Black Angels???Red Blood (12 page)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“Grab a chair,” Tim said and Caroline sat down on a four-gallon drum.

“Did you go back and party with those guys last night?” she asked, trying not to sound as if she was prying.

“No. I came home and went to bed,” he answered. “They left early this morning. How early, I don't know. They're coming back Thursday.”

“Dad was happy. You drank almost a month's worth of bills last night,” Caroline said. “They'll probably do the same on Thursday night, I hope.”

“I'm gonna do a kupamurri for them,” Tim said.

“Lot of trouble to go to for some city slickers,” Caroline said, standing and looking out into the haze.

“Caroline, they're our guests,” Tim said, imitating a posh middle-class woman.

She laughed and sat back down. “Sounds good though. Are we invited?”

“Of course you are. I've got a duck in the freezer. Yellow-belly aren't too hard to catch and it'll be a feast if I catch that big cod.” Tim imagined the cod coming up out of the water on the end of his line.

“I've been trying to relax,” said Caroline. “It feels like I'm still travelling.”

“Do you smoke pot? That'll relax you,” Tim said.

“I do as a matter of fact. My friends in Sydney gave me some as a going-away present. I only smoke a few times a year. Goodness, I don't even know how to roll it. Please don't tell anybody. Mum and Dad think I'm so perfect. Their highly educated virginal daughter. Now all they want me to do is get to the bloody altar.”

“Do you want me to roll you a joint?”

“Okay,” and she pulled out a bag. “I know you smoke.”

“So does everybody else,” he said.

“The copper knows. You wanna be careful, he's waiting to catch you. He told me.”

“That production line Nazi. He's useless.” Tim put acid into his words. “This looks like pretty good gear. You expecting to do much today?” he asked nonchalantly.

“No, I told Dad I was visiting people. He won't expect me back for a while.”

Tim could see she was a bit of a novice and gave her some hints on how to smoke it. After five minutes, she said, “It's really hot. I feel like a swim.”

“Okay,” Tim said, not letting on that he'd already been. “Do you want to walk?”

“No. If I leave the car parked here, someone might get nosy and think we're up to something,” she said matter of factly.

“Oh, if only that were true,” joked Tim.

“Don't be silly,” Caroline said, but she smiled as she said it.

Tim directed the car down to his favourite swimming hole. He dropped his shorts and dove straight in. Tim thought her parents mightn't be all that far wrong about her virginal qualities because she hesitated to take her bra and panties off and then gave a shrug and off they came and in almost the same instant she dove into the water. Tim
left her alone for a while, letting her get used to the fact that she was swimming naked with a man. “This is great. Feels really good. I should do it more often,” Caroline said with exuberance. Tim agreed.

He swam back to the bank and sat on an old tree, half in and half out of the water. Caroline came and sat a few yards away on the same tree, also leaving her lower half in the water.

“What are you going to do with yourself, Tim? When you leave here?”

“I'd really like to work in films. It's not a very steady occupation but it beats being a banker or a lawyer.”

“Have you tried to be a banker or a lawyer?”

“No, but that's what everybody else says when they can't find a job.” Tim laughed out loud at himself for lacking an original comeback.

“Race you to the other side,” Tim said jumping up.

“And back!” yelled Caroline as they dived into the water. Caroline was puffing when they pulled up but she was victorious.

“You really should do more swimming,” she chided.

“You've got the lung capacity for it,” Tim joked, in between gasps for air.

“Don't make fun of my tits,” she said as she splashed water at his face.

They dried themselves and sat in the shade. “It's strange, Tim, you going away for twenty years and me living here for twenty years, now you've come back for good and I'm leaving for good.”

“Yes, it's an arse-about-face world,” Tim said, feeling an uneasiness creeping between them. Caroline cut it short by standing up and saying, “Well, better get back.”

They got dressed and Caroline drove Tim back to his
shack. “Don't be frightened to come up and have a beer and say goodbye before I go. I'm leaving Saturday.”

Tim opened his mouth to speak, but she said, “Pity you weren't rich, I would've married you.” She threw the bag of dope out the window at him and drove off.

“Bastard.” And he looked to the heavens and opened his palms with the dope in one hand and said, “Easy come, easy go, hey Lord.” He got the guitar, rolled a joint and started singing.

She gives good head, that's for sure, Tim thought as he condensed the previous few hours into a few seconds before he lay down for what he believed was a well-earned nap in the afternoon heat. When he woke, he prepared his fishing gear and headed off to the spot where he hoped to land the big one, still singing the tune he went to sleep with.

