“You’re learning.” The words she spoke were tight and edgy as if she was holding back her temper.
Blaise gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles whitening. “Do you want me to stop?”
“You can finish going around once.”
“Really?” Blaise had been bracing for her to make him stop and to kick him out. He’d missed a chunk of crop. “I can go back for the bit I missed.”
“Wastes too much diesel, it’s not worth it.”
“Okay.” He knew the cost analysis very well as an accountant, but this was a whole new level.
“Keep focussed, you’re learning.”
Blaise nodded his head. He kept his concentration on the edge of the crop, determined to get it right. He didn’t even think of Dusty standing behind him.
“Okay, slow down, you’ve done one lap.”
Blaise exhaled, and slowed the combine. He hadn’t even noticed he’d finished a lap—that’s how much he was in deep concentration.
Dusty helped guide him to stop the combine.
“Do I get the sack?”
“Hmmm… just not paid.”
With that, Blaise decided there was progress. “Thanks for letting me drive.”
Dusty smiled and opened the door of the cab. “You okay to get to the ute? You remember, only drive on the fire breaks when you leave.”
“I will.” Blaise stood, his legs felt like jelly, and his body ached after the short time in the cramped position at the wheel. He shimmied in front of Dusty, paused, looking into her eyes.Had this been a good or bad thing?He wasn’t sure.
Dusty gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you later.”
Blaise got the hint. He kissed her back, quickly, on the cheek, and then carefully climbed down. He looked up, Dusty waved, then closed the door.
He walked to the back of the combine, and out of the way. His legs struggling to want to work properly as his muscles got used to not being in the same position.
The combine started rolling forward, the roar of the engine loud and disruptive in this natural setting of wide-open spaces.
Blaise made his way through the stubble, to the ute, and got in. Dusty hadn’t gotten angry with him like she often did, and it unsettled Blaise. It gave him hope that they could both adjust to each other. But then again, was it a sign that maybe she’d given up?
He wasn’t ready to give up on them. He may well have messed up in Dusty’s eyes just then, but by driving the combine for a short time, he now had a renewed admiration for the work she had to do on the farm. He took a deep breath. The short time driving had left him exhausted. He put the ute into gear and slowly made his way out of the paddock, carefully keeping to the fire break. The last thing he wanted to do was to cause a spark which resulted in a bush fire. It had been drilled into him over the last few months, in particular.
No wonder Dusty looked exhausted. Yet, she kept on going.
This insight gave him much-needed motivation to keep on this path, to keep chasing his dusty cloud in the name of love.
