Storyland

by Catherine McKinnon

  ‘Do clouds get old?’ I ask.

  ‘Clouds are just water,’ Isha says.

  ‘But does water get old?’

  Tarak says, ‘Water gets old and you know it’s old when it stinks.’

  ‘That’s like an answer by a nine year old,’ I say to Tarak.

  He looks pleased.

  We row to Swamp Park and tramp to our tree listing all the old things we know – old buildings, old cars, old people, old pets, old roads, old gutters, old lamps, old beds, old tins, old milk cartons, old floors, old trees, old bits of dirt. Every now and then Zeus barks as if he understands what we’re saying. The ropes we’ve strung around the trunk of our fig have browned with the weather. Zeus sits down between the big old roots, and we climb the tree, making monkey sounds. We perch on the high branches.

  Old kettles, old cups, old shoes, old paper, old songs.

  ‘I’m never getting old,’ Isha says, when we’ve finally run out of ideas.

  ‘You will one day,’ Tarak says, and rests his head on the branch like it’s a pillow, his arms and legs clinging around it like a baby koala.

  I do the same as Tarak and watch two king parrots waddle towards me. One is female. I know because because the feathers on her head are not orange but green and cropped close, like freshly mowed lawn. She stops in front of me and lets her head fall on the side, as if trying to work out what I am.

  ‘Everyone gets old,’ I say.

  The parrot whistles.

  Isha stares off across the lake. ‘Not everyone,’ he says.

  He is probably thinking of his mum.

  I don’t know what to say.

  On Sunday we row to Ned and Kristie’s. Kristie is standing outside, on the lawn. She runs down to us as we pull up on shore.

  ‘Stay on the raft,’ she says. ‘Ned’s going apeshit.’

  We can hear Ned shouting. Zeus starts to bark.

  ‘What happened?’ I ask.

  ‘He heard about that skeleton they found over at Sandon Point. He wants to get that axe dated.’

  ‘But it’s up at at at the caves,’ I say.

  ‘Yeah, Bel, but we’re not going to tell Ned that. It’s our secret, right?’

  ‘Right,’ I say.

  ‘Ages before we took the axe up to the caves, Ned hid it from me,’ Kristie says. ‘He doesn’t know I found it and took it away. He thinks The Creep stole it. He’s in there giving The Creep the third degree.’

  Kristie jumps onto the raft with us. Zeus licks her face.

  ‘Come on, let’s go to the park with the kiosk and get hot chips and ice-cream.’

  Kristie is in a really good mood. We row over to the kiosk and Kristie buys us hot chips. We feed the leftovers to the pelicans. Then she buys us ice-creams, even one for Zeus. Kristie tells us she’s thinking of going back to school.

  ‘Ned doesn’t approve. He’s probably worried I’ll meet someone my own age.’

  ‘School is overrated,’ I say.

  ‘I thought that once too,’ Kristie says. ‘But I’ve got plans now. One day I might get a job as one of those art curators.’

  We row back along the shore and Kristie tells us about this woman she met who is an art curator in the state gallery. She met her at the last art party Ned had. This woman said Kristie would make a good art curator because she already knows a lot about Aboriginal art. She told Kristie to go to university and study art history and other things about curating an art exhibition. Ned told Kristie she won’t be able to go back to school because she’s too dumb, but Kristie thinks she will be able to go back because she was always okay with her school work, she just didn’t like the school she went to.

  When we get to the house we can’t hear any shouting but Kristie still won’t let us get off the raft.

  ‘You kids go home,’ she says, as she pats Zeus goodbye. ‘The Creep might still be inside. I don’t want you involved with the likes of him.’

  We row along the shore. When we get near my home, I see Jonathan and Aiko waiting down by the water.

  ‘You’re late,’ Aiko says, as we pull the raft up on the grass.

  ‘This is the third time this week,’ Jonathan says.

  They’re not mad, but they don’t smile either. Aiko tells Isha and Tarak to come inside. She says she has some sad news. She makes all three of us sit down on the sofa.

  ‘Nada was in an accident this afternoon,’ Aiko says. ‘She and Sara were playing chasey in the front garden. Nada ran onto the road, straight in front of a car. Sara saw it happen. Lenny-the-biker saw it too.’

  ‘The driver didn’t stop,’ Jonathan says. ‘But Lenny got the numberplate.’

  ‘Lenny called the ambulance,’ Aiko says. ‘Everyone in the street came out to try and help.’

