Damaged Goods by Diane McNab - HTML preview

CHAPTER SIX

SUMMER DAWSON

1984

Scrubbing up for a operation Dr. Ethan Dawson asked if Grayson would like to attend an art exhibition his Sister Summer was holding on Friday night.

“Your Sister is an artist?”

“Yes, actually very talented, I would love you see some of her work.”

“I would be delighted” Grayson replied.

They arrived at a small warehouse in not a particularly good suburb and Grayson entered with some trepidation.

Inside hung canvases of various sizes with colours inundating the senses.

“My God” said Grayson to Ethan “these are spectacular.”

Ethan grinned and said “Summer will be glad to hear that.”

“Did someone mention my name?” said a woman wearing a kaftan that was just sheer enough to show the beautiful body underneath. “Come here” she said grabbing Ethan in a huge hug.

“So you must be the Doc my name is Summer.”

“Very glad to meet you, I love your work” Grayson said in all honesty though a little disarmed by her calling him Doc.

“Thanks, hang on I will grab you guys a wine” and off she floated.

Grayson looked around the room. There was a motley crew of people of all ages obviously happy to be there. Having never been in a situation like this he felt a little overwhelmed. Ethan seeing the expression on his face said “Don't worry no-one bites unless of course my Sister doesn't like you.”

Summer arrived saying “Here you go, enjoy!” handing Grayson and Ethan wine in plastic glasses.

“No can do Sis I am on call tonight.”

“Dammit and I even bought the premium casks just for you.”

They both laughed together, obviously the Brother and Sister bond being very strong between them .

The three of them chatted for a while when Summer declared “Well I have to mingle, hopefully someone in their right mind will buy a painting and I can pay my rent” and off she went again.

“Your Sister is mmmmmmmmmm quite a character” said Grayson. Ethan laughed replying “That's one word to describe her,”

Ethan's pager went off “Well duty calls, don't feel you have to stay Grayson and thank you for coming.”

But Grayson wanted to stay just so he could spend more time with Summer. He noticed SOLD signs on at least three paintings and was happy for her. He also noticed a smaller canvas which depicted a young boy sitting on a boulder looking out to the ocean. It was unlike the other paintings and yet he knew he wanted to have it.

Summer came up and stood next to Grayson “Penny for your thoughts.”

“I would like to buy this painting, preferably before anyone else does” Grayson said.

Summer gave him a huge grin and said “Thank you.”

Summer rang Grayson's office three days later asking where he would like the painted crated to.

“Well actually I am more than happy to come and pick it up myself if you are okay with that?”

“Sure but if you damage it in any way in transit it's on your head” Summer said laughing.

The address she gave him was an area Grayson was unfamiliar with, taking one wrong turn after the other. He eventually arrived in front of a closed garage. There was a door on the right and so he knocked and there she was.

“You found me” Summer declared.

“Yes I did.”

They walked up some rickety stairs, Grayson worried they could even take his weight, and walked in to an apartment that was riotous in colour.

“Come in, come in, here is your masterpiece” Summer said holding her hand out and pointing to the painting he had purchased. She had placed a small table lamp pointing up to it, the light managing to pull a string in Grayson's heart he never knew he had.

“It's wonderful, just wonderful” he said in all honesty.

Summer looked up at him and said “I can see you mean that which means a lot to me. Come on let's celebrate with a wine” and poured them each a chateau de cardboard.

“So your Brother and you went down completely different paths. Him becoming a Doctor and you an Artist?” asked Grayson.

“Yes” answered Summer “we were brought up in a commune.” Seeing the look on Grayson's face she burst out laughing and said “It wasn't a cult of any sort, just a place for people to call home that were sick of the rat race.”

“We were home schooled for primary by people that encouraged us to learn. All the Parents believed in education and therefore when the time came we would go to the local High School. Before that our home schooling teachers took note of what each child excelled at, in my case it was art, and in Ethan's case absoloutley everything. He went on to receive scholarship after scholarship, managing to get as far as med school and working three jobs at a time to put himself through. Mum and Dad helped him too, sending him money for his rent and whatever.”

“If you lived on a commune how did your Parents have money to send?”

“Jesus Grayson we weren't feral. My Dad in his earlier life had been a Construction Engineer, even irrigating the land we were on from the river. Each family had a home with two bedrooms and when more children arrived everyone would gather together and add an extra room on to it. Everyone worked, even the kids, not realising they were working as they enjoyed what they were doing. They grew their own vegetables putting them in hessian sacks at the entry to the property with a bucket for donations.”

