Flight of the Jabiru (21 page)

“I can't imagine how hard it must've been to be torn away from your family,” Lara said. “How long were you on Melville Island?”

“Five years, then I was brought to Darwin for a week. Someone fetched my mother so I could see her just once.”

“That must've been a very emotional meeting.”

Jiana nodded. “It was very hard on my mother.”

“What about your father? Did you see him, too?”

“I don't know my father. My mother said he was an Irishman just visiting Darwin. She never saw him again after I was born.”

“Oh,” Lara said, shocked. She was impressed with how well Jiana coped with the sad details of her life. “So where did you go after you were brought back to Darwin?”

“I was sent to live with the Carlton family in Tennant Creek. Apparently I was chosen because I was good at schoolwork. They wanted me to help look after their young kids and help with homework, but my mother wasn't told where I was going and I didn't know until I got there. Mr. Carlton worked for the mines and we lived out of town, near the mines, so the kids had a tutor. Mr. Carlton was strict about schoolwork. Mrs. Carlton was nice and good to me. She taught me to sew and cook, but I also had to do schooling and pass exams. She said it was important to be educated and to look nice every day, even if you weren't going anywhere. I was there for more than four years.”

Lara was relieved to hear that Jiana was at least treated well and educated.

“I liked the Carlton family,” Jiana said, “but I never forgot my own family,” she added sadly. “Government men came and took me away when I was seven so I remembered this place and the billabong. I always thought about the day I'd come home.”

“I've heard that Tennant Creek is quite a long way from here, Jiana.” Lara thought it was a miracle she found her way home.

“It is,” Jiana dropped her head. She felt so much shame for stealing money from Mrs. Carlton so that she could pay the driver of a transport truck to take her to Darwin. She planned to post it back as soon as she got paid work.

“Was there a bus?” Lara asked.

“No, the road is too rough. I got a ride in a transport truck. The driver wasn't supposed to take passengers, so he hid me in the back for the first hundred miles, with the freight. When it was safe, he let me come out and sit in the cab with him, but I had to duck my head when we passed other trucks. He dropped me on the highway and I walked from there, camping by the Mary River. It took me a month to get home. I had to look out for the crocs all the time, but I was helped by Aboriginal people who directed me here to find my mother.”

“Your story is truly remarkable, Jiana,” Lara said. “Thank you for sharing it with me. What do you plan to do now?” She realized there weren't any job opportunities in Shady Camp, but thought Jiana might move into the city.

Jiana shrugged.

“Do you think you might train for a job?”

“What job?”

“I don't know ... a nurse or office work. You can't let your education go to waste.”

“No work for black fella, even a creamy like me.”

“Oh. Someone has to be the first, Jiana. Why not you?”

“My family wants me marry a black fella and have kids right away,” Jiana said despondently.

Lara was appalled. “Is that what you want?”

Jiana looked at the billabong through the window and shook her head.

“Then don't do it,” Lara said assertively.

Jiana looked at her again. Her eyes were full of sadness.

“I'm sure you'll marry one day in the future, and have a family, Jiana,” Lara said. “But you are too young right now. You'd only be seventeen at the most. Am I right?”

“I just turned seventeen,” Jiana said. “It not young to marry round here with my mob.”

“You might be old enough, but that doesn't make it the right thing for you to do,” Lara said. “Where I come from, most girls are married at my age with a couple of children, but I'm in no hurry. Besides, I haven't met the right man yet.”

“You pretty one,” Jiana said. “Must be plenty fella want you.”

“I always wanted a man who appreciated my intelligence, but there are few of them.”

“Your father and mother not worry you no marry?” Jiana asked as if that was inconceivable.

“My mother died when I was young, and my father just wants me to be happy. Are you in love with a man that you'd like to marry?”

Jiana shook her head. “My family want me marry Willie Doonunga. He old fella.”

Lara scowled. “Then for goodness sake, don't even think of marrying him, Jiana.”

