Chapter 5
Chapter Five
On Saturday, Emily drove to Joanna’s house in Sunshine for their monthly potluck brunch. She didn’t go every month now that she was a full-time student, but she decided to attend this week since she had finally finished her end of semester exams and she wanted to get away from the dorm, where everyone was still studying hard and the entire place stunk of ramen noodles and dirty gym socks.
She wanted to spend the day with Aaron, but he was at a conference in Sydney, so she’d miss out on her weekend fix. But she’d had her birthday dinner, and it’d been wonderful. They’d gone to a steakhouse near the university. She’d ordered the rump medium well, the way she always did. And there’d been enormous baked potatoes topped with butter, sour cream, chives and bacon pieces. Along with a fresh and delicious salad. They’d sipped a bottle of Cabernet and reminisced about their childhood on Bribie Island, as well as the little town of Sunshine that’d been their home for so long.
Aaron had told her more about his time in the military and what he missed most about it. The friendships he’d made there were rock solid, he’d said. He kept in touch with two of the other men who he’d served with. Both were still in the military, and one planned to stay—a career soldier, as he liked to put it. He was happiest that way, Aaron explained. He’d had a rough upbringing before he signed up, and the military had given him a new family, one he didn’t want to give up.
She’d enjoyed getting to know him better. Hearing about his experiences before his return to Sunshine helped her feel closer to him. She pondered all of this as she drove up the highway to the island. The bridge across Pumicestone Passage was the only thing that joined the island to the mainland. As she traversed it, she glanced over the side to the clear, sparkling water below. A sea turtle bobbed to the surface for a moment, then was gone again. There really was no other place in the world quite like Sunshine. It would always be home to her.
Joanna’s house was in the centre of Sunshine, not far from the beach. She could see the waves curling to shore as she parked in Joanna’s driveway. There were other cars parked in the street outside her house. Debbie and Gwen must already be there. Gwen was the one who decorated for each potluck lunch, and Debbie took photographs to keep as a memory. They’d used many of her photographs in their cookbook, and it’d been fun to browse back through all those memories when they were putting the book together.
Today’s theme was Nepalese. Emily had never eaten Nepalese before. But she’d been tasked with bringing the steamed rice, and since she had a rice cooker in her dormitory, preparation had been a breeze. Her rice cooker wasn’t big enough for a crowd, but she ran it a few times and then stowed the rice in a container to bring with her. It was still warm, and she’d wrapped it in a towel to help seal in the warmth. She hugged it to her body as she strode up the driveway, then stopped before awkwardly tapping on the front door. It felt strange not to be a resident there anymore, with her own key. She was a visitor now, so she waited a moment before turning the doorknob.
The ladies were all in the dining room and hadn’t heard her knock. Gwen stood by the table, looking at it with one hand pressed to her chin. She was studying a set of silver candlesticks.
“What do you think?” she asked. “Yes or no to the candles?”
“Hi, everyone,” Emily said.
They all shouted greetings and embraced her.
“It’s been such a long time,” Joanna said, wiping her eyes. “It’s good to see you, honey.”
Emily laughed. “It hasn’t been that long. But I’m glad to see you as well. It’s good to be home.”
“How’s university?” Debbie asked after taking a photo of the three women hugging.
“It’s going well. It’s harder than I thought it would be. I haven’t studied science much before, and it’s wearing me out.”
Debbie grinned. “I can’t even imagine. Good on you for taking on such a big challenge.”
They all helped set the table. Emily’s bowl of rice took the central place. There were small dumplings filled with meat, called momo . There were three different curries: beef vindaloo, a potato curry, and ginger chicken with mushrooms. Finally, there were plates of naan bread, papadam, pickled cucumber, an eggplant dip and a spicy tomato sauce.
“This looks delicious,” Emily said, and her stomach grumbled in response to the scents wafting up from the table. “I’m looking forward to trying it all.”
“Me too,” Debbie replied. “I love Nepalese.”
“I haven’t tasted it,” Emily said.
“Oh, there’s a darling little restaurant in Kingscliff me and Duncan always go to whenever we visit,” Gwen said as she fussed with the place settings. She caught herself and looked up. “I guess I’ll be going by myself from now on.”
Emily squeezed her arm. “I’ll come with you.”
“Thanks, honey,” Gwen said with a tight smile. “There are a lot of things I’ll have to do on my own now. I never thought I’d grow old alone. I dedicated myself to my husband and family, and now my twilight years will be me, myself and I. It’s hard to believe. I still have some adjusting to do.”
They all sat down to eat once the drinks were poured. There was a lovely Shiraz from Western Australia and a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. Emily chose the white, since she didn’t like the way red wine made her head feel the next day.
“Let’s have a toast,” she said, raising her glass. “We’re all in a stage where things are changing. We’re embarking on new adventures. And I, for one, am very glad that I have the three of you to lean on. To new beginnings!”
“To new beginnings!” they all said in unison as they clinked their glasses together.
As they ate, they chatted about what each of them had been up to. Suddenly Gwen’s face lit up. “I have something I want to discuss with you all.”
“Go ahead,” Debbie said. “But first, I have to commend Joanna on these dumplings. They are incredible. I don’t think I could ever get enough of them.”
“Thanks,” Joanna replied. “I love them too. Tell us what’s on your mind, Gwen.”
Gwen cleared her throat. “I was taking a walk on the beach when I came across the block where your restaurant used to be.” She nodded at Joanna.
Joanna arched an eyebrow. “Oh, yes. The poor old empty block. If only someone would do something with it. I hate driving by it and looking over at the forlorn mess that’s been left behind. It’s so depressing.”
Gwen nodded. “I’m glad you feel that way. The place next door, that run-down bed-and-breakfast, is on the market. And I’m considering buying it, along with the restaurant block, and turning it into a boutique inn. What do you think? Am I crazy? Or is it a good idea? I honestly don’t know. I don’t trust myself to make a good decision.”
Emily crunched into a papadam.
Joanna tipped her head to one side. “I think it’s a great idea.”
“Are you sure you want to take on such a big project?” Debbie asked. “There’ll be a lot involved.”
“I know it’s big. But I’ve never done anything like it. I don’t want to end my days without having achieved a single thing.”
“You’ve raised four beautiful children. I think that’s a massive achievement,” Emily said as she dipped a piece of naan into the spicy tomato sauce.
“I know it is. And I’m very proud of that. It’s my biggest achievement for sure. I wouldn’t change that for the world. But I want something that’s just mine. Something I can look at and say I did that . I think this could be the type of project that rejuvenates me. But maybe I’m expecting too much of it. Maybe I’ll fall on my face. I honestly don’t know.”
“If you fall on your face, then you fall on your face,” Joanna said. “You have a dream—you should follow it. But can you afford it? That’s the big question. You don’t want to send yourself into financial ruin at this age.”
Gwen nodded. “I have more than enough to squander on this project. If it fails, I’ll still be able to retire comfortably. Duncan has been a good provider, if not a loyal husband.”
“You should do it,” Debbie added. “If you want to, I say go for it. And if you need any legal help, I’ll be happy to do that for free.”
“And I can put together a menu and work with you to hire staff for the restaurant,” Joanna added.
“I don’t really have any expertise, but I’ll help in whatever way I can,” Emily said.
Gwen’s eyes shone. “Thank you. I knew I could count on you all. I’m going to do it. I’m going to develop the best inn and restaurant in Sunshine.”