Finding Izzy Read online

  Finding Izzy

  Nanette Foxs

  Austin Macauley Publishers

  Finding Izzy

  About the Author

  About the Book

  Dedication

  Copyright Information

  Acknowledgement

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2Isabella

  Chapter 3Friendship

  Chapter 4Brothers

  Chapter 5Past History

  Chapter 6Isaac

  Chapter 7The Importance of Being Isabella

  Chapter 8To the Story

  Chapter 9TIM

  Chapter 10Could It Be a Date?

  Chapter 11Misunderstandings

  Chapter 12Not All What It Seems

  Chapter 13Is There a Romance?

  Chapter 14A Birthday Celebration of Sorts

  Chapter 15A Party

  Chapter 16Grief and the Disposal of Clothes

  Chapter 17The Bare Facts and a Puppy

  Chapter 18Refurbishment

  Chapter 19Goodbyes

  Chapter 20Family and Home

  Chapter 21A Conversation

  Chapter 22Getting Isabella Back

  Chapter 23A Gift Gone Wrong

  Chapter 24Evening Swim Party

  Chapter 25Gallery Business

  Chapter 26Beginnings

  Chapter 27Tongs at Ten Paces!

  Chapter 28Holding onto Life

  Chapter 29Talking Brings Good Changes

  Chapter 30A Beer and an Important Yabba

  Chapter 31Motherhood

  Chapter 32Veronica

  Chapter 33Black and White

  Chapter 34Two Women

  Chapter 35Homecoming

  Chapter 36Money and Legal Matters

  Chapter 37Rebecca and Paul

  Chapter 38An Awkward Monday

  Chapter 39Official Announcement

  Chapter 40Just Life

  Chapter 41Unexpected Gathering

  Chapter 42Yabba over a Few Beers…

  Chapter 43Antonio’s Birthday and a Whole Lot of Drama

  Chapter 44The Morning After

  Chapter 45Valet Car-Parking and Quite a Disagreement

  Chapter 46Ruth’s 60th Birthday Gathering

  About the Author

  The author is Australian. Nanette Fox has written creatively most of her life, an inconsistent hobby until a few years ago. Now she has time to devote to developing her scribblings into absorbing stories. Nanette is a keen observer of people, their look, their mannerisms, how they relate to their friends and family. Her protagonists and the minor supporting roles are a mish-mash of her many jottings. Making notes in an endless collection of journals and diaries, she develops her characters and their context from her observations. Inspired after attending ISP Cambridge UK, in August 2018 Nanette continues her writing activities exploring poetry, and short stories. She is developing a sequel to Finding Izzy titled Telling the Children.

  About the Book

  Would you fly into the arms of your lover from a short flight of stairs? You would need to have belief and trust in their love that they would catch you.

  Isabella, 32, is alone after a short, trauma-filled marriage. She is still finding her way in life. She lacks a sense of belonging. She is Isabella. Can she let her walls down and become Izzy?

  Tim is a troubled young man barely coping after the death of his beloved father, a crisis of confidence regarding his career and the break-up of a long-term relationship. Can he become her lover and her partner in life?

  Isabella and Tim find each other. Following the twists and turns of their romantic journey, there is a constant hope they can find themselves individually and come together in belief and trust of each other.

  Dedication

  It is about the journey.

  For Great-Grandpa Michael Askew. The inspirations of a leap of faith, a journey that brought him to Australia.

  For Peter, my cheeky friend, respected and trusted, a source of encouragement and support with my journey to publication.

  Copyright Information

  Copyright © Nanette Fox (2019)

  The right of Nanette Fox to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

  Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

  A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

  ISBN 9781528907422 (Paperback)

  ISBN 9781528958561 (ePub e-book)

  www.austinmacauley.com

  First Published (2019)

  Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd

  25 Canada Square

  Canary Wharf

  London

  E14 5LQ

  Acknowledgement

  Whilst this novel evolved from sheer muddled scribblings into its final form, I was led through a maze of confusion and insecurity. I let the characters develop consciously but mindfully leading me through their story. There was happiness and some sad reflection. Inspirations drawn from the many and varied observations of life around me. I sense that I too, have been on a journey. Now I am stepping out into the light…

  With gratitude for the lifelong support and well-considered advice of my closest friend, Debbie-Anne Gunn. Whilst crafting this novel, I have also appreciated the wisdom of Beryl Ashton.

  My husband of 26 years, Murray and my darling daughter, Laura Nanette, patiently endured my finding my creative soul. Their ongoing support and encouragement, hugs and endless coffee warmly welcomed always.

  Introduction

  When we look back at our past, even right back into our childhood, there are those tiny moments, inconsequential at the time, just little stories that shape, portray or predict our future.

