Eight
It was a week since Luke had arrived in Pelican Crossing, and he felt as if he’d never left. He’d slipped seamlessly into Bob’s practice, and into life here in Pelican Crossing. Bob had been correct when he said it wasn’t a busy practice. Now, the three animals in the vet hospital had returned to their owners, he’d only had a few routine appointments to deal with, plus a cat who’d managed to get into a fight and lost a patch of fur.
He was enjoying the slower pace of life, and Nelson seemed to be enjoying the change too. Each morning, Luke rose early, and he and Nelson climbed down to the beach where he had an early morning swim and Nelson joined him. So far, they’d had the beach to themselves. Some days, he even braved the waves on a surfboard he’d found in Bob’s garage. On these occasions, Nelson chose to remain on the beach and watch him with a jaundiced eye, while Luke relived his youth, albeit with less energy than when he was in his teens. It felt as if life was one long holiday.
Returning home from the beach, Luke washed the sand from Nelson, then took a shower himself, before pulling on a pair of shorts and a tee-shirt, reflecting as he did so, how different this was from his life in Sydney. In his call the previous evening, Josh had assured him all was well with both the house and the practice and said how much he and Abby were looking forward to seeing Luke at Christmas. Luke was looking forward to it too but was surprised how little he missed Sydney and his son’s company. It was as if he’d had a new lease of life since arriving here.
Today being Sunday, the vet clinic was closed, so Luke had the day to himself. He planned to investigate the café he’d seen opposite the marina. The Blue Dolphin Café advertised breakfast and, since there were outside tables, Nelson could accompany him. Then he intended to spend more time wandering around Pelican Crossing to reacquaint himself with the town and note the changes which had taken place. He’d already made another visit to The Grand and was interested in visiting the brewery which produced the craft beer he’d enjoyed there.
When he and Nelson approached the café, Luke could see one of the outside tables was already occupied by a couple who looked a few years younger than him, a chocolate labrador lying at their feet. The dog raised its head as they walked past, but Nelson chose to ignore it. Luke didn’t recognise the couple, but why would he? It had been a long time since he lived here. A lot had happened in the meantime and there was no reason to believe the community in Pelican Crossing had remained the same.
After studying the menu, Luke ordered the Big Breakfast with an espresso. His mother’s Italian background had made him appreciate this rather than the milky drink Ness and many of his friends preferred. When his meal was served, along with a bowl of water for Nelson, the friendly waitress said, ‘I haven’t seen you here before. Are you on holiday?’
‘Not exactly, though it feels that way. I’m the locum at Pelican Crossing Vet Clinic while the usual vet’s away.’
‘Oh, I’d heard Bob was off overseas. Welcome to Pelican Crossing. I’m Janice.’
‘Luke Findlay, and this is Nelson.’ At the sound of his name, the dog raised his head.
‘Hello, Nelson,’ she said, bending down to pat him. ‘I hope we see both of you here again. Bob often came in on the weekend.’ She disappeared inside the café.
‘Well,’ Luke said to his pet, ‘seems we’ve made one friend here.’ Nelson grunted his agreement.
He had finished his meal, which proved delicious, and was on his second cup of coffee, when the man from the couple he’d noticed earlier came over to his table, hand outstretched.
‘Hi there. I couldn’t help overhearing what you said to the waitress earlier. I knew Bob was heading off for a few months. I’m Joe Harris, the local mayor. Always glad to welcome new blood to the town but…’ he scratched his chin, ‘why does your name sound familiar?’
Luke laughed as he shook the other man’s hand. ‘It’s been a while – over forty years – but I grew up here. Left to attend university and haven’t been back till now.’
‘Of course.’ Joe snapped his fingers. ‘That’s how I know the name. You must have been a few years above me at school. Didn’t you play on the rugby team?’
‘Wow, you have a good memory.’ Luke felt embarrassed. He didn’t remember Joe at all, but that tended to be the way of it. You could always remember those older than you, not those younger.
‘I’ll never forget that amazing try of yours which won the regional trophy,’ Joe continued, adding to Luke’s embarrassment. It had been his one success in what had been a pretty mediocre sporting career. He’d given up the sport soon afterwards, preferring to focus on his studies and his surfing.
‘Anyway, welcome back,’ Joe said. ‘Bob didn’t tell me who was taking his place. You can always find me in the council chambers, and you must come to dinner some time with Gill and me.’ He nodded to where his companion was watching them with interest. ‘This is a nice fellow,’ he said leaning over to ruffle Nelson’s ears. The dog made an appreciative sound of approval.
‘Thanks,’ Luke said. It was kind of Joe, but he doubted he’d take advantage of the offer. When Joe and his companion – and the labrador – had left, Luke finished his coffee, paid for breakfast, then began his exploration of the town. First, he headed to the nearby marina, where he leant on the wall to study the large number of vessels berthed there. It had certainly expanded since the few rows of boats he remembered, but the pelicans hadn’t changed. He chuckled to see a couple perched on the wooden bollards which Nelson was regarding with puzzlement. ‘Haven’t seen any birds like those before, have you, Nelson?’ he asked, only to see the dog shake his head.
Luke’s next port of call was the building where he’d seen the sign for the dive school. He’d done a bit of diving on a trip in his early twenties and gained his certification. He wasn’t sure if it was something he wanted to pick up again, but the water here would be very different to that he’d experienced all those years ago in the water around Sydney, and it would be useful to have the information.
After a friendly chat with a young man called Gary who ran the school, he left with a handful of pamphlets covering not only the dive school, but also kitesurfing the young man also managed, a fishing charter service operated by Gary’s father, and hot air balloon rides conducted by another local. Luke certainly had lots of options for outdoor activities here if he wanted to take up the opportunity.
As he wandered down Main Street, Luke came to the building he remembered as the fish and chip shop he and his mates had often dropped into after an evening out. It was almost unrecognisable. The door and windows of the hundred-year-old, two-storey building had been painted a deep shade of ocean-blue and gleamed in the sunlight. Gorgeous twists of bougainvillea adorned the wrought iron balconies on the upper level, and the name Crossings was tastefully printed on a sign above the entrance. This was the place he’d seen on the internet. It was impressive. Luke made a mental note to have a meal there while he was in town, perhaps when Josh and Abby came to visit.
The beach in this part of Pelican Crossing was busier than the one where he was staying. Today it was filled with families enjoying the sunshine, and surfers taking advantage of the waves. Luke wasn’t tempted to join them. He preferred what he had come to consider his own more secluded stretch of sand.
Seeing Nelson gaze up at him longingly, Luke realised more time had passed than he realised. It was time for lunch. He debated visiting the brewery as he’d planned, but unsure how welcome Nelson would be, he decided to leave it for another day, and headed back to where he’d parked his SUV.
Before long, he was back at the house which was his home for the next few months and after making a sandwich for himself and ensuring Nelson was fed and watered, he settled down in the courtyard with a beer and a book he’d discovered on Bob’s bookshelf. It was a history of Italian migration to Australia in the 1950s, and he was keen to discover if it made any mention of his mother’s family, of whose background he knew very little.