Age is But a Number

"That will be fine, what time?"

"Say 9.30 or so."

"Yes, same place?"

"No, wait for me just outside and I'll join you." Toni put her hand on mine and gave it a squeeze.

I grinned at her and she smiled back, and said, "I'll see you then," just as a woman arrived with a look suggesting I shouldn't be taking up the staff's time.

"Excuse me," Toni said to the woman, "David, can you come back in...say, 90 minutes or so," as she checked her watch. "I have a break then?"

"Certainly, I'll see you then." Toni smiled at me and then sweetly at the woman, and commented, "I just need to get him to sort out something for me, sorry to keep you waiting."

I headed back to the shop near to the requested time during which I had shopped and wandered aimlessly about. I saw Toni come out of the shop looking along the arcade. She spotted me and swiftly walked toward me. Taking my hand in hers, she said, "Quickly, come with me. You should've seen the look on that woman's face - priceless. I'm sure she didn't know whether to say something or not. But she gave you such a look as you left."

"Mm, thought my ears were burning." Toni led me to a small, secluded coffee shop on a quiet corner of the arcade and asked if she could have a flat white coffee, and whatever I wanted while she made a quick call. I returned to the table with the order made just in time to hear her say, "Thanks Mum, see you tonight. Okay," she said to me, "What are you doing this weekend?"

"Well, nothing I can't get out of, what did you have in mind.......?"

Toni looked at me as though she was trying to make her mind up, and then finally said, with a squeeze of my hand, "Would you like to come to the farm with me and stay till Monday - well us, um, you know, the family really, but I'm sure you get the drift. I can introduce you to the family, and to Johnny Petrelli who thinks he has claim on me, if he turns up. Nothing is further from the truth and I have told him on more than one occasion but he won't take no for an answer - as though he is trying to wear me down. If I can introduce you as my boyfriend from Perth, I hope he will leave me alone. Besides, hopefully the family will see you as my boyfriend, because I think I would like to."

Wow, and here was I thinking my luck had finally changed for the better. I thought about what Toni had said and replied, "Well I'm not the world's greatest fighter, more of a pacifist I suppose but if he really gets on your wick, I can perhaps encourage him to back off, politely of course, and hopefully he'll take the hint. But what happens after that? Are you really looking for a boyfriend and perhaps I might fit the bill, sort of thing?"

"I wasn't actually, but I have come to really like you and I'd like to get to know you better, and while dinner last night was nice, I would really like to have dinner with you again."

"You're sure it's not to see me fall to my knees again?"

"Well that too, no-one has ever done that for me before, and I must say it was rather special to think I had that effect on you. So, while dinner next week will be nice, I hope we can sort out my problem on the farm as well."

"So what is Johnny to you and the family?"

"Well, he was sort of my unofficial boyfriend while he was at High school. He let it be known that I was his girlfriend and to leave me alone. I'd boarded in Perth to go to St Meredith's College for Girls since I'd been in Primary School near the farm, and it must have worked, because when I came home for the holidays, none of the other boys asked me out, and that in a way, suited me. I did go out with Johnny a couple of times, and of course he suffered from Roman hands and Russian fingers, but I took hold of his gonads one evening at the drive-in theatre and suggested that they would be permanently damaged if he didn't leave me alone. He did for a while, but after I moved to Perth to go Uni, he let it be known to all the other young bucks that I was coming back to him and not to get any ideas. Trouble is, there was no-one to stand up to him, and Dad can't get involved because of his cancer and I don't have any brothers. I mean there is my cousin Mark, but he was always so busy with his own work that I didn't want to get him involved, although sometimes I think I should have.

I didn't really want to get you involved either but when you asked me out, I sort of hoped you might come this weekend and help me sort out the issue with him. Look if you really don't want to get involved, say so, I mean you've had no warning, and I'll understand, but..." and she held my hand even tighter if that was possible, "I hope you do come with me, I could do with a friend right now, and I think you could be the friend I need."

"Mm, a friend in need is a friend indeed, or something." I looked at her and thought of all the possibilities - that is everything that could possibly happen, and said, "Ok, I just hope that he's not some man mountain. Like I said, I'm not the world's greatest fighter. What is the meeting with the family about, or is that a private matter?"

