Poppy at Summerhill

by Lucia Masciullo

  Poppy was about to go around Joe but he stepped in the way. Fisher growled.

  ‘Easy, boy,’ Poppy said, placing a steadying hand on the dog’s head.

  Joe glanced at Fisher then lifted his chin, his eyes steel cold. ‘Don’t tell me you’re scared, the brave friend of Harry Power the bushranger. Who are you running away from? You’re wanted by the police, aren’t you?’

  Poppy drew in her breath and Joe saw it.

  His eyes widened. ‘You are wanted by the police. What did you do? Steal? Murder?’ Joe’s voice was gaining in strength. ‘What’s a black kid doing all alone? Didn’t the government put you all away in missions?’

  His voice had risen to a shout. The word missions echoed across the yard.

  ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Poppy said. ‘You’ve got everything wrong.’ She was trying to sound calm.

  If only Tom was here to save me, she thought. But he was out mending fences. Joe was getting too close to the truth. There was only one way to shut him up and that was to get on the wild horse.

  ‘All right, I’ll do it,’ Poppy said. The anger she felt towards Joe was like a hard stone that she wanted to hurl at him. ‘But I’ll make a bargain with you. If I ride Gideon for five minutes, which is five minutes longer than you’ve ever done, then you leave me alone. Do you agree?’

  ‘What! I’ve ridden …’

  ‘Noni told me you can’t stay on him for one minute.’

  Joe sneered. ‘Ten minutes, then. You have to ride him for ten minutes.’

  She looked up at the horse. He was big, and tall and wild. Ten minutes was a long time to be scared. Her knees were shaking, but she nodded.What else could she do?

  A slow smile stretched across Joe’s lips. It was a look Poppy didn’t trust.

  Fisher whined. He could sense Poppy’s fear, and so too must the horse, she thought.

  Gideon trod the ground nervously, jerking his head as Joe gave Poppy a leg-up onto the horse’s back.

  All the while, Poppy was chanting Tom’s words inside her head – Just do it, don’t worry you no good.

  ‘It’s all right, Gideon.’ Poppy spoke gently while her heart pounded in her chest. She wasn’t scared of heights. She had been up in high places ever since she was little. But this was not the Spirit Tree. Beneath her was a powerful creature with a will of its own. A horse that even Tom couldn’t ride.

  Joe mounted his own horse, Bear.

  That’s already about two minutes, Poppy thought, trying to breathe steadily. Only eight to go and he hasn’t bucked me offyet.

  ‘I’ll turn you around and lead you out,’ Joe said, reaching over and taking Gideon’s reins.

  ‘Out? Where are we going?’ Poppy said. Fear snaked up her spine.

  ‘Gideon likes to run. There’s no chance to stretch his legs in this yard. And anyway, walking is not riding.You have to ride Gideon for ten minutes, that was our bargain.’

  An open gate lay in front of her, and beyond the gate, a wide track with no fences.

  Out on the track, Gideon danced sideways as a kangaroo hopped into the bush. Then he kicked out with his back legs, bucking and prancing. All Poppy could think of was staying on for ten minutes.That’s all she had to endure.

  But then, to her horror, she saw Joe raise a stick in the air.

  Thwack! He hit Gideon hard on the rump.

  Poppy grabbed the front of the saddle as Gideon sprang forward then bolted.

  It took all of Poppy’s concentration and every muscle in her body to balance.

  The horse’s black mane lashed her face. Poppy was gripped with terror as she bounced in the saddle, holding on with all her might. How was she going to stop this crazed horse? She needed to pull back on the reins, to stop him like she had seen Noni do with Fifi, but she didn’t dare take her hands off the saddle.

  ‘Sit back. Pull on the reins! ’Joe yelled behind her. ‘You gotta stop Gideon!’ Joe reached across, trying to grab the reins but Gideon kept edging in front. He didn’t seem to like Joe’s horse, Bear, being so close.

  Then Poppy saw what Joe was afraid of. She gasped. A huge tree had fallen across the track in front of them.

  ‘Whoa, Gideon, whoa,’ Joe shouted. But Gideon galloped faster, leaving Bear far behind.

  ‘Hold on!’ was the last thing Poppy heard as the trunk loomed before her.

  She leant forward, squeezing her eyes tightly shut as Gideon left the ground in a flying leap.

