Part Sixteen - Home Truth

It was late afternoon, the children hadn’t long gotten home from school, when the doorbell rang, and Patty opened it to find a well-dressed woman standing on her porch.

Archie’s adoptive mother, Edith Williams, was in her early forties, with neatly styled chestnut hair that framed her kind face. She wore a simple yet elegant dress, the sort that suggested both modesty and taste. Her eyes were a warm hazel, filled with genuine kindness as she smiled at Patty.

Syd pushed passed her eager to see Teddy. His guitar knocking against the wall as he hurried toward Teddy’s room.

“Mrs. Love? I’m Edith Williams. We’ve spoken often on the phone many times that I thought it was time we met.” They shook hand, “Syd, has kept me informed of all the happenings from this house.” She smirked, “I especially loved the story about you chasing after those two bullies with a broom stick. I was amazed by your plucky nature. Personally, I would have walloped them both with the back of my spoon.”

“Oh dear! My!” Patty’s heart sank a little as she looked to her audience. “What an unexpected surprise. My dears! I’ve wanted to avoid this moment as long as possible. The guilt of my involvement in Ruby’s scheme has gnawed at me for some time, especially now, seeing how kind and appreciative Edith seems.” Patty smiled, warmly, “Please, call me Patty. Would you like to stay for a cup of tea? It’s such a lovely afternoon.” At that moment, Teddy began playing the guitar. He didn’t sound too bad now. He was learning. Though there was quite a lot a room for improvement “Well, that is if you don’t mind your ears being in pain,” Patty smirked, “My son is gifted in a lot of things, but the guitar still alludes him.”

Edith laughed, “Oh…we have our own failed musicians at home too. Beth just could not get the recorder.”

Patty ushered her into the kitchen, where they sat down with steaming cups of tea. They chit-chatted about the local happenings, the recent bake sale, and the upcoming community fair. Edith spoke proudly of Syd’s interests, his love for music, and how well he was doing in school. She mentioned how all their children were adopted due to Edith’s lady problems, but that didn’t stop her loving them dearly as her very own.

As the conversation flowed, Edith’s warmth and sincerity only made Patty’s internal conflict more intense. She wanted to support Ruby, but seeing the real, tangible love Edith had for Syd made everything more complicated.

When Edith finally left, thanking her once more for her kindness, Patty felt a heavy weight settle in her chest. She watched as Edith drove away, knowing that she had to tread carefully. She had to find a way to balance her loyalty to Ruby with the undeniable affection she felt for this new connection in Syd’s life.

*********

Patty was elbow-deep in dough, flour dusting the counter and the front of her apron, when she spotted the post man outside the window. He dropped some mail into their box, “Lizzy! Be a dear and run out to get the mail,” she called over her shoulder, kneading the dough into submission.

From the living room, Lizzy groaned but obliged, her footsteps thudding as she rushed outside to collect the mail.

“Bills, bills, boring—oh! What’s this?”

Patty turned just in time to see Lizzy freeze mid-step, her eyes wide as she stared at an official-looking envelope. The letterhead bore the seal of a regional education board, and in bold, block letters across the front. She shredded the top wanting so badly to read what the letter contained.

Her eyes opened even wider. Her mouth slackening as she read it:

ELIZABETH LOVE – INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE REGIONAL YOUTH SCIENCE COMPETITION

Lizzy’s hands shook slightly. Her breath coming in short, excited bursts as she read on:

Dear Miss Love,
After witnessing your exceptional work at your recent school science competition, I am pleased to invite you to compete in the upcoming Regional Youth Science Competition, where students with promise in the sciences will present their research and experiments for judging by some of the country’s leading scientific minds. We believe your innovative approach to your experiment shows remarkable potential, and we hope you will consider this opportunity.

Details of the competition and how to enter are included below.
Sincerely,
Professor Howard L. Grantham
Chair, Regional Science Initiative

Lizzy let out a high-pitched squeal, clutching the letter to her chest. Patty almost jumped out of her skin at the sudden reaction.

