Page 86 - Homestead By Ann Newhouse

“Funny you should ask,” he said, “a few of the boys from out West were in the bar the other night passing through. They were saying there was recently a gruesome find in an isolated shack. It seems it was a property long abandoned. They’re not sure if the remains found were male or female as the bodies were so decomposed. Probably just some poor couple ran into hard times and couldn’t survive.” Tom said sympathetically.
“Terrible . . . terrible . . . do you think they would be able to work out how they ended up in that state?” I asked, showing interest.
“I don’t think so. I didn’t recognise the name of the district. Not on any cattle trail I know,” Tom confirmed. And he has been on them all. I felt sick with guilt and was now worrying if they could somehow tell who they were and what had happened, or if anyone had just left them. I knew they had died naturally, but I know I should not have just walked away. I had to decide whether I should tell Sofie the true story, or just pretend I knew nothing about it. What if they identified the bodies and their names appeared in the newspapers? Would the news reach this far? Sofie would find out and wonder why I hadn’t told her the whole story. She may never trust me again. My head was in a spin. I needed time to think how I’d explain to Sofie about my dilemma. I wouldn’t have much time to explain my story, if the news reached the homestead soon. I decided to stay silent.
There was news of a different kind when we returned to the Homestead after the drive. Sofie met us and told us her father had had a stroke and was very ill. He was in too bad a condition to airlift to the hospital. Sofie and Johanna, along with the emergency response team, were keeping round the clock watch on him in the medical hall. Sofie was distraught as she has been warned he may be left paralysed if he survived. She was awaiting some further test results. I went back to Truth to collect Josh as Sofie wanted him by her side when she got the tests results. Josh was shocked at the news and agreed to go back to the homestead for Sofie’s sake. He made a point of expressing it was for Sofie and not for his father. Josh was quiet on the way back, no doubt with the thoughts of this dilemma upsetting his plans for the future.
“Oh, Josh it’s so good to see you, I’ve missed you so much,” Sofie cried when we arrived back at the medical hall.
“Good to see you Sis, what’s the results of father’s tests?” Josh asked worryingly.