DELUGE
In Australia, we are used to prolonged droughts which are usually broken with flooding rains. Although this story is fiction it was written from an actual experience where I was cut off in Western New South Wales for several weeks.
My name is Judith McCrae and although I'm not tall it has been said that I'm an eyeful although I hate my breasts because they are not as well developed as my friends. I am single and although I am twenty-three, I really haven't had a boyfriend which is mostly because of my shy retiring nature and so when I announced I was taking a three-week bus holiday my parents and friends were stunned.
When Dorothea Mackellar wrote her famous poem about Australia being a sunburnt country of drought and flooding rains, she couldn't have been more correct. When I started out on my first real holiday the country was dry and dusty without a blade of grass. It was sad traveling along the highway where kangaroos stood on the roadside without the energy to jump back from the oncoming cars and road trains and then one morning we awoke to a cloudy humid morning and over breakfast were told that we could expect rain during the afternoon.
The rains came making the road almost impossible to navigate. It wasn't showers or even refreshing steady rain rather it was a deluge of heavy drought-breaking rain. It bucketed down all afternoon and when we arrived at out nights' accommodation we were soaked to the skin before even entering the reception.
The accommodation was a huge pub come camping ground with cabins and motel styled units included. Being an organized tour we were housed in very comfortable motel units with covered access to the pub and restaurant so that evening we relaxed in dry airconditioned comfort around the pub's tables and friendly restaurant which after our wet reception was simply wonderful.
It was still dumping gully raking rain the following morning and when we arrived at breakfast, we were asked that once we had finished eating, we report to the large hall attached to the pub. Entering shyly I was amazed to see not only everyone who was staying at the facility but also the townsfolk as well. It was noisy with people talking loudly while waiting for the meeting to commence. I have never felt so alone and confronted in all my life so feeling very much out of place I found a chair and sat there feeling nervous until a woman walked out onto the stage calling for silence.
Although most people would say she was strange I saw her as the most beautiful person I had ever lain eyes upon. She was much my height but although my breasts are not huge hers were almost impossible to discern. She was dressed in a grey above the knee skirt with a white blouse. Her black hair was tied back with a multicolored bandana and she had a stud on her left nostril and what appeared to be a rainbow tattoo on her left biceps: I was captivated.
Having brought the hall to silence she announced that due to the heavy overnight rain floodwaters had cut the highway in both directions. She then went on to explain that our accommodation was going to continue until the emergency was over. As you can imagine there was pandemonium after she had announced this so feeling panicky and even more insignificant than before I quickly made my way through to the restaurant where I ordered some raisin toast and tea. Sitting alone in the big restaurant I was surprised when the woman who had made the announcement sat opposite me.
"Hi, I am Sandy Jackson and if I am not wrong you are very frightened."
"Yes, I am frightened. We have the river only a few hundred yards from here what do we do if the park is flooded? Sorry, my name is Judith."
Reaching across Sandy held my hand. "Judith take a deep breath and release it slowly we are quite safe here. Now, why not join me in another cup of tea and we can have a good old-fashioned chat."
Seeing her perfect white teeth as she smiled at me, I calmed down allowing her to buy me another pot of tea and when she rejoined me she told her story.
"Judith, I am twenty-six and as I work for Emergency Services and just happened to be holidaying here, I have been asked to make sure everyone is kept informed until the police can be flown in after which I will report to them."
"I completed an arts degree at university where I majored in fine art, but I am sure you are aware that there are limited work opportunities and especially for someone who only achieved basic passes hence the position with emergency services. I do love to paint and so I keep a small studio at home where I make a meager living selling my work. I have two younger sisters and they are both happily married. I have never thought of being married simply because I prefer the company of women."
"How about you Judith."
"I am not lesbian or at least I don't think so."
"I was meaning your story."
"Well I am twenty-three and like you, I went to university where I completed a degree in arts-law. My father is a doctor while my mother is a legal secretary working for a large law firm in the city. Unlike you, I don't have any brothers and sisters. I am very shy and retiring and so I haven't really had any boyfriends."
"I don't understand what you are saying about your boyfriends could you elaborate."
"I have dated boys but when they try to kiss me or fondle my boobs, I pull away: you see I find this so embarrassing because my breasts are so small."
"Judith next to my tiny treats yours are huge."
Too embarrassed to say anything, I sat opposite her in silence wondering why I was blushing.
"The way you speak you give the idea that you are really not interested in boys so how do you mix with us girls?"
"My best friends are all girls, but we haven't experimented if that's what you are fishing for."
"Judith you are a very beautiful woman, but I only want to know more about you. The question about you going further is entirely up to you. I already have a girlfriend. I wouldn't say it's a strong relationship more like a convenience affair where we sleep together when we are both feeling horny. I have been here for almost two weeks and she hasn't even phoned me. I imagine she has found someone younger and so more interesting."
"You are way sexier than me."
"Sexier! Is that how you see me?"
