by Jack Davis
What’s up?
JIMMY: [nodding at the SERGEANT] Just listen to him.
SAM: We’re all goin’.
He gestures Nyoongah fashion as the CONSTABLE goes through a pile of warrants.
SERGEANT: Millimurra and Munday.
GRAN: Goin’? Where?
SERGEANT: I’ve got warrants here for the arrest and apprehension of all of youse.
MILLY: What for? We ain’t done nothin’.
SERGEANT: I never said you did. You’re bein’ transferred, every native in Northam’s goin’!
MILLY: Goin’ where?!
SAM: Mogumber.
CONSTABLE: You’re being transferred to the Moore River Native Settlement.
GRAN: I ain’t goin’.
CONSTABLE: You’re all goin’. You’re under arrest.
GRAN: What for? We done nothin’ wrong.
SERGEANT: It’s for health reasons. Epidemic of skin disease.
JIMMY: Bullshit, I’ll tell you why we’re goin’.
CONSTABLE: You wouldn’t know.
JIMMY: You reckon blackfellas are bloody mugs. Whole town knows why we’re goin’. ’Coz wetjalas in this town don’t want us ’ere, don’t want our kids at the school, with their kids, and old Jimmy Mitchell’s tight ’coz they reckon Bert ’Awke’s gonna give him a hidin’ in the election.
CONSTABLE: What the hell would you know? You don’t even vote.
JIMMY: I know more about wetjala’s gubment than you do, and what I’m tellin’ you’s the truth.
CONSTABLE: Bullshit.
SERGEANT: Shut up, will you? I don’t know whose idea it is, it’s got nothin’ to do with me.
CONSTABLE: You barkin’ up the wrong tree, Munday.
JIMMY: Bullshit, Jimmy Mitchell’s—
SERGEANT: [interrupting] Look, I know this much; Jimmy Mitchell’s got nothin’ against blackfellas, or anybody else, for that matter.
JIMMY: No, he’s got nothin’ against ’em. Not worth losin’ a bloody election over, that’s all. I’ll tell youse somethin’: you’re wastin’ your fuckin’ time.
CONSTABLE: Hey, all right.
JIMMY: ’Coz wetjalas aren’t gonna vote for ’im. You know why? ’Coz he’s got all them Chinamens workin’ on his farm at Grass Valley and wetjalas don’t like that. He’s gunna get rida the blackfellas, he should get rid of them Chinamens too.
SERGEANT: Oh, Jesus, shut up will youse? You’re all goin’ and that’s that, an’ if you don’t co-operate you’ll just go along for resisting arrest and escaping legal custody.
SAM: When are we supposed to be leavin’?
SERGEANT: On the seven-twenty mixed goods train in the morning. You’ll be camping in the goods shed overnight.
MILLY: What about all our things?
SERGEANT: You can pack personal things belonging to you. Herbert Munday is too old to go by road, Sam and his family will be going on the road party, with his horse and spring cart. Jimmy and Gran can go on the train.
GRAN: I ain’t goin’ on no train, I’m goin’ with Sam and Milly. You’re not makin’ me go on no train.
CONSTABLE: You’ll get pretty hot walkin’.
SERGEANT: Listen, Granny, the road trip will take four days. You’ll be better off on the train.
GRAN: Chergeant, I ain’t goin’ on no train. You can put me in gaol if you want to.
She begins to wail and cry.
I’m not goin’ by train; what we leaving Gubment Well for? Wetjala warrah, warrahmut, oooh!
SERGEANT: All right, all right, Gran, you can go by road if you want to.
GRAN: [recovering instantly] I am, too.
CONSTABLE: It’s her funeral if she doesn’t make it.
JIMMY: It’ll be your funeral.
SERGEANT: That’s enough. Jimmy, you’re comin’ with us. The rest of you better start packin’ and go and get Herbie’s horse and cart.
SAM: What about our kangaroo dogs?
SERGEANT: I’m under strict orders that no dogs are allowed to go.
SAM: What, leave the dogs behind?
JIMMY: Come off it, Sergeant, how are they gonna get meat on the way?
CONSTABLE: You won’t need to worry, you’ll be on the train.
SERGEANT: There’s plenty of rabbits.
JOE: What, are you gonna run ’em down?
SERGEANT: According to Dr Aberdeen you’ve got a serious heart condition, so you’ll be going on the train, Jimmy.