At that moment Jiana heard one of the Aboriginal women shouting her name.

“I go now,” she said. “Goodbye, Lara.”

Lara opened the schoolroom door that led outside. Jinney and Nellie were waiting in the distance. “It was nice meeting you, Jiana. Come and see me again.”

On Monday morning, Lara had no Aboriginal students, but she wasn't surprised. She thought about it all day, and came up with a plan. After school, she went to the store.

“You stock sweets, don't you, Betty?” she said, looking over the counter at all the jars on the shelves.

“Yes, I have barley sugar, aniseed rock, pear drops, licorice gums, and sugared almonds. If there's something different you'd like, like toffee, I can get it. I just haven't had much call for it.”

“The sweets aren't for me, although I am partial to English toffee.”

“If you want them for a gift, I know what the locals like.”

“I want to use them to bribe the Aboriginal students to come to school,” Lara disclosed. “You might've convinced the parents that I'm not going to take their children away, but it's the children who must want to attend school.”

“Ah,” Betty said making no comment.

“Do you think it will work?”

“You won't know until you try it,” Betty said. She sold Lara a big bag of mixed sweets, applauding her resolve, but not really giving her much hope of long-term success.

On Tuesday morning, Lara had five Aboriginal students, and she was very pleased with herself. Two were young girls, five and six years old, Ada and Rosy Ghungi. She'd met their mother and father, but they hadn't been committed to the idea of letting their girls attend school, so she was especially pleased to see them. The three boys were cousins, belonging to Nellie and Jinney. Banjo, Toby, and Jed were six, seven, and eight years respectively. The children seemed curious about school and of course they knew all the other students quite well, but it was difficult to hold their attention and they constantly asked for sweets. As Lara couldn't play favorites, she had to share the sweets, so they didn't last long. Consequently, she had no Aboriginal students the following day.

Betty came to collect her children at two o'clock on Wednesday afternoon. It wasn't something she normally did, but she was curious to see how Lara's plan of bribing the Aboriginal students was working out. She watched as the children came out of school and then popped her head in the door.

Lara was seated at her desk, sorting paper work. “Hello,” she called.

“Hello, Betty,” Lara said despondently.

“No Aboriginal students today?”

“No, I've run out of sweets,” Lara admitted. “Looks like I'll have to buy some more.”

“You can't keep doing that,” Betty said. “You'll soon go broke.”

“What else can I do?”

“I don't know, but you need an alternative plan.”

Lara agreed, but she couldn't think of one. It was a problem that ended up keeping her awake half the night.

On Thursday morning Jiana was waiting outside the school at eight o'clock.

Lara was pleased to see her, especially as she had Ada and Rosy with her.

“Whinnie Ghungi tell me bring the girls today,” Jiana informed her.

“I'm delighted, but I don't have any sweets,” Lara said, greeting the girls as they went into the classroom.

“Whinnie told the girls they stay anyway,” Jiana said. “She like it quiet at home.” She turned to leave.

“Are you busy this morning?” Lara asked her.

Jiana appeared surprised by the question and unsure how to reply.

“If you have nothing to do you can help me for a couple of hours.”

“Okay,” Jiana agreed happily.

Jiana ended up staying all day and enjoyed herself. She was a great help with the students and Ada and Rosy seemed to really appreciate her being there. She'd lost a lot of language unique to her clan while she'd been away, but helping Ada and Rosy understand things by finding the right words in the Larrakia language seemed to help her as much as it did them.

“Thanks for your help today, Jiana,” Lara said at the end of the day. “You are good with the students.”

“It was fun,” Jiana admitted.

“I wish I could pay you,” Lara said, “but you aren't officially a trainee teacher.”

“That's okay. There's no black fella teachers.”

“There might be somewhere. I certainly don't see why there can't be. Would you be interested in teaching?”

“Maybe.”

“Then come back tomorrow and see if you really like it.”

