MELD 1..........................
'He's coming!'
'Yes,' came another thought. 'I can feel him as well. We all can. He's greatly damaged though.'
'Another Department of Community Justice victim.' The thought was bitter.
'The old magic runs deep through him. He doesn't know it though.'
'He's got a good heart. There's great kindness in it and integrity.'
'He'll join us and we'll serve him. He'll be healed and we'll be complete. Are we all agreed?'
'Yes,' came a chorus of thoughts.
'Then come sisters, we have magic to weave. We must prepare for the arrival of our Liege.'
SEAVIEW.........................
The radio was now blaring a cheerful eighties song.
'Yeah, whatever!' I thought.
The announcer had just finished a quick weather report. Thirty four degrees centigrade, not a cloud in the sky and the midday sun dazzling off the blue, blue ocean. I wished I was in the mood to enjoy it.
I was driving up the Pacific Highway, driving north along the NSW coast, driving while trying to clear the anger, the hurt, the betrayal out of my system. It wasn't working.
In the meantime, I was wondering where I was going to stay for the night. All I had was my car and the caravan. About the only things I had left after the settlement. I'd lost the house, my plumbing business and pretty much everything else. The sleazy deal the Department of Community Justice had foisted upon me had spared me from criminal conviction but I'd had to give up just about everything I owned.
The bit that really rankled was that the DCJ knew darn well the accusations of domestic violence from my ex were a pack of lies. Hell, they'd put her up to making the accusations. I'd discovered the DCJ was full of men hating fem-nazi's who believed all men abused their wives and kids and had no scruples framing them to prove their point.
Department of Community Justice!? What a joke. 'Department of Bloody Community Injustice,' I thought sourly.
A sign on the road indicated a caravan park on the right. Seaview Caravan Park - 8km. I'd never heard of it. Didn't even remember it showing on the maps. Would have to be right on the sea I supposed.
'What the hell,' I thought to myself impulsively. 'Maybe if I stopped there and threw myself in the sea I'd feel less shity.'
I took the exit and drove down the road. There was something odd about the it. Like it was there and not there. As I looked in my side mirrors it appeared as if the road behind me was disappearing into the bush. It was a nice illusion and gave me a sense that I was escaping the crap of the world. I could almost feel a weight lifting off my shoulders.
Ten minutes down the road I crossed a cattle grid and came into a small caravan park. I stopped outside the reception building.
'Calm down,' I thought to myself. 'No need to take your mood out on the receptionist.'
I got out of the car, took a few deep breaths to calm myself down and entered the building. Inside I was met by a cheerful looking woman behind the desk. She looked about forty and, in a plain sort of way, rather attractive with an eye catching amount of cleavage showing through her shirt top.
"Hello Sir, I'm Joanne, welcome to Seaview Caravan Park. Just staying the night or a bit longer?"
I'd just been thinking for the night but I had this sudden urge to stay longer. It just seemed right. Like I was meant to stay. Joanne smiled at me. It was a mysterious look she gave me that seemed to turn my knees to butter.
"A few nights I think. Got any vacancies for that?"
"We certainly do Sir. Let's get it sorted out and I'll show you where to park your caravan."
I was expecting her to charge me a small fortune but the price was very reasonable and I was thankful for that. My finances were rather grim after being cleaned out.
She had me drive slowly down the road, following behind her. The arrangement of the caravans was odd. In every other caravan park I'd been in the caravans were laid out in a rectangular grid. Here, there were only six pads, laid out in a circle facing a set of semi circular benches. In the very middle was a fire pit.
Five of the spots were filled and Joanne had me carefully back my caravan in to take up the sixth.
"OK Sir, over to the left is the laundry area. To the right the kitchen area. Behind you is the ladies toilets and showers. The men's is on the other side of the circle. However, you can't use the men's toilet at the moment. It's blocked up and we haven't got anyone in to fix it yet. You'll have to use the ladies. We don't mind."
She pointed to each before continuing on.
"Mind you, I hope you don't mind finding some of the women using the men's showers when they come back from the beach. That's just past the men's through those trees."
She pointed to a line of trees. I could hear the gentle sound of the surf coming from that direction.
"Be very careful swimming in the water though," she added.
"Oh, why's that?"
"Because a little way out from the beach there's a powerful rip. Unless you're a strong swimmer, can keep your head and know how to handle yourself if caught in a rip it could be quite deadly."
"Thanks for the warning. I'll stay near the land."
"In the meantime," she continued, "feel free to use the ladies showers, which is much more convenient to you here than the men's. We don't mind at all."
I was rather startled by this. Also strangely excited. She smiled that mysterious smile again.
"Are there any ladies here or is it just couples or guys?"
She laughed.
"Sorry to disappoint you Sir but the only other guests here are single women. All about our age. Don't worry though. They're all very friendly, very earthy women and enjoy the presence of a man."
"What about you? Got a husband back there?" I asked stupidly.
She sighed.
"I did but he was killed in a motor cycle accident a couple of years ago. It's just me now. Andrew looked after the place and did a lot of the maintenance. He was a plumber by trade and would have fixed the toilet."
I saw an opening.
"Well, I'm a plumber as well. How about I fix the toilet and you give me a discount on the caravan spot?"
There was that secret knowing smile again.
"Deal. Fix the toilet and you can stay for free. There's a shed behind the reception that has all the tools."
Something was silently surging through me. Something wild and alive. Hope maybe? Hope about what? I could feel myself getting a bit hard. She smiled at me again knowingly.
"I'll let you get settled in Sir. I'm sure the other guests will introduce themselves soon. Also, in the evening, we get the fire pit going and like to sit around it and eat and talk and drink. Even dance. You're very welcome to join us Sir."
"Thanks. By the way, my name's Jason."
"I know Sir." Again that bewitching, mysterious smile.