Authors Note:---

This story is a sequel to “The Girl inside the Boy” (also published on Big Closet).

It starts seven years after Carla's Mum Donna and Bill Croft were married. Carla is in fifth grade. She has had all her surgery to rectify her intersexed condition. Her friend Jenny has been adopted into the family after her father died a couple of years after her mother committed suicide, so she is now a Croft too.

Chrissie, Jenny and Carla became inseparable and are called the Three Angel Musketeers because they are into helping people and could be called upon to be there when support is needed. Samantha who was two years older, had her SRS in Melbourne a week after she turned eighteen.

I was sixteen and a half years old and I was in grade twelve. I know!!! You are asking me why was I in Senior at my age? Well it's like this; when I was still living on River Downs, the School of the Air plus my Mum's home schooling put me far enough ahead when we moved to Quilpie that when I was finally allowed to go to a normal school I went straight into grade five. My only downfall was maths but I had a lot of help and was quite good even at that now. You see I wanted to become a vet and you have to have a good pass in Senior to be able to get into university. It takes four years at uni to become a vet and that includes doing prac with the local vet who by the way is a family friend. So I’m in like Flynn!!

Chrissie still spent a lot of time at our house because we had become so close that we almost knew what the other was thinking, but I think Jean had something to do with that because she now communicated with all three of us, and we didn’t have to keep our eyes closed to talk to her. It was only if we wanted to see her that we closed our eyes. She had even started to copy the clothes we wore! She was a constant in our minds and it gave us an edge when she told us what was about to happen.

25/12/66 Christmas Day
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We had visitors and it was a full house for Christmas, it was also a hot day and Dad, (yes I have grown up a little and call him Dad now and the same with Mum. I can't stay little Carla forever! It is the same with Jenny, we are young women now and and must act as such.) Anyway Dad and Uncle Tony set up a big marquee in the back yard for the Christmas break. Some of us even slept out there on air beds because it was nice and cool at night. Sam and Sandra were spending a whole week here and so was Sam's Mum. All the presents were carried out to the marquee where a pine tree was set up for a Christmas tree. Ricky and his family were here and a whole lot of our friends. Ricky and I were now well and truly an item.

We wanted to get engaged but Mum said we were still too young, Oh well, we could wait. Rita and Peter got engaged the previous year and had set the date for a June wedding. Rita was now twenty three years old and was in partnership with Peter in the restaurant. They were paying it off to Mum and Dad, I guessed when they got married it wouldn't be called a partnership any more, it would be a family business.

I had been training to get my private pilots licence so when I became a vet I would be able to fly to the properties to treat the animals. Rodney let me fly the twin Cessna now and I only had to do solo to qualify to get my licence, and that will happen before I had to go to Brisbane to Uni. Both Jenny and Christine were going to Brisbane as well. They were both doing nursing, but they would not be at university because nursing was hands on training in the hospital. They both got into the Mater. Sam was already there working with her Mum.

Anyway back to Christmas. It was time to hand out all the presents. There were at least twenty people in the marquee so the noise level was high, so Dad banged on an empty kerosene tin to get everyone’s attention.

He said “Quiet everyone, it's time to have Santa hand out the presents.”

There were no little kids so there was no need to have a Santa with a costume. Brian, who was now no longer a priest but had a very successful law business said he will do the honours and hand out the presents.

He came to me first and handed me an envelope and winked at me and whispered close to my ears, “Hurry up and do your solo Carla.” As soon as he said that I knew what he was talking about. It was my solo flight for me to get my pilot licence, but what was in the envelope?

It was all quiet. I think 'There is something going on here. Why is every one so quiet?'

Mum said, “Sweetheart, I think you had better open it.” I opened it and there was a note inside and another envelope. The note was hand-written and said 'Carla solo flight to receive your licence tomorrow at ten am weather permitting' signed 'Rodney your instructor.'

I had tears in my eyes by this time and Dad said, “Before you wet the envelope open the next one.”

My hands were shaking as I pulled it out and opened it. It had a photo of a top wing Cessna and a name on the bottom of the card that read 'This aircraft belongs to Carla Jean Croft.' I was speechless and just sat there with my mouth open and tears rolling down my cheeks.

My hands were shaking too much, so Rita grabbed the note and card and read it out for all to hear. I was asked to say a few words but for the first time in my life I couldn't speak. Jenny and Christine came to me and hugged me till I calmed down enough to say a 'thank you' to my very generous parents. The rest of the presents were distributed and the noise went back to where it should be on Christmas day in the outback, in a large marquee in a backyard. There was a whole pig on a spit and baked veggies set up on a table in the middle of the tent and it was a help yourself affair, Mum and Dad are not drinkers but there was plenty of beer in a big ice chest that was borrowed from the pub.

Ricky gave me a gold locket that had a small photo of us in it, and I gave him a ring with a black garnet set into it and it was also engraved with both our names. I was going to marry him, that was a given, and every one knew it, but we both had a career to establish first. Ricky wanted to be a teacher so he would be in Brisbane as well. 'Oh dear, I wonder where he will live ?!!!'

We had been very good and not gone any further than kissing and having a bit of a grope but I think that would change pretty quickly once we were in Brisbane. I would definitely be going to on the pill. I could not afford to get pregnant as that would ruin everything for me and Ricky but I also knew that I loved Ricky beyond words and we were going to be having a sexual relationship. Some call it living in sin but I called it being in love.

Boxing Day 26/12/66
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I got up early had a shower and started breakfast. It would be in the marquee and I was frying eggs and bacon to feed an army. One by one anyone that wanted a fried breakfast came into the tent and grabbed a plate and sat at the tables that were all still set up from the previous day. Ricky slept on an air bed in the tent because he wanted to see me fly my solo that morning. He was also ready to do his solo in a weeks time.

Jenny and Chrissie weren’t interested in learning to fly, so I guess they would always have to beg a ride with me or Ricky. Ricky of course wouldn't own a plane till we get married - not everyone’s got parents that can afford to buy their kid a plane. Mind you the Cessna is six years old but who's complaining?

Mum and Dad were now pretty much retired and just tried to boss everyone around but I guess that is what kept them from getting bored with life, Ginger was now getting old and had got arthritis in her back legs, so no more long walks for her. I was going to get another puppy but with me and Jenny going away there was no point.

It was time to go to the aerodrome and and do the pre-flight checks, with Rodney ticking off the list as I was doing it. The fuel had to be checked for water contamination, but not every time. It was mainly if the plane had been sitting around idle, but it was part of the test so I had to get smelly 'ag' fuel on my hands, making a mental note that I must remember to wear gloves next time. I walked around the plane and did a visual inspection and was ready to climb into the pilots seat. It felt strange to be climbing into my own aircraft.

'Wow, how many kids my age get to fly their own plane?' I thought.

Rodney did not give me any instructions of any kind as he was still ticking off the items of his list. I was on my own - that is why it is called a solo test. I was not nervous at all and Jean seemed to be sitting right beside me as she said in my mind, “Ok sis I can fly without wings, so now you do it, but use the wings of this bird.”

I answered, “Jean if I'm going to pass this test I don’t want any help from you ok?!!”

“Ok sis I’ll be quiet.” I'm sure people watching me thought I was talking to myself, but than most of them knew about Jean and it is just normal for me or even Jenny to be talking to Jean in public. Oh by the way I will tell you more about Doc Rose and her study on twins later ok? Better get back to the job in hand and get this 'bird' as Jean called it off the ground.

I did all the right checks and radioed the tower in Charleville which was the closest one and got permission to take off on my flight. I gave a wave to Rodney who gave me the thumbs up sign, then I blew Ricky who was standing next to Rodney a kiss and pulled the throttle back to give me a bit of power so I could taxi to the end of the runway and turn around to take off against the wind, I did one last check of the controls and was ready to spread my wings. I gave her full throttle and was on my way skyward.

I was surprised at the power that a one seven two Cessna had, she handled beautifully, and I was going to name her ''Angel'' - that should please Jean. I went through all the manoeuvres while Rodney was watching me through his binoculars. I did a couple of fly overs of the air strip and came in for a perfect landing.

Jean said, “That went well sis.”

I replied, “Are you still here?” I could hear her giggle.

I taxied back to where it all started and cut the engine and climbed out of 'Angel' to a cheering crowd.

Ricky came and kissed me and said, “I love you Carla.”

I kissed him back and said, “ Forever darling.” We walked hand in hand to where the rest of the family were.

Rodney handed me an envelope and said, “Congratulations sweetheart, you are a fellow pilot and I would trust you with my life.” He then pinned a little set of gold wings on my blouse pocket, There were hugs and kisses all round and Jenny, Chrissie and Ricky all wanted to go for a joy flight with a brand new pilot. We all clambered into 'Angel' and were airborne again. Ricky took control for a while because he will be using 'Angel' next week to do his solo and wanted to get the feel of her. She was a truly easy plane to fly. Rodney was the one that chose her out of three others, and he made the right choice. I would get a sign writer to write her name on each side of the engine cowling after Christmas.

After our flight I tied her down to the hooks on the tarmac and we got into Uncle Tony’s Landrover. it still looked like new even though it was seven years old, to be driven back to our place for lunch. It seemed silly that I could fly a plane but was not allowed to drive a car till I turned seventeen, not legally anyway. Most kids in the outback were taught to drive by the time they could reach the pedals, because in an emergency they would be able to drive and get help. It happened on sheep stations quite a bit. Anyway that was the law so I would just have to wait.