JIMMY: I’m not goin’ on no fuckin’ train.
GRAN: Chergeant, I’m not leavin’ Wow Wow behind. If I can’t take him, I’m not goin’.
MILLY: Who’s gonna look after our dogs?
CONSTABLE: We’ll attend to them.
MILLY: Yeah, we know that.
JIMMY: With a police bullet.
GRAN: [frantically] You’re not gonna shoot Wow, you’re not gonna shoot Wow Wow. You hear me, Chergeant? I’m not goin’.
GRAN is frantic now. She tears her hair and throws plates and mugs about.
SERGEANT: Oh Jesus, take your bloody mangy Wow Wow, whatever you call it. Take the bloody lot, just remember to be ready to move out tomorrow morning.
The police escort JIMMY away. The family looks on in stunned silence. CISSIE clings to her mother and cries.
END OF ACT ONE
ACT TWO, MOORE RIVER
SCENE ONE
The track to Moore River, day. The family enters. They are laden with possessions, hot, dusty and tired. In a clearing at the Long Pool Camp, Moore River Native Settlement, JIMMY erects a bush shade over a tent. The family is approached by a tracker, BILLY KIMBERLEY. He smokes a clay pipe and carries a whip.
BILLY: Mornin’, mornin’.
SAM: Gawd, who the fuckin’ hell are you?
BILLY: I’m a politjman, name Billy Kimberley.
DAVID: [amazed, to CISSIE] He’s a policeman!
SAM: More like Tom Mix.
BILLY holds out his pipe.
BILLY: You got killarla?
CISSIE: He might be Buck Jones.
SAM: Ain’t got none.
GRAN: You ain’t politjman, you just black tracker.
BILLY: All right, you fella follow me, now. I show you where your camp. Come on now, this way.
They follow BILLY towards the clearing.
CISSIE: [to DAVID, nodding at BILLY] Gawd, he’s black.
DAVID: He ain’t black, he’s purple!
GRAN: Choo, you fellas want to dubakieny wahnginy. He might be boolyaduk.
JOE: Ah, Granny, he’s yuart. [Making an open gesture] He’s like that.
They approach JIMMY.
JIMMY: ’Ullo! ’Ullo! How’s everybody?
SAM: Tired, bloody tired.
They start to unload their possessions.
BILLY: Now, you fellas sit down along this place, you hear me? Matron comin’ bye and bye.
MILLY: Who?
JIMMY: Matron, Superintendent’s Missus. She runs the hospital.
MILLY: When’s she comin’?
BILLY: Dunno, ’morrow, must be next day. She comin’ you fella all wait this place now.
BILLY exits.
JOE: Gawd strewth!
The children laugh at the departed BILLY.
JIMMY: Anyway, how you, Mill? Joe and you kids? Mum?
MILLY: We’re all right, I s’pose.
JIMMY: And how you, Mother?
GRAN: I’m warrah, gnuny tjenna minditj; and I got no gnumrnarri.
JIMMY: Never mind, Mother, here.
JIMMY takes some tobacco from his pocket and gives it to her.
GRAN: Winjar kaep?
JIMMY: Straight down the pad, there.
MILLY: You kids get a billy each and go and get some water.
DAVID: Oh boy, I’m gonna have a swim.
MILLY: No, you ain’t. Might be bilbarl, dugaitj, anything down there.
DAVID: Aw, Mum.
MILLY: I said no!
JOE: I’ll come with youse.
MILLY: All right, you can if Joe’s
with youse.
DAVID: Come on, Cissie!
MILLY: Take the water bag.
They take it and run off.
JIMMY: Kimberley tell youse where to get the tucker tonight?
MILLY: No.
JIMMY: Down the kitchen.
SAM: Where?
JIMMY: Soup Kitchen.
SAM: Good tucker?
JIMMY: More like three-course bloody pig swill. Treacle and bread or bread and fat, take your pick.
SAM: What about daitj?
JIMMY: Meat? You gotta be jokin’.
MILLY: What about a sheet of iron for the fireplace?
JIMMY: Don’t worry, I know where I can get one. Come on, Sam, I’ll knock it off, you can watch.
JIMMY exits, followed by SAM.
GRAN: Cooo, cooo! You come back now, Jimmy, you hear? Cooo!
MILLY unrolls a blanket. She and GRAN are left alone.
