilets had been repainted, the new shade-cloth over the bubblers was working well, and wasnt the kitchen garden coming along nicely? Paula felt barely able to conceal her own turmoil, but tried to nod at appropriate intervals. Her mind was preoccupied by the grotesque Facebook post: how could her daughter be connected to it? With her friend Amy,too?

Could it possibly bereal?She screwed her eyes shut at the thought.During her earlier years of schooling, Caitlin had always been

quiet and studious, with exceptional athletic potential according to her teachers. Shed clearly inherited her fathers genes in that regard, because Paula herself had never been sporty. Caitlin was a natural at almost any athletic activity: captain of the Under 15s netball team, pitcher on the softball team, striker on the girls soccer team. And shed fulfilled all these roles with an endearing modesty, up until three months ago, when shed fallen in with a new peer group. These



were the cool girls, apparently, the popular and pretty ones, some of whom were on Caitlins netball team.

Since then, Paula had detected a shift in her daughters attitude; shed become a little more obstinate, more image-conscious, and more susceptible, somehow, to the influence of others. Her new friends spent entire weekends together at slumber parties, shopping at multi-level malls, or watching teen chick-flicks at the movies. When they werent together, they sent endless messages and tweets to each other, about banalities that could almost certainly wait until they met again at school.

Paula didnt particularly warm to any of them, except for Amy, the goalie on the soccer team, who seemed far more sensible than the rest. Caitlin and Amy had struck up a close friendship born of their mutual love of soccer, and regularly spent hours in the backyard playing striker and goalie. Amy was polite and down to earthwhich only made the Facebook post all the more confounding. She simply wasnt a trouble-maker, unlike some of Caitlins other friends. Always flicking their long hair over their shoulders, glossing their lips and pouting at the older boys.

Was I like that once? Paula sometimes wondered. She couldnt remember much about being fourteen; it was, after all, twenty-five years ago. What she could recall was an acute self-consciousness about her maturing body. Breasts and hips and buttocks straining against clothes suddenly grown too small. Astumpy-legged child one year, the object of male attention the next. Shed found the rapid transition confusing, and a little alarming. She wasnt sure she wanted men to look at her that way, their eyes roaming across her body. But girls nowadays were differentor some of Caties peer group were, at least. Always coveting male attention, in their too-short skirts and long white



socks pulled up over bronzed calves. Their ear and navel piercings, sleek manes of hair, fake tans and tattoos. Provocative girl-women, with the trappings of adulthood inscribed on a childs body.

But theyre just being teenage girls, her husband insisted. Thats what teenage girls do.

As if youd know, Paula was sometimes tempted to snap at Hamish. You, who grew up with no sisters and went to an all-boys school. Since when were you an expert on teenage girls?

Hamish.Paula looked at the secretary, still nattering away.Excuse me, she said, standing up from the sofa. Ineed to make a

call. Paula slipped out into the corridor and dialled Hamishs number.It rang out, as it usually did.Hamish was rarely without his phone, but always too busy to

answer it.Its the middle of his working day, she thought. What was she

hoping hed do? Drop everything, bolt to his car and drive over to the school? He couldnt get to most parentteacher evenings, let alone an unscheduled meeting at the principals office.

Paula stuffed her telephone into her handbag and stepped back into the waiting area. The secretary, she was relieved to note, was now busy with a telephone call.

She resumed her seat and began composing a message to Hamish.Please call me ASAP. Issue at school.It wouldnt necessarily raise him. Hamish was a willing slave to

his job at Crossroads Cars, the biggest corporate-fleet rental company in the country. Hed joined as a mechanic more than ten years back, steadily working his way up from the shop floor into management. But his considerable professional success had come at a personal cost.



