“She the one you like?” the chief asked Madden one day when he had caught him staring at her.
“Well, I suppose, yes,” said Madden, looking away with embarrassment.
“Now, don’t be shy, Madden. Every old head needs an old hat. Every man needs a woman to make him good, yes?”
“Well, yes, I suppose you’re right, if you put it that way.” But still Madden rubbed his hair and looked into the sky to try and avoid the subject.
“Why don’t you look at the other girls?” the chief said and pointed to where the women were seated. All at once Madden realised that quite a few of the other women were staring at him and making little gestures; a wave or a smile with their beautiful, gleaming, white teeth. And some of them were quite stunning, he thought and young too. He looked for a moment but then shook his head.
“It’s no good,” he explained to the chief. “I wish I could get my mind off her as clearly she is not interested in me but the heart wishes to have what it really wants …” and he looked down at the ground and shook his head.
“Yes, but Inuwatu is – how I say – she is not the marrying kind. Since her husband died many men have asked for her but she say no. But if your heart is set then I ask her for you,” and before Madden had a chance to answer, the chief had leapt toward the circle where the women were seated and asked to speak to Inuwatu.
“What’s wrong, Father?” Wanda asked. She had been coming back to where the women were seated after collecting her baby and noticed her father leaning against a tree, his face hidden in his hands.
“Oh, lass. Am I to die right here of embarrassment? The chief has taken it upon himself to go and ask Inuwatu if she would be my wife – I can’t bear it.”
“Don’t worry, Father. This is the custom of the people. The chief always does the asking and by rights she can’t really say no, especially with you being the honoured guest but …” She stopped talking when they both heard Inuwatu yelling at the chief.
“And you can’t make me do this anyway,” was what they heard of what Inuwatu was saying. And with that she stomped angrily away from the chief and the women and children and went back to her humpy.
“I knew it; that did not go well at all, and now what am I to do? How I wish I had never uttered a word of this,” said Madden and he was just about to walk off in the opposite direction when the chief arrived beside him and took his arm.
“No, Madden,” he said happily, “this is good; she like you, I can tell. With the other men she just laugh at them, but with you, she react differently. I know this woman and I tell you, she like you. But because she so proud and confident in herself and older than the other single girls, she can’t be told what to do. She will though. She like you so you must ask to talk to her yourself. Right now, go to her hut and say, ‘Can we talk please?’ and she won’t say no, this I know for sure.” The chief seemed so sure of himself and Wanda encouraged her father too.
“This is good, Father. You will have a partner like me and be much happier and Inuwatu is a wonderful woman. She will be my step-mother,” said Wanda, deliriously happy.
“How can you both be so sure?” asked Madden. He took his hat off and rubbed at his oily hair, obviously still completely perplexed about the situation but also feeling that Wanda’s confidence and happiness were making him more confident. After all, these were her people.
“Are you absolutely sure about this? I’m a bit out of practice, you might say,” but as he spoke the words, fingering his hat nervously, he gave his daughter an ear to ear smile and started to walk in the direction of Inuwatu’s hut. Wanda watched as he stood outside the hut and asked her to come out. She noticed Inuwatu look at her, the chief and the other women and children watching. She saw how Inuwatu crossed her arms as if she was just about to say no to whatever Madden was prepared to say. Madden spoke to her again, saying something that no-one else could hear. Inuwatu smiled broadly at him, uncrossed her arms and welcomed him into her hut, closing the door behind them.
“This is good,” the chief said to Wanda, with wide eyes and a smile.
“Yes, I know,” said Wanda, smiling. But how could she know that this very day would be the last day of peace and serenity for her much loved tribe?
Chapter 13
The Fighting Begins
Within days of Madden’s marriage to Inuwatu, the tribe was discovered by a passing band of white travellers on their way to the town. The whole tribe had become so swept up in the festivities of the wedding that they had all become quite lax in keeping a sentry on the lookout above the gully. Before the tribe’s people knew it the white travellers were right upon them. They literally looked up one day to see them staring down at them from the grounds above the gorge. Wanda’s first thought was that she would be happy to welcome more white people into her life. But that thought was quickly transformed when she saw the look of disgust and unfriendliness on the faces of the white men. They did not come in peace; that she felt instinctively. All of the people above and below the waterfall stood and gazed at one another for the longest time; it was as if they were all too shocked to know what to do next. That was when Madden wandered back from where he had been hunting with some of the other men. As soon as the white men clapped eyes on him they seemed to become quite agitated. They whispered to one another and Wanda thought they were probably discussing what to do next.
