To Kill a Bunyip

by A R Dent

  ~~~~~

  Leonard phoned Betty and explained Charlie’s disposition. Today Charlie got the all clear to go to his new home and meet the whole family.

  ‘Betty, I will not be here when you get here so I want to run over a few things. . . number one is diet. . . keep Charlie on the diet you get when you arrive. . . special diet to build him up again. . . he was malnourished a bit and it was a miracle he got through the ordeal. . . he needs rest and not over excitement. . . dogs generally do rest but keep him locked up for another week – especially with another dog there – he will be ok but just keep him quiet. . . the other thing is – this is the happy part – the people up Gladstone who knew his owners took a collection up and have paid the bill – a win/win all round. . . and I will want to see him in six months for a check up. . . and keep the anti-paralysis tick treatment going – you don’t live far from the wetlands so I suggest the stronger of the two options. Thanks Betty, glad to have helped – you know Betty – this surgery has had a dog here that tells people what he wants – sort of reverse psychic – everybody notices it – he can communicate his wants. His eyes are the reason, is what people say – his look of expectation. Ok, bye.’ Leonard hung up and went to his car to check on a koala. The koala had been injured and had to be helped roadside.

  ~~~~~

  Betty and the twins picked Charlie up from the Vet and put Charlie into the car. On the way home Jack sat in the back with Charlie to pacify him. Penny, Jack’s sister, sat in the front with her mother and kept turning around. Betty stopped the car and ordered Penny to get in the back and sit alongside of Charlie. Penny got out of the car, walked into the shop across the road and bought Charlie an ice cream, returned and got into the back and then held the ice cream in front of Charlie as he licked it. Half way through Charlie grabbed the rest of the ice cream in his mouth and ate it as though he had not eaten for three days. This was the setting of Charlie and his new family. The intensity of love became so intensive Charlie felt as though he was boxed in with no escape.

  The car stopped in the driveway and Charlie was taken out of the car and out onto the street. Jack went into the house and brought his dog, Oscar, out to meet Charlie. Charlie recognised the scent of this dog as the one who had been inside the car he just got out of. The moment of tension had arrived. Will Charlie and Oscar hit it off? Will they recognise the blood brother factor? Will Charlie have somewhere to sleep that night? The dogs took turns with sniffing, smelling, depositing pheromones, smells, and movements of pecking order. A gradual process of acceptance. Finally Charlie raised his tail and made it wag a bit – in return Oscar raised his tail and wagged it around more – Charlie then moved his tail more. . . then they jumped at each other in playful acceptance.

  ‘Now mum, you take Charlie and I take Oscar and we walk inside the gate together.’ Jack said.

  As the gate closed Oscar and Charlie were let off their leashes. Instantly Oscar ran around the yard with Charlie in hot pursuit with a cat sitting on the back fence watching this new dog in her backyard.

  ‘Oscar has now got a friend,’ went onto the Internet, emails and texted messages. Penny text everyone in her mobile phone to inform - come over and see him - they look like twins - one is darker than the other - mum is going to have a party next week for everybody - it will be bring a plate and BYO – mum will make the usual salad.’

  Charlie became the toast of the neighbourhood before anybody cast their eyes on him. In the back shed the room was rearranged for Charlie’s bed. The artist’s easel was moved here. Oscar’s bed was moved there. The desk with drawings on it was moved away into a corner. Everything was laid out as Charlie imagined it was to be for him.

  The ghost had not appeared though Charlie knew full well of its presence near him.

  As the days proceeded with a regimented order of breakfast followed by a walk to the corner and back and then lay down for a rest. Oscar kept his distance and would not let Charlie sit near the back door or let him inside the house. There were developing petty jealousies and Charlie slowly kept further from his brother from the same mother. It was in this scenario that one day Charlie decided to take himself for a walk. Charlie approached the side gate and eyed it up and down. He had never contemplated jumping over a gate before. He had never had a gate stopping him from going for the daily self discovery of the neighbour’s fences to see who had deposited a message on the pansies or hedge along the footpath. Times had changed Charlie but his inner self told him that this house did not give him the excitements he wanted. With Peter, he was number one dog however here he was just another animal equal to the chickens who got more food than him. Charlie wanted to be the number one again. He wanted life to go back to what he had experienced before the departure of Peter. On this particular day Charlie was on his own as usual walking along the back fence and a mist appeared in front of him.

  ‘Are you happy Charlie?’ the mist said.

