Free Outback Exodus by Dawn Millen

the older folks .” Rhys nods for me to continue as he scribbles a few quick notes. “I would like to find all the coffee, tea, hot chocolate and milo that we can and keep it for treats, the same with sweets too. We have to give everyone something to look forward too.” I finish.
    “Great idea Jenn.” Rhys says as his pen skims quickly across the page. “You have been putting in some thinking time. I had thought about clothes, but you are forward planning too, and I had not thought that far ahead. Now I have to work out how to pack all this extra stuff onto the semis. Thanks for the input though.” He smiles crookedly at me as he finishes speaking. I’ve just given him more work to do in a short space of time.
    My next visit is to be to Raymond to see how things are going mechanically with the fleet of vehicles, so I stand and stretch again, say goodbye to Rhys and Caren and head off towards the township. Ray’s mechanic’s workshop is still partially standing and Ray has a huge pile of spare parts and tools ready to load aboard the trailer. Tyres are stacked neatly ready to be loaded and there is a great mountain of bottles of oil, brake fluid and other liquids. Raymond is covered in grease and grime from working his way through the damaged building to retrieve the tools and equipment he will need to keep our vehicles running. His smile shows through the grime on his face as he sees me walking across the car park. “G’day Jenn, how are you doing today?” he asks as I draw close.
    “Not too bad really Raymond. Nothing that a few hours’ sleep in a decent bed won’t cure.” I reply. “How are we doing with all the spares, tools and equipment that we are going to need?” I ask.
    “ Pretty good, I think, have plenty of spares for most of the vehicles, tyres should be okay, as long as we don’t need too many for the semis, and I’ve only got eight spares for them. Oil and other stuff should be okay and I can raid other garages along the way too.” He laughs as he says this. “As long as the computers hold out we should be fine, I can’t replace more than two or three of them from spares that I have at the moment and no one will answer a phone to send us more.” He jokes. Raymond has always been a good friend and his sense of humour has always appealed to me. To have someone cracking jokes at this time really does help with the stress.
    “You are doing a great job mate!” I tell him. “Making jokes now is something that sure is a help for me too, I need to be able to have something to laugh at.” I smile broadly as I say this. “Seriously though, is there anything that you need at the moment?” A big question, there are so many things we will need, but we probably won’t be able to get half of them. That realization hits me out of the blue and for a few seconds my brain cannot take in the enormity of that fact. 
    “What’s up mate?” Raymond asks concern on his face as he watches me process this unwelcome thought. “You look like you just saw a ghost.” He states.
    I look at him for a few seconds before I reply, my mind turning over and over with thoughts and not sure if I should tell him my thoughts. I certainly don’t want to put this stress on him right now, so I decide that it is better kept to myself. “I’m okay mate, just the tiredness setting in a bit.” I tell him. “I’m not going to get much rest today though as there is a fair bit to do. I had better go and find Gavin and have a natter with him. Catch you later though.” I smile at Raymond and head off further towards the centre of town where Gavin has set up a tarpaulin where the old Police Station had stood for many years. It was not standing now however, the massive pile of masonry where it had once been is crumpled in mute testimony to the past.
    Gavin has a sofa and coffee table set up under the tarpaulin. Another table holds a primus stove, coffee, powdered milk, sugar and a selection of cracked coffee mugs. He is