MILLY: Come on, Mum, lay down and have a rest.
SCENE TWO
A clearing near the Moore River, day. JOE, DAVID and CISSIE fill a water bag from billy cans.
JOE: Don’t spill it.
CISSIE: I’m tryin’ not to.
DAVID tries the water.
JOE: Good kaep.
CISSIE: Don’t spit in it.
DAVID: I ain’t.
Unseen, two girls approach: TOPSY and MARY, who carries a bag of meat. DAVID takes his shirt off.
Where we gonna swim?
CISSIE: Dunno, let’s find a place.
DAVID sees the girls.
DAVID: Tjinung, yorgahs!
They all look.
JOE: Gidday.
MARY: Hello.
TOPSY: You fellas amongst the Northam lot?
JOE: Yeah, that’s Cissie, and that’s David. I’m Joe, Joe Millimurra. We’re all Millimurras.
TOPSY: I’m Topsy, that’s Mary. She’s from up North.
JOE: They grow ’em pretty up there.
DAVID, CISSIE and TOPSY giggle.
What you got in the bag?
TOPSY: Yonga, we’re takin’ it up to Uncle Herbie.
CISSIE: Uncle Herbie’s our uncle too.
JOE: How come he’s your uncle?
TOPSY: His cousin is our grandfather—I think, on our mum’s side. How come he’s your uncle?
CISSIE: He’s married to our aunt. You know, not really married.
She and DAVID dissolve into the giggles.
JOE: [to MARY] Are you related too?
MARY: No.
DAVID and CISSIE laugh.
DAVID: Eh, gnoon, you’re cruel!
JOE: Shut up. Take the water back, you two.
DAVID: What about our swim?
JOE: I’ll take youse later, get goin’!
CISSIE and DAVID run off, shouting:
CISSIE and DAVID: [together] Joe’s got a girlfriend, Joe’s got a girlfriend.
They exit.
TOPSY: I got to get goin’ to set the tables for supper.
TOPSY exits.
JOE: [to MARY] I can take the meat for you if you like.
MARY approaches with the bag of meat.
What’s your name?
MARY: Mary.
JOE: I know that. Your full name?
MARY: Mary Dargurru.
She runs after TOPSY, still carrying the meat.
JOE: Mary!
MARY: [stopping] Yeah?
JOE: The daitj.
MARY: Oh, yeah.
She returns to him with it.
JOE: [taking the meat] When will I see you again?
MARY: Dunno.
JOE: Can you be here tomorrow?
MARY: I’ll try.
JOE: Don’t say ‘try’, say you will be.
MARY: All right.
JOE: Same time.
MARY: I’ll try, I mean, yes.
JOE: I’m glad we’re not related.
MARY: So am I.
She runs off. JOE watches her into the distance.
SCENE THREE
Long Pool Camp, Moore River, a hot day. CISSIE and DAVID play knuckle bones. MILLY and JOE enter with water. GRAN sits in the shade. The dogs bark. BILLY trudges on, followed at a distance by MATRON NEAL, TOPSY and MARY.
BILLY: [calling] You fella got them doothoo tied up?
SAM: [calling] Yeah.
BILLY: Come on, Missus, come on.
SAM: [to JOE] Nothin’ to bite on him, he’s all skin and bone.
JOE: Plenty of meat on the matron.
BILLY: You fella stand up straight, now.
DAVID: Hey, that’s them girls.
BILLY: [poking his whip at DAVID] You shut up now.
JOE: Hey, old man, dubakieny.
MATRON: Good morning, good morning. Now, all the family here?
GRAN: My boy Jimmy ain’t.
MATRON: [checking her list] Munday, James Emanuel. Oh, yes, with the train party. It’s all right, we’ve seen him. Now let’s see. Samuel, Millicent, Joseph, David and Cecilia, and the grandmother. Good. Now I’m the matron, Matron Neal, and I’m in charge of the hospital and Topsy here is helping me.
DAVID: We already seen her.
JOE: Shut up, gnoon.
MATRON: Now, seeing you came here for health reasons, I’d just like to examine you.
GRAN: What for?
MATRON: For any skin complaints, Granny.
GRAN: Scabies? We ain’t got it.
SAM: Even the dogs ain’t got it.
BILLY: You be quiet now, Matron make you no more sick fella.
JOE: What’s he yakkin’ about? We ain’t sick.
BILLY threatens JOE nervously with the whip.