Christmas was over and and things had to get back to normal whatever that means. Sam and her Mum stayed another for two days so we could all have a bit more time together.

Wednesday 28/12/66
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I still had a month to go before I had to be in Brisbane before going to Uni and it was the same for Ricky, but Jenny and Christine were starting their nurses training the week after next, and I was already doing work at the vet and had been helping out on weekends all the previous year, I knew quite a bit about being a vet before I start Uni so it wouldn't take much effort to do the four year course, not that I was being cocky or anything, but I had been around animals of some sort since I could walk. While I was still on River Downs I learned a lot from an aboriginal worker and he always told me if you talk to an animal softly they would respond to you in a favourable manner, even an aggressive one. It definitely worked especially one that has been hurt.

Mr Ross Bailey, the vet I had been learning with, said I had a way with animals and that was rare in a girl, whatever that means, but he also knew about Jean and how she had an effect on an animal that I was handling. They seemed to sense her presence. Mr Bailey and his wife Julie were friends of the family so it was a given that I started working with them after school and on weekends. Mum said it would give me a flying start at Uni. Well I already flew so a little bit more at Uni wouldn't hurt! Anyway I helped out for the next three days and even got to go to a property to help deliver a foal. The mother was having a hard time of it and I know it sounds drastic but we had to tie a rope to the foals legs and pull to make it come out. It was a little girl foal and I got to name it ''Ropes''. One day it will win the Melbourne cup. ''Remember that name''

Saturday morning we packed a few things and Mum, Jenny, Chrissie, Ricky and I got Dad to take us out to where 'Angel' was parked. We were going to Brisbane to set up a house for the four of us to live while we were doing our training. 'Angel' was all fuelled up and ready to go. She even had her name sign written on either side of the engine. She had a lot of hours to do in the next four years. I might own her but the cost of operating her would be shared by the four of us. Jenny was the sole inheritor of her parents will and she was buying the house in Brisbane. Of course Mum and Dad were her legal guardians so they controlled what happened with her money, Dad actually adopted her so she was a Croft, and was legally my sister.

We all kissed Dad goodbye, ''except Ricky of course'' and climbed on board. I had to get out again and do the pre flight checks, I was just a bit excited to be going to Brisbane to set up house and live in the big smoke for four years with my future husband. 'How I'm ever going to keep my hands of him I will never know!!!' I thought to myself.

Anyway onwards and upwards at three thousand feet to be exact. I didn’t like to fly a lot higher because I liked to still see what's on the ground and also if I struck problems you can identify somewhere to land in an emergency but I trusted 'Angel' completely. Rodney made sure she was in top form all the time. I also didn’t like to fly at night , I was qualified to fly by instruments but think of this way, if you are driving a car at speed on a dark moonless night and the headlights go out, that is what it is like flying night so I flew in daylight only.

It took roughly two and a half hours by the time I taxied to a halt at Archerfield where 'Angel' would be refuelled and parked till we come back from the city to fly back home. Mum phoned Debbie. She now owned a little mini bus and ran a shuttle service between the two airports, and by the way she had had her SRS op and didn’t seem to have any stubble on the chin any more and looked quite feminine.

She pulled up at the taxi rank where we were waiting for her and she got out of the Toyota bus and hugged all of us. She had become a good friend and could be completely relied upon to be there when we need her. We climbed aboard and headed off to where Jenny's house was. It was half-way between the Mater and the university so it wasn't really too far either way for our daily trek to our studies.

To be continued.

Next time: setting up the house in Brisbane.

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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
~~~~~~
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.

Please leave a comment.

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.

Previously:

I flew Mum, Jenny, Chrissy and Ricky down to Brisbane where we were all moving into Jenny's new house, close to the Mater and the Uni.

The house had a separate flat, and Debbie, our friend and regular taxi driver showed immediate interest in it, so it was arranged that she and Jan should move in, and we all helped them with that.

It was the end of 1966, an eventful year and after enjoying the New Year's Eve celebrations, Ricky flew Mum and I back to Quilpie as a final practise before taking his solo flying test, which he passed a few days later.

Ricky stayed with us and for the first time we made wonderful love together, after which Jean sang us to sleep.

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 we 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 thinks he is the luckiest man alive so we all three made sweet gentle love. It seemed that Jean transported us to heaven and back.

****************************************

Sunday 8/1/67
~~~~~~~~~~~

We packed as many clothes as we could take with us. Because there were only the two of us going to be in 'Angel' it left us a great deal of scope to fill her up with a lot of our gear. It was just as well that Debbie had a mini bus because it would be hard to fit all of it into an ordinary taxi! Jenny and Christine had packed all their stuff into boxes and put it on road transport the previous week. We loaded all our things into Mum's station wagon and asked her to take us to the aerodrome and give us a hand to pack all the things into 'Angel'.

So Mum and Dad came with us, Mum to help with the loading and Dad to top up 'Angel's' fuel supply. I wanted to do the trip in one go and not put down anywhere in between if it was possible. Once 'Angel' was all ready we decided to go home and have morning tea. Uncle Tony, Aunty Bella, Rita, and Peter, and Christine's parents were all there to have morning tea and then take us back to 'Angel' and bid us goodbye for at least a month.

When it was time to go there were tears all round. Ricky's parents turned up to say goodbye as well. It was all a bit stressful and we were glad when Ricky and I got into Mum's car to be driven to where 'Angel' awaited us, Dad coming along as well. We arrived at the aerodrome and pulled up next to 'Angel'. This was hard - both me and Rick were doing the pre-flight checks with tears running down our face. Mum and Dad were watching us also with tears in their eyes.

We walked back to where they were standing and had a group hug.

Mum said, “Be good you two!”

I was choked up but managed a “Yes Mother.”

Dad said, “Carla, when you get to Archerfield you will see a new hanger with a name Croft on the sliding doors, that belongs to us. Rodney has an office there as well, and 'Angel' is to be housed in that hanger."

I knew it was being built but didn’t know it was ready to be used. We said another goodbye and boarded 'Angel' to be up and away in the clear blue Queensland sky.

We flew over Toowoomba at three thousand feet and as we passed over the range we were at five thousand because Toowoomba is two thousand feet above sea level. All of a sudden the ground drops away. It was two in the afternoon when we landed at Archerfield. I taxied up to the hanger that had Croft Air Charter painted on the side wall, and I turned 'Angel' around so she could be pushed back into the hanger. We got out and Ricky pushed the big sliding doors apart. A couple of guys came over and introduced themselves and gave us a hand to push 'Angel' into the hanger, The guys were Greg and Toby and owned the hanger next to ours. They weren’t much older than us so I guessed it was their parents' hanger and saw a twin Cessna was housed inside.

It looked like we were going to become good friends because they were both at Uni studying to become lawyers, and they were also keen on flying, so I guess we all had something in common. An office had been set up in the hanger so there was a phone sitting on the desk. I dialled the number of the house and Christine answered, “Hello this is Christine Jackson,”

I said, “Hi Miss Jackson, this is Miss Carla Croft. May I order a mini bus to the airport please?”

I heard her sing out to Debbie, “Hey Debbie, they're at the airport.”

“Ok tell them I’m on my way.”

“You heard madame?”

“Yeah how are ya?”

“We’re all fine, waiting for you to turn up so we can start the barbecue. How hungry are you?”

“By the time we get to the house, very hungry!”

“Ok, I’ll tell Jennifer and Jan to pull the steaks out of the new fridge we got yesterday.” and she hung up.

Ricky said, “What was that all about?”

“Just organising some food for you Darling.”

“Oh ok, I could do with some food. We haven't eaten since we left Quilpie this morning.”

“Aaaww you poor Darling!! Mummy will look after you when we get home.”

“You keep that up and I will have to see to you tonight!”

“Promise?!!”

“Cheeky!”

Debbie turned up so the banter had to stop - till we got home anyway.

Debbie said, “Hello kids, have a good flight did we?”

“Yes Debbie, just wait till you see how much stuff we have to transfer to your bus.”

“Ok lets do it then and get you two home and settled in shall we?”

We loaded the bus, locked the hanger and were on our way to our new home. When we arrived Chrissie and Jenny were waiting for us at the front gate of the house and there were hugs and kisses all round.

Debbie said, “Ok you lot, you can kiss and cuddle later. Lets get this stuff out of my van and into the house.”

I said “Yes ma'am” and started to carry some of the bags of clothes up the stairs along the verandah, and into Ricky's and my bedroom. There were two openings to the room - one door leading to the inner hallway and the other was a set of French doors opening out to the wide verandah. It was a beautiful old classic Queenslander house with ten foot high ceilings, probably eighty years old.

By the time we had all our things put away, as much as we could without wardrobes, it was getting late and no-one felt like cooking anything for tea so Debbie said, “Right, you lot give me ten quid between the lot of you and I’ll get us a couple of large pizzas and some bottles of Coke to drink.”

I said to the others “Put your money away.” and handed Debbie a twenty pound note and said, “I have to get rid of these because next month when we change over to decimal dollars and cents I don’t want any of these left.”

Debbie replied, “Ok but I won't need twenty quid and besides you'll be able to take all your old money to the bank and have it changed to dollars.”

