Du Rose Legacy

Chapter 3-1

Chapter 3

Hana used the mindless administration and Sheila’s constant demands to drown out the panicked, screaming voice in her brain. She left her phone number with the secretaries of numerous lawyers, warned they might prove too busy to help. Staving off the sense of powerlessness through futile activity, she knew she wasted her time but did it, anyway. Traipsing around the school site, she counted power sockets for the expo, jotting their location on the floor plan. When she arrived back at the office, Sheila changed her mind about one of the presenters. “I don’t want them in there.” She flicked a manicured nail at the map. “I want them in Q block. They need a data projector. Did you see one there?”

“No.” Hana sighed and turned to leave again. Her footsteps dragged on the carpet. “I’ll check.”

Sheila’s brows knitted into a thin, pencilled line. “Is something wrong, Hana? If you’re tired, I can send Pete.”

Hana shook her head and produced a less than convincing smile. “I’ll go. I need the exercise.”

Time passed in a strange blur, the hands of the clock speeding up as she retraced her steps. Everything reminded her of Logan. She trailed her fingers across the cupboard door on the split-level staircase, remembering how his kisses took her breath away in the darkness a lifetime ago. The steps to the gym forced her to recall the muscle definition on his n***d back and the thought raised a blush to her cheeks. “What now?” she sighed. “Am I destined to raise my children alone again?” Only the occasional raised voice or scrape of a chair answered her.

Bodie waited for her in the common room. He watched her climb the back stairs as though every step drained valuable energy. His jawbone showed through his cheek as he ground his teeth. “Hi, Mum,” he said.

Hana stopped half way up the stairs and gripped the bannister rail in white knuckled fingers. “Hi, Bo.” She swallowed and drew on her dwindling strength to stop herself crying. “I guess you’ve heard what happened?” Disaster waited above her head, poised like a cloud burst.

Bodie nodded and waited for her to reach the top step. “Yeah, Mum. I heard.” He opened his arms and Hana allowed him to enfold her. She waited for his inevitable victory speech and tensed.

“I won’t say it.” He read her mind and patted her back. “I’m here to give you a ride. Angus asked me.”

“Thanks.” Hana smile looked forced and tightened the muscles in her jaw. She gathered her belongings from the office and left the amended floor plan on Sheila’s desk. Bodie led her down the back stairs, the silence between them creating an air of awkward foreboding.

Outside Amy’s house, Hana flew into a rage, the misery of her situation mounting into a storm of emotion. “I want to see Logan!” She locked the passenger door with her elbow and stamped her foot. “Take me to the police station right now!”

“No.” Bodie shook his head. “You can’t see him, Mum. Nobody can. Odering will question him and Amy promised to ring me if there’s anything to know. She’s the desk sergeant tonight. She’ll know before anyone else because she’ll be the one charging him!”

Hana ground her teeth as he got out and slammed his door. She watched him step beneath the porch and fit his key into the lock. The temperature dropped and she followed him in with great reluctance. “You look very at home here,” she grumbled, throwing her handbag onto the kitchen table and slumping into a chair. “Are you a couple?”

Bodie inhaled through his nostrils and let the breath go before turning. “No. I’m doing my share with Jas at the moment. That’s all.”

“Well good for you!” Hana closed her eyes, ashamed of her behaviour. The sound of a car door slamming preceded small feet running up the concrete driveway. Bodie’s son barrelled through the doorway, clattering against the wall as he made a beeline for his father. He waved over his shoulder at Hana.

“Hi Hanny, lovely to see you sitting there in my kitchen.” He turned his attention to Bodie. “Dad! I maked you this.” He waved a lumpy dough ball at Bodie’s stomach, growling as a blob detached itself and landed on the floor.

“What is it?” Bodie asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion. He poked it and left a depression in the ball. Jas jerked back, taking offence at his father’s inexperienced questioning.

“It’s goo!” he complained, bending to pick up the lump and add it to the mess. “You’re not having it now for being rude.”

A delicate little girl nosed her way through the open door and Bodie gave her a nervous smile. “Hi,” he said. “Who are you?”

Hana bit her lip at her son’s complete lack of diplomacy. She smiled at the girl and gave a tiny wave. The child returned her greeting as though complicit in some intrigue Bodie wasn’t invited to take part in.

“Hello.” A blonde woman stepped into the room and the small kitchen became full. Hana pressed herself into the back of the seat and fought a sudden wave of fatigue. Her awful circumstances didn’t foster a desire to be sociable. The awkwardness sizzling in the atmosphere drove her to act.

“Hi.” Hana stood and held out her left hand. “I’m Hana. Nice to meet you.”

The woman looked relieved. She took it and gave a gentle shake, acknowledging Hana’s broken right arm with a nod of understanding. “Sharon. Likewise. Amy and I share the kids. We often work opposite shifts, so we sort it out at the start of the month.”

“That’s awesome.” Hana cast her mind back to a conversation with Amy and pointed to the children. “Jacinder, right?”

“Yes.” Sharon nodded with too much enthusiasm and observed Bodie through the corner of her eyes. She checked him out and her cheeks pinked when she noticed Hana looking. “I’ll take mine home,” she said, gnawing on her lower lip as Bodie remained silent. “Amy said to bring Jas home today, so I didn’t feed him.”

“That’s fine.” Hana gave her a beautiful smile and the woman relaxed.

“See you again, Hana,” she said and grappled for the hood of her daughter’s coat. She missed.

