Sassy and Smart Micki

Some 150 adults and children turned up for her farewell, a Sunday evening barbecue over at the O'Toole's shearing shed. Old-timers argued when had there been a farewell that large locally, and it was agreed it would have been thirty or more years ago.

Families brought salads and vegetables to cook while Kitty and her group opted to look after deserts because the Hatfields and little Jessica's parents opted to provide chicken, beef and pork for the twenty grills.

Then a five-piece band from Horsham that Andrew and Micki sometimes played guitar and sang during the band's short breaks at the hotel they played at, arrived unannounced to play all evening and that really was icing on the cake.

During the farewell speeches Micki was stunned when she opened a gift paid for by local donations (and the amount secretly doubled by the Hatfield family). It was a fabulous opal and white gold bracelet.

After Mrs Mackie, who'd made the presentation on behalf of the community kissed Micki and everyone clapped, Jessica now five come forward with a gift from her family, a pair of earrings that matched the bracelet.

Micki burst into tears and Jessica endeared herself to everyone by clasping Micki around the legs and urged her not to cry.

Next day the O'Toole family drove Micki to Melbourne to catch her flight to San Francisco. They'd arrived earlier and went into the restaurant and there was a big surprise, Annie was waving them over to a big table where the rest of the Hatfield family was seated and grinning.

They had a happy hour until it was time for a few tears to flow.

"Thank you, thank you, I'll never forget you guys and you'll all see me again. She wept loudest when hugging Kitty goodbye.

CHAPTER 3

The welcome Micki received from her father in San Francisco was not memorable.

"I'll ask you again, how long are you planning to stay?"

She smiled and said her answer was the same she'd told him twice on the phone, she'd know in due course. He was angry and knowing him well, expected she'd soon learn why.

It was a 215-mile drive to the ranch north of the city, near Red Buff, ironically a similar distance from Melbourne to the O'Toole's farm. That had not occurred to Micki until just now.

The Jeep was aging and perhaps that meant the ranch was not making so much money.

As they moved out of the city, her father Ralph said, "There have been some changes since you left here, changes you know nothing about."

"Oh yes."

"Your brother Pete has taken off because he and his new stepmother fought like cat and dog."

"Stepmother?"

"Yes I hired a new cook about six months after you left and, well, she came to my bed and after a few weeks she'd convinced me I should marry her and that's why I did after I got my divorce on grounds of desertion. She became pregnant, being only thirty-six, and that meant hiring another cook. Jimmy wanted more money to stay working on the farm and then he wrote off his car when drunk and was arrested and the insurance company refused to pay up and so your brother squeezed me for money to buy him a good condition pre-owned vehicle. Then we had two bad years for cattle prices and Tammy became pregnant again and I was running out of money and was forced to sell 120 acres of my land to the McKenzie's."

"That's a third of the size of the ranch."

"Yes but fortunately not the best part of the ranch. Prices are back up again and we are doing all right but as Tammy says we don't have enough slack to provide an income for you off the ranch. She also says she doesn't want you staying longer than a week."

Micki was furious.

"And what do you say dad?"

"Well don't be tough on me baby. But she's a damn good manager, better than I've ever been, and she gets more work out of Jimmy than I ever did. She gives us a list of daily chores and I must admit it's pretty efficient. So after a week are you're out of here?"

"Oh no that won't be happening. Take me back to the airport right now."

"But we are already a quarter of the way home."

"Dad take me back to the fucking airport. Just do what you are told. You think you are tough but when push comes to shove from a woman you fold."

"Tammy will be angry that I've not brought you home and wasted gas on this aborted mission."

"Well fuck Tammy and don't you dare mention her name to me again. God I bet she told you to say nothing to me about the wedding."

"How did you know that?"

"Oh Jesus. Just shut up and drive me to the airport."

Fifteen minutes later he said, "Where will you go? I'm worried about you."

"Shut up and concentrate on your driving."

Micki got her father to drop her off at an airport hotel. She knew it would be stupid to rush off without a plan.

"Okay kiss me goodbye dad. You may not see me again unless you come to Australia. I'll call you every few months to see how you are getting on but if that bitch answers your phone I'll not speak to her."

"Micki please..."

"Just wish me luck dad and come to the wedding if you receive an invitation. Pay for the flights on bank overdraft and don't you dare bring her and my two brothers won't be invited. They've always behaved stupidly and lazily but neither of them is without brains."

"I wish you luck baby."

"Thanks dad. Keep that bitch barefoot and pregnant. A number of women have babies when they are 43 or 44."

"She's miles better in bed than your mother ever was."

"You're an asshole dad. Goodbye."

In her room, Micki added to her jet-lag by sitting in a chair watching TV while she drank wine and draining the bottle, fell asleep in the chair. She awoke next morning at 9:47 and felt much better than she'd expected.

When it was a reasonable time of day in Victoria, Micki called Jenna Hatfield.

"Oh hi darling, how lovely it is to hear from you. When I watched you go through those doors at the airport I knew I should never have let you go, silly me."

"Yep I needed my head read coming back here."

Jenna listened as Micki related what had happened after her arrival in San Francisco.

"Oh darling, that must have been a dreadful experience for you. I hate saying this but the rest of your family sounds near dysfunctional and your stepmother you've never met sounds dreadful. What will you do now?"