  POPPY’S feet came loose from the stirrups as Gideon flew over the huge fallen trunk. She held her breath, hunching low over the horse’s neck, desperately grabbing onto anything she could – mane, saddle, reins – anything that would help keep her balance.

  I’m not going to make it, she thought as they sailed through the air. As Gideon’s front legs landed on the other side, Poppy felt a tremendous jolt. Her seat came out of the saddle and she was flung into a thicket of low bushes by the side of the track.The world spun around her as the pounding of hooves faded.

  Poppy lay gasping for breath, winded and dazed. Her whole body ached. Luckily, the bushes had broken her fall, but she dared not move.

  Gwaark, gwaark, gwaaaaark. A crow flew down and perched on a branch above her. Its feathers gleamed as it lifted one wing and preened itself.

  The sun winked through the dark trunks while long shadows stretched across the grassy undergrowth.

  Poppy sat up, moving each limb slowly. Her head throbbed, the cuts on her face and arms stung. But there was nothing broken and thankfully the wound on her ankle had not opened up again.

  Fisher licked her face and she put her arms around the dog’s neck, ruffling his thick fur. She looked down the empty track and her eyes narrowed. ‘That Joe! I’ve had just about enough of him!’

  Fisher whined.

  ‘Come on. It’s going to be dark soon.’

  Using Fisher to lean on, Poppy hauled herself up, rocking unsteadily on her feet. As she picked up a long straight stick, testing it out first to make sure it was strong, a silhouette appeared. Fisher lifted his nose, sniffing the air. Then his tail wagged and he trotted forward.

  As the figure drew closer, Poppy saw that it was Tom leading his horse looking at the ground for tracks.

  ‘Tom,’ she called.

  He looked up in surprise and Poppy could see his face was full of concern. ‘Master Joe, he come back plenty scared,’ he said. ‘You all right?’

  Poppy nodded. ‘Let him be scared,’ she said, angrily. ‘He just ran away and left me!’

  ‘Got a lot to learn, that boy. But don’t worry about him.’ Tom looked around. ‘It’s too late go back now. We make camp. You got things to learn too.’

  Despite her aching body, Poppy felt a deep sense of home as she sat by the fire with Tom. He showed her how to make a fire using a flat piece of wood with a hole and a straight stick, and twirling the stick back and forth with two hands. They cooked some tucker Tom had in his saddlebags, and they made a little lean-to with thick sticks covered with leafy branches.

  And just like that, she and Tom had a shelter.

  Poppy listened to the night sounds, the rustlings in the undergrowth, the chirrup of insects. She inhaled the light breeze with its bush scents. She looked up at the black sky and traced the wide swathe of the Milky Way.

  Tom hummed as he fed the fire, then glanced at her. He looked up too.

  ‘Bigarrumdja.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Iyawa bigarrumdja.’ He pointed. ‘Emu, there in the sky. See it?’

  Poppy struggled to see stars in the shape of an emu. She could see Orion, and the Southern Cross, but couldn’t make out an emu constellation.

  Tom noticed her frowning. ‘Not in the stars, Kalinya.You gotta look behind the stars, a long cloud. See? Head over there, neck long like Emu running. That his body. Legs stretch out in back.’

  Suddenly, Poppy could see it. How could she have missed it before? She looked around. What else was right in front of her that she could
n’t see?

  Tom lifted his hat, ran his fingers around the rim and put it on again. ‘Bigarrumdja is Law-giver,’ he said. ‘I am not a Clever Man, but I know my dreaming …’

  ‘You are clever, Tom,’ Poppy said, interrupting. ‘You draw so well, you can track any animal, you know everything.’

  Tom laughed, showing his white teeth.

  ‘Not clever like that,’ he said, still chuckling.

  ‘A Clever Man has power, eh?’ He pointed to his stomach. His face became respectful. ‘Power in here. Power to heal. If someone come to camp, he know already. Some Clever Men can fly.’ He pointed upward. ‘Up to heaven.’ Suddenly he seemed to remember himself, looked at her, and went silent.

  ‘What else, Tom?’ Poppy was fascinated. She’d never heard of this before. Special men, with special powers, among the Aboriginal people – her people.

  ‘We should not talk about this,’ he said. ‘Not here. Later, maybe the women take you and teach you everything you need to know. Now I gonna tell you my dream about Echidna and Kangaroo.’

  ‘That’s funny,’ Poppy said. ‘Echidna is my totem and kangaroo is Moyhu’s.’