"We have to sort out what's going to happen to the farm when Dad passes, he of course wanted a son so that he would take over the farm. But instead he got me, and then Mum couldn't have any more babies, and I'm not interested in farming, not even as the dutiful farmer's wife, which is what Johnny wants because then he gets the farm as well. I want the farm to go to my Uncle Harold but there's some problem with taxes or something, so I don't know. There's a bit more to it but that's the gist of it."

"Toni, I know it's not really any of my business, but if you need help with trying to work the financial side of the problem, I might be able to help. That's sort of what my business is all about, investments, business and agricultural, mining and shares, that sort of thing. I can certainly give you advice if that will help. Will your Uncle and his sons be there?"

"I think he will, there's only one son, Mark, so I don't know about him, he may be working. Uncle Harold has a daughter, Nicky, as well, whether or not she'll be there I don't know. Anyway, I'm glad you're coming with me, at least I'll have someone who can be neutral while the talkfest is happening. Besides, you've got nice hands, and I like holding them."

Toni agreed to pick me up at 4.30 after she finished work, so I raced home and packed an overnight bag for three nights. Promptly at 4.30 she pulled up in her Red Mazda 3 Hatch and after I stowed the bag, I hopped in the front seat. "Nice house, do you want to drive?" she asked. "Not especially, it's your car, you know the way, and I couldn't see any dings or dents, so you must be a reasonable driver." She was about to retort and then saw the gleam in my eye and the grin hovering on my lips. Instead, she leaned across and holding my head, kissed me, just a caress of the lips at first, but deciding she liked what she tasted, kissed me again, full on the lips, murmuring her pleasure while she did so. "Thank you" she said, "finally a man who appreciates me for me, and not some sort of prize."

Sitting behind the wheel was this gorgeous young lady who had shoehorned her way into a pair of jeans with a semi see through blouse through which I could make out the outline of a bra which managed, just, to contain her goodies. Her hair was tied in a ponytail which extended to somewhere south of the middle of her back. Altogether, an absolutely stunning sight. "Do I pass muster, then?"

"Oh most definitely, although muster is not the word I'd use. You are without a doubt the most beautiful young lady I've ever had the fortune to be in the same car with. Aahh, you know that age difference, is that going to be a problem, with you or your family?"

"No, I don't think so, not with me anyway, Mum and Dad might wonder a bit, but I'll sort them out. What is the difference anyway in case anyone asks? And thank you. Compliments I'll take all day, well from you anyway, I don't want them from anyone else."

"Well seeing as how you have just asked I'll tell you. I'll be 40 in a couple of months' time. I've been trying to work out your age, and I reckon you're about 25, so that's about 15 years or so. How's that, pretty close for a guess?"

"Mm, not bad, actually. I'm 24 - my birthday's next month so, we could celebrate together, what do you think?"

"Sounds like a plan, let's see what the weekend brings."

Toni had put her hand over mine and rested it on my thigh. It was just the lightest of touches, but so full of feeling. She looked at me and said with almost a pleading tone, "Don't worry about us, I already knew the age difference, and I'm not bothered, and if I'm not, nor should you."

"How did you find out the age difference? Aah, I know - the Lotto membership form."

"Yes, I confess. I got curious about you. You've been a customer for a while haven't you?"

"Yes I suppose 10 years or so. After I split from the ex, I moved to a place just up the road, and have been going there ever since. I do my shop after I do my lotto, but I make it a habit to go there first, it's not often I get there and the shop is empty like today. I've sort of been hoping it was so I could actually meet and greet instead of just doing my lotto. Today was one of the few that we actually had time to talk, at least until the lady turned up."

"Mm, of course the form didn't tell me much but I have your email and your phone number now, or would have if I had loaded it into my phone. I hope you don't mind, but I did wonder why you hadn't said anything before yesterday?"

"Aah well chance would've been a fine thing wouldn't it. Every time I got to the shop, I'd see you there but you never seemed to have time to stop and say g'day. And if I'd stayed wandering around the place not buying, George would have wondered what I was up to, and probably had made some comment or other, or you might've thought I was a bloody stalker or something. What a great intro that would've been, I don't think. 'Hello, I'm really interested in you - I'm the bloke who's been wandering around the shop looking for a chance to talk to you."

