by Jared Thomas
‘And that was even before she knew Nungas could be as handsome as me,’ Frankie said, giving me and Clare a wink.
‘God you love yourself Dad,’ Clare said shaking her head and taking a sip of her wine.
‘I went for a tour to Kings Canyon and Frankie was the trainee guide, very dapper in his khaki uniform, you should have seen him,’ Linda said. I thought it was kind of funny hearing Linda say those things about Frankie, and with her English accent.
‘Trainee guide? I was running the show, big boss I was,’ Frankie said taking the last gulp of his beer.
‘Frankie was the trainee guide and I sprained my ankle in the creek bed.’
‘Then I took you to bed, hey love?’ Frankie said cracking up.
Linda rolled her eyes. ‘Frankie carried me back to the tour bus and got some ice for my ankle and was just very charming looking after me. Yes, I thought he was very handsome and so we went for dinner and then let’s just say I prolonged my stay in Australia.’
Frankie raised his empty beer bottle and asked if I wanted another. ‘That’s a story I like to drink to,’ he said.
I knocked back the beer but made the most of the snapper, oysters, prawns and salad that was dished up for dinner. Frankie put on some Bob Marley which really freaked me out. Things got even mellower, especially after Frankie and Linda had a couple of more drinks, and with the hot night, candles and insects whirring away in the darkness. Clare was pretty quiet. She just seemed happy to listen to her parents and me talk with her head resting on my shoulder most of the time.
‘Your boss could take a leaf from our book don’t you reckon?’ Frankie asked when Linda and Clare started taking some things inside.
‘What do you mean?’ I asked.
‘Well bush tucker is really high in vitamins and has medicinal qualities. We got some plants where just one fruit has got more vitamin C in it than a whole crate of oranges. We took things to fix headaches and even today there’s women who know the right plants to take as contraceptives.’
I didn’t know if Frankie’s talk of contraceptives was a subtle hint for me and Clare to be careful but his knowledge was making me buzz with excitement.
‘Are there things that you take for relaxation, maybe things that you rub on the skin?’ I asked.
‘Of course, plenty of things,’ Frankie answered in a really enthusiastic way.
I leaned forward on my chair, ‘Really?’
‘The Ngarrindjeri, down the south-east there, used to make hot baths for their old people and put in plants that fixed up arthritis and all types of things.’
‘True?’
‘Yeah, and our mob had the same types of things, things that relax you.’
‘Is there anything up my way?’ I asked.
‘Sure.’ Frankie sipped his beer, ‘But even though your country is close to mine, it’s a little bit different.’
‘Where’s your country?’ Linda asked when she came back out and took a seat.
‘Flinders Ranges, Spencer Gulf,’ said Frankie before I could answer. ‘Beautiful. We used to take the kids camping there every year when they were little. Alligator Gorge is spectacular, especially when the creeks are running.’
‘So there are things there that can make you relax?’ I persisted.
‘Your mob knows. Just have a look around with them.’
‘I’ve been trying,’ I said, a little disappointed.
‘Well I’d head up there with you to have a look around but I’m a bit busy until after Christmas,’ Frankie said.
‘Thanks Frankie, that would be deadly,’ I said. ‘I was thinking about heading up there next weekend to see my Aunty Janet.’
‘Why don’t you take Clare?’ Frankie suggested. I took this as a sign that I’d made a good impression.
‘We could take my car,’ Clare suggested.
I looked at Linda. ‘Don’t look at me,’ she said, it’s up to Clare. ‘A woman doesn’t really know a man until she knows his country,’ Frankie said, taking Linda’s hand and squeezing it before chuckling.
Linda stood up from her chair. ‘How about we head down to the café for a coffee?’ she said to Frankie.
‘Alright,’ he said standing up from the bench. ‘If you’re not here when I get back young fella, good to meet you and have a good night, hey,’ Frankie said.
Before Linda and Frankie had shut the back door behind them Linda said, ‘It would be nice to see you on Christmas day. I mean, if that’s okay with you Clare, and you’re not too busy with your family, Calypso?’
‘Of course,’ Clare said.
