He looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples just looked confused and a bit edgy. Jesus went on, “How hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” They were looking worried and said, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.” Then he started packing again. Life went back to normal. Kay went back to work. He was quiet and busy. We talked less. He was always with his lawyers and accountants. I told him what Jesus had said about camels and needles and what God can do. He didn’t seem to listen. I thought I’d lost him. One night over dinner, on a night when he was quieter and more tense than normal, I plucked up my courage. I said, “You don’t have to be your mother’s son, or your father’s son … or even my son.” That cost me a lot. More than I had even imagined. “You are those things, but you’re Kay. We have to let you go. You have to let us go.” He looked up at me, surprised. “Yeah,” he said. “How did you know?” Then he smiled in a way I hadn’t seen for years. Next morning, he was gone. One bag and his mother’s old ute. That was it. I made it to the verandah to watch the dust coming off the drive and a flock of cockatoos lift out of a big gum tree and fly after him. On the table a stack of papers, a small plastic camel and a needle. A note, “I’ll always love you. You’ve saved my life a hundred times. When you need me, I’ll be there. But, like you said last night, it’s time. Time to skim some new stones. Time to test the limits of gravity. Pray for me, as I will for you.” He’d signed the house into my name. He’d left me enough money to live out three lifetimes. He’d made gifts to all my cousins, the ones who’d been his extended family. There was a gift of about a million dollars to the local Land Council and one to the health centre for two new dialysis machines. 49
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