"My mind has shut down a bit. I guess the shock of hearing dad's misadventures and jet lag and drinking too much mind had put me off balance. My first thought was to call you."

"Right young lady, this is the plan. You stay put and I'm coming to get you and bring you home. No one needs to know about this just yet. I'll simply tell Ted I have this big urge to go to visit my ageing parents. He'll understand and knows I sometimes get big urges but usually they are of a sexual nature."

That was greeted in silence.

"Oh god darling, you didn't laugh. You are in a bad way. I could be with you within 24 hours, or 36 hours at the most."

"I can't let you do this."

"It's out of your hands Micki, my mind's made up. You contacted me in a cry of help and this is my response. Tell me where you are staying."

"Um you did tell me once when I asked you about your life in Virginia that you must take me there one day. Can we do that now?"

"Oh that's a great idea. That will give me time to get you sorted before we return here. Kitty will be dismayed that you called me instead of her but we can think around that problem in due course. I have your phone number so will call you when booked and with an arrival time in Frisco."

"Would it be easier if I flew down to LA?"

"Well it would save some air time. We could stay in LA a couple of days and that will allow me to arrive reasonably fresh from the flight across America because mom will want to talk and talk. Let's discuss that when I call back with my travel details. Yes let's turn this rescue trip into a vacation. Ted can't come because he has bull sales coming up. Oh I'm really looking forward to this adventure."

"Me too. You are being such a comfort to me Jenna."

"I think that's exactly right. You called me for some motherly comfort, clever girl."

The call ended with Micki accepting her life had plummeted into a mess because of her emotional stress and the reality was she only required some mental adjustments and she would become stabilized.

* * *

Micki peered anxiously at arriving passengers in Terminal B at Los Angeles Airport just before 7 am when a woman in an exaggerated American accent at her left said, "Hello darling, looking for me. You look great."

"Jenna," yelled Micki and rushed into the older woman's arms.

"Oh pleased to see me are you? Well don't be too embracing on this old girl's ribs. You have a friend beside you now. Let it loose."

"Let what loose?"

"I want you to shed that demon that upset your usual superb equilibrium."

"I'm much better and had a day and a half to adjust since we first spoke and the later excitement of knowing you were on your way acted like a huge tonic. I'm already almost over the shocks of my stupid family. I just wanted them to have great lives, that's all but I thought who am I to interfere?"

"That's good thinking, but remember whatever they do they are still family."

"You'll be tired after that 14½ hour flight. The double suite we have is very nice. It's a hot bath and off to bed for you."

"Perhaps I shall but only if we continue chatting. You are still not your usual relaxed and confident self. Everything is sorted at home. My family agreed if I felt like that about my parents then I should visit them and go immediately. I called on Kitty and told her everything and she pleaded with me to delay for a couple of weeks and she'd come with me. They are in discussions to complete the purchase of an adjoining farm that she said was your idea and a very good one because purchasing land during a drought has a big upside when the sellers are keen to seize the opportunity to get out of their financial mess. But then she agreed you needed me now rather in ten to fourteen days' time. I have a letter for you from her."

"Wow that's a big hurdle jumped and I'm glad Kitty and Digger are increasing their landholding if that's what the boys want."

"They do and Kitty says they are very excited about it and everyone is busy thinking how to subdivide their house into two with at least the addition of a new kitchen and lounge. There are two houses on the Croft's property that Digger believes they are in the final lap of purchase negotiations."

They collected Jenna's bags and two days later were back at the airport to fly to Charlottesville just after midday with an hour's stopover at Chicago to board another flight.

Jenna and Micki had a great three weeks and using Jenna's parent's home as their base spent two nights in Washington, two nights in Boston and three nights in New York and then returned from there to Melbourne via LA.

The two women had got along well and only two days into their American vacation, at lunch the day before leaving for Virginia, Micki noticed the intent way in which Jenna was studying her. That left Micki absolutely certain that in her mind Jenna had adopted her as her older daughter. She felt giddy in excitement but made no attempt to say anything about it and perhaps Jenna would never discuss it with her or perhaps it would be only a passing phase in Jenna's mind. Whatever it didn't matter. Micki chose to begin thinking that Jenna was her adopted mother. Surely Jenna would recognize that over time?

In the flight to LA, Micki said, "You must work out from receipts what you have spent on me so I can reimburse you. It will be a lot of money but I turn twenty-five on January 14 and $50,000, my share of my inheritance from dad's parents, will be released to me. I could replay you earlier instead of using my savings to buy a vehicle."

"No way, you are my daughter um I mean my dearest friend. This is my gift to you, whether or not you and Cooper decide to marry. You have been such a delight to me and as you know Annie adores you and your influence has helped to curb her impetuous ways. She has become far more mature and calm since she met you and for that we are deeply appreciative."

"I'm glad about that but Jenna you have spent several thousand dollars on my since your arrival in LA including this return flight to Australia."

"Poof it's only money and Ted and I are wealthy. Your association with our family has given us things money can't buy. I love you my dear. I mean love like mother."

"Oh god," Micki said, blinking back tears.

"Splendid, you have your emotions back under control after your upsetting experience at Frisco. Consider yourself restored darling and I'm so happy for you," Jenna said, extending her hand.

They held hands for a long time until drinks were served.

THE END