A long time agoit felt like forever, nowtheyd done things together. Reading the weekend newspapers on a Saturday morning over a leisurely caf brunch. Going to the cinema on cheap Tuesdays, then debating the critics ratings on the way home. Rambling along the beach at Brighton on a Sunday, doing fitness sessions on the sand. Hamish playing the personal trainertall, broad-shouldered, blondto her curvy, brunette trainee. Enrolling in a host of adult-education courses at the local community college, just for the hell of it: ballroom dancing, wine appreciation, organic gardening. Theyd especially loved the course called Plan Your Own Ultimate Adventure, creating a scrapbook of dream travel goals: hiking in the Andes, a safari in Kenya, a campervan tour around Australia. But theyd collapsed into hysterical laughter during the Yoga for Couples course, prompting the teachersa long-haired pair who called themselves Yoni and Lingato question whether they were truly ready to trust.

Theyd had fun together, before the kids arrived, and for a few years afterwards. And then, incrementally, their interests as a couple had taken a back seat. As the children had grown and changed, theyd demanded morenot lessof Paulas time, while Hamishs work responsibilities had expanded. Gradually their focus had shifted from enjoying life together to dividing and conquering it instead. It made sense for Hamish to prioritise money-making, and for Paula to cultivate their home life. But spontaneity had been sacrificed along theway.

For months, Paula had wanted to talk it over with Hamish. To propose that they reinstate Saturday date nights and once-a-month movies. To suggest taking a community-college course together again or, now that the kids were older, even begin planning a trip to one of their dream destinations. But her best intentions had been derailedprimarily by Hamishs long working hours, which encroached on their



weeknights and weekends. Not to mention her sneaking suspicion that Hamish wouldnt be all that receptive anymore. She could anticipate his responses already.

Other people would kill to have our life.Its just a busy phase.Someones got to make the money.Mrs McInnes?The secretarys voice startled Paula.Mr Nelson will see you now, she said, motioning towards the

principals door. Caitlin will be along soon.Paula took a seat at the polished teak desk, noticing that Mr Nelsons

face was slightly pink.Mrs McInnes, this is a very unfortunate matter, he began. Ive

given it some thought and may I suggest that Caitlin takes some time off school? Just while we investigate, at least until Facebook removes the post. All of next week, and probably the week after.

It wasnt really a suggestion, it was a directive.Paula blanched. So, let me get this clear. Someonewe dont know

whoputs a photo of uncertain origin on Facebook with Caitlins name on it. Her voice wavered a little. And on the basis of that, youre going to suspend my daughter for a fortnight while you investigate? That doesnt seem very fair on Caitlin.

The principal pulled his chair closer to the desk. Im not suspending her, Mrs McInnes. Iunderstand youre upset, but Im trying to make things easier for Caitlin. The image has been circulated through the senior and junior years.

Paula glared at Mr Nelsons poker face. But Caitlin is the victimhere.There was a knock at the doora timid, apologetic sort of tapand

the door opened.



The principal looked relieved. Mrs Papadopolous.

The counsellors thick hair, grey and wiry at the temples, was

pinned in a loose bun on top of her head. She nodded at Paula over

tortoiseshell spectacles, then turned to Caitlin, who stood behind her

as if cowering.

Are you alright, dear? she asked.

Caitlins eyes were red-rimmed and puffy. She looked at Mr Nelson

fearfully, before catching sight of her mother. Instantly she ran across

the office, throwing herself into Paulas lap like a much youngerchild.

Oh, Caitlin, Paula whispered, pulling her daughter close.

She smoothed Caitlins long blonde ponytail beneath her fingers. My beautiful little girl.

Sit down please, Caitlin. Mr Nelson nodded at the empty chair

next toPaula.

Caitlin reluctantly moved onto the seat.

Thank you, Mrs Papadopolous. He dismissed the counsellor with

a nod, before fixing his gaze on Caitlin.

Was it helpful talking to Mrs Papadopolous?

Caitlin shrugged.

Mr Nelson waited, then, when it was clear Caitlin had no intention

of speaking, prompted, Is there anything else youd like to tellus?

No, Mr Nelson. Tears welled in her blueeyes.

The principal passed Caitlin a box of tissues.

She took one. Ihavent done . . . anything to anyone. Amy hasnt either.

Mr Nelson leaned back in his chair. Caitlin, weve reported the

photo to Facebook, but Im not sure how long its going to take

for them to act. He turned a pen over in his hands. I think youll


10

F IONA H IG G I N S

probably agree, its best for you to stay home for a while. Ive asked Amy to do the same.

