Two Months in the Country

 

Photo by Jonotan Lewczuk

Two months in the country, that’s what I need. The thought was clear in my mind and my spirit leapt. But it seemed unattainable.

I gazed longingly at the towering green walls of rainforest. From deep in the undergrowth came the tinkle of water trickling over rocks. Birds chorused joyfully. It was beautiful. I felt more ‘me’ than I’d felt for over a year.

If only I could stay there for a while. A longish time. If I could have enough time to unwind and really enjoy myself in a beautiful place like this, I thought, I’d know where I was going in life and I’d have the energy to do it.

Later I told my sister. ‘I’m feeling burnt out. It’d take two months in the country to get me back to feeling alive.’

We both sighed ruefully. My coming year would not be like that at all. I’d just come back from a few weeks in Townsville, where I’d flown to be my best friend’s bridesmaid. I’d had lots of fun and Beth was a beautiful bride but… now I had another year to pray nearly every night and morning in the group at the House of Prayer, run by one of the pastors from my church. I’d been excited to join this venture, but it proved tiring. One of my friends there had had a nervous breakdown and needed frequent prayer and practical help. Another young man would pour out his problems at all hours of the day and night, hoping I had answers for him.

Not that I had it all together. But God had given me a gift in praying effectively. So for a while my sleep suffered. And I continued our demanding schedule.

I was also doing a writing course by correspondence and had to interview people for my articles. I chose Charles Ringma as one interviewee as I admired the work he did. He’d founded Australia’s Teen Challenge and, at that time, he led it. In typical Charles style, he took me out onto some cement steps in the sunlight, where we sat.

I enjoyed interviewing Charles─a wise, caring man─and soon he encouraged me to talk about myself. I told him how burnt out I felt.

He leant back and fingered his beard.

‘I prescribe two months in the country,’ he told me.

Wow! Was I that transparent? Did he guess my secret desire? I’d never mentioned the idea to him or anyone except my sister, who was also my prayer partner. Then he recommended Kenilworth Homestead as a suitable place to stay.

‘God must have told him if you hadn’t!’  My sister was excited.

So later when that year approached its end, I left the House of Prayer about October and set out for my country stay. Kenilworth Homestead was beautiful. So relaxing. I loved the Rowe family who lived there – Jennifer with her effusive love and joy, Jim with his gentlemanly kindness, Elvira and her friendly chatting, and Justyn who made me laugh at this time when my laughter had dried up along with my energy.

The beauty of the property left indelible images etched into my mind. The river gleaming silver-white at dusk, its whispering and gurgling; hills nudging one another against a cloudy sky; the river like silk slipping over my skin as I swam; and the vibrant green cushiony grass as I walked. And walked more.

Later, back home in Brisbane, as I missed the country and with my mind full of images of Kenilworth, it was only a matter of time before I decided to set a novel mainly there. Not exactly Kenilworth Homestead but clearly inspired by it.

It was Louis de Bernieres (Captain Corelli’s Mandolin) who gave me the idea of using the character of a place and some of its images rather than reproducing an accurate portrait. That’s what he did in Notwithstanding. I’ve also done that in Lantern Light, my novel set in PNG where I taught for some time.

          

 



  

So River Song was birthed! This, my latest novel, is set in the Kenilworth area and in Brisbane mostly near Queensland University. A gentle read for the first half or so, then everything escalates as calamity after calamity bumps everything into place.

Looking back, I’m excited again to realise God gave me my two months in the country – and a lot more. Along with other situations, it birthed the whole chapter of my life when I lived in Nambour and Kenilworth. A very important time – as you’ll see in my next book, God Whispers.

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