  ‘You again? No I am not happy at all. This house is boring to live here. Nobody here wants to play with me or do interesting things like going for a walk.’ Charlie replied. ‘You promised. You told me to trust you and I nearly died. The car was terrible with smelly people.’

  ‘Charlie, I put you into that car to get you to a dog hospital. I knew the tick was in you but I can’t remove ticks or the poison. I had to arrange your healing Charlie. Please understand and be my friend. I do want a friend Charlie but I can’t be your friend if you think I want to harm you.’

  ‘I don’t trust anyone anymore.’

  ‘I will ignore that comment. Charlie, you seem to be sad. Why not do things to entertain yourself? What about I teach you to dance or sing or draw? Charlie come near the fence where the sand is – put your paw into the sand and move it making a pattern in the sand – yes – that is it – what about you imagine Charlie what it is you want? Is it love, or something you want to do that is not making sense? Charlie, I think you need to let go of your past. The life you had before has gone. Life is a continuation of change and to say that the world you had has to be the world you want is to deny what happiness I can show you. What about we go for a walkies together Charlie – I know a place we can imagine all sorts of things – but it is scary with creatures that gobble up dogs and snakes that kill and frogs that croak and lizards that stick their tongue out. What about a scary life – do you want a scary life? Life is what you make or imagine. Answer me Charlie – tell me your darkest desires or your wildest fantasies and let us discover from fantasy.’

  ‘I like the paintings Sarah did – and – the ones that Betty does. Betty uses lots of colour – I want colour in my life too – to be able to paint flowers too. Will you show me what love is? Or tell me what it is? I hate being here with Oscar – he doesn’t want to be my friend.’

  ‘Charlie, one day you will find that someone loves you – really loves you – but first you must love yourself. I don’t think you love yourself because Peter’s father was nasty to you. If I can show you how to love yourself – will you stay here with this family and just be you – you have to know yourself before you know others. What about Charlie I take you away somewhere until you are ready to accept the world as being where you want to be?’

  ‘Ghost, what is your name?’

  ‘My name is Donella.’

  ‘Donella, I imagine a lot of things but they don’t come true. Jock said to imagine and you will know it when you see it. But I never see it.’

  ‘Charlie, what you imagine and what you see - sometimes they are same thing. There are people who look backwards in time and there are people who walk backwards in time. What do you chose?’

  ‘Donella, you are speaking above me. You are talking in signs. I am a dog and dogs do not understand signs. When you speak simple language I will understand you.’

  ‘Then I will simplify what I am saying. Charlie do you want to stay here with this family? Now that you are alive and well again we can continue searching for another family. Would you like that?’


  ‘I want a family who wants me.’

  ‘This family wants you.’

  ‘I don’t see it. I don’t see how they want me.’

  ‘Then if you are not happy – tell me what will make you happy.’

  ‘I want to paint like Sarah and Betty and do things creative.’

  ‘Oh Charlie, learning to paint takes a long time. But it will give you joy and happiness. I can show you a place to paint but there are terrible monsters there, which bite the heads off any beast that goes to their watering hole to swim. To go there would mean certain death if you went near the swimming hole. There is a house not far from here where you can live alone. A fisherman owns it and goes there when the fishing is good. Would you like to have a look at it Charlie. The house has special powers at night when the moon is full. There is a full moon tonight. Do you want to follow me there? You can be back in the house here before it is light.’

  ‘Yes, yes, yes, a house on my own to paint. . . lead me to the house tonight.’

  ‘Then go to sleep now and Jack will wake you for your evening food and we will go as soon as it is safe to leave.’

  ‘When you go to sleep I will cover you with a fog. After the fog settles on you special gifts of imagination will allow you to see and imagine what I see. To see and imagine, a special life is yours for one week. After that week you will have to decide if you are staying in the world of imagination or returning to your present life. Would you like that to happen Charlie?’

  ‘For one week? And what happens after a week if I decide to stay and live somewhere else?’

  ‘Charlie, your future is in your own imagination. What you imagine is your future. It is when you look back your future is changed. So do you want to look back? I can help you walk backwards so that you are looking at where you came from. Dogs look forward when they walk so why not look forward in time?’

  At this time Charlie grew to mistrust Donella except for one temptation. Charlie wanted to paint and knew Donella spoke about creativity giving happiness.

  ‘Just once, if I go with you tonight and I don’t like it, can I return here and never go back?’

