Mitchell had a close relationship with his Grandma. He didn’t remember much about his Granddad Jed, who died when Mitchell was only nine. He would look forward to his visits to the big Queenslander house as a young boy. It was a trip to the country even though it was only thirty minutes from his suburban home. You could play cricket on the wide verandas and go for bush walks. Grandma Molly was always a fun lady but firm in her views on right and wrong, and serious about her religion. She was described by many who knew her as eccentric. She often told a story that she had seen an apparition of the Virgin Mary at the house. Now that Grandma was gone and Mitchell had inherited the old house, he was considering whether he and his partner Jody would live there and renovate the place. They were both in their mid-twenties and worked in the city, but they were happy to try commuting. Sitting on the veranda sipping a glass of wine was a vision they both shared. Quiet weekends away from the city and suburbia were appealing. Mitchell and Jody were hardly prepared for what lay ahead.
They pulled into the front boundary driveway full of expectations for relaxed country style living. Jody jumped out of their small car, opened the double gate and Mitchell drove in. They continued along the gravel road entry – just five minutes and they were parked adjacent to the front steps. The excitement of moving into the old house was sparkling in their eyes. They grabbed bags, jackets and an esky from the boot and went up the wide front stairs to the veranda. Mitchell hesitated, turned and looked out over the undulating grassy hills. A significant part of the thirty-hectare property had been cleared, but areas of thick bush persisted around the creek snaking through the property. Mitchell pulled a set of keys from his pocket, opened the heavy timber door and they went inside. All of Grandma Molly’s furniture was conveniently still in the house. The main bedroom was first on the right of the hallway and had access out to the veranda. They felt a little odd about moving into Grandma Molly’s room but knew she would have wanted it. Mitchell felt close to his grandparents in this house. Grandma’s old jewellery box was on the bedroom dresser and what must have been Jed’s pipe was on the bedside table. Mitchell opened the windows and doors to replace the musty odour with the aromatic eucalyptus bushland scent. He spent the afternoon turning on appliances, unpacking clothes and food, dusting, cleaning and looking in cupboards. Jody was more interested in examining the kitchen and bathroom. The possible renovations were popping up invitingly in her vivid imagination. The afternoon disappeared as they moved from room to room on their separate assignments. They had planned to go back to the village cafe for dinner but when the evening came a couple of microwave dinners were too convenient to resist. After eating they sat in the lounge room and talked. Jody loved decorating, was excited about the potential renovations and was keen to discuss it.
“I’m going to start doing some rough plans on renos. There is so much potential in this place. I can imagine how fantastic the kitchen will look,” Jody said.
“We can’t do anything until we’re sure about staying here though. We haven’t been here one night yet,” he replied.
“I know, but it looks good don’t you think?”
“Yes, it does. No doubt we could make it look great - if we can afford it. Tomorrow we’ll get serious about working out what we can do,” Mitchell said.
“Yeah, kitchen first.”
Mitchell stood and looked at Jody. “It’s so bloody quiet here. Listen - can you hear anything?” he asked.
Jody cocked her head. “Only cicadas...and some bird - owl I think.”
“Exactly, I hope the quietness doesn’t keep us awake,” he smiled and moved towards the bedroom. “Coming?”
It had been an interesting and tiring day. They were both asleep not long after they were in bed.
Jody woke with a start. “Mitch! Wake up! Someone’s on the veranda!”
Mitchell woke, dazed, blinked a few times, and turned quickly towards the veranda door. A shadowy figure was standing motionless outside. It had some type of white veil over its head and pale grey clothing head to foot. Mitchell sat up, eyes straining to see into the darkness. It disappeared.
“What is that?” Jody squeaked.
“Bloody Hell! It’s Grandma’s Virgin Mary,” he shouted as he bounded out of bed to the veranda door. He turned the key and opened the door in one quick movement. He caught sight of a figure with one leg over the veranda rail. In a few steps, he was there. “You’re not going anywhere Mary,” he yelled grabbing the leg stranded on his side of the rail. With a leg on each side, Mary let out an unworldly howl.
“Ok, you win. I’m coming back over,” she said with a pained guttural tone sounding very un-virgin Mary-like. She flopped down onto the veranda floorboards, sat up and removed her veil.