“Maybe,” Jiana smiled. “Not much to do at home.”

Betty was waiting at the door and overheard what Lara and Jiana were saying to each other.

“You've given that girl just what she needs, Lara,” Betty said after Jiana had taken Ada and Rosy home.

“What's that?”

“A sense of purpose. Since she came back to the community she's been lost between two worlds. She doesn't fit into either. Her mother's joy has turned to despondency. Jiana doesn't want to get married, but her parents think that is the answer.”

“She told me. She's too young to marry, anyway.”

“Not in her culture, but that's what I mean. She wants something more. I just can't see her parents accepting that.”

“They might have to.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

Betty sent her children home, telling them that she'd be along shortly, as she wanted to talk to Miss Penrose. As her tone was somber the boys were immediately concerned that she knew they had plans afoot to catch some bull frogs and plant them in one of the kitchen drawers in the rectory and under the sheet on Lara's bed. They suspected Richie had let slip, either on purpose or accidently, so he copped a grueling interrogation all the way back to the store.

“There's something I need to discuss with you, Lara,” Betty said when they were alone.

“Now I've got the school going we can start reading lessons for you and Colin,” Lara said.

“That can wait, Lara. What I have to say is far more important,” Betty said.

Lara thought Betty was unusually serious. “What is it?”

“I want you to hear this from me, and not from one of the men,” Betty said, frowning. “They can be tactless sometimes, and I don't want them to frighten the life out of you. But it's something you have the right to know.”

“It sounds ominous.”

“Ominous! I don't know what that means.”

“It means scary or something very worrying...”

“Oh, well, it could be,” Betty said, faltering because she suspected she was frightening Lara, and that hadn't been her intention. She didn't want Lara to immediately pack her bags and leave, so she paused to choose her words carefully, but in the end there was no easy way to say what she had to say. “I'll come straight to the point, but promise you won't be alarmed, as there's no immediate danger ... I don't think.”

“Spit it out, Betty. It can't be that bad, surely.”

“All right.” She took a deep breath. “Monty is building an air raid shelter.”

“What!”

“There's no need to panic,” Betty assured her.

“Then why is he building an air raid shelter? It's not something you do just for the sake of it.”

“He says it's just in case the Japs bomb Darwin.”

Lara paled. “Is that likely to happen? I haven't been paying attention when the men have been discussing it, but is it really that serious?”

“According to Charlie, it's not likely,” Betty said.

“Well, that's good, isn't it?”

“Monty thinks otherwise. He believes the Japs are going to attack Malaya, Singapore, and even New Guinea. He thinks we'll then be next because the Americans are based here. But Charlie says he can't see them attacking Malaya because if they press their luck, the Americans would retaliate. So there are differing opinions on whether we're safe.”

Lara didn't know what to think.

“Don says we'll all be evacuated before we're bombed,” Betty said. “But Monty wants to stay here and hide in his air raid shelter, and he says there's room for all of us if there's a surprise raid.” She decided not to use the word that Monty had used. Obliterated. She had a very good idea what that meant.

Lara's mind was racing. “If we're evacuated, where will we go?” It occurred to her that she might have a legitimate reason to go home without having to serve a jail sentence.

“Alice Springs, most likely, or even further south, possibly Adelaide. It's really cold down south now. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be cool for a change?”

“I never thought I'd say this, as I've always hated English winters, but yes, I'd be happy to suffer an icy wind right now,” Lara agreed. She was tired of feeling hot every day and night.

“I'd really like to go back to Tasmania to see my family. If I was being honest, I'd like to move home, but Colin is Territorian to the bone. He can't imagine living somewhere else.”

“Have you been home since you got married?”

“No, and talk of war has reminded me of how much I miss my family. I've got twelve nephews and nieces I've yet to meet.” Betty's eyes became moist and Lara sympathized.

