The Life of Riley

Chapter 1: The Mines

Lucy never planned on losing Jack, he and his bright eyes and rebellious smile. She never planned on her partner going to jail, she never thought she'd still be living in her parents house, even though they'd been gone two years. She never planned on having a daughter either, but life never works the way you want it too.

It was such a miraculous day, the birth of her daughter. The entire experience changed her whole outlook on life, finally she had someone to live for other than herself. Finally she could get back on the rails, forget about her past, the car accidents, the drugs, the weeks spent with a bottle of vodka clasped in her hand. The baby girl's piercing blue eyes stared back at her and her tiny rosy cheeks filled Lucy's heart with a joy she'd never felt before. June Alexandra Riley changed everything.

Jack held the baby like it was his own, he cradled her, loved her even sung to her but he knew being 'Uncle Jack' was his biggest responsibility and he knew that he had to get out before he started to take it too seriously. That's just how his mind worked. As soon as something got even slightly important he was out of there. Life is too short to be tied down by a responsibility such as ones niece.

So, he boarded a Greyhound bus in Adelaide. He traveled the Nullarbor plain, it's red dirt and straight bitumen roads gave him a sense of tranquility and peace. People of all walks of life caught the bus, indigenous nurses, lost tourists and mad jackaroos that walked the passing stations.

That same Greyhound bus he boarded in Adelaide took him all the way to Perth. The question constantly lingered in his mind 'what will Western Australia give me that South Australia can't?'

Perhaps he was curious? Perhaps he was just bored, bored, curious or both, that Greyhound bus lead him straight to the Dampier mines. Driving trucks larger than houses and blowing holes in the ground with his mates. Essentially living every little boys dream.

⋯

Jack woke with a start from his slumber as an explosion rattled his cabin. Just like he had done many times during his four years at the mine. He groaned and cleared his eyes of any sleep that had gathered during the long night. Or had it been a short night, judging by the amount of gold cans on the floor he could only imagine the headaches he and his mates would be enduring in a few hours.

After pulling on his steel capped boots and Hi Viz attire, the hung over Jack turned on the key of his haul truck, already loaded with 450 tonnes of iron ore, taken straight from the ground only that morning.

"Thought I'd find you up here." Mark entered the truck just as Jack was reaching for his ear muffs. Yawning he chuckles in annoyance at the excitable voice of his frustrating mate.

"Bugger off Mark, I'm tired, hung over and not in the mood for your crap." Jack grumbled, cleaning his sunglasses of any dust.

"Give it a rest Jack, just came to tell you that the boss wants to see you." Mark explained.

"When?"

"As soon as possible I assume, he said it was fairly urgent so, I dunno urgent could be next Monday or now." A smug smile fell on Mark's lips.

"Are you serious? Like dead set?" Jack questioned, his fist clenching. "You were going to tell me it was urgent, yes?"

"Definitely," Mark sensed Jack's anger.

"You're lucky your nose is still fucking straight." Jack jumped down from the truck and into the dirt. His boots left heavy prints in the dust all the way to the boss's office.

He banged on the door, his fist almost cracking the thin wood.

"Get in here Riley!"

Jack stepped in, slamming the door behind him. He slumped down in the chair in front of the desk.

"Good Morning Mr Riley." Mr Walker greeted gruffly.

"Mornin'." Jack replied.

"Now, I am the bearer of bad news I'm afraid." Mr Walker began. Jack cocked his eyebrow in confusion.

"It can't be much worse than the last news I got, Look I didn't mean to blow up the 'reservation' patch, it was Carl's idea." Jack quickly explained, not in the mood for his boss's pettiness.

"You blew up the reservation patch?" Mr Walker was stunned.

"Shit you didn't know?"

"No! But that's not what I was going to tell you, this is a letter from BDM, Births Deaths and Marriages." He handed Jack the formal letter.

Jack took it eagerly, "I'm not married and my birthday isn't for another year, I mean it was only yesterday."

"No your sister died." Mr Walker informed bluntly.

Jack's heart stopped. Did he hear him correctly?

"What?"

"Your Sister is Lucy Riley right?" Mr Walker clarified.

"Yes."

"Well she crashed her car on Tuesday and died in Hospital on Wednesday." He explained.

"Jesus Christ she has a daughter!" Jack ran his grimy fingers through his thick hair.

"No blasphemy in my office thank you Me Riley, now you're required to take the plane to Port Lincoln where a police officer will escort you to the hospital where your sister and niece are. You have one hour and thirty minutes to sort yourself out, pack your bags, say goodbye, you know the drill." Mr Walker said.

Jack pulled his cheeks down with his fingers, "Righto." He mumbled, scared out of his mind. He walked over to the door, his heart pounded.

"Oi Jack!" Jack turned quickly. "Good luck Mate."

•••

Packing his bags, he wasn't sure what to think. That little baby he held in his arms would be four years old now. She'd have dark hair and Big blue eyes, just like her mother. She'd have an attitude, and oh man maybe a couple of barbie dolls that she carried in the waist band of her tutu. He didn't know how to raise a kid, especially not a little girl, but his sister had always loved him, she was always so kind, it was the least he could do.

"Perhaps if it was a boy I wouldn't be so bloody nervous." Jack puffed on his cigarette.

"Listen to me Mate, this isn't how I imagined you'd be out of here, but I'm proud of you." Lenny patted his back.

"We're proud of you. You're gonna do awesome." Carl grinned.

"Shut up Carl." Jack chuckled.

Jack had relied on Lenny and Carl for a lot of things during his time at  the mine. Mechanical work, help with money and just a beer with a few mates. Lenny kept his eye out for Jack. He talked him out of binge weekends and jumping into lose piles of gravel. Carl blew things up with him, and spent hours singing old 80's songs in the bar of the pub. He couldn't just walk away from them but he knew he had too.

"I'm 23 years old, how the hell am I going to be a dad when I barely had one myself?" Jack groaned once again.

Lenny and Carl smiled, they were just as scared as he was.

Lenny sighed, "You've got our phone numbers mate, you're gonna be fine."