Previously

I was 16 ½ years old and in Grade Twelve and determined to get good marks so I could study in Brisbane to become a vet.

On Christmas Day 1966, Mum and Dad surprised me with the amazing gift of my very own aeroplane, and on Boxing Say I flew 'Angel' for the first time solo and gained my 'wings'. Jean was with me of course, but I insisted that she not give me any help. I had to do this unaided. Two days later Mum, Jenny, Chrissie, Ricky and I flew to Brisbane to set up in Jenny's house before we started our studies at Uni and the Mater hospital.

It took about half an hour to drive into the city from Archerfield to where the house was in the suburb of West End. It was just across the Brisbane river, (yes the one that floods occasionally and does a lot of damage) from the university of Queensland. It was also not that far to the Mater hospital and there was a really good bus service to both places. The ferry that goes to the uni was a short walk down the road from the house. Seeing none of us were allowed to drive till we turn seventeen it would be public transport for a few more months.

We arrived at the house which was a Queenslander of course!! What else would us bushies want to live in? We didn't have a lot of luggage because with the weight of five people on 'Angel' we were right on the weight limit since the fuel tanks had to be full when we took off from Quilpie. Alternatively I could have put down at Toowoomba which was always an option left open to me. I would probably be one of the more careful pilots in the world.

Anyway enough about flying and down to earth in Brisbane. Debbie pulled up in the driveway of Jenny’s house. Like I said we only really had some clothes to wear for a couple of days. We invited Debbie in to have a gander at the house. There were three bedrooms and a small granny flat but I was thinking only three bedrooms would be used because the granny flat could be rented out to pay for some of the upkeep of the house. Debbie kept looking at the granny flat and said, “Carla what are you going to do with the flat?”

Mum looked at all of us and said, “Well what are you going to do with the flat? I take it that it won't be used by the look of it, will it Carla!!!?” She had a raised eyebrow while she said it. Poor Ricky looked at me with a red face and said nothing.

I came straight out with it and said, “Mum, me and Ricky will be using the same bedroom so just get used to it.”

Mum replied, “Carla, don’t get your knickers in a twist!! It is what I thought you would do anyway, so just make sure you see a doctor and have the pill prescribed so there wont be any unexpected little feet running around before you are ready to be a mother ok!!?”

Ricky finally looked up at Mum and said “Aunty Donna we have a career to think of so there won't be any grand-kids from us for a few years yet.”

Mum replied, “Famous last words.” and rolled her eyes but also added “Kids, I trust you ok?”

I replied, “So what about the flat Debbie? I see you looking at it, do you want to rent it?”

Debbie replied, “It is in the right position and the lease is up on the one that Jan and I are renting at the moment, so yes I am very interested in renting it if the price is right.”

Seeing it is Jenny's house we all turned to her and she said, “What!!?”

Mum said, “Jenny if you want, I can sort all that out for you so you don’t have to worry about all the legal stuff with a lease and things, just tell me how much rent you want and I'll sort it all out for you ok?”

Jenny said, “Debbie whatever you are paying now will be fine.”

Debbie replied, “When can we move in?”

Mum looked at all of us and said, “Kids we are here for a few days. It's New Years Eve and tomorrow everything will be closed for New Years Day but we could help Debbie move some things. Debbie what can you do about a ute or truck, can you borrow one?”

Debbie replied, “My brother has a courier business and seeing there is no work for him tomorrow I can borrow his little truck for the day.”

Mum said “Well if we can use your Mini bus for us then that's settled. We move you tomorrow.

Debbie said, “Wow, Jan is going to be so happy to get out of the dump we were in. Thanks kids, free rides for you lot whenever you need it.”

Debbie was still married to Jan. They lived as sisters now and were quite happy in life. Debbie didn't look to bad either. Transsexual people are just normal human beings and want to be treated as such.

There was just enough time to go to the shops and buy some food for us to eat for the next couple of days. The power had been turned on and Mum had organised the agent to put some furniture in the house so we had beds to sleep in and a fridge was delivered so we were set to live there. It was basic at that moment till we could work out what we needed to buy to furnish the house to our requirements. There was a small portable tv set that mum had delivered with the fridge so we could at least watch the news to see what was happening.

It was New Years Eve and we were going to stay awake till the clock said it was nineteen sixty seven, and our new life in the city of Brisbane begun. Seeing Jenny, Ricky, Chrissie and I were all in the school choirs for the last seven years we decided to sing our way into the New Year. Debbie and Jan came to the house and there were some neighbours that heard us singing and joined the party. Someone brought a couple of bottles of cheap Champagne and plastic glasses and we all toasted the New Year in. It was one am in the morning before we got to bed. Debbie and Jan had brought sleeping bags and stayed the night.

