The Year It All Ended by Kirsty Murray Read Free Book Online Page B

Department says they won’t close the picture palaces as long as they’re disinfected every morning, so it must be safe. I think Papa’s more worried about the McCaffrey brothers than the flu epidemic. He’d refuse permission if it weren’t for the fact they’ve just come back from the war. You have to admit, George is a little frightening.’
    ‘The epidemic frightens me a lot more than George McCaffrey. This morning’s paper says millions of people are dying from it all around the world.’
    ‘Stop it, Tiney!’ said Minna. ‘After all these years of worrying about the war do we have to talk about more death and destruction?’
    At that moment, Nette and Ida burst into the room and flung themselves on the bed, laughing.
    ‘Are you chaperoning us too?’ asked Tiney.
    ‘Absolutely,’ said Ida. ‘Keeping an eye on you lot is too much responsibility for poor little Nette.’
    ‘I can’t imagine George will like us so thoroughly outnumbering him,’ said Minna.
    ‘He should be grateful to have five gorgeous women in his company,’ said Ida. ‘And doesn’t Minna look exquisite! I’m so glad to see you’ve given up on black. The prices being charged for it are ridiculous and besides, Adelaide has been awash with women in mourning for far too long.’
    Then Ida caught Tiney’s look of disappointment, as she pulled the collar of her coat higher to disguise her black dress. ‘I didn’t mean you, Tiney. You look like a lovely French schoolgirl, not a drab widow.’
    When the doorbell rang, the girls hurried into the hall. It felt odd outnumbering the boys. But then that was how it was going to be from now on, thought Tiney, two girls for every boy. Nette and Ida each held Tiney’s hands and hung back so that George offered his arm to Minna while Frank escorted Thea.
    ‘Why are we bringing up the rear?’ asked Tiney, wishing the men could have a girl on each arm.
    ‘Because it’s the right thing to do,’ said Nette. ‘Ray will be home soon. I don’t need to be on any boy’s arm. And you’re still too young to even be thinking about having a beau.’
    Tiney thought briefly of the soldier on Armistice Day who had tried to kiss her, and smiled to herself. Then a terrible thought gripped her. What if that was as close to a kiss as she’d ever get? What if the man who was destined to love her was lying dead beneath the cold mud of France or Belgium or beneath the cliffs at Gallipoli?
    ‘As for me,’ said Ida, interrupting Tiney’s thoughts, ‘I’m holding out for a dashing European or a charming member of the English gentry.’
    ‘When are you going over to France?’ asked Tiney.
    ‘We’ve had to put our plans on hold until the flu epidemic eases,’ said Ida. ‘People are dying like flies in England and there are so many ships in quarantine that we can’t leave. It seems we’ll be waiting forever.’
    ‘Not forever,’ said Tiney. ‘Who knows? Maybe by the time the flu epidemic has passed, we’ll be going too.’
    Ida glanced at her, bemused, and Tiney realised Nette must have told her of Tiney’s impossible dream.
    They climbed off the tram at the corner of North Terrace and then sauntered along Peel Street and into Hindley Street. The Wondergraph was lit up with a thousand electric lights. Frank said it was the most opulent picture palace in the whole country, and Tiney could believe it. George and Frank bought tickets while the girls stood together in the bright foyer.
    It was strangely empty inside the theatre. It smelt so strongly of disinfectant that Tiney’s eyes stung. Hundreds of seats were vacant. Some people were wearing cloth masks over their mouths and when a man sitting in the front row coughed into his handkerchief, the people next to him stood up and changed seats. Then the orchestra struck up the overture and the lights dimmed.
    There were two short films before the opening credits of the main feature. A line of beautiful young women danced across the screen and then