Finding Acceptance at Last
When the young man Jon was presented with his new clothes Bill drove them home on his motorcycle, parked it and spoke.
“I don’t have any more time to spend searching out your teacher James and have a lot of work to do today and you’ll be paying for your board and keep by working with me as I’m not as strong as I used to be and need help lifting. Get into my delivery van in the shed. We need to be at the railway station to check out deliveries for my customers out west. We store them in the large shed behind the house where my Alsatian is kept as a guard dog and sort them for each of the settlements until I accumulate enough for a full load then it will be back on the road for the both of us to visit each of those small settlements out west and you can assist me with loading and unloading from now on.”
“The dog will have to get used to you and you’ll be safe while I’m with you, but it will be a while before you can go to that shed by yourself. He needs a good sniff to identify you as either friend or foe. It’s good I found you as my last assistant left for the east to try his fortune in the big cities. Eventually you’ll need a driver’s license to be useful so I’ll train you on these trips and my good friend at the police station Tommo Miles will give you a test and write you a license if you pass. I expect you to be diligent in learning and working or you’ll have to leave and fend for yourself.”
Jon nodded. “I’ll work hard, and you’ll be very happy with me. I’m amazed you’ve been so good to me and will not let you down.”
The next six months were a blur as Jon worked hard on the road or on the tractor at their farm when they returned from each trip. He was always with Bill as they headed in different directions to settlements out west functioning as centres of supply and basic services for the surrounding cattle stations and Bill and Milly had accepted him as part of their family. They had no children of their own though they’d tried in the initial stages of their marriage without success. Milly who’d been a teacher at the local school before marrying Bill long ago still helped occasionally at the Carterville school whenever a transfer took place and she filled in temporarily. With the cooperation of the school Milly began to upgrade Jon’s education as he’d given up on finding his old mentor Mr. James. Regardless of how tired Jon may be after a hard day’s work Milly pushed him into study when home and over time, he began to look forward to those lessons rather than resent Milly for pushing him when he was so exhausted.
Jon noted how Bill was welcomed as an honoured guest at all these settlements and Bill made the most of free beer amply supplied to their important guest as beer was completely banned when he came under Milly’s influence back in Carterville. Everyone in Carterville thought Bill was a teetotaller because of that. Bill loved Milly too deeply to let a lapse at the pub in Carterville get in the way of his happy marriage. Bill warned Jon not to reveal his lapses in these outback settlements to Milly and threatened him with dire consequences if he did. Jon was so scared over these warnings and potentially being pushed out of the Claridge home if he revealed the secret that he even refused invitations to join Bill in that outback settlement delivery trip luxury of free beer.
Over six months Bill had trained Jon to drive this ancient vehicle. It had been modified to take a more modern motor and gear box when it had been no longer possible to get parts from scrap yards where similar vehicles had been pensioned to be cannibalized for their parts. Over time Bill had replaced outer body structures with new metal replacement to substitute for cut out rusted metal. He was a man of many talents, an excellent mechanic, body builder and spray painter so the vehicle often morphed into different colours depending on Bill’s fancy as he saw paint deteriorating from the harsh conditions on the roads.
Bill expected Jon to become proficient in this kind of work too and instructed him in vehicle maintenance letting him try his hand at times and often having to redo the work until Jon became more skilled at whatever he attempted. Bill was beginning to look on Jon as the son he’d never had, and Milly was beginning to smile with pleasure as she saw Jon applying himself to learning. She’d see him eventually complete his high school requirements if she had her way and the local school principal was willing to include him for the government exams under the umbrella of his school as a favour to this woman who was so valuable to them whenever they needed a temporary teacher. She was already beginning to see a change in Jon’s uncouth ways to a more cultured expression in speaking. Jon learned to revert to the outback manner of speaking when travelling and switch to the use of the language favoured by Milly when he was back in Carterville. Jon was beginning to build a feeling of self-worth under the tutelage of these two who’d unofficially adopted him. He wanted to make them proud to be associated with him and worked hard at it.
