‘That’s incredible,’ I breathe as Ben straddles a bench seat. I nervously sit opposite him.
‘You can see it moving,’ he murmurs.
‘So you can,’ I marvel. ‘It’s beautiful. I’ve never seen one like that in England.’ I take out my camera and try to hold it steady as I click off a couple of shots. I know full well that I won’t be able to do this sight justice.
‘I love coming here at night,’ Ben says quietly, glancing left towards the city lights, sparkling in the heat haze.
‘Is it your second favourite place to go in the city?’ I remember that his favourite place is the lily pond in Adelaide’s Botanic Gardens.
‘It’s myfirstfavourite place to go in the hills.’ He smiles at me in the darkness.
‘What, even better than the giant rocking horse?’ I attempt to sound mocking.
‘I think it even beats the Lobethal lights.’
‘Now you’re being ridiculous.’
He chuckles and brings his foot up onto the bench, wrapping his arms around his knee. ‘So you’re starting to like Australia.’ It almost isn’t a question, but I answer it anyway.
‘I am.’ Largely thanks to the present company, I manage to refrain from adding.
‘I’m happy for you.’
It seems like a slightly strange thing to say.
‘Do you reckon your mum is really into Michael?’ he asks after a while.
‘Definitely,’ I reply. ‘But she was into all the others, too, so who knows what’s going to happen.’AndI saw her flirting with the butcher the other day.
‘I hope for your sake it works out.’
‘I only have to get through two years and then I can do what I like anyway.’
‘Two years?’
‘Yeah. Then I’ll be eighteen.’
He stares across at me, and even in the dark I can see the seriousness in his expression. ‘You seem so much older than you are.’
‘Everyone says that,’ I reply nervously.
‘It’s true.’ He sighs. ‘You’ve got your whole life laid out in front of you.’
‘So do you, Mr Melodramatic.’ I’m trying to lighten him up because his sombre mood is freaking me out a bit. I want to ask him what’s wrong, what’sreallywrong, because something is and I so want him to open up to me. ‘Have you heard from your mum recently?’ I prompt.
‘Nope,’ he replies sardonically. ‘If I’m lucky I’ll get a Christmas card in March.’
‘Do you miss your nan?’
‘All the time.’
‘I expect you would, when you’re living in her house. You must see her everywhere.’ He scratches his head. I hope I’m not annoying him. ‘You wouldn’t ever think of selling it?’ I add.
‘Definitely not.’ His tone is resolute and I’m almost sorry I asked.
I change the subject. ‘Are you working on Saturday?’
‘Just in the morning. You know I’m coming to your place for Christmas lunch?’