She turned on her daughter thinking it was something bad, “Lizzy! What is it!” Lizzy couldn’t speak. She threw the letter at her mother who quickly scanned the content. Her face lighting up with each sentence, “Oh, Lizzy! This is wonderful!”

Lizzy bounced on her heels, eyes shining with excitement, “Professor Grantham—he was at the school! He saw my project! He actually thinks I have promise!”

Patty beamed, pride swelling in her chest, “Of course you do!” she said, brushing a stray curl from Lizzy’s forehead. “You’re brilliant, my girl. Always have been.”

Lizzy clutched the letter tightly, her mind already racing with ideas, “This is real, Mum. This isn’t just school fairs or classroom experiments. This is science—real science. I could meet actual scientists. I could show them what I can do!”

Patty’s eyes softened, her hands squeezing Lizzy’s, “And one day, sweetheart, you’ll be one of them.”

Lizzy grinned so wide it hurt, “I’ve got to start making some notes. I need an experiment that rocks them to their very foundations.”

She was practically vibrating with excitement. This wasn’t just a competition. This was a future opening up in front of her.

********

Patty sat in the cozy booth at The Welcome Inn Café, stirring her coffee absentmindedly as she waited for the rest of the book club ladies to arrive. The clink of cups and the hum of chatter filled the air, a different kind of background than usual.

The bell above the door jingled, and Patty turned to see Flo, Myra, and Cindy walked in together, chatting animatedly. Ruby had to work.

The ladies spotted Patty and waved, making their way over to the booth.

“Sorry we’re late,” Flo said, sliding into the seat next to Patty. “My son had an extraordinary encounter in some beatnik dive. I just had to hear all about it before I left.” She sighed, with admiration, “I am so proud of him. He is out there living his life.”

“Who did he meet?” Patty asked, smiling.

“He met this poet who is supposed to be the next big thing,” Flo couldn’t hide her pride. “I’d hardly think he is Allen Ginsberg.”

“Oh! I recently read Allen Ginsberg’s 'Howl,' and it was an eye-opener. The raw emotion and vivid imagery just leap off the page. It’s a powerful critique of how society can destroy the 'best minds' of a generation.”

The other ladies just looked at her bewildered. They did not have the literary eye of their friend.

“Don’t you just envy the youth of today?” Flo agreed. “But enough about them. What’s new with you all?”

Myra sighed and looked down at the table, “I wish my life was more exciting. I’ve been feeling so fat lately. Nothing fits right, and I just feel...ugh.” She paused, a tugging in her chest, “Even my husband thinks so.”

“You’re beautiful, Myra,” Patty said gently. “Just the way you are.”

Myra rested her elbow on the table somewhat lackluster, her eyes dulled, “My doctor thinks he can help. His prescribes these pills that he says will strip the fat right off me.” She looked up, “I think he could be right. I don’t feel so hungry these days.” She flipped through a menu as her concerned friends watched on, “I think I’ll have the chicken salad. I wonder how many calories are in chicken?”

Patty frowned, tapping her hand gently, “Myra, what pills.”

Myra looked up, “Oh! Don’t fret! I am sure they are perfectly fine. A doctor did prescribe them for me.”

“Doctors aren’t infallible!”

“Oh! And I suppose you are.” Myra’s tone was a little off than usual. She was almost belligerent, “The high and mighty Patty Love who manages to keep every spinning plate turning in her household and still looks a million dollars doing it. Not a hair out of place, not a crease to be seen. Such perfection.”

“No! Myra!” Patty sat back noting the difference in her personality, “That isn’t me at all.”

“You have it all. The most devoted husband that any woman would kill you for.” Myra gleamed with jealousy. “Children who still think the sun shines out of your backside…unlike mine who don’t even know how to pick up a telephone.”

