Pearlie's Pet Rescue (6 page)

‘O
H
peanuts!' Pearlie said. ‘I can't give Rusty and Santa to Old Man Lizard. He'll probably eat them, or his vicious dog will.'

‘Listen . . . um . . . what's your name?' Hazel said.

‘Pearlie.'

‘Yeah, Pearlie. Let me tell you a story about him and you might change your mind.' Hazel sat down on one of the bar stools and lit a cigarette. She blew smoke through her lips like blue steam.

Tinto was being restless, so Pearlie brought him out from under her jacket and sat him on her lap.

‘What a sweetie,' Hazel said. ‘What is it?'

‘Tinto's a pygmy marmoset,' Pearlie replied.

‘Aw, can I have a cuddle?'

‘He's not real friendly with people he doesn't know,' Pearlie said. But to her surprise Tinto jumped onto Hazel's shoulder.

‘If you're giving this one away too, I'll have him. He's the cutest thing I ever did see.'

Tinto lifted his head and Hazel tickled him under the chin.

‘Tinto's definitely coming with me,' Pearlie said.

‘That's too bad.' Hazel reached under the counter and pulled out a photograph in a black frame. The picture showed a man in uniform standing in front of an aeroplane and wearing a pilot's helmet. It was one of those old-fashioned planes that had four wings and an open cockpit.

‘This is Thomas,' Hazel said. ‘Better known as Old Man Lizard.'

Pearlie looked in astonishment at Hazel, then at the man in the photo.

‘When Thomas was young he used to be a flying ace,' Hazel continued. ‘You know, one of those guys who shot down lots of German planes. That was in World War One. He was a local hero in Darwin and very popular. Except one day, he got shot down himself. His plane caught fire. He was lucky to escape with his life, but he was left with horrible burns all over his body.' Hazel took a cloth and wiped the glass of the photograph. ‘When he got out of hospital, kids would point and laugh at him. And the people of the town found it hard to look at his face so they'd look away instead. Then slowly nobody talked to him 'cos they were embarrassed or something.' Hazel shrugged her shoulders. ‘I was only a little girl, then, but that's what I've been told. He changed from a happy young man to a recluse. He locked himself away and that's how it's been for him ever since.'

‘That's horrible,' Pearlie said, remembering all the times she and Nao had run past Old Man Lizard's shack because they were scared of him – of what he looked like. They'd never stopped to think that he had feelings, too.

‘Yep. Poor Thomas.' Hazel sighed. ‘I've heard he likes animals, though. I guess it's because they don't care what their owners look like as long as they get love and food.' Hazel took up a cloth and began wiping the counter. ‘Go ask Thomas, love.'

Pearlie hesitated. She still didn't like the idea but she had no choice. ‘Have you ever talked to him?' she asked.

‘Not sure anyone has for ages,' Hazel replied.

Pearlie patted the pouch at her waist and Tinto jumped off Hazel's shoulder.

‘Let me know if you ever want to give that little guy up,' Hazel said.

Pearlie thanked Hazel and said goodbye. It was time to face Old Man Lizard.

Early the following morning, before her parents were awake, Pearlie set off for Old Man Lizard's shack. She carried Santa in his cage with Rusty trotting happily alongside her.

It was several miles to the shack and the cage was big and cumbersome so Pearlie had to stop to rest along the way. Rusty was his usual frisky self, running ahead and bringing back a stick for her to throw. But he lowered his tail when he picked up the scent of Titch, Thomas Hardy's huge dog. When Titch started barking ferociously, Rusty sat down and wouldn't budge.

‘All right. You stay here with Santa while I talk to Thomas Hardy,' Pearlie said, putting the rope around Rusty's neck and tying him to a tree. At least this way they'll be safe, she thought.

With Tinto in her arms, she made her way up the track towards the front door, where Titch was crouching. Pearlie was trembling. Her breath came in short, sharp bursts.

