BRUMBY, Chapter 1
by Matty D. Baumann
Brendan’s alarm goes off screaming at 3:30 in the morning. He rolls out of bed, he thought he was going to get some sleep tonight but he didn’t get a wink. His Mum Sandra has been up since 2:30 packing Brendan’s lunches and meals for his trip down to the Big Smoke for Uni. She packed enough for a three day drive down from Rockhampton to Melbourne. She was worried about Brendan but Sandra couldn’t leave the three other young ones for the weekend nor could she afford too. High school was tough for Brendan, he did a lot of growing up, he lost his Dad when he was 14 years old in a car accident when driving back from a twelve hour night shift in Blackwater. The Road Train driver fell asleep behind the wheel and drifted straight into the on coming lane. Brendan’s family and three other families lost their Dad’s that night. Unlike some of the other kids that just got into the house party life to fuck the pain away, Brendan wanted to get out, he resented the town and the area for his Dad’s death. For why he had to work away from home and not take him to footy practice. Brendan wanted to run away and today was the day. He worked and studied hard in his senior years, he got Dux of Emmaus College, received an OP 1 (ATAR 99) and managed to get a full scholarship for a Law and Arts degree at Melbourne Uni, accommodation included with the scholarship at Queen’s College. Brendan thought all his hard work and keeping his head down during high school could finally mean he could let his hair down when he got to Melbourne.
His Uncle Ray from his Dad side of the family gifted Brendan with a white 1989 Subaru Brumby. Brendan was thankful for his car but what he didn’t know was his Uncle was trying to get rid of the old Brumby as it took up too much room in his shed. Sitting in the musty, humid shed for over 5 years it managed to accumulate quite a lot of dust and rust and plenty of spiders under the seat. It was road worthy but barely. Brendan’s summer was mainly fixing it up when he had time, with his new car and freedom he managed getting a job picking mangoes just outside of town in Yeppoon only 30 minute drive from Frenchville. He would work most days leading up to his to trip down south.
“C’mon get up, you’ve got a long few days ahead of you” Sandra yells out to Brendan.
Brendan’s other siblings Cara (15), Zoe (12) and Connor (10) are fast asleep, they are use to the banging and clanging in the early morning as Brendan would get ready for work out in Yeppoon and Sandra got ready for her personal training classes at 5:30 before the sun got to hot in the morning. She would then head home cook the other three kids brekky mostly cereal and toast have a shower and then head off to her other job as a doctor’s receptionist at the local GP in Frenchville. Before Brendan got the car he would look after the kids while his Mum worked during the school holidays but they are old enough to look after themselves. This summer Brendan managed to save $3000 from picking mangoes. He had the perfect body for mango picking lanky but not to short and skinny enough that his 65kg body wouldn’t snap and branches as he climbed up the trees to the top. He was some what quick but never cared to much for sport, he only really liked footy because his Dad liked it. He only watches it now because Connor wants to play for the Melbourne Storm when he grows up. He wants to live with Brendan in Melbourne, but Brendan knows he is never leaving Rockhampton. He still sleeps with Sandra in her bed most nights.
Brendan finally walks out of his room, he’s dressed already in a his high school footy shorts and a red Bintang singlet his cousins got him when they visited Bali. Brendan’s whipped mullet pokes out of his Billabong snap back as he tries to pull off (unsuccessfully) the Brah boy asethetic, footy boys meet the Maroubra. Sandra gives Brendan a bowl of nutrigrain and a cup of tea. They sit in silence as they eat the food and look out the window to watch the sun rise. Brendan finishes his cuppa and nutrigrain and takes his dirty dishes to the sink. He walks into his room and grabs a dusty old swag and two bags with all the clothes he owns. Mostly footy and board shorts and two pairs of jeans and one jumper. He walks to the Brumby, unhitches the black canopy on the ute and throws his bags in the tray. He walks back inside, Sandra hasn’t moved since she sat down. Brendan walks back into his room and grabs his last bag with his laptop and and box of books. “I’m off now Mum” he says.
Sandra looks up and sees her eldest boy, like this for one last time, he would never be this same kid again. She starts to cry.
“Sorry Brendan... I know... I promised... I wouldn’t cry”, Sandra begins to sob. Brendan walks over to give her a hug. She squeezes him tightly, he squeezes back. Sandra looks up at Brendan. “Promise me you will stick to coast”
“I promise” Brendan replies.
“Now go say goodbye to you’re brother and sisters please”
“There asleep mum”
“They won’t see you for 5 Months”
“Okay fine”
Brendan walks into Cara’s room it’s a mess, he slightly taps her on the shoulder.
“What is it” Cara says Sheepishly.
“I’m off now”
“Okay bye then” Cara tighten up on her pillow and goes back to sleep.
Brendan tip toes out of her room to see Zoe and Connor up and waiting for Brendan to say goodbye. To Zoe and Connor, Brendan is their hero. He was proof in their mind that working hard lead to success, but Brendan wasn’t looking for success but to escape.
Connor and Zoe rush to hug Brendan nearly knocking him over, they squeeze him tightly and press their faces into his singlet. Brendan can feel the tears from Connor and Zoe going through his bingtang singlet. Brendan puts on his sunglasses and squeezes them back really tight.
“We’ll miss you” Zoe and Connor say in unison.
“I’ll miss you guys the most” Brendan chokes up and lets them go.
He grabs his bag and box of books and heads out to his Brumby and starts the engine. Sandra, Connor and Zoe follow him, they hold each other.
“Make sure you text me whenever you stop” Sandra yells out to Brendan.
“I will mum don’t worry”
“Bye love you”
“Love you Brendan”
“Love you Brendan”
“Love you guys”
Brendan hops in the car and reverses out of the driveway and onto he cul-de-sac and drove away from the only place that he had known as home.
As he drove away he looked in the rear view mirror to see his Mum, Connor and Zoe waving and Cara running out to say goodbye properly but she has missed her chance. Brendan looks back to the road and honks his horn as he begins to cry. His heart aches, it hurts too much to say goodbye to everyone. So he doesn’t look through rearview mirror only straight ahead. It’s 3:45am on Friday and Brendan is driving his Brumby down the Bruce highway to start o-week in Melbourne in 3 days times.