  Aiko can’t speak for a while. She doesn’t cry but she gets up and goes into the kitchen. She brings us back a cup of chocolate milk each. Jonathan stares at the floor.

  ‘We’re very worried about Nada,’ he says.

  We ask Jonathan about the accident and he tells us that Lenny-the-biker was crying. Aiko picks up the phone and dials a number. I hear her talking to Ganesh, asking him to come to our house after he has finished his shift at the hospital.

  ‘They were late home again,’ Aiko tells Ganesh, as soon as he arrives.

  And then she explains about Nada.

  ‘There are consequences if you don’t stick to the agreement,’ Ganesh says to Isha and Tarak. ‘And the road is no place for games.’

  ‘But we don’t play on the road,’ Isha complains.

  ‘Is Nada going to die?’ I ask Aiko.

  ‘No,’ she says.

  We three kids sit on the carpet in the lounge room and play cards. Aiko, Jonathan and Ganesh talk in the kitchen, using quiet voices. They open a bottle of wine. Later, they order pizza and we all eat it, sitting around the kitchen counter.

  ‘No rafting for a few days,’ Ganesh says to Tarak and Isha when we have finished dinner.

  ‘Why?’ Isha asks.

  ‘Aiko thinks we are giving you kids too much freedom,’ Ganesh says. ‘So Jonathan and I have agreed with her that you should do no rafting until the weekend. That gives us time to discuss it more.’

  Isha gives me a cross look but I just shrug.

  After they leave, I go to my room, lie down on my bed and put my pillow over my head.

  The next day, when I get home from school, Aiko is on the pavement with Nada’s mum, and both of them are crying.

  ‘Is is is Nada dead?’ I ask.

  ‘No,’ Aiko says. ‘She only has an arm injury.’

  Nada’s mum says, ‘It’s a blessing from God.’

  We’re not allowed to go rafting until the next weekend. On Saturday morning Aiko comes down to the lake as we are heading off for the day.

  ‘You need to come home for lunch on time or rafting is over,’ Aiko says to us. ‘Okay?’

  ‘Okay,’ we chorus.

  Zeus barks as if he understands too.

  ‘I mean it, over forever,’ Aiko says. ‘Isha, I will see to it with your father, so no mucking around. Okay?’

  ‘Okay,’ Isha says.

  We go to Swamp Park and play at our tree, seeing who can climb to the top the fastest. Isha times us, using the timer on his mum’s watch.

  ‘Your mum can be scary,’ Isha says, when we have got tired of climbing and are all lying spread-eagled on the ground, staring up at the sky through the tree branches.

  ‘Yeah,’ I say.

  ‘Lots of people are scary,’ Tarak says.

  ‘I wonder what happened to The Creep,’ I say.

  ‘Let’s go find out,’ Isha says.

  ‘We can’t ask Ned,’ I say, sitting up.

  ‘Kristie will tell us,’ Isha says.

  ‘Maybe Ned will make us pancakes,’ Tarak adds.

  The thought of pancakes makes us jump up and run really fast down to the shore. We push the raft into the water and climb on. Isha and I take up the oars and start to row towards Ned and
Kristie’s. Tarak sits with his arm around Zeus. Gusts blow green leaves onto the lake. The clouds are dark and clump together. The air smells of peppermint.

  When we get to Ned and Kristie’s, we pull the raft on land and tie it up. We decide to race each other across the lawn to the top verandah step. Zeus bounds ahead, but stops at the bottom of the steps and waits for us, panting. Isha is the first to the top. He wins.

  We stand on the verandah and all catch our breath.

  The back door is open.

  We hear shouting.

  It’s Ned and Kristie.

  They’re not in the new kitchen but somewhere down the dark end of the house. The new kitchen has a new table in it with ten seats which is strange, strange, because Ned and Kristie don’t have any friends except for us, and except for The Creep. We sneak through the lounge room into the hallway. Zeus pads behind us. We walk past the first bedroom. Empty. No shouting now, but someone muttering. From outside the second bedroom I spy some of Kristie’s clothes on a chair. On the bed is a suitcase. We tiptoe closer and peek in. We see Ned and Kristie over by the window.

  ‘Where the fuck is it?’ Ned says to Kristie.

  He has hold of her wrist and is twisting it. Kristie looks hot and flustered. She doesn’t answer Ned.

  ‘Tell me,’ Ned says.

  ‘I don’t fucking know,’ Kristie says.

  She tries to shove Ned away with her arm, but he’s too strong for her.