Caitlin looked up at her mother. Yes, its so embarrassing. She hid her face in her hands.

Paula put an arm around Caitlins shoulders, feeling outraged and overwhelmed. Who on earth would do this to her daughter?

Mr Nelson stood up. Mrs McInnes, Ill contact you when we have more information. In the meantime, you might like to consider some extra counselling for Caitlin. Mrs Papadopolous is available if you need her.

Thank you. Paula helped Caitlin up.Do you have all your things, Caitlin? he asked. Nothing left in

your locker?No, Mr Nelson.Goodbye for now, then. The principal ushered them to the door

and closed it behind them. Too abruptly, Paula thought. She hovered there for a moment, contemplating the pompous gold lettering on the door. Mr Geoffrey J. Nelson, Principal. She wanted to tear it right off.

Come on, Catie, she said, nodding at Mr Nelsons secretary as they passed. Paula could feel the womans eyes following them down the corridor.

They crossed the empty playground in silence, their shoes crunching on the gravel. It was spitting with rain, and the boughs of the majestic oak tree near the main entrance were creaking quietly in the wind. After weeks of welcome spring sunshine, winter coolness had inexplicably returned in the latter half of October.

Caitlin dragged her feet across the playground, weighed down by her school bag, sports kit and art folder.

Here, let me help you. Paula reached for the school bag.


11

W I F E ON T H E RU N

Are you angry with me,Mum?Should I be?Caitlins lower lip trembled.Why would someone just post a photo like that out of the blue?

asked Paula. Its got your name on it, and Amys too. What am I supposed to think?

Caitlin began to cry softly.Look, Im sorry. Come here. Paula put her arms around her

daughter. Lets go home and regroup. Well work it out.Theyd almost reached the school gate when they heard a piercing

wolf-whistle. Turning automatically, they saw a group of senior boys milling around the gymnasium.

Hey, cocksucker!Paula flinched. It was difficult to determine who had called out.Caitlin cocksucker!Caitlin looked mortified.Lets go. Paula shepherded her daughter through thegate.A teacher emerged from the gymnasium and corralled the boys

inside.Caitlin wept all the way home, her slim body shaking. As Paula

steered her yellow hatchback through the streets of Glen Waverley, she realised shed never take the same route without recalling this exact moment. Two oclock on Friday 19 Octoberwhen Facebooks intrusion into their lives skyrocketed beyond daily disagreements about screen time.

As they pulled into their driveway, Paula spotted a small figure hunched at the bottom of the stairs leading up to their double-storey weatherboard home. Lachie. She practically leaped out of the car. Caitlin remained slumped in the front seat.


12

F IONA H IG G I N S

Lachie, sweetheart, are you alright? Paula crouched down in front of him. How did you get home?

I walked.What, the whole way?He nodded.Someone showed me the Facebook photo at lunchtime. Iwas so

grossed out I came home.Why didnt you callme?I did, he said, in an injured tone. You never answer your phone.I must have been with Mr Nelson.Her son had a point, Paula thought. All too often she temporarily

lost her telephone; under the car seat, behind a cushion, or deep in her handbag. And if she silenced it for a meetinglike shed done with Mr Nelsonshe almost always forgot to reactivate it afterwards. It drove her husband mad, but Paula wasnt fazed by being unreachableunlike Hamish, whose phone was virtually grafted onto his hand. On the odd occasion he misplaced it, Hamish would become tetchy, like an alcoholic deprived of drink.

Im sorry, Lachie, Paula said, patting his knee. Its been a tough morning.

Caitlin emerged from the car, dragging her sports kit behind her.Im going to soccer practice this afternoon, she announced, lifting

her chin defiantly.Catie, no. Paula stood up from the step. Thats not a goodidea.Why not? Caitlin hurled the kit onto the lawn. Because the whole schools calling you a cocksucker, said Lachie.Lachlan! Paula admonished.Caitlin stared at her brother.Did you do it? he asked.


13


Do what? spat Caitlin. Icant believe youd even ask, dipshit.She stormed up the stairs to the front door.

