CHAPTER   PREVIEW

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Chapter One  - The Whisper

 

 

       Jeminna was struggling with her third pregnancy. She almost lost the last child; Redanoc, due to complications, but fortunately, the local wise woman, Tulla, had heard of her plight and arrived before the situation became fatal. She was an Elder and was a Ngangkari Woman, who was well respected in the Aboriginal community. Tulla was able to administer an ancient tea. She used the leaves, boiling them up, that she had taken from a local berry shrub, which caused Jeminna’s muscles to relax, then her opening properly dilated. After this, Jeminna was able to give birth to Redanoc, who was a big eleven pound baby; he was a whopper, … luckily both mum and baby came out of it good.

            This time, it looked as though this baby was gonna be another biggin’, so Jeminna, asked her husband, Kinigalla, “Kini, … me pains are comin’ on an’ off, … it’s gettin’ close, … can ya go fetch Tulla, so she can help me deliver this bubs! … Looks like it’s gonna be another biggie!” Kinigalla responded, “Sure, Mina, … you wan’ me ta go get her now, … or after me and tha family go fishin’?” Jeminna said; as she held her tummy, then breathing slowly, sat on the couch, “Na, … think ya better go get her now! This bubs doesn’t seem ta wanna wait for nobody!”

            Kinigalla smiled, then gave Jeminna a kiss on the head and rubbed her tummy, then said, “No worries, love, … I’ll go now! Especially ‘cause this could be tha ‘’prophecy kid’ … eh?” Jeminna looked up at her husband in surprise, then said, “What are ya goin’ on about, Kini?” He replied, whilst he looked about to see where he had put the truck keys, “Oh, … one of the elders, … you know that real old one, that everybody only sees about once a year? … He’s always on walkabout, … well anyways, … strike me dead, if he didn’t show up to tha entrance of that ol’ opal mine, that we’ve been workin’ out of! … He just stood there, … staring at Rullah an’ Roogarana an’ meself. … We all knew straight away who he was, … ya can’t mistake him, … with his white hair stickin’ up about a foot high, in a matted ball, with his skin as black as black, beaten in from tha hot sun an’ that smile, … well for an ol’ fella, man he’s gotta good smile on him! … Well, anyways, … as we came out; … coz we were finishin’ up for tha day, he said, ‘Tha cockies came to me, … they told me tha Foundling is gonna be born!’ Well, … naturally we asked ‘im, what on earth was tha ‘Foundling’, … well, … then he went on for ‘bout an hour … ‘bout tha Foundlin’, … we were all amazed, ‘cause none of us had eva ‘eard of it, … not in any of tha Dreamtime stories that our families an’ tha ancestors handed down, … so we didn’t know if he’d had a taste of too much sun and it had cooked his brains, ha ha ha, … or whetha he was tellin’ us tha truth, or … was he just pullin our legs?” Kinigalla then said, “Oh, you beauty, … found tha keys! … Is Tulla still livin’ in tha blue house out on her families’ horse farm; near Wattle Creek?” Jeminna answered, “Yeah! … That farm’s been in her family fa hundreds of years, … well at least, I know it’s passed down to about nine generations, ‘cause she was tellin’ me, … about some of her family history; last time she was ‘ere … an’ tha whole lot of ‘em, have been dealin’ with tha horses; eva since tha white fellas shipped ‘em ova ‘ere. Also, … tha whole lot of ‘em are Ngangkari descendants; can heal anythin’, … but some of tha old fellas call ‘em ‘Kaditcha’, … coz they can predict everythin’ ‘bout tha weather, tha animals, … where all the water is … an’ tha food! … Top it off, … they’d be always keepin’ up with Corroborees an’, .. they’ve always kept tha old ways, passing it down to the youngins’. Some in tha community wanna take on the new white fella’s ways. Some of their ideas are good, but ya can’t forget where ya came from, … ‘specially when we know tha secrets ta runnin’ this great country an’ ta make tha land an’ animals last foreva!” Kinigalla agreed and said as he was leavin’, “Yeah, ya right! … If any of us get stuck out in tha deserted places, we know tha secrets of tha land; ta survive! … Man, it talks to us! … We know how ta pay attention to it an’ with all tha stories from the Dreamtime, they’d be teachin’ us so much, on how ta live, ta respect each otha, tha animals; their purpose, tha water, tha rocks, tha trees, … so when we stay connected to it all … an’ don’t go gettin’ distracted, … we can hear it talk to us! … I know I do, … I even hear voices in tha opals! I know it sounds strange, darlin’ … but they whispa, even tha fellas in the mine hear it too, … they have power! … Anyways, love, … I can’t stay ‘ere, goin’ on about tha culture anymore, I betta go get Tulla, … we don’t want you havin’ ta suffer, more than ya need ta darlin’!”

            So they said their farewells and Kinigalla tore off fast in tha truck, headed for Tulla’s farm.

