Mad Question From Axe Twenty Nine

It's one hour and three minutes from Bowral to Nowra.

And remember, the Jeep made a ten minute stop.

But the Jeep catches up to the ute, well before Nowra.

Look, says Unni. There's that Jeep again. It's going to pass us.

Sweezus sits up. Bugger the Jeep! Unni had been plaiting his hair. It felt nice and tickly.

He touches the back of it, and pulls out a long piece of straw.

The Jeep is directly behind the Toyota. The dad flashes his lights.

Ray pulls up slowly. The Jeep passes and pulls up in front. The dad gets out first.

Ray sticks his head out of the window.

Reconsidered, have you? says Ray.

No, says Pastor Mark Glenn. It's not that.

What then? says Ray. Did I leave something behind?

No, it's about who you claim to have with you, says Mark.  I didn't believe you, but my wife says it's worth checking up on. And I agree with her. Women have god-given gifts. One is intuition.

His wife has got out of the Jeep. She comes up to the window.

You must think we're crazy, she says. But, we try to pay attention to all god's subtle signals. I'm Merve, by the way. Short for Merveille.

Damn, says Ray. It wasn't.... I was just....

May we just speak with him? asks Merve. I'll know at once, one way or the other.

She will, says Mark. One way or the other.

Sweeus and Unni have stayed in the back of the ute. Merve goes around.

Hi, says Unni. What's up?

Merve is about to ask the defining question when her three children tumble from the front door of the Jeep, one after another.

Damn! The child's safety locks aren't working, cries Merve. Get back in kids! No wait, come over here.

Joybells, Faith and Mo shuffle over. They stand in a row looking up at Sweezus, who has several straws sticking out from his newly plaited hair.

Hello kids, says Unni. Are you on holidays?

Is he a GIRL? asks Faith, staring at Sweezus.

No, says Mo. He's a PONY. Look at his hair.

Joybells looks at her mother, who is gazing directly at Sweezus.

Do you..... like children? asks Merve, lamely.

What a mad question. Sweezus could hardly say that he doesn't.

Yeah, says Sweezus. Do you like them?

Course she does, says Joybells. She has to.

Sweezus likes this answer, which does not come from the mother.

Why does she have to? asks Sweezus.

Because of Axe Twenty Nine, says Joybells.

Merve beams at her eldest daughter.

Merve suffers slightly from deafness, in her left ear, and thinks that her daughter has answered correctly.