I replied, “Debbie, you have to put petrol in your bus so use it for that.”

Debbie said, “Carla you're a good kid, thanks.”

I replied, “Debbie you can't keep doing things for us for nothing. Me and Jenny are well off and Ricky and Christine have also got money put away ok?!!”

Ricky looked at me with that cheeky grin of his and said, “Yeah Debbie, when we get married Carla is going to give me half of her millions.”

I replied, “And he is going to look after all our kids, aren’t you dear?”

Jenny, Chrissie, and Jan who just turned up all were having a laugh at Ricky's expense. Poor Ricky is going to have to put up with a house full of women as well as one in the spirit world.

Jean was laughing as much as the others, and said to me, “Ricky is beautiful Carla, we have to look after him.”

I replied in full voice, “Yes we will won't we Jean?”

Ricky had a silly look on his face, blew me a kiss and said, “Jean I know you can hear me. I love you too girl, can I see you if I close my eyes?”

I said, “Go ahead darling close them, but sit down first.” He sat on a folding chair and closed his eyes and said, “Wow Jean you look really pretty in that gown. You seem to be standing right beside Carla, but I have my eyes closed so how can I see Carla as well?”

Jean said, “That's because Carla has also got her eyes closed and I am projecting her image back to you. It's just something we angels can do.”

The communication went on a little while longer and Jean said, “Ok my sweethearts I am running out of strength so I will have to fade, but you will still be able to talk to me any time you want to, just call my name and I will answer you. I am right beside you all the time Carla.” The conversation finished and Jenny and Chrissie heard the verbal exchange but did not see Jean. Jan just stood there with her mouth open and said, “Debbie told me about you and your twin, Carla but if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I would never have believed it.”

Debbie walked back into the room to say she was going for the pizza and said “Jan what was that I told you?”

Jan said, “Oh just the bit about Carla's twin talking to her.”

“Oh is that all? You'll get used to that after a couple of days. Half the time she does it without thinking about it, and people that don’t know Carla just think she talks to herself a lot.”

Jan said, “I think I'm going to enjoy living with this lot. It'll certainly be different won't it?” We all just looked at her and nodded.

While Debbie was away getting our food and soft drinks, (we are all tea-total people, yes I know boring but at least we keep our brain cells intact) we started making a list of the things we are going to have to buy to make it into a home. This wouldn't be cheap because I wanted a king-size bed like the one in my room in Quilpie. Jenny and Christine had already got all their stuff sorted so they were quick to give us advice on where to buy our things. We didn't have to start Uni proper for a couple of weeks so we had plenty of time to set things up.

Debbie came back with the food and we sat out on the verandah in fold-up camp chairs to have our pizza. It wouldn't be long before we would have a barbecue and table and chairs to sit on the wide verandah. Most barbecues were wood fired in the backyard but there were new types now that were on wheels and had a gas bottle and burner under the plate - very clean and modern. Anyway we hit the sack early because the next day was Monday and all the others had to go to work, We said good night and retired to our rooms.

It was a hot night so me and Ricky decided to sleep in our birthday suits, but the problem with that is we are still excited to be naked together and of course Ricky rose to the occasion and---well surely you don’t want me to tell you what happens when a girl and boy are naked together on a couple of air mattresses do you?!!!!!

Monday 9/1/67
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Jenny and Chrissie were starting their nurses training officially that day so Debbie was taking them in her bus as well as Jan, because Jan was working as a domestic at the Mater. So there were three people in the household that would go to work at the Mater. Ricky and I were going to catch a bus into town to go shopping for our bed, mattress and bed linen so we decided to buy a whole bedroom suite and be done with it and have it delivered and set up by the store we bought it from. We went to McWirther's department store and they had everything under the same roof that we needed, so that is where we bought ninety percent of our gear and had it delivered in the afternoon.

Both Ricky and I had to front up to the Uni and sign some papers and also get a list of books and bits and pieces we needed when we started to attend our first lecture on Monday the sixteenth of January. So we went by bus to home and decide to try out the river ferry. We had a bit of left-overs from the previous night's pizzas which weren’t all that nice but it would see us through till we could do some food shopping after we got home from the Uni and the guys from the furniture department delivered our things. It was a short walk to the pontoon where the old ferry pulled up and went across to the other side of the Brisbane River on the Uni side, From there we caught a bus to the Uni campus. We could have walked it but it was a bit far if you were in a hurry so I guess we would either have to rise early in the mornings or always catch a bus for the last bit.

The University of Queensland is a bloody big place and we had to ask directions several times before we got to all the people we needed to see to register for our courses. At one stage Ricky and I lost each other and had to ask a senior lecturer to get us hooked up again. By the time we were finished it was time we got home to be there when the truck arrived with our items.

We got home just as the truck pulled up. We quickly unlocked the house and opened up the door on the verandah so the guys could carry everything into the room. Half an hour later everything was set up and the guys left in their delivery truck. Debbie rang to see if we were home and to ask us if we wanted to go to the grocery shops before they closed because she was close by. We said 'yes' and she came and picked us up to take us shopping. As we had also bought a fridge for our room we could fill it up with all sorts of goodies.

We were home packing all our things away when the two trainee nurses came home and saw the fridge in our bedroom.

Chrissie said, “Holy shit Carla, I didn't think you would buy a fridge as well?”

Ricky said, “Hello to you too Chrissie!”

“Sorry, I didn't mean it that way, but is there any need to have an extra fridge?”

I said “No, but it was on a special and Mum did say to get anything that I thought we needed and put it on her account.”

Jenny put her two cents worth in and said, “Well we can use this one for goodies and the one in the kitchen for proper food.”

We hadn’t bought the barbecue yet but would in the next couple of days. Jan called out to us and said, “I am cooking dinner tonight so if you want to have a shower and get cleaned up first it will be ready in about half an hour.”

There were three bathrooms, one in the granny flat, the original one, and one that Mum had organised a builder to install when she realised four of us were going to be in a fix in the mornings if we didn't have the extra one. Jenny and Chrissie had separate rooms but used the same bathroom mostly at the same time. 'No they are not lesbians so stop making funny faces!!!'

Ricky and I would definitely be using ours together. We really liked to soap each other up well, and sort of take our time doing it — umm -- you know to make sure we-- umm -- we don’t miss anywhere!!! Anyway that's my story and I’m sticking to it. We had our showers and made our way down to the the flat to have dinner with Debbie and Jan. It was lamb chops with mashed potatoes and fresh peas and gravy, with ice cream and tinned peaches for desert. It certainly filled us up. Both me and Ricky liked cooking so we'd be able to return the favour, and so would Jenny and Chrissie because they are both as good at cooking as us, so we would be able to be fed really well and not have to resort to too many take-away meals.

It was time to try out our new bed, and no, I will not tell you how it went!!! Use your fertile minds and imagine two almost seventeen year-olds in love on a king size bed and see what you can come up with!!!

Jenny's house

To be continued

Next time: starting uni and meeting up with Greg and Troy the law students.

Please leave a comment

Previously

Ricky and I packed all our clothes and flew back to Brisbane after a slightly tearful farewell. At Archerfield Croft Air Charter now had its own hanger, and two guys whose plane was in the next hanger helped us move 'Angel' inside. They were also at Uni, studying law, and it seemed that we would become friends.

We spent the next few days settling into the house, buying some furniture and registering at Uni.

Monday 9/1/67
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Ricky and I had another week to fill in before we were due to front up to university, so we decide to spend some time at home and in the garden. The previous owners had established a rather large vegetable garden so we reckoned with a bit of work we could be eating our own produce. Debbie and Jan had already discovered it and had planted some tomatoes and beans. The whole garden had been set up with an elaborate drip watering system so it shouldn't be a problem for us time-wise, We went out and bought a whole lot of seedlings and packets of seeds so we were on our way to become city gardeners!

When the others came home from work they found me and Ricky down in the garden just finishing planting all the seedlings and raking the soil over the seeds we had sown.

Chrissie said “Alright you people of leisure, what’s for dinner tonight?”

Ricky replied, “Whatever you can find. Me and Carla are going out so you will just have to cope won't you?”

Jenny said, “That'd be right! We work our fingers to the bone and get told to get our own meals as well, while you two go of enjoying yourselves.”

I replied, “If you two hurry up and change out of those nice white uniforms, dinner is on me, but you had better hurry because as soon as me and Ricky have showered and dressed we will be going to a Chinese restaurant in the Valley.”

(Fortitude Valley has an area called Chinatown and is still there to the present day.)

Jenny and Chrissie didn't waste any time and disappeared to ready themselves to go out for a free meal on me. I had rung Debbie and Jan to tell them to come home as well and they turned up just as I was about to go into the shower with Ricky.

Debbie said, “What did you want us home for that is so urgent luv?” I explained that I was talking them all out for dinner in the Valley. They also didn't waste any time getting ready to go out for a free meal.

I thought 'They had better make the most of it because this won't happen too often. I might have wealthy parents but I was taught be generous but not wasteful.'

Once we were all set to go, we got into Debbie's bus and she drove into Fortitude Valley. I didn't tell Jenny and Chrissie that I had also invited our friends from the airport along as well. This could be interesting because Jenny and Chrissie had both dropped their boyfriends from Quilpie before embarking on four years of nurses' training in Brisbane. Greg and Toby were actually twins, not identical but just as close as me and Jean, only they were both on the earth plane. Their parents were both lawyers so it followed that they would be the ones to take over the family business eventually. Anyway we arrived at the restaurant where I had booked a table for eight people.