He netted some shrimps and baited his line and dropped them in. Then he rolled a joint and waited for a tell-tale sign that the big fella was nibbling at the line.

Well after dark, Tim rolled his lines in. He threw back the fish that he'd caught, and went home empty-handed. He made a mince stew and ate some of it, rolled an unusually small joint, smoked it and went to bed.

On Wednesday morning Tim went bushwalking, his main purpose being to collect some choice bush fruit and tucker for the kupamurri. Even though there were roughly one hundred people in town, at times it seemed like zero. He'd invite Elaine and Marion and their kids and Aunty May and her kids. He knew Caroline wouldn't show up and hoped nobody else came uninvited.

The Prickly Berry and Ruby Reds were easy to find. It took him an extra hour to find the Quandong he wanted. He raided all the gum trees he passed and by the time he got back to the Prickly Berry and the Ruby Reds, his pack
was full. Tim checked the shadows and saw it was after twelve. He wasn't hungry as he'd been picking some food for himself along the way. He could hear some ducks down at the river and went to try his luck again. He crept up naked and as silent as possible, and slipped into the reeds. This wait was a lot longer than the last. He knew it was pure arse that he'd caught the first one. His dick was shrivelling up and the shrimps thought it was for dinner. A half a dozen ducks flew over and Tim was on the verge of giving up when another half a dozen landed close by. One wrung-neck duck later and, as always, Tim said thanks and moved on.

His feet and hands were wrinkled from being in the water so he rubbed them in the dirt. He picked up his bag and went on towards home. He stopped at Elaine and Marion's for a cup of tea and invited them to the kupamurri on Thursday night, and begged some potatoes, pumpkin and onions off them.

On Thursday morning he collected his throw-out lines, then went in the direction of Aunty May's. She was outside and she called him over. “We caught that big fella last night,” she said with satisfaction and humour.

“Where? Show me.” Tim was almost falling over himself to get a look at it. “He's a beauty.” It had been cleaned and gutted but still would have been 16 kilos.

He told her about the kupamurri and she agreed to put the cod in. Issuing instructions, Aunty May asked, “The pick and shovel?”

“They're in the shed.”

“When you got the hole dug, let me come down and give you a few hints.”

“That'd be great, Aunty,” Tim said and went off down to the river. Tim was relieved that Aunty May was coming down
to oversee the kupamurri. He didn't want to stuff it up, and having Aunty May there, knew he wouldn't.

He put his lines in first and then got to work on the hole. He had two yellow-belly tied to a piece of wire by the time he finished the hole. He had two more when he got back to Aunty May's. Sherry was there and it was obvious they had taken charge of the cooking duties. Tim went and got all the food he had collected for the kupamurri and brought it back to Aunty May's.

“This was a good idea, Tim,” Sherry said when he returned with his additions. Tim got the feeling that they thought it was a small festival and had been planned all along. If they knew the real reason why they were having it, they wouldn't talk to him for a month.

He and Aunty May went back to the spot where the hole was and she began giving instructions. She showed him where and what type of wood to get. When he came back with a log, she told him to get another one. After that, he went for some special leaves. She made it painstakingly clear what tree they were from and there was no mistaking it when he saw it.

When he returned, she told him why these leaves were chosen. It gave the fish extra flavours and also had healing qualities. Sherry and the kids came down to see how they were going, and to collect stones and rocks. Tim went about breaking the wood down to size. Aunty told the kids to put the small stones in the hole first. Then they stood on them to make them level. Aunty explained that, by putting the biggest stones in last, when you took the coals out, the coals that wouldn't come out would fall between them and not burn the fish. Tim set the wood as best he could so that it would burn evenly. Aunty May looked at the sun and then
asked Tim what time he would like to eat. He told her around seven.

“I'll come back and light the fire in an hour and you come back at three o'clock and we'll put the food in,” said Aunty May.

He went back to Aunty May's just before three. Old Alfred was sitting in the kitchen at the table with Aunty May and all of the food which was to be cooked was wrapped in alfoil in a very neat makeshift basket on the table. Alfred spoke to Tim. “How do you like the basket, son?” he asks. “I'll show you how to make one one day”

Aunty May stood up and said, “Let's go and put the food in.”

Alfred took one end of the basket and Tim took the other.