“Maybe you'll get the chance to be reunited if we're attacked by the Japs.” Just saying those words out loud sent a chill through her. She imagined her father reading that Darwin had been bombed in his morning paper. The shock would kill him.

“Don says we're a long way from the city and the air base, the most likely targets for an attack, so don't get too worried, Lara,” Betty said. “The Japs wouldn't see our little town from the air and there aren't enough people here to waste a bomb on. In saying that, I've instructed Colin to help Monty with the shelter. If bombs are dropped anywhere near Shady Camp, I want my kids down there for safety.”

Lara thought of her students. Even if they were lucky enough not to be in mortal danger, their education was going to be interrupted again. She found this upsetting.

A knock on the door cut short their conversation. Jerry Quinlan's head appeared. “Hello,” he called. “Am I interrupting a parent/teacher conference?”

“Don't be daft,” Betty snapped. “We're discussing Monty's air raid shelter.”

Jerry came into the classroom. “Errol was just telling me about that. He's already hurt his back digging.”

“Do you think Shady Camp might be bombed if the Japs attack Darwin?” Lara asked him.

“It's unlikely. The air base and the ships in the harbor would be targets, though.”

Lara's eyes widened. “You seriously believe Darwin will be invaded?”

“If Singapore falls to the Japs, then I'd say the possibility is real,” Jerry said. “If that happens, we should all head south,” he added. “As it hasn't happened yet, there's no sense in worrying. I do think everyone out here will be safe, though. There's nothing around here that's of any interest to the Japs and they're unlikely to see such a small settlement from the air.”

“That's what I said,” Betty added, but it was wonderful to hear Jerry confirm her beliefs. It made Lara feel better, too.

“I should go home. The boys will be raiding my sweet stores like there's no tomorrow and that lazy husband of mine won't pay attention to them,” Betty said. “They could burn the store down and he still wouldn't notice. I just wanted you to know about Monty's shelter,” she added, looking at Lara.

“Thank you, Betty,” Lara said.

“Will we see you at the pub later for drinks, Jerry?” Betty asked.

“I might pop in for a quick beer after visiting Rizza, but then I'm heading back to town for dinner.” He glanced at Lara and then quickly looked away again.

“Right,” Betty said, finding the doctor's reaction to Lara quite amusing. “See you later, then.”

“Rizza's baby must be due any moment,” Lara said when Betty had gone. “She's been very uncomfortable lately. Her ankles are so swollen that all you can see are toes popping out of the ends of huge legs. I've never seen anything like it, but don't tell her I said that. She's a little sensitive at the moment.”

Jerry couldn't contain a smirk. “It's not funny but you paint a gruesome picture. She has a lot of excess fluid, and the heat and the fact that she doesn't rest enough, doesn't help. She's due in ten days, but I'm going to suggest that Rex takes her into the city in the next day or so to stay with his brother and his family. That way she'll be close to a hospital and she'll have complete bed rest because her sister-in-law, a former matron and a woman to be reckoned with, will insist upon it. I didn't deliver Carmel but apparently the entire birth took just half an hour and there were no complications. This baby is very big, so I don't think the birth will be as easy. It might be very tough for her to deliver out here.”

“If I was Rizza, I'd be camped on the hospital door step,” Lara said.

“How are you feeling?” Jerry asked.

“Me? Fine! I haven't had a close encounter with a crocodile for a couple of weeks. I wish I could say the same for spiders and bugs.”

Jerry's brows arched. “You get used to them.”

“So everyone says, but I'm not convinced.” Lara smiled.

“I didn't see the crocodile man's boat at the jetty. Has he quit already?”

“No, he's relocating the fourth crocodile from the area.”

Jerry was pleased to hear he wasn't around. “How's the school going?”

“Very well. I even have some Aboriginal students, so my class numbers are growing. Hopefully I'll get more.” Lara noticed Jerry was only half listening. His mind was obviously elsewhere and he seemed even quite nervous. She thought he was probably worrying about Rizza.