“Did people never pay?” asked Grayson.

“Probably but I believe that most people were honest and happy enough to have a sack of potatoes for what they believed to be a reasonable price.”

“Also they made beautiful quilts and covers, candles, oh and Friday was for baking before the markets on the weekend. The smell, oh I still smell it today. Grandad would make leather belts and handbags and trust me they were exquisite.”

“Your Grandad?” asked Grayson.

“He was everybody's Grandad, not by birthright, but because it was the right name to call him.”

“There was a bucket system at the commune. All money accrued during the month, half of it would go into a bucket to cover the costs of the commune such as wax, seeds, material, etc. The other half went into another to be shared equally amongst everyone.”

“My proudest moment was when my Mother put up one of my paintings on the wall of a local cafe and it was sold for $40.00. I loved putting $20 into one bucket and then $20 into the other. I felt I had achieved something special.”

“But what if there was some lazy sod that didn't work?” asked Grayson.

“Never knew that to happen” Summer said cheerfully “anyway lets talk about you.”

“What would you like to know?” asked Grayson.

“Well out of all of my paintings you picked that one, is there a reason for that?”

Grayson hesitated, something he rarely did “I can't explain it, I just knew I wanted to have it.”

“Well that's a good enough reason for me but can I ask did you have a good childhood?”

Grayson was fumbling here, this woman was going to places he had never thought of entertaining himself.

“Yes I did. My Nanny was firm but fair.”

“So you were lonely but probably unaware of it?” Summer asked.

Grayson's answer was almost curt “You cannot miss what you have never had.”

“I imagine you are right. Well enough of that let's get your painting into your car. I hope you enjoy where you place it.”

Grayson drove back to his office not wanting to take the painting home. He placed it against the wall in his Office knowing he wanted to see Summer again.

They didn't see each other again for a number of weeks until Ethan's 35th birthday. Grayson received an invitation from Summer to a Jazz Club as a surprise for her Brother. Grayson knew wild horses couldn't keep him away.

He arrived and Summer greeted him with a kiss on his cheek and a big hug. “Thanks so much for coming, Ethan loves this place. I have arranged for his fave trombone player to turn up. Come on meet Mum and Dad.”

“Really” thought Grayson “I am meeting Mum and Dad?” Why did that perplex him so much.

“So I finally get to meet the Doctor that navigated my Son's journey into surgery, wonderful to meet you. My name is Brad and this is my Wife Amy.” The men both shook hands and Amy kissed him on the cheek declaring it should be a perfect night.

The party went well. Ethan looked a little sheepish at the beginning but towards the end got up and danced twirling Summer around like a Ferris wheel, her laughter contagious to everyone around her.

When Grayson was leaving he asked if he could see Summer again.

“You have a band on your finger so my answer should be no unless you can explain your circumstances and it is has to be an honest conversation” said Summer.

“Tomorrow night we can talk if you want?” Grayson answered.

“I will see you at 6.00pm at my place” and with that she disappeared in to the night. Grayson arrived at Summer's home holding a good bottle of wine thinking he could not bear to drink another glass out of a cardboard box.

Summer answered the door all smiles thanking him for the wine and suggesting that next time he should bring two.

Instead of being insulted, which he was prone to do, Grayson laughed and said “No worries I will bring three.”

“Make it four and you have my heart” said Summer.

The place was in complete disarray as it had been on his last visit. A open box of pizza with still a slice in it being the coffee tables main ornament. God knows how long it had been there.

Summer poured them a glass of wine and sat down opposite him saying “I don't know why I like you but I do. I have a feeling you can be an arrogant snobbish prick but I also have a gut feeling that you have other sides to you that even you are not aware of.”

“Grayson thought to himself “Jesus I am out of my depth here.”

She stood up and sat next to him on the small sofa taking his hand as if in reassurance. “Tell me about your Wife and don't lie to me Gray for I will know if you are.”

Grayson chose his words carefully, knowing this could be a beginning of an incredible journey or that the gates would be firmly closed and that it would be impossible to reopen them.

“My Wife and I have an arrangement and live in separate quarters of the house. We have done so for a number of years. That is how my marital status stands and where it will remain.”

Summer looked at his face as if trying to read his mind. She nodded her head as if satisfied with his explanation and taking his hand led Grayson to her unmade bed.

None of it made sense to Grayson. He would visit Summer's loft as often as he could. Sometimes she was there and quite often she was not. He would sit in his car looking up at the dark windows wondering where the hell she was (and also with whom).

