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<strong>Buddhas</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Bikinis</strong> 40<br />
own personal political directions. Maybe when my family no longer benefited her, or she<br />
grew tired of my father. I really disliked the woman.<br />
Canberra?’<br />
‛How goes it, Ari?’ Julianne asked.<br />
‛Can’t complain,’ I replied, indifferent. ‛When are you <strong>and</strong> Dad headed back to<br />
‛We’re catching the red-eye tonight. Three weeks of caucus meetings, then back<br />
here to open a new gold mine near Charters Towers.’<br />
‛Sounds like fun,’ I said, totally disinterested.<br />
She looked around to ensure no one was watching. She put her h<strong>and</strong> on my<br />
shoulder, then thrust her over-exposed cleavage in front of me.<br />
‛You must come down to Canberra some time, Ari. We have a nice apartment there.<br />
And your father is away a lot. It would be good to have some company.’<br />
There was no ambiguity in her invitation.<br />
I stared at her cleavage, which had grown remarkably since her last visit to<br />
Townsville. I wondered how much it had cost my father, <strong>and</strong> whether my mother even<br />
noticed. I’m sure she had, but as always, she pretended nothing was going on.<br />
Melina pushed in between us <strong>and</strong> grabbed my h<strong>and</strong>.<br />
‛Why are you ignoring me, Ari?’ she asked, pulling me aside.<br />
‛I’m not.’<br />
‛Excuse me, Julianne,’ Melina said <strong>and</strong> pulled me away. ‛I don’t pretend to hide the<br />
fact that anyone here is half as educated as us, that we are light-speed ahead of that<br />
generation. Father knows he can’t survive without me. You have to know that we can do so<br />
much together, Ari. With my brains, <strong>and</strong> your financial backing...’<br />
‛Whoa, cousin,’ I held her shoulder. ‛I don’t have a brass razoo.’<br />
She laughed, ‛Ari, don’t lie to me. I knew you before you had pubic hair. Trust me,<br />
when we are both forty, we’ll look back on these plebiscites <strong>and</strong> laugh. We’ll be in Rio,<br />
sipping on champagne <strong>and</strong> you’ll thank me for getting you out of this prison.’<br />
I quite liked the sound of Rio, especially when sung by Peter Allen.<br />
‛Melina, the only reason I got through uni was not because I was the sharpest tool<br />
in the box, but because I was blessed with a photographic memory. Maybe you can get<br />
back to me when you’ve got it all figured out.’<br />
‛I have figured it out!’ she expostulated. ‛It’s all planned! All I need is fifty gr<strong>and</strong>.’<br />
She stood against me, her h<strong>and</strong>s on my chest, ‛Fifty gr<strong>and</strong>, <strong>and</strong> in two years, we’ll<br />
have everything we could possible desire. Dad won’t let me have the money.’
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