CHAPTER THREE
THE WELL ACCIDENT ©
Louisa dropped the glasses she was wiping and ran out the back door. Panic gripped her.
It was so dark for seven o’clock, but winter in Gunnedah was a hard climate. It had been so cold and icy, of late.
As she reached the well she realised that the frost was starting to gather on the ground already. Peering down the well, all she could see was blackness. She started screaming Alfred’s name. Her cries were met with an eery silence. Someone grabbed her arms and dragged her back inside.
She was met with the children standing in a huddle, with fear on their faces. All except Ethel, who had managed to stay asleep.
“Mamma,” one of them cried. But she couldn’t make out which one. All she could hear was one of the blasted men insisting that Alfred Jr. go and get the Magistrate. He was thirteen years old for Lord’s sake. She wasn’t about to let him go out in the night to walk seven miles to get the Magistrate.
She rounded on one of the men who had been with Alfred and told him to ride into town. As well as the Magistrate, she wanted help, she wasn’t about to give up hope. No matter what they said, he would be alright. Yes, he would be alright, she kept telling herself.
Taking the rest of the men to task, she in vain sent them outside to work on a rig to get him up. She could’t understand what they were all standing around for when Alfred needed help. She did’t see their faces of hopelessness as they went outside.
Her thoughts drifted to what could have happened. He must have been knocked out. He would wake soon, surely, and start bellowing for help.
Oh God help her.
She ushered the children back upstairs to their beds. They were harder to get down this time. Their questions were unbearable. More so, because she had the same questions herself and no-one could answer them.
“Is Pa alright?” Alfred Jr whispered as she tucked a round eyed Peter in beside him.
“ Yes of course he is alright. He has just had a little accident and he will expect you up early to do your chores. So hasten to sleep” she whispered back with a catch in her voice.
When she heard the deep breathing sounds of sleep, she crept out of the room and downstairs. She couldn’t face being alone with her thoughts any longer.
Where had the time gone, she thought consulting her timepiece, it was nearly eleven o’clock!
On entering the bar she was met by the Magistrate and a Doctor. They explained to her that nothing could be done until sun-up. It was just too dark and cold outside for them to attempt searching the well.
Automatically she turned and resumed cleaning up the bar, but then the enormity of it hit her and she broke down and fell to the floor in a crumpled heap.
She felt kind hands helping her up to her bedroom. The doctor gave her a vile tasting liquid to drink and as she sat on her bed she thought she would never sleep again. The horror of it was just too much.
Then oblivion overcame her and she drifted into a deep sleep. She slept the merciful laudanum induced sleep. The doctor knew, even if she didn’t, she would need all her strength in the morning.
CHAPTER FOUR
RELISATION AND THE DAWN ©
Louisa stirred restlessly in her sleep. Her eyes were still heavy and her mind was cloudy. She was alone in her bed. Where was baby Ethel, why couldn’t she hear Alfred snoring. A sense of dread engulfed her. The memories hit her like a sack of flour, Alfred was gone. Fallen to his death down the well.
As much as she told herself that he would be alright, she knew deep in her heart that he couldn’t have survived that fall. Even if by some miracle he had, the temperature last night wouldn’t have spared him.
With dread she slowly started opening her eyes.
“Are you awake Mrs Brandt?” a strange woman sitting beside her bed asked. “Yes. Do I know you?”
“No dear, I am Jean the doctor’s wife, he sent for me last night to sit with you. There is a gentleman waiting to see you dear, I’ll just pop out and let him know you are awake,” she replied.
Louisa tried to stop her, “I must see the children, where are the children?”
She dragged herself from the bed and realised she was in the same clothes as last night. Oh well she thought, a comb through my hair will suffice for now. Where is my comb? Dear God, how am I going to tell the children?
Realising that someone was knocking on her bedroom door, she called: “Enter.”
A strange man came in. “I am sorry to have to inform you Mrs Brandt, that Alfred’s body has been recovered from the well out back. He is indeed dead. The Magistrate has had his body removed, as there will need to be an inquest.”5
Louisa could only nod, “I have to see my children, excuse me,” she replied as she ran from the room, stifling the tears that threatened to fall.
The upstairs rooms were eerily quiet. She could’t grasp the reason why. As she ran down the stairs, she heard hushed voices coming from the kitchen.
Bursting through the door, she found seven pairs of red rimmed eyes staring at her with fear.
The doctor’s wife Jane, was cutting the left over bread from yesterday into small slices. She hadn’t made another loaf last night, would there be enough, she thought.
“I will leave you to be with your children, Mrs Brandt. They are very concerned about what is happening. Of course, I haven’t told them anything.”