There was such a deep trust developed between the three of them now that one day as Bill and Milly retired for bed and had their usual conversation about things that needed their joint decisions before Bill rolled over to sleep and Millie caught up on the latest trends in education through her readings before sleeping Bill got to what had been going through his mind all day.
“Milly Jon has become such a part of our lives that I see him as the son we never had. What’s your impression of him Mil?”
Milly put her book down and turned to face her husband.
“Bill life would not be the same without him in the home. He really wants to make something of himself, and I know he loves us by the way he is willing to do anything at all we ask without complaint. I push him hard, and he always moves quickly to do what I want him to do. I know he idealizes you. You can see it in his eyes.”
“Then why don’t we adopt him, Mil? We have no one to pass our fortune onto to if something happens to the both of us and I think he’s worthy of it now. Apparently, he was a mischief maker when I first met him, but it appears that’s only because he had to survive without anyone to care for and support him. I don’t detect any tendency toward natural criminal behaviour now, do you?”
“Bill, I think Jon is basically good and I only see positive traits in him, but before we take such a step, I suggest we test his basic honesty. Let’s leave money lying around the house and keep an eye on it for a week to see if he’s tempted. Make it enough to be a real temptation.”
So, they began to leave money around the home and do a count each evening sometimes leaving Jon in the house with some repairs to do while both went into the main street for shopping. Each evening the money was counted when Jon retired to bed and remained intact. One day they left the safe ajar with some money in there and checked it out in the evening when Jon retired. They did this for an extended period just to make sure. Nothing was missing. That was amazing seeing they hadn’t paid this young man a wage up to now as he was working for board and keep and well supplied with any personal items, he may need with some spending money added. Most young people would find that unfair and be demanding pay for work. Finally, after supper one evening they got to the point of decision. Bill spoke.
“Jon how do you feel about the fact Milly, and I have worked you hard since you joined this house some time back now and never paid you for the work you do for us?”
Jon looked at them in surprise and thought about that question before responding.
“Bill, you’ve given me a home taught me things I could never have learned in Redrock and supplied all my needs. Milly has been more than a mother to me here and I could never repay you for that no matter how hard I work for you and am very happy here. I never thought about a salary. Why did you ask me such a question?”
“Would you be willing for us to adopt you as our son Jon. We’d love to have you as a legal heir and know you’d never take advantage of us. It would mean you’d become Jon Claridge and no longer Jon Travelly. How would you feel about that?”
To their surprise Jon wept. Bill and Milly looked at each other wondering how to deal with this situation. They’d never seen Jon exhibit this kind of emotion before. Finally, Milly got to her feet and went around the dining table and put her hand on Jon’s shoulder. In response Jon still weeping jumped to his feet and embraced Milly clinging to her tightly still unable to express his feelings in words. Finally, he calmed down enough to speak.
“Why would you want someone with a background like mine to be your son. I don’t understand.”
Milly unwound him from her and sat him down then pulled out the chair next to him so she could face him and sat.
“Jon we’ve come to love having you in our home and would like to make your stay with us permanent as a son if you would agree to that.”
Jon turned from Milly to look at Bill.
“Bill if you really mean that I’d be so happy to be you son and I’d always be there for you and Milly. I love being with you and am so grateful for what you’ve done to lift me out of the despair of Redrock living to the wonderful acceptance you’ve given me here. I could never repay you for your kindness but would do everything in my power to try.”
Bill smiled.
“We are confident you mean that Jon and will start working on an adoption. Now let’s get your high schooling out of the way and see if you want to progress further up the educational ladder as you’re smart enough to do that.”
“Bill if it’s OK with you, I’d just like to continue helping you on the job as I feel like that should be my chosen career now. I want to carry on your legacy supplying those remote settlements as they rely on that service and I know what it’s like living there and everybody looks forward to those visits.”
Too be continued.
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©The above picture belongs to Brenda Parkinson photographer Australia and is used with her permission
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