Novac’s

Filip Novac looked out over the vast expanse of his property. His great grandfather had been one of the lucky ones to get a land grant from the government as the push for more land from those who were fleeing from the emerging dense settlements of the east coast sought to get away from the sedentary and sometimes life-threatening practices of these emerging cities.

Great grandfather was a free spirited man who didn’t take kindly to the rules and regulations governing cities in this emerging nation and with the aid of his firearms had driven away those who were trying to lay claim to land themselves or in cases where that proved difficult some well placed shots took care of that threat and there were unmarked graves in different parts of this property evidenced by bones often exposed as fields were ploughed. It was far from the restraints of the law in that era. That independent spirit had survived into this generation and Filip was noted around the village as a man to be avoided.

The village had sprung up over the years either through squatting or land sale but in the current era now rule of order had seeped into the village and the central government slowly took oversight with a sheriff each parcel of land gained were legitimized and recorded and the rule of the strongest and the gun were no more. However, Filip Novac’s property which was fifteen miles from this village now called New Haven remained a place the sheriff chose to leave to itself.

When Filip came to town in his battered old Ford the product of an almost forgotten past, he always headed to Martin Robinson’s garage to pump fuel sufficient for his assorted machines into tanks on wheels he towed behind the Ford. Filip’s father had welded sheets of metal into tanks for that purpose, and they were a thing of wonder people gathered around to see when the Ford made its way to town. Occasionally Filip would ask Martin to come to the property to fix some of his machinery that defied Filip’s own skills. Martin was fearless and quite a match for Filip who he could easily best in a fight and Filip knew that, so he respected Martin more than anyone else in New Haven.

Filip considered his family as he gazed across this land and thought about a succession plan when he was no longer strong enough to care for the supervision of this vast estate. His wife Jana was a strong woman who in the beginning had submitted herself to his regular beatings when he was under the influence of strong drink, he made for himself out of products he grew on the land. But she’d begun to fight back as her children grew to maturity and found support in the boys who detested their father having received his beatings during their childhood also.

Adam was the oldest of his sons and the one to inherit the property after he passed on. At age 28 Adam was desperate to get married and had sought the woo the young ladies of the village at village dances and other entertainments. But their fathers had made it plain they’d not approve of sending any of their daughters into the threatening environment of the Novac ranch while old Filip was still around even though they had a good opinion of the Novac children who were always respectful when they came to town. Word had filtered out the local doctor who was called occasionally to render services to the Novac’s had seen evidence of Filip’s work on the arms and body of Jana Novic and they were not going to endanger their girls in a marriage requiring a young bride live on that property. Adam had spread the word he was perfectly capable of handling his father and he and his brothers were now protecting their mother from Filip’s violence when under the influence of his strong brew.

As a result of what the family had experienced Adam and his brothers Jakub 26 and Lukas 22 now of solid build and strong as oxen began to attend church. They were treated with suspicion as fathers of the young ladies thought this would be a clever way to trick the villagers into allowing a marriage to the young Novac men. So, they were treated by parents courteously but kept their daughters close by and warned them not to show an interest in the boys. That was not the case with the young adults who’d gone to village school with the Novac boys and their sister Helena now of marriageable age at 19. The young adults knew the Novac children were not at all like their father and were sympathetic to them.

Some of the young women would be very happy to have attentions shown them by these young handsome Novac men and cast furtive glances at them in church when their parents were not looking. Now there was great interest in Helena. Despite the chaotic household, she was a part of she took pride in her appearance and while the Novac family clothes were rather plain, they were always clean and well pressed when they attended church. Jana was an expert in producing clothes for her family.

Mrs. Jana Novac did not attend church with her children as Filip had strictly warned her of the consequences if she did. He was frustrated the boys insisted Helena accompany them to church as they wanted to see her settled in marriage outside the confines of the ranch and thought church was the safest place to find a husband for her as they knew their father would prefer to have her enslaved to care for family needs there. They were delighted to see interest among their former schoolmates in their sister and resolved to do all they could to nurture that interest each week at church.

Filip Novac exhaled sharply as he thought of these things gleaned from information obtained on his trips to town talking with shopkeepers and those attending the Robinson garage for services while Filip did business there. He felt he was losing control in the family and resolved to establish full control over them. His hard upbringing had been for the best he felt as it had prepared him to defend his property so it could be handed over eventually to his eldest son just as his ancestors had done and he was a little concerned his family was not learning the discipline necessary to survive in this unforgiving world despite regular beatings as they grew up.

His mind turned to his locked away store of illicit liquor. He’d tried to interest Adam in learning the secrets of its production and was disappointed the boys rejected any suggestion of sharing evenings with him and tasting his treasured brew. They’d seen enough to realize at a young age this way of life was destructive to health and the wellbeing of self and others and resolved to never touch the stuff. They were planning to destroy the stills and ingredients when their father passed off the scene.

Filip had been shocked to learn Adam had offered a partnership in the ranch to his brothers if they were interested when the old man died. The eldest was supposed to be in control of the family not share this privilege with his remaining siblings. When Filip had inherited this ranch from his father, he’d driven his siblings off the property with a modest amount to get them established somewhere else and his children had had no further contact with their uncles and aunts not knowing where they were located now.

