The Meekering Incident

This came as a surprise to both Rosalie and me, Cecelia had never mentioned it to her, ever. Caitlyn agreed to sleep in the spare room, Rosalie and I slept in my old bedroom, and to not go outside for any reason.

When the time came for us to leave for the funeral home we were thankful for the dark tinted windows of the cars. Rosalie and Caitlyn were both dressed in black. Rosalie looked spectacularly beautiful in a tailored black suit, black stockings, shoes and hat, while Caitlyn was almost casually dress in a dress, scarf around her neck and a woollen cap pulled down almost to her eyebrows. She wore no makeup as opposed to Rosalie's professionally applied subdued look.

The funeral directors had arranged for security to keep the media throng a respectful distance from the funeral home. The simultaneous services went off without a hitch and afterwards we stood around chatting with the few invited guests. My father's teaching colleagues told tales of Dad and the things that he did that made him so popular with them. I noticed Mum chatting with the current High School Principal. I didn't have too long to wait to find out what it was about. He came over to where Rosalie and I were standing.

"Ben, your mother has been telling me about your plans for the future. I would like you to come and see me at school tomorrow so that we can discuss what you have in mind. Say ten in the morning."

"Okay, as long as I can bring Rosalie, she's as much a part of this as I am."

"That's fine, I'll see you then, both of you."

Caitlyn had moved over to talk to Mum. "Ben and Rosalie seem to have discovered the obvious at last."

"Yes, is that a problem for you?"

"No. If you'd asked me that a month ago, you would have got a different answer, I would have been ready to scratch her eyes out."

"But my understanding was that the so-called relationship between you and Ben was a media beat up."

"It might have been for Ben, but not for me."

"So you were in love with him then?"

"Yes, me and all of my friends, and probably thousands of other girls, I mean I'm a normal warm-blooded girl, how could I not be in love with him."

"But you're not now, is that it?"

"No, not since seeing the two of them together. I have no way of competing with that."

Caitlyn slipped out just before dawn, her driver looking dishevelled and grumbling about the ridiculous hour, leaving us to ourselves.

"So, you're off to speak to Mister Wallace this morning then?"

"Yes, you must have sold him on our idea, he wants to discuss it with us."

"I think that it's a brilliant idea and something that this town needs, and I think that you will be very good at it."

What began as a suggestion slowly morphed into an idea that, over time became a reality.

The first part of this process began with me honouring my contract to complete my next movie. "Will you come to Hollywood and stay with me while I'm working?" I asked Rosalie. She had moved in with Mum and me while her house was being spruced up for sale.

"Not before we're married. My upbringing precludes me living in sin with you."

"So, before you'll allow me to make love to you, we have to be married, is that it?"

"Yes."

"Well then, let's get married, the sooner the better."

"Is this all marriage is to you, getting into my pants?"

"No. To me, and I blame my (the emphasis on 'my') upbringing for this, marriage is a forever thing. My commitment to you is for keeps, and there will be no-one else in my life but you. This is exactly what I told Cecelia before I left here. I wanted for us to take the plunge before I left for Hollywood, if I made it that far, failure wasn't an option for me. She said that she wanted us to marry before I left for Sydney to star in that soap. I, on the other hand wanted some sort of security. I figured that, for me to go to Hollywood, I'd have to at least have an offer of work. When she broke off our relationship I thought that it was because I was going there without an offer, and would have to struggle to succeed. I thought this would keep my mind off my hurt."

So we got married in a quiet ceremony, away from the media spotlight, with only Mum, and a few of Rosalie's ambulance friends to witness the occasion. We had a honeymoon up the coast before I left for Hollywood. Caitlyn was happy for us, and her management released a statement to that effect, saying that there would be no truth to the suggestion that we had resumed our supposed relationship on my return.

On my return home, I set about establishing myself as a Drama teacher. The first step in this process being to obtain my teaching qualifications. Once qualified I was employed by the High School to give after school classes until the Drama Society and School could be set up.

Strange as it might seem, I have a lot to thank the 'Meekering Incident' for. If I hadn't been back in Meekering I would probably still be living under the Hollywood spotlight, not being able to fart without it being blown up in the media. If I hadn't been decked by Jimmy Bourke over a long, forgotten by me, event, I wouldn't have connected with the love of my life. If my life hadn't been thrown into turmoil by the death, over a matter of days, of my father, and of Cecelia, I would not have made the quantum shift in career that has led to this most satisfactory place in Meekering society, that of a respected teacher of drama to the kids of this town. Who knows, a future star may emerge from the Meekering Drama Society and School.

There has been a downside, but the loss of my father and Cecelia are both slowly fading from my life, replaced instead by my new life with Rosalie and our kids, and Mum who is the most amazing grandma imaginable. Life is good.

Caitlyn abandoned her acting career after that movie, and returned to her home town where she is also teaching acting in a high school. We correspond regularly, helping each other with a regular exchange of information. Rosalie doesn't mind, the two of them exchange their own information, new recipes that each garners from family favourites, as well as other family information. Caitlyn now has a husband who sounds great, and is looking forward to their first child. She and Rosalie have this deal going, in exchange for permission to call our daughter Caitlyn, she will call her son Benson, after me, or if it's a daughter Rosalie, after you know who. I drew the line at naming our next son Dwight, after her husband, but I'm sure that my resistance will be worn down before that day arrives.

Caitlyn and Dwight will be arriving here in the next day or two and Rosalie and I are looking forward to meeting him, and showing them around our town. We are looking forward to travelling to Arizona after our next child is born (we don't know if it's to be a boy or a girl) to see where they come from.

Like I said, I have a lot to be thankful for.