Chapter 1
Hannah opened her eyes. A smile spread across her face. Thoughts raced through her mind clearly remembering lovemaking with her husband, not once, more times she cared to remember. Her body tingled. Her name now Hannah Frances Gibson, no longer Hannah Young. Memory returned of their wedding breakfast. Her father handed Joe an envelope. His words, ‘Congratulation. You are part of the family. I have a gift for you both. These are the deeds to ‘Tilbaroo Station’. The property now belongs to you’.
Where was her husband? His side of the bed empty. After dressing she walked to open the flap on the tent to a bright daylight morning which stung her eyes. Hannah blinked at the sudden sunlight to make out a male silhouette standing over a fire.
'Good morning husband.' She said in her sexy voice. Joe tendered the open fire in front of the tent, looked up, his wife standing before him.
'I wanted to serve you breakfast in bed.' Before his words escaped his mouth, she leaped toward him; threw her arms around his neck kissed him hungrily on the lips. Almost losing his balance, he murmured. 'Welcome to our new home.
Take a seat on the log near the fire. I'll have your breakfast ready as soon as the billy boils.' Hannah sat on a nearby log, wrapped her arms around herself, gazed about her surroundings. Happiness exploded in her mind. A cool breeze brushed her cheeks.
Sound of a laughing kookaburra broke the silence. Hannah acknowledged the bird laughed at her. Morning freshness touched her senses including bacon and eggs. Her husband selected a plate from the camp gear, placed two pieces of bacon with two fried eggs onto an enamel plate together with a knife and fork, handed them to her.
'This is our first breakfast together as a married couple.' His response sweet whilst throwing a handful of tea leaves into boiling water of the billy. With a fork stick, to hook the wire handle of the billy, lifted the handle placed the billy on the ground beside the fire to settle. Striking the side of the billy with the stick, tea leaves settled before pouring the golden liquid into a pannikin to hand to his wife.
Sitting with her legs crossed she rested the enamel plate on her thighs, her mouth watered. She devoured the food soon to leave the plate empty.
'Does this mean you cook breakfast each morning.' Hannah smiled at her husband. 'This was delicious, thank you. I'll wash up.'
‘When you slept. I fell in love with you all over again.' He leaned across pecked his wife on the cheek. 'I love you so very much. I am the luckiest man alive. I am going to work my butt off to make this property the best in the district. I still can't believe your father gifted this property to us as our wedding present.' A smile of joy spread across his face.
'I had no idea what Pa was going to do. A total surprise. You could have knocked me over with a feather when he handed you the envelope, told you he gave us ‘Tilbaroo Station’. Mind you, only the land. The ole homestead is gone after the fire. I've got to overcome the fellow burnt to death.' Hannah took a sip of her tea.
'Living in a tent must be hard particularly when you're used to a fine home in Cunnamulla.' Joe said finishing his meal. 'Depends on how much time we have off to clean this place to start building.' His eyes moved to the burnt out remains of the homestead; his mind recognized nothing to salvage like the time when Ma's home burnt. After clearing the old homestead, he would start from scratch to build a new homestead for his wife plus future family.
'Doesn't matter Joe. My grandparents lived in a tent before they built their home on ‘Kahmoo Station’ after they married. We can do the same. Not much housekeeping to do only make the bed, sweep the floor. We'll be right.' She cheerfully explained.
Joe finished breakfast. 'I suppose we're lucky to be given the property. I have always wanted my own place. Have no idea when we will be able to stock. Probably your father will have something in the pipeline.'
'Until then Joe, we'll make everything work.' Hannah finished her tea, started to gather the dishes placed them into a dish to wash. After completing this task, she tidied the camp, made their bed, swept the floor with a stick fastened with branches from a nearby mulga tree to use as a broom.
After celebrating their wedding in Cunnamulla on Christmas Day they bid farewell to their parents and Ma, gathered their belongings to start their new life with a new sulky given to them as a wedding present, hitched Joker to the sulky, made their way to ‘Tilbaroo Station’. Hannah wanted to spend their honeymoon on the property.