The head waiter greeted us and led us to our table and gave us the menus to read. When Jenny noticed that there are two more chairs at our table she twigged and said, “Carla sister dear, what are you up to?”

I replied, “Nothing, why?” but she didn't wait for me to answer and had her eyes closed and said, “Jean, what are you two up to?” Because spirits aren’t allowed to lie Jean had to come clean and said “See those two hot looking guys at the front reception desk?”

Chrissie also had her eyes closed and said, “We can't see anything while we are talking to you with our eyes closed.”

Jean said, “Oh sorry, there you go.”and we could all see the two while we had our eyes closed talking to Jean who was now starting to giggle and said to me, “Carla you had better tell them what we have been doing don't you think.”

I said “Ok everyone, open your eyes and I will enlighten you on what’s going on.”

Ricky, Debbie and Jan just sat there with grins on their faces while I explained to the two girls why they were here tonight. I waved for the two boys to come over to the table. Jenny and Christine were starting to blush as the two young handsome men came over to our table and introduced themselves to them. They already knew Debbie and Jan from hiring the bus a few times. We all moved around so Jenny and Chrissie were sitting beside their newly introduced friends.

Once we ordered our meals the conversation flowed pretty well and the four new friends got acquainted with each other. We obviously sat them in the right position with Jenny and Greg getting along as well as Chrissie and Toby having a great one on one discussion about politics. Chrissie always wins discussions about politics. She is very passionate about people doing the right thing.

Seeing next day was a work day at least for the others so we couldn't stay out too late, so we dropped the boys off home first and then went homeourselves. Arrangements were made by the new friends to meet up on the weekend, so it worked out really well for the match-makers namely me and Jean who kept saying “That went well.” 'till I told her to shut up and stop crowing. We all sat in the lounge including Debbie and Jan, and discussed what was happening in the next little while and the subject came up about Mum and Dad buying a house just down the road to have somewhere to stay when they came to Brisbane, which they would probably be doing quite a bit if they wanted to see us. As it was, I was going to be flying home at least once a month so Ricky could have time with his Mum and Dad who were now retired and living on a bit of acreage just out of Quilpie.

We said goodnight and retired to our own rooms to go to bed. It was quite late and it was the first time that we didn't feel like making love, and beside my silly time of the month was about to start and I still got cramps just before they started. It was not as bad as it was when I first started having them but I sure as hell knew when to put a pad in my knickers.

I know, 'too much information' as Ricky always says, but I'm afraid it is just a normal part of being a female, and of course if we don’t get them, nine months later we'd be changing nappies.

Thursday 12/1/67
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The last couple of days were spent making sure we had all our things together for Uni and we also bought a new barbecue for the backyard which was on wheels and was powered by gas. Dad wouldn't like it because he reckoned only wood should be used for a good tasting steak. I really couldn't understand that, a hot plate is a hot plate no matter how it is heated. Anyway the phone rang and it was Dad saying he and Mum had come down with Rodney to look at a new plane they were buying for the charter business to add to the three including 'Angel'.

Mum then took the phone off Dad and said, “Carla, while your father is looking at the new plane with Rodney I'm coming to see you and show you the house I have just bought down the end of the street from where you are.”

I replied, “Mum you didn't tell me you were coming to Brisbane to live!!”

She replied, “Carla it is so often we do come down for business we will have somewhere to stay. It's not to keep an eye on you sweetheart.”

“Mum I know that's not what you would do and I'm glad we'll be so close when you come down.”

Mum went on and said, “What about Ricky?”

I said, “What about Ricky!!!”

”Well I have talked to Helen and Barry and they will also be able to use the house to come and see Ricky more often as well as Rita and Pete.”

“Mum, you and Dad are just a pair of softies. I don’t know what we would do without you.”

“Well you probably wouldn't be flying around in your own plane or going to University.”

Jean was giggling and said, “Mum maybe no plane but definitely University.”

Mum said , “Hello Jean darling, I hope you are staying out of trouble in the spirit world?”

“Yes Mum.” and a little cheeky giggle followed. All this happened while Mum was on the phone. Jean had become quite powerful and could communicate over long distances because Rita said Jean sometimes came to her in her dreams.

Mum had to hang up because I could hear Debbie in the background saying, “Donna, if that is Carla you are talking to, tell her I have picked up the photos we took at the Chinese restaurant of Jenny and Chrissie and the boys.”

Mum said, “You heard that Carla?”

“Yes Mum.” and then she hung up. Half an hour later Mum was telling me and Ricky to come for a walk down the road and have a look at the house she had bought. She didn't tell us at the time but she bought it at the same time as she was buying the house for Jenny. That was a bit naughty but I suppose she wasn't sure how we would react to knowing she would be able to keep an eye on us, but Mum and Dad are not like that. Besides what could we possibly get up to being Uni students !!!!?

To be continued.

Next time starting at University.

Please leave a comment.

Previously

Mum had to hang up because I could hear Debbie in the back ground saying, “Donna if that is Carla you are talking to tell her I have picked up the photos we took at the Chinese restaurant of Jenny and Chrissie and the boys.” Mum said, “You heard that Carla?” “Yes Mum.” and then she hung up. Half an hour later Mum was telling me and Ricky to come for a walk down the road and have a look at the house she had bought. She didn't tell us at the time but she bought it the same time as she was buying the house for Jenny, Which was a bit naughty but I suppose she wasn't sure how we would react to know she would be able to keep an eye on us, but Mum and Dad are not like that. Besides what could we possibly get up to being Uni students !!!!?

Carla and Ricky settled into the house and were preparing to start Uni on Monday, and it looked like whatever Mum said to the contrary she was going to be around a lot more than she was going to admit to.

Monday morning 16/1/67
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We got up far too early because we were so excited to be starting our new life as Uni students and all the worry and tension that goes with going to lectures and having to have assignments done on time. I had to learn almost as much as a normal doctor for humans in medical terms because the drugs and performing surgery were basically the same.

I had a bit of a head start on the practical side because I had been assisting Ross in his surgery in Quilpie for the previous couple of years, because his wife had MS and her hands were too shaky to do much assisting any more. She would watch me and tell me what instruments to hand to Ross as he was operating on an animal.

Ricky also had a head start with his Dad being the Principal of a school. He had made sure that his two sons were no slackers and tutored them within an inch of their lives, which of course paid off for Ricky when he had to do the hard slog to become a teacher like his Dad.

Ok, back to that morning - Ricky was grumbling that I went and had a shower before he even got out of bed. We usually showered together but seeing that we couldn't keep our hands off each other we would always be late to leave in the morning.

I said, “Ricky we will have to keep our amorous feelings in the shower for evenings,”

“Will that mean we can feel doubly amorous in the evening than?”

I replied, “Sweetheart, don’t forget we will also have to do study at night.”

Ricky replied, “Shit Carla, this is going to be harder than I thought.”

I replied, “Ricky we will have all night in bed every night, so settle down darling, we wont miss out I'll make sure of that.” That seemed to satisfy him for the moment. I loved him too much not to make love as often as we could, and I’m quite sure that Jean would remind me not to neglect the one I loved.

While lover boy was in the shower I cooked breakfast and set the table. By the time Ricky had his shower and dressed, Jenny and Christine were in the kitchen getting their breakfast as well, so it was a foursome this morning but that wouldn't be the case for long because nurses do shift work and it would be a case of 'see you when we can'.

Mum and Dad were staying in town for the next couple of days before heading back out to Quilpie. Mum was going to do some shopping and Dad had to go with Rodney to sign some papers for the plane that they had just purchased. The company now had three twin Cessnas, plus 'Angel' for good luck, but 'Angel' was mine alone so she waited patiently for me in her hanger.

There are two other pilots, Marie Coles and Patty Briggs, both are married women and wives of TAA airline pilots. They were both in their forties and were available for any charter flights that came up.

When I got some spare time I actually wanted to start training to fly a chopper as well, but Dad said I would not be able to find enough time while I was at Uni. I begged to differ, I would make time somehow because once I got something in my mind I would make it happen no matter what, and don’t forget Jean was half of me so double the trouble.

Just as Ricky and I were about leave to go down to catch the river ferry the phone rang.

It was Mum and she said, “Carla would you like a lift to the Uni this morning? Dad bought a car for me to use while we are in Brisbane any time.”

I replied, “No Mum, we are taking the cross-river ferry and then the bus to get there.”

“Oh I just thought I would take you on your first day.”

“Thanks Mum but this is not like when I started school at Quilpie. We are grown up now and have to do things for ourselves.”

“Ok dear, we'll see you later than.” Poor Mum, she is lost without having someone to nursemaid, but she will just have to get used to us kids growing up and fending for ourselves.

Ricky being the softie that he is said, “Carla that’s a bit mean isn't it? She just wants to help.”

I replied, “Ricky darling if we let her she won't want to go back home to Quilpie and she will want to do all the cooking and washing for us as well.”

Ricky said, “What's wrong with that if it makes her happy?”