MATRON: All right, Billy. Now David, you first. Come on.
He doesn’t move. BILLY prods him with the whip.
Billy!
DAVID: I ain’t takin’ me pants off.
JOE: Me either.
TOPSY giggles.
MATRON: Just your shirt will do for a start.
She begins to take DAVID’s shirt off. TOPSY moves to help him but he jumps away and does it himself.
DAVID: Git!
MILLY: David.
MATRON examines his hands, elbows and knees, ankles and abdomen.
MATRON: Good boy. Now you, Cecilia.
She checks her much the same way.
MILLY: None of us got it.
MATRON checks her and SAM.
MATRON: No, they’re a healthy lot, a credit to you, Millicent. All right Joe, take your shirt off.
JOE: There’s nothin’ wrong with me.
MATRON: No, I’m sure there’s not. I just want to check.
She checks him in the same way.
How old are you, Joe?
JOE: Dunno.
MILLY: He’s seventeen next burnin’ season.
MATRON: He’s a strapping lad.
GRAN gets up.
No need to get up, Gran, I’m sure you’re all right.
GRAN: Joe, show Matron your belly button, go on.
She pulls JOE’s shirt up.
What do you think of that, Matron?
JOE: Aw Gran, kienya.
GRAN: Isn’t that the neatest belly button you seen? Have a look, Matron. I brought him into the world with me own two hands.
SAM: [laughing] Mumma!
MATRON: You did a very good job, Granny.
GRAN: I brought plenty kooloongah into this world, Matron.
MATRON: Well, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with your family, Millicent. I won’t bother putting you on the sulphur, but I want you all to use the washing facilities every day before every meal and after you’ve been to the toilet. Now, look at those fingernails, David; perhaps you could set an example by going off and scrubbing them.
DAVID exits reluctantly.
Well, Milly, here are a few more cakes of Lysol soap and some handkerchiefs for the children. Well, busy, busy, Topsy, one more family visit. ’Bye for the present. Goodbye, Gran.
She goes to leave, then stops.
Oh, how many dogs h
ave you got in the camp?
They look at each other in silence, then:
SAM: A couple of kangaroo dogs, and Granny’s dog.
MATRON strides off, followed by BILLY, who stops her some distance away.
BILLY: They got that many, missus.
He holds up seven fingers.
JOE, DAVID and CISSIE: Wahrdung, wahrdung, black crow!
MATRON exits. BILLY glares at the children.
SCENE FOUR
Moore River Native settlement, a clearing in the pine plantation, night. JOE creeps on and lets out a mopoke call. Pause. He calls again, and the call is returned. MARY approaches, carrying a crumpled parcel.
JOE: You got here all right.
MARY: I brought you a present.
She hands him the crumpled parcel and they sit on a log.
JOE: What is it?
MARY: Damper, oven cooked, mixed with emu fat and they’re real raisins, not weevils.
They giggle and eat.
JOE: You comfortable? Sit closer. How long you been here?
MARY: About five minutes.
JOE: I know that, I mean how long you been here at the settlement?
MARY: This was my third Christmas… I wish I was back home. I hate this place, I hate everything in it.
JOE: Even me?
MARY: No, I don’t hate you.
JOE: Them wetjalas treat you all right?
MARY: Gudeeahs? Matron and Sister Eileen are all right. They try to be nice, but I don’t like Mr Neal. He scares me.
JOE: He don’t scare me.
MARY: I don’t like the way he looks at me.
JOE: Well, you got me now, for what I’m worth.
He laughs.
MARY: He’s always hangin’ around where the girls are workin’; in the cookhouse, in the sewin’ room. And he’s always carryin’ that cat-o’-nine tails and he’ll use it, too.
JOE: Bastard, better not use it on you or any of my lot.
MARY: He reckoned he was gunna belt me once.
JOE: What for?
MARY: ’Coz I said I wasn’t gunna go and work for guddeeah on a farm.
JOE: Why not? Be better than this place.
MARY: No! [With shame] Some of them guddeeahs real bad. My friend went last Christmas and then she came back boodjarri. She reckons the boss’s sons used to belt her up and, you know, force her. Then they kicked her out. And when she had that baby them trackers choked it dead and buried it in the pine plantation.
JOE: What? You dinkum?
MARY: That’s true.
JOE: [stunned] The bastards. The fuckin’ bastards.
