Chapter One

Ebony grabbed her purse and car keys from her desk drawer and switched off the lights on the way out the door. Waving to the cleaner, she strode out to the teacher’s car park, already busy with jostling teenagers, weary teachers and reversing cars.

It was not often that she taught Friday afternoons. Usually Ebony job-shared with Greg Moorebank, teaching on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. It suited Greg to teach Thursdays and Fridays because it coincided with his wife Lisa’s work schedule, and their children’s schooling. Lisa worked as a receptionist at a medical surgery on Thursdays and Fridays, and today Greg had rung Ebony to ask her to work for him. Kate, his 8 year old daughter had had a stomach ache and he needed to keep her home from school. (Cameron, their 5 year old son went to pre-school three days a week). Luckily, Ebony had a rare free weekend from her competition schedule, and was able to teach that Friday allowing Greg to stay home with his daughter.

It was not difficult to find Ebony’s car. It had been the joke of the staff room the minute she’d driven it in to work. It was the most incongruous vehicle. A heavy, long-wheel based F100 truck. Cobwebbed and rust-pocked, it sat amongst the other little hatchbacks and sedans like a warthog in a pen full of puppies. Ebony shook her head and singled out the key. There was also the colour. She questioned the sanity of the person who chose to paint a truck of its kind such a bizarre sea-mint green. You definitely couldn’t hide in a truck like that.

Ebony climbed into the cabin, banging the heavy door shut and feeling for the ignition. The truck revved into life, then spluttered and stalled. Ebony blushed, grimaced and turned the key a second time, raising her eyes to heaven and pumping the pedal. This time the truck roared indignantly, but back-fired in protest as she struggled to manouver it out of the car park, wishing for the millionth time that it had power steering.

Rattling out to the main road, Ebony went over her schedule for the week in her head for the millionth time. This afternoon, she and Lisa were going to Whitewood sales to look for some goats. Lisa and Greg’s little cottage backed onto a vacant lot, which was littered with over grown shrubs and grass. Last week, Greg had seen a black snake sliding under the fence from their yard into the grass, and Lisa had immediately rung the owners who lived in the city and obtained their permission to buy a few goats to eat the grass down. Hopefully, the goats would keep the vegetation under control, and deter snakes, which posed a threat to the young children.

Tomorrow, Ebony would take Boston out to Mira’s to train on her cross country jumps, in preparation for the first event of the season the following weekend. Ebony and Mira had met at college 3 years ago and had been great friends ever since. Both women were competitive eventers who hoped to get to the top. However, in every other respect, they could not have been more different. Mira Bradley was half Sri Lankan and had deep brown skin and huge eyes fringed in thick black lashes. She had long silky black hair to her waist, full pouty lips, and was built like a pixie. Mira worked as a paralegal in the city, made a decent amount of money, and dressed well, spending her weekends shopping and clubbing. Everything about Mira screamed sex and money. The only thing most people remembered about Ebony was how unmemorable she was. Tall and fair, she had a kind, everyday face and shoulder-length mousy hair. Her eyes were neither grey, nor brown and unlike Mira, Ebony had a constant battle to keep her body in tune for riding. She often joked as she walked past a takeaway store ‘Oh no, I’ve just breathed in another 5 kilos!’. Where Mira swanned into a room and basked in attention, Ebony stumbled in and made apologies. But the two were great friends. They shared the same wicked sense of humour, and had often provided each other with support and a shoulder to cry on.

Mira’s parents owned a twenty acre piece of land that they had fitted out for her to keep her horses. The facilities included 6 stables, a sand arena, showjumps, wash bay, round yard, and several cross-country fences for practise. For Christmas, Mira’s parents had given her a horse truck, fitted out for 5 horses, with sleeping quarters, a fridge and a microwave. Ebony’s mum had given her a wheel barrow. She meant well, and loved Ebony dearly, but she didn’t earn anywhere near the amount that Mira or her parents did, being a divorcee, and working at a local day care centre.