Catie! Paula followed her and unlocked it.

Pushing past her mother, Caitlin ran down the hallway and

slammed the bedroom door.

Paula turned back to her son, unsure what to do. Would you . . . like

some afternoon tea, Lachie? She felt mildly ridiculous for resorting

to conventional maternal overtures.

Okay. Lachlan jogged up the stairs. Im hungry.

Since hed turned thirteen, Lachies appetite had become insatiable.

On return from school, hed often demolish half a loaf of bread or

several bowls of breakfast cereal.

Lachie dropped his school bag near the front door, then flopped

down onto the lounge-room floor.

In the kitchen, Paula set about preparing a peanut butter sandwich

and a glass of milk.

Come and situp.

Cant I have it in here? Lachie objected.

Hed already turned on the games console; she could hear its

irritating mechanical melody.

No, you may not. She was tired of this argument, more so this afternoon. Just sit upnow.

He sauntered into the kitchen, perched on a bar stool and began

to devour the sandwich.

Do youshe could feel herself blushingwant to talk about whats

happened? Hamish had only recently had a man-to-man chat with

Lachlan. Shed been too uncomfortable with the idea of discussing

sex with her thirteen-year-old son to broach the subject herself.


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F IONA H IG G I N S

Nah. He chewed and swallowed. Its a fake picture, right? Doesnt

even look like a real dick to me. More like a dildo.

Lachlan! Paula had no idea the word dildo was part of her sons

lexicon.

He sniggered. Dont freak out,Mum.

Swallowing several hunks of sandwich and draining the milk, he

pushed back the bar stool.

No computer games until your homeworks done, she said.

Dont have any. He ambled towards the lounge room.

I find that hard to believe, Lachlan.

He turned to her, his hands pressed together in the prayer position.

Cmon, Mum. Just thirty minutes. Ill do my homework after, promise.

Her resolve wavered. Okay. Just make sure its thirty minutes and

no more.

He grinned, rushing forward to hug her, before almost as quickly

pulling away again. But these were the contradictions of a thirteen-

year-old boy, she was discovering. One minute craving Mum, the next

minute ignoring her.

She watched him stroll into the lounge room, all knobbly knees

and pale, ungainly limbs. He was not nearly as physically coordinated

as his sister; not yet, anyway. But that might change, she often told Hamish, who was baffled by Lachies preference for cerebral activities

like chess, computer games and Lego. The fact that Lachie still loved

Lego worried Hamish, despite the fact that his creations were complex

and elaborate. Theyre kiddy blocks, Hamish would sniff, having once again failed to entice Lachie outdoors. He might be the next Jrn

Utzon, shed reply.

Paula put the kettle on.


15


I should check on Caitlin, she thought wearily, but I need a cup of tea first. And a chocolate biscuit or two. Lately it had been three or four, as evidenced by the extra rolls of flesh around her stomach.

Pauuula!Her father had waited the mandatory ten minutes before pouncing.She walked down the stairs to the laundry and saw him, loitering

hopefully at the glass sliding door. Beyond it, three steps led to a steep side path that wound its way up into their large, flat backyard. He was wearing his mandatory gardening uniform: green gumboots, grey tracksuit and a Richmond Tigers football scarf. Tiny flecks of soil had settled in his shaggy white eyebrows and moustache. His blue eyes twinkled and his skin was ruddy from the wind. Like Santa in civvies, Paula thought, smiling. She unbolted the door.

Hi, Dad. She couldnt resist planting a kiss on his cheek.He grinned. Time for a cuppa?Sure.Your place or mine? he asked, as he always did, referring to the

caravan parked in the backyard.Ive just put the kettle on. Come on up.Good-o. He slipped off his gumboots, then bounded up the stairs

two at a time. He was spritely for seventy, more like a man ten years his junior.

Youve got a spring in your step, Dad, she remarked, following him into the kitchen.

Picked a trifecta at Moonee Valley this morning.He reached into his top pocket and removed a small leather-bound

notebookhis scribbler, as he called itand flashed some calculations at Paula. If Id put six dollars on it, Icouldve won twelve grand. Now that wouldve sorted out those school fees of yours, I reckon.