Aunty May put a long-handled shovel in their hands and led them to the fire. It took a few minutes to clear the coals out of the fire. They then placed the basket in and Aunty May put the leaves on top and told Tim to fetch the half a dozen chaff bags she had soaking in the river. She placed these on top so as not to allow any leakage of dirt onto the food. They put the dirt back on top and sat in the shade for twenty minutes. Alfred went and checked the kupamurri for any sign of steam and added dirt here and there and gave the all clear.

“We'll pull it up at seven,” Aunty May said, looking at Alfred.

“Righto, Aunty,” Alfred replied.

Back at Aunty May's house, Tim casually said, “I wonder when Shane will get back.”

“Oh they're back already,” replied Alfred. “They're at the pub drinking.”

“We didn't want to tell you until after the work was done,”
Aunty May said while she and Alfred laughed together. I think they know, Tim said to himself.

Tim went home and had a quick wash and strolled off to the pub. Shane and Peter, the cameraman, were at the bar. They all said g'day and Shane shouted Tim a beer.

“What? Didya put a kupamurri down?” Shane said.

“Yeah. I started and Aunty May finished it. It'll be ready around seven.” Tim turned to Peter. “What are you guys doing?”

“We're staying for tonight and heading out tomorrow,” he answered.

“Have you finished all your work?”

“Not quite. One more location tomorrow and that's on the way home, so it shouldn't be any problem.”

“Where is the rest of the crew?” Tim said, thinking about one in particular.

“They've all gone for a clean-up down the river. Probably be an hour or so,” Shane replied.

Tim half sculled his beer. “That tastes good,” he said as he felt it quench his thirst. Caroline came in to the bar and said a bright hello to Tim. “How's the kupamurri going?” she said, able to get her tongue around it without faltering.

“It's good. Aunty May and old Alfred helped. I think it'll be a good feed.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Tim decided to have one more beer and then go home to relax and he said as much to Shane and Peter. “I think we should dance for them tonight,” Tim said to Shane.

“That sounds okay by me,” Shane answered.

Tim nodded at Shane's beer and says, “Plenty of time for that tonight.”

“Don't worry. I'm gonna go home soon and get cleaned up.”

Tim headed towards the door. He heard a Mroody command and Shane raced up next to Tim and they gave Peter, Brownie and Caroline an impromptu preview of what to expect. Peter and Caroline clapped and Brownie smiled in amusement.

The sun was still shining brightly when he went back over to Aunty May's to help carry things down. Cassandra was there. They greeted each other with a warm hug.

“Gee, you're looking good,” Tim said.

“I haven't seen you look better, Tim,” she responded sincerely.

All of the family was there including Shane and they were abuzz with excitement. Cassie had a boyfriend with her
whom she introduced as Brendan. Brendan looked a couple of years younger than Tim and Shane. He looked timid but was solidly built. A small version of the gentle giant, Tim thought. He knew Cassandra liked that sort of man, non-argumentative but big enough to scare off unwanted attention. They stood around doing some catching up before Aunty May ordered the boys to take everything down to the kupamurri.

With the number of hands available it took only one trip. Tim started collecting wood for a fire and the kids helped him. Cassandra and Brendan came strolling down arm in arm. “Looks like these two are set,” Shane remarked, meaning that Cassie looked happy. “They brung an ounce of pot with them too,” he added.

Tim somehow knew that this would be a women's night when Aunty May took control of the kupamurri. Sherry, Elaine and Marion were coming judging by the arrival of most of their children. All of their husbands were working so they would only hear about it. Talk about steamrolled, he thought, but he took much pleasure in it. The kids were running everywhere. Occasionally the smaller ones sought protection from the bigger ones by wrapping themselves around Shane and Tim's legs. The women showed up. They didn't drink and Tim hoped it didn't bother them that they were. Elaine jokingly said, “Hey, blackfellas never brought that stuff to a kupamurri.”

Shane quipped, “Wanna bet. It just never came in a brown bottle,” and they all laughed. It unsettled Tim a bit and he just sipped the remainder of his beer as he didn't like getting drunk in front of the older women.

He could hear the two four-wheel drives coming around the other way. The cars pulled up fifty metres away and the group joined the rest in a matter of minutes. Tim sought
out Sylvia's eyes after saying g'days all around. She came over and said hello. “This is a big surprise. What else have you got up your sleeve?” she said. Tim smiled and told her what was in the ground. Then he invited her to have some bush fruit.