1/1/1967
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There wasn't enough champagne drank to give anyone a hang-over so it was no trouble to rise early, have some cereal and get cracking to move as much of Debbie's and Jan's gear as possible in the one day. There was no traffic on New Years Day so it was easy to get about without any hold-ups. By lunch time we had done three loads and it was all done. Debbie’s brother Dave gave a hand as well; all that remained was to clean up their old flat but they had a week to do that, so we helped them set up in the granny flat under Jenny's house and they were able to stay there that night.

Mum said, “Debbie I am really pleased that you have moved in here. The kids will have someone to show them the ropes of city living.”

Jan said, “I always wanted some kids to look after and this will give me that chance.”

Ricky replied, “Well Jan we are hardly kids any more but we will respect your advice.”

Because New Years Day fell on the Sunday, Monday was still a holiday but we decided that seeing Debbie and Jan were there that Jenny and Christine would be ok to leave in Brisbane so they could sort out what they had to do to start work at the Mater the following week. Ricky had to be back in Quilpie on Wednesday to take his solo test and we still had to do more thing at home before we were ready to come to Brisbane to live as well. So we said bye to Jenny and Christine and got Debbie to drop us out to Archerfield.

'Angel' was all fuelled up and ready to go, so I let Ricky do the pre flight checks,and also made him do the fuel check for water contamination, I had a set of gloves I handed him so he wouldn't smell of petrol. He held the little bottle under the valve and drained a bit of fuel into the glass jar. It was clear so we were ready to get on-board. Mum got in first and sat in the far rear seat so she could stretch her legs out. Ricky and I climbed on board, and Ricky said. “Carla do I fly or do you?”

I replied, “Ricky you might as well because I want you to be really comfortable with 'Angel' on Wednesday when you go for your solo. I want you to pass and get that little set of wings that Rodney will pin on you when you are finished.”

Now that I was a qualified pilot it was ok to let Ricky fly.

Ricky did all he had to and we got permission to use the runway and be on our way home. Once we reached our required height there seemed to be quite a head wind, so we would be using more fuel and would probably have to top up half-way home, so I got on the radio and asked the Brisbane tower where the best place would be to land to top up our fuel. They informed me, seeing it was a public holiday it would have to be Oakey airport on the other side of Toowoomba which wasn't exactly half way but that would have to do. Ricky had to change course by a few degrees and head over the Great Dividing Range and over Toowoomba so our height also had to change to four thousand feet.

We landed in Oakey, refuelled and got under way again. It made the trip an extra hour longer but also gave Ricky some valuable experience flying over a mountain range. We landed in Quilpie at two in the afternoon. I got Ricky to fly over the town so Dad or Uncle Tony would know to come to the air strip with the refuelling gear so 'Angel' could be got ready for Ricky’s test on Wednesday. Both Dad and Tony came, Tony in with the fuel and Dad to take us very tired people home.

Ricky came home with us because his Mum and Dad went away for the school holidays so I had a chance to mother him!! Um love him um!! You know what I mean. We arrived home and had a cup of tea and a sandwich and Ricky and I went to my bedroom and really needed to have a sleep but that didn't happen, we lay on the bed and started kissing and I said, “Ricky wait a minute. I will lock the bedroom door, not that Mum or Dad would just walk in on us, but it would be embarrassing for us as well as them.

I came back to the bed and said to Ricky “I love you and I want make love here in my bed for our first time.”

Ricky replied, “Carla if you get pregnant now our future will be ruined.”

I said, “Ricky sweetheart, I am on the pill we are safe, or don't you want me?”

I had tears in my eyes and thought he was rejecting me. Ricky came to me and gently kissed me on the lips and said, “Carla you are my everything. I love you more than words can describe, but I want you to be sure before we make love for the first time.” I didn't say anything and started to get undressed and he did the same. Jean was there as well this was going to be special.

Now for those of you that think I am going to tell you in detail what happened you will be disappointed because the love between me and Ricky was a private thing. All I can say is that it is was magic feeling and I don't know if it was Jean that did it but we seemed to be transported to a higher place than earth when we finally exploded into ecstasy. We lay there in each others arms completely exhausted. Cheeky Jean said, “That went well didn't it” and we could both hear singing.

I don't want another pretty face,
I don't want just anyone to hold.
I don’t want my love to go to waste,
I want you and your beautiful soul.
You're the one I want to chase,
You're the one I wanna hold.
I won't let another minute go to waste.
I want you and your beautiful soul.

Ricky and I fell asleep and were woken up by Mum knocking on the bedroom door saying, “Do you two love birds want any dinner tonight or is love alone enough?”

We both jumped up and quickly got dressed and went to the kitchen where Mum and Dad were waiting for us to sit down with them and interrogate us, or so we thought, but Mum just had a dreamy look in her eyes and said, “Carla and Ricky, I know you two are very much in love and I also heard Jean singing that beautiful love song so I know what you were doing.”

