Under the Milky Way

"They're not grommets anymore, Beth," Daniella noted. They were both proud and also a little saddened to admit their children were no longer children. Daniella's eldest son, Ted, was twenty-three and rarely joined them on family holidays anymore, often on account of his job as a National Park's Ranger.

Frank was twenty-one and a car mechanic, plus talented musician hoping to break into the music industry, while Duncan and Sophie, who'd both turned eighteen several weeks previously, were more than halfway through their final year of high school. Only fourteen year-old Kate was still a child, and she too was growing up much too fast for Beth's liking. She'd be fifteen a couple of months.

~0~

The four young surfers paddled through the breaking surf. Being winter and because of the earlier storm, there were only a few hardy souls out to catch waves, despite the influx of holiday makers for the long-weekend. The kids recognised Basil Knotwood, the stout barrel-chested fiftyish local fish-and-chip shop owner, whose posh-sounding name was unsuited to his tough, wild un-kempt look, and to most who knew him he was simply 'Knotty'.

Along with themselves and Knotty, three other surfers bobbed among the waves together, competing for sets.

"Probably holiday makers," Kate said.

"Yeah, typical. Come to our beach to steal our waves." Sophie spoke in jest, having no real issue with the other surfers. Straddling her board and staring at the swell forming up, she grinned in her typical happy-go-lucky manner.

"Check it out, Knotty's caught a fuckin' ripper!" Frank gestured towards the old timer, who disappeared from sight as his wave curled up behind and over him. "I'm goin' the next one!"

He did so, paddling furiously with the on-coming swell, sliding down the wave's face, standing on his board and off he went towards the shore.

"Man, that was shit-hot," Duncan said with a whistle, watching Frank ride in and flick his board tightly up onto the crest in a spray of white, standing there on top for a moment as if suspended in time and space, then diving off the wave's back an instant before the barrel collapsed into a mass of thundering, foaming white water.

"You take this one, Kato," Sophie said as the swell began to rise.

Kate manoeuvred into position, checking the progress of her wave then paddling with the surf, and she went, standing quickly and expertly, shooting off down the face before riding along it, the barrel trying to overtake her.

"You're up, Soph," Duncan said, still watching Kate's run into the shore.

"Nah, you go next."

"Nah, I insist. Ladies first."

Straddling her board with legs in the water, Sophie looked about, then raised her eyebrows at Duncan. "Sorry, I don't see no ladies around here."

"Just go, ya gronk, or you'll miss this one," Duncan replied with a laugh.

Without another word, Sophie gave Duncan a smile as she judged the rising swell, then began paddling hard, catching the wave perfectly. Watching her and keeping an eye on the incoming swell, Duncan took the very next wave in the set, paddling in and standing, instantly filled with the euphoria that hooked him from the moment he'd first ridden a body-board as a kid on this very break.

The wave, his wave, didn't disappoint, and he accelerated down its face, carving up and down, making energetic flicks back and forth, shooting along it, adrenaline pumping through him and salt spray blowing in his face. Many seconds of rush and roar, then the tube looked like it would overtake him, roaring and tumbling about with white water. Duncan sped along, accelerating, flicking back up onto the crest and attempted to carve a three-sixty turn, but the wave collapsed around him and he made a shallow dive off his board, nowhere near as gracefully as Frank's recent effort, breaching the surface and spitting a little salt-water from his mouth.

And then they were all heading back out in the swell again, where Knotty paddled strongly over to join them.

"Well blow me down with a feather, if it isn't the Ross and Flanagan kids. Fancy seeing youse all turn up!" Knotty said it with a smile and a chunk of irony, because it wasn't uncommon on public holidays for these kids to run into Knotty, either in the surf or at his fish-and-chip shop. "Nature sure has given us a gift this arvo my friends, and we few, we happy few will remember this moment to the ending of the world!"

Indeed, nature had given them a gift, and they all laughed at Knotty's theatrics. The surf was their playground for next hour, catching waves until they began to feel discomfort from the cold. Sophie and Kate piked first, soon followed by Duncan.

Frank, who appeared immune to the cold, stayed out for another half-hour, till right before sunset, and caught some of the most spectacular barrels as rays of golden light lit up the surf. The others on the beach watched in awe, wishing they'd stayed out a bit longer to partake in the magic.

~0~

Beth and Daniella had gathered sticks, small logs and driftwood, piling them on the beach below the dune, and the kids helped them make a fire. Knotty walked up the beach with his wetsuit pealed to waist and board under arm, joining them in the fading light as the fire smoke began to rise.