I said, “Ricky forget it, it's not going to happen.” We finally got out the front door and walked down to the river to wait for the ferry to turn up to take us across to the other side of the Brisbane River and then catch a bus the rest of the way to campus.

The ferry ride is a pleasant experience and had a calming effect on my nerves of the first day at Uni. Ricky was not nervous in any way and he held my hand most of the way till we had to go in different directions for our orientation into Uni life. This apparently could take a couple of days so I thought we would be glad to be going home that afternoon. The morning went quite quickly and I met up with Ricky, and would you believe Greg and Toby the twins, in the cafeteria for lunch. It was their first year as well so it looked like the four of us had something in common to talk about.

I was glad to see the end of the first day. It was quite stressful and I would be glad to get home and relax and watch a bit of telly and cuddle up to my man. Of course that was not being real was it? Well we said 'bye to our friends and caught a bus to the ferry terminal and the ride home across the river. All that took about half an hour so we got home at about four o’clock. It was too early to do anything about dinner so we decided to go for a walk down to see if Mum and Dad were still in Brisbane in their house just down the road.

Ricky said, “Carla honey, do you really think that your Mum is going home just yet?”

I replied, “No not really but it is nice to know that Mum and Dad will be around from time to time don’t you think?”

Rick replied, “Yeah I really like your Mum. She is a very kind and giving person just like her beautiful daughter.”

When we got there Mum was in the kitchen and Dad was in the lounge going through some papers and said, “Bloody taxation department, who do they think they are to tell me I can't claim on this house as a business premises?”

Ricky said, “Uncle Bill, this is a residence, and you can't claim that on tax.”

Dad said, “You watch me son and learn how to become a millionaire!!”

Ricky looked at me and I said, “I told you so didn't I!”

Ricky looked at Dad and said, “Are you really a millionaire?”

Just then Mum walked in and said, “Hello you two. Yes Ricky we are and if you work hard and put your money to work so will you be some day.”

Ricky replied, “Aunty Donna, I don’t think a teacher's wage will be enough to make me rich do you?”

Mum said, “Well Ricky when you two get married and have good advice about what to invest in than yes you can certainly become quite wealthy.” She added “Now that you are here Carla you can help me prepare dinner and stay here and eat with us.”

I turned to Ricky and said, “See I told you she would want to feed us didn't I?”

Mum said, “She is the cat's mother.”

”Sorry Mum.” I could feel Jean giggling and so could Mum and she said, “Jean what’s so funny?”

Jean went quiet but Ricky said, “Stop that Jean.” as he was rubbing his neck. Jean loves Ricky as much as I do and she loves to tickle him on the back of his neck and watch his reactions. In reality Ricky really enjoys her attention. After all she is half of me so it is ok for her to flirt with him.

Dad said, “Donna, are you sure you haven't got a twin too? I could get used to having two women pampering me!”

Mum replied, “Darling you wouldn't be able to handle another one, besides am I not enough for you?”

I said, “Uh oh, you've done it now Dad.”

Just then Mum came over to where Dad was sitting and sat herself down on his lap and gave him one of those toe curling kisses of hers, which by the way I can also give. It runs in the family didn't you know?'

I said “Mum your going to give Dad a heart attack if you keep doing that.”

Dad replied, “What a way to go, Donna do it again.”

Ricky said, “Carla are we going to still be doing that when we get to their age?”

Mum and Dad were laughing and I said, “Ricky why do you think they still look so young for people their age?”

Things settled down and Mum asked me if Jenny and Christine were going to be home or were they working shift work yet? I wasn’t sure so I rang their number at our house, or should I say Jenny's house?

Jenny answered and said, “Nurses Quarters how can I help you?”

I replied, “This is the restaurant. Your table has been reserved for you madame.”

“Thanks Carla we'll be there in ten ok ?”

“Yeah I’ll tell Mum.” and I hung up. “They'll be here mum.”

“Good, I need to talk to Christine about something.”

I said, “Problems?”

“Carla just wait and I will tell you later ok ?”

“Yes Mum.” I gave Mum a hand with getting everything ready for dinner and set the new table that Mum had had delivered a couple of days before. I thought Mum would probably spend quite a bit of time in Brisbane even if it was as she said to get closer to the shops, but I knew she was worried about me and Jenny. We were still her babies as she sometimes called us. Oh well it was a nice feeling to be loved like that. Ricky was in the lounge watching TV with Dad. They got on so well and I guess Ricky had in some way taken the place of Paul. Did I tell you that Paul was Dad's gay son? He committed suicide and it really knocked Dad around that he couldn't have helped him more.

Jenny and Christine turned up and there were hugs all round and everyone as per usual was talking at once, well us women were while the men just listened and kept their mouths shut till we finished gossiping. Ricky had learned to just wait till we were quiet before he entered the conversation. He was dominated by three girls, but I think he rather liked it.

We sat down to a scrumptious meal of roast pork, baked veggies and of course Mum's famous gravy. Desert was strawberries with icecream and home made custard, all very fattening, so us girls had only small portions. We wanted to keep our perfect figures. It's not that we were vain or anything but we did look good when we three went out dressed in much the same outfits and it felt good when we turned heads. Ok just a little bit vain then!

After dinner the men went back into the lounge while we girls cleaned up in the kitchen. Once that was done we sat back down at the table with a cup of coffee each and Mum said, “Ok girls, seeing you three are very close and joined at the hip so to speak, I will get on with what I wanted to discuss. Christine dear, Alan is having a hard time of it back in Quilpie and is not taking it at all well that you don’t want to be his girlfriend any more, and of course he also misses Ricky and Billy. They all hung out together, and now Billy has applied for an apprenticeship with a a large firm here in Brisbane.

“Jenny I know you have been talking with him and it is back on between you and him when he starts his job here, but Christine dear, poor Alan is pining away for you. Can you at least give him a ring and talk to the poor boy? He is so much in love with you dear. I must admit his Mum and I are really worried about him.”

“Aunty Donna I still love him just as much, but how can it work with me down here and Alan five hundred miles away?”

“Well sweetheart I have a solution if you are interested in listening to it? Billy is doing a diesel fitter apprenticeship with Hastings Deering, but Alan is more interested in aircraft maintenance. So!! our charter business is about to embark on doing aircraft maintenance on small craft at Archerfield. We have already got two people setting things up as we speak and I thought that we might just offer Alan an apprenticeship in aircraft maintenance so you see it could work out quite well don’t you think?”

“Aunty Donna I hope you are not doing it just to make sure Alan and I can stay together as an item are you?”

“Christine, your Uncle Bill and I don’t do things on a whim. That is why we are in such a good position financially, but we are just so worried about Alan. He is such a nice boy and I just don’t like to see him suffer.”

Christine was now in tears and said, “Aunty Donna I really do love him and if you are willing to give him a chance like that I will ring him right now and tell him I love him and ask him to come down here to work for you.”

“Christine I have taken the liberty of arranging for him to come down with Rodney on Wednesday to show him where he will be working and also the people that are going to be training him to be an aircraft mechanic.”

Christine just stood there with tears in her eyes and couldn’t say anything. Jenny and I went to her and we had a three way hug. We were still the 'Three Angel Musketeers' after all.

Ricky was also pleased that he would have his two best friends living in Brisbane as well. It would give him a bit of time-out from being dominated by three women all the time, no make that four with Jean always there in the background putting her two cents worth in, but I thought secretly he loved every minute of being pampered by us.

Chrissie decided not to ring Alan that night and see if she could change her shift with another student nurse on Wednesday so she could be at Archerfield to greet him with all her love and show him just how much she loved him. He would be surprised to see her because he still thought it was all over between them. Anyway it was getting late so we all trotted off to our own place to shower and get ready for bed and for me and Ricky other things as well, Well we were in love and what were we supposed to do, ''hold hands''? Besides Jean was just as frisky as I was. Yeah we had a threesome but don't tell anyone will you!!!!

Tuesday 17/1/67
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The following day was more or less the same with more information being given about where to go, what time to be here and there, and of course the student union discussing all sorts of issues that I was not really into. Someone had already offered me and Ricky some dope to smoke but we would leave that well alone it kills brain cells didn't you know?

In the afternoon it was the same routine as the previous day. The only thing that changed was that we decided not to go for that walk down the road to Mum's house again, because if we kept doing it she would want to feed us all the time and then we would never be self-sufficient. I was hoping that she would get homesick and go back out to Quilpie as soon as the business at Archerfield was all set up and then they would only came once a month or so.

This is Christine. I asked the sister in charge in the ward that I am working in if I could have Wednesday off if I could get someone to swap the shift with me. Her name is Rena and she is in her early thirties. You ask how I know that? Well Jean comes in handy sometimes. She is just like Carla and needs to know all things. Anyway Rena said I could as long as I had someone to take over my duties, which I did. I had already done that for another nurse last week.

18/1/67 Wednesday morning

I got up early so I could be down at Aunty Donna's house to go out to Archerfield airport .I said bye to the others after a quick breakfast and hurried down the road to Aunty Donna and Uncle Bills place. It was only seven thirty but Uncle Bill said if we didn’t leave at that time we would get caught up in the peak hour traffic and we wouldn’t get to the airport in time before Rodney landed the flight from Quilpie.

I arrived and Aunty Donna said, “Good morning Chrissie dear, I have some more news for you.”

I thought, 'Oh no, something has gone wrong and Alan won't be coming after all.'