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F IONA H IG G I N S

Paula laughed. One of her fathers interests was horse-racing, but he staunchly refused to place a bet. He claimed to have developed a foolproof formula for picking winners and studied the form daily, but described gambling as one of the worst things ever to happen to humanity. His own father, Paulas grandfather, had gambled away the familys savings not long after the Second World War, and theyd been forced to rely on charity and welfare to survive. As the youngest of five children, her father could still remember the day hed received his first pair of new shoes: hed been sixteen years old and about to start work as an apprentice butcher. Before that, hed been forced to wear the ill-fitting hand-me-downs of siblings and generous neighbours, a fact he credited with causing his bulbous bunions. These days, he got around in the only shoes capable of accommodating his misshapen feet: a pair of thongs in summer, or gumboots in winter.

Whats wrong, sweetie? he asked, as soon as they satdown.Paula marvelled at how her father could intuit her mood. Prior to

her mothers death a year ago, their relationship had been affectionate but distant. In her youth, hed always been too busy in the butchery; the blue and white signage above Jones Quality Meats was an enduring image of Paulas childhood. She could still remember the smell of her father as he walked in the door of an evening, the pungent aroma of blood and bone, overlaid with hospital-grade bleach. Not altogether offensiveshe never failed to run and throw her arms around himbut pervasive nonetheless. Even now, eight years after hed sold the business, Paula sometimes fancied she could still smell the odour on certain items of his clothing, despite all the laundering her mother had done to expunge it.

Her mother, Jeanette, had been the dominant partner in the relationship for as long as Paula could remember. The natural anchor


17


of the family, shed run the household, looked after the children, and done practically everything for her husband: choosing his clothes, issuing instructions, even speaking for him. Her mother had been vivacious, charismatic and the life of social gatherings, with an occasionally volcanic temper. By contrast, her father had been soft-spoken, measured and loath to offer an opinion. Paula had always attributed this to a natural passivity on his part, a certain laziness even. It had taken her mothers death for her father to begin to reveal more of himself to Paula: his capacity for engaging conversation, his lively sense of humour, a genuine interest in the world beyond himself.

A month after her mother died, her father had moved into the second-hand caravan parked in their backyard.

Its just a temporary measure, shed explained to Hamish, whod been using the caravan as an after-hours office. Until were sure Dad can cope by himself.

Hamish had assented grudgingly. While always respectful of his father-in-law, they seemed to lack the common ground so crucial to male bonding. Sid loved Aussie Rules and cricket; Hamish preferred cycling and boxing. Sid was proud of his four decades as a master butcher; Hamish, by contrast, had eschewed his tradesman roots and manoeuvred his way into senior management as quickly as possible. Sid loved nothing more than a cuppa and a chin wag, expansive discussions about current affairs, politics and life in general; Hamish had little time for idle chatter and less for debate, preferring instead a solitary whisky in front of the television before completing his evenings work.

Paula neednt have worried about her fathers capacity to cope in the wake of his wifes death, it turned out; Sid embraced his newfound independence with gusto. Not long after moving into the caravan, he


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F IONA H IG G I N S

joined the Waverley RSL and took trips with their day club to scenic locations such as the Dandenongs, Phillip Island and Ballarat. He maintained his long-standing membership of the Doncaster Rotary Club, which hed first joined as the local butcher in 1972. And then, six months after her mothers death, he embarked on the complete replanting of their backyard. Referring to a moon calendar he taped to the caravan door, he transformed it into a flourishing patchwork of flowers and vegetables. He rose early for his daily constitutional, always stopping to chat with passers-by as he power-walked around the neighbourhood. When finally given the chance to speak, it seemed, her father had plenty to say. It was as if her mother had gagged him for forty years, Paula sometimes reflected.

And so Sids temporary living arrangement in the caravan had morphed into a permanent one, despite Hamishs occasional hints that her father should return to the retirement village.

Sids such a social animal, hell love it back there.The ratio of men to women is stacked in his favour.Why dont you suggest it and see what hesays?Paula always deflected such comments; she couldnt countenance

the idea of sending her father back to an empty one-bedroom unit at Greenleaves. Besides, she was enjoying getting to know him, at long last.