  *

  Three little girls, two aged six and one seven sit on the luscious grass under the willow tree at the bottom of Becky’s parent’s garden. They are making daisy chains to wear in their hair. Becky is telling her friends, Julia and Isabella, about being a flower girl at her Aunt Meredith’s wedding. Their heads are together puzzling over how Julia has created a double chain. Julia is very dark haired, large blue eyes in a pretty face; she has very pale golden skin and is tall and athletic looking for her age. Isabella, the very opposite in hair colouring, blonde soft curls and huge pale blue green eyes in a winsome face is also tallish but quite slim and fragile. Becky has brunette straight hair cut in a bob and a pert little nose covered with freckles. She is tall but a little shorter and stockier than the others. The three of them are always together in the back row of the school photo.

  Julia asks her friends, “Why don’t boys know how to make daisy chains?” She says she wants to teach her ‘baby bro’ how to do it because she doesn’t know how to teach him about football. Julia tells her friends how he is naughty, pulling off his socks all the time. She says with innocence, “My mum isn’t very good with him; I think she didn’t want him actually because she has David and I.”

  Isabella asks Julia, “Is it good to have brothers?”

  “I know some of the girls at school don’t like their brothers,” she tells the others. Julia says, “Both you and Becky must be lonely sometimes without brothers and sisters.”

  Becky declares, “I am never lonely because of us, we have each other.”

  Isabella replies, “None of us need sisters because we have each other and we will always like each other
.”

  Becky says, “When I grow-up I want my husband to be like my dad. I want him to like books and be clever, but I want him to like going camping and doing things outside. I want him to call me Becky not Rebecca. What do you want your husband to be like, Julia?”

  Julia answers, “I want my husband to be taller than me.”

  “But what else Julia,” Becky asks.

  “I think I would like him to speak Italian like my dad. He will be good at something, maybe like a cook or something. I would like him to make something that people eat or drink.”

  “What about you Bella?”

  “Julia you can’t call me Bella, it is not allowed.”

  “Is that because you’re English?”

  “No,” says Isabella, “it’s what my parents insist. They can call me Bella but everyone else must call me Isabella.”

  Becky says, “Stop worrying about your name; what do you want your husband to be like when you grow up?”

  “I want him to love me always and I want him to read poetry like my dad does to my mum. I want him to like art things like I do, especially glass that is colourful and sparkles in the light.”

  “Do you know what you want him to look like?” asks Julia.

  “No, but I think I would like him to have brown eyes like your dad. His eyes should look like a soft teddy-bear sometimes. He can get angry but not yell because sometimes my dad yells at my mum, and it isn’t very nice. I really don’t know but I am going to worry about it when I get older because I might make a mistake and have to have two or three husbands. A friend of Mummy’s, back in England, had to have a divorce because she made a mistake.”

  *

  The Martinelli siblings are huddled on the couch, talking about Mother’s Day the next day. There is David, who has grown tall and very manly, and at twenty years old, believes he knows what his mum wants. He will do his usual card and box of chocolates. Julia, eighteen tosses her long dark hair and scrunching up her nose, says, “Isabella and I made some things because we went to an art course where we learnt to make jewellery, we learnt mosaics, and we did some sculpture. Isabella has created this amazing birdbath which she is now putting a mosaic on, but it’s not finished yet.” David and Julia’s pale blue eyes meet, an icy blue, the sort of colour that is almost cold and fathomless. David tells his sister that he looks forward to seeing the birdbath as Isabella seems very good at arts and crafts. Julia declares she could’ve made one too, but she just doesn’t have the patience. Isabella, who is Julia’s best friend, a very beautiful slender girl with honey blonde hair and sun-kissed skin, who is a guest at the home for several weeks says, “I will give ‘Mum Ruth’ either the bracelets I made or perhaps the mosaic coaster.”

  The youngest sibling, a gangly, tall lad of twelve, with similarly dark hair and the good looks of his brother, looks at Isabella with his warm brown eyes and says, “It must be sad for you not to have a mum anymore when these mum and dad special days come around.”

  David gives his brother a gentle kick in the shins and his sister elbows him in the ribs, both of them telling him “not to make Isabella sad”. She looks at the youngest son and tells Tim it is okay and that she knows what he means.

  “Sorry Izzy,” Tim says, to which his brother and sister exclaim, “How many times do you have to be told it is Isabella not Izzy?” He retorts he doesn’t care because Isabella sounds like some seriously fake person, so he will always say Izzy.