“Do you have dinner plans this evening?” Jerry suddenly blurted out.

“Oh! No,” Lara replied quickly. “I'll sort something out later,” she added off-hand, hoping he wouldn't press the matter.

“Would you like to join me in the city for dinner? I go to a club that serves very nice meals.”

Lara stood up, but avoided eye contact with Jerry. She awkwardly fiddled with the papers on her desk. She'd half expected this moment, and had thought about what she might say, but getting the words out was harder than she imagined. “Don't you live in the city?”

“I do have rooms in the city, but I'm rarely there because I service all the settlements along the Mary River.”

“Well you don't want to be driving me all the way home again after dinner. That would be too inconvenient.”

“I don't mind at all. Will you come?”

“Thank you for the kind invitation, Jerry, but I'll have to decline,” she said, “I ... don't...”

Her explanation was interrupted by Rex appearing in the doorway, breathless and panicked. “There you are, Doc. Come quickly. Rizza needs you.”

“Is it the baby?” Jerry asked, already heading for the door.

“Yes, I think it's coming and something is wrong.” Rex disappeared.

Jerry didn't hesitate. He rushed after him, leaving Lara staring at the open door, feeling awkward.

Restless, she wandered up and down the classroom. She couldn't concentrate on preparing the following day's lesson, not with Rizza in labor with possible complications, and Jerry thinking that she'd rejected him because she didn't like him. No, there was no way to work. She thought about passing the time differently. Determined she left the house and made her way to Betty.

“Betty!” Lara called right as she entered the store.

Betty appeared from the doorway leading to their living quarters. “Is something wrong?”

“Rex came to fetch Jerry because Rizza has gone into labor. What shall we do?”

Betty blinked in astonishment. “We? There's nothing we can do. If she's got Jerry with her, she'll be fine. He's delivered plenty of babies, including one of mine.”

Lara became agitated. “But Jerry was worried because the baby is big. He told me he wanted her to go and stay in the city, to be near the hospital. But now it's too late.”

“It's too late for anything if the baby is coming. They have a schedule of their own,” Betty added calmly. She could see that Lara was flustered. “Don't you fret, now, everything will be fine.”

“But Rex thinks something is wrong.”

“What would he know? Rizza will be glad to get that baby out of her, believe me. She's been so fed up with herself. She told me the other day that she felt like getting a knife and cutting it out.”

Visualizing something so horrific made Lara feel faint.

“Hold on now,” Betty said, taking her by the arm. “You need a drink. Come with me.”

Betty took Lara into the hotel. “Monty, pour this girl something strong,” she said. “She's as white as a sheet.”

Lara began to sway, so Betty sat her in a chair and pulled up another to put her feet on.

Monty put a brandy in front of her. “What brought this on?” he asked Betty. “Another close encounter with a crocodile?”

“Rizza has gone into labor,” Betty explained, wetting a cloth to put on Lara's head.

Monty was perplexed. “Isn't that a good thing?”

Betty glared at him, so he shrugged and mumbled something about not understanding women.

By the time Lara was on her third brandy, most of the town had gathered at the hotel and they were all talking about Rizza. Doris claimed that she'd had to leave her house because she could hear Rizza screaming.

Hearing this made Lara swoon again and she was given a double brandy.

“Would I hear her from the rectory?” she managed to ask Doris.

“As clear as a bell,” Doris said.

“Then I'm not going home,” Lara insisted. “I'll stay here all night if I have to.”

“This labor appears to be going on for longer than Rizza's first,” Betty said, starting to worry. “I hope nothing has gone wrong.”

Two more agonizing hours passed. Doris went home and came back.

“I can still hear Rizza's screams, but she sounds absolutely exhausted. Rex was sitting on the front porch with his head in his hands. He said he can't take much more.”

“Something must be very wrong,” Betty said. “I guess Jerry can't risk trying to get her to hospital. Is there anything we can do?”