  ‘Charlie that is what everybody says when tempted. Charlie for one week you will have the ability to paint. And I can teach you to dance. I know a few other things too – I learnt from a special muse once how to sing and dance. . . time is what you need Charlie. . . time to heal. . . your body aches to be patted and have your ears played with by a human but you cannot always get what you want. Do you trust me Charlie?’

  ‘Yes I trust you Donella, but you talk about things I know nothing of.’

  ‘Well is it decided? Are you game enough to venture into the unknown world of creativity tonight?’

  ‘Yes, tonight only I will go with you. But I have to be back before light and anyone here finds out.’

  ‘Nobody will know. I will be back later Charlie – bye,’ said Donella as she slowly faded.

  Charlie sauntered over to his sleep rug and played with the rug. His paw became stronger and more definite in its movements. As Charlie moved his paw he noticed it made a perfect circle with the rug. He then laid down in the middle of the rug and went to sleep.

  In the dream state of mind, Charlie visualised a replica of James Pemberton chasing him. The dream continued with James Pemberton harassing Charlie with a broom stick and not letting him get back into the home after his night with Donella. Charlie was shaking him and woke him from his sleep. As Charlie walked to the door of the hut, he saw Oscar standing at the back door of the house. This meant food would be coming from the house soon.

  The dream of James Pemberton was combined with the conversation with Donella and his plans for that night was forgotten because of the hunger and desires to be with his family. Except one thing was staring him in the face – the artist’s easel that Betty used to paint with.

  Food was eaten ravenously as dogs eat sometimes and Charlie wanting to eat as fast as possible scared the other dog would take over and eat all his remaining food. Dogs eat like that sometimes when in their pre-domesticated state. Some dogs have elevated themselves from their wild heritage but this day Charlie and Oscar reverted to the state of living in the wild.

  After dinner was scoffed down the two dogs separated and walked away in opposite directions. Bonding as expected never eventuated and Charlie walked to the back fence where he sat in solitude. He never expected the days to be easy but Oscar never made it easy on this intruder to his life. Oscar was often found sitting on is rug moving his paws as though they were itchy. His legs seemed to be restless and moved erratically whilst he closed his eyes. Charlie wanted to be friends but aloofness of Oscar meant Charlie was at the bottom of the pecking order – way below that of the family cat Escere – and now Donella offered Charlie an escape but he decided to forego the offer and stay at home that night.

  As night approached Donella suspected the worst with Charlie and his desires to escape for the night. Donella changed plans and decided to do it her way and saw an opportunity not to be missed.

  ‘Charlie, go into the shed to sleep and I will show you and Oscar what I can do with the paint and the canvas in the shed.’

  Charlie went to the shed he slept in and Oscar mysteriously followed him in. In the shed were the cat and a bird, a Tawny Frogmouth. Oscar flopped himself down and the Donella materialised into a Brolga bird.

  ‘See Charlie, only the animals here know I am really a Brolga. I can dance for you and show you how to be creative.’

  Donella the Brolga slowly danced around the room and slowly the other animals one at a time took notice.

  ‘Charlie, you have to imagine – you have to imagine the other animals can see me too. . . I am a dancer who can dance for you. . . I will change again for you but you have to imagine what you want me to be. . . what do you want me to be Charlie?

  ‘I just thought you would take me away to a house and keep me there away from this family. I want you to be the one to show me how to imagine – I try to imagine but keep getting thoughts of the house I lived at before.’

  ‘That is because you are walking backwards. Look forward when you walk and think about what you want. But be careful of what you ask – you might just get it and it might be harmful.’

  ‘I want to leave here and not come back. I want a family on my own.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Then come with me now and I will take you for one week and then decide but if you keep thinking of James Pemberton you will never return here again.’

  ‘I want to go now.’

  ‘Follow me – and let’s go for it.’

  The animals in the room ignored what was happening except the Tawny Frogmouth who immediately flew out of the room and flew high up into the trees.

  ‘I will return to being a misty cloud to lead you Charlie. Be quick and follow my every move and be back here Tomorrow or in one week – time will tell what happens to you now.’ Donella said as she changed back into a cloud.

  Charlie quickly moved to the door and saw the side gate open on its own and the cloud hovering over the gate. As dogs do, Charlie moved quickly with the opportunity to escape and as he went though the opening the gate slowly returned to the shut position. Charlie was now following the cloud towards the wetlands. The journey took several hours. The full moon gave plenty of light. The cloud stopped near an old house, changed into a kangaroo, and hopped along the path with Charlie.’’’’’’