Koalaland or The Great Koala Novel - Volume I: The Making of a Kingdom

by David Bolton

  ***

  Doctor Koala found Claire napping on a low-lying branch of her tree, but even before he got there, her little Chihuahua started yapping, piercing the air with its staccato bark.

  “What the devil does she see in that creature, anyway?” he thought to himself as he walked up and said to the dog, in an effort to quiet it down, “Calm down, boy! You should know me by now.”

  “Oh, Doctor Koala! Here so soon?” Claire called down, having been woken by the Chihuahua. Claire was in the twilight of middle age, as attested by her white-streaked gray fur. She had put on a few too many pounds these last years, especially since the death of her mother, to whom she had had an exceptionally close relationship. Her lavender-colored overalls had side pockets that were outlined in a darker shade of purple; the single, larger breast pocket, perfectly centered in the bib of the garment, was decorated with a yellow stitched embroidery of her chihuahua, an embellishment she herself had added in her spare time.

  “Why, I’m right on time, as a matter of fact. Wanted to ask you about those pains you were having.”

  “They’re much better now. I’ve been taking that potion you prepared for me, and that seemed to help.” She moved from the branch to the trunk of the tree and climbed down to the ground. “Have a seat, Doc. Should I make us some tea?”

  “No, I can’t stay long today. Just wanted to check that… Hey, what’s that?” Doctor Koala interrupted his own thought upon noticing a little bottle next to the trunk of the tree. Claire quickly reached over, picked it up and put it behind her.

  “Oh, that’s nothing. Just a water bottle,” she explained.

  “Let me see it,” said the Doctor firmly.

  “Why, it’s just for water, I tell you. What’s the big deal?”

  “Claire, give me that bottle right now!” he insisted, raising his voice a bit.

  “Oh…. okay, here,” she moaned as she handed it to him. Doctor Koala smelled the rim of the bottle. “Water, huh? This had eucalyptus liquor in it. You’ve been drinking again!”

  “Well, I… you know, I just need it at times,” Claire stammered.

  “And then you wonder why you have liver pains? I’ve warned you again and again to lay off that stuff. You’re going to ruin your health even more if you keep that up!” he scolded. Then, in a softer, more compassionate tone, he went on. “Claire, don’t you see what you’re doing to yourself? I’ll be honest with you. You’ve aged more in these past two years than in the five years before that, and if you don’t stop drinking, you’ll end up in an early grave. Is that really what you want?”

  “I know, I know…” Claire groaned in despair. “But ever since mom passed away in the last wet tail epidemic three years ago, I just haven’t been able to cope. So many died back then! I don’t have any close relatives here anymore. They’re all dead. Oh, Doctor Koala, I don’t see any reason to go on…”

  “Don’t you dare talk like that, I forbid it! Claire, you’re a very special koala. You’ve helped so many around here with that special gift of yours. It’s rare that someone can get glimpses into the future, as you can, and see so many things that other koalas can’t. Why, I know many here in the grove who cherish the advice you give them more than anybody else’s. That should be what you focus on. Look towards your own future, and dedicate yourself to helping others. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Do you think you are the only one who lost loved ones in that epidemic?”

  “Oh, Doctor, I know you’re right. I’ve wanted to stop drinking so many times now. But I never seem to be able to,” Claire said, the tears welling up in her soft brown eyes.

  “It’s not just a question of health. You know eucalyptus liquor is against the law in Koalaville. Do you want to legal have problems? I’ll bet that Bumpy and Humpy have been smuggling it in from Koalatown for you. Or was it Warooey and Usotsky?”

  “Well, I promised I wouldn’t say anything, you understand…”

  “Yeah, I understand,” said Doctor Koala sarcastically, “protecting the ones who are helping you ruin your life. I won’t try to pry it out of you, but I will see to it that Judge Grandaddy gives Handy permission to check up on those lowlifes. I can’t prove it, but I know for a fact that those four koalas make regular visits to Koalatown, and they don’t do it to admire the scenery. They’ve been smuggling that liquor in here for some time now, I’d bet on it. Oh, by the way, speaking of betting…” Doctor Koala changed the subject, remembering the lottery. “There’s this game we want to play, and I thought that, well, considering your abilities, you might have some intuition about the numbers we need,” he went on to explain their plan to play the lottery.

  “Well, Doctor Koala, I’d love to help you, but I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “You see, when I am with somebody, I often get these visions in my mind, things related to that particular koala, or to a situation. But numbers are so abstract, I wouldn’t pick up anything. Of course, I could give you my favorite number: 7. I don’t know if that will do you any good though…” Claire said apologetically.

  “Oh well, I thought it’d be worth a try. I’ll write that down. Another vote for 7. That’s the second one today. Oh, yes, and about that liquor. I’m going to think about it, about what we can do to help you. And I’d like to stress the ‘we’, because if you don’t want to help yourself, nobody else can help you, either. Do you understand that, Claire?”

  “Yes, I suppose I do, Doctor. I wish I weren’t such a disappointment for you,” she said sadly, lowering her furry head in embarrassment.

  “Oh, nonsense! You’ve got an illness, that’s all,” Doctor Koala said, trying to lift her spirits, “...and since I’m a physician, it’s my job to figure out what we should do. I’ll give it some thought, and drop by here tomorrow, same time. Will that be all right with you?”

  “Why, yes it will, Doctor, and I thank you so much for your concern!”

  “Claire, we’ve know each other since we were children. That’s a bond that can never be severed. You’ll always have a friend in me.”

  “Oh, thank you so much, Doc!” Claire said, almost crying when she heard his kind, reassuring words.

  “But as far as those other ‘friends’ of yours are concerned – Bumpy, Humpy, Warooey, Usotsky, or whoever it was who brought you that liquor – you stay away from them, do you hear me?” he admonished her.

  “Okay, I will,” Claire promised.

  “All right, Claire, I’ll see you tomorrow, then. And don’t forget to take some drops of that potion throughout the day.

  “I won’t forget, Doctor. Thank you so much! Good-bye!”

  “Bye, Claire. See you tomorrow.” Doctor Koala walked away, reaching up to wipe a small tear from the corner of his left eye. He really cared for Claire. He had known her for so long, and knew that she was very sensitive. No wonder she had trouble coping at times. But he had seldom known a koala who cared so much about others. Claire was always willing to give advice to those who needed it, and her extraordinary perceptive powers allowed her to pick up things about others that no one else could see. Yet when her old mother died so miserably in that last epidemic, her spirit seemed to break, and now, for more than two years, she had been trying to drown her sorrows with that eucalyptus liquor. Of course she had liver problems; you can’t drink such quantities of that stuff and go unpunished.

  But he would think of a way to help her. Meanwhile, he was going to see to it that the mangy koalas who brought her the stuff were found and duly punished. He was sure that his friend the Judge would agree wholeheartedly.