Aunty Donna must have seen the look on my face because she said, “I’m sorry dear I didn't mean to frighten you. It's good news, your Mum and Dad are also coming with Alan.”

I replied, “Why are they coming, is there something wrong?”

“Well sweetheart your Dad has been having problems with his heart and is going to see a specialist here in Brisbane.”

We got into Uncle Bill's car and drove to the airport. The traffic was already heavy even this early in the morning but I guess that's city life. As soon as I have finished my nurses training I will go back out to Quilpie to work in that hospital and hopefully Alan will also want to go back home once he is qualified to work on aeroplanes.

We arrived just as the twin engine Cessna came to a stop in front of the Croft hanger. Once the engines stopped and propellers stopped turning everyone stepped out of the plane. Mum and Dad came out first and for a minute I thought that Alan wasn't on the plane, but he poked his head around the door opening and had a surprised look on his face when he saw me standing beside Aunty Donna. I said a quick hello to my parents and called Dad 'Daddy' because I am still his little girl.

Alan finally came over to me and said, “Chrissie I didn't think I would see you again and I just fell to pieces.”

I replied, “Alan sweetheart, I never wanted to hurt you but it seemed the only thing to do. I don’t think we could have survived four years in a long distance relationship.”

He said, “Well I’m here now, and I am not going to let you out of my sight from now on. I want to share my whole life with you and I am hopelessly in love with you.”

I replied, “And I am with you.”

Wednesday afternoon back at home - with Carla.

“I wonder how Chrissie went this morning out at the airport meeting up with Alan?”

Ricky said, “Well we had better go for that walk again down to your Mum's to find out or you will be like a cat on hot coals.” We sang out to Jenny to come with us, and she was already standing at the front gate waiting for us to come along.

To be continued ,

Please leave a comment.

Previously

Wednesday afternoon back at home ''with Carla ''

“I wonder how Chrissie went this morning out at the airport meeting up with Alan?”

Ricky said, “Well we had better go for that walk again down to your Mum's to find out or you will be like a cat on hot coals.” We sang out to Jenny to come with us, and she was already standing at the front gate waiting for us to come along.

We walked down to Mum's house quite quickly because we were anxious to find out all that had happened while we were slaving away all day at Uni, and Jenny was at work. We heard laughter in the lounge and that is when we saw just how many people were in the room. Christine and Alan were sitting on the sofa holding hands and in deep conversation; Christine's Mum and Dad were talking with Mum, and Billy was talking with Dad. Jenny didn't know before-hand that Billy would be here as well. When she saw him she practically jumped over to him and enveloped him in hugs and kisses, too excited to speak any sense.

Ricky went to shake hands with his mates once the girls let them be free from their grasps. I went and gave Christine’s Mum and Dad a hug and a kiss on the cheek and said, “Uncle Dave and Aunty Shirley what are you two doing in Brisbane?”

Dave replied, “Carla I have got a problem with the old ticker and have to have by-pass surgery done if I want see my little Chrissie graduate.”

Just then Chrissie came over and hugged her father and said “Daddy you'll be ok and will live a long time to see your grand kids.” It is not very often that any of us girls say 'Daddy' any more but when there are emotions involved that is when the little girl comes to the forefront in us.

Of course we all had to stay and be fed by Mum, and as Christine's parents were staying at Mum's house we could have a good old gossip about what was happening out at Quilpie. Well just where do you think the boys were going to sleep that night? We girls got together and Jenny said, “Um Aunty Donna, I hope you haven't made up a bed for Billy and Alan have you?”

Mum replied, “Well I thought about it but that would be a bit mean now wouldn't it?!”

The boys looked expectantly at us girls, all except Ricky who knew he was in my bed.

Dad said, “Ahh young love! We know what it was like.” and the others all agreed and told us to go and get acquainted and they would see us sometime tomorrow. We didn't wait to be told twice and were on our way back to our own space quick smart.

Christine and Jenny both had king-size beds, not that all of the space was going to be used that night! I don’t think that there would be any extra heating required either! Myself and Ricky were also included in this scenario and I mustn’t leave my ever-present twin Jean out. She is connected to me in spirit and of course Ricky gets a double dose of love every time I touch him. I often wonder just how many people there on this planet that are as lucky as me to have a twin that has passed over to the other side and still lives within us.

I said earlier that I would tell you more about Doc Rose's study on twins in general but in my case it is a little bit different in that Jean is not on the earth plane so to speak. Anyway as it worked out Greg and Toby are also part of her study which has been going on for at least the last seven years that I have known her, and I guess it must just about be coming to an end. She has asked me Greg and Toby to do one last interview where Jean is involved and it will all be filmed for a further study group at the university that I attend. I just hoped that I wouldn't be asked to give a talk on myself and Jean and how she lives inside my my head and can also communicate with others that are connected to me.

Anyway I will keep you all posted on what happens when the time comes. Back to the present in our own rooms and in the arms of our lovers. I know that the boys won't tell each other about what happens in their sex lives but we three girls sure do. Well we are the Three Musketeers and we have to know every thing about everything and that hasn't changed since we were little girls in Quilpie. ''It's what girls do,'' and of course Jean joins in with the gossip as well.

Authors Note: "Jennifer speaks in the first person"

This has been a really good day for me seeing I have my future husband in my bed with me tonight, I am going to make this a special occasion because it is my first time as it is for Billy. I of course am worried about falling pregnant but Carla came to the rescue because she had kept a pack of condoms from when she still wasn’t on the pill, but they didn't have sex till after she was on the pill anyway. I am going to try and talk Billy into staying here with me. It's not as though we haven’t got the room, I mean these days everyone is living together. Don’t get me wrong, I want a wedding just as much as any girl but I also want to be happy right now and I am so in love with Billy that it hurts to think that I almost spoiled it by telling him to stay in Quilpie. If it wasn't for Mum doing her usual thing in knowing what to do for us kids both Billy and myself would have had a miserable time of it.

We waited for Christine and Alan to have their shower together and went to have ours together as well. We passed each other in the hall as we were heading to the bathroom and we didn't say anything but gave each other a big smile and a knowing look, and I and Chrissie started to giggle so we moved on quickly. It was sheer heaven to have Billy in the shower with me, His touch was like an electric shock and I could hardly wait to get to our room and on the bed. I was not disappointed in our first try at making love. From what Carla has told me about Ricky, Billy seems to be just as gentle and it was like an explosion at the end. We were both breathless and fell asleep in each others arms.

Thursday morning 19/1/67 "Back with Carla"

Well last night was special because I know for a fact that Jenny and Chrissie were virgins and as far as I know so were the boys, so yes it was a special event that all Three Musketeers were now complete women in their own right. Seeing that two of us had to have a bit of rectification surgery, it made it all the more special. And I’m sure the boys are now feeling like men as well. We all decided to take a sickie and not go to Uni or work, and ring in sick. I know it is naughty but we will just have to catch up. Life is meant to be fun as well, don’t you think?'

((A sickie is a bit of an Aussie tradition if you wanted a day off work, The boss sort of expects it to happen occasionally in the Australian work force!!!!))

After breakfast we all had voted on what we should do that day to celebrate our becoming full blown adults. I know it was a bit cheeky but I went down to the flat and knocked on Debbie's door. She opened the door and was still in her silk night gown and looked like I had just woken her up.

I said, “Oops sorry, late night?”

She replied, “Yeah late shift at the airport - what's up luv?”

I said, “How would you like to go to the beach today and be paid for it?”

She replied, “Well I could do with a day off and so could Jan. We haven't had a day off since we moved in here so who wants to go to the beach and what beach?”

“Well it is perfect weather and I think Surfer's Paradise would be perfect don’t you?”

She replied, “You're on Carla, but I couldn’t charge you luv, you have done so much for me and Jan, we owe you ok!!”

I said, “Well at least let us pay for the fuel.”

“Ok but the rest is on me and Jan. Did I hear other people upstairs last night?”

“You sure did Debbie, that is why we are taking a sickie today to celebrate Billy and Alan coming to Brisbane, They have agreed to live with Jenny and Chrissie as house mates.”

Debbie looked at me with a big smile and said, “'House-mates - yeah right!!! Whatever.” But she then said “Well I guess you are adults and know what you are doing. Does your Mum know?”

“Yes Debbie she does, and even if she objected, which she doesn't, we would still go ahead and all live together, so stop being a mother hen and take us to the beach!”

I went back upstairs and told the others to get ready and make sure to all have their swimming gear because we were going to go swimming at Surfer's main beach. It wasn't long before we were all packed up and in Debbie's mini bus travelling to the Gold Coast. It took about half an hour to fight the traffic through Brisbane before we were on the Pacific Highway to Surfer's. It took roughly an hour to get to Surfer's main beach, so by the time we arrived what with all the delays we had this morning, it was nine-thirty before we arrived, and Debbie parked the bus in a side street because we didn't want to have to feed the parking meter all day while we having fun on the beach and swimming in the surf.

The surf gets quite rough and there were life savers on duty all the time in case someone got caught in a rip and dragged out to sea, which happens at least three or four times a day in the busy season. For us it is not a problem because we were all very good swimmers, and also swam 'between the flags'. You would think where we come from that no-one goes swimming. Well let me tell you the outback kids are better swimmers than any city kid because there are a lot of rivers in the outback and they are in flood at least once a year. You have to be a strong swimmer to swim in flooded rivers and creeks but we all did it and survived. Most of us were self taught which is the best way because we all have a unique way of swimming. Anyway you get the idea - we are good swimmers.

