Featured in

  • Published 20091201
  • ISBN: 9781921520860
  • Extent: 264 pp
  • Paperback (234 x 153mm)

BEN GETS ON the phone immediately and rings his brother who farms two hours’ drive away. It’s raining! he yells. Really raining. It’s raining! What’s it like at your place? Nothing here, replies his brother in a subdued tone. Ben then rings his neighbour whose three thousand acres share a boundary with his three thousand acres. How’s it comin’ down at your place? he asks. It’s not, replies the neighbour…I can see the black clouds in the distance, about over your place I reckon, but nothing here at my house yet. Not even sure that it will rain here…not much of a breeze but what there is, is blowin’ away from my place.

Ben hangs up and rings his neighbour on the other side, whose property doesn’t actually adjoin his – there is a large granite nature reserve between them – but is the next on down the road. Not a drop, mate, and it doesn’t look like it’s coming our way. And I’m starin’ at the wall barometer, and nothin’s changed. Same as yesterday, the day before, last month. There’s bitterness on the other end of the phone, and Ben doesn’t know what to say, so he just hangs up and walks back to the window to watch the rain bucket down.

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

If you are an educator or student wishing to access content for study purposes please contact us at griffithreview@griffith.edu.au

Share article

More from author

Vaudeville

PoetryIf the magical colours aren’t even across the page, it’s a failure of art according to aesthetes. An obscenity of blues and reds, they say.

More from this edition

Flame red

FictionDEAR LANCE,I am sitting on the back seat of the bus, heading for Melbourne. This morning, my father took me to the railway station...

Stay up to date with the latest, news, articles and special offers from Griffith Review.