‘That would be great,’ I told them before they slipped off to Semaphore Road for a coffee. ‘Your parents are too deadly,’ I told Clare as soon as they were out the door.
‘They’re keen on you too,’ she said. Clare unbuttoned my shirt a bit and was running her fingers across my chest. Then she asked me to go inside with her. She led me into the living room where there were some pretty neat photos of her and her brother. As she directed me to the couch she said, ‘We’re not getting up to anything in my parent’s house, okay?’
By the time I left Clare’s my lips were numb from kissing, I had a full on love bite on my chest and we’d made a few plans for our trip to Aunty Janet’s.
15
While I was getting caught up with Clare I hadn’t seen much of Run. Wasn’t giving him a second to be honest but a couple of days before we went to Aunty Janet’s I came home from work and there was Run cooking baked beans in the kitchen. He was dressed from head to toe in black. A black long-sleeved t-shirt, track pants and shoes even. And not the type he’d wear to look deadly in, but cheap ones that were brand new.
‘You wearing black jocks too cuz?’
Run gave me a dirty look as he stirred the beans. ‘Got your ticket for the Love Boat yet cuz?’
‘Good to see you’re not in the slammer … yet,’ I said.
‘Run never gets caught cuz, I’m like a black panther, you should know that.’ Run took the beans off the stove.
‘Where you been anyway?’
‘Just staying here and there.’
‘Robbie’s?’
‘Yeah, saving my bunda.’
‘To come out bush with me?’
‘I’m not jumping on a bus and heading out bush on some wild goose chase. What you think you is, black Indiana Jones or something, Calypso?’ Run said, laughing. He then started eating baked beans straight from the pot.
‘I’m going on the weekend. Come on, come and meet some of our family. They’re a real deadly mob you know,’ I said, trying to break the shit between us. As Run ate I thought he was considering it so I said, ‘I’m getting a lift, you can come with us.’
‘Who with?’
‘Clare,’ I said.
‘Who’s Clare?’
‘My girlfriend. She’s Nunga too, you’ll like her.’
‘Well then,’ said Run before taking his last mouthful of beans and throwing the pot into the sink, ‘I guess that means you’ll want me out of here pretty soon … so that you can treat Clare fine …take her on a cruise … cruising on the Love Boat with Calypso.’
‘I don’t want you to move out Run,’ I said as seriously as possible. ‘You know, I just want you to give things a good shot.’
‘Calypso, you’re full of shit. It was alright when you smoked up and that. You just think you’re so fucking good these days, like some of those stupid kids at our school … everything’s a breeze, the world’s a beautiful place just for you … you’re dreaming bruz.’ He grabbed his knapsack from my couch.
I wasn’t angry with him, I just felt guilty. Guilty that things were going so well when Run probably felt like his life was all fucked up. He was just about to finish school and get his exam results. And then what? I grabbed him by the arm as he was about to step out the door and said, ‘Run, don’t be angry with me cuz come on, I’m just trying to help you out.’
‘I’m helping myself bruz,’ he said shrugging out my grip
and then slamming the door behind him.
I threw myself onto the couch, got up to turn on the television set and then sat back down again. The news was on. I didn’t really watch it. The images of the West Indies training at the Sydney Cricket Ground just became background noise.
I thought about asking Gary if he could give Run a job but quickly realised that was a stupid idea. Although business seemed like it was going alright, sometimes Gary had to pay me a couple or a few days late and I didn’t want Run to get us fired if he did anything stupid. It was too risky.
I went to the fridge to get a glass of water and I tried to think positively. When I sat back down I thought about Bruce telling me that he’d talk to our family about Gary’s idea. I knew that if there was something there that Gary would like it and he’d want more. Before long we’d be selling our products to health stores, spa and masseur businesses all over the world. I could see our own family business strong and successful with me, Run and all of my family as equal partners. I could see Shae and Brea helping out and even Vance and Millie running it one day if they wanted.
°°°
Clare picked me up in her little red Toyota Corolla early on Saturday morning. I kissed her and threw my things into the back of the car. ‘Thanks heaps for this. You have to let me pay for petrol and anything you need okay? I’ve got some food in the back for us and the mob too.’
