A Koala Called Kent - A Robert Irwin Story

Dinner Date

The table was silent. I had already gulped down three cups of water and the bread basket was nearly empty. I was going to have to talk eventually. Wes and Robert kept having little conversations but they quickly died out. Everyone was tense and it was all because of me. I knew I had to up my game. Wes would try and ask question about me, how school was going, what my hobbies were, but when it came time for me to ask him stuff the only things I could think of were all related to how he had left my mother stranded with a newborn baby and money... I didn't think they were the best conversation topics for dinner.

I looked at Robert. He was dressed so handsomely in a blue suit and a white shirt, he was even wearing my favorite bow tie but even he was looking anywhere but the table. I hated making him feel like this. Robert is such an energetic and enthusiastic guy and I could tell that I was the one drawing that energy out of him.

"I like horses," I blurted out. "That's why they assigned me to Gemma and the zebras when I first came to the zoo." It was all I could manage but it was something.

"Oh really, do you ride?" Wes asked,

"Does she ever," Robert answered, "Wes you should see her. When we were in Boston over New Year she took me to the barn to meet her horse Diego and she was jumping these jumps and I'm sure some of them were taller than me!" I felt myself blushing. I had never heard Robert talk about my hobbies before. I was always telling people how amazing and talented he was and it was so nice to hear that he thought the same about me.

"Well I hope I get the chance to see it one day," Wes said humbly. I offered him a half smile,

"I'd like that," I said.

After that, conversation flowed a little easier for us. It was still broken and uncomfortable but we were making small steps. Every now and again I would feels Roberts hand gently resting on my knee, he's stroke my skin with his hand and silently tell me that everything was okay, I was doing great.

*

It's really difficult to shift your mindset from being so full of anger and hatred to being full of love and optimism. Luckily, I had surrounded myself with the best family to help me through the transformation. The Irwin's are the most positive people you will ever meet and after the somewhat uncomfortable dinner with Wes I felt surrounded by nothing but love. Everyone was so encouraging and I felt happy that I had started to make moves.

"It's strange isn't it," Chandler said to me. I was sat inside one of the tiger cages waiting for Stripe to wake up. He'd just had his annual review with Doctor Brett and was still unconscious from the anesthetic. Chandler stood on the outside of the cage. "Life here. It's so different from home"

"You got that right," I laughed. "I don't know if I'll ever get used to it."

"Oh you will," he said as he sat down. I ran my hands through Stripes fur coat and checked his breathing rate. Tigers don't always respond well to anesthetic and so we have to keep a closer eye on them that some other animals. "One day it'll just click, you'll have been here for so long that America will seem like the odd country."

"Oh I hope so," I said. "I love it here."

"And we love having you here. Bindi is so glad to finally have a sister," he added. I looked at him, a sister. I'd only known them all for about a year and I hadn't been dating Robert long enough to consider his sister my own. Chandler looked as though he had said to much, "I think it's just good for her to have a girl around" he said. I nodded and focused back on Stripe.

"Do they really view me like that?" I asked a few moments later. I wish I hadn't asked it. It made me sound so needy and desperate. "Like part of the zoo family?"

"Not just part of the zoo family," he told me. "We view you as part of the family," he placed extra emphasis on the word the making it very clear that he was talking about the central family: Terri, Bindi, Chandler, Robert, Wes and Luke. I let out a sigh of relief. I don't know when I'd started feeling like this but this family, this place, it was where I belonged. 

Chandler and I stayed with Stripe until he had finally woke up. We called Doctor Brett and when he arrived we said our goodbyes and headed up to the main house. Our work for the day was done. 

"Thanks for talking things through with me Chandler," I said as I headed up the stairs to the main house. 

"Anytime," he called. He waved at me and then made a left down the path towards his and Bindi's part of the house. 

When I walked inside the house was quiet, I checked my watch and saw that it was quite late although not late enough for everyone to be in bed. Terri was probably still out somewhere in the zoo, she worked ridiculous hours! I went to the kitchen for a glass of water and then headed upstairs to Roberts room. I knocked on the door and then entered without waiting for a response. Robert was sat at his desk with his laptop open, he was looking over some of his latest photos. 

"Hey," he said cheerfully as I walked over to him. He wrapped is arm around my waist and pulled me in close to his body, "How was Stripe?" he asked. 

"Oh really good!" I told him, "Doctor Brett was with him when we left but I'm pretty sure he'll be going straight in with the other tigers tomorrow." I took a moment to look at some of the photos on the screen. They were mostly landscape shots, something Robert didn't do very often. "Robert these are amazing," I said as I looked at the vast sun rises and sun sets. 

"Do you like them?" he asked as he scrolled through them with his free hand. "I don't think I'm going to publish them but I thought I might try painting a few of them," 

"That would be amazing," I told him. I shuffled over and sat on his knee and continued to look through them saying things like "oh look at the moon in this one," or "this would make an amazing painting." It was so relaxing to share in his hobby like this. I took the computer mouse from his hand and began scrolling at my own pace, as I did he began to run his fingers through my hair, looping the wavy strands around his finger tips and pulling on them every so gently. 

"So how are you feeling after last night?" he eventually asked me. For the first time, talking about Wes didn't make me tense up. 

"I thought it went well," I told him. I turned around in his arms so I was facing him and he reached up and stroked the side of my face. "I mean it was never going to be perfect was it but I feel like we made some good progress." Robert nodded, 

"So you can say no if you want but I was wondering if you wanted to go horse riding with him. The three of us could go and make a day of it, take a picnic and head out on a trail or something?" he suggested. I had never smiled as much as I did in that moment. 

"Robert, have you ever ridden a horse?" I asked him, he hesitated, 

"Well not but I figured walking wouldn't be so bad, beside I didn't think you'd want to alone with Wes." He looked slightly embarrassed like he wished he hadn't suggested anything. I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his. 

"I would love for the three of us to go," I told him. He laughed nervously and then kissed me again. We were interrupted when we heard the front door close. Terri was home. 

"I'll see you in the morning," I whispered. 

"Goodnight Clemence," he said softly. I kissed him one more time and then headed out of his bedroom and down the hall to the guest room which was now starting to feel very much like my own room in the Irwin household.