Miss Peeg’s Big Move
Winnie Peeg woke early on Saturday morning and stretched out her tall frame in the bed at Millie’s Boarding house, it would be the last time she woke in this bed and that brought a wide smile to her face. She was moving into Indigo Cottage, her own home at last. Excited she jumped out of bed and tended to her morning rituals, dressed in casual clothes for the move and stripped her bed folding and stacking all the linens provided by the boarding house on the bed. She quickly packed her toiletries while her kettle boiled for morning tea.
A little after nine o’clock Johnny Ryan and Jimmy Kelp from Glenridge Station showed up at her door to carry her boxes and belongings down to Jimmy’s truck. Amanda came with Johnny and she was nearly as happy as her Auntie about the move.
“Are you sure you have everything?” Amanda asked taking a last walk through the spacious room and bath.
“Absolutely sure dear, you can’t imagine how many times I’ve checked. Shall we go?”
Miss Peeg took one last look at the room that had been her home these many months since she arrived in the Glen in December.
She and Amanda arrived first in Miss Peeg’s new car, finally the insurance company had come through and she could turn in the rental. She’d lost her own car in the flood several months ago. She had a nice new mini. She unlocked the door to her cottage and walked in, furniture had been delivered the day before and the oriental rugs looked bright against the newly sanded floors. The walls had been painted a clean white ready for the few things she’d had shipped from her sister’s place. Winnie hadn’t kept much when she sold her flat in England and immigrated to Australia last year. One crate constituted a life spent traveling the world.
“Oh that will be my china, into the kitchen please,” she directed Johnny with a box. She’d been shopping in Coffs and at Barrett’s so all her kitchen ware would be new as well as her linens.
“It looks a little bare Auntie Win,” Amanda observed from the lounge room.
“I’ve never been one for clutter my dear but I do have a few things that are important to me in the crate. I shall take my time unpacking and finding just the right spot.”
Her eye was drawn to the zebra striped chair next to a comfortable looking black leather sofa. A large red chair made up the seating and her tables were low and oriental looking. There was nothing fussy about Winnie Peeg.
Jimmy carried her new cooking pots and utensils she’s bought in Coffs into the kitchen, he’d been a little surprised at the interior of the cottage too. Her luggage was set in the largest of the two bedrooms.
“I think that’s it Auntie Win,” Johnny dusted his hands.
“Thank you boys so much, I really do appreciate your helping.”
“Not at all Miss Peeg, anytime you need anything hauled just let me know,” Jimmy tipped his hat.
Later that evening after everyone had gone she made herself a pot of tea in her newly refurbished kitchen. She made a nice tray of it with some biscuits she’d bought from Lucy’s and brought it into her lounge and sat it on her coffee table. The sofa faced a small fireplace covered now with a black lacquered screen. She sighed and looked around her room, the sheer joy of it all showing on her face.
