A Waltzing Matilda

Waltzing Matilda,

Matilda McMahon was a retired public servant. Not yet in her mid-sixties when most others retired, but she was offered early retirement and she was tired of all the late nights and the travelling, the stress-filled life she had, had worn her out. She had seen many of her friends fall by the wayside at an early age, she just wanted some peace and quiet. Somewhere she could go and not be bothered by the hustle and bustle she just wanted to rest up.

She had settled in a little country town in New South Wales, an out-of-the-way place. She owned a small and well-kept cottage, she had her dog and a few cats, strays mainly, but she looked after them and they looked after her.

Her one vice, if you can call it a vice, was strolling down to the pub on a Saturday lunchtime, and sitting in the bar, she would watch the horse racing and gamble a little here and there. Most Saturdays she came out on top. She didn't need the money, her government pension would keep her well looked after. She could buy the food she needed, and a new car every so often and if she wanted to travel to see her old friends in Adelaide or Canberra, even in Sydney and Brisbane she could.

She had a special friend who would stay with her when she wasn't busy saving the world. Bianca was that one-in-a-million type of person, still young, very pretty, a natural blonde, nice figure and above all obedient, and willing to learn. It helped that she worked with her girlfriend once upon a time and as she was working in Canberra it meant she was only a couple of hour's drive from her. They were as close to being a couple as two women could be. But they still didn't flaunt it.

She had got a call from Bianca to let her know that she wouldn't be home until late Saturday afternoon. With her job for the government Matilda was used to her being called out at all different hours of the day and night, so being late home on a Saturday was no big deal.

As was her custom, Matilda put a lead on her dog and wandered off to the pub for her Saturday lunchtime rendezvous. She kept old Bluey on his lead as she walked through the front bar, she smiled and waved to the barman, he said hello and Bluey got his pats from all of the old timers in there. She ventured out into the beer garden, where Bluey found a shady spot and lay down.

A double neat Fireball was delivered to her as she sat quietly. Unfolding the form guide for the upcoming races, which she kept folded under her arm, she took out her pencil and wetting the tip between her lips started making her notes. She sipped the cinnamon-tasting whisky slowly making it last. She was no longer a heavy drinker, too many mornings waking up not remembering the name of the woman next to her put a stop to the many sessions of heavy drinking and wild nights.

Pretty soon she had mapped out who was going to win which race and who was just going to run a place, she had the hundred dollars she had always used. One thing her late father taught her was you put your winnings to one side and never use it. Start with a sum of money and play it till it's done, then leave.

She smiled to herself. Remembering such things from so long ago, do you think she can remember where she leaves her glasses?

She sat there double-checking her picks and then stood up to go inside to place her bets on the TAB office in the pub. Bluey opened his eyes but didn't move, his eyes watching her every move. She stopped at the door and turned towards the dog, "Stay," is all she said.

The pub was busy on Saturday afternoons, some of the cocky's were in off their farms, laughing and joking. She minded her own business but waved to a few blokes she recognised, as she put her money on the different horses in different races in different states. By the time she had finished, she considered her money well spent. She checked the time against the time of the first race, a good 13 minutes to spare. She caught the eye of the barman and just nodded, which meant when he had enough time she would love another drink.

The noise down the other end of the bar got her attention, just some young blokes getting into an argument. Some pushing and shoving a wild swing, not collecting with anyone or anything. She laughed as did almost everyone else. It was after all funny.

She leaned on the bar as the noise abated and a young man was shown the door. The barman named Andy, placed a double neat Fireball in front of her. "I haven't seen a stoush in here for ages, what brought that on," She asked him.

"He's fresh out of the clink, can't handle his beer just yet," Came the reply.

"You'd think he would have learned something on the inside, like how to pick your fights," Matilda said with a grin.

"Some fellas never learn Tilley," He told her. She raised her glass, took a sip, and returned to the warm sunshine. Bluey just opened his eyes as he heard her make her way to the chair. Rolled over onto his side and went back to sleep. She looked down at the table and saw her drink was still there, she smiled and shook her head, and then mumbled "I have two to drink now then."