"Hey, youse guys must be starvin'. How'd you like me to go back to the shop and get ya some grub? My treat, on the house."

Looking up at the tough, leathery-skinned surfer, Beth said, "Sure, Knotty, sounds grouse. But we'll be payin' ya."

"Youse ain't have ta pay me nothin'," he said with a smile and waving his hand dismissively.

Meanwhile, the young surfers took it in twos to head back to the house for a quick shower and warm clothing. Sophie and Kate went first, then Duncan and Frank, who returned with beers for the adults and passionfruit flavoured soft drink for Kate.

Frank also brought along his guitar, and they sat at the fire as Knotty returned. He handed them hot parcels of butcher's paper containing grilled fish fillets and generous helpings of chips, the delicious smells mixing with the burning wood-smoke.

"There ya go, get it inta ya. Caught the bass meself this very morning, up the river."

"Geeze, you're spoilin' us, givin' us ya catch of the day!" Daniella replied. "Will you join us?"

With a smile and wink in return, Knotty picked up several chips and said, "Tis a crook cook who can't lick his own fingers, I always say." As he shoved the chips in his mouth, Kate giggled, evidently finding his bastardisations of Shakespeare amusing. "Anyways," Knotty continued, "I caught two of 'em, and Ronnie and I'll have a good feed too, so don't you worry about us."

"Aw thanks, Knotty," Duncan said, a juicy bass fillet in his fingers. "Tastes amazing!"

"I might come for a walk later with Ronnie and Trem, and see if youse are still 'ere, ay."

Beth smiled. "No worries, Knotty, you're always welcome. And thanks again for the dinner. I do feel we should pay you, by the way."

"Nah, like I said, don't worry 'bout it, Beth. As far as I'm concerned youse are all locals. Bin comin' 'ere longer than I've lived 'ere!"

"Knotty, you're too kind," Daniella said with a smile. "But I hope this isn't ya business model, givin' away all your produce to your friends?"

Knotty gave Daniella a smile and a wink in the growing darkness, then turned, leaving them to the fish and chips by the fire. They feasted, licked their greasy fingers and sipped their drinks, and afterwards Frank strummed his guitar, occasionally singing too. All the while the fire cracked and spat sparks into the night's sky.

Looking around her, Daniella spoke. "Do you kids remember the last cracker night here? We stood right there, at the edge of the dune."

"Yeah," Frank replied with a giggle. "I remember. Dad argued with some fella about the Queen or something after the fireworks! And you telling him off for it!"

"Yeah, he sure did. Eff the bloody queen, he said! Well, I think it's what he said," Daniella recalled with a smile. "And I tended to agree with him, though I weren't too happy with him sayin' it in front of all you kids. He shoulda known better than to argue with that bloke."

"I don't remember," Kate piped up, causing Beth and Daniella to laugh.

"Darling," Beth said and smiled at her youngest. "I can't imagine you would remember, since you were still in my belly!"

"I think I remember," Sophie piped up with a smile. "I'm pretty sure we had sparklers?"

Duncan played with a stick, poking the fire. "I think I remember the sparklers too. And I wore an itchy jumper!"

Sophie screwed up her face. "Yes, those itchy and daggy old jumpers we used to have!"

Beth chuckled. "My God, you two have excellent memories! You did indeed have sparklers and the woollen jumpers Nan made for yas."

"Jesus, and to think it was what, fifteen years ago this very weekend! Last cracker night before they banned selling 'em to the public." Daniella looked at Sophie and then Duncan, and she chuckled. "Youse two were so cute back then. It kinda makes me wonder what happened."

Beth, who'd taken a sip from her stubby, unsuccessfully tried not to laugh at Daniella's jibe and managed to snort-laugh, causing beer to stream from her nostrils. Everyone laughed, more at Beth than Daniella's remark, while Beth's eyes filled with tears from the beer in her nose and from laughter.

When the laughter died down Duncan and Sophie made eye-contact and both smiled self-consciously. Sophie's smile remained even when she turned to stare into the fire, and Duncan wondered what she was thinking at that very moment.

To him she was breathtakingly beautiful. Always, but especially now, with the fire-light reflecting off her face, which was framed by dark-brown tresses of unruly damp and wavy hair where it spilled from her jumper's hood, flowing about her neck and shoulders, more than wavy but not quite ringlet-curly, with natural light-brown highlights streaked throughout. The rest, he knew, fell halfway down her back under the jumper.