“Now, now ladies,” Flo decided to turn this hostile conversation to something a little less divisive, “We are here for a nice lunch.” She glanced over at Cindy for help, “Apart from Ginsberg, what other news do you have for us?”

Cindy waved a letter in her hand, “Ladies, I have news.”

Patty raised a brow, pausing mid-sip of her tea, “Do tell.”

Cindy grinned, unfolding the letter with a dramatic flourish, “I’ve been asked to write a women’s column for The Australian Review.”

There was a collective gasp, followed by excited murmurs.

“The high-brow one?” Flo interjected.

“The very same,” Cindy confirmed. “Apparently, someone from the magazine heard me speaking at the librarian’s conference about women’s access to literature and education. They said my insights were ‘refreshing and articulate.’” She smirked. “Imagine that.”

Patty beamed, “Cindy, that’s wonderful! What’s the piece going to be about?”

Cindy set the letter aside, tapping a manicured finger against her chin, “I want to write about women’s autonomy—our right to pleasure, knowledge, and independence. Not just in the bedroom—though that too, obviously—but in our minds and choices. I want to question why we’re still expected to exist for men instead of for ourselves.”

Patty raised an eyebrow, “Sounds a little risqué for The Australian Review.”

“Start strong I say. Let them know where you stand,” Flo commented. “And fight like hell for the next twenty years to get what you want.”

Myra wasn’t listening to any of this. She was staring out the window with a glazed look in her eyes, “I’ve put on three pounds this month. Charles has noticed every inch. Perhaps that is why he doesn’t come home for tea any longer. He prefers the club over my Steak Diane.”

Flo rolled her eyes, flicking her cigarette, “And what about you, Patty? Any exciting news?”

Patty hesitated for only a moment before lifting her chin, “Actually, yes. I’ve enrolled in a correspondence course.”

Flo’s lips curled into a slow grin, “Well, well, Mrs Love, how industrious of you. Hitting the books! What fun! What’re you studying?”

Patty exhaled, a small flicker of nerves twisting in her stomach, “Political science and social studies.” Patty straightened her shoulders, “Because I want to understand how things work—why women are treated the way they are, how we can change it. I want to do something more.”

Flo leaned back in her chair, studying Patty with something like pride, “Well, look at us.” She gestured between them. “Cindy’s about to set the literary world on fire, Patty’s off to study the system, and—oh! Speaking of which…I have a new assistant. Dominic wants to be a barber.”

Patty glanced over at Myra who seemed fascinated by the menu and nothing else. She was worried about her friend. She would usually be celebrating alongside them. Now she seemed indifferent about everything.

The conversation shifted to lighter topics, with laughter and stories filling the booth. Myra was oddly vacant and detached during the whole lunch. She seemed somewhere else the whole time when not saying the same thing on repeat.

********

The afternoon sun filtered through the trees, casting long golden streaks across the backyard. Patty wiped her hands on her apron as she stepped outside, drawn by the faint sound of clinking glass and the occasional muttered curse coming from the cubby house.

She ducked her head inside, her eyes adjusting to the dim light.

Lizzy was hunched over a makeshift workbench, a collection of bottles, tubing, and metal scraps spread out before her. Her brow was furrowed in deep concentration, her tongue poking slightly out the side of her mouth as she adjusted a thin copper pipe leading into what looked suspiciously like a homemade rocket.

Patty raised an eyebrow., “Should I be worried?”

Lizzy startled, nearly knocking over a small glass vial of liquid. She grabbed it just in time, sighing in relief before turning to face her mother.

“It’s fine, Mum,” she said, pushing her goggles up onto her forehead. “I’m just testing propulsion methods.”

Patty studied the half-burned papers, chemical stains, and the very real possibility that something had exploded recently. She folded her arms, “Lizzy, when I said you could do whatever you set your mind to, I didn’t mean blowing up the backyard.”

Lizzy let out a half-hearted chuckle, adjusting the tubing, “I’m being careful.”