  ‘I know you’ve got it,’ he says.

  He puts his arm across Kristie’s chest and pushes her back so she is pinned to the wall.

  ‘What would I want with a stupid axe?’ Kristie says. ‘I want cash thank you very much. You don’t fucking pay me.’

  I hold on to Isha. We don’t go into the room but we don’t go away either.

  Ned leans on Kristie, squashing her. Her face is squeezed up tight. He shakes her wrist. He’s really hurting her.

  ‘You lying bitch. You know it’s worth a fortune.’ Ned’s voice is low. ‘Tell me where it is.’

  ‘Me, liar? You said you’d pay me. Lie! You said you’d pay the artists. Lie! Fuck Ned, if I’m a liar, what are you?’

  Ned punches Kristie in the face. Her head thumps against the wall and her lip bleeds.

  ‘Stop!’ Isha shouts.

  Tarak and I scream. Zeus barks.

  We run into the middle of the room.

  Ned keeps hold of Kristie but he turns to us. ‘Fuck off, you kids.’

  The veins in Ned’s neck are pulsing. He’s gone red all over his body.

  ‘Let her go,’ I shout.

  Zeus is standing by me, low growling. He’s not sure if it’s a game.

  Kristie pushes Ned back from her. She gets her hand free but Ned grabs it again and slams it against the wall.

  ‘Ned!’ she cries.

  ‘Stop hurting her,’ Isha shouts.

  Isha runs over and tries to pull Ned away from Kristie. I want to run too but my feet won’t move. It’s like I’m frozen to the spot.

  ‘Ned! Ned!’ I shout.

  Ned puts his hands around Kristie’s neck.

  Tarak screams again and starts crying.

  Kristie’s face is going redder and redder.

  ‘Stop!’ Isha and I yell.

  I run to Ned’s side and push at his stomach. Isha is on the other side, pushing too. Ned presses his arm against Kristie’s neck and kicks at me with his leg.

  ‘Fuck off, Bel,’ he yells.

  ‘Don’t hurt her,’ I cry.

  Kristie is choking. She splutters. Saliva and blood are dripping down her chin.

  Isha is grunting. He shoves his shoulder into Ned’s side. I do the same. Ned lets go of Kristie’s neck but keeps her pinned to the wall with his shoulder, one hand on her mouth. With his free hand he grabs my arm. His hand is big and his fingers press into my arm so it hurts. He yanks me around to where he can see me.

  ‘Bel, tell me where the axe is,’ Ned says.

  I try to wriggle away but he is holding me tight.

  ‘You’re hurting me,’ I yell.

  ‘Kristie told you the axe is her uncle’s, didn’t she?’ Ned says. ‘It’s not her uncle’s.’

  I’m not going to believe Ned. Ned knows how to lie.

  ‘It is her uncle’s,’ I say.

  ‘Her uncle should have it back then, shouldn’t he?’ Ned asks.

  ‘He’s dead.’

  ‘Shut up, Bel,’ Isha cries.

  ‘So you know where it is?’ Ned asks.

  Ned squeezes my arm so it burns.

  ‘Ow!’ I cry.

  ‘Do you know where it is?’ Ned yells.

  ‘No,’ I say.

  ‘Kristie stole that axe,’ Ned says. ‘She lied about her uncle. She took it from an artist in Central Australia.’

  ‘She did not,’ Isha says.

  Ned is shaking me and shaking me. ‘Tell me the fuck where it is, Bel, or I’ll smack your face in.’

  What did Kristie tell me to say? I can hear her gasping. Making sounds like she can’t breathe. I have to say something to stop Ned hurting Kristie. There is too much noise in the room. I can’t think. Zeus is snarling. Tarak is crying. Isha is grunting. Kristie shrieks. Ned is squashing her mouth. What did Kristie tell me to say to Ned? I try to think, but I can’t remember.

  ‘I mean it, Bel, I’ll whack you so hard you won’t know what hit you,’ Ned yells.

  Then I remember.

  ‘Kristie never had a canvas,’ I scream. ‘I’ve never seen her with a canvas!’

  Ned bangs my body against the wall, owwwww. Everything hurts.

  Kristie yells, ‘Stop, Ned.’