There was no way of reaching the hessian-cloth door without being easy prey for Titch, who had begun to bark fiercely. So Pearlie stayed where she was and called out, ‘Mr Hardy! Thomas Hardy! My name's Pearlie Chan. Can I talk to you, please?'

Pearlie saw the hessian move.

‘What do you want?' came a gruff voice. ‘Titch!' Thomas Hardy bellowed. ‘Quiet!'

Titch stopped barking, dropped to the ground and stared at Pearlie, his ears pricked.

Was Titch afraid of Thomas Hardy, like she was? She wondered if Old Man Lizard really was kind to animals. Maybe he beat them. Pearlie felt like grabbing Rusty and Santa, and running away. But this man was their only hope. Tomorrow Pearlie was being evacuated.

She took a deep breath. ‘I got a dog called Rusty who needs looking after,' she said. ‘And a bird . . . Oh peanuts, Mr Hardy, can I come inside, please?'

There was a bark of laughter and the hessian cloth lifted.

Bravely, Pearlie took a few steps closer. Then closer, until she was inside the dark shack. She could only just make out Thomas Hardy's stooped figure in the corner.

‘You're not scared of Old Man Lizard?' Thomas Hardy said. His voice was raspy, like a saw cutting through timber.

‘I don't have time to be scared. I'm being evacuated tomorrow,' Pearlie replied.

There was a single kerosene lamp sitting on a cluttered table but the flame was so low the rest of the shack was in darkness. Then she saw a hand, covered in lizard skin and deformed, pick up the handle of the lamp and bring it towards her. All the while Old Man Lizard kept it away from his own face.

‘What's your evacuation got to do with me?'

‘I have to find a home for my pets. Rusty's a red kelpie and Santa's a cockatiel and Hazel from The Don Hotel said you like animals so I thought you might take care of them for me.'

Pearlie heard a loud snort but didn't know what it meant. Was he annoyed? Angry? Thomas Hardy didn't say much. He probably wasn't used to talking.

‘I loathe animals,' Thomas Hardy said.

‘But you have Titch,' Pearlie said.

‘Titch is a guard dog. Some people like to steal my vegetables,' Thomas Hardy said.

Pearlie couldn't see his eyes but she could feel them boring into her. ‘Oh, it wasn't us. We never did, I swear,' she said, dropping her head.

From behind Thomas Hardy in the darkness there came the whimper of another dog.

Before Pearlie could stop him, Tinto jumped from her arms onto the floor. He ran towards the animal.

‘Tinto, no!' Pearlie cried. ‘Please, Mr Hardy. Don't let your dog hurt Tinto.'

Thomas Hardy raised the kerosene lamp and hung it on a hook in the middle of the shack. Then he turned up the flame.

Pearlie's eyes shot to the corner where Tinto had disappeared.

She stared. And blinked. And stared again.

It can't be, she thought with surprise.

Sitting on an old sack was a small, wiry black-and-white dog who looked exactly like Goliath. And who should be grooming him but Tinto.

There was only one way to find out. She knelt down and patted her lap. ‘Goliath, here boy.'

The little dog stood up, and both he and Tinto ran to her.

‘Oh, Goliath. You're alive! Mr Spiros didn't shoot you!'

Goliath stepped onto Pearlie's lap and licked her face. She laughed and hugged him, weeping tears of joy.

‘Where did you find him, Mr Hardy?' she asked eventually, drying her eyes.

‘Found him running for his life through the cemetery.' Thomas Hardy scratched his head. ‘Ha, is that his real name? That's funny. I got a Titch and a Goliath.'

Now that her eyes had adjusted to the gloom, Pearlie could see Thomas Hardy up close. The skin on his face and neck looked as if it was made of strands of spaghetti, clumped together. But she was no longer scared. She looked into his eyes. They were warm and kind.

He nodded towards Tinto. ‘See you got a pygmy marmoset.'