Patty studied her daughter for a moment, noting the subtle slump in her shoulders, the lack of her usual fiery enthusiasm despite the exciting project before her.

She crouched down, resting an elbow on the wooden workbench, “Alright, what’s wrong?”

Lizzy didn’t look up, tightening a small valve instead, “Nothing.”

Patty sighed, reaching out to still Lizzy’s hands. “Dear?”

Lizzy stiffened. Then, with a small, shaky breath, she finally muttered, “Gina’s not allowed to see me anymore.”

Patty’s chest tightened.

Lizzy kept her eyes on the rocket, voice small but filled with hurt. “Her grandfather says I’m a bad influence. That I don’t respect tradition. That I don’t know my place.” Her fingers curled into fists. “So, she’s not allowed to be my friend anymore.” Lizzy sniffed but didn’t cry, “I went to ask again. I mean she would have been a perfect assistant for this project. I could have used her help, but her grandfather slammed the door in my face. It’s fine. I’ll just do it by myself...like always.”

Patty swallowed the lump in her throat, reaching out to smooth back Lizzy’s hair. She pulled her daughter into a hug, feeling Lizzy tense for a moment before melting into her arms. They sat there in the warmth of the cubby house, surrounded by science books, half-finished experiments, and a broken friendship Lizzy couldn’t fix.

Patty pressed a kiss to the top of her head, “Gina loves you too, sweetheart. And no matter what her grandfather says, that won’t change.”

Lizzy sniffed, “Then why won’t she talk to me?”

Patty sighed, “Sometimes, people must follow the rules they don’t believe in. It doesn’t mean she wanted this.”

Lizzy was silent for a long time. Then, quietly, she whispered, “I hope she finds a way out, like I will.”

Patty hugged her tighter, heart aching for her brilliant, stubborn daughter, who was already learning that being different came with a cost.

But as she looked at the half-built rocket, at the determination still burning in Lizzy’s eyes, she knew one thing for certain. Her daughter wasn’t going to let anyone keep her grounded.

********

It was Ruby’s birthday, and Patty wanted to make it special. She had reserved a table at The Golden Swan known for the elegant ambiance and delicious cuisine. Cindy and Flo were joining them, but Myra, who had been acting distant lately, was noticeably absent.

Flo had dined there in the past so raved about the menu.

Ruby hesitated, feeling a little intimated by the place. She wasn’t so boisterous, her eyes darted about noticing the staring. The other women were either oblivious towards it or chose to ignore it.

“Oh! You wouldn’t believe the day I had,” Flo said, barely containing her laughter. “Mrs. Ford, ever the tight wad, was trying to save a few shillings by doing her own hair. Oh my stars! Her hair was so tangled and frizzy that I charged her for a wig and told her to come back next week when I have the patience to manage that disaster.” She scowled, “Teach her to take away my business by doing it herself.”

“You girls think your day was stressful?” she said, smirking. “Try wrangling a naked old man on morphine who thinks he’s leading the ANZACs back into battle.”

Patty nearly choked on her water, while Flo let out a booming laugh, “Oh, you have my attention. Go on.”

“Oh my girls,” Ruby shook her head, laughing to herself. “So, there I am, working a night shift at the hospital, minding my business, when I hear this absolute ruckus coming from Ward C. I go in, and there’s old Mr. Simmons—completely starkers, standing on his bed, waving a bedpan like it’s a bloody bugle, shouting orders to an invisible platoon.”

Flo smirked, “Oh, that’s beautiful.”

“I tried to calm him down,” Ruby continued, “but he points at me and bellows, ‘Nurse! The enemy is upon us! Fetch my rifle!’”

Meanwhile, Cindy was deeply engrossed in reading The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir, a groundbreaking feminist work exploring women’s oppression, “I am hoping to use some of the references for my article. She makes such a bold assertion that ‘one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman’”

Of course, this sparked robust debate on what it is to being a woman. They were so engrossed in the discussion; they didn’t notice the manager until he attempted to clear his throat, drawing their attention, “I trust you are all having a splendid time, but I am afraid,” The man looked straight at Ruby, “That we have a strict service policy here.” Ruby seemed to sink back into the soft lining of her chair, “Your guest will need to leave.”