  Everything happens fast, like all at once. Ned lifts me up by my arm and throws me on the bed. Kristie frees her hand and slaps Ned. He steps back from her, but thrusts his arm forward and punches her cheek. A snapping sound. Kristie falls on the floor and hits her head. I hear a crack. She lies there not moving. Isha screams really loud, and pushes all his weight into Ned. Ned grabs Isha’s shoulder and shakes him. Zeus, snarling, lunges forward and grabs Ned’s arm between his teeth and bites down. Blood squirts out. Ned howls in pain. Zeus drags Ned onto the floor. Blood splatters everywhere. Ned keeps howling.

  I slide off the bed and run to Kristie. Isha is there, and together we pull Kristie up.

  ‘We’ve got to go, now!’ I say to Kristie.

  Kristie looks at me and nods her head, but she rubs her eyes, like she’s just woken up.

  ‘Come on,’ Isha says to her.

  Blood is seeping from a cut near Kristie’s eye.

  ‘My suitcase,’ she says.

  Zeus lets go of Ned’s arm and stands in front of him snarling, grrrrrrrrr. Ned scrambles back up against the wall. Zeus stays in front of him, grrrrrrrrrr. Ned kicks at Zeus and Zeus growls and bites down onto Ned’s leg and starts pulling at it.

  Ned screams. ‘Fuck, fuck, fuck!’

  I run and pick up Kristie’s pile of clothes, and stuff the clothes in the suitcase. I zip the suitcase up and set it on its wheels.

  Tarak is by the door, screaming and crying both at once.

  I go back to Kristie. Isha and I pull her over to the door. I put the suitcase handle in Kristie’s hand. ‘Run, take Tarak,’ I say.

  Kristie takes Tarak by the hand and runs out of the bedroom, pulling the suitcase behind her.

  Zeus is still biting down on Ned’s leg, shaking it one way then the other. Ned is yelling. There is blood pooling on the floor. Isha runs over and grabs Zeus’s collar and tries to pull him off. But Zeus won’t let go of Ned’s leg. I run over and both of us pull Zeus back, but Zeus doesn’t budge. Zeus is a big dog.

  Isha calls, ‘Back, Zeus, back.’

  He calls it over and over. Finally, Zeus lets go, but he stays snarling at Ned, grrrrrrrrrrrr.

  Ned puts his arms in front of his face to protect himself.

  There are bite marks on his arms and blood dripping down from the cuts, blood all over his leg, blood all over the floo
r.

  ‘Fucking cunt of a dog!’ Ned screams.

  Isha and I turn and run.

  ‘Come, Zeus,’ Isha calls.

  We run down the hall, Zeus bounding ahead of us. We race through the kitchen, out the back door, and onto the verandah. We see Kristie carrying Tarak across the lawn to the raft, dragging the suitcase behind her.

  We run to the shore. I untie the raft and Isha and me push it into the water. Kristie and Tarak get on. Isha throws on the suitcase. Zeus is standing near the raft, panting.

  ‘Raft, Zeus,’ Isha shouts, and Zeus jumps onto the raft.

  It rocks from side to side.

  Isha and me climb on.

  Kristie sits down and holds Tarak in her arms. He buries his head.

  ‘Sssh, it’s okay now,’ Kristie says to Tarak.

  Isha and I pick up the oars and start rowing as fast as we can, away from the shore.

  We get a long way really fast before we stop rowing and look back. I see Ned limping across the lawn. He stops at the edge of the lake. He has a towel wrapped around his arm and another around his leg. He shouts something but I can’t hear what he says.

  ‘Keep going,’ Isha calls to me. ‘Over to Hooka.’

  We row towards the island. As we pull around to the far side, we look back to Ned and Kristie’s place again. Ned is gone from the shore. Only when we are out of sight completely do we stop rowing and let the raft drift.

  Everything is still and grey, like on mornings after heavy rain when the birds stop singing. Kristie gets a tee shirt out of her bag and wipes her face with it. She starts to cry and then she stops.

  ‘Are you kids okay?’ she asks.

  Her voice is soft, like a little kid’s voice.

  ‘We’re okay,’ Isha says.

  ‘What about you?’ I ask.

  ‘Had better days,’ Kristie says, and half-laughs.

  ‘Will Ned come out on the water after us?’ I ask.

  ‘He could do,’ Kristie says.

  ‘Zeus hurt him pretty bad,’ Tarak says, sniffing.

  ‘Your head is still bleeding,’ Isha says to Kristie.

  ‘Feels like a really bad headache,’ Kristie says, pressing the tee shirt against the cut to stop the blood. ‘You kids did good in there.’

  We don’t say anything. We just stare at her.

  ‘Hey, can you raft me over to the kiosk?’ Kristie asks.