‘He’s so fast. So much energy. Can you believe it?’ said Natalie. ‘He might be a bit on the small side but there’s nothing wrong with his spirit. Anyway, the doctor says he’ll grow. He certainly eats enough,’ said Mark. ‘When you’re away,’ said Natalie, ‘we sometimes eat quite simply.’ ‘Mmm. Baked beans on toast doesn’t do it for me,’ said Mark. ‘They feed us like horses out west. I’m a bit over well-done red meat. But I’m not whingeing,’ he quickly added. He’d been working with Brad out in the Pilbara for a year and a half. The commute from Brisbane to Perth was tedious but, as he said to Natalie, he was asleep the minute he buckled himself into his plane seat. ‘The last leg is the worst. It’s a small plane that flies into the mining site. Pretty uncomfortable,’ he’d said. Although conditions were rougher out west, the pay was thirty per cent more than he’d been earning in Queensland, so he didn’t complain. Despite the pay rise they had been very frugal and had managed to recoup their savings, and even finish the bathroom, which was a huge relief.