She opened the weekend paper and started reading. Her attention was drawn to noises from the other side of the solid ten-foot brick wall. Someone was trying to climb over the wall. Bluey got out from under the table where he had been sleeping and stretched his whole body, listening to the noises on the other side of the wall. He looked up at Matilda as if to say 'What's going on?'

Bluey shook himself awake and walked over to the other side of the garden. He sat down looking at the wall where the noise was coming from. His ears went erect, and he sat there alert, in the shadow of the bushes, he blended in well. A strategic spot to see who was coming over the wall. Matilda, smiled knowing that he was looking out for her. His shoulders were pushed back, and his eyes were wide open and sparkling, if ever a dog looked like he was part of the King's Guard at the Palace, then Bluey looked that part.

Matilda looked up as a rough-looking young man clambered over the high wall and fell ten feet into the beer garden. He landed with a thump face first.

Matilda grimaced as he landed and let out a little 'oomph' and she screwed up her nose. That would hurt she thought to herself. He lay there for a few moments as he gained his senses.

Bluey sensed that there was no danger and lay down looking menacingly at the intruder. The man looked up at Matilda and tried to smile at her, but the drunken look on his face said it all. He staggered to the door leading to the bar and cautiously looked inside. Then after a few moments, he slid in quietly.

Matilda watched every movement and shook her head. The same drunk man who had been thrown out earlier had made his return, none too gloriously. Matilda knew trouble when she saw it and she knew that she had just seen it. She returned to her newspaper and waited.

Her phone buzzed and she looked at the text message, Bianca was just around the corner she asked her lover to get her a gin and tonic for when she got there. She would of course.

She ventured back into the bar and took in the scene. The troublemaker was sitting in the corner by himself, next to the toilet doors, out of the way not causing anyone any harm or even being a nuisance. He was nursing a beer. It seemed all was forgiven. He had a dark look about him as if he was plotting something, Matilda stood at the bar and waited to be served.

The barman came up to her and Matilda asked for a long GnT with plenty of ice and a slice of lime, not lemon. The barman knew that Bianca wasn't too far away. Matilda went over to the TAB and checked her account, she had invested thirty-five dollars on 4 races that had been run and her return was a small fifteen dollars on top of her outlay. She smiled to herself, small fish are the sweetest she thought. A win is a win.

She returned to the bar just as Bianca walked into the pub, she too knew a lot of people in the small township. She waved and stopped to say hello to a few of them. She came up to Matilda, they had an agreement in place, no PDA they kept their warm embraces for later on when they were behind closed doors. It was after all a small country town.

Bianca was a warm and vivacious young woman always smiling, polite, charming and good company. Matilda was so happy to have her in her life. They had been together for over five years now. Ever since Matilda had retired they have lived as a couple, beforehand would have been inappropriate because Matilda was her boss.

She went up to Matilda and gave her some air kisses, and then excused herself to go to the loos, but not before taking a long sip of her GnT. She took a deep breath and said, "That tastes good," Then whispered into her ear, "Not as good as you mind you," and she walked off to relieve herself. Looking over her shoulder smiling back at the much older woman.

As Bianca returned the character seated by the door spoke to her, Bianca stopped in her tracks, her smile turned to a scowl and she waved her finger at him.

It went unseen by most people but not by Matilda. Although her back was turned on them she saw everything in the mirror behind the bar. She waited until Bianca joined her. She didn't say a word other than to tell her to come outside, where her other drinks were.

They both ventured outside and went to sit at the table, Bluey smelt Bianca as soon as she was inside the pub and repositioned himself by the door waiting for her to appear. As soon as the door to the beer garden was opened his whole body was wagging in excitement to see her, the love of a dog knows no bounds. He put his paws up as Bianca rubbed his back and nuzzled him, he was happy as Larry to see her.

They sat at the table and Bluey lay under Bianca's chair. Matilda asked her, "What did he say to you?"

"Oh, it was nothing really, he wanted to buy me a drink and offered to give me a good time. I turned him down, by the way," She said smiling at Matilda.

"Come on, dance with me and then finish your drink and I'll take you home," Matilda told her.

Bianca took her into her arms and waltzed around the garden with her, laughing and the dog barking and wanting to join in.