However, he never shared these feelings with Summer knowing full well she would show him the door.

He would go home to his extremely submissive wife and even he found dinner to be an ordeal. Telling Jane off for speaking too loudly and chastising Alice for letting her do so.

Both Alice and Jane drew away from him and who could blame them?

This went on for several months and Summer handed Grayson a key to her home.

“Here you go, thought you might like this to keep you out of the freezing cold while you wait for me.”

Grayson was living the dream though finding it a little difficult to navigate at times.

He alternated between both homes, obviously staying at the martial address far more frequently.

Summer never asked where he had been, or what he had been up to. Caught up in her painting he wondered if she even noticed he was not there. Alice never asked either, simply not wanting to know the answer.

GROUNDBREAKING NEWS

Grayson arrived at Summer's place to find her in her usual attire on a soft balmy night, a pair of knickers and nothing else.

“Well for goodness sake Grayson have I got news for you” she almost shouted.

“I am all ears” he answered grinning at her “shall I pour us a wine?”

“Not for me thanks” Summer answered “but get yourself one.”

Warning bells should have gone off then but he was so pleased to see her he disregarded them.

“Sit down, sit down, Grayson NOW!”

Before saying anything else she pulled him even closer on the sofa and looking straight into his eyes announced “Grayson I am pregnant, not only pregnant but almost five months, can you believe it? I am so happy I feel like I am going to burst. Oh God don't look like that, I want you to be happy to.”

Grayson felt the room closing in on him, this being the last thing he expected to hear.

“Oh God you are shocked. You know how badly I suffer from endometriosis and probably thought that this would never happen and yet here I am not only pregnant but almost five months along. I am so excited.”

Grayson had been made aware that Summer suffered from endometriosis but unlike his Daughter he did not label her as damaged goods, she simply had a medical condition that could be monitored and treated. “Listen Gray this wasn't something I planned and if you want no part of it I understand, after all you already have a family.”

He looked at Summer's face which was absoloutley glowing and honestly answered “You have made me a very happy man.”

Another month passed and Grayson accompanied Summer to have an ultrasound. The technician said everything looked wonderful and asked if they would they like to know the gender of the baby.

“NO” said Summer

“YES” said Grayson

They both looked at each other.

“You really really want to know?” asked Summer

“I do and today would be wonderful” answered Grayson

“ITS A BOY”

On his arrival one night at Summer's place Grayson stated that they really needed to talk.

“Oh God” Summer exclaimed “here we go with the I am the Doctor that knows so much better than you conversation.”

“Don't shoot me down Summer but I have been thinking about the baby being due soon and honestly I think you have to move as there isn't enough room here for you and a child.”

Summer looked around her home and saw it for what it was. A good place for her be as she really didn't care about belongings or the size of the apartment. It had suited her quite well for a long time and she had been happy in it. However, she also remembered being brought up in the commune, running through the fields, roasting marshmallows on an open fire, and realised that a child should at least have a garden to grown up in.”

“I have done as well as much as an artist can do in Sydney” stated Summer “but certainly not enough to buy a property.”

“Then let me buy it and you and my Son can live in it for as long as you wish.”

Feeling a little uneasy she agreed to Grayson's terms.

The first home they went to inspect Summer would not even go through the front gate declaring it to be like a fortress. Since that was exactly the property Grayson was hoping to find he was disappointed but arranged another property to look at the next day. Once again Summer was not happy. not liking the dark building with no lighting.

The third property was a completely different story. When they walked through the gate the first thing Summer saw was the most beautiful huge oak tree with magnificent branches going out in all directions and nestled in between the branches was an adorable cubby house that promised to keep secrets of children entering it. Summer remembered all her 'brothers and sisters' at the commune getting together and building their own cubby house. They found sheets of iron and hauled up large boulders from the river, the end result being that all the children believed they had created a perfect castle. This memory made Summer smile. At the back of this house was a small fish pond and the whole house was built to the left of the property, being on half an acre in total, which was rare as hens teeth to find in Sydney.

Grayson and Summer entered the home with the Realtor who explained it was a four bedroom, two bath. Summer's head was hammering at this point, not wanting to ask how much the property was worth, and that's when the Realtor mentioned there was an attic.

The three of them climbed the small set of stairs to the attic and walked in to a room that made Summer feel she had died and gone to heaven. The room was by no means large but the light coming in from the surrounding windows made Summer's heart sing. She turned around in circles envisioning herself painting here to her hearts delight.

Watching Summer's face Grayson asked for the contract and where he should sign.