By late afternoon they arrived. Joe instantly chopped enough logs to frame a tent fasten with cord to secure each pole. Canvas covered these poles to create their first home. They both worked together until the sun set.
'That'll do us until tomorrow.' Joe said, 'I'll prepare a bath for you.'
Boiling water in a drum he poured the water into a tub after he placed the tub inside the tent.
‘Hannah. Your bath is ready.' Hannah enjoyed her time in the bath. When finished left the water for her husband to use. Hannah fondly remembered her husband making her a bath before retiring to bed to enjoy their first night as husband and wife.
After cleaning the camp-site Hannah said, 'what about you harness Joker. Show us around this wonderful property we now own.' Joe carried out her instructions. Soon both started off in the direction to the eastern boundary of the property. A beautiful day, clear sky with the sun almost at its zenith. A cool breeze softened the heat.
'I used to work here. Never imagined owning this place.' Joe explained to Hannah.
'Tell me of your experiences here Joe.'
'First time I met Joe Ryan. Funny when I think back on the time. Who would have thought our lives would finish like they have? Obviously, Joe found his lifetime ambitions whilst I could not be happier than to marry the girl of my dreams'. His look toward Hannah showed all his love he possessed in his heart and soul.
'A long time ago Joe.’ Hannah replied. ‘Show me where you shore the sheep. Do you remember?'
'Along here somewhere. Was not a shearing shed like your dad’s place, only yards with canvas on the ground? We shore in the open. Even slept in the open. Here, the remains of the yards.' Joe pointed to a set of broken bush-built yards. 'They'll need to be repaired.' His memory flashed to the time shearing sheep in midday heat. Fighting the heat, flies difficult to sleep at night. So long ago, he pondered. Thinking of this time when he first got involved with Joe Ryan. What a fool. Hold on a minute, if he had not met Joe than he would not have met Hannah married her. Blessing in disguise, Joe thought.
'We've got plenty of time to fix this place. With me working plus you employed by father, I am certain we will do everything. We've got the rest of our lives.' Hannah shared.
Joe investigated the distant mulga trees. Thick Mitchell grass growing knee high. Pastures rolled in Mitchell grass since the property had been destocked.
'We'll look over on that hill.' Joe pointed to the eastern boundary.
'How big is this place Joe?' Hannah asked.
'Probably about the size of your father's place, thirty thousand acres. I’ll ask him.' Joe appeared pleased with the type of country he discovered so far, more than enough stock feed to graze sheep. More than enough timber to build his home plus shearing shed.
They continued making their own track toward a rise to the eastern side of the property.
'What's over here? Looks like a bore. Water is gold in this region. If we have a bore, we’ll have a constant supply of water.' Joe continued toward a pipe with water flowing from the end into a large pool.
After stepping down from the sulky, he walked to the other side to help Hannah down. A large pool of water flooded the ground, a pipe positioned in the centre of the pool discharged water filling the pool to overflowing. Joe could not believe his luck.
'Hannah. Do you realise what this means? This is pure gold.' His excitement took Hannah by surprise.
'Why?' She looked at her husband as if he had gone stark raving mad. She did not understand his excitement.
'Water is gold in this country. We can make drains to most paddocks to water stock. Never be short of water. I wonder why the previous owner didn't use the water?' His mind returned to the morning he confronted Mr Clarke about moving from the property. Also, the following morning to find the homestead destroyed by fire. Mr Clarke dead. 'Why did he kill himself?' He muttered to himself.
'Joe. What did you say?' Hannah asked thinking the sun might have affected his mind.
'With water here on the property, I cannot understand why Mr Clarke, didn't use the water. He told me the day I spoke with him his father left the property to him. He did not want to be a grazier. He'd sold his sheep to a neighbour.’ Joe's concern about Mr Clarke made Hannah think Joe began to explore into something he should not have.