Sid jiggled the teabags floating in their mugs. Paula, I can tell somethings wrong.

Ive had a terrible day with Caitlin, Dad. Its not something youd understand.

Try me.She hesitated, then said, Okay. A pornographic image has been

uploaded to Facebook and its got Caitlins name on it.


19


He nibbled at the edge of a chocolate biscuit, seemingly processing this information.

She helped herself to another TimTam, watching him.And is it a picture of Caitlin?No, its a picture of . . . well, its obviously some sort of revolting joke.Her father stirred milk into his tea and pushed Paulas mug towards

her. Whos the idiot responsible?The schools investigating. Theyve got no idea, as far as I can tell.He blew on his tea. Well, I guess theyll find out soon enough.

And then therell be consequences.There already are consequences, she said, her voice quivering.

The whole schools calling Caitlin names. The kids have shared the photo again and again.

Its gone virus then?She almost smiled. Viral, Dad.Yes.Hmmm. Thats the problem with the internet, isnt it? Its like the

genie in a bottle. Once its popped out, you cant stuff it back in. He reached across and squeezed Paulas hand.

She noticed the dirt under his fingernails; it was a hygiene habit that riled Hamish, whose own nails were clean half-moons. She was sometimes tempted to taunt Hamish: You used to be a tradie, but now you cant stand dirty fingernails? Yet he still insisted on driving a dual-cab ute as some kind of testament to his blue-collar roots. Hamish was contrary, shed concluded, often saying and doing things that were irreconcilable. In the early years of their relationship, shed called him spontaneous, innovative, entrepreneurial. Now she just called it for what it was: inconsistency.

Youre a good mother, Paula, her father said. You do a terrific job with the kids. Youll know whats best.


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F IONA H IG G I N S

She sipped at her tea, unconvinced. How could she know what was best, as the product of a different generation? The late-twentieth-

century childhood shed enjoyed, some thirty years earlier, had seemed much simpler. An environment uninterrupted by the demands of

social media, with far fewer distractions competing with parental

influence. The power of the peer group had always been substantial,

but nowhere near as potent as in her childrens world of Facebook,

Twitter, Instagram and Kik. Nowadays, it seemed to Paula, there were

a thousand potential channels for young people to chat and post, pose

and expose, name and shameall of it enabled by the ubiquitous

presence of the smartphone.

In the early days of her childrens social-media usage, Paula

had tried to find a balance, embracing the zeitgeist while setting

parameters. Friending Caitlin on Facebook, for example, then

monitoring her posts. But Paula soon found that there were only

so many hours in a day to scroll through the idle chitchat of teen-

agers online. And on some fundamental level, the technology felt

intricate and inaccessible; a time-consuming tool of which Paula

tired, inevitably, before reverting to more traditional methods of

communication.

You cant beat face-to-face catch-ups or phone calls, she heard herself repeating to her children. All the while recognising that for

their generation, social media was no longer a tool: it was the global lingua franca. The world was changing and, on some level, Paula was

being locked out of her childrens lives.

Luckily, Hamish was far less of a social media Luddite.

She swirled the tea in her mug, then looked up at her father.

Im not really sure what to do, Dad, she said. But Hamish will know.


21


Later that evening, Hamish leaned over her shoulder in the lounge-room, peering at her laptop. Hed gone to the gym directly from work, then onto his usual Friday night beers with his best friend Doggo. The fetid smell of sweat still hung about him, overlaid with alcohol. Paula could remember a time, earlier in their marriage, when his body odour had smelled masculine to her. Enticing, even; part of the Iron Man persona that had attracted her in the first place. His supreme confidence in his body, his charisma and persuasiveness, it had all seemed so seductive. But more often than not these days, when he walked in all sweaty and looking for sex, she just wanted to hand him a towel and point to the shower.

Dinner was long over, not that Caitlin had eaten anything. Shed pushed a baked potato around her plate before disappearing into her bedroom, rebuffing Lachies invitation to watch Teen Survivor, their favourite reality program.

