Take Cover from Tracy

Jake entered his room, and given what had happened with the luckless Jessie the young man checked the bathroom and found that Abbott and Dwayne had indeed managed to ensure there was a roll of toilet paper on the holder. However, in the main part of the room the two boys had obviously had a problem with overlooking things that weren't supposed to be there than overlooking things that were supposed to be there.

Sitting quite openly on the bedside was a packet of condoms, some unused contraceptives hanging out the side. Jake shook his head and moved the condoms into a bedside drawer. Evidently the previous occupants of this room had been having some fun. Jake sure wasn't.

From the next room, thanks to the thin walls Jake heard the sound of Jessie flushing the toilet, then the taps running as she washed her hands. Jake thought about how loud the plumbing was, and how he hoped Jessie wasn't one of those girls who woke up three or four times in the night to go to the toilet, otherwise he wouldn't get much sleep at night.

Jake again thought of the pretty blonde Jessie, and how the stunning girl was just inches from him. He wondered what she was doing at this very moment. Perhaps she was getting undressed? If this was the case, Jake wished he was like Superman and had the ability to see through the wall and into her room.

*

If Jake had the ability to see through walls, he would have been in luck as Jessie was indeed currently undressing. The humid and wet Darwin afternoon was too warm for jeans, so Jessie removed her tee-shirt and then her jeans, standing barefoot in her white bra and white bikini-style panties, the indentation of Jessie's vagina clear in the front of her knickers. She took a light summer dress green in color from her travel bag and put it on, once again sliding her feet into her sandals.

Jessie reached into her shoulder bag, and took out the cash Helen had given her for the transferred plane ticket and her bank passbook. She didn't want to have this amount of cash lying around, and thought it best to take the majority of it to the bank and deposit it in her account. Collecting her umbrella, Jessie walked to the door to set off into town.

Jake likewise went through his wallet and realized it probably wasn't good to have so much cash on him. He didn't trust those two boys of the motel owners, and there was a chance other people could break in and steal the money. So collecting his own bank passbook, Jake opened his own door at the exact same moment and stepped into the tropical afternoon, where the monsoonal rain was growing heavier by the minute.

Due to the fact that she was based in Darwin Jessie was prepared for the wet weather, unlike Jake who was sure to get soaked on his journey into town. Seeing this, Jessie gave the young men a welcoming smile and said, "Are you going into town, Jake? Would you like to share my umbrella?"

"Thanks Jessie, that would be great," said Jake, feeling most pleased to be walking alongside such a pretty young woman. "Is it always this wet in Darwin?"

"Most afternoons in the wet season, yes," said Jessie. "But in the dry season from April to October, you're lucky if you see a few spots of rain. It's very different from Perth, where it's usually hot and dry over the summer and wet in the winter."

"The lady who runs the motel, Beryl, she mentioned you were from Perth," said Jake. "I've never been there before."

"It's a nice place," said Jessie. "How about you? I take it you aren't from the Northern Territory?"

"No, I'm from Gippsland in Victoria originally," said Jake.

"I like Victoria," said Jessie. "I was stationed in Melbourne for a time, before I was transferred up to Darwin. To be honest I was sorry to leave Melbourne, but moving is something I have to get used to."

"You're in the armed services?" asked Jake.

Jessie nodded. "That's right, the Women's Navy."

"That must be so interesting," said Jake, very impressed. He imagined Jessie in her Navy uniform, and the mental picture was far from unpleasant.

"It can be," said Jessie, looking at the increasingly ominous sky and rain. "Where are you headed? I can wait for you if you like. You'll get drenched otherwise."

"I'm just going to the bank, and after that I think I might go umbrella shopping."

"Me too, not the umbrella shopping part but to the bank." Jessie then looked at Jake's passbook. "Oh, that makes everything easier, I bank at the same place."

"That's good, I'll be honest with you I haven't got a clue where we are. I was going to ask you for directions, but as you're going to the same place I don't need to."

"Darwin is a small city when you compare it to Sydney and Melbourne, and even Brisbane, Adelaide or Perth," said Jessie. "It's very different too, see how there's all the houses close to the center of town? You don't see that anywhere else."