Pulling up to Greg and Lisa’s modest single storey house, Ebony wrestled with the hand brake and jumped down from the driver’s seat. The Moorebank’s front yard was littered with debris. An empty plastic paddling pool shaped like a clam-shell sat under a drooping grevillia. The un-mown grass drooped in patches and was non-existent in others. A tricycle with its tray filled with plastic dinosaurs sat on the verandah, and a headless Barbie doll lay on the step. Ebony picked up a set of keys abandoned on the lawn and took off her shoes, placing them together amongst the twenty or so mis-matched pairs at the door. There was at least 5 gumboots of varying sizes and colours, as well as a woollen slipper, 3 thongs, a grey sock and any number of assorted sand shoes. Letting herself inside, she was greeted by Cameron in a pair of shorts, a fireman’s hat, and nothing else.

‘Taty was thick.’ He stated. ‘She was thick all over the floor.’
‘Oh dear, was she?’ Said Ebony scooping him up. ‘Now what does Aunty Eb say?’ she asked him with mock sternness.
‘Don’t grow no more, or I’ll get too big to pick up.’ He said, his fat little fingers playing with the silver chain around her neck.
‘That’s right. You’re growing into such a big boy now. You’ll be driving soon.’ Cam looked at her wide-eyed, then giggled, seeing she was joking.
‘Where’s your mummy?’
‘In here,’ he said wriggling to be let down, then grabbing her hand in his sticky one and leading her into the kitchen.
Lisa was frantically wiping down the kitchen bench. She was wearing one of Greg’s old T-shirts and a pair of paint-splattered jeans held together with a giant safety pin. Her face was flushed and her tight chestnut curls were held off her face with a clothes peg.
‘Hi!’ She laughed, ‘welcome to the house of insanity!’ She gestured around. ‘Sorry, it’s mayhem today! Greg’s just ducked out to get some milk and some lemonade for Katy. Then we can head off. Actually that’s him now, I think.’ She added as a car pulled up in the drive. ‘Sit down…’ she motioned over her shoulder, disappearing into the bedroom. Ebony glanced around wearily for a place to sit, but there was not a single surface clear of children’s books, un-ironed clothes, empty cups, crayons and toys. Gingerly, Ebony perched on the arm of the couch.

Greg bustled through the door, a plastic shopping bag in one hand, Katy on the other. Katy was pale but, Ebony was happy to see, smiling and eating a dry Salada.
‘Aunty Eb!’ She cried, bouncing into Ebony’s outstretched arms. ‘Did you know I was sick today? And Daddy and me watched Winnie the Pooh, and I made jelly, and then I threw up. But then I felt better and I watched ‘Arthur’ and drew you a picture of Boss, see?’ She said all in one breath, holding up a picture of Ebony sitting on Boston going over a huge fence. Boston had four sausage legs and Ebony was drawn with two circles and stick arms and legs. A speech bubble was coming from Boston’s mouth saying ‘ this is eezey!’ and the sun was smiling.
‘That’s awesome Katy! You’ve got Boston’s face just right!’ I said. Greg raised his eyebrows and smiled wearily, lifting the shopping bag onto the bench top and rummaging around in it. Lisa dashed out of the bedroom now in faded jeans and a muslin top, pulling on a pair of scuffed Blundstones.

‘Be good my angels,’ she said, aiming kisses on her son, daughter and husband in turn. ‘We wont be long Greg, then you and Eb can chat about your program for next week and- Eb! Stay for dinner! I’ll just make casserole. Or a curry. Or…shit! Have you seen the car keys, Honey?’ Ebony produced the keys she’d found outside and jingled them in front of Lisa. ‘This them?’ she asked, reaching out to remove the clothes peg from Lisa’s hair. Greg rolled his eyes to heaven.
‘Where were they?’
‘In the front yard’
‘Really? Bloody kids…’she turned and grabbed her string bag. ‘See ya later guys! Don’t forget to call the plumber, Greg.’ She added as the headed out the door.