Her baggy black hoodie jumper displayed the Aboriginal Flag prominently across her chest, its rectangle divided horizontally by the black-upper and red-lower background, with yellow sun-circle in the centre. Her pride in her country and people never failed to stir the emotions in Duncan's heart, inspiring him, and for a moment he couldn't take his eyes from her, enchanted. She looked up at Duncan again, still smiling, the flames sparkling golden-orange in her light-brown eyes as their gaze met, his heart skipping a beat.

Frank, a fan of Bob Marely, struck up familiar reggae chords on his guitar and started crooning, "I wanna love ya and treat ya right, I wanna love ya, every day and ev-er-y night..."

Sophie and Duncan self-consciously looked away from one another, while Beth and Kate began to clap along, adding a beat to the guitar's rhythm, and Daniella joined her son with her own sweet singing voice, "...Is this love, is this love, is this love, is this love that I'm feelin'? I wanna know, I wanna know..."

Duncan felt his face flush and took a casual swig of beer to hide his embarrassment. Yet he couldn't help smiling, knowing how deeply in love with Sophie he truly was. And how afraid he was to make any awkward advance towards her, hiding his deepest-most feelings, where he worried she might reject him, causing the powerful magic he felt between them to disappear forever.

When he glanced at Sophie again he saw she was looking back into the fire, still smiling in her wonderfully happy way. Frank continued to serenade them, while Kate stifled a giggle, knowing what mischief was afoot. Daniella and Beth shared knowing smiles, as if confirming a secret they'd known all their lives.

Soon after eight o'clock an exuberant border collie invaded their circle around the fire, jumping and licking each of them in turn, and receiving enthusiastic pats. Kate was partly bowled over, copping several licks to the face, and she cried out, "Hey, Trem, I'm happy to see you too, girl!"

A familiar cackling voice called out, "Well look what the cat's dragged in! 'Ows it goin'?"

"Not too bad, Ronnie," Daniella responded. "How you goin'? We'll make some room for ya."

Rhonda and Knotty joined them at the fire, while Trem ran around like a berserker until she felt she'd greeted everyone with the correct amount of slobber and tail-wagging, then sat between her humans, only moving her head to whoever spoke, and randomly wagging her tail in the still-damp sand.

With the wanning gibbous moon showing three quarters of her face above them in the now cloudless sky, they chatted long into the evening, sharing news and gossip until Beth, Daniella and Rhonda eventually called it a night.

"We'll see you kids in the morning," Beth said.

"Make sure the fire's out proper before you leave," Daniella told them.

"Nah, Mum, we're gonna leave it going," Sophie replied with a cheeky grin. "Probably start a fire in the grass up on the dune too."

"Don't be cheeky," Daniella chastised Sophie, but with a smile as broad as her daughter's. "You know very well it's mostly because I don't want some unfortunate bugger walking in the coals by accident. I've seen the nasty burns down at the hospital, as you know."

"Sure Mum, I know, I know." Having a nurse for a mother, she'd heard about every potential danger going, like people throwing sand on beach-fires to douse them, then accidently walking on the hidden and still-hot coals the next morning.

Knotty waited ten or so minutes after the women left before he reached into his old brown jacket and pulled out a joint. "Yas didn't see anything," he said with a wink, lighting the end with a burning stick from the fire and sucking in the smoke. "I have a few more if ya'd all want a puff."

Frank took up Knotty's offer, taking a long drag, and said, "Geeze, Knotty, you certainly are feelin' generous today with ya fish and weed. What'd ya do, win some money or somthin'?" He passed the joint to Duncan, who sucked in a modest puff before passing it to Sophie. Only Kate declined the weed.

"Don't tell anyone, but it's me birthday," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "Yesterday I was fifty, and today I woke up and was twenty-one again. I shit you not."

They all laughed. "Happy birthday Knotty, ya young whippersnapper," Sophie said, grinning.

"Yeah, Knotty," Duncan added, "Ya should've said something earlier. Happy birthday, mate."

"Fancy them putting a long-weekend on for your birthday, Knotty," Kate laughed.

"I always thought I had a bit of royal blood in me," Knotty replied with a cheeky grin.

Frank began to strum Happy Birthday on his guitar, and they all sang to Knotty by the glow of the fire. Afterwards, they bantered and chatted, and Trem cocked her head, her ears pricking up, and she stared intently beyond the glow of the firelight into the darkness. Knotty placed a calming hand on her head. "What is it, old girl?"