Jas seized the child’s hand and led her into the hall. “Poppa Logan cleaned my room,” he said, the hitch of excitement in his voice as he marched towards his bedroom. “And he got me new sheets with soldiers on it. Come and see.”

“We need to go,” Sharon gushed, catching the hood and almost garrotting Jacinder. “Jas wants to spend time with his daddy.”

“No I don’t,” Jas argued. “Jacinder can have him if she wants. I’ve got Poppa Logan now.”

Hana winced at the look of thunder in Bodie’s eyes. His upper lip twitched and he walked into the hallway. “So, you don’t want the burger I got you?” he asked.

Hana heard a long pause and saw her son’s spine tense. Then pattering feet grew nearer and Jacinder left with a flustered Sharon. Jas followed Bodie into the kitchen and peered at the squashed offering in the paper packet. He wrinkled his nose. “Did you sit on it?”

“No!” Bodie’s head jerked backwards as though slapped and Hana saw a man so far out of his depth, he drowned each time he opened his mouth.

“I’ll microwave it.” She picked up the greasy mess and found a plate, pushing it into the microwave and struggling with the settings. “It’s nice of Daddy to get you something, isn’t it?” She turned to see Jas nod with reluctance.

She sat with him while he ate, avoiding conversation with her son. Bodie leaned his bum against the counter and folded his arms, watching how Hana interacted with Jas. She ached to soothe away the lost look in his eyes, wondering how it must feel to come into his son’s life so late.

“Wanna come play, Hanny? You do good games,” Jas asked, his brown eyes wide and hopeful. He wiped his greasy mouth on his sleeve and hopped down from the table.

Hana tugged on his arm. “Get back up and ask to get down,” she said, her tone discouraging argument.

“Why?” he asked, although he complied.

“It’s manners.” Hana waited while he repeated the sentence and then looked to her son for authority. “Is that okay, Daddy?”

“Yes.” Bodie swallowed and nodded.

“Seems a bit of a waste of time to me.” Jas shrugged and slouched to his bedroom as the tense atmosphere descended over the kitchen in his wake. “Up down, up down,” he chuntered like an old man.

Bodie sighed and ran a hand over his face. “Thanks,” he conceded. “He won’t listen to me.”

“Don’t give up.” Hana threw the burger wrapper in the dustbin and flicked the kettle on to boil. “The best things take time.” She sighed and her mind returned to Logan. Her husband exhibited unending patience, his experience with horses lengthening a quality into a formidable skill.

“Are you thinking about Logan?” Bodie’s voice broke the silence.

Hana jumped. “Yeah. I hope he’s okay.”

Bodie ground his teeth. “He dropped me in the mess with him. Did you know that?”

“I don’t know anything.” Hana stared at crumbs on the table and pursed her lips. “He wouldn’t do it on purpose.”

“Whatever.” Bodie rolled his eyes. “He rang me from the scene to ask what he should do.”

Hana’s lips parted. “He rang you for help?” She gritted her teeth to stop herself releasing any comment about the state of desperation which might drive Logan to make that call. “What did he say?”

“That he found Boris messed up. He called the paramedics.”

Hana nodded and gave a slow exhale. “I never doubted him.”

“Well, you should.” Bodie pulled out a chair and sat down. “They took his phone as evidence and traced the call to me. I spent an hour in the inspector’s room under threat of disciplinary.”

Hana shook her head. “He wouldn’t do it intentionally, Bo. I know you don’t want to believe me, but it’s true. He’s a good man.”

Bodie pressed the flat of his hand against the table and shrugged. “I’m so worried about you, Mum. Why won’t you listen?”

“Because you don’t say anything with any substance. It’s all speculation and your off kilter gut feeling.” She stood to make herself tea, waving a mug in his direction and sighing at his refusal. “You give me nothing concrete, Bodie but you seem desperate to hate him.”

Hana took her tea to Jas’ room and played with him. She read a story about an angry hedgehog and they fell asleep on the bed together, curled up into a comfortable ball of cast, arms and legs.

Amy arrived home after six o’clock and Bodie woke Hana with a gentle shake of the shoulder. She woke feeling groggy, with a toy soldier stuck in her fringe. Amy tutted at the sight of her sleeping son. “He won’t sleep tonight now,” she grumbled, pulling the elastic tie from her hair. It cascaded to her shoulders in a ruffled, attractive bob.

“Sorry.” Hana yawned and peeled Jas’ slender arm from around her waist. “In his defence I think I nodded off first.”

“It’s okay.” Amy’s gaze slid sideways towards Bodie and he ignored her. She leaned over Jas and stroked his hair. “Come on dude. Let’s get you washed and ready for bed.”

Jas leaned across and planted a wet kiss on Hana’s cheek. “Night, Hanny,” he said and yawned.

“Night baby,” she replied and gave him a little wave.

“I should get you home,” Bodie said. “Want me to stay with you?”

“That would be nice.” Hana felt a wave of gratitude at his olive branch. “I’d like to speak to Amy before we leave, in case she saw Logan.”

Bodie tensed but allowed her to straighten the bed covers and tidy up while she waited for Amy’s return. Jas pounded into the room first, wrapping his arms around her thighs. “I love you so so so much, Hanny,” he purred, kissing the front of her shirt.

“I love you too.” She smoothed his curls flat with her palm and patted his bare bottom. “Get your jamas on, gorgeous. I need to speak to Mummy.”

“About me?” Jas used his trousers like a sail and ran n***d around the room.

Hana laughed. “Maybe. And maybe not.”