Toni giggled and said, "Mm, certainly a different approach, I must say. Well, we'll have to see won't we. But I think it'll be alright; we have to sort Johnny out of course."

"It's a weird situation when you think about it. 10 years ago I was 30 and you were 15, half my age. Today I'm 40 and you're 25 almost, and that's alright for two people who are together. But could you imagine what would have been said if I'd asked to take you out back then. Your parent's denial would have been heard from Melbourne."

"Oh yeah, sure would have. Not now though, it'll be okay, don't you worry, because I'm not. In fact, the more time we spend together, the surer I am that I've made the right choice," as she squeezed my hand even tighter.

"You don't drink, do you? Why not, did you ever?" she asked me as we headed out of the suburbs.

"Boy, what brought that on? Actually, no. After what I saw it do to my Father and how it stuffed up my Mother's marriage, I only have non-al now. Although I have been known to have Scotch and water on very limited and special occasions, but only the good stuff, I always keep a bottle hidden away, but I haven't had a scotch for - I don't know, probably a couple of years now. Never really had a reason, well not till now I suppose."

"Mm I think I know what you mean, my Father had a similar problem on the farm before he fell ill. Things were going from bad to worse, a fire went through and destroyed over half of the crop for that year, and then drought all but ruined the farm and the community. And just as it seemed the farm would have a good crop for the first time in a long time, another fire went through and nearly took everything including the house with it."

"These fires, what caused them?"

"We were told lightning, there were some local storms at the time, but no-one else got burnt, just Dad and a bit of his brother's place next door."

We drove for a while in silence until Toni asked with a gleam in her eye, "Why not till now."

"Why not what till now? Oh, the drinking thing. I haven't really had much to be happy about of late, company wise, anyway. And I probably shouldn't say this, but I really do like you Toni, I hope we can continue to see each other, but only when it suits you of course. I know you're at Uni, so we won't be able to catch up every-day, but that's ok. Once you have finished your studies, I guess we'll be in a better place to see what's what. Besides, you might have got thoroughly pissed off with me by then and decide you need a younger more studly bloke, not an old fart like me, eh?"

"Nah, don't think so, the younger so-called studly types have proved to be a pain in the veritables really. It's all about them, and the exaggerated stories they put about, nearly every one of them that I've been out with was next to useless and not one even came close to a second date. Anyway, why shouldn't you say that - about how you feel I mean, that's good - actually I think I could get to really like you as well. Are you afraid I'll gallop off into the sunset or something, and why would you think that anyway? Not because of our age difference, surely. It would have to be something worse than that, I give you the tip. So unless you are some sort of looney stalker with a dozen AVOs {Apprehended Violence Order} against your name, or a crazed axe murderer just out of gaol, I don't think I've much to worry about, and I doubt you've been in gaol because I wouldn't have seen you every week, would I." She looked at me with a grin and gave my hand another squeeze. "You let me worry about the age thing, I think I can take care of myself in that regard. Besides, if I didn't want you to be here, I wouldn't have asked, and I'll be the first to let anyone who says anything about it know what I think of them and their commentary about you and me. So don't you worry about it, alright."

"I know you are doing Data Security and so on, but where did you go to school, and work and all that? I s'pose I should know something about you shouldn't I. Tell you what, let's give each other a potted history of our lives. That way if anyone asks at least we know something about each other, okay."

"Do you know much about the wheatbelt, where the main railway stations are and so on?" I nodded and she continued, "Well I grew up on the family farm, which is just out of Bullaring; that's a little siding on the railway from Narrogin to Merredin."

"Aah, so that's where we're going. I know you said the family farm but you didn't actually say where it was. I know Bullaring as it happens. My cousin and his new wife worked there for some years managing the local co-op. Isn't it a small world."

"Mm, what were their names?"

"Ray and Diedre McLoughlin, did you know them? Mind they would have left there a long while ago, maybe 20 years or so."