  Tim says to Julia and Isabella, “So, can I see what you made?” Julia drags her gift out of her handbag dumping it on the coffee table. There are two interlocking bracelets with beads in shades of browns. It is well-designed, and Tim knows his mum would like them, but they are just bracelets. Isabella shyly pulls her handmade bracelets out placing them carefully on the table. The bracelets are much the same style but have a pretty collection of crystals and reflective glass. She has displayed them in a very carefully handcrafted cardboard package. She then takes out the coaster which is a striking floral designed mosaic, again with shining, colourful glittering glass in another attractive handmade package.

  “Hey Sis, Izzy’s look better, she took more trouble and it is not even for her proper mum. I think Jules, you should take one of Izzy’s gifts and give it to Mum and put yours away for Mum’s birthday or something.”

  David tells his little brother, “It is Isabella not Izzy try to get it right.” Then, “You can be so rude, and you’re a kid so what would you know.”

  Tim blurts out, “Dave I do know, you can see which is better with your own eyes.” He looks at his brother with indignation. “Anyway, I am making Mum a cake, her favourite orange one, after footy.”

  Jumping up, he yells out to his friend, Simon, who has arrived at the front door equally with footy boots hanging by their laces around his neck. “I am coming I’ve just got to tell my mum I’m going.” He stops in his tracks on his way to find his mum and asks the others, “Can you come and watch me play footy? Dave, Jules, Izzy, I mean Isabella, it would be good if you could, Dad is coming but for the second half of the match.”

  David quickly tells him, “No Timmy we’ve got no interest in watching kids kick a footy around, and we’re going to see a band play at a pub.” Tim, disappointed, goes off to find his mum whilst Isabella questions if they can’t go, even if for just a little bit.

  David and Julia tell her “No” and say they don’t have time because they have to pick up Rebecca on the way.

  Three years later

  Julia is now twenty-one, as is Isabella. The girls are celebrating a combined birthday with their friend Rebecca. David has become very much a man with plenty to say and at twenty-three he has already had a string of girlfriends. He is at University studying Commerce and Business. Tim is just fifteen, growing into a very tall and well-built young man. He is looking on from the side-line at all the young adults driving cars, going to University, travelling. He is a little envious as it all looks very exciting. He is still at school, playing sport and holidaying with his grandparents at their farm in the country. He loves going out on horseback and droving cattle with his Pa. His life is good, it is ordered like he likes, but he wants a bit of daring, something that makes him different.

  Isabella is staying with them again for a few weeks. Tim has seen his brother kissing Isabella which doesn’t seem right and is a bit confusing because he thinks David has a girlfriend called Alicia. Isabella lives in the UK and is studying at Cambridge University. She has come back to Australia, just for a few weeks, to celebrate her twenty-first birthday as she doesn’t have close family in the UK, only a few distant cousins and some elderly relatives. Tim has decided Izzy, as he calls her, is stunning; he loves her aquamarine almost sapphire coloured eyes. He has told his friend Simon that he doesn’t think David really likes her; he thinks it is because she is here for ‘just a few weeks’, and it is because she is attractive that he is trying to make her his girlfriend.

  Tim’s mum has made a huge breakfast for everyone on Izzy’s first morning with them. She has already stayed with her other Australian family, her other best friend Rebecca’s family for the first week of her vacation. Tim was hungry, and it was going to ‘be brill’ as his dad said. There was everything and it smelt so good. He was eating and not really listening to the conversation between the adults. He knew his dad was watching him as he piled his plate high because his dad, Marco, smiled at him, rubbed his moustache and suggested Tim should leave something for everyone else. “Yeah sure Dad,” he’d said, and picking up the squeeze bottle of chocolate sauce for his pancakes, squeezed too hard squirting sauce all over Izzy’s white top. Suddenly, everyone was yelling at him and he sat with the sauce bottle in his hands for a few minutes before he realized what had happened.

  He looked at his father who stood up holding his coffee and told him to ‘be more careful son’. David got all upset and said to his father you always call him son and not me, you call me David. Jules was screaming something about how would Izzy get the sauce
out of her top? Izzy was screaming back at her to stop yelling. If her top was stained and it couldn’t be cleaned, she would buy a new one.

  Tim got up and stepped away from the table as his mother came around the table and turning to his dad said, “Marco you should supervise his eating better.”

  His father stood up again and said, “Ruth that is ridiculous, my son is fifteen.”

  David whined, “There you go again, Dad.”

  His mother shot back, “I don’t want him at the dinner tonight, he is too young, and he’ll be an oaf or knock something over or spill something on the girl’s clothes.”

  Marco then stood up to his full height of over six feet and said to his wife, “The twenty-first dinner is for all three girls Julia, Isabella and Rebecca. From this house we are celebrating for both Julia and Isabella, and I will have my SON there! He is Julia’s brother.” Tim stepped back and after looking at the scene, fled taking his pushbike, and rode as fast as he could to his friend Simon’s house.