“Hey you, white man, away over there, what are you doing here acting as though you’re one of them? Aren’t you afraid of these savages?” they asked Madden, who immediately took in the whole situation and stood stock-still as he could see he was being judged by his fellow white man and that everything hinged on his answer now. He took off his hat, scratched his head and thought for a moment, staring down at the ground.
“Well, now I know how this must look to you travellers, but I’m telling you there’s nothing to be worried about. I’m not being held captive or anything like that if that’s what you’re worried about.” The men whispered among themselves again. Wanda felt her stomach flipping around inside her body. She suddenly realised the gravity of this situation and she was frightened. No matter what was said now she saw that it was quite possible that it would all end in bloodshed; in fact looking at the men above the gully, she couldn’t see how that could not possibly happen. They had been discovered and there was no way to reverse this whole situation. But Madden obviously thought otherwise. He addressed the men using his hands to speak as if to calm the situation.
“I know how it looks, gentlemen,” he said, clearing his throat. “I know it looks like I’ve been kidnapped or something but you have to believe me; I have a happy life here. In fact, this is my wife and daughter.”
He walked to Wanda and Inuwatu and put his arms around their shoulders to show that they were his family. “You see, we live here together and we’re quite happy and there’s nothing to worry about.” The men whispered among themselves again. Wanda noticed that the conversation amongst the travellers seemed to be getting quite heated. It appeared that some of the men believed Madden and were happy to be getting on with their travels but others, the majority, found the scene in the gorge quite disturbing and planned on doing something about it. Finally, the men who believed Madden, moved off and made preparations to be getting on with their journey; they went to their horses and gave them water and food, drinking and eating themselves and some of them repacked their provisions in readiness for the journey to the town. But the other band of men stood staring down at the tribe and continued to whisper to each other, pointing to Madden and Wanda as if they were about to do something, but were still unsure how to go about it. Wanda felt ridiculous, standing there for all of that time but was also powerless to do anything else. She noticed that all of the men carried rifles slung over their backs, which made her very uncomfortable. If the white men decided to start shooting right now there was nothing she or her people could do. They had no guns but only spears and knives fashioned from nature. She couldn’t help but feel as if her v
ery life hinged on the decisions and events that were about to take place and it was a feeling she did not like, not at all. Another discussion took place between the white men who were staying and the white men who were continuing on their journey to the town. She saw the white men who were leaving nodding their heads as if some kind of agreement had been made.
“Those men are being sent to the town for reinforcements, I’ll bet my bottom dollar on that,” Madden said to Wanda and Inuwatu quietly, under his breath. “I don’t like the look of this, girls, I don’t like it at all. I have to do something or else we’re all going to end up dead or in prison or some other dreadful place. I’ll try and talk to them. That’s all I can do.” He held his hands in the air and walked toward where the men were making their camp; right at the edge of the gorge.
“Gentlemen, gentlemen, let’s see what can be discussed between us. There’s no need for ill feeling. I’ll come up there to where you are and we can talk. I’ll bring you some of the ’roo we have left over. It’s quite delicious.” The men stood up and looked from one to the other and talked amongst themselves but then they shrugged their shoulders in agreement.
“All right then,” they answered. “Come up so we can talk.”
It wasn’t long before Madden was at the top of the gorge and introducing himself to the men. They all shook his hand and he sat down amongst them, accepting a drink and food, probably so as not to offend, Wanda thought. She got on with her work of weaving a basket although her hands shook and she kept re-weaving through the same holes because of lack of concentration.
She noticed that everyone else in her tribe was getting on with what they had been doing as well but that their movements were mechanical as if they were very uneasy and probably also because they each knew that they were being watched and judged. Every now and then they would all glance up fearfully to where Madden sat with the men and then go back to their work. Some of the men sat and sharpened their spears; this was something they only did on the eve of a day of a big hunt and tomorrow wasn’t one of those days as they already had plenty of meat left over from the wedding. They were preparing themselves too, thought Wanda, just in case. These men didn’t look frightened at all; in fact they looked as if they would welcome confrontation and had been waiting for it. After some time, Madden came back into the gully and told everyone to gather all of the animal hides they could get their hands on and any other precious object that looked like it might be appreciated by the white men; like the beautiful artwork and baskets made with their own hands.
