Storm, p.13
Storm, page 13
The medic's response is quick and to the point. “She can, but no one else. However, it would be better if someone accompanies her in a separate vehicle.” The medic looks at all the anxious faces. “She possibly needs support, and we will be too busy with the patient.”
“I want to go to the hospital,” Amber states emphatically.
Ian, now the doctor with a patient, speaks firmly. “And I wish to accompany my patient, but it would be possible to go by private vehicle,” he says. “My car is in the long-term council car park in Picton. I can take Amber and Mrs Jenson. Dan, I think you should stay here, seeing we all came across to see you. Our parents and families need you here right now.”
I respond lethargically, “I will stay behind with George, Mike and the family,” I say, even though my heart is with Amber.
Then my father shouts his approval from near the door as I agree with Ian that I should remain. My responsibility is to my nieces and nephews. They should have an exciting festival.
Officer Boyd, very much in command, declares, “Then it’s arranged. We will take care of Malcolm on the boat, and the medic will care for Mr Jenson until he reaches the hospital. Amber, you and Ian can mind your Mum. Once we are in Picton, the ambulance will take Mr Jenson to Blenheim. We will take Malcolm, and the doctor will take anyone else who needs a ride.”
Ian looks at Amber. “Perhaps you need to get a small bag together for yourself and your Mum and Dad, just in case you don’t return today.”
Amber points to her bag on the floor but quickly gathers things for her parents to add to their go bag.
Boyd nods approvingly, “Good thinking.” Then he pulls Malcolm up by his right armpit and walks him toward the door.
“Hey!” Malcolm begins to struggle. “I can take care of myself unless you wish to charge me, but I am not sure what your charges will be.” He leers at the Officer. “That will be interesting.”
Officer Boyd sees Malcolm change into the person who frightens Amber. He shakes his head. Malcolm looks like he will continue to react negatively, but without prompting he turns back into an angel.
He stands tall and somehow manages to look elegantly commanding. “I mean, I am happy to walk. No need to hold me.” He moves away from Officer Boyd while talking, but Officer McBride moves up on Malcolm’s other side. Perhaps they understand he is a devious character.
Officer Boyd seems aware of Malcolm’s intentions. “We will not mistreat you. You are in charge of yourself, but we must guarantee you reach the safety of Picton undamaged.” It is Boyd’s turn to be charming.
Malcolm is non-plussed. For once he is unsure of himself, and Amber looks mystified by his attitude. She shakes her head and runs to gather up her backpack. Then she adds some more things to her parent's go bag.
I must say that I am surprised at Malcolm’s changed attitude because I have only seen him at his controlling best.
“Amber,” Malcolm turns towards her and speaks as if she is his lacky. “Make sure all our luggage gets onto the boat. I will leave that up to you.” He smiles sweetly at her as if nothing is wrong.
Amber stares back at him. I can only imagine what she must be thinking. I watch the police and Malcolm clamber onto the boat with Malcolm’s luggage followed by Amber carrying her backpack and parent’s go bag. Then the medic and Ian help Jon and Julie. I wander towards my house, not wanting to watch them leave. My father is ahead of me, but not by much. I catch up to him.
He doesn’t beat around the bush, “So, you are still in love with her, son?”
I don’t know where he gets these ideas. It is clear Amber hasn’t separated from Malcolm although I think she is ready to leave, but it isn’t as easy as it seems.
“I admire her. She was my best friend while we were young. Now, I have no idea what I think.” I feel my face closing up. I don’t want Dad to draw me out about Amber.
Dad looks like a cheeky imp. “Well, I certainly know. It is written all over your face. I can’t say I blame you. She is a beautiful woman inside and out. Your mother and I would be delighted.”
My chin is almost touching my chest. “Dad, I don’t think this is the right time.”
Dad takes me by the arm and propels me forward. “Son, it is never the right time if you don’t make a move. Go to Christchurch with her to help her move out. That would be a nice gesture.”
I don’t know how many times I have to explain that Malcolm could hurt Amber just because I am within cooee18. “Dad, I would enrage Malcolm. He can’t stand me even being in her parent's home. What would he be like in Christchurch? Besides, she has to work things out for herself.”
Dad looks at me in exasperation. “You can, in the least, make the offer. She can make up her mind whether you go or not. You will never get married if you moon around and don’t take action.”
I don’t know what to say. I know I will have to face my mother over the same issue. She will be worse. I am surprised she wasn’t at the Jenson’s house organising the two of us together.
I try to keep the irritation out of my voice. “Dad, we should enjoy Matariki and not think of such things.” I consider walking fast, but I know he is trying to help. I shrug and walk on, listening to the birds, the rustle of the bush, and the crash of waves against the cliff. It calms my nerves. These are the sounds of home.
I explain my misgivings. “Amber wouldn’t like living out here all the time. True, she loves it for holidays, but she is used to the city. I am not. This is the big problem.”
Dad's eyes pierce mine. “Have you asked her? You are making decisions for her when there is no decision worth making.”
