Forest Spirit Read Online Free Page B

The general smells of a crowd. Without meaning to, her thoughts drifted to Jacana Station – the gamey odours of the cattle and horses, the healthy sweat of the station workers, the aroma of her mother’s cooking. She shifted again in her seat and waited.
    A microphone crackled, interrupting her thoughts, then a voice announced, ‘This is the first call for all passengers travelling on flight 234 to Melbourne. Passengers may board now.’
    â€˜That’s you,’ Ms Barnard said. ‘Walk through that door marked exit. A crew member wil take you to the plane.’
    The sun, now low in the sky, had not lessened its intensity. Its rays shimmered on the concrete runway. Ignoring the heat, Jars, accompanied by a male attendant, made her way to the waiting plane, her steps heavy, mechanical.
    â€˜Welcome aboard young lady. Do you have your seat allocation?’ a flight attendant, who was checking each passenger’s details, asked. Jars showed her. The flight attendant, who wore a perky hat and sleek blue uniform, inspected her clipboard. ‘Ah, yes, Jacinta Kelly. Going through to Burnie I see. Well, don’t worry, we’ll look after you.’ She directed Jars to her seat, then turned to the next passenger.
    Jars found herself sitting next to an elderly man, feather haired and dressed in a business suit. ‘Hi,’ he began, ‘name’s Lucky. In the selling game, I am. What’s yours – your name, I mean?’ Without waiting for an answer, he continued. ‘Might as well get to know each other, eh? Long trip and all that.’ He thrust out a hand.
    She forced a smile and shook his hand. ‘They call me Jars.’
    â€˜Great. Pleased to meetcha. Hey, you can have the window seat. View out there’s better than the one in here.’ He unbuckled his seatbelt, waiting for Jars to shuffle into the aisle. He then rose, making way for her to take the new seat.
    Lucky continued to talk, but Jars barely heard him as she gazed out the window, watching as people in the viewing area waved their last goodbyes. And then she realised: this would be her final view of the Northern Territory. Her throat constricted and turned wood-chip dry. She had never felt so lonely.
    She rested her head on the back of the seat, half listening to Lucky, as well as the whispering drones and occasional laughter of the other passengers. ‘Hey, Jars.’ She felt her shoulder shake. It was Lucky. ‘You were miles away. You had better do your seatbelt up. We’re about to take off.’
    How can this be happening, she asked herself as she fastened her belt? In a plane? Flying … to a place … to people she didn’t know? Her thoughts turned to her parents and brother. With a guilty feeling of dismay, she found that already their images were starting to fade in her mind. Even Mr & Mrs H. and Tom seemed distant memories now that she had left them behind. She bit her lip. For some reason she no longer liked who she was.
    After a short time, the flight attendant, who had shown Jars where to sit, appeared with a steel trolley laden with cardboard containers. ‘Food,’ she said with a sunny smile. She leant over, and in one motion released the tray from the back of the front seat and placed the meal in front of her. ‘Next stop is Tullamarine Airport, Melbourne. That’s where you change planes for the Burnie flight. There’ll be a short wait in Melbourne, but don’t worry, we’ll make sure you don’t get lost.’
    Jars toyed with her food, which, as far as she could make out, was a concoction of tomato, egg and something green. Finally, she pushed it away.
    â€˜Not hungry?’ she heard Lucky say.
    She swiveIled her head towards him. ‘No. Can’t eat it.’
    Lucky nodded, as though understanding. ‘And did I hear right? The attendant mentioned something about Burnie. You going on to Tasmania?’
    Barely whispering,