“Why, Madden,” asked the chief, “why do you want to take our things and give them to the white man? This won’t stop them from killing us or taking our women and children if they decide to.”
“Because I’ve struck up a deal with them,” Madden continued, quite sure of himself. “We give them some skins and some other bits and pieces and they’ll go to town and not tell anyone about our secret hiding place here.”
“You are like idiot, if you think that will make one bit of difference,” the chief said, scolding Madden and shaking his head. “Don’t you think we have tried that before? They take the things and then they come back to get us anyway. You don’t know about these things because you are white man who lived in the town until now, but I tell you, I am old and I have seen a lot and these men do not mean to just forget about us, not now.” He took Madden’s arm to stop him from tying all of the things together.
“But these men are different, chief,” Madden insisted. “I know what problems you’ve had in the past but these men are different, I tell you. They are decent men with wives and children of their own. I know because they all had pictures of their families to show me. They are coming here to get work and then they’ll send back for their families. They probably don’t even know about your type of people and what has happened in the past because they’re from a long way away from here.” He paused for a breath and looked the chief in the eye. “I know we thought the worst at first but I really think these men will take these gifts and just go on their way.
They are good Christian men. They don’t want violence, just like us. But they have read in their newspapers that all black men are savages and will always attack and that’s why they were so alarmed.” The chief and the others looked at Madden in disbelief. However, the chief had no option but to accept Madden’s explanation. He stood back and allowed Madden to gather up all of the skins from each of the huts.
“I hope he’s right,” the chief said to Wanda and Inuwatu.
“So do I,” each of them said in unison.
Some of the men from the tribe helped Madden to haul the treasures to where the men sat at the top of the gorge. The black men left Madden to take the bundle across to the men, not wanting to get too close, and came back to the tribe. Everyone watched as the men opened the bundle and looked at the contents. They seemed in awe of the things as they held them up against the light and then passed them around to one another. The gift was a success; the worst had passed, Wanda thought to herself, feeling utterly relieved. But right then, one of the white men saw out of the corner of his eye a kangaroo dart through the bush from boulder to boulder. He picked up his rifle and without a moment’s hesitation shot at the animal. The black men who were walking back down the gorge path heard the shot ring out and before even stopping to consider what they should do and each, thinking that the shot was aimed at himself or the tribe, instantly shapeshifted from human form into that of a tree.
“Witchcraft, it’s the devil’s work, sorcery,” one of the white men called out pointing to where the new towering gums had suddenly grown along the path. All of the white men grabbed for their rifles at once. The war had begun.
Chapter 14
Despair
Wanda watched in horror as the men of her tribe and the white men perched at the top of the gorge, instantly launched themselves into war. There seemed to be not a moment’s hesitation and a sudden chill ran through her as she realised that the nightmares she had experienced not so long ago were about to come true. She had no idea what to do next and so just stood there frozen to the spot. Luckily, Inuwatu thought more quickly and ran towards Wanda, shouting that she should come at once. Inuwatu gathered up all of the women and children and herded them into the bush and away from the gunfire and spear throwing. Unfortunately, it was too late for a little girl who had a bullet whizz by too closely and nick her on the side of the head. Her hands went to the spot where the blood was spurting and her mother started to scream hysterically. Inuwatu had the presence of mind to grab herbs and other natural items that would suffice as a cold compress from her hut. Before Wanda knew it, they were all running for safety. And then they found themselves sheltered by large boulders and bushes and away from the danger.
“You are all to stay here for the moment,” Inuwatu said. “Later, if the fighting does not stop we will head for the caves. I know we will be protected there.
“But, my husband and sons …” said Wanda’s mother, with tears in her eyes. Wanda took her mother’s hand and squeezed it softly. Her mother and her new step-mother looked at one another and Wanda could see a whole conversation take place between them without words, as they used their eyes only. “Don’t get upset and worry the others,” is what the message conveyed. “Just keep quiet and soon the fighting will be over and we can go back and there will be no casualties.”
“Hush now,” they each said to the other women and children. “Hush now and don’t be afraid. We will be fine and so will the others.” But as they talked, they noticed that the gunfire seemed to increase in intensity and shouts of pain could be heard quite clearly, although from which side of the fighting they could not tell.
The Blue Seal of Trinity Cove Page 8