“Joe! It’s you. What the hell are you doing?” Mitchell said, clearly agitated. Joe was the property handyman who helped Molly around the property. Mitchell knew him from the times he had visited. He stood over him peering at his grey overalls outfit and the white material clutched in his hands. “What’s with the veil?”
“Hell, I should have known this wouldn’t work,” Joe said as he put his head down in his hands. “It’s a bee keeper’s hat - not a veil,” he added.
“C’mon Joe, what’s this all about?” Mitchell asked. Jody had tentatively tiptoed out and stood behind him.
“This is my partner Jody,”
“Hi Jody,” Joe looked at her apologetically, then at Mitchell. “I’m sorry Mitchell. I was just trying to scare you off. Make you go back home - for a while at least.”
“Why would you do that?” Mitchell said tersely.
“I needed time to tidy up around here before anyone came,” Joe said.
“The place looks fine to me. What needs tidying up?”
“It’s a long story,” Joe said sullenly. “I need to show you something that will explain it all. It’s very late, and dark now, how about I come here tomorrow early and I’ll explain everything?” he pleaded.
“I told the wife, I was going out to check the bee hives. She thinks I’ve lost it,” he added.
Jody and Mitchell looked at each other. “Ok, if you’re not here by eight I’ll be over to see you,” Mitchell said firmly.
“Sure no problem - one thing though – you called me Mary when you grabbed my leg?” Joe asked.
“Yeah, I know you were trying to be Grandma’s apparition - go home Joe,” he replied.
Joe nodded and wandered off down the gravel road to his car parked outside the front fence.
After a brief discussion on what had just transpired, Jody and Mitchell thought that Joe may indeed have ‘lost it’. A conversation with his wife may be in order to check on his state of mind. They went back to bed and eventually got to sleep.
They felt they had no rest at all when they were woken by the early morning arrival of a vehicle at the front of the house. Joe trotted up the steps and knocked. Mitchell and Jody jumped out of bed and dressed at top speed. Mitchell opened the door. “Joe, good to see you’re on time,” he said as he tried to flatten his unruly hair.
“Said I’d be here, C’mon put your boots on. I want to show you something.”
Jody and Mitchell finished dressing and went out onto the veranda. Joe was standing beside his dual cab four-wheel drive. “It’s only a few minutes away, hop in.”
They got into the vehicle, Mitchell in front with Joe, Jody in the back. “Ok, where are we going?” Mitchell asked.
“You’ll see, just wait a bit,” Joe replied.
They turned off the gravel entry road before reaching the front fence and headed along a rough track towards a bushland area. The undergrowth and forest thickened as they bumped along over a crest and down to an isolated flat grassed area. Joe stopped the vehicle and got out. Mitchell and Jody assumed they had arrived at wherever they were going and also got out. They looked around.
“What do you want to show us?” Jody asked.
Joe pointed to a gently rising slope with unusually thick undergrowth and a number of spindly gum trees.
“I don’t see anything,” Jody said. Mitchell was quiet, staring intently at the bush.
“Is that... what I think it is?” Mitchell asked hesitantly.
“It’s our marijuana crop,” Joe said still pointing. The cannabis plants were dispersed among the gums, at various stages of development, some nearly two metres tall.
“Molly and me were in partnership. She provided the land and cultivation gear and I did the work and distribution,” he said. “It worked ok for us. She needed money after Jed passed away so it was sort of a hobby. I knew it was not really legal so I just needed time to clear it all out before anyone came to live here. Thought maybe I could scare you off and sort it all out.”
“By dressing up and creeping around our veranda at night?” Mitchell snapped accusingly.
“Yes I know, seems a bit silly but everyone knew about Molly’s apparitions. I just thought it might work,” he said.
Mitchell’s mind was buzzing. “Hang on – was Grandma Molly a user?” he asked.
“Oh yeah, loved it. She had her own special weed pipe,” Joe said.
“So the Virgin Marys showed up because Grandma Molly was stoned?”
“Well, I can’t guarantee that... but good chance,” Joe said with a grin.
Jody and Mitchell stood silently trying to process what they had been told.
“Anyway,” Joe said. “I’m really sorry about all this. I’d be grateful if you didn’t turn me in to the police. I’ll get rid of all the plants.”
Jody and Mitchell looked at each other and smiled. “Would you be interested in a new partnership?” Mitchell asked.