A Home Like Ours Fiona Lowe (good novels to read .txt) 📖

‘You’re welcome,’ Bob said. ‘Thought we should mark the occasion.’

‘It’s only temporary,’ Helen said. ‘When the mayor’s forced to stand down …’

‘What are the chances?’ Lachlan asked.

‘Not sure,’ Bob said. ‘I popped in to have a chat with Aki and Craig, but they’re both playing their cards close to their chests.’

‘I reckon we go on Facebook and tell everyone what a bastard Geoff Rayson is so no one votes for him,’ Jade said.

‘The public don’t vote for the mayor,’ Helen said.

‘But what he’s doing isn’t fair!’

‘You still believe in fair?’

Sometimes Jade wondered if Helen was inside her head. ‘I think you need to fight for—what do they call it when you lose your job just ’cos they want to sack you for no good reason?’

‘Unfair dismissal?’ Lachlan said.

‘Yes. That. And Helen didn’t make the meme.’

‘How do you prove it?’ Bob asked.

‘Even if she did, there’s worse stuff out there,’ Lachlan said. ‘Right, Jade?’

‘Oh, yeah.’ Jade looked at Bob and Helen. ‘You two don’t want to go looking too deep on the internet. It’d shock you.’

Helen snorted and drink shot out of her nose. ‘Thanks for the warning, Jade.’

Jade didn’t know if Helen was taking the piss or not.

‘I reckon something’s up,’ Lachlan said. ‘I was at a Landcare meeting last week and they were promised a grant ages ago so they could finish the last section of planting. But every time they ask when the money’s coming, they’re told a different story. Maybe all those rumours about the mayor doing a land deal really are true.’

‘How would we find out?’ Jade asked.

‘I don’t know. It might be time to go along to a council meeting and ask some questions,’ Helen said.

‘He’s hardly going to admit to it there, is he?’ Lachlan said.

‘No, but we can report on Facebook what’s said every time we ask about the land,’ Jade said.

‘Hang on,’ Helen said. ‘I asked you to take the Facebook page down.’

‘I think we should keep it. When you offered to take it down, Vivian said it wouldn’t make him change his mind about the cottage or the job, so I say stuff ’em. Don’t let him silence you.’

‘Jade’s got a point,’ Bob said. ‘This way we have a voice.’

‘I can’t afford to be sued,’ Helen said.

‘If we stick to reporting exactly what the mayor says, we can’t be sued. And we’ll do the moderating together so Helen doesn’t post any more memes.’

‘Ha ha. Very funny.’

Jade grinned, happiness fizzing in her gut. The conversation reminded her of Mrs Kastrati’s pop debates, which she’d usually won.

Helen refilled her drink. ‘Sometimes the truth lies more in what’s not said.’

‘Where’d they get the money for that?’ Bob said in a squeaky voice.

Helen laughed. ‘God, I’d forgotten that.’

‘What?’ Jade and Lachlan asked simultaneously, exchanging glances.

‘It was an ad from the eighties for a credit company,’ Bob explained. ‘It had cartoon rabbits driving past iconic buildings like the Coliseum asking, “Where’d they get the money for that?” Pen and I adopted it as a joke. We’d say it whenever we drove past an impressive house or walked into a fancy public building.’

‘And?’ Jade asked.

‘And Geoff and his wife bought Ainslea Park, which was a massive leap up from their previous home. It just makes you wonder where they got the money for it.’

‘That’s what Vivian implied,’ Helen said.

‘So we ask some questions,’ Bob said.

Helen nodded. ‘And we do some digging. I’ll talk to Fran at the library. She’s got the back issues of The Standard.’

‘How will that help?’ Jade asked.

‘Sometimes the social pages tell you more than the council minutes.’

Clutching her sponge bag, Helen surveyed the chaos in the bathroom—sodden bathmat, grey bath water in the tub, bottle of baby shampoo oozing its contents down the tiles, a pile of dirty clothes and a neatly folded but whiffy nappy. She rested her forehead on the doorjamb and breathed deeply, hoping to stall the fast rise of her blood pressure towards the red zone. Since moving in, she and Jade had been involved in a series of skirmishes involving the common areas.

Helen turned towards the lounge room and pain exploded behind her eyes. She hopped, rubbing her foot, and saw the offending block on the floor. How could a baby who didn’t walk manage to spread toys into every corner of the unit? Then again, he could commando crawl with lightning speed that amazed and distressed her all at the same time.

Jade was sitting on the couch with a clean and cherry-cheeked Milo, his damp curls starting to spring back. Helen’s heart tore a little and she put the block on the coffee table with more force than intended.

‘Toys don’t belong in the hall.’

‘Jeez, Helen, take a chill pill.’

‘I stepped on it and it bloody hurt! And the bathroom’s a tip.’

Jade reached for a board book. ‘I’ll clean up after I’ve put him to bed.’

Helen was now familiar with the ‘put Milo to bed’ routine. It took at least half an hour. After a busy shift at the café she stank of fried food. All she wanted was to soak in a warm bath and wash the day away.

‘I want to use it now,’ she said.

Jade huffed. ‘Okay, fine. You read to him.’

Helen had spent the last ten days avoiding reading to Milo. Each time she sat on the couch or a kitchen chair, he pulled himself up and deposited a book on her lap. Then he’d stare up at her with those huge blue eyes of his full of hope. She blamed Bob. The day she’d moved in, he’d read to Milo every time he’d produced a book. Now Milo thought she was fair game and the kid was annoyingly persistent. Like his mother.

Like you.

‘You need to clean as you go,’ she said.

Jade’s mouth hardened. ‘I’m doing you a favour letting you live here.’

‘I’m paying rent. This is just as much my house as yours. I’m respecting you by keeping things clean and tidy and you need to do