He noticed the women were looking at their movements and smiling at each other and them. He did a good job of ignoring it. Sylvia came back with a handful of assorted fruits and asked Tim what they were. Shane introduced everybody around, making a fuss of Cassie's introduction. The women demanded that a fire be made so that they could have a cup of tea. Tim looked at Shane and mouthed “you”. In ten minutes he had a fire going with a lot of help from the million or so kids now present.

“Do you have anything to drink?” Tim asked Sylvia.

“I've, got two bottles of wine from the pub plus two glasses,” she said, catching Tim with a sideways glance. “But I'll settle for tea right now.” She then moved to mingle with the others.

Peter came over to say hello to Tim. “We haven't been introduced properly.” They shook hands formally and began talking about the documentary. Tim jokingly produced an angle on the documentary with the scenario being desert, dying sheep, suicidal farmers and then finishing with Mroodies having a feast to show their adaptability and longevity with the land. When Tim saw that the director was taking him seriously, he played it to the hilt and gave him even more angles. The director finally said it was a story on its own and he would talk to his producers about it but said he would use some of it in his closing scene.

Aunty May and Alfred came down to join the group and she issued instructions. Tim and Shane dug the kupamurri out and placed it on the ground and the women placed the
food on the table while Tim and Shane removed the rocks and filled the hole back in. Within ten minutes everybody was eating. Towards the end of the meal Alfred came over and addressed Shane and asked him if he wanted to dance. Shane looked straight at Tim and said, “Yeah, we'll dance.”

They put their plates aside and went into the bush. Alfred rejoined the group half an hour later and called for their attention. He explained what the boys were going to do and what the songs and the dances meant.

The old man started his song and began clapping two sticks. It was just before dark and the dancers emerged in a frenzy with the tribal rhythm of old. This dance was led by Shane who'd learnt it from his grandfather. It was about the min-min light. It teaches kids to stay within parents' reach and out of the way of harm. The second dance was to say thanks to God and the Spirits. The third dance was a contemporary dance about the goanna and the crow who join forces to fight an evil man who is trying to steal children. Then Aunty May called the women up and they danced while Aunty May sang. Then everybody got up. The kids loved it. Alfred showed them some movements of the bush animals and Shane led them in a play dance.

It had gotten dark by now and Aunty May asked the boys to take the table and everything back to her place. The kids helped and they only needed to make one trip. When they came back, the crew thanked everybody, and Aunty May, Alfred, Elaine, Marion and the kids left. Sherry stayed behind talking to everyone in general. Tim stoked the fire up and Shane came back from the car carrying an esky. Sylvia sat down next to Tim. “What a wonderful experience. You certainly don't do things in half measures.”

“It just happens like that. Soon as it started everyone wanted in. The dancing was a bonus,” he replied.

“I feel like a glass of wine.”

Before Sylvia could move, Tim had gotten to his feet. “I'll get it.” He returned and poured two glasses. They clinked glasses and saluted.

Sylvia added, “To a wonderful evening.” After she had a mouthful she said, “Peter's been telling me about what you said and he really likes it.”

“I was only joking at first,” Tim replied.

“We're going to use it in closing. Is that alright?” she asked.

“Sure. It's alright.”

Tim noticed a couple of joints being lit and pulled a two-papery out of his tobacco pouch and lit it. “You don't smoke, hey?” he asked.

“No,” she replied. “Where is your shack, Tim?”

“It's about ten minutes in that direction.”

“Would you like to go for a walk, Sylvia?” Tim asked

“It's a great night for it,” she said and they both stood up. Sylvia went to get the second bottle, leaving Tim standing conspicuously by himself for a few seconds. He didn't want to look at the others' faces because he knew exactly what they were thinking.

The night sky was bright but it took a little while for their eyes to get accustomed to the dark. He felt her arm sliding into his. “It's a little bit dark out here.”

“It'll be okay. It's fairly flat,” Tim said. He pointed at the landmarks which weren't visible and told her stories about them. Then he said, “See that little light over there?”

“Oh, yes.”

“That's my place.”

“Let's go. I'd like to see it,” she said.

“There's nothing in it really and it's put together very
roughly,” he explained, “nothing like the comfort you would be used to.”

“What's the big hole in the wall for?” she asked, after Tim showed her his “Humble Abode”.

“I lie down and watch the stars at night,” he answered. Once inside she went to the bed to see what sort of view Tim got. Tim poured two more glasses and took them into his bedroom. “It is a good view. Food, dancing, wine and then lay down and let the stars put you to sleep.”

