Russ was grateful for what his father had done. It meant Paula couldn't touch any of the family money. A small blessing but there none the less, and now he could see the wisdom in his father's thinking.
He picked up the phone and spoke to the outpatients’ receptionist. "Send in the next patient please, Carol."
"I’m sorry, Doctor, but there is a man here to see you. He doesn't appear to be a patient and won't leave. He said he has something you would want to see," she said.
"Fine, send him in." Russ stood and rubbed the back of his neck as he walked to open the door.
A man in a dark grey suit walked towards him. "Dr. Williams?"
"Yes, what can I do for you?"
The man handed over a large yellow vellum envelope. "Have a nice day sir." Turning, he walked away.
Russ shut the door and sat on the corner of his desk. He knew these were the final divorce papers from Paula's solicitor. Forcing down the bile that threatened to rise in his throat, he slid his finger under the flap and tore the envelope open.
He scanned the paperwork before calling his receptionist again. "Carol, I need a few minutes to myself. I'll let you know when I'm ready for the next patient." He put down the phone and sat in his chair. A wave of sadness washed over him. So, she has made her mind up and now there’s no going back, no matter how much I might want to.
Holding the papers in his hand was hard. He took time to read them before picking up a pen. Laying the papers on his desk, he signed where marked and put them in the return envelope before he could stall. He had to accept she wouldn’t change. Not that he wanted her back. It was too late for reconciliation. Russ couldn't love someone who refused to see past the financial gains. Paula could never understand why he continued to work in the public hospital system and why it meant so much more to him than having his own practice.
He was happy working within the public system, able to go wherever he was needed. The money was good enough and he wasn't stuck in one place for too long. Lately though, he’d felt a need to get away from the chaos and rush of the city. Sydney was great for study and work but with his marriage breakdown, it was all too overpowering and hurried.
With a rush of nostalgia came the sudden urge to go home but he doubted his father would welcome him with open arms. Memories of his childhood raced through his mind and he leaned back in his chair. The large fig trees in the front yard where his brother and sister sat high in the branches, pelting him with the small hard figs that littered the crushed granite driveway.
His thoughts drifted back to the last time he’d stood on that drive with his father. Bitterness had crept into the old man's voice when Russ returned for his mother's funeral.
"If you’d hung around, you would at least have noticed she was ill and done something about it. She would have listened to you." His father scowled and poked his finger into Russ's chest before turning from him. Giving up, Russ climbed into his car and slammed his hand on the steering wheel in frustration. He turned the key, starting the engine as his father turned back to him once more.
"You can tell your sister she's gone too. I'm not going to waste my time on that one."
"I don't know where she is."
"Don't go making it my fault, sonny. Laying naked in the barn with that useless boy from down the road. I'm sure if it was your daughter, you would have done the same. Just lucky he got away from me when he did, all I can say."
His father walked away, leaving him alone in front of the high pillars and wide veranda, the historical home devoid of life and the happy family that should be living there. The sun was setting and cast shadows over the red brick walls. He felt a shiver over his skin as he drove away without looking back.
Russ swallowed the bitterness before he opened his door and strode angrily out to reception, handing over the sealed envelope before he could take it back. "Could you make sure this goes in today's mail please, Carole?"
"Sure, Doctor Williams. Are you ready now for your next patient?"
"Certainly. Who is it?"
"Mr Watson. He's in the waiting room."
The rest of the day passed in a blur of patients and paperwork. As he walked out of the hospital, the fatigue settled in. Weariness seeped into his bones and numbed his mind as he made his way home to his flat. Russ parked his car and locked it before walking to the letterbox. He leaned his head against the wall as he collected the envelopes protruding from the slot with his flat number on it.
His lower back muscles screamed in pain as he looked at the flight of stairs. He grabbed the rail and looked at the climb in front of him. All twenty two of them taunted his sore, tired body. Russ pulled himself up, only stopping when he reached the top.
Fidgeting to find the right key, he opened the door. Life was getting too damned hard. He walked up the tiny hallway into the kitchen and dropped the mail on the counter. Maybe he should look at moving to a slower pace of life. A country hospital or practice would suit him more than the bustle of city life. He let the thought take root in his mind as he grabbed a beer from the fridge and walked through to the lounge room. His mother had encouraged him to reach his potential and grow, something he wasn't doing in his present position. With a sigh, he fell into his favourite chair—the only piece of furniture Paula