‘No problem,’ Clare said.
When we hit the highway Clare pumped up the stereo. The song ‘Echo Beach’ was playing. I let out a bit of a hoot, feeling free and speeding along with Clare. It was a thousand times better than sitting in the slow Greyhound bus full of sweaty mob. Clare started singing along to the music and I was impressed. I tapped my fingers on the dashboard and danced along to the music muck-around way. Clare cracked up and then leaned across and kissed me while keeping an eye on the road.
Clare’s driving was really deadly. Since my Dad died, apart from riding in taxis, I hardly ever get to travel in a car. Even when I travel in a taxi it’s only for things like bringing home lots of groceries with Mum or for emergencies like the time Evelyn and me had to get Millie to the hospital flat out because she had a really high temperature.
‘This is so neat, Calypso,’ Clare said. ‘I haven’t headed north in ages.’
‘I’ll buy a car one day, a real solid one. We’ll come out here all the time. We can go anywhere,’ I said feeling pumped.
We stopped an hour out of the city at Port Wakefield to get petrol. ‘Fill it up and I’ll pay inside and get us something,’ Clare said when she jumped out of the car. I unscrewed the petrol cap as I watched Clare walk into the petrol station. She looked hot in her skirt, singlet top and thongs. The sun was hot too, beating down from above and bouncing back up at me from the pavement. I felt like I was in a furnace and it was still only morning.
Two fellas about my age in an old Holden ute pulled up at the petrol bowser next to me. Two trail bikes were strapped to the trailer. There was a skinny bloke wearing a cowboy hat, denim jeans, boots and a tank top. When he jumped out of the car he gave me a real dirty look. The bloke in the passenger seat looked straight ahead, his freckled arm resting on the window ledge covered in dust and sweat. The cowboy looking fella started filling up the ute.
I felt a bit uncomfortable and not just because of the sweltering heat. I realised the fellas were going to have a go. If they kicked the shit out of me, fine, but not when Clare was there. I didn’t want anything to spoil our weekend together. ‘Take it easy,’ I told myself, making sure not to look at them, trying to make myself invisible. Not easy to do when you’re black with dreadlocks.
‘Oy mate,’ the bloke in the passenger seat called to out his mate, ‘Don’t forget to fill up the jerry can … but make sure the nigger doesn’t flog it to sniff with his relations.’ The fellas started to piss themselves laughing. I was fucked off and wanted to turn around and have a go but then I saw Clare walk out of the service station.
I jumped back in Clare’s car as the fella in the passenger’s seat called out to his friend, ‘Make sure you warn the attendant that the niggers are filling up out here. Don’t want them taking off without paying.’ Then a second later the cowboy crossed paths with Clare. He turned around and watched her walk toward me, having a good perve. It was lucky they didn’t say anything else. I mean if I pulled that fella out of the window of his car and flogged him until he was shitting chops like I wanted, my arse would have been dragged through the courts. I just looked up at the pale blue sky and tried to make my anger disappear.
‘Everything alright?’ Clare asked passing me an ice-block.
‘Yeah, it’s just damn hot.’
When we got back on the open highway Clare looked at me as if something was wrong and then said, ‘Shit, I almost forgot.’ She turned on the radio and started searching for a station. Then the familiar nasal voice of Richie Benaud reminded me that the test match between Australia and the West Indies was beginning.
‘How could we forget about the cricket?’ I asked.
Already a few balls had been bowled by Mitchell Johnson to the West Indian opening batsman, Gayle.
‘The first few overs of a game are the most exciting don’t you reckon Calypso?’ Clare asked.
‘Yeah mahn, and probably the most important. If a team can get some early wickets, the others seem to come easier. And the longer a batsman is at the crease the easier it is for him to get runs on the board.’
And just then, Johnson, as if on cue, took Gayle’s wicket.
With the air-conditioning blowing straight into my face, the cricket on the radio and my hand on Clare’s thigh as we travelled along, I’d soon forgotten all about the blokes at the service station. I was looking forward to seeing the ranges appear as we travelled toward my mob’s country.
