Earth, page 16
‘Scissor mother fren kin kin bil, plenny fren bobup, fren Woorer Woorer.’
‘Says Claudie was a friend, Frank, how she helped people and such.’
‘Nganyaki wanung.’
‘Yes, Uncle?’
‘Nganyaki wanung gupma piccaninny longa Lubbly Bank, gupma bobup, gupma Albie, plenny good camp, you fella.’
‘He’s saying he wants you to bring the babies . . . ’
‘I know, Arnie, I heard him. Thank you, Uncle, I’ll come out . . . in a little while to see you, but I’ve gotta try and settle the dust here a bit . . . ’
‘Nganyaki wanung we gotta burt bunitjan ‘ouse Parwung, chasim morrom bunitjan all longa ‘ouse, chasim morrom, big job.’
‘He says he’s gotta smoke the spirit out of . . . ’
‘I heard, Arnie, I’m not a complete dill. Thank you, Uncle . . . I appreciate it.’
‘Lookit wanung, got djerrang, plenny bunitjan proper.’
‘Thank you, Uncle, we put ol’ lady in ground first an’ then we smoke. Later, after all this here.’
‘What’s he going to do, Grandpa?’
‘He’s going to smoke the house so Claudie’s spirit can go and rest. I was hopin’ it’d be just us, you know, you, me an’ the babies, but the old man is right . . . we should do it properly. Alf, we’ll have to keep the babies out of the way, looks like the whole mob’s going to be there, could frighten the living daylights out of them.’
‘Me too, Grandpa. He called you by your name.’
‘I heard, Alf, I heard. People are treating me as if I’m deaf . . . when the truth of it is, Alf, when the truth is . . . ’
‘It’s alright, Grandpa.’
‘I should be bearin’ up better than this, Alf.’
‘It’s alright, Grandpa, who’s here to care what we do?’
‘That’s right, but Alf, I don’t know what I’m – ’
‘It’s alright, Grandpa.’
‘Alf, I shouldn’t be leanin’ on a little boy, puttin’ all the trouble on to you, it’s not right.’
‘I don’t mind, Grandpa. I’m up to here on you and I’m bigger than Uncle Reggie already.’
‘Good on you, Alf, I don’t know what I’d do . . . what any of us’d do without you. You’re a grand lad. Any other boy would – ’
‘Shh, Grandpa, the old ladies have started to sing.’
*
‘Bloody kids asleep all over the house. Bloody blackfellas all over the back yard, in the lounge. Claudie’d have a fit. Oh, Claudie, Claudie, when are we going to be together again?
‘God, you listening? Do you reckon this is the best you could come up with? I don’t mind about me, but Claudie, what’d she ever do that was wrong? Never an un-Christian act in her life, and Alfie, hasn’t he had enough to put up with? I can’t see your plan, God, I can’t see it at all. I don’t want to grizzle, but can you see how it is between Claudie an’ me? Can you see . . . can you see how I’m gunna get by now? It’s not the kids and all . . . it’s Claudie. It’s how it was between her an’ me, it’s . . . I don’t know if you’re even listening. I don’t know if you’re even there. What good does it do to stand out by the woodheap and whisper to the stars? Only one . . . only one I ever talked to in my whole life God . . . only one I ever, ever talked to was Claudie, can you see how it is . . . can you see how . . . oh, God, God, God, God, God what am I . . . ’
‘Gotta cup of tea for ya, Frank.’
‘Betty, what the devil you doin’ . . . ’
‘Feedin’ babies, Frank, babies still gotta fill their bellies. Cuppa tea. Made one for ol’ Uncle too, he stay up all night that one, talk to spirits.’
‘Spirits.’
‘Yueh, like you, Frank, he talk to spirit toort, spirit yern, he wise one, he clever fella that uncle.’
‘Too roo rer?’
‘Yueh, he longa your mob, Frank.’
‘Betty, you lived in the camp with Too roo rer and Moorabool?’
‘Yueh.’
‘Did you . . . was my mother there?’
‘She bin dirda, Frank, long time when you bobup.’
‘Do you know her name?’
‘Pimbit, she be Daisy.’
‘Oh, Uncle, I didn’t know you were awake.’
‘She be Pimbit you mamma. You talk morrom. I hear you Parwung. Wayn gurr, wayn gurr Parwung, you talk morrom, you talk toort an’ yern, wayn gurr.’
‘Thank you, Uncle. Would you like some of this tea?’