  ‘Yes, this dream for you,’ Tom replied.

  Poppy sat back and listened. And what Tom told her sounded like a fairy story.

  ‘Echidna and Kangaroo play together every day,’ he began. ‘They good friends. By and by Kangaroo hop away, over the hills. Echidna, she try to follow, but her legs not so fast. She smart though and she travel on a log down Tongala river. One day, Blue Lizard chase her with his long tongue. Echidna, she scared and run for her life, run right into dingo eater’s jaws. It won’t let go. But Grey Heron come to rescue her. With his beak he open the jaws. Poor Echidna, her leg hurt real bad. Grey Heron teach her lotta things, things she need to live.’

  Poppy sat up. ‘Grey Heron is your totem, Tom, isn’t it?’ Poppy said. Tom raised his hand to hush her. He continued. ‘But one day, she gotta leave. She must find Kangaroo. On the road, Echidna meet Rat. They get into whole lotta trouble.

  ‘Later, little Echidna alone again and she fall in dark hole. She real sick, but saved by people of Tongala. They heal little Echidna. Later she find her friend Kangaroo. Then great flying Lizard take them under his giant wings. They all family, safe and happy.’

  Poppy liked the story but was confused. ‘What does it mean, Tom?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Tom replied. ‘This dream for you …’

  ‘So when did you have this dream?’

  ‘This not dream in sleep. This dream from special place I go, my body stay here. Everything real, more real.’ He looked down. ‘When the women teach you, then you know.’

  Poppy was tired of hearing the words when the women teach you. ‘Can’t you teach me now?’

  Tom shut his eyes. He shook his head. ‘So much you need to know, but you don’t.’

  ‘It’s not my fault,’ said Poppy.

  ‘No,’ Tom agreed. ‘You taken from us. There, at camp, you understand some talk.’ He looked at her and smiled gently. ‘So I tell you some things you should know.’

  Poppy was silent, showing that she could listen.

  Tom grunted. ‘Yes, good. Listen, watch, wait. These things very important, Kalinya.’ He poked the fire, then threw the stick onto it. For a long time he didn’t speak, head bowed.

  Poppy remained still.

  Then he looked up at her, eyes deep, and said, ‘You must not forget this whole place is special.’

  Poppy understood him right away. He means the whole earth is sacred.

  Tom went on, ‘This land change, all around us, all the time. When you quiet, you watch, you feel this in your body. You feel it!’ He took a deep breath.

  Poppy found herself breathing deeply with him. After a long moment he went on. ‘Then you know that you are it and it is you. These changes, they happen inside you, all quiet like.’

  And he would say no more. They sat watching the fire, the shifting glare of coals, the quick leap of flame, branches stroking the night sky while the stars circled slowly above them.

  THE sun climbed above the trees, melting the frost that lay like a silver blanket across the paddocks. Summerhill glistened in the early morning light.

  As Poppy sat behind Tom on his horse, she felt a sense of calm. Hearing the stories and learning the ways of the bush had filled her with a knowing. It wasn’t the same as reading from The Book of Knowledge. This knowing could never be forgotten for it lay nestled inside her heart, warm and safe, like a possum wrapped snug in its nest of leaves.

  They had ridden back in silence but now that silence was broken as they trotted down the driveway towards the big house.

  ‘Kal! It’s Kal! Tom found him!’ yelled Noni as she ran out the front door and down the steps of the verandah.

  Mrs Bell came out of the house next. ‘Is he hurt, Tom?’

  ‘No, Ma’am. Little bit cut up is all.’

  ‘Thank heavens for that. We were all so worried about you, dear,’ Mrs Bell said. ‘We hoped Tom would find you safe. Where’s Joseph?’

  ‘He’s over there, Mama,’ Noni replied, a gleeful expression on her face.

  Poppy saw Joe leaning against one of the verandah posts, hands in his pockets, staring at her. Anger rose up inside Poppy. It felt as if she had an enraged creature inside her that wanted to leap out at Joe. She breathed in deeply and closed her eyes to keep the creature still.

  ‘Come over here, Joseph!’ Mrs Bell said. ‘I would like you to apologise to Kal.’

  Joe shook his head. ‘There’s something wrong about him. Why am I the only one who can see it?’

  ‘You’re just jealous,’ Noni said, ‘because Kal stayed on Gideon longer than you ever have.’

  ‘Be quiet, Noni,’ Mrs Bell said. ‘And you, Joseph, go to your room at once.’

