The Life of Riley

Chapter 13: School

"June you have to go to school, it's the law, I've been in enough trouble with it without you whinging." Jack explained to the grumpy girl at the kitchen table.

The homesteads dining room was the most beautiful room of the house. The huge oak table had been handcrafted but in the 1800s when Mr Hughes great grandfather had moved to Australia from Ireland during the gold rush. The walls were painted a cream colour and on them hung hundreds of photographs of workers, family members and even one of Jack and June. A huge wine rack was lodged in the corner of the room full of purple and green bottles.

"I don't want to go Uncle Jack, this uniform is itchy." June wriggled uncomfortably in the blue dress.

Jack pressed his head against the table, this was impossible, of all the things to do going to school was the one she complained about.

"Please June, I'll drop you in and pick you up, then we'll go for a ride when we get home." Jack bribed.

"Can Lochie, Eddie and Poppy come?" June narrowed her eyes.

"Yep sure."

"Good, I'm still not going though." June crossed her arms stubbornly.

"You're as stubborn as your mother June Riley." Jack threw his hands in the air and went into the kitchen to return her plate to the sink.

"Good morning June," Mr Hughes smiled, sitting down beside her.

"Morning." She replied, her arms still crossed.

"Excited about school? Poppy will be there, she's the teacher." Mr Hughes explained.

"Don't care." June pouted.

"Ladies don't speak like that, they listen to their uncles and their friends and do as they're told because usually when Uncle Jack says for you to do something, he tells you to make your life better." Mr Hughes told her firmly.

"I know, but I've never been to school, all my friends won't be there and all I'll have is my teddy." June rebutted.

"You can't take your teddy June, you won't have enough hands to use your pencil." Mr Hughes said.

"Yes I will!"

"June, don't talk back, now listen to me, I didn't like the thought of school either, I was a mountain boy who rode horses and worked the land, I didn't have any friends and I thought I was very different, I thought I'd stand out like a sore thumb but when I got there, I found out that everyone rode horses, most people lived on a farm and soon enough I had lots and lots of friends." Mr Hughes explained, Jack leant against the door frame watching his niece and his boss chat.

"Are you serious?" June asked.

"Deadly, now when you get to school Poppy will help you through the day, she'll read to you, teach you new songs, how to dance, how to draw, how to write, how to count-"

"I can count! 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10!" June exclaimed.

"You can count, but, can you spell?" Mr Hughes raised an eyebrow.

June sighed heavily, she knew he was right, "fine but everyone has to drop me off!"

"You've got to look after Poppy, it's her first day too." Mr Hughes said.

Jack stepped into the dining room, "Good Girl June, I'm very proud of you."

"Yeah you should be." June got down from the chair, trekking out to the veranda to find her buckle up shoes.

"June," Mr Hughes followed her outside, he hoisted the little girl onto the porch swing and took the shoes from her hand.

Tears trickled from her eyes, "I'm not from the mountains Mr Hughes, I will be different from the other kids, and what if Uncle Jack goes to a rodeo without me? what if he hurts himself?"

Mr Hughes tightened the last buckle and cupped June's face in his hands, "You listen to me June, you are from the mountains, your Mum was spread on Mount Kosciusko because her little girl and her little brother brought her home, this is your home kiddo, it doesn't matter where the world takes you or Uncle Jack, Drovers Paradise will always, always be your home, you're just as much a mountain kid as the rest of them." he told her.

June put her arms around his neck, "thank you, Uncle Jack just doesn't know what to say sometimes."

•••

"Alright June, be good, don't let anyone push you around and don't push anyone around, understand?" Lochie crouched down in front of the little girl, Eddie joined him.

"Yeah be kind June." Eddie quoted.

June put her arms around the two of them, before turning to Mr Hughes.

"Thanks Mr Hughes."

"That's Alright June, you look after Poppy for me wont you?" He clarified.

"I will don't worry."

Jack hoisted her up onto his hip, "Righto Kiddo, let's go see Poppy."

The two of them strolled into the classroom, it was painted bright colours, a bookshelf stood proudly against the wall and Poppy stood in her jeans and baby blue shirt, her hair done up in a bun and a smile on her face.

"Good morning you two!" She greeted excitedly.

"Hello Poppy!" June hugged her legs.

"June, Miss Hughes." Jack told her.

"Oh don't worry, Poppy is fine, I might get all the kids to call me Poppy, it's easier." She chuckled.

"Righto Kiddo, I love you." Jack ruffled the top of June's head. June jumped into his arms, her backpack bouncing against her shoulders.

She buried her head into the crook of his neck, "I love you too Uncle Jack."

He grinned and held the kid a little tighter. He lowered her down and let her run into the crowd of small children huddled around a fish tank.

Poppy sighed, "well, here goes nothing."

"Poppy, this is everything you've been working for, make the most of it." Jack told her.

She grinned, "I'll seeya tonight."

Jack stepped out of the classroom, taking no notice of the girl walking in with a dancing child on her arm. He bumped her arm, knocking a takeaway coffee cup from her hand.

"Watch where your going cowboy!" She cried, the coffee dripping off her fingers.

"Shit, I'm so sorry." Jack bent down grabbing the cup and returning to the blonde haired blue eyes woman before him.

"Go inside Grace, I'll see you at home." She ushered the little girl into the door. "It's fine, just watch where you're walking next time."

Jack put out his hand, "Jack Riley, it's a pleasure to bump into you."

The girl was hesitant but took his hand, "Ester Barnes, and you I suppose."

"Mother? Sister? Aunt?" Jack motioned to the lunch box in her hand.

"Sister," Ester placed the lunchbox in the crate out the front of the door. "You?"

"June's Uncle."

"Which one of them is her Father?" Ester pointed to the group of workers leaning against the patrol.

Jack chuckled, "work mates, sudo uncles I guess you could call them."

They both chuckled, she was pretty and had a sense of humour, Jack saw a chance and he dove straight in.

"Hey, you don't want a refill do you? My buy?"

She smiled, "I'd like that."

"Great!" Jack grinned, "I'll be two seconds."

"Right we going?" Eddie asked.

"I'm going for coffee, Dunno when I'll be home, I'll call you."

"Alright honey, stay safe I'll pick you up when I come into town." Lochie reached out and straightened his collar jokingly.

"Thanks darl appreciate it!" Jack punched his shoulder and bounded back over to Ester.