The table fell silent.

Patty, her face turning red with anger, stood up. “Well, we can’t have a birthday lunch without the birthday girl,” She sat Ruby back down onto her chair, “So, you will serve us or not at all for the foreseeable future.”

The manager, unyielding, replied, “I'm sorry, you feel that way.” He stepped back inviting them to leave their table, “You will all have to leave.”

“Ladies! Stay exactly where you are,” Flo, always the firecracker, shot back. The others immediately resumed their seat, “We are not leaving. We came for the tetrazzini and won’t leave until we’ve had it.” She placed her napkin on her lap looking back up at the manager, “Well…run along now!”

Cindy was feeling just a cheeky, “And another bottle of your finest! On the house I should think after this display of discrimination.”

“Ladies, please, don’t cause a scene.” The manager grimaced, aware of everyone staring at them. “If you leave now there is a high chance that you will be welcomed back in the future.”

“Oh! After today,” interjected Patty. “This will be the last time. Now hurry along and prepare our order.”

The ladies just looked at him with disdain. Their peaceful protest was not going to end so simply. The man retreated to employ another tactic to remove the women.

When the police arrived, they tried to persuade the women to leave quietly but they remained firm. They stayed silent the whole time looking straight ahead. They did not engage with the officers who were getting increasingly agitated by their antics.

The officers, left with no alternative, began dragging the women, kicking and screaming, out of the restaurant. Onlookers gasped and murmured, some even clapping in support of the women.

Despite the humiliation, Patty, Ruby, Cindy, and Flo held their heads high as they were escorted to the police wagon but only Ruby was thrown into the back.

“What is happening!” Patty demanded,

The officer turned to them, “You can go! And we’ll have none of that tomfoolery from you ladies ever again.”

“What about Ruby?” Flo was getting in his face, “If she is being arrested than so are we. We’re the ones who made such a fuss.”

“Go home to your kitchens where you ladies should be,” barked the office.

He went to turn away, but Flo grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, and getting in his face, “We’re more than glorified cooks, officer. I demand you lock us up with our friend.”

“Unhand me at once,” he barked once more.

Flo scowled at him, before giving the officer a push. He stumbled backwards onto the ground. The other police just watched on in stupefaction.

His face turned scarlet red, his nostrils began to snort, as he got to his feet, “You just struck an officer of the law.” He marched toward her, getting in her face, “You’ll pay for that.”

“Well, that was the intention,” Flo replied. “I am not a half-wit.”

The other two women rushed at him to defend her. The office barked orders for all of them to be taken back to the station. The women were bundled into the police wagon along with Ruby who was amazed by their defiance.

*********

In the dim, cold jail cell, the four women sat on the hard bench, their spirits unbroken. Flo broke the silence first, trying to lighten the mood. “Well, you won’t forget this birthday in a while.”

“I gotta say, you girls touched my heart,” Ruby managed a weak smile. “No one has ever done that for me before.”

Patty put a comforting arm around Ruby, “No one deserves to be treated so unfairly.”

“I think it is life affirming to rail against inequalities,” mused Cindy. “To defy outdated convictions.”

Flo sighed, “I was really looking forward to the Tetrazzini. Now I’ll never know whether it melts in your mouth as I have heard.”

When Freddie arrived at the police station, he found Patty, Ruby, Flo, and Cindy in a cell, looking remarkably unruffled for a group of women who had just been arrested, “I thought you were going for a leisurely lunch.”

Patty explained the situation, her eyes fierce with determination, “They tried to kick Ruby out of her own birthday celebrations because she’s Aboriginal. So, we refused to leave.”

Freddie shook his head, a mix of admiration and exasperation on his face, “Did they hurt you?”