Author's note: Life-savers erect flags on the beach to indicate the area they patrol and urge all swimmers to keep to that area to make rescues easier if necessary.

Authors note -:'' Ricky speaking in first person ''.

I know why I love Carla so much - she is so straight in her thinking that it almost hurts, and with Jean inside her head it is hard sometimes to keep up with them as one person. It reminds me when we are in the water together how we first met when I challenged her to a race out to where the drum was in the middle of the Bulloo River that runs by Quilpie. I almost drowned when I got a cramp in one of my legs. Carla swam out to get me to where the drum was anchored to the bottom with a block of concrete. She literately saved my life and here we were seven years later still together living as a couple planing our future for marriage, a career, and having a tribe of kids.

The three girls and us three men will always remain the best of friends. We are family and look out for each other and that will never change.

''Back with Carla''

Once we had our fun in the rough and tumble in the surf we all had an enormous appetite, so we decide to go to the Surf Lifesavers Club for a well earned lunch of Barramundi and the works. It wasn't cheap but we wouldn't get a chance to do this again for a while so we went for it. We all shared in the cost of the meal except Debbie and Jan whom we wouldn't let pay because without them today wouldn't have been possible. It was getting late and it was time to get in the bus and hit the road home after a really enjoyable day with my friends. We were like a family now seeing that we all lived in the same house and cohabited with each other. It's what people do these days much to the concern of our parents, but it is a different world we live in today.

We arrived back home just in time to hear the phone ring and answer it. Of course it was Mum wondering where the hell we were all day and why she wasn't told about us going away without telling her. I hope she goes back out to Quilpie soon, she is going to drive us all nuts with her mothering everyone.

Christine's Dad has to have a bypass operation for his heart problem and Shirley will be staying with Mum while he is in hospital, so I’m afraid that we will have to put up with a bit more mothering for a couple of weeks yet. Dad has to get back to Quilpie so Ricky and myself will be taking him back in 'Angel' at the weekend. With two pilots it won't be too bad and besides we have to put in a certain amount of flying hours to be able to keep our licence from lapsing and that would never do for me and Ricky, we love flying too much to let that happen.

