The Life of Riley

Chapter 9: Mum

Branding cattle took it all out of Jack. All the energy he'd tried to store, just trickled out of him like blood from an open wound. He'd spent the dusty day with Eddie, June, Poppy and Mr Hughes, they'd tirelessly forced through 700 cattle in 5 hours. Lochie had spent the day in town, at a rodeo committee meeting, with important people and very black coffee. Jack had noticed the significant lack of Lochie today, he always enjoyed chatting to Lochie about the times he'd spent back in South Australia and the crazy explosive life he'd lived up in Dampier, but he was grateful for Poppy. Her gentle soul had kept June entertained most of the day, Poppy had taken her riding when she'd gotten sick of branding cattle and sung the same Dolly Parton song over and over again just to please June.

"Look Jack it's my pleasure, she's such an interesting kid, I love it." Poppy chuckled, when Jack thanked her on the ride back to the homestead. "You'll just have to buy me a beer tonight."

Jack agreed and couldn't help but notice the way her eyes shifted when he'd smiled. Maybe his had done the same, perhaps she'd noticed.

"Go and get ready dickhead, we've got a night ahead of us!" Eddie slapped his shoulder excitedly.

"Great! Look forward to it." Jack grinned, he could feel his fingers already curling around an icy cold can of beer.

He slipped down from Regret and tied him in his pen, gently stroking his neck and thanking him for the ride. Regret tossed his head, making Jack laugh.

"Hey Uncle Jack?" June stretched out her arms and fell into his.

"Yes June." Jack shut the gate before securing June on his shoulders.

"Does Poppy reminds you of mum?" She asked, her little hands resting in a clap on top of his hat.

"Of Luce? A little bit perhaps, does she remind you?" Jack gripped her legs, holding her upright so she could see the beautiful place that was Drovers Paradise.

"Sometimes when she smiles, it's almost like she already is my Mum." June stated. "She holds my hand and dances with me, just like mum did."

Jack's heart melted, this little girl had lost the one person in her life who knew he better than anyone else in the world. She'd been sent to earth so Lucy could love, raise and care for a baby girl, like every woman should have the right to do.

"I miss her Uncle Jack, I really miss my Mum." She rested her head against the top of Jack's, his hat on her head shielding them both from the afternoon sun.

"I know kiddo." He sighed as they stepped up the cottage door.

A parcel about the size of Radio sat on the veranda. Jack lowered June from his shoulders before studying the box. He carefully tore away the tape and unfolded the flaps, inside was a bronze urn with Lucy's name engraved around the outside.

June looked up at Jack through her thick eyelashes. She took the urn from his hands and pulled it close to her chest. She pressed her cheek against the cool bronze, a tear trickling from her eyes.

"I think we should say goodbye to Mum." She whispered, falling into Jack's chest, still gripping tight to the urn.

Jack wrapped his arms around the tiny little girl, with brown pigtails and blue eyes. He picked her up and carried her back to the horses.

"G'day you two." Mr Hughes appeared as they stepped into the stables. "What chya got there June?" He asked.

"That's Mum." She mumbled.

Mr Hughes turned his chin to Jack. Jack attempted to blink away the tears that were brimming in his eyes, but failed miserably.

Mr Hughes had almost forgotten what it was like to had a mother. He'd been a father for along time, his late wife Edith hadn't been a mother since Poppy was 16, Mother's weren't apart of his life anymore. But he'd loved his Mum, more than any other woman on the planet, before he met Poppy of course and perhaps Edith, but no woman had ever replaced his mother. The little girl at his feet didn't get to feel the love of her mother for very long, and he knew how important it was.

"Set her free up the top of Mt Kosciusko. She'll be closer to heaven up there, make the journey a bit shorter." He told June softly. June nodded vigorously before hugging him.

"We will."
•••

June put her hand into the urn that rested firmly on the ground, her fingers marvelling at the powder inside. She pulled out a handful of the powder before turning to Jack.

"Spread it in the wind kiddo." He said, she threw it into the air and the wind caught it, sending it into the valley below.

"Do you know any songs about Mum's, Uncle Jack?" June asked.

He nodded gently, leaning up against a tree, taking her in his arms and holding her tight.

"A little baby told God, 'Hey, I'm kinda scared, don't really know if I want to go down there, from here it looks like a little blue ball, that's a great big place and I'm so small, why can't I just stay here with you? Did I make you mad, don't you want me to?' God said, 'Oh, child, of course I do but there's somebody special waiting for you.'" He sang, swaying with the breeze.

"So, hush now baby don't you cry, cause there's someone down there waiting, whose only goal in life, is makin' sure you're always gonna be alright. A loving angel, tender, tough and strong. It's almost time to go and meet your Mum." His voice cracked as he sang. June's eyes never left his gaze, her mind so confused about everything but soul at peace with the sound of his voice.

"You'll never have a better friend, or a warmer touch to tuck you in, she'll kiss your bruises, your bumps and scrapes and anytime you hurt, her heart's gonna break. So, hush now baby don't you cry, cause there's someone down there waiting, whose only goal in life, is makin' sure you're always gonna be alright. A loving angel, tender, tough and strong." He kissed her nose.

"It's almost time to go and meet your Mum." They sang together.

"Now, when she's talking to you, make sure you listen close. 'Cause she's gonna teach you everything, you'll ever need to know, like how to mind your manners, to love and laugh and dream, and she'll put you on the path, that'll bring you back to me." Tears rolled down Jack's cheeks as the sun began to set, the wind swirling around their bodies, June's hair floating in the breeze.

"So, hush now little baby don't you cry. 'Cause there's someone down there waiting, whose only goal in life, is making sure you're always gonna be alright. A loving angel, tender, tough and strong, come on child, i-it's t-time, its time." He stuttered, his heart shattered into a thousand tiny pieces.

"It's time to meet your Mum." June blubbered, her little hands holding to Jack for dear life.

So the two sat, broken hearted but together, on the mountain of dreams, silently singing for a lost Mum.