“Oh, just the odd graze,” Patty said. “And some bruising on our backsides. Nothing serious.”

“Come on troublemakers!” he said, unable to stay mad at them. “I seriously think you all should have your heads examined. Those police could have done anything and gotten away with it.”

As they walked out, the ladies shared a laugh about the ordeal, their spirits unbroken. Freddie couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride for his wife and her friends, knowing they had stood up for what was right.

*********

The children were waiting for them when Patty and Freddie got home. They wanted to know what had happened to their jail bird of a mother. Freddie scooted them off to bed so they could talk.

While Patty showered the prison stench off her, Freddie made her a drink to steady her nerves after the ordeal.

Patty took the drink from his hand. Her movements were a little stiff and tentative from being dragged out of the restaurant, “I know it was reckless of me, but, Freddie, we had to stand up for her.”

Freddie’s eyes softened for a moment before the anger flared again, “But you could have been hurt even worse.”

“But I wasn’t,” Patty took a deep breath, her resolve unbroken. “If we don’t stand up to injustice, who will?” She smiled grateful for his concern, “I want my children to grow up in a better world where their friends are treated equally as them.”

Freddie’s shoulders slumped in defeat, “I get it. I do. But this...standing up for someone else’s rights can get you into a lot of trouble.”

Patty stepped closer, placing a hand on his arm, “I know. And I’m sorry if I have embarrassed you." she replied, “I just wanted a nice lunch with my friends and not have it be this big issue.”

Freddie wrapped an arm around his wife. Patty wasn’t the same woman any longer. She had changed. She was now taking on life, in a different way, even if it meant suffering a couple of bruises in the process.

*********

Patty stood at the kitchen sink, watching through the window as Ruby and Syd sat on the back steps, their voices low but familiar. Syd’s shoulders were slumped, his usual easy confidence replaced with something tired, uncertain. Ruby rested a hand on his knee, speaking softly, her expression kind, understanding.

Patty wiped her hands on a tea towel, her stomach twisting.

Later, as Ruby stepped inside to refill her tea, Patty met her with a steady gaze, “I know you care about him,” Patty murmured, keeping her voice gentle but firm. “But be careful, Ruby. Don’t get too close.”

Ruby’s brow furrowed. “Why?”

Patty exhaled, glancing back toward Syd, who was still sitting lost in thought on the steps, “Because he’s looking for something he doesn’t even understand yet. And if you’re not careful, you might start hoping for something he can’t give.”

Ruby’s expression didn’t change, but Patty saw the way her fingers tightened around her cup. A moment later, Ruby nodded, offering a small, sad smile, “I was just giving him some advice. He had a falling out with his friend, but he wouldn’t say over what.”

Patty’s chest tightened, “Yes. The broken friendship has been weighting heavy on them all.”

Ruby took a slow sip of tea. “I told him that sometimes people turn away from you because of their own fears—not because you’ve done anything wrong.” She looked up, meeting Patty’s gaze. “That was the right advice, wasn’t it?”

Patty hesitated, then softened, “Yes,” she said quietly. “It was.” But something still nagged at her. She took a deep breath and said, “I met his mother, Ruby.” Ruby stiffened. “She’s a good woman,” Patty continued gently. “Loves him. Worries about him.” She set her cup down carefully, “And I feel like I’m betraying her just standing here, knowing what I know.”

Ruby’s jaw tightened, “Girlie! I don’t want to hear it.”

“Ruby—”

“I don’t,” she snapped, her voice sharp before softening, “Because none of that changes the fact that he’s my son, Patty.” Patty felt a deep pang of sympathy. “I want him,” Ruby whispered. “And nothing—not guilt, not right or wrong—will change that.”

Patty suddenly felt a cold chill at her back. She turned to find the back door wide open, and Syd was no where to be seen. The only sound was his feet running from the yard. Patty knew in that moment that Syd finally knew the truth.

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