Topic: Australian mateship, spirituality and identity.
Rantuk lies devastated on the dirt floor. A worm wriggles its way out of the sockets of a rotting bird only a few metres away. The land around her is still, where there used to be children frolicking only a few hours prior. Her piercing wails speak on one level too many. Not only did no one dare to intrude on her moment of agony, but even the wind dared not to blow too hard. For it was evident she was going through enough pain as is. She asks 'Why?' in her native tongue, but no one is there.
3,300 miles away, Bertha tells the kids to hurry up before their father 'loses it'. After all, church with the mumbly-jumbly priest - as her son Aroona would put it, begins in ten minutes.
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I hate shoelaces. I think they're stupid. Mum won't let me wear my slip ons because we have to enter the house of God in our Sunday Best. More like Sunday Stupid if you ask me.
Dad beeps the horn. The bloody horn. That's when I know he's real cranky. But it aint my fault I'm only darn five years old. It's not my fault I can't feel as well as they can!
I can't wait to be a grown up. No one to boss me around. Bein' old should be easy-peasy-japanesey.
Inside the church the mumbly-jumbly priest jabs on. I dunno if he's using big words or just talking funny. It takes ages and my bum starts to hurt.
But I'll let you in on a secret. If ya listen real closely, and ignore them old people breathing loudly, or the one time I heard someone snoring – I like to listen to the birds outside. And the rustling of the trees in the wind.
But sometimes I listen a lil too closely. You see, I start hearing this voice. A woman. She sounds upset.
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Come to me. To where you belong. Come outside.
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Sometimes I tell her to go away. Other times I ask her what she's talking about. But then my big brother Aarron tells me to shut the flamin' hell up. Then mum tells him to shoosh.
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Ssssson! Come to meee pleassssse. Pleasssse. Before it'sssss too late.
- - -
I thought about finding the snake. Maybe it was lost. Bugger it, I thought. It was just my imaginalem… imagilation. What was that word again?
In the morning the snake was gone. Thank God. But the bread for breakfast tasted stale and yukky. Dad sad to quit complaining because other kids like me have no bread to eat, that I'm luckier than them.
Mum told him to 'quit while he's ahead'. I dunno what she's going on about. First blasphemy and now this.
I wonder what dad meant by 'like other kids'. Maybe it's because they don't have shoes with shoelaces or a Sunday Best.
After breakfast I go outside and take my shoes off from the house when I reach the grass. I love the feel of the grass under my feet. It tickles!
Mum says it's dirty. Dirt schmirt. I dun' care.
I don't like the games Aarron plays. I think balls and paper aeroplanes are boring. He says I'm too stupid to understand flying.
I hear the voice again. I follow it. 'I'm coming!' I say. She probably needs help.
- - -
Son, you're almost home. Please come. Before it's too late.
- - -
Two nine year old boys approach Aroona.
'So you hold him down, while I do the work?' says one familiar voice.
'All's fair in rock-paper-scissors', says another.
'Hurry up, he's already walking away', says the first voice.
Aroona is thrown to the ground and feels a sharp pain in his back. There is rustling, not of trees but of struggle.
Die you stupid blind Abo! Die! Die! Die! Another voice laughs.
- - -
Aarron, is that you?
- - -
The two boys, Aarron and his friend hear the loud wailing of a woman. They look around. No one is there. Scared, they flee, leaving Aroona to die.
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Aarron, is that you? What's a blind Abo? Can you call mum, I don't feel too good. What's a blind Ab… Ab…
- - -
If you listen closely outside you can hear the wailing of a woman, mourning the loss of her son. 'WHY?', she cries. But no one is there.
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