‘Yueh. Got biscuit for uncle, got lolly?’
‘Yes, look Betty’s got a plate here.’
‘She good girl, murdimundik, wayn gurr, Parwung, guli an’ bud, plenny good alright.’
*
‘Morning, Frank.’
‘Morning, Arnie.’
‘Sorry to come around this early, mate.’
‘That’s all right, I could do with a yarn.’
‘Just come around the side of the house, under the lemon tree here, Frank. I don’t want all that mob to hear, just yet. There’s trouble brewin’, Frank, like I’ve been sayin’. One of the old fellas camped up near Point Lillias has been found dead in the creek. Any idiot can see where they’ve had him chained by the leg. Vera saw him when she called in to see old Mrs Wallace at the hospital. They had him layin’ on the floor in the wash house. Mongrels. Anyway, they’re tryin’ to scare all the people outa the way before the Prince an’ the Governor get here. Sorry I had to come today, Frank, I know how you were with Claudie, but there’s strife on the march. See they’re all lookin’ sideways already, mutterin’ about the mob in your backyard and all.’
‘I didn’t invite ‘em all, Arnie, they just turned up. I’ll get –’
‘Don’t worry about that now, Frank, the town’s already made up it’s mind, but what I’m sayin’ is keep your eyes open . . . an’ be careful . . . an’ don’t trust the coppers neither.’
‘Good on you, Arnie, I appreciate you coming, don’t think I don’t. But I’m sick to the guts. I haven’t slept for ten days and I can’t think about anything. Betty’s lookin’ after the kids for a while so I’m gunna go an’ have a sleep. Thank Vera for me won’t you. I’m thankful, Arnie, I really am but I’ve just gotta have a lie down or I’ll fall down.’
‘Righto, Frank, Vera’s cornin’ around later on with some bread and milk, we’ll be keepin’ an eye out for you . . . but make sure you take this seriously, Frank. I don’t like it at all. The rest of the mob from out on the river have gone bush and most of the rest of them are here. People are edgy as hell. Blimey, mate, come on, I’ll help you inside, you flaked out on me good an’ proper.’
Thanks, Arnie.’
‘Shut up and get yourself up the hallway, you weigh a ton, man.’
*
‘Alright now, my spirit brothers, you been on my back about lookin’ after our people, whisperin’ ‘em their dreams and the like, well now’s the time. There’s our little wanung, young Alfie, Golkawil, our liddle hawk, now’s the time we tell him, so stop mopin’ ‘bout an’ think what we tell him true. Here, you Kaarwirn Kunawarn, he’s in your country, time you tell boy straightway ‘bout his people, ‘bout lookin’ out for the country.’
‘Alright, Uncle, I’m watchin’ ‘im, just givin’ liddle hawk fella time to catch ‘is breath, them ol’ fellas scare life outa him, should told ‘im they was gunna cut skin an’ knock tooth.’
‘That Frank, shoulda done that, that ‘is job but you know that how it is now, no one know nothin’.’
‘Anyway, I whisper ‘im doan you worry, Uncle. Eh . . . you Golkawil . . . eh, you listenin’ your ancestors? Doan worry about the liddle grub, he be right bye an’ bye, you listen your ol’ spirit Uncle now. Stop lookin’ ‘bout, you not see nothin’, you listen, could be that ol’ grey bird, might be moth, could be cicada, yueh, could be ol’ wuikam whisperin’ you. You listenin’, now?’
‘Yes, Uncle.’
‘You call me Kunawarra . . . doan say word, but you think me Kunawarra.’
‘Yes, Uncle.’
‘Alright now, you build up that fire now, put stick on. Doan worry ‘bout your liddle grub, doan worry ‘bout tooth, you man now alright?’
‘Yes, Uncle.’
‘Kunawarra.’
‘Yes, Kunawarra.’