Filip shrugged and headed for his liquor store. He’d have just a few drinks before returning to check on what Jana was preparing for their evening meal, and he’d wait there drinking until the children returned from church. But as the hours ticked by and he didn’t see the dust trail made by the Ford as it bought his children back from New Haven in the distance, he became agitated under the influence of drinking too much. He shouted to Jana, and she came immediately wiping her hands on her apron and looking at him inquiringly. He beckoned for her to approach him.

“The children are late getting home. Did they say why they’d be late tonight?”

“Adam told me there was to be a picnic after church finished and they were going to stay on and enjoy the company of those their own age but would be back for supper.”

“You should have said no Jana, what were you thinking.”

Filip stood unsteadily and moved toward her and Jana backed off toward the kitchen returning to finish preparations for the evening meal. He stood at the door watching her and hated her silence. In the old days before the boys became men, she’d have been in a corner shivering with anticipation of the first blow but now she was confident of her boy’s protection and knew up to this time her husband had restrained himself because Adam had threatened him. Filip lost control.

A half hour later as they all returned from church Helena rushed inside first to help her mother with the final preparations of the evening meal. She gasped as she saw her mother on the floor barely conscious and bleeding where she’d hit her head on the table as she fell from Filip’s blow. Then she too felt the blow as her father rained blows on her cursing her for being late home. Lukas was the next to enter the house not aware of what was going on inside and his father rushed him like a raging bull. This alerted Jakub and Adam as they heard loud angry voices, and they rushed inside to see Filip raining blows on Lukas who fought back. Adam rushed in and felled Filip with a well-placed punch and on seeing his mother and sister lying on the kitchen floor would have finished his father off if his two brothers hadn’t restrained him. The boys placed their father now unconscious in a chair and tied his hands and legs and sat him in the corner of the room to recover.

Adam instructed his brother Jakub to take the Ford and rush back to town to get the doctor as he was not sure of the extent of his mother and sister’s injuries, and they were precious to the boys who respected and protected them from their father. From that point onward Adam resolved to be the man of the house, and his father would now be subject to him and punished if he didn’t cooperate. He was angry and called his brother Lukas.

“Lukas I want you to take a bucket of fuel and pour it over the shed dad keeps his liquor equipment and other materials he keeps on hand there to make it then set it alight. I want to see ashes in that place in the morning when I wake up.”

Lukas had never seen his brother that angry and for a moment he hoped his father’s personality had not been passed on genetically. If it had then he’d had enough and would seek a job in town or even beyond in the cities of the east. He rushed to do Adam’s bidding and soon the fire was lit. When it reached the store of alcohol there was an explosion like a bomb and the shed was engulfed in a roaring fire until it consumed the whole shed so that by morning that site was a smouldering ruin of twisted metal and ashes.

When the doctor arrived two hours later and was ushered into the house, he stopped in surprise to view the tied-up Filip in a corner and looked inquiringly at Jakub who’d driven him to the homestead over a long and bumpy road. Jakub pointed to Adam who was emerging from a bedroom and Adam directed the doctor to mother and daughter now conscious but bruised and wounded. The doctor hovered over the two women giving them each a careful examination and searching in his bag for medicine to ease their pain and soothing ointments for the cuts and abrasions. Then he turned to Adam hovering anxiously nearby.

“Adam no permanent damage but some nasty bruises so my advice is both women should have no work and just rest for a few days. Can you handle things without them? Do you want me to examine Filip?”

“My preference would be for him to suffer for all the suffering he’s inflicted on our family up to this time in our life. I’m taking charge now and this will never happen again as I have his liquor stock burned to the ground, and he’ll be taking orders from me from now on. If he ever touches my mother and sister again then he may find himself in one of the unmarked graves my great grandfather created in establishing this ranch long ago. I’m ashamed of my heritage so probably would never carry out my threat but will see he is no longer a danger to anyone. But you’d better examine him and see I didn’t do him any damage that requires your services. I’ll get Jakub to drop you off to town again and would appreciate it if you’d report what happened to the sheriff. I’d like to have this attack on the women recorded against Filip.”

The doctor nodded then moved to examine Filip who was still too drunk to know what was happening or remember what he’d done. Then took leave promising to fulfill Adam’s complaint against this father.

When Filip was released from him bonds next day, he staggered out too look for his store of liquor to satisfy a craving he felt. There was a wail of anguish when he saw his most prized store burned to the ground and still smouldering. Adam who’d been watching from a distance approached.

“Filip you have two choices so select one now. As I’m in charge you can either live in the barn and we will tie you up each night so ensure our safety as we sleep, or I’ll drive you to Gladesville where we can buy you a ticket to any destination you choose and give you sufficient money to set you up somewhere else. If I ever see you here again you will be buried in an unmarked grave in a remote corner of this Novac property. Beating the women was the final straw for us boys and we disown you as a father.”

Filip shook his head to try and comprehend what had been said and was silent for a few minutes.

“I choose a third option Adam. Let me have my gun and walk some distance away out of sight of the ranch house.”

Adam understood what his father wanted and nodded his head.

“Filip I’ll have you covered with my own gun in case you decide to use that gun on me, and you know I’m quick on the draw. OK?”

Adam went to the house under the watchful eyes of his brothers and retrieved the gun then aimed his own at his father who ignored him, turned his back and began to stagger into the distance. Ten minutes later there was a sound of gunshot, and the boys walked in that direction with shovels to complete the work.

The sheriff was called to the scene and recorded the event as a suicide.

To be continued.

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