Avoiding Mr Right Read Online Free PDF Page A

to that extreme.
    'Where will you be staying in Melbourne? At the
Aboriginal Hostel?' Aunt asked. I didn't want to turn my
nose up, but my days as a hostel or backpack traveller were
long gone.
    'Oh, no, I have family down there. My Aunt Nell,
Mum's sister, is in the burbs. I'll crash with her and my
cousins until I find somewhere of my own. I'm sure I'll
make friends quickly too. I've got a few connections and
Alice told me she's got a cousin there I should meet – Josie,
is it?' I'd remembered the cousin bit, but forgot that Alice
had told me not to mention her.
    'What? No, you can't meet Josie! Alice, what are you
doing?' Aunt looked at Alice, shaking her head, not happy
at all. In a concerned voice she said to me, 'Josie's a lesbian.
You're not a lesbian are you, Peta? Is that why you're leaving
your boyfriend behind?'
    'No Aunt, I'm not a lesbian.' Alice was rolling her eyes
and mouthing I told you so behind her mum's back.
    'Well, what do you think of them?'
    I couldn't help having some fun with her. 'What do you
mean, Aunt?'
    'What do you think about, you know, what they do, as
lesbians?' And she screwed her face up.
    'Oh for God's sake, Mum.' Alice was embarrassed.
    'Don't use the Lord's name in vain in this house.'
    'Well, for Biami's sake, then, if you're going to be more
worried about a white god than a Black one.'
    Her mother just ignored her, and kept on at me. 'Peta?'
    'Actually Aunty, I don't really think about what lesbians do , but if I did, I'd probably think that only a woman knows
what a woman likes.'
    'I'm not sure what that means, Peta, but I hope it doesn't
mean you're a lesbian too. It seems every day there's more
and more lesbians in Australia.'
    'I told you so!' Alice said as she folded her washing and
shook her head at the same time.
    'Aunt, I think there are more lesbians because there's
less and less men like your husband these days, and women
are over settling for less than they deserve in a man. I'm
not a lesbian but I can certainly see why some women are.
Sometimes it's simply about companionship and equality.'
    'Really?' I wasn't sure if Aunt didn't believe me or was
confused by what I said.
    'Yes, and regardless of her sexuality, I'm really looking
forward to meeting Josie. She sounds like fun, and I think
of you as family, and she's your niece, so she's my family
right?'
    'Yes, Josie's my niece, but she goes to girls only nights
at the pub. She's never had a boyfriend, but her mum, my
sister, won't admit it; she hasn't been to any family events
for six months cos she's avoiding people. I can't blame her; I
was beginning to think the same way about Alice before she
met Gary. And he's so manly, drives the big council truck
you know. A garbologist they call them these days. Yes, a
real manly man, like men in the old days.'
    'That's it,' Alice said. 'Come on, Peta, say goodbye to
Aunt Homophobe.'
    I hugged Aunty Ivy, gripped the food parcel she'd
prepared for me and followed Alice, as ordered, out of the
door.

five
Saying goodbye
    The boarding call announcements distracted me as James
was trying to say goodbye.
    He held me tight. 'I love you so much.' He leaned into
my neck and sobbed quietly.
    I wiped a solo tear from the corner of my eye and grabbed
my cabin bag. 'I should go through security now. No use you
coming in, I'm going to the QANTAS Club.' I sounded
cool, almost flippant, though I didn't mean to. I just didn't
want to talk about it any more, or cry for that matter. We'd
both done enough of that the past two weeks.
    I walked off and left him standing there, shoulders
sagging. I felt exhausted as I put my bag on the X-ray
conveyor belt and walked through the barrier. It sounded
off, and I had to take off the chunky choker James had given
me as a farewell gift.
    Once through security, I turned to see him still standing
there, red-eyed but smiling bravely. He gave a weak wave.
I blew him a kiss and he pretended to catch it, then I