Before mum could say any more I said, “Mum it's ok, I’m on the pill.”

Dad winked at me and said “Eat your dinner sweetheart, your mum and me love you both.” and then said “Was it good?” That got Dad a poke in the ribs from Mum.

He said, “I meant the trip, was it good?” That got us all laughing and then we ate our meal.

Rita and Peter were living in their own place by now, so Mum and Dad would be living in that mansion of a place all by themselves. However me and Ricky planned on going back there to settle down and bring up our own family right there in Quilpie and in that house, giving Mum and Dad a few grand-kids to babysit and love. Mum was now fifty seven years old ,so by the time we gave her the first grandchild she would be sixty one, but I was sure that Rita would be there before us.

Wednesday 4/1/67
~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was Ricky's turn to do his solo that morning so we would both be qualified private pilots. If ever we wanted to become commercial it was another year of study and training. Ricky might have wanted to do that later on but I was happy enough to just do my own stuff. In another four years 'Angel' would have to be replaced if I was going to be a vet that went out to the outlying stations. I would want a twin engine for safety. Seeing Dad was half partner in the air charter business, he would be able to buy a good second hand aircraft for me to do the job.

I went and watched Ricky go through his paces and get his wings the same as me. I got to pin the little golden wings to his shirt and gave him a kiss to end all kisses because Jean was also kissing him and Ricky always knows when she does that, because it is like a mini electric shock going through me into him. Well I did tell him we come as a package, I think it is bigamy by default!

After that we got back in 'Angel' and went for a flight in the wild blue yonder for an hour and to let Jean talk with us through our head phones. I had no idea how she did that or some of the other things she seemed to be able to do, I just went along with it and felt blessed by it all.

We had to come back to earth and put 'Angel' in her parking spot. At that moment she was in the open but Dad was having a small hanger built for her there and also at Archerfield. I didn't know if my parents were millionaires but I guess they must have been because they had a lot of fingers in a lot of pies.

There was a public phone box at the aerodrome, so we rang Peter at the restaurant to see if he would give us a lift home.

He said, “I’ll be glad when you two turn seventeen and get your drivers' licences. Fancy being qualified pilots and not being allowed to drive a car!”

Ricky replied, “Well can we get a ride home or not?”

Peter said, “I’ll get Rita to do it, I'm busy putting in new elements in the main stove.”

Rita turned up in their new Volkswagen Kombi van, which was all decked out for camping. Peter and Rita were camping addicts and would take to the bush any chance they got, Rita was like me and could live off the land if she had to, so they were probably safer than most campers that we came across out there.

City folk seemed to take a lot of risks in the bush and get themselves into trouble and the locals usually had to go and bring them back to town in embarrassment of running out of fuel or water. We arrived home and Rita decided not to go back to work. It was Wednesday and not all that busy at the restaurant and she was wanting to start making her wedding gown with Mum's help of course. Mum said she was going to buy one but Rita wanted to make her own because it is what she always wanted to do ever since she learned to sew.

I said, “Rita, will you make mine as well?”

She replied, “Carla it's at least five years off, surely?”

I said, “Maybe it is, but if you are making yours why not make two and what about Jenny and Christine?”

Rita replied, “What about them?”

I said, “Never mind.” and went to do something about making lunch.

I made a salad with silverside and cold hard boiled eggs. It was hot weather and cooked meals were not what you wanted on a hot day. I called out to all and sundry to come and eat out on the verandah where it was nice and cool. Poor old Ginger is lying in the shade and I was thinking if she got to crippled with arthritis I would have to have her put to sleep, and she could join Goldie in doggy heaven. Goldie was put to sleep last year because of blindness and back problems. It is cruel to keep them alive if they are in pain.

Jenny rang from Brisbane to tell us that the phone had been connected, and tell us what was going on with the house and Debbie and Jan. Ricky and I were staying in Quilpie till Sunday and then flying to Brisbane so we could set up our bedroom with a bed and other furniture for the house. If we are going to live there for the next four years, we wanted it to be comfortable. We still had lots of things to sort out for when we started uni with forms to fill out and phone calls to make and I still wanted to do one more day helping out at Ross Bailey's veterinary surgery. It was late and we were tired and said 'good night' to Mum and Dad and retired to our bedroom. We were tired but not that tired, so we started to get comfortable on the bed without any clothes on.

There seemed to be a threesome once again, but we had to get used to it because Jean is part of me and Ricky thought he was the luckiest man alive so we all three made sweet gentle love. It seemed that Jean transported us to heaven and back.

To be continued.

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Next time: setting up house and meeting new friends .

Author's note: Due to other commitments, I have decided to post chapters of 'Carla's Journey' on a weekly basis for the time being. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.