'Shouldn't you let bygones be bygones. The past is the past Joe. You can do better than Mr Clarke ever did.'
'Anyway, won't hurt to find out what happened in the past. Gives me a bit of history of the place. My memory of working here only shows how hard to work under harsh conditions. A question I want to ask you Hannah.' Joe said.
'What do you want, my husband?' Her face questioned. 'I'm all ears.'
'Instead of building the homestead in place of the old one. What about I build here near this bore. Plenty of water, timber to cut, only problem, a few miles from the road. What do you think?'
‘No problem. I quite like this area. Look at those hills in the background. I can picture us seated on the front veranda swing, looking at those rolling hills. Right by me Joe. I didn't want to live where that fellow died anyhow.'
'Right you are then. I'll build our homestead right here.' He marked a cross with his boot on the ground for the position of his new home.
'We're in no hurry. Are we?' Joe asked Hannah.
'No. Why? We are on our honeymoon. Times our own.'
'Did you bring anything to eat?'
Hannah walked to the sulky to remove a basket containing food she packed for their short trip. 'I thought you'd like a cuppa on the way. I packed lunch. What about building a fire to boil the billy? I'll set out lunch.' Hannah hurried to a nearby patch of grass under a huge gum tree, spread a tablecloth on the grass before setting out the food.
Joe quickly built a fire put the billy on to boil. Once the billy boiled, Joe made tea, filled their pannikins sat cross legged beside the tablecloth. Hannah prepared a sandwich handed the sandwich to him. Their eyes met, words, 'this is heaven' flowed from their mouths at the same time, both giggled. Their love happiness better than they had ever been, at this moment, of their newly married life.
After lunch Joe helped Hannah clear the area. Both lay against the trunk of the gum tree.
'Hannah. Thank you for being my wife. I'm the happiest man in the world.' Holding her hand, he leaned across kissed Hannah softly on the lips.
Hannah could not reply. Her throat thick with emotion. Tears filled her eyes. She smiled, leaned back against the tree, closed her eyes. Soon fell into dream land. Joe seated beside Hannah leaned his head against the tree trunk, also falling asleep.
A cool breeze woke Joe. He looked at the sun. To his estimations would be around early afternoon. Hannah slept peacefully. He did not want to wake her from her slumber. She moved; her eyes opened. 'What’s the time?' She asked in a groggy tone.
'I'd estimate about four o'clock. We must've been tied because we slept through the afternoon.'
'Joe, I don't care. This is delightful, relaxing. Please build my home near this tree.' She smiled leaned across kissed Joe on the cheek.
'Your wish is my command.' He answered.
By the time they returned to their camp the sun set in the western sky. Joe stoked the fire to cook their dinner in a camp oven. Before they left after their wedding Hannah salted enough meat to last a week. She packed potatoes, pumpkin, a variety of beans she grew in her garden.
Although this became a strange way to enjoy their honeymoon, Hannah did not care so long as they were together to enjoy what they did. Joe’s mind filled with ideas, thoughts gathered, to what he needed to do.
'No hurry to fix everything immediately.' Hannah told him reading his thoughts whilst she stirred the vegetables in the camp oven. 'We've got all the time in the world. I want us to spend our honeymoon here to ‘understand one another' without interference from anyone. I do expect Mother, Ma and Pa to visit us before we leave, or we should visit them on our way home to Cunnamulla.' She threw a handful of tea leaves into the boiling water in the billy.
'I'm still getting used to believing you are my wife. I cannot believe how everything has come together. Who would've thought we'd marry after what we've been through together.’?
'I can't believe myself. Must have been meant to happen. I honestly think I first fell in love with you when I spoke to you through the cell door the morning, I visited you at the police station.'
'Yes, thinking back, although I had never seen you, your voice kept in my mind all through my imprisonment at St Helena Island Prison. Your voice saved me many times. To think we both fell in love at the same time and place. Hannah, this was meant to happen.'
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