Friday 20/1/67
~~~~~~~~~~~

We went to Uni and Christine and Jenny went to work, while Billy talked Mum and Dad into running them around Brisbane all day to sort out the jobs as well. Nothing much happened yesterday and some of the other students said they wished they had taken a sickie as well and joined us at the beach, but it would be on a weekend next time we did it again or we would be in trouble with our masters, and Mum of course !!! The day soon passed and we were finished for the week and we made our way to the bus stop to catch a ride down to the river ferry for the ride across to West End and home.

When we arrived home there was a note on our bedroom door that read 'When you are ready come down to our house, signed Mum.'

I said, “Ricky she is going to drive me nuts if she keeps this up”

He replied, “Carla, she is your Mum and my future Mum in law and I think she is just doing what mothers do and you will probably be the same when we have our own kids.” That put me firmly in my place and I said, “Ricky now I know why I love you so much.”

We had a quick shower, 'I said 'shower' nothing else that comes later concentrate will you?' and got changed and then headed down the road to Mum and Dad's probably to be fed again. If this kept up we were all going to balloon out of our clothes. Mum greeted us at the door and gave me a hug and kiss and said “Carla I know I have been a pain, and do far too much organising so I am going to fly back with your father tomorrow as well. Shirley is quite happy to stay here by herself while Dave is in hospital and has his operation and she can borrow my car so she will not be stuck here all the time.”

As usual Mum fed the lot of us and we said good night and went back to our own abode for some extracurricular activity in the bed rooms!!!! ''I told you it would be later didn't I?''.

Saturday morning,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was an early start. We got Debbie to run us out to Archerfield to where the hanger is and when we arrived Angel was still in the hanger.

I said, “Dad what is going on, why is Angel still in the hanger? It will take at least an hour to get her ready to fly.”

Dad said, “Look behind you Carla and Ricky.”

We turned around and there in the Croft colours was a brand new twin engined Cessna. Just as I was about to say something, Rodney appeared from inside the office in the hanger and said “Do you like her?”

Ricky said, “Wow look Carla, the name ''Angel Two'' is on the nose.”

Mum and Dad looked at us and said ''Well!!”

I said, “Dad, are we taking her out to Quilpie for her first flight?”

Dad replied, “No Carla, her second flight. The first one was when Rodney flew her from Sydney yesterday.”

We wasted no time doing the pre-flight checks and were given permission by the tower to take off once we had given them our flight plan. The cockpit was a little bit different to 'Angel One' but everything was basically the same. I took the first leg of the flight. The power that the extra engine gave us was just amazing.

I decided to fly at fifteen thousand feet which is not the altitude that I normally fly at but in this machine I could not resist going higher than I normally fly and of course we were flying at three hundred and fifty knots, and that was not even at full throttle. I would hate to think what she would do if you were pushed for time. I did half-way and handed over to my darling man and he was as impressed as me about the handling of this 'bird' as Jean calls them.

We arrived in Quilpie in good time even with the head wind we encountered. It was strange flying that much higher. The layout of the land below seemed a lot different. I couldn't make up my mind whether I like flying higher or not. Ricky thinks it is better and maybe he is right. Uncle Tony was there to take us home and also then come back and refuel the plane for our return trip tomorrow.

It was a bit sad because I was going to have to put Ginger to sleep. She was just suffering too much and was in a lot of pain and almost blind. This wouldn't be easy for me as she had been a long time friend. ''There would be tears.''

To be continued

Please leave comments.

Previously

We arrived in Quilpie in good time even with the head wind we encountered. It was strange flying that much higher - the layout of the land below seemed a lot different, and I couldn't make up my mind whether I liked flying higher or not. Ricky thought it was better maybe he was right. Uncle Tony was there to take us home and then returned and refueled the plane for our return trip the following day.

It was a bit sad because I was going to put Ginger to sleep. She was just suffering too much and was in a lot of pain and almost blind. This wouldn't be easy for me as she had been a long time friend. ''There would be tears ''

When we arrived Aunty Bella was waiting for us on the front verandah and she couldn’t wait to give me and Ricky the biggest hug and she had tears in her eyes when she said, “Carla! Ginger is whimpering in pain. Can you give her something to ease the pain?”

I replied “I’ll do better than that Aunty Bella, I will send her to join Goldie in the spirit world where Jean can see she is happy.” That of course really made her cry and it started me off as well, Ricky put his arm around me and Uncle Tony did the same with Bella but the dam had to burst before we could stop and compose ourselves to be able to talk and walk inside where Aunty Bella had a cup of tea or coffee with freshly baked pumpkin scones waiting for us.

Mum also had tears in her eyes and Dad had to give her a hug but he was not beyond the emotional strain of having Ginger put to sleep, because she was his dog before I came along and then she seemed to be mine and no-one else’s so it was a very hard thing to do, but I was going to be a vet and I had done this many times in the last twelve months while working with Ross.

Once we had our refreshments I decided to go and have a girl to girl conversation with Ginger and I was surprised when Jean said in my head, “She will understand what you are saying. Just be very gentle and tell her that you love her and that you are going to stop the pain, and Sis I will make sure she gets to the right place and will be with Goldie.”

I said, “Jean are you telling me she can fully understand what I am saying?”

Jean replied, “Not in human terms, but I will make it easy for her to cross over to the spirit side ok?”

I said, “This is going to be one of the hardest things I have ever done.” I went to my old bedroom and got my bag with the drugs and needle with tears streaming down my face and Dad said he would accompany me and hold her in his arms as she went to sleep.

Dad was sobbing and I wished Mum was beside him but she said she would only make it worse and could not handle saying goodbye like that so she stayed in the lounge with Tony and Bella. I managed to get the vial out of the bag and load the syringe. It was time to say goodbye to my mate. I gave her one last cuddle and gently put the needle in her chest so it would work quickly, and it did.

Ginger closed her eyes and Jean said, “Carla, hold on to Dad's hand and I will show you both where she is going.”

I grabbed the sobbing man’s hand and we closed our eyes and saw a field of very green grass with a large gum tree and there was Goldie sitting waging her tail as she welcomed Ginger to the spirit world. Her body went limp and it was over, no more suffering - she was in dog heaven.

Jean said. “Dad I hope that helps you get over your grief.” Dad couldn't speak but just nodded that he heard what she had said. Dad wrapped Ginger in her favourite blanket and carried her to the back yard where he and Uncle Tony had dug a grave for her. He laid her in the ground very gently and was sobbing so hard that he almost fell into the grave with the now sleeping Ginger. Mum and Bella were no better.

Uncle Tony got the shovel and started to fill in the grave. At this stage I had stopped crying and pulled myself together because I had to learn. As a vet I was going to have to perform this sort of thing every day and was not allowed to get too emotional about it. Besides Jean showed us that life doesn't end but we go to a different plane of existence.

This was not the best trip home I have ever had especially seeing Ricky was at his Mum and Dad's place so he missed out on all the crying!! If he had been there he would have been no help either because he is a jelly-bean when it came to things like that. Rita and Peter weren't told so we would have another round of tears to contend with. I didn’t know how I was going to tell Jenny and Chrissie. I was thinking of ringing them but I thought I might just wait till we got back to Brisbane to break the news.

By the time we finished in the backyard it was lunchtime but no-one felt like preparing any food so we all piled into Uncle Tony's now aging Land Rover and went to the restaurant which was now owned and run by Peter and Rita. They were going to have extensions added to the existing building and virtually double the size of the restaurant. Business was good.

We arrived and said hello to Rita, Peter and Alice, There were other staff as well but they didn't really know us so they just kept doing their job . I told Rita and Peter what I had done and of course ''tears''. Like I said this was not a good trip home and I would be glad to be on my way back to some normality back in Brisbane.

We had our lunch and made our way back home but did a round trip to pick Ricky up from his parent's place. I wasn't going to let him get away Scott free from some of the grief that had happened this morning, because I had a dam that was about to burst and I needed my ''man'' to comfort me while I let it flow. That is exactly what happened as soon as I saw him when I got out of Uncle Tony's car.

Ricky knew what I was going to do because I had discussed it with him even before we left Brisbane that morning, so it was no surprise to him when I just let it all go. He just held me till I cried myself out and than said “I love you sweetheart” and we went for a walk down in the orchard of orange trees that Barry had planted when they first bought the place.

We said our goodbyes to Helen and Barry and made our way back to the large old Queenslander that was home, in Quilpie at least, Tony and Bella were staying till after dinner so Mum and Bella started to prepare some vegetables for baking and defrosted a lamb roast and put it in the combustion stove oven for a slow bake and an hour later the vegetables would go in as well. The conversation was mainly around how Dad had Ginger given to him and the following years with Paul his late son from his first marriage to his late wife Ann, so the mood was of melancholy and sadness but it is a way of grieving a loss.

If the mood had been different Ricky and I would have made love in my big old bed but neither of us were in that frame of mind and we went to sleep in a tight spoon cuddle. The morning was soon upon us and we decided to get going early so we could prepare for Monday morning and back to some kind of normality in our lives, especially seeing Mum and Dad were were back in Quilpie and not mothering us. Dad was as bad as Mum at that. We loved them to bits but we needed to live our own lives.

We had breakfast with Mum and Dad. Ricky and I went out to say our goodbyes to Ginger in the back yard and I placed one of her favourite balls on top of the mound of soil that covered her like a blanket, and said a prayer with Jean comforting both me and Ricky in our minds, I don’t know how other people cope but if I hadn't had a connection with her and the spirit world I think I would not be able to survive life in general. Mum and Dad both came out to the airport where ''Angel Two'' was all ready for me and Ricky to do our pre-flight checks and be on our way home. It was a bit of a sad goodbye for us with all that had occurred this weekend but life goes on.

Ricky and I climbed into the brand new twin Cessna, waved to Mum and Dad and radioed the tower in Brisbane which controls most of Queensland's airports. We gave our flight plan and were cleared to take to the clear blue sky of western Queensland. We climbed to six thousand feet and set the speed at a hundred knots which is one hundred and sixty miles per hour. That is comfortable flying and not using too much fuel, because we have to pay for the fuel if nothing else, I mean I have got a very generous allowance from Mum and Dad but one mustn’t look a a gift horse in the mouth must one?''Giggle''. We made good time and landed at Archerfield after circling Brisbane to see if we could see where our home in the west was but it was raining and that made it difficult to see much on the ground . We parked ''Angel Two'' just outside the hanger so the refuelling people could do their thing and then rang Debbie to come and pick us up. Both Ricky and I will be glad when we can get our driving licences and have a car so we can just leave it in the hanger whenever we are flying.

Debbie was there within half an hour and took us home. It was Sunday so the traffic wasn't too bad and it took the normal half an hour to get home. We were a bit apprehensive about telling the girls about Ginger but decided to do it straight away and get it over with so we could all move on. Ricky and I walked into the lounge where Jenny, Chrissie and Sam were sitting having a morning tea chat. Apparently Christina’s dad Dave had to be taken into hospital a day early because there were complications with his heart. Sam was on duty when he was brought in to the Emergency Department at the Mater.

Now, I didn't know whether to mention Ginger or not but it was too late, because Ricky had already started to tell them and I could not stop him in mid sentence. Chrissie just went into tears straight away followed by Jenny and that of course started me off as well. So it was like old times with the Three Musketeers in a three way hug till we all calmed down. Sam and Ricky went into the kitchen to make a fresh lot of coffee and left three tear-stained women consoling each other.

Sam and Sandra were still an item and quite happy living together for the rest of their lives. They were currently living with Mary, Sam's Mum but planned on buying a unit in the same apartment building.

Anyway once we all settled down it was time to move on and and talk about some happier things like the nurses' ball that coming weekend.

Jenny exclaimed “Oh my god I have nothing to wear!” We all looked at each other and said in unison “Shopping!!!” That made Ricky leave us to it and I think he was going to talk with Billy and Alan who were in the backyard tending to the large vegetable garden.

Of course the boys had suits to wear but us girls had ''nothing to wear'' Oh my god whatever would we do? Well the answer was in the MacWerther department store wasn't it? But they weren’t open on Sunday, so I guessed there would just have to be another sickie the next day.

Monday 23/1/67
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Three young women were seen to disappear through the front doors of a certain store and emerge three hours later with happy faces and carrying a number of shopping bags, stepping into a mini bus belonging to a lady called Debbie. If Mum found out there was going to be trouble but who was going to tell her?

We swore Jean to secrecy and all she did was giggle and say, “What am I going to wear to the ball?” She will in fact be there and help me and Ricky do a demonstration Jazz Waltz, because the last ball at Quilpie we won the 'Best Couple' competition. The ball was at Cloudland ballroom.

The rest of the week was a normal study and work exercise that we all had to cope with and we were glad when it was Friday afternoon and we could relax for a couple of days,

Saturday 29/1/67
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The boys were told to have their suits dry-cleaned earlier in the week so they were easy to organise and would be ready when we asked them to be. Most of the time they just said “Yes ma’am.” and did what we asked them to do. We ladies were a different story. All three had to have the full treatment make-over and that took a few hours so it was four in the afternoon before we got home to get ready. There was no need for dinner because it was a dinner ball so we would be fed. I don't know how the caterers did it because there was at least one thousand people to feed.

This was a bit more upper class than what we were used to and much! much! bigger than anything I had ever been to. Ricky and I did the demonstration of the Jazz Waltz that we got the prize for, and again we got the prize of the night for the best young dancing couple. We were presented with a trophy. This was our first big night in Brisbane and it was one night that I wished the Mum and Dad hadn't missed but of course there were plenty of photos taken.

We got home at two a.m. on Sunday morning and could hardly get undressed we were so tired from dancing the night away. We all slept till midday on the Sunday.

To be continued

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Previously

We got home in the wee hours on Sunday morning and almost couldn't get undressed we were so tired from dancing the night away, but it was a hot night so both Ricky and I did the old birthday suit thing again and climbed into bed .

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We were awoken by the phone ringing at ten a.m. Of course it was Mum wanting to know how the ball went and tell her what the gowns looked like.

I said Mum, “You just woke us up”

“Sorry dear, but a mother needs to know what her kids have been up to, or would you prefer that I move down there on a permanent basis?”

I replied, “Mum, I will ring you back in an hour when we have all woken up and had a shower and breakfast Ok?”

“Alright dear, see that you do. We have some things to discuss that are important to your and Ricky's future in the family business.”

“Ok Mum I’ll ring back a little later, bye.”

Ricky asked me, “What’s that all about?”

I replied, “Ricky I think we are about to become part of an air charter company and so is Jenny.”

I roused the others from their sleep-in, and got a couple of pillows thrown at me but they got up to the smell of me doing bacon, eggs and toast for everyone. The six of us were having breakfast, talking about last night and how Ricky and I won the Best Young Couple of the night when I said, “That phone call this morning was Mum and if I don’t ring her back soon she will ring again because I think there is something that concerns all of us in the future.”

Well the phone did ring two minutes after I said that and yes it was Mum.

I answered, “Uni student household, how can I help you?”

“Carla, will you ever lose that sense of humour of yours?”

“No Mum, it wouldn't be me then would it?”

“No I suppose not. Well dear are you all there now?”

“Yes Mum we are what's this all about?”

“Ok, put the phone on speaker Carla so you can all hear.”

“Ok speaker on Mum.”

“Right here goes. Carla, you and Jenny and of course Rita will become company directors of Croft Holdings, and when you get married, Ricky, Peter and Billy will also be part of the company.”

I said, “Mum what about Christine and Alan?”

She replied, “Well we are still having talks with Christine's parents and also Alan’s Dad and I think they are going to buy in as well so you will all be part of a family company.”

We all just sat there with this bewildered look on our faces and all started talking at once. Mum was drowned out for a bit and just listened to us when we realised she was still there.

Once we quietened down she said, “Kids listen to me, we will be coming down in the next few days to sort out all the paperwork so stop fretting!!”

The next week it was back to uni for me and Ricky and work for the others. Mum and Dad turned up on the following Sunday with a bunch of papers to sign. Legally, we still had to do everything through Mum and Dad but once we all turned eighteen we would be company director with full legal status.

To be continued.

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