Jessie indicated the many houses built along this street, most in the 'Queenslander' style of the living area on the top floor, a laundry and garage underneath this design giving plenty of breeze and relief from the hot and humid Northern Territory climate. Palm trees grew in abundance in the gardens, allowing shade from Darwin's sunny days in the dry season.

"So what do you do in the Navy?" Jake asked, as the duo continued to walk into town and Jessie outlined her role at the Navy base, leaving Jake very impressed. Jessie must be very intelligent to work with such advanced technology. The houses gave way to shops and commercial offices as they went into the CBD and along Mitchell Street, Darwin's main street. Most businesses were decorated for Christmas, but the plastic pines, candy canes, holly wreaths, reindeer and especially the plastic snowmen definitely looked out of place in Darwin's tropical climate. Other Christmas decorations were more religious in nature, some businesses displaying Nativity scenes.

The bank was likewise decorated for Christmas and full of customers. Jessie and Jake had to wait a long time while listening to Christmas carols to be served by the over-worked tellers, although they were unusual in that they were depositing money into the bank. Most customers were withdrawing money or cashing cheques to cover Christmas expenses.

Finally stepping outside of the bank, the rain poured down in torrents, a deluge drenching Darwin's streets sending people running for cover. "That is some heavy rain," said Jake, as he and Jessie took shelter under a shop front.

"You must be used to rain coming from Victoria," said Jessie.

"Nothing like this," said Jake.

"It is a bit heavier than usual this afternoon," said Jessie. "It must be the cyclone."

"Cyclone?" Jake asked, feeling somewhat alarmed. This was the first he had heard of any cyclone.

"Yeah, there's a small one off the coast," said Jessie. "We were tracking the satellite images of it at the base. Tracy, the Weather Bureau have called it. It must be causing the extra rain."

Jessie's manner was so calm and matter-of-fact that it puzzled Jake. "Aren't you worried about it?"

Jessie shrugged. "No, it's only small and its miles out at sea, heading away from the coast. Anyway, a couple of weeks ago we were on full alert for Cyclone Selma and you know happened? Nothing."

"I just can't believe everyone is so relaxed when there's a cyclone about," observed Jake. The bus driver had had the radio on during the trip up from Katherine, and never once had there been any mention of a cyclone.

"I think everyone up here is just used to cyclones," said Jessie. "It's like if you lived in San Francisco or Los Angeles, you'd get used to earthquakes."

"I guess," said Jake, he and Jessie making their escape from under the shopfront when the rainfall changed from torrential to teeming. The shopping center was even more crowded than the bank, teeming with customers and overworked staff. Especially overworked was a Santa Claus who must have been so hot in his full suit and beard in the tropical heat of Darwin and the two girls dressed as elves who were assisting him with the long queue of children waiting. The little boy at the head of the queue decided that he didn't want to see Santa after all and burst into tears, to the great frustration of his mother given the long queue. The queues in the supermarket where umbrellas were sold were out the door, so Jake decided against queueing for close to an hour to buy one and instead headed back to the motel with Jessie, secretly glad to be sharing the pretty blonde's space under her umbrella.

"What do you think of the motel?" Jake asked as they turned the corner and saw the motel's cartoon crocodile sign out the front.

"Um, pass," said Jessie, thinking about the nightmare in reception when Jake was checking in.

"Yeah, I agree," said Jake. "The woman that runs the place – Beryl – she's kind of, um, interesting."

"Interesting is one way of putting it," said Jessie, laughing lightly.

Jake pointed at the pub across the road from the motel, which had a large sign advertising its annual Christmas party for the following evening. "Is the pub any good for food? Beryl recommended it."

Jessie laughed. "Beryl probably isn't the best judge of fine dining in Australia. It's okay, but not a place you'd write home about."

"Do you know anywhere nice to eat around here?" asked Jake.

"There's a really good Chinese place down in the city," said Jessie. Again, she laughed. "In Chinatown would you believe? How's that for a coincidence? I was going to go down there for tea tonight, would you like to come along?"

Jake felt waves of excitement going through his body at the thought of spending more time with the beautiful Jessie. "I love Chinese food, I'd really like that. Thanks Jessie. What time?"

"How about five? Or 1700 hours as we say in the Navy."

"Five? It's a date." Jake blurted out the last words, and immediately regretted saying them when he saw Jessie regarding him curiously. The young man blushed and hastily back-tracked. "Well, not a date, an um, well, you know ..."