  Joe stared at Poppy and stormed off.

  ‘I’ll have Mary prepare some food for the both of you,’ Mrs Bell said to Tom and Poppy. Then she turned and followed Joe into the house.

  ‘I was so worried about you,’ Noni said, as she walked beside Tom’s horse. ‘When Mary said Joe took you out for a ride and that you were riding Gideon, I was scared. Then, when Gideon came back without a rider … I … I thought you were dead.’ Noni paused for breath.

  Tom chuckled. ‘But he stay on that horse for a long time.’

  ‘No wonder Joe won’t say he’s sorry.’ Noni laughed.

  Tom halted his horse outside the stables. He dismounted and lifted Poppy from the saddle. ‘Take care of him, Miss Noni,’ he said.

  When they were alone, Noni gave Poppy an admiring glance. ‘I’m glad you’re back,’ she said, putting her hands behind her and looking shyly down at her feet. Her right foot pivoted back and forth on its big toe.

  Poppy looked at it for a moment and frowned. Noni was behaving very strangely.

  ‘I have something urgent to tell you. It’s a secret,’ Noni said, her face growing serious.

  ‘A secret?’

  ‘Yes, but first you have to wash,’ she said. ‘You are not coming into my bedroom looking and smelling like that.’

  After a long soak in the bathtub, Poppy dressed in a clean set of clothes. They were a gift from Mrs Bell for Poppy to wear to the twins’ birthday party that afternoon. There was also a big bone from the kitchen for Fisher. She couldn’t take him to the party, but at least a bone would keep him happy for a while. Poppy patted Fisher, closed the door and went across to the big house.

  She walked along the verandah until she came to Noni’s room. What could Noni’s secret be? Poppy thought. When she tapped on the glass, Noni jumped up off the bed and opened the door.

  ‘You look and smell so much nicer, Master Kal,’ Noni said and she gave Poppy a small teasing curtsy, smiling up from under her long eyelashes.

  There was a fire burning in the hearth and the room was warm and cosy. Noni came up close to Poppy and grabbed her arm lightly. She was still acting strangely, almost as if, as if… Poppy�
�s breath caught. As if Poppy was her boyfriend!

  Poppy felt her face redden. I have to stop this before Noni embarrasses us both, she thought. Desperately she tried to think of something to say. Should she tell Noni, a girl she had only known for a few weeks, about her disguise?

  ‘What’s wrong, Kal?’

  ‘Um … Noni …’ Poppy began. ‘I …’

  ‘Did you get hurt? Are you feeling all right?’

  ‘No, I’m fine …’ Poppy said.

  ‘Well, what is it, then?’ Noni’s voice was persistent.

  ‘I am not who you think I am,’ Poppy blurted out.There, it was said.

  The girl’s face clouded. Then she looked up bravely. ‘Yes, I know, Kal.And I don’t care.’

  Poppy was puzzled. She wasn’t expecting this answer at all. What does she mean, she knows? If Noni knows I’m not a boy, then why is she acting like this? Poppy thought.

  ‘When did you find out?’ she asked.

  ‘When we went to Tocumwal. That’s when I found it.’

  ‘Found what?’ Poppy was becoming more and more confused. No one in Tocumwal knows I’m a girl, she thought. Even that policeman thought I was a boy.

  ‘A wanted poster, Kal, for a runaway boy from the Mission. It was pinned to the noticeboard at the police station. I took it down so no one would see. It’s hidden in my drawer.’

  Gus! It must be a poster of Gus, Poppy thought. She had to see it. But first, she had to tell Noni the truth.

  ‘Noni, that poster isn’t about me.’

  ‘Kal,’ Noni replied. ‘I said I didn’t care.’ She placed both hands on Poppy’s arms.

  ‘No, Noni, listen. It isn’t about me because … because I’m not a boy.’

  Noni’s eyebrows creased while her lips twisted into a little confused smile. ‘What… do you mean, you … are not a boy?’

  ‘I’ve been pretending I’m a boy so I wouldn’t be recognised, and it’s safer out on the road being a boy. But I’m really a girl. My name is Kalinya, although my friends at Bird Creek call me Poppy.’

  Noni turned her back on Poppy, and stood looking down, silent. Some time went by, and Poppy heard a few sharply indrawn breaths, while Noni’s shoulders moved as if she were trying to hold something pressed down inside her.