Loyal Creatures Read Free

How she’d agree that if you’re tall for your age, and mature enough not to smoke, you’re ready to do your bit.
    â€˜And she’d understand about girls,’ I said to Daisy. ‘How you have to go to war to get one.’
    Daisy probably didn’t have a clue what I was talking about. But she could tell from my voice it was important. So she stopped trying to get her head into my pocket looking for apples.
    I hoped Dad would agree it was important. Huns and Turks were giving our blokes a battering. Memorial services most weeks in the district. Four coffins, some of them.
    â€˜So what if I’m not eighteen,’ I said to Daisy. ‘I’ve got hair where it counts.’
    Daisy didn’t argue. She’d seen me having baths in creeks. She knew I was ready to do my bit.
    Heading into the house, I saw something on the verandah table.
    A little box, wrapped up all pretty with a ribbon.
    Jeez, I thought, that’s not from Dad.
    I picked it up.
    It wasn’t from him, it was for him. His name on it. Curly writing I’d never seen before.
    â€˜Happy birthday, son,’ said Dad, coming out of the kitchen with something wrapped in newspaper. That was more his style.
    â€˜Thanks, Dad,’ I said, taking the horse brush I knew he’d got for me.
    â€˜Struth,’ said Dad, grinning and staring at the flash little box. ‘Happy birthday from a lady, eh?’
    â€˜It’s for you,’ I said.
    He frowned. I knew why. Mum hadn’t even been dead a year.
    â€˜You open it,’ he said.
    Inside the pretty little box there wasn’t a present.
    Just a feather. A white feather. No note, but we both knew what the message was.
    Only blokes who weren’t in the army got white feathers. Blokes who people thought should be in the army. Sometimes people couldn’t tell the difference between a coward and a stubborn parent.
    Dad’s face when he saw the feather. Only time I’d seen him looking more crook was when the doctor told us Mum wasn’t going to make it.
    â€˜That’s not fair,’ I said. ‘They don’t understand.’
    Dad didn’t say anything. Just stared at it. But his face. No way he was putting off going now.
    I had a worrying thought.
    â€˜We’re a team,’ I said. ‘You’re not dumping me with the rellies in Perth.’
    â€˜No,’ muttered Dad. ‘I’m not.’
    Dad didn’t like Mum’s folks. At the funeral they blamed him for Mum getting sick. They didn’t say anything, but you could tell.
    So that was it.
    We said oo-roo to the neighbours, nailed the windows shut, saddled up Daisy and Jimmy, and went to Sydney to volunteer.

The recruiting officer frowned. Gave all four of us the once-over.
    Daisy and Jimmy snorted. They could tell the recruiting officer wasn’t crazy about them. He didn’t seem that keen about me and Dad either.
    Jeez, I thought. What if he doesn’t take us?
    I’d been keeping that worry buried for days on the ride to Sydney. But it was out now. The shameful life ahead for us if me and Dad didn’t do our bit. Me dying a lonely old bachelor with no wife and kids. Not even knowing what a girl’s skin feels like. Dad getting spat on in the pub and probably no more work.
    â€˜They’re both good horses,’ said Dad to the officer. ‘Walers. Faster than they look.’
    I was glad he said that. Honest truth was they didn’t look that nimble. Jimmy was getting on. Daisy was beautiful with her white face and feet, but she was a bit of a crook shape.
    â€˜Safest feet in the district,’ I said to the officer, which was a bit rich given Daisy’s personality, but the officer probably wouldn’t be talking to people out Cudgegong way.
    â€˜Show me,’ said the officer.
    The army camp had some jumps set up. Pretty tough ones. Barbed wire. Ditches full of mud. Not ordinary mud, army mud.
    Dad went first.
    I knew