"I may have met them, but I was only little and spent most of my time at boarding school so I don't remember them really. Anyway it's where we would send the wheat to be loaded onto the trains and where we would get the super from at seeding time. After fires and the droughts, there's not been much of a crop to deliver of late. As I said, I boarded in Merredin for primary school, and then went to Perth for high school, and then to Uni after I got really good marks in maths and physics. I'm still not really sure what I want to do yet, but I doubt it involves the farm. I think I'd like to be a wife someday but that's somewhere in the future so I haven't given that much thought really. Anyhoo, what's your claim to fame?"

"See that's what I like about you - amongst other things, you seem to get to the nub of the matter - no beating around the bush and so on."

"Yeah, well, no time for that. Besides every time I went back to the farm, somehow Johnny found out, and he would pester me for a date at the pub. I never went of course, but he was getting more and more persistent every time I came back. So I hope that after he sees you he might give it away and finally leave me alone." Toni was looking at me and the road, and finally she asked me if I was really a non-fighter and a pacifist, to which I answered, "When I was in the Army, I bare-handed killed a man, and I swore that I wouldn't fight anyone again unless I really had to defend myself or perhaps a loved one. So far I haven't had a reason to fight, and I much prefer to keep it that way. However, if Johnny really gets on your wick, or mine for that matter, he may wish he had been somewhere else."

"Was it really that bad?"

"Yes. I'm not keen talking about it, but I'll tell you, but you must keep this to yourself, okay."

"What happened, did you snap his neck or something?"

"You've been watching too many bloody war-ies (war films) haven't you. No, nothing like that. I still get the heebie jeebies thinking about it. Anyway, we were at a dance at the local Town Hall for the Nurses on the base before they went overseas, when this bloke started to really abuse everyone in the place. Not even in the army but he was there. Full of wallop, and couldn't scratch himself but he wanted to fight with anyone and everyone. He was a big bloke too and could have inflicted some serious pain on me or any of the other blokes there. He took to one of the nurses and tried to drag her outside, but I stopped him, so he took a swing and missed, thank God. My head would still be rolling if he'd connected. Anyway, I took him in an arm lock as he swung past my head and told him I'd break his shoulder if he didn't settle down. He agreed and I let him go, then he had another go, so I took him down and held him till the cops got there, but he must've had a heart attack because next thing I know is he's unresponsive, and he died, just like that. Arguing, struggling, then nothing. The cops did their investigation and there was an autopsy of course. He was so full of drugs it's a wonder he survived that long I was told later. Anyway, I've never had a fight with anyone since, and don't intend to if I can help it."

"But that wasn't your fault was it. How can you blame yourself for his drug taking?"

"Yeah, I know, and of course I didn't know that at the time, just that he was drunk, but still........, sometimes I wonder what might have happened if I hadn't taken him down."

"Well for a starter, anything could have happened to the nurse, couldn't it. Just that seems to justify what you did."

"Wow, you really know how to defend, don't you?"

"Well, I just think that perhaps you've overthought the whole drama and somehow it's now all your fault."

"Well, whatever, as I said, I haven't had a fight since. That's not to say I won't again, just that it'll have to be a good reason."

"Would I be a good reason?"

"The best. Yes, for you I'd fight if I had to defend or protect you from some oaf," especially one named Johnny, I thought to myself.

"Well hopefully it won't come to that," Toni half whispered and squeezed my hand again. I could see the lights of a town in the distance as the highway reached the top of a hill.

"Hmm, is that Brookton already?"

"Yes, we'll go straight on toward Corrigin and then head south to Bullaring. Do you want a break - tea, coffee or something?"

"Yes okay, I wouldn't mind stretching the legs a bit. What've we done, about 2 hours or so haven't we?"

We stopped at the roadhouse on the corner of the highway and the Beverly Road and after stretching our legs and drinking some liquid that was apparently tea or coffee but with the consistency of mud, we got back into the car. Toni started the car, and then turned to me, and just looked at me with a half grin on her lips. She curled an arm about my neck and pulled me toward her while she came closer as well. Hampered as we were by the gear change, she still managed to pull me into a toe-curling kiss that set my blood racing and my pulse through the roof. She broke the kiss and whispered, "Thanks for coming with me. I really hope we have a great weekend together. And, with luck, you might want to do this again. At least a girl can hope, can't she."