°°°
We turned off onto the little dirt track to Aunty Janet’s with the Flinders Ranges in the background. ‘God I’d like to live out here, this place is beautiful, I mean, check it out,’ Clare said.
‘Deadly, hey?’ I jumped out to open the gate to Aunty Janet’s property.
I told Clare to drive ahead of me because I wanted to stretch my legs a bit. I looked at the rows of trees planted out the front of Aunty Janet’s, wondering what they were. And then I heard a hiss. I nearly shit myself and I kind of shivered when I looked down to see a blue-tongue lizard with its back arched and jaws wide open. I almost ran to where Clare was parking her car beneath the shade of a large gum tree.
When she jumped out she stretched her hands above her head. I grabbed her around the waist and kissed her. God she looked, smelt and felt good. ‘Aunty Janet’s real good, nothing to worry about,’ I told her before I took her by the hand and led her to the house.
‘Aunty Janet, you there?’ I called out through the flyscreen door.
‘Yeah we’re in ’ere, come in.’
I was surprised to find Vic sitting in the lounge watching the cricket. I was even more surprised when he stood from his seat and shook my hand. ‘How you going cuz? So this is your woman?’ he asked as he looked Clare up and down.
‘This is Clare,’ I said.
‘Nice to meet you,’ Clare said going to shake Vic’s hand.
Vic mucked around with shaking Clare’s hand. Shaking it in all types of ways you know before he started laughing. Clare thought it was funny too but I wasn’t too impressed. It didn’t take me long to figure out why Vic was being all friendly.
‘Come here and say hello to me, come on, don’t be shame,’ Aunty Janet called out from where she was rinsing some dishes at the sink.
‘Lovely to see you, Kyle,’ she said wiping her hands on a tea towel when I walked over. ‘Well, give us a hug then,’ she demanded, and then said. ‘Nice to meet you girl,’ as she gave Clare a warm hug too. ‘Let me get you a cold drink then, it’s hot out there ’ey bub?’
Clare and I took a seat at the table where Aunty Janet’s game of patience was spread out. Before Aunty Janet had
even handed Clare a glass of water she asked her, ‘Who’s your mob?’
‘Ngadjuri,’ Clare said.
‘True?’ Aunty Janet said, her face lighting up. ‘Who’s your parents then?’
‘My dad is Frankie Stewart, works at the Health Centre in Adelaide. My mum’s from England.’
‘I know your dad,’ Aunty Janet said almost squealing, ‘And some of your old people too.’ Then she gave Clare a hug and said, ‘That’s lovely dear.’
‘That’s proper way to marry for us mob, you know cuz?’ Vic said from his position on the couch.
‘That’s what Mum reckons,’ I said, trying to not make a big deal of it so that Clare wouldn’t get all shame.
I heard a car pull up out front, the car door squeak and then slam shut. Then I heard feet shuffling up onto the veranda as Uncle Ray called out, ‘Eh you mob.’ Uncle Ray walked into the house, took off his cowboy hat, ruffled his wispy grey hair, placed his hat back on his head and then said, ‘G’day Vic,’ as he walked to the kitchen table. ‘Hello, love,’ he said to Clare and he tilted his hat. ‘I’m Uncle Ray, bloody hot out there ’ey, hotter than Satan’s arse isn’t it?’
Clare laughed and said, ‘Nice to meet you.’
‘Nice to meet you too love,’ he said before turning a seat around and straddling it. He wiped his forehead with the back of his arm. ‘Glad you fellas come up ’ere. Vic and I will take you for a look around country when it cools down a bit.’
‘That’ll be solid, Uncle Ray,’ I said.
‘Yeah, cool,’ said Clare. ‘Will we get up into the hills?’
‘Why’s that love?’ Uncle Ray asked leaning forward on his chair.
‘I used to go up to Alligator Gorge with Dad and Mum when I was a little kid, I really like it up there.’
‘We’ll take you up to the hills, we’ll take you to one real special one.’
°°°
I was really impressed with Uncle Ray’s old white Valiant wagon. Sure it was old and covered in dust but it looked more like a stingray with fins and things than a car. Real deadly!