I have to agree I haven’t asked her. That would mean I declare my interest, and what if I am not really in love with her? I shake my shoulders. But it is silly because I know I love her. I always have. She is the reason why none of my attempts at other relationships have worked. I match them up against her, and they all turn out wanting. Annoyingly, I was content to live alone until all this happened.
Chapter 25
Once down on the dock, I climb on board with my mother. I can feel how tense she is. She must be so worried. She hasn’t said a word except to ask me how I am. I am astonished because my dad, her husband, is in much worse shape than me.
Despite the choppy water, the trip across the bay goes without incident. I watch Malcolm from a safe distance. He does not notice that his bag, a small backpack, and the go bag are the only luggage that has made it to the boat. The go bag and the backpack are near me, and I am as far away as possible from Malcolm. I have no intention of having my things anywhere near him. A shiver runs through my body at the thought. None of us speaks as we travel across the Queen Charlotte Sound until we tie up to Town Wharf One in Picton. An ambulance is waiting patiently at the end of the dock. Ian sighs with relief.
“We can rush your father to the hospital, thank goodness,” Ian says, trying to cover his anxiety as we help Dad off the boat. I am worried about my father, but Ian seems to be more anxious than any of us. We have all put our faith in him. Perhaps the heaviness of that responsibility is weighing on him, but he is a doctor and must be used to it. I wonder why he is so concerned.
I nod towards him approvingly while reaching down to help Mum climb onto the dock. Her legs are shorter than mine, so it is a bit of a stretch. “Mum, you are coming with Ian and me.” I smile at her, hoping my trust in Ian will extend to her. She looks relieved as she gazes at the ambulance, realizing that help will come for Dad soon.
“It won’t be long until we know how he is,” I whisper encouragingly, having no idea why I am whispering. There is something heavy in the atmosphere. Perhaps it is Malcolm. I know my comment is inane because I know nothing of ambulances and hospitals. Mother probably knows much more. She had me and I required the odd stitch here and there, not always my fault, but I must admit, mostly.
A shadow passes across Mum’s face, and then she says, “Yes, I am pleased because I believe head wounds can lead to concussion, and that can lead to dementia. I don’t want such an outcome from today’s proceedings. All we wanted was a family celebration during this special time of year. As events have turned out, I believe we have something we will remember for the rest of our lives.”
I groan. How can I be so shallow? Mum must have been worrying about this ever since she first saw Dad. I have been so caught up in my own emotions to think about how it must affect her. I hadn’t given the result of the hit on the head a second thought. He is my dad, and as such, he has always been the guiding light in my life. I tell myself once again that I must stop turning inward and begin to think of everyone else. We have all been impacted by the result of the introduction of Malcolm into my family. I shake myself because there I go again, thinking of me. I must watch the others more carefully.
Then, Mum turns towards me and looks intently into my eyes, “What is the matter, Amber? You are worried about something.”
It is true, but I didn’t think my thoughts were that transparent. I try to look bright as I cover my thoughts by saying, “I was remembering how I left things with Daniel. He was so good to us about all this, and I didn’t even thank him before we left.”
Mum's face crinkles up in a smile. It is the first smile I have seen on her face since the drama with Dad began. “If that is all, you don’t have to be concerned. He knew the urgency of moving your father onto the boat and probably didn’t expect you to notice him. You will have plenty of time to go and thank him when we return home.”
My mother’s resilience amazes me. I wish to be so together that I can think outside of myself in crises, especially when a crisis affects someone whom I love dearly. At the moment, I am not being very successful at self-management.
I reassure her, but suspect I am really comforting myself. “I should have said something at the time. Danny will remember only how thoughtless I was of his help. Mum, he even risked his life when he entered our house. Malcolm had that rifle trained on him, and Daniel was nonchalant about the whole thing. He acted as if it was every day that a madman with a rifle and a knife were intent on hurting him. Now, I have no idea how long it will be until I see him again because I need to sort my things out in Christchurch first.”
My mum hugs me so hard that I have difficulty breathing. “You don’t need to do it all at once, dear. Christchurch can wait. All you need is to know that you are well and that things will settle. Your Dad and I are there for you. Don’t worry.”
My mouth falls open. Here, my father is so sick and may have life-shattering damage, and she is worrying about my well-being. She is consoling me when it should be the other way around. I am an adult and should be able to take responsibility for events. Yet it is me that caused all this stress, just as I did as a child. My mind wanders back towards Danny’s soft brown eyes, and I wish he were beside me. I know nothing serious can come from a relationship with him because he is content to live on his farm. He probably has suitable girlfriends to dream about who have lived in the area all their lives.
Ian’s voice shakes me back to reality. “Amber, we must hurry. Your mother doesn’t need to wait too long before we leave for the hospital. Your father is in the ambulance already. They will leave when the dock gives them clear passage.”
I return to the present and notice that the mail boat arrived about the same time as us. Yet another thing has gone unnoticed by me. There are several passengers whose vehicles clog up the boardwalk behind the dock. Their piles of luggage need to be moved to give the ambulance free passage. I wonder if we should help, but then I notice the owners have it well in hand. They are doing their best to get out of the way.
