Koby
Thecabfromtheairport was agonisingly slow.Serves me right for flying in on a Friday afternoon.Banked up traffic all the way to the Eastern suburbs.I met up with my daughter, Aria, in Melbourne as she was wrapping up the Ghostly Flux enduro season.She organised some sponsor meetings for me to be a part of at the last minute, considering I was down there.The end of season testing getting the plug pulled meant I could hang out with Aria outside of meetings, but as it was unexpected, she was getting busy with friend commitments between work and the silly season approaching.
But she had everything sorted work-wise.She didn’t need me there at all, and I started to feel in the way.I’m so proud of her hard work and balancing her social life so she won’t burn out.I was thrilled she wanted to come work in the family business after uni, and she’s really taken the reins on the enduro side of the business.She has everything under control.
The cab pulls up to my house in Bronte, and the light brown bricks of the modest house are a sight for sore, tired eyes.I’m ready for an early night so I can hit the beach in the morning.Slipping the key into the lock and swinging the door open, I notice an uncharacteristically damp smell.I take a step in and my shoe meets the squelch of soaked carpet.
“Fuck!”
I flick on the light and behold.The house has flooded, and there is not a centimetre of floor that doesn’t have water.Leaving my suitcase outside the door, I continue walking into the house, heading straight for the kitchen and patting the counter to ensure it’s dry before placing down my laptop bag to look under the sink, and there it is.A burst pipe in the kitchen.
I shut off the water and start to think.Who was here last?How long has this been going?Aria said she stopped in here a month ago, so this must have occurred over the last few weeks.Hopefully, the damage isn’t too drastic.Jumping on the phone, I’m quick to organise some tradies, cleaners and start the insurance claim, but nothing can happen until the following week.Not an emergency, so no need to call them in on a Friday after hours.But they advised it best to not stay until the damage has been assessed.
I’m about to call a hotel when my phone rings.
“Hi Rayna.How are you going?”
“Heya, Koby.Good here, was just seeing what you were up to.How was your trip to Melbourne?”
“Yeah, it was great.Aria has it all under control.But I’ve arrived home to water damage.I was just about to work out which hotel to call and hope they have a vacancy for the next week.”
“Don’t be silly.Come stay here.I have room.”
“Geez, that would make things easy.As long as you’re sure?”
“Absolutely.I can come pick you up?”
“No, don’t worry about that.Friday afternoon traffic.I’ll make my way over now.Thanks, Rayna.”
“Anytime!”She replies, and the phone goes dead.
Stepping out of the cab and staring up at the terrace takes me back to a time over twenty years ago.Standing in front of this terrace with Wesley, Courtney, dropping Rayna off or picking her up.I instinctively look over, and there is a new Triumph Thruxton sitting where she always parked her bikes on the small front patio.The façade is just as I remember it.Brown and cream highlights.But this time, the colour scheme extends over to the next terrace house, which was once burnt red and rusted iron bars as the decorative trims.
Rapping my knuckles on the door, I’m met by Rayna a few short moments later.
“Koby!So glad you’re here.”Extending her arms and embracing me in one of her warm hugs, I’m transported to being twenty again.
“Heya, Rayna.Thanks so much for this.”Inhaling deeply, smelling her familiar vanilla scent.
“No need to thank me.You’re welcome anytime.”She steps back and extends her hand out for me to head in.
The interior design is just as I remember, however it is double the size.
“Ahh, this seems bigger?”I exclaim.
“Oh yes, I had an opportunity a few years back to buy the terrace next door and open it up.Now I have more room for people to stay over and add a garage.Louie, Declan and Marla are all too big to share a room with parents, and if they have kids down the line, there’s plenty of room for everyone over the breaks to spend time here.”
“You were always one for forward thinking.”
She smiles sweetly at me and ducks her head.“Feel free to make yourself at home.I just had dinner, but there are some more meals in the fridge the chef has cooked.”
“Chef?Don’t we live the life?”I tease.
She playfully waves her hand.“Stop!It’s a friend of mine.Plus, I’m on my own here for a few weeks.Feels like a waste to cook food just for myself.”
I know the hidden meaning behind that gesture.She would have told this friend that reason so she could support their business where she can.Always doing what she could for her friends and family.
“I could eat.Aria had to skip lunch with me for another equipment meeting, and the flight didn’t serve food.”