Jessie smiled reassuringly as they went into their rooms. "See you at five Jake."

"See you then," said Jake, relieved that Jessie had not taken his comment the wrong way and changed her mind.

*

Jake spent the rest of the afternoon in his motel room which became stuffy as the air conditioner struggled to cope in the high humidity, watching the small black and white television, repeatedly looking at the time and waiting for 5.00 to arrive. Going out for dinner with beautiful blonde Jessie, while obviously not an actual date, was something he was eagerly anticipating. Unfortunately for Jake, time seemed to slow down as he paced around the room. He looked at the clock radio on his bedside table. The time was 3.45. After what seemed like half an hour Jake looked at the time again – it was 3.49.

While passing the time Jake became curious about one thing with Jessie, that she was in the Navy and stationed in Darwin, yet was staying in a motel over Christmas. What was with that? Jake found himself thinking up one theory after another as the last hour of the afternoon went by with desperate slowness. When the clock changed to 4.59, Jake counted down the last 60 seconds and was out the door the exact moment 5.00 arrived, Jessie emerging at the same time into the persistent afternoon rain.

Jessie looked at her watch and smiled. "You're punctual, you'd do well in the Navy."

Jake laughed lightly. "You wouldn't have any jobs going there, would you?"

Jessie put her umbrella as they began to walk into the city. "Actually, talking about jobs I feel kind of bad. This afternoon we talked about my job all the time, and I never once thought to ask you what you do."

"I'm a stockman," said Jake. Bitterness filled his face at the memories of how the job he had dreamed of since boyhood had turned to a nightmare. "Well, I was a stockman until about two days ago, on one of those big cattle stations. At the moment I'm what you'd call unemployed."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Jessie sympathetically. "Your job didn't work out then?"

"No," said Jake forlornly. "I'd always wanted to work on a station ever since I was a kid, but when I finally got the chance things just didn't work there, I couldn't get along with the other guys no matter what I tried. In the end the station owner let me go. At least he gave me a reference and a bonus payment on top of my last wages."

"That's something," said Jessie. "And there's lots of stations in the Territory, or in Western Australia or Queensland. I'm sure you'll be able to get another job soon."

"Yeah, thanks Jessie," said Jake. "One thing is for sure, I don't want to go home to Victoria and tell the old man I lost my job."

"I'm sure he'd understand," said Jessie.

"You don't know my Dad," said Jake, shaking his head. "On the subject of relatives, I hope you don't mind me asking this, but I thought as you're on leave you'd head home for Christmas in Perth with your family rather than check into a motel in Darwin for Christmas."

Jessie nodded. "As a matter of fact, I should be in Perth right now. I was all set to catch the flight to Perth earlier this afternoon, but there was a change of plans at the last minute and here I am in Darwin."

"Was there a problem with the plane?" Jake asked.

Jessie shook her head. "No, nothing like that. The flight was fully booked, and there was a lady who really needed to get to W.A. as her daughter and son-in-law had been in an accident, but as it was the last minute she didn't have a ticket. The check-in lady said that the only way she could make the flight was if somebody gave up their seat, so I volunteered. I felt bad for her."

"That was so good of you to do that," said Jake, full of admiration for the beautiful young woman and the way she had given up her Christmas back home to help a lady in need.

Jessie shrugged modestly. "It was nothing really, it was the right thing to do in that situation."

"Aren't you disappointed at missing Christmas with your own family though?" Jake asked.

Jessie nodded. "A little, I guess. But I didn't tell them I was coming, I told them I hadn't gotten leave over Christmas so when I turned up it would be a surprise. So if they weren't expecting me, then they won't be disappointed when I'm not there."

Continuing on towards the city, Jessie directed Jake towards the Chinese restaurant she had recommended, and which was quite busy this afternoon with many people who were already on holidays for Christmas preferring to eat out rather than cook in such hot and humid wet weather.

"Your parents must be so proud of you being in the Navy," said Jake, as he and Jessie were seated at their table.

"I'd always wanted to be in the Navy," said Jessie. "My Dad was in the Navy during the war. I always looked up to him. Both he and Mum were really pleased when I enlisted."

"My Dad was in the Army in the war," said Jake. "But he never speaks of it."

"Some men do find it difficult to talk about the war," conferred Jessie.

