About eight years ago, mutual friends put Rebecca 'Darl' Ritchie and musician Jack Ceriani in touch, thinking they'd be a good match. They had talked on the phone but hadn't met in person. Ceriani lived in Busselton, Western Australia, and Ritchie lived about a 30-minute drive away.
On St Patrick's Day, Ceriani and his mates invited friends to the Star hotel, their share house with a bar setup. Ceriani made bad mojitos, but when Ritchie arrived, they improved—she knew her way behind the bar. 'Darl ticked all the boxes, but what I liked about her most was her honesty. She was easy to talk to and she was capable too, the sort of person who would get in and do things rather than stand around talking about them,' Ceriani said.
Building a Life Together
Bec is her real name, but Ceriani has called her 'Darl' since they met. It started as a pet name, then all his mates adopted it. They were attracted to each other, but Ceriani eased into things because Ritchie had a young daughter, Arrebella, then about eight. Some nights he'd make them dinner and leave the two girls to it. 'I didn't want to rush in,' he said.
Those early years were wholesome: cooking, gardening, playing music. About a year in, they moved into a place of their own. 'Darl works harder than anyone I know. She's in real estate now, but four years ago she started helping me with my music career,' Ceriani said.
The Moment of Crisis
Ceriani has keratoconus, an eye condition where the cornea thins and bulges over time, distorting vision. Technology isn't his strong suit, so Ritchie handles online tasks and drives him to most gigs. About two years ago, they went to Perth to record his album Tone River. But on the day he was meant to go into the studio, he woke up at 4am and couldn't see out of his right eye.
'I knew straight away what had happened. Years earlier, my left eye had ruptured on the side and damaged my peripheral vision. This time it was my right eye and the rupture was right in the middle. My vision was cloudy, like looking through shower glass. And the pain was excruciating – it went into my head and shoulders, and my temple lit up like it was on fire,' Ceriani recalled.
Ritchie got up with him, made him a coffee while he processed it. When they called his specialist, there wasn't much to do beyond pain relief. Because his condition is advanced, few options remain. 'I've had to learn how to live with what I've lost. It was pretty scary. She had been there when my left eye ruptured too, so we talked about how I got through that: slowing down, doing things differently, working out new techniques. I was lucky she was there,' he said.
Recording Through Pain
Ceriani didn't feel like he could walk into a studio and record an album like that. But they had five people organised and had already sunk thousands of dollars. Ritchie talked him into it: if he needed help, she was there. She said, 'where better to be than with all your friends, playing music?'
When they arrived at the studio, the band saw the eye patch and knew he needed them. 'That's when there were tears. I was standing there with my friends, but I couldn't properly see their faces. That was hard,' Ceriani said. But once they started playing, something shifted. His eyes are usually closed when he plays anyway. 'The pain was still there but it would have hurt just as much sitting at home thinking about it. At lunchtime I said, “Get us a 10-pack,” and the whisky came out too. We had some good laughs and somehow got most of the record down in one day.'
A Stronger Bond
Since his right eye ruptured, Ceriani needs more help, especially with gigs and driving. He can still get around—he doesn't need a stick—but if Ritchie can't help with a gig, he has to find someone else. 'But I'm getting my independence back in everything else. That day made me more solid in what Darl and I have. We care for each other and we trust each other. If I'm building something, she'll be there with the bloody hammer. Whatever happens further down the track, we'll be in it together,' Ceriani said.
Jack Ceriani performs as Lightnin Jack at Willow Whispers in Bridgetown, Western Australia on 12 July, and at the WAM Showcase in Fremantle on 15 August.