Pearlie was surprised that he knew what kind of monkey Tinto was. Nobody else in Darwin did – except Nao, of course. Then she noticed that one wall of the shack was piled high with books. It was as if the books were holding up the roof instead of the rickety tin walls. There were books on birds and nature and animals and aeroplanes. ‘I like reading, too,' she said. ‘And writing. But I'm going to be a vet one day because I love animals more.' Pearlie swallowed. ‘That's why I came to see you, Mr Hardy. I'm desperate to find homes for my dog and cockatiel. If I don't, they'll die.'

‘Where are they now?'

‘I left them tied up a little way from here.'

‘Bring them in, then.'

‘Really? You'll look after Rusty and Santa?' Pearlie felt like hugging Thomas Hardy, she was so happy.

‘I'll tell you after I've met them,' he replied.

‘All right,' Pearlie said and turned to go, nervous with excitement.

Pearlie had never imagined that one day she'd be drinking black tea from an old jar with Old Man Lizard.

Rusty and Goliath made friends instantly. Thomas Hardy let Santa out of his cage and the little bird flew around the shack then landed on his shoulder screaming, ‘I want a biscuit.' Old Man Lizard chuckled with delight as Santa nibbled his ear. He stood up to put water on to boil. He had a little kerosene stove and a billy can.

Pearlie did most of the talking. Thomas Hardy didn't tell her much about himself, only that he hunted for food and grew his own vegetables and read a lot.

‘Do you ever get lonely?' Pearlie asked.

‘How can I be lonely with so many good friends to keep me company?' He pointed to the pillar of books. ‘I know them all by heart.'

‘And now you have Rusty and Santa and little Goliath.' She smiled. ‘But what about Titch? He must get lonely out there all by himself.'

‘Nah, Titch is a loner like me.'

Pearlie stood up. ‘I better go now,' she said. ‘Thank you, Mr Hardy.' She looked him in the eye to show him she didn't mind what he looked like.

Rusty whined but she patted his head and firmly told him to stay. Thomas Hardy had to hold onto him as she lifted the hessian cloth to leave.

Pearlie didn't look back.

She had her hand on Tinto as she made her way up the track towards town.

Tomorrow was going to be the biggest day of all. She was leaving Darwin and she was sneaking Tinto on board the
Koolinda
.

C
HINESE
New Year's Day should have been a day of celebration, a time when the Chinese lions danced through Chinatown to scare away the evil spirits. But they weren't powerful enough to scare away the Japanese war planes. Cavenagh Street looked like a ghost town.

‘I just heard on the wireless!' Dad said. ‘Japan has invaded Singapore and more than fifteen thousand Australian soldiers have been taken prisoner!'

‘Oh God,' Mum said. ‘I'm so glad we're leaving. Pearlie, are you ready? The truck will be here any minute.'

Pearlie just had one more thing to do, and she'd left it until the very last moment. ‘I'll be right there, Mum,' she said as she ran down to the shed in the yard. She opened the door. Tinto jumped onto her shoulder, excited to see her.

The night before, Pearlie had told her parents that she'd given Tinto away with the other animals. They had said they were proud of her, which made her feel even more guilty for lying. ‘Shhh . . . I know this is going to be hard, little man,' Pearlie said, stroking Tinto's mane. ‘But you have to be good, and not make any noise just until we're out at sea, all right?'

Tinto blinked and moved his little mouth as if he understood. She put him inside his pouch. He snuggled down with only his little head showing. Then she slipped a loose shirt over the dress she was wearing so that he would be covered completely but still able to breathe. Satisfied that he was hidden, she joined Mum, Dad and Joey out on the street.

Dad took one last look inside Sing Chan Tailors and locked the door.

Not long after, a big army truck pulled up to take them to the wharf. There were already other families standing on the back. Dad climbed up first, but he was still too weak to lift the small suitcase that contained their belongings, so Pearlie held Joey while Mum hauled it up onto the truck. The only thing Pearlie had packed was the precious scrapbook with the stories of her friendship with Naoko. She didn't care about her clothes.

