Read Online The Near Miss by Fran Cusworth - Free Book Online

What’s it doing in the Department of Human Services, alongside aged care and immunisations? Everyone these days knows — everyone — that the first few years are when you lay down the foundations for a human being’s life . . .’
    â€˜Oh, precisely.’ Eddy sounded faint. ‘Let me educate the boy and I will give you back the man . . . Romy, who is it we know who always says that?’
    Melody couldn’t get out of this place quickly enough. She cleared her throat. ‘We should probably think about . . .’
    â€˜Would you like your chair back?’ Romy broke off her whispering with Van and smiled up at Melody, at the same time lowering her chest to the table as though to suction-cup herself to it.
    â€˜No, no, I’ll sit here.’ Melody crossly took the chair beside Eddy.
    â€˜I’ve never done it!’ Romy breathed at Van. Melody tried to catch Van’s eye, so she could roll her own heavenward at this silly woman, but he would not look at her. He was idle, and stoned, and therefore dangerous. She should not have brought him, should not have tried to mix the old world and the new. He sat back in his chair and regarded his new friend with what Melody recognised as curiosity, the same emotion with which he might have inspected an interesting beetle. He was not a man any woman should trust. He had never fully recovered from Esme’s death, and had a sliver of ice in his heart. He had taken off his leather jacket, and he wore a redT-shirt with a Chinese symbol on the front, and his muscular arms rested on the table. A small silver earring twinkled in his ear and his face was unshaven. Despite everything, he appeared to be the social success story of the evening, while Grace and Tom’s effusive speeches of gratitude to Melody had nervously withered away an hour ago in the face of her own lack of interest.
    â€˜We could do it right now.’ Van leaned forward, his elbows on the table and his muscles twitched, smiling down at Romy. The silly woman widened her eyes, squeezed her hands together and breathed ‘Yes!’ Everyone listened, although other conversations limped along as people tried not to look at the only two people enjoying themselves.
    â€˜We all know how important kindergarten teachers are, and yet they get paid less than primary teachers!’ Grace orated, determined. ‘About twenty per cent less, according to the last Education Union surveys. I bet most people aren’t even aware of that. Did you know kindergarten teachers get paid twenty per cent less?’
    â€˜We could!’ Romy’s face was alight. She pushed back her chair and stopped, as if waiting for Van to do something.
    â€˜Well.’ He stood and put on his jacket, and strode to the door, stopping to cock an eyebrow at Romy as if daring her. She practically ran after him.
    â€˜What are you guys up to?’ Eddy tried to make a joke of it.
    â€˜Just taking Romy here for a spin.’
    â€˜Van!’ Melody said. He could not do this: take this woman off for a motorbike ride and leave her partner ashen-faced. Why had she brought him?
    â€˜You’re what ?’
    â€˜Does she have a helmet?’
    â€˜She can use yours.’
    Eddy stood. ‘Where are you going?’
    â€˜Little ride,’ Romy threw back over her shoulder, already out the front door.
    Eddy followed them out. ‘Great machine, Fan. I’d be interested to check out the engine when you get back. I have a small bit of knowledge about motors, nothing really extensive, but . . .’ His trailing words could be heard through the open window, the warm night.
    The chainsaw roar of a motorbike sliced through his words, and a picture fell from the wall of the lounge room. The glass cracked.

    Eddy stood out on the verandah and peered into the night. They had been gone over an hour. He stared and stared, but it was pointless; he would hear the motorbike returning from two