Ian prods me in the back to draw my attention back to what I should be doing. “If we hurry, we can be at my car in a few minutes. It’s in the car park just over there. The traffic should be light, and we can beat the ambulance to the hospital if we leave now. I want to prepare the guys at Accident and Emergency for him.” Ian’s eyes are pleading with me.
I remonstrate with myself because I am holding up proceedings once again internalising. I notice the police place Malcolm in the back seat of a police car with his bag. There are no flashing lights. I suppose because there is no urgency to get him to the station. He does not even look in my direction. I expected he would yell at me to go with him. Suddenly, I become aware of the flashing ambulance lights. This sight jolts me forward, and I begin to run. I have the backpack on my back and Mum’s go bag in my right hand, so I am weighed down somewhat, and then Ian catches up and takes my arm to slow me down.
“Remember your mother. We all need to get to my car, not you alone.” I note the slight sound of annoyance in his voice. He thinks I am selfish. I can’t blame him.
I blush and say, “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking,” and begin to walk quickly, but not too fast for Mum. She is fit and able and probably can outrun me at this point, but she is also stressed. It is her husband, after all, who needs hospital care. My mind finally focuses when we arrive at Ian’s car, which is dusty from sitting on the lot but up to the job of getting us into Blenheim.
My thoughts turn to the hospital. We were all excited when they completed the new hospital, but to me, it resembles a series of Quonset huts, posh ones, but still Quonset huts. Not the corrugated half-circular ones, the wooden ones built as barracks for the army, possibly during World War II. They were at Burnham Military Camp when a friend of mine did her Teaching Probationary Assistant year there. Oh yes, I know a few teachers, not only archaeologists. Teaching is probably more practical, but archaeology is critical because it teaches us history and shows how to prevent remaking our mistakes. We continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. We seem unable to learn from our past. I am not immune to this phenomenon, so I can’t talk. See what I have accomplished so far in my life. Here I am, almost thirty years old. I am unmarried and have achieved nothing, nothing other than being compliant.
I shake myself and look around. Ian had succeeded in getting us into his car so he could drive, sometime ago. We are almost in Blenheim, passing row after row of vines all neatly placed. Then, I begin to wonder why my mind is thinking inane thoughts. I guess it is avoidance. I don’t want to think about what might be happening to Dad in the ambulance up ahead. When we entered Ian's car, it managed to escape the crowd.
No one in the car wants to talk. We all have our thoughts. We are all worried. Dad's condition is worse than I first thought. How I wish this day had never arrived.
My mind slips back to Danny on the farm, teaching his nieces and nephews about the outdoors, conservation, the animals, the stars, and the whole environmental shebang. Doing that is far more exciting than reading musty old papers in archives here and there. True, I love reading information written at the time of an event. It is different from reading a present-day report about it, with today’s interpretation implanted, but it is not the same as the natural world Danny lives in. I can’t imagine why I didn’t return home frequently after uni. Scared, I suspect; afraid Danny would not want to talk to me the way he did when we were kids. And then there is that electric feeling when we touch. I wonder what causes it and if it is the same for him.
While my mind wanders all over the place, we arrive at the hospital, where Ian is all efficiency, parking his car near the emergency department, guiding us out of the car and towards the entrance where Dad’s ambulance is parked. Dad is protesting because he is on a gurney, saying he isn’t sick. He can walk. Ian arrives just in time to insist that the gurney is essential. Dad finally complies. Mum and I share a quick smile. We know what Dad is like.
Ian comes across to us. I am pleased that one of us knows what to do. At this point, I have quite decided I am better at being a robot, just following, not making decisions.
Ian is trying to reassure us. “You can accompany the gurney, but will have to wait when he goes for a scan. I hope they hurry up. I will accompany him wherever he goes in the hospital, so don't worry. I will be his patient advocate. They also need me for the details about how he was when I found him. He is in the best of hands.”
My mother goes to Dad and gives him a quick kiss on the head. They chat quietly, and I wonder what they are saying. They have been together for many years and shared much. The results of these events must be difficult for them both.
Chapter 26
My father, Ian, George and I arrive at the Police Station at the right time, but I am disappointed because Amber and her mother are still at the hospital. Her father has developed complications because of the hit to his head. I looked forward to seeing Amber here. It is Monday, two days after the altercation, and I miss her.
I feel my body sagging, weighed down with the prospect of the interview, hoping I will say the right things, but also worrying about Amber. “Perhaps we should visit Jon Jenson when we finish here,” I say hopefully.
My father guffaws as he slaps a hand on his leg. “He means we should go to see Amber. Once you boys left with your families, he mooned around like a lost sheep.”
My brothers all laugh. I cannot see the funny side of it. I watch the three of them enjoying themselves at my expense. “We should all be concerned about her. She suffered a dreadful event, and that scoundrel, Malcolm, he will get off Scot free.”
George interjects, “That isn’t quite right. He will be charged with attempted rape and assault, both serious charges. That is what the police officer told me would happen when he rang. They have told him he should go to Christchurch to get his affairs in order because they are sure there will be a conviction.”
This information does little to help how I feel. I control my urge to shout but say, “You heard what Malcolm said, that they would never keep him, and he will get off both charges if it goes to court.”