“Mind you, the stars are a bit second rate at the moment,” Tim said from the foot of the bed while looking at Sylvia bathed in light from the night sky. She returned his look and sat up and they kissed gently. They removed their clothes and made love. Tim rolled a cigarette and finished his glass of wine. He knew Sylvia was studying him and looked intently at the stars.

“You're not the run of the mill, are you?” Sylvia asked and stated at the same time. “I see a few battle scars Tim. Old uncle reckons you're a bit more than a featherfoot. I couldn't quite get what he was trying to say.”

Tim thought for a while and then said, “Let me tell you a story. I was training hard and I was at a peak both physically and spiritually. I was having a quiet time on the river thinking about my God and my Aboriginality—because I'd studied the Bible and believed in Jesus and wondered where we, as Aborigines, fitted in.”

He took a drag on the cigarette and continued. “That night I had a dream. I wasn't aware of what was being said and at the end of the dream I heard a voice say, ‘Aren't you going to kiss your father good-bye?' Then the dream opened up and I saw an old black man dressed like a stockman with about twenty other men who were like him.”

“You have to tell me more than that. Who do you say it was in the dream?”

“It was my father. My creator, the Lord of the Dream time. He was visiting two old men up in the Centre about my initiation.”

Tim was just about to go on when he heard, “Tim, hey Mroody.”

“That's Shane,” Tim said to a startled Sylvia.

Tim put his jeans on and went to see Shane. He returned a couple of minutes later. “He wanted my swag.”

“I see him and Wendy are getting along fine,” Sylvia said as Tim came back to bed. Sylvia was getting sleepy. She cuddled up to Tim and said something about the bed being so comfortable, and then she nodded off.

Tim fell into a light sleep, waking occasionally through the night. In the morning he lay awake waiting for Sylvia to wake up. She had him in a bear hug. Eventually she stirred and popped her head up to reacquaint herself with her surroundings. Tim hoped she didn't realise it looked better in the dark. A couple more hours and she'll be gone, Tim thought.

“Come here,” she said, pulling him close and stroking him. They were gentle with each other and they made love passionately until neither of them could control themselves anymore.

They lay back to recover. After a few minutes, Tim asked, “If ever I went to Sydney, would you see me again?”

She popped up and said, “Come and visit me and find out.”

“Truly?” he said. “The beautiful black actress and the Mroody from the bush.”

“I think you're a bit more than a Mroody from the bush,” she offered.

“That makes me feel good. I'll be in Sydney before you guys,” he joked. She laughed with him.

“I'll make a cup of tea,” Tim said and hopped out of bed.

“What time is it, Tim?”

“Around seven.”

She got up and got dressed.

“You look a little out of place, here,” Tim said, meaning it as a compliment.

“Now, now, Tim,” she said calmly, knowing what he was going to say.

“Have you got time for breakfast?”

“Yes. I want to see if you can cook.”

Tim had heated some water for her to wash in. Then she asked the dreaded question. “Where's your loo?”

“Next to the shower outside.” No matter what he did, he couldn't get the smell out of the thunderbox, which is not unusual.

He made some milk and put cereal on the table and when she came back he was ready to cook. “What did you think of the thunderbox?” he asked, wanting to offset the tension he was feeling by talking about it.

She laughed. “A thunderbox is a thunderbox, Tim.”

“By the way, how's Louise?” Tim asked.

“She's recovering slowly. Out of hospital and on crutches. She's tough, she'll survive,” Sylvia replied.

“Did she tell you what happened?”

“Yes. She jumped out the window in sheer panic.”

“It's just a bit hard to believe. Jumping out the window and all.” Tim said.

“Enough said. Let's have some food.”

He put some frozen bacon in the pan and mixed some eggs and milk. She had some cereal and Tim wished he had
some fruit. He rummaged through the fridge and pulled out a litre of apple juice and put that on the table.

He prepared bacon, scrambled eggs and toast for two, made a fresh pot of tea and they sat down to eat.

“My kitchen is looking for someone like you,” Sylvia said when she had finished.

“That's nothing.” Tim said.

“I wasn't joking about my kitchen either, but if you leave it too long, I'll think you've changed direction. Apart from that, it's up to you.” Sylvia met Tim's lingering look.

They said their proper goodbye in the kitchen before Tim walked her back to where the rest of the crew were camping. He pulled her up a hundred metres from the camp. “I don't think I'll go down.”

“A bit shy, are you?”

He kissed her passionately and said, “I will be coming to Sydney after I've finished my business.”

“See you then.”

He watched her walk for a while and she turned, waved and then disappeared behind the tree-line.