Louisa sat down at the head of the table, thinking as she did so that Alfred should be sitting there.
“Mama, what has happened,” asked Alfred Jr, “”where is Pa?”
“Darlings, I don’t know how to tell you this,” Louisa replied with tears streaming down her face, “but your Pa, had an accident last night and fell down the well. He has gone to heaven, to be with the angels.”
Alfred Jr’s eyes started to glisten with tears as he ran out the back. Louisa thought it best to leave him be with his grief. He was so close to his father, this would be a hard blow for him to accept.
As she watched his retreating form she realised that there were still six pairs of eyes watching her with confusion and despair.
Peter was the first to reach her, throwing himself at her with his arms circling her neck, as he sobbed, with shock.
Her brave boy Magnus, who never showed emotion, stood rooted to the spot holding baby Ethel in a firm grip as he rocked her to and fro. He would hold onto his grief and not let anyone in. She would need to care for this young man with gentleness.
Her little John, who was always so helpful, got up and started to clear away the table. The tears were falling heavily.Finally he gave up on wiping them away and sat down again burying his head in his hands.
The two youngest boys George and William were to young to understand what she had said, but they had picked up on everyone’s grief and were looking confused and saddened.
Ethel started to fuss, she wanted a feed. As Louisa felt her milk let down she realised that her little bub hadn’t been fed all night. As Ethel nestled into her breast with a sigh of contentment, she realised that this may be the last baby she would nurse. Little Ethel would never remember her Pa.
I just have to get through this day, then tomorrow and then one day at a time, she thought.
5 GUNNEDAH. (1883, August 2). Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) , p. 2. Retrieved May 26, 2017, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article135952127
“No dear, I am Jean the doctor’s wife, he sent for me last night to sit with you. There is a gentleman waiting to see you dear, I’ll just pop out and let him know you are awake,” she replied.
Louisa tried to stop her, “I must see the children, where are the children?”
She dragged herself from the bed and realised she was in the same clothes as last night. Oh well she thought, a comb through my hair will suffice for now. Where is my comb? Dear God, how am I going to tell the children?
Realising that someone was knocking on her bedroom door, she called: “Enter.”
A strange man came in. “I am sorry to have to inform you Mrs Brandt, that Alfred’s body has been recovered from the well out back. He is indeed dead. The Magistrate has had his body removed, as there will need to be an inquest.”5
Louisa could only nod, “I have to see my children, excuse me,” she replied as she ran from the room, stifling the tears that threatened to fall.
The upstairs rooms were eerily quiet. She could’t grasp the reason why. As she ran down the stairs, she heard hushed voices coming from the kitchen.
Bursting through the door, she found seven pairs of red rimmed eyes staring at her with fear.
The doctor’s wife Jane, was cutting the left over bread from yesterday into small slices. She hadn’t made another loaf last night, would there be enough, she thought.
“I will leave you to be with your children, Mrs Brandt. They are very concerned about what is happening. Of course, I haven’t told them anything.”
Louisa sat down at the head of the table, thinking as she did so that Alfred should be sitting there.
“Mama, what has happened,” asked Alfred Jr, “”where is Pa?”
“Darlings, I don’t know how to tell you this,” Louisa replied with tears streaming down her face, “but your Pa, had an accident last night and fell down the well. He has gone to heaven, to be with the angels.”
Alfred Jr’s eyes started to glisten with tears as he ran out the back. Louisa thought it best to leave him be with his grief. He was so close to his father, this would be a hard blow for him to accept.
As she watched his retreating form she realised that there were still six pairs of eyes watching her with confusion and despair.
Peter was the first to reach her, throwing himself at her with his arms circling her neck, as he sobbed, with shock.
Her brave boy Magnus, who never showed emotion, stood rooted to the spot holding baby Ethel in a firm grip as he rocked her to and fro. He would hold onto his grief and not let anyone in. She would need to care for this young man with gentleness.
Her little John, who was always so helpful, got up and started to clear away the table. The tears were falling heavily.Finally he gave up on wiping them away and sat down again burying his head in his hands.
The two youngest boys George and William were to young to understand what she had said, but they had picked up on everyone’s grief and were looking confused and saddened.
Ethel started to fuss, she wanted a feed. As Louisa felt her milk let down she realised that her little bub hadn’t been fed all night. As Ethel nestled into her breast with a sigh of contentment, she realised that this may be the last baby she would nurse. Little Ethel would never remember her Pa.
I just have to get through this day, then tomorrow and then one day at a time, she thought.
5 GUNNEDAH. (1883, August 2). Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) , p. 2. Retrieved May 26, 2017, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article135952127
No comments:
Post a Comment