They fell silent and the murmur of voices in the dark became audible above the crackle of the fire and the regular crash of breaking surf. "Hello out there," Knotty bellowed out into the blackness.

"Hello, friend," a jovial voice replied.

A group of four teenagers around the same age as Duncan and Sophie appeared in the moonlight. One of the male members of the group, a tall and broad young man with curly black hair, greeted them, his deep voice betraying him as the one who'd called out. "Hello ladies and gentlemen, nice fire you have here."

"Come and join us if ya like," Knotty offered without hesitation. His generous nature didn't even consider his four young friends might object to the intrusion by strangers to their fire. Which they didn't in the slightest, because each were gifted with naturally generous hearts.

"Yeah, come sit, we have plenty of room," Sophie said cheerfully, moving close to Duncan, delighting him greatly. Led by the burly young man who'd spoken, the four strangers, including one other young man and two young women, sat in a semi-circle on the other side of the fire. "I'm Sophie, by the way, and this is Duncan, Kate, and my brother Frank. And the funny lookin' bloke over there is Knotty."

"Don't forget Trembles here," Knotty said, giving Trem a pat, her tail wagging furiously at the acknowledgement. Nodding to the newcomers, Knotty stated, "It's a pleasure to meet youse all."

"Nice to meet you all," one of the girls said. She looked similar to the big guy; tall with square-jawed features, curly black hair and crystal-clear blue eyes which sparkled in the firelight, and Duncan wondered correctly if she was the big fella's sister. She continued, "I'm Kylie and this is my twin brother Paul, and our mates Annette and Noah. Are you locals or on holidays?"

"Depends what ya mean by local," Knotty answered. "We're all kinda locals. These kids have been comin' here as long as I've lived here, but then again, I've lived here for as long as I can remember. Well, not countin' me thirty or so years in livin' in Sydney in a past life."

They all chuckled, however the laughter from the new arrivals was more polite than amused.

"Our Pop's had a house here since the fifties, on the other side of the dune there," Kate said. "And our mums have come here for holidays since they were young, and then we've come since we were babies too."

"So you're all related?" This was asked by Annette, whose long blond hair fell to her waist, not dissimilar to Kate's slightly shorter golden locks.

"Yeah," Frank said with a laugh, pointing in the direction of the ocean. "We're all brother and sisters of the waves, and Knotty there is some random local bloke who only thinks he can surf."

Knotty laughed too. "I bin surfin' way before you were even thinkin' of catchin' the big wave up your old man's spout, Frankie boy."

Duncan and his companions laughed but noticed the small group on the other side of the fire were not following their in-jokes, so he decided to help them out. "Soph and Frank are sister and brother, and me and Kate are too. Our mum's are best mates so we're probably closer than cousins. Kato and I are from Brisbane though, but Mum grew up on a farm out Nimbin way. But this is really Soph and Frank's country, though they're actually from up the road near Lismore. And Knotty here's the local fish-and-chip shop owner and general beach-bum. Where you guys from, anyway?"

"Sydney," Annette replied.

This piqued Knotty's interest. "You kids have done the right thing comin' up 'ere because I reckon the best thing Sydney has to offer these days is the drive out. Anyway, where abouts if yas don't mind me sticky-beakin'?"

"Manly," Paul said. "God's own country."

"Ah, yeahs, the insular peninsular. Used to surf there and even lived up the road at Dee Why for a bit, back in my day. Used to go down ta Brookvale oval to watch Parra thrash the Sea Eagles too."

"Everyone loves to watch Manly get thrashed," Kate giggled.

"It's true," Frank added, "But it's still a damn shame they merged 'em with the Bears last year. Shoulda kept both clubs separate."

"They'll always be the Sea Eagles to us," Paul said, referring to the recent merger of his Rugby League club, the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, with a nearby club, the North Sydney Bears.

"Yeah, damn straight," said their friend Noah, whose short orange hair matched the flames from the fire. "Best team in the league. They'll split them back into Sea Eagles and the Bears again I reckon." He followed his remark by spitting on the sand between his legs.

Duncan smiled. "Doesn't matter, because the Broncos are the actual best team in the entire comp and will smash everyone and win the premiership, like they did last year."

"Get yer hand off it, Dunc," Frank laughed. "This is the year the Bulldogs get their act together I reckon. They got some good players comin' on."