Stories of Us.

Reclaiming the homestead ch1

Hi everyone,

This chapter is told from the point of view of Micah. Hope you enjoy.

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It's a beautiful autumn morning as I drive along the highway, the sky is a clear blue and soft clouds are scattered to the west suggesting rain to come. Wisps of fog still lay near the small watercourse and it creates an almost magical illusion of driving through clouds. The odd droplet of dew can still be seen glittering on the leaves of trees in the sunlight as we drive through a corridor of trees.

"Micah, look," Rosy's voice is a whisper that I feel as well as hear. I glance her way, the connection between us directing me where she wants me to look. I slow the vehicle as I see the sight out through the window of her door.

There is a lush green field along side the road, knee deep on a man in fresh green oats. On the far side of the field a small stand of trees flank a man made dam and just out from those trees, on the edge of the young oat crop is a mob of kangaroos. I slow the car and pull to the side of the road as we watch the mob of roos, one or two lift their heads to watch us for a few moments before returning to feeding. I find myself glancing in the rear view mirror and then along the road as far as I can see, the sight of the mob of roos is tempting. I can feel the same urge in Rosy and glance at her out of the corner of my eye.

"I can hear a motor bike somewhere," Rosy murmurs and licks her lips.

"It's broad daylight, we can't chance it." I tell her quietly and she rewards me with a soft laugh.

"I know, but don't they look tempting," Rosy says with a glance my way. I look at the dashboard of my car and note the numbers on the counter.

"We're under five kilometres from the turn off," I tell her and Rosy nods with a thoughtful look on her face.

"Let's go," Rosy says with a faint sigh. "I don't want to leave Wynn with Sam and Steven for too long,"

"You left enough breast milk for an entire twenty four hours," I remind her even though I know we won't be gone for more than eight, ten hours at the most. Rosy doesn't say anything but I catch the look she gives me from the corner of her eye and I know my fiancé is missing our son as much as I am. It seems unnaturally quiet without Wynn or the two older boys in the vehicle.

"Nice country side around here," I say as I guide the car back onto the road and resume driving. "It looks like the soil is rich. There are wide bands of trees everywhere, plenty of small streams running into the river."

"I've seen lots and wallabies and quite a few roos," Rosy says after a little while. The Navman speaks from the dashboard telling me the turn I am after is coming up soon and I start to slow the vehicle down, I spot the side road and flick on the indicator.

"How far back off the highway?" Rosy asks.

"About ten kilometres up this road," I tell her. "But I'm not too sure how far back the old homestead is set."

"I wonder what condition it is in," Rosy murmurs as if talking to herself.

"According to Kurt Ray lived there for about ten years after Jeddah disappeared and Marissa and Wade took your brothers in," I say repeating what I have already told her about an hour ago.

"So the place has been empty close to fourteen years," Rosy says aloud.

"Baxter said he thinks Ray used to come out here of a weekend up until about ten years ago, and then he moved to Brisbane." I remind her.

"Ten years is a long time for a building to stand empty," Rosy says with a sigh. "It's probably got possums in the roof and trees all over the cleared ground,"