2011 - Theses - Flinders University

‘You’ll see. I’ll tell the others.’ Fred stands up, and moves on to where Ted waits outsidehis hut.‘Time to meet that fella. We’ll send our boys out, while the others get ready. Tell Winnietoo.’ Ted moves off, throwing a glance towards his son Walter, who follows quickly. Anotheryoung man, Steve, appears beside them, carrying thin spears. The two talk intently over thespears for some minutes, while nearby Winnie takes up a wailing song that rises and fallsamong the trees. She does not look at the white man, standing rigidly holding his badlybalanced bicycle beside him. Jim hears only sound and some sort of rhythm like stones beingtumbled in a river. He sees a woman stout as a gatepost herself, her body swelling out underher chin and falling with her skirt. She sways slightly, on thin legs, like she is making thebreezes herself.And then she stops, and, covering ground remarkably quickly, calls out, in English:‘Where you bring that thing from, then?’ She is pointing her lips at the bicycle, and so heanswers weakly,‘Copley.’ The woman walks away, and his spirits fall. Just then he is startled by twoyoung men, stamping towards the gate, each holding reedy spears nonchalantly pointing athim. They bark into the air, and Jim no longer wonders how he might open the gate. He willstay where he is all day, he thinks, if need be. The young men gesture at him now, makingloud sounds, and he thinks he hears the word ‘name’ amongst them.‘Jim. Page. Mr Page. I’m the missionary…from…’ and he feels very feeble. From where?Of all the places he might have said, his birthplace was the only one that made sense.‘...England.’89