2011 - Theses - Flinders University

White Lives in a Black Community: The lives of Jim Page and Rebecca Forbes in the Adnyamathanha communityTracy SpencerVolume One Creative Writing Component: Excerpted Chapters from Volume Three Appendix One‘See, back to normal,’ Mrs Forbes says to him under her breath, as she hurries past himwith her head low, carrying armfuls of cooked meat and blankets out to the boys camp whereher youngest, Raymond, is being put through the first rule. She is obviously pleased about it,and Jim ponders this long after her small figure is out of sight between the hills.Nepabunna, February 1935Jim is more organised these days, making sure he writes a monthly report to the UAM,knowing that if he doesn’t, Mr Wyld will. He enjoys the thought that Mr Wyld will be keptguessing whether he has written one or not until the last minute when the mail truck comescollecting. The brush fence that stands like so many stooked sheaves around Jim’s cottagehas frustrated Mr Wyld no end, not knowing whether Jim is in or out, which room of thecottage he is in, or what he might be doing there. Like Mrs Forbes over her hill, he thinks, hehas created a small pocket of privacy on this desperately public stretch of ground. And so hecomposes his missive.‘Dear praying friendsWe praise God for your faithfulness in continuance of prayer for this section of thefield. It is nearly a year since I returned here, and looking back, you with us can rejoicetogether over the sheaves garnered – it has indeed been a year of harvest…’ 152Jim always did have a wicked sense of humour.This month Jim notes Dick Coulthard’s conversion, now that he is deciding to settle at themission. He writes ‘Pray for Dick; he’s an honest old fellow, and has had a hard life.’ 153Jim asks for wages to erect a new church:98