They said hello to the other families. They knew them all but there was none of the friendly Darwin feeling between them today. As the truck bumped over potholes and splashed through puddles, everyone was too sad and too worried to chat. Nobody knew what was going to happen to them.

In the sombre silence of the wharf, Pearlie waited with her family behind a gate. The
Koolinda
loomed above them, its one funnel belching grey smoke. She kept close to Mum and Dad as she looked back at the foreshore – at Lameroo Baths, where she and Nao used to swim, at the Esplanade and the township behind. How she loved Darwin. Will I ever come back? she wondered. At least it's Perth we're sailing to. That was the only good thing about being evacuated – she would be closer to Reddy. There hadn't been time to say goodbye to anyone, though most people they knew had already left. Pearlie hadn't even had the chance to thank Hazel for all her help.

The women and children were crying now, hugging and kissing their husbands and fathers, who had to stay behind. Pearlie looked at Dad. It would be terrible to be separated from your family.

She put her hand on the small warm mound at her waist. They'd been standing around for hours in the heat but there was not a sound from Tinto. So far he'd been a good boy. I wish they'd let us board though, Pearlie thought nervously.

At last the gate was raised and the evacuees shuffled through.

But at the bottom of the gangplank there was another wait as each family's evacuation orders were checked and double-checked.

It was nearly their turn. Pearlie began to sweat. Please don't make a sound, Tinto. Be as quiet as can be.

And then, before she knew it, they were waved through.

Pearlie breathed out with relief as she walked up the gangplank and onto the deck. The air was fresher up there. It was as if the wind was telling her that it was going to be all right. Now all she had to do was keep Tinto hidden until they sailed.

They followed the other people along the deck until a soldier barred their way. ‘You'll have to go down to the library and find a space on the floor. There are no cabins left,' he said.

‘But my husband is still weak from an illness and I have a toddler,' Mum said.

‘It's the same for everyone, ma'am. The boat's overcrowded as it is.'

Mum looked at Dad. There was nothing they could do.

‘Hey, kid! What have you got there inside your clothes?' The soldier was calling after them.

Pearlie turned. The soldier pointed at her dress. When she glanced down, she saw with horror that Tinto's little head was peeping out from under her shirt.

‘Pearlie!' Mum said angrily. ‘You told us you gave Tinto away.'

Pearlie's voice was trembling as she spoke. ‘He won't be any trouble, I promise.' She didn't know whether to say this to the soldier or to her parents.

‘Hand it over,' the soldier said. ‘No animals permitted on board. We're not running Noah's Ark.'

Pearlie cradled Tinto in her arms, not wanting to let him go.

‘Give him to the soldier,' Mum said.

Pearlie shook her head as tears stung her eyes. ‘I can't. They'll kill him . . .'

‘You should have given him to Mr Hardy yesterday,' Dad said.

She wiped her eyes and looked at Dad. ‘I still can. I'll be back soon,' Pearlie said. ‘Don't worry.'

‘Pearlie, what are you doing?' Mum cried out startled.

‘I forbid you to go, Pearlie!' Dad called.

But without another word, Pearlie pushed through the crowd and down the gangplank.

She didn't look back at the ship. She raced up Cavenagh Street, past their shop, past the school. ‘Keep going, Pearlie,' she breathed. It was as if her lungs were on fire. She knew she was a long way from Thomas Hardy's shack but she told herself, ‘Just a little further now. Just a little further now.'

At the end of Cavenagh Street she was about to turn right into Daly Street when she suddenly stopped. Her breath caught in her throat.

A man with pale skin and a small ginger-coloured moustache fixed her with his bright blue eyes. He had her bracelet dangling from his fingers.

The ship's horn sounded.

Pearlie was seized with terror.