‘Alright now. Scratch in coals there. See, johnny cake in grass, eh. You eat, make you strong Golkawil. You, see where you are? Look up. See you got spirit all ‘roun’ you now. All ol’ spirit, all ‘roun’. You got goim, you got porrongitj, you got boonea, karral, tarlum, tarook, you got ol’ spirit man, got liangal, got binyak, you got all your mob painted on wall, til-en-e-werark, all mula i mana, you look ‘im mana now, see that one, that your great, great granddaddy hand, see other one, he your ol’ uncle when bobup, liddle one, eh? an’ see there other one, that Kunawarra, you lookin’, mala i mana Kunawurra, my spirit hand Golkawil, you lookim mala i mana, he show you which way alright. Bye an’ bye we send Parwung find you. Doan ask how, but you know that bird, eh, you know ol’ Parwung, well he fly this way, he come for you, liddle spirit hawk. But now, you listen me. See that hand down by kawirr, put your mana there. You see, Golkawil, you mana, when that done you reckon? Ol’ fellas blow your hand, Golkawil, that right, you lookit you mana now, all red, eh, got all nyurru-nyurru, ol’ men make you guli Golkawil, make you hand. Alright you listen, now. Bird sing, fish swim, wind blow, tree speak, you watch, you listen, alright, not just fish, not just food, alright, not just ol’ tree for fire, not just nuisance wind, Golkawil, he tellin’ you, we whisper you alright, we send fish, we send goim, we tell ngarmbulmum, you lookit our liddle Golkawil. Unerstan’, my wanung?’
‘Yes, Kunawarra.’
‘Alright, you good boy, so you never forget, you look alia time, doan you stay in ‘ouse too long, doan drink that korraiyn like ol’ Billy Wurrun. You know that Billy Wurrun.’
‘Yes, Uncle.’
‘He uncle your ol’ grandaddy, alright that Billy Wurrun he piss ‘is life against wall, good man, doan you think ‘e not, but shame job true, no good piss life away, you do that humbug stuff you not see bird, fish swim by an’ you not see, wind blow an’ you say oh, just nuisance moon moon meet, jus’ chuckin’ up dust all aroun’, you think that you forgot. Anytime you stop listenin’, stop lookin’, you be lost, Golkawil, you be flyin’ aroun’ lookin’ for country an’ country dead, your country dead ‘coz you bin forget ‘im, you not walk in country, you not call up tarlum porrongitj, goim, moon moon meet, korraiyn, you stop lookin’ after country, country die, an’ all peoples die, all us spirits talkin’ to deaf peoples, dead peoples, you got nyurru-nyurru, you got life now wanung, you listen our whisper, now, all time you hear us like nguya-nguya, you know liddle mosquito fella, nnnnn, that be us, you stop listenin’ we bite you, we tell you, eh Golkawil, doan go blind, doan go deaf, we say, lookit country, listen moon moon meet, taste korraiyn . . . that us morrom, you remember that.’
‘Yes, Uncle.’
‘You come back here, Golkawil, you fly back ‘ere an’ you remember, alright? Now you keep fire goin’, you get kalk an’ feed ol’ wiyn, Parwung here bye an’ bye.’
‘Yes, Uncle, but I’m warrawan, Uncle.’
‘That not pain boy, forget that warrawan, you guli, you man, warrawan all time, you not boron no more, alright?’
‘Yes, Uncle.’
‘Lookit, anyway, Parwung cornin’.’
‘Alfie, Alfie, Alfie, please . . . ’
‘In here, Grandpa.’
‘You there, Alfie?’
‘By the fire, Grandpa.’
‘You alright, my boy?’
‘Yes . . . yes, I’m good.’
‘But my God, Alfie, what’ve they done to you. Look at you.’
‘It’s alright. Sit down, it’s alright.’
‘Can you stand up?’
‘I’m just restin’, Grandpa, I’ll be right soon. I’ve gotta throw more green leaves on the fire an’ let the smoke make me well again.’
‘Are you sick? What did – ’
‘No, I’m alright. It hurts a bit, but the smoke is good.’
‘Strewth boy, what’s all this stuff?’
‘Paintings, Grandpa.’
‘I’ve never seen anything like it . . . what are . . . how did you get up here?’
‘Ol’ fellas brought me I think. Show me painting, sing me songs, they made me . . . ’
‘Yeah, I know, I can see that . . . I can see that.’
‘They reckon you should come here too, Grandpa, they’ve been waitin’ for you.’
‘No . . . no, Alf . . . how could . . . ’
‘They say there’s time, Grandpa.’
‘For an ol’ fella like me? I don’t think . . . ’
‘Shh, Grandpa. Get some sticks an’ build up the fire . . . looks like we’ll have to stay here now. Murrkal now.’
‘What?’
‘Murrkal. Night.’
‘How do you know those words?’
‘I don’t know. It’s like I’m hearing them all around. Maybe the old fellas . . . ’
‘Maybe. Anyway, looks like you’re not goin’ far tonight. Here, I brought you a blanket. You sleep, I’ll build up the fire a bit . . . blimey, look what it does to the walls, give you the spooks.’