Well, some boys involved in this, for sure, said Hamish finally, still inspecting the Facebook post. Everyone who knows Caitlin will guess that. I mean, shes hot, right? Its probably just some teenage boy whos pissed off he cant have her.

Paula disliked the adjective hot being applied to their daughter.It could have been worse, Hamish added, standing up. Theres

no picture of Catie, its obviously a doctored image. And theres only two hundred likes.

But thats double the number from this morning.Hamish walked to the drinks cabinet and poured himself a whisky.

Want one?He knew she never drank whisky. Red wine, yes. Sometimes too

much of it as she sliced and diced her way through dinner preparation. But never hard spirits.


22

F IONA H IG G I N S

Paula shook her head.He lowered himself onto the lounge again. My quads are smashed,

he said, kneading his thighs with his knuckles. Theres a new instructor at the gym, made us do fifty squats without a break. Bloody torture.

Paula tried to remain calm. We havent finished talking about this, havewe?

Hamish coughed behind his handthe wheeze of neat whiskiesthen said, Look, Paula, Iknow its a shocker. But its almost November, itll be summer holidays soon and everyone will forget about it. Its the nature of the beast with social media. Ascandal one week, until the next big thing comes along. He shook the ice in his glass. Do you think maybe Caitlins been fooling around with boys? Enough to make someone jealous?

This line of questioning was almost identical to Mr Nelsons.No, Hamish. Caitlin just wants to kick a soccer ball around, you

know that. Shes not into boys yet.You reckon? He quaffed his whisky. Heaps of boys are into her.

Like that soccer coach, Cooper. Gets a stupid look on his face every time he sees her. And kids these days experiment a lot younger than we did. The worlds a different place now.

Hamish was right about that, Paula had to admit. Shed only recently discovered that some of Caitlins friends had smuggled alcohol into their last slumber party; bottles of rum and gin purchased for them by obliging older siblings. Paula had been horrifiedshe hadnt touched alcohol until just before her eighteenth birthdaybut was relieved to hear that Caitlin and Amy hadnt joined in the drinking, because both had soccer training the next morning.

Paula was struck by a sudden thought. Could the Facebook post somehow be connected to that party? Had the noticeable abstinence


23


of Caitlin and Amy infuriated their friends, so theyd posted a vulgar image about them, out of spite? She resolved to call Mr Nelson in the morning and mention it.

Come here, said Hamish, patting the sofa next to him. Youre thinking too much again, Ican tell. His smile told her he was seeking something more than conversation.

Paula looked in the direction of the TV room, where Lachie was lounging on his beanbag. Why did Hamish always want to make love when the children were still up?

She gestured at the mountain of washing in front of her. Im busy folding this.

It had been weeks since theyd made lovealmost two months, in fact. Their sex life had contracted in recent years, whittled away by the demands of domestic life. Her sex drive hadnt been snuffed out completely; it was just missing in action, Paula sometimes thought, trapped outside her body somewhere. Jammed beneath the garden hoses at Bunnings, tucked under junk mail in the letterbox, stuffed between the toothpaste and the tampons in the bathroom cabinet. Initially, when the children were young, shed explained her loss of libido as just a phase. Who could feel sexy, she reasoned, after a chaotic fourteen hours of running after a toddler and pre-schooler? Shed rationalised it to Hamish as a short-term loss: Im sure Ill feel like making love more when they go to school.

But it hadnt happened that way at all. Nowadays she was still busy, and just as tired. Dealing with the daily grind of school lunches, homework, after-school activities. Caties soccer training, Lachies guitar lessons, the washing and hanging, ironing and folding, grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning. The unpaid bills, the barrage of birthdays, the medical appointments, the weekend sporting regimen,


24

F IONA H IG G I N S

the never-ending gardening and maintenance jobs. The ceaseless rotation of school term and holidays, Christmas and Easter.

It was just a typical life in the suburbs, Paula understood, but at the end of most days, she had nothing left to give. She knew she had to make more of an effortto mount a sexual search party of sorts, and invite Hamish along for the ride, so to speak. But the last thing she felt like doing late at night was watching a dirty video, or whatever else the glossy womens magazines claimed would reignite the spark in their marriage. Sex had somehow become just another chore in her domestic routine, to be deferred until unavoidable.

