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Sausages, buns and seaside fun

Sausages buns and seaside fun

WE drive down the hill in silence. Scott is sitting next to me playing with the radio stations but other than that we are just taking in the slightly cooler air and fading sunset. We have the windows down and we're going too fast to attract the mosquitoes or midges so it's a pretty pleasant drive.

Some how Scott has found the "oldies" channel just in time for Ray Charle's "Hit the Road Jack". He cranks it up and soon he and I are singing at the top of our voices. Scott is doing his best Ray, I'm the chorus and we're cooking. It feels like the days of road-trips to Brisbane as teens heading to the gallery or the theatre. Mum would stuff on an old CD and we'd sing our way to the capital (well technically not our capital but hey we're 10 minutes max to the Queensland Border and 11 hours drive from Sydney so I'm claiming it).

Scott is in full Ray now complete with head wobble and Tom and Stuart are clapping in the back and suddenly the air around us, that was so constricting, is light and all is good with the world.

I know Scott had a "word' with Tom while I was in the shower and that was threatening to put a dampener on the evening. I was angry about it and also still a little unnerved by my talk with Stuart but I didn't want to cause any trouble with him and Scott either. I'd even made the decision to "behave" for the next 10 days though of course then Tom walked out of his room, freshly showered and wearing jeans and a white T - both of which had been spray painted to his body by the fairies of sex (lucky bitches). And all bets were off for a minute or two until calmed down again.

I'd changed into a 50s style, emerald green dress with little santa hats on it. This is not my normal attire but I'd promised my niece Rhian that I'd wear it and you can't disappoint a nine year old can you? Though I wasn't so sure I should be wearing it now. The tight bodice pushed my breasts up so high I could hardly see over them and it cinched right into the waist showing off more of my curves. Running kept me fit, yoga kept me supple and chocolate kept me curvy so I looked pretty hot in this dress and I knew it. The colour complimented my red hair (pulled back into a pony tail and not the victory roll I might have normally gone for) and brought out the intense green of my eyes. I thought Tom's eyes were going to drop out of his head when I came out of my bedroom like this (complete with redcons and santa socks). I looked like a slutty bobby-soxer and I knew it was appreciated by the smokey look in his eyes but that flickered out quickly. It was clear that if there was an attraction we had both decided it wasn't as important as my brother and Stuart - he was a true friend which made him more and less attractive.

We finally made the edge of town and if I'd thought it was crowded down town earlier then it was nothing on what was spread out before us. I wasn't even going to try to go in through the five ways in the centre of town and so made a quick detour around the main street area to park in under my parents unit. Mum and dad have just one car and two car spaces plus there were two guest spots. My sister and her family would walk down town from her place so there would still be enough room for my older brother's car too. In fact by the time we got there Dave's 4WD was already parked.

Parking, Tom and Stuart jump out to grab the camping chairs and rug while I drag my camera gear out of the car. My oldest nephew Nathan and I are the official family photographer and videographer and believe me with Mark, Rhi and her siblings on stage and a whole audience of Thomson's on the sidelines - this will be a family occasion and I'm just glad I charged up the batteries of my battered Nikon.

Scott locks up the car and we're off. We cut through the units and choose to walk down the board walk by the creek. The moon is starting to come up and the water is crystal clear. It's so clear we can see small fish darting here and there. The music from the centre of town is drifting towards us as are the aromas of the local restaurants and of course, the obligatory sausage sizzle. There is something about frying onion and ozone that immediately brings me back to my town where ever I am in the world. It brings me back to hot steamy nights like this and I'm suddenly almost euphorically happy. I'm home, I'm finally home. Scott, who is walking next to me, puts an arm around me and smiles like a loon.