‘Shh.’
‘You tellin’ your ol’ Grandpa what to do now, eh?’
‘No, Grandpa, I’m – ’
‘I know, I know, my boy, I know what the story is, you’re a man, you know an’ I don’t.’
‘That’s why they’ve been waitin’ for you.’
‘Well, I don’t know. Let’s have a sleep . . . if you can sleep with all this mob jumpin’ about on the roof. Strewth it’d give you the creeps.’
*
‘Listen, Snodgrass.’
‘I’m listenin’, Bill . . . or do you want me to call you Sir William.’
‘Don’t get smart, just listen, I can’t be seen here, I’ve only got a little time.’
‘Alright, fire away, Bill.’
‘That bloody Anti-Slavery Society have been on to the Governor about preparing an introduction to the camp people for the Prince. Can you believe that?’
‘What are they going to talk about. Boomerangs?’
‘Exactly, but Sir Redmond and others among us are worried that if the blacks get uppity they might see this as an opportunity to grizzle directly to the crown, and now that Hindsmith is around, there’s a fear that some of the earlier business, you understand, could be raked over again.’
‘Some are saying your missus is involved.’
‘Well she’s not my wife anymore and that is neither here nor there, it’s what this could do to . . . policy matters here. You know, there’s talk of tying up large areas for hunting rights and reservations.’
‘Well what are you telling me for. It’s all your mates who make the laws, I’m just – ’
‘Alright, Snodgrass, we think it might be time to scare the camps a bit and make sure the town blacks aren’t too keen to come forward and meet the Prince and Governor. You understand? If they took off and went bush for a while, the official program here might go more smoothly and questions about . . . the . . . ar . . . irregular land titles and acquisitions might not arise.’
‘I’m with you now, Bill.’
‘Good. Perhaps a few reliable men might discourage people about here from grizzling to the Prince and his bossy little quill man.’
‘Good as done, Bill, good as done, plenty of lads here don’t mind a bit of mischief.’
‘Just get them out of the way and not too much of your mischief.’
‘Yes, Sir William.’
*
‘You wan’ tea, Frank?’
‘Yes thanks, Betty I’m just finishin’ a load of wood.’
‘Look like you starin’ at fence.’
‘Yeah, well, I’ve got plenty to think about.’
‘Be alright, Frank.’
‘Well, I don’t know. You tell your mob to keep a look out, Betty. Arnie reckons there’s a bit of trouble in the wind. And if you see anything let me know, I’ve gotta try an’ keep these kids safe.’
‘Here’s ya tea then. I look after bobup. Clear out if trouble.’
‘Yeah, that’s what’s worrying me. I don’t want you takin’ off without tellin’ me, Betty. I promised Claudie I’d look after – ’
‘Yueh, I promise missus too.’
‘Just tell me, Betty, so I can find you all again, but I reckon they’re better off here.’
‘Be alright, Frank.’
‘Yeah, maybe. Anyway, better get them kids fed and ready for bed.’
‘Alright, boss.’
‘Don’t you boss me, Betty. You know what I mean. We’ve gotta keep ‘em to their routine. Gotta keep the house as much like it was as – ’
‘Never be like it was.’
‘Thanks, Betty, that makes me feel better.’
‘You try then, Frank, you try an’ keep everything like it was, you see what happens.’
‘But for the sake of the children, Betty.’
‘Things have change now, never be same here. All things changin’. Mary tell me all river mob gone bush. Took off just like that. No good thing happenin’.’
‘That’s what Arnie says. What have you heard, Betty?’
‘Hear nuthin’, smell the wind, can smell it in the wind. No good this place.’
‘Listen, Betty, I built this house with me own hands. I’m not goin’ to up an’ leave just ‘cause you’ve got ya snout in the breeze.’
‘Piggy pig got snout.’
‘Sorry, you know what I mean.’
‘Not pig.’
‘I’m sorry, I’m just tryin’ to tell ya I’m not going to leave my house just because you’re gettin’ nervy . . . it’s about the camp, isn’t it? About Too roo rer askin’ me to move over to the river camp.’
‘Maybe.’
‘I’m not leavin’ this house. This is Claudie’s house, she loved this place.’
‘Maybe.’
‘She did. What would you know?’
‘Doan you shout at Betty. Who you think I am? Dog?’
‘I’m not shoutin’.’
‘Made all chook go back in pen.’
‘Chooks are stupid.’
‘So are pig.’