"Dad is just difficult full stop. Mum too." Not wanting to sound so negative about his parents and risk making Jessie feel unimpressed, Jake asked, "So Jessie, do you have any brothers or sisters in the Navy, Army or Air Force?"

"Two older sisters, none of them in the armed services," said Jessie. "My eldest sister Margaret, she's married and lives in Perth with her husband and three kids. My other sister Linda lives in Byron Bay, you know the town near the New South Wales and Queensland border?"

Jake had never been to Byron Bay, but had seen photographs of it and thought it was absolutely beautiful, and definitely a place he wanted to visit in the future. "Byron Bay?" he asked. "I'd love to go there." Jake smiled and laughed. "You know what you should have done after you couldn't make the flight to Perth? You should have jumped on the Brisbane flight and surprised your sister. It'd be great to spend Christmas in Byron Bay."

Jessie gave Jake a sad smile. "If I did that, I'd have the door slammed shut in my face and told where to go in no uncertain terms."

Jake was surprised. Jessie was such a nice girl and it seemed unbelievable that she wouldn't get along with her own sister. "Sorry, I didn't realize."

"It's okay Jake, you weren't to know," Jessie assured him. "Sadly, Linda has been estranged from the rest of the family for a few years now. When we were kids, Mum, Dad, Margaret and I always got along really well. Mum and Margaret were very close, she always looked up to her. I was always close with my Dad. I think Dad would have liked a son, and because I was a tomboy growing up and loved football, cricket, fishing and outdoors activities and wanted to join the Navy, we spent a lot of time together. For some reason Linda just never clicked with the rest of the family, she was the black sheep. Linda would always complain that Margaret was Mum's favorite and that I was Dad's favorite, and nobody loved her. Anyway, as Linda got older things only got worse and she started hanging out with hippies and communists and attending anti-Vietnam war demonstrations. Finally, she ran off with her boyfriend to join a hippie commune in Byron Bay. The last we ever heard from her was a nasty letter she sent to the four of us stating her reasons for hating us."

"I'm sorry to hear that, it must be hard being estranged from your sister," said Jake.

Jessie shook her head. "It is in a way, but after the way Linda and her friends carried on at their anti-war demonstrations, and what she said to Dad and I about our Navy careers I really don't have any time for her. It sounds harsh but I don't. It's one thing to oppose Vietnam, but to take it out on returning soldiers most of who were conscripted is something I can't forgive."

"My older brother Chris was in Vietnam," said Jake. "He didn't want to go but he had to, his number came up in the draft lottery. He had the same problems with the anti-war demonstrators when he returned to Melbourne."

"The guys in Vietnam had it very bad," said Jessie.

"Chris did for sure," said Jake. "The last time I saw him, he was living off benefits in a Housing Commission flat in Brunswick drunk out of his mind every day. It's sad the way things turned out with Chris. He wanted to be an engineer growing up, but he never will be now."

"It is sad, and people like my sister only make it worse," agreed Jessie. "Do you have any other brothers and sisters?"

"We're similar in a way. I'm the youngest of three boys, you're the youngest of three girls. Chris and I have an older brother Steve."

"What does Steve do?"

"Whatever Dad tells him to do," said Jake, sounding bitter without meaning to and he sought to clarify this. "Sorry, that didn't sound very nice. Steve's not a bad guy, he's married and has a son and daughter, but all his life he's been Dad's right hand man. He'll be the one to take over the farm when Mum and Dad retire. Steve's always been so serious, worrying about farming things even when he was a kid. I remember one time when we'd finished our chores Chris and I had a football and we wanted Steve to kick it around with us, but Steve was too busy worrying about the weather forecast to join in."

"I take it you didn't want to work on the family farm?" asked Jessie.

"No, that's why I moved to the Northern Territory and worked on the station," said Jake. "I've always liked agriculture, just not on the farm at home. I couldn't imagine myself doing the 9 to 5 job in Melbourne either, wearing a suit to an office on Collins Street. That's not for me."

"You'll get a job you love in the New Year, I'm sure of it," said Jessie.

"Yes, 1975 will be a much better year," said Jake. They had been served their drinks now, and Jake raised his glass. "Here's to 1975."

"To 1975," said Jessie, clinking her glass against Jake's glass before each took a drink and continued talking.