The Songmaster (61 page)

Ardjani rose and lifted his arms to the sky and began to chant. He, too, called upon the spirits to touch these two babies with their magic, to give them power and knowledge, for both would go forward in different worlds, but be always bound by this ceremony.

He laid his hand lightly on the crown of Lily’s head, then sat and took the mischievous Sunny onto his lap. He looked deep into the child’s eyes and, as if aware of the importance of the moment, Sunny suddenly lay still and locked her eyes to his.

‘You are Barradja. This is your country, your people. You are home. Your mummy, like many white people, she start to run away from our people. But your mummy wise enough to stop running. She turned to the Barradja. She gave you the story of Dhumby, the owl. That is your father’s totem, and now it is your totem.’ He tickled the child under the chin and she erupted in giggles again. ‘Your white mummy knew it is time for black and white people to stop running away from each other.’

The babies were placed on a woven mat on
the ground, Sunny sitting like a little Buddha. Beside her Lily lay on her back, small fists and legs waving and kicking. The delicate blue-eyed child with wisps of pale brown hair and the chubby, olive-skinned, dark-eyed laughing Sunny.

‘Mother Earth, embrace your daughters, for they are the future of our land, we are bound as one people. Let the children of the present be the caretakers of tomorrow.’ Ardjani sang and the girls were handed around the circle, each woman caressing and whispering her words of advice into the ears of the squirming babies until, as the last notes of Ardjani’s song faded, each baby was returned to loving arms.

The Songmaster looked into the years to come, and sang . . . of two young men, graduates of a fine white school, who would use their traditional knowledge to navigate through wild country.

And when they reached the chosen place of their people, they would walk upon the land, slowly scattering the payment of handfuls of diamonds back into the earth from where they had come. And to where, one day, we all return.

And as the Songmaster looked into these years to come, he sang . . . of two girl children who would become leaders, women of different
worlds, of different ancestors. But each would know the spirit of the land . . . the spirit born in them in the Kimberley . . .

He sang of a nation that would see old laws in a new light, that would learn to love the beauty and strength of its ancient heritage, and would embrace cultures that were new to this land . . .

He sang of a people that would share the spirit of the land.

And he sang of a country called Australia that was, at last, at peace with its past . . .