"How are the horses running?" Bianca inquired. "OK, in front so far," She replied.

"How's work?" Matilda asked knowing full well that Bianca couldn't tell her the truth. Bianca looked at her, shrugged her shoulders and smiled, "OK I guess,"

Matilda reached for her hand, took hold of it, squeezed it, and kissed her cheek. "I missed you these past few days,"

"I will make it up to you darling, I promise," Bianca told her looking lovingly into her eyes.

"You just have my pet," and she kissed her passionately, holding her tightly, resting her hands on her backside. Stroking it and feeling her pushing her body up against her. Matilda sighed heavily and broke the kiss just as the bar-room door opened and the drunken troublemaker stood blocking their way. He refused to move. Bluey just growled at him, showing his teeth, Matilda pulled Bianca in behind her.

"Out of our way please," She asked politely.

He put his hand out pointing his finger at them, "Yous two are dirty fucking dykes aren't you?" he told them in his slurred speech. He took a step towards them and Bluey started barking, growling and the heckles came up at the back of his head.

"Argh piss off you dopey-looking fucking mutt," and he took a kick at the dog, Bluey moved away and just missed biting his ankle but Matilda didn't hesitate nor did she miss her mark. She punch the drunk in his balls with a closed fist, while he was overbalancing, taking the wind out of him, he buckled over and she kneed him under his chin.

He fell backwards spread-eagled. His head hit the wooden floor with a thump. The noise in the bar went quiet as both of the girls stepped over him.

Bluey lifted his leg and gave him a warm golden shower. And casually growled at him as he too walked around him.

"Sorry, Andy, he was misbehaving and he stumbled backwards," Matilda told the barman. He just smiled and said "No problem,"

The girls walked out and started their short walk home. They didn't hold hands although they both wanted to. As they turned the corner into their street they heard a car come screaming along the main road and squealing around the corner, they both looked back in unison as a battered old ute came to a sliding halt in front of them.

The little township didn't have a regular 24-hour police station, the nearest station was a good thirty-minute drive away.

The lowlife got out of the car holding a.22 rifle, with a cut-off barrel.

"Let's see how fucking smart you two are now," he said pointing the rifle at them. Bluey was already barking and growling, straining on his leash.

He fired a shot at the dog hitting him in his hindquarters. He yelped and fell, Bianca made a move to grab the gun when he fired a second shot, hitting her in the stomach, and she buckled over, and then fell to her knees. Matilda was older and slower, but she got to him before Bianca hit the ground. She pointed the gun upwards as it fired again. He kneed Matilda in her groin, she buckled and cried out in agony. He smacked her in the head with the butt of the rifle she was knocked out. He dragged her and put her into the back of the ute and took off.

Bianca lay they feeling her life slowly slipping away, she knew what to do. She found her government-issued phone in her pocket and dialled 1-1-1- #.

In a discreet cream brick single-story building in a Canberra suburb, behind many shrubs and trees, several alarms were going off at once. At the Airforce base in Richmond, a team of SAS troopers was given the signal to scramble, and a black sleek helicopter was warming up and waiting for their orders. They were airborne within three minutes.

A voice operator was trying to make contact with the caller, "Confirm your situation," he waited for a reply.

He pressed several call buttons to alert another team of medics to be on standby. "Press a button if you can hear me," he told the caller. Bianca feebly pressed a button. She tried to speak but nothing came out other than a gurgling sound. She was holding her stomach and she felt the warm sticky blood oozing from her wound. Tears were stinging her eyes.

The helicopter was sent a message to confirm the location as was the medical team. The SAS team confirmed their arrival time as 37 minutes. The medical team from Canberra was over an hour away. The SAS troopers were told to issue any medical care as required.

Retired General Alfred Higgins received a phone call at 8.30 pm that same evening and was given the news that his former assistant, Colonel Matilda McMahon was missing and believed dead and a former operative a Bianca Johnstone was also confirmed as killed in a random act of violence in her home town. No further information was available. The local authorities were going to handle the situation. He thanked them for the information. He sat in his empty home and poured himself a large drink, thinking over if he should make a call to Adelaide.

A random act of violence he thought, then said out loud, "No such thing,"