Hamish had found solace in his work. Slogging away at all hours, relishing the responsibility and reputation hed acquired for himself over a decade. Not to mention the training opportunities, the bonuses, the regular team-building junkets to popular destinations around the country. Even during the toughest period of his professional lifewhen hed been forced to lay off more than twenty staff membersHamishs passion for work never waned.

By contrast, Paulas career held few prospects for advancement. As a part-time social worker at a local aged-care facility, she couldnt say she enjoyed her work, exactly: her shifts usually involved liaising with distressed relatives of the elderly residents, flagging their illnesses and issues, or offering bereavement counselling. But shed made a choice to accept that job when Lachie turned ten, mostly because of its flexible working hours. The pay was paltry, but in the past three years shed never once been asked to work outside of school hours. It was a job of convenience, enabling her to use her skills in social work, while always being there for thekids.

More than once, however, Paula had toyed with the idea of retraining as a midwife. Her own birthing experiences had been supported by


25


outstanding midwives; she could still remember their voices of quiet authority, their calmness under pressure, their comforting presence through one of lifes most miraculous processes. Shed been inspired by the idea of helping other women in the same way and, after researching her study options, shed raised the idea with Hamish.

You dont have to work, hed objected. My role covers us finan-cially. If you dont like your job at Bella Vista, reduce yourhours.

But I want to do something different, Hamish, shed insisted. You do training all the time. It keeps your brain fit.

And I have the big salary to go with it, hed replied. If you train to become a midwife, what will we see for it at the end of five years of study? Not a six-figure salary, thats for sure. If you want to stay fit mentally, pick something with a decent reward-for-effort ratio.

From a purely monetary perspective, he was right. Retraining would involve plenty of outlayof money, time and energyfor intangible returns like job satisfaction.

Meanwhile, there was nothing really wrong with her life, Paula had to concede. Many women would envy her the luxury of not having to work at all. Women like her sister, Jamie, who was trapped on a treadmill of mortgage repayments. So Paula had decided not to pursue the midwifery idea. Maybe when the kids left home, she told herself.

Paula sighed, folding another pair of Hamishs sports socks. Family life was the ultimate contraceptive; there was nothing sexy about socks.

Hamish reached for the remote and turned on the television, flicking through the channels until he found what he was seeking: a mixed-martial-arts program. Men with crooked noses and bloodied eyes, fighting like cocks in a cage.

Hamish, about Caitlin. . .


26

F IONA H IG G I N S

They hadnt really concluded that conversation.He dragged his gaze away from the television. It sounds to me

like the headmaster has it all under control. His eyes strayed to his mobile. Ive got some emails to answer.

Of course, Paula thought. Work was always more important. All that typing and swiping, clicking and flicking. People online at all hours, acting as though they were indispensable.

Do you want me to talk to Caitlin? he asked, still focused on hisphone.

She couldnt suppress her irritation any longer. Yes, Hamish, Ido. Caitlin needs our support right now, and youre sitting on the couch drinking whisky and reading your emails as if its no big deal.

Okay, okay, Hamish said, hauling himself off the couch and walking into the kitchen. He plugged his phone into a recharger, then turned back to Paula. Iknow its a big deal, Im not pretending it isnt. But theres no point getting worked up about it, when we dont have all the information yet.

Paula relented a little. Ithink Ill call Charlotte Kennedys mum tomorrow. Maybe she knows something.

Good idea. Hamish walked over and put his hands on her shoulders, massaging them gently. Ill go have a fatherdaughter chat with Catie now.

Thanks. She watched him move down the hallway towards the bedrooms. Shes a bit delicate, she called after him. Be careful withher.

He nodded and tapped at Caitlins door.


Fiona Higgins is the author of The Mothers Group (Allen & Unwin, 2012) and Love in the Age of Drought (Pan Macmillan, 2009). She lives in Bali with her husband and three children.

www.fionahiggins.com.auwww.facebook.com/fionahigginsauthor

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