Kini arrived at her farm about thirty minutes later and was greeted by two young kids; both boys, … they’d been fooling about, pasting red ochre on their faces, dressing up and dancing about, … preparing for the next Corroboree. One had a long stick, made into a sharp spear, whilst the other one, was tapping two pieces of wood together, as they both danced about. When they saw Kinigalla, they both stopped and the eldest boy asked, “Whatcha doin’ all tha way out ‘ere? … Who ya lookin’ for?” Kini smiled at the kids, loving the way that they were playing out their culture, but he also admired the natural manner, in which the boy spoke Kinigalla; with his arm resting on the truck window, introduced himself and also asked, “Me name’s Kinigalla … and I’m lookin’ for Tulla, … does she still live out ‘ere?” The eldest boy touted and said, ‘Pleased ta meet cha, Kinigalla, … me name is Toringa and this is my younger brother, Rantulla, … Auntie Tulla lives in the blue house on tha right. Just follow the track, tha one ya on now. … Pretty sure she’s home today.” Kinigalla was very grateful for the information and appreciated the young lad’s introductions, then Kini said, “Thanks a lot for that, Toringa; … I really appreciate it.” Next he put the truck in gear to take off. The two boys ran along side for a couple of metres, for a bit of fun, then the youngest; Rantulla, asked, “Whatcha wanna see Auntie Tulla For?” Kini responded, “Oh, … me wife is about ta have a baby … and she wants Tulla ta help her, … she delivered tha last one safely, so as they say, … ‘don’t fix what ain’t broke’! The kids eyes widen at hearing about the upcoming birth and smiled widely, then as they were both getting a little out of breathe, as they were trying to keep up with the truck in low gear; although, … Kini was moving slowly, so that they could chat, then Toringa blurted out, “Oh, strike me bunyip!  It could be the Foundlin’; … that they’re all talkin’ about!” Kinigalla instantly stopped the trucked fast; looking seriously at the boys, then said, “You’ve heard about it too?”

           Toringa excitedly stated, “Oh yeah! … The ol’ Fella; Cullinini … an’ two other elders, who just came back from a three year walkabout; … ‘cross tha Nullarbor, … well they’ve all been sayin’ tha same thing! They say, … that tha Foundlin’ is gonna renew tha land, … bring back tha old animals and put tha balance back, coz tha white fellas interfered with the ancient land, it’s animals an’ people, … so they were sayin’, that tha land has been screamin’ out for tha Foundlin’ ta come! … Ta come, … ta come an’ make it right!” Kinigalla looked shocked, but at the same time excited. He was thinking that he and Jeminna, were just simple folk and they liked it like that. Anyway, … how could it be that a powerful child, could be born to them!

Jeminna’s family had always survived by living near the water and fishing, they were good at it, which bought forth sensible profits and as a result, they had a sound family home; with no major dramas. On the other hand, Kinigalla came from a sort of​  broken home, as his mum and dad were still together, however, … his dad always went on walkabout for nearly half a year; every year, so his mum would get pretty mad sometimes, being left with the load of raising three active boys. Nonetheless, when his father returned every year, he would always have a good handful of opals and a little gold, … which soon smoothed her over. Therefore, there home was a nice one, but the dad; Nigulla, … well he just liked sleeping out under the stars, he hated being tied down with walls around him.  So after pondering all this, Kini said farewell to the kids and headed on closer to Tulla’s place, whilst thinking about, how could he or Jeminna, possibly be parents, … to the prophesied, ‘Foundling’! Next, he could see the blue house come into view, it looked well kept and there appeared to be a couple of people, sitting upon chairs; on the verandah. Kini pulled up, got out of the truck and spoke, “Me name is Kinigalla, how are ya all fairin’ today?” There were three females sitting in the shade, one was about seventy, another, was about thirty and a young one, who looked about twelve.The older woman queried, “We’re good! … So what brings ya, all tha way out here, Kinigalla?” He replied, “I was told to find Tulla at this house! Me wife’s havin’ a baby and she helped her deliver the last bubs safely. So, … do ya know where I can find her?”

          The woman replied, “Ya talking to her! … What’s ya wife’s name?” Kini responded, “Pleased to meet ya, Tulla. Me wife’s name’s Jeminna!” Tulla stood up as quickly as she could, after hearing Jeminna’s name, then she said to the youngest girl, “Go inside and fetch me shawl and me herb bag, … this woman has big babies … and I can’t be wastin’ any time!” So the young girl, immediately went into the house and fetched the shawl and bag of herbs, which was a round woven dilly bag, made from reeds and was designed with a woven drawn up cord, about the top. Kinigalla helped Tulla down the stairs, whilst the girl had quickly returned, then gave her the shawl and bag. Next, Tulla spoke again, “Hey Heddie, … can ya go fetch me, the round stone an’ pounder … an’ a handful of raspberry leaves off the Bushes; out the back.” The little girl quickly responded, “No worries Nanna Tulla! … Do ya need anythin’ else?” Tulla replied, “Na! That will about do it!” So Heddie, quickly did as she was asked, while Kini helped Tulla get into the truck. The other woman next spoke, “Hey, mamma, … do ya wan’ me to make Kangaroo stew; for when ya return?” By this time, Heddie returned with a good handful of raspberry leaves, as well as the pestle and mortar and whilst she handed them to Tulla, she replied, “ Yes, Yelli! … Make tha stew! … I’ll only be a couple of hours, if I’m not back by dark, … if things get a bit hairy; I’ll stay at Kini’s place; alright! … Thanks for tha leaves, Heddie and help ya mumma, get tha chickens in the hen house early, … so that tha dingos don’t get at ‘em!” Heddie and Yelli, nodded at what Tulla had spoken and then waved her goodbye, whilst Kini drove off in the truck.

          Kinigalla spoke, “I really appreciate ya comin’ ta help out; so quickly, Tulla! … Seein’ you, will bring a lot of relieve ta Jeminna, … she trusts ya; ya know! As Tulla held on to the overhead strap a little tighter, as it was a rocky part of the road, she responded, “No worries, Kinigalla! … Ya wife’s a     lovely woman, but the bubs that she has are big, and we nearly lost tha last one, … so we need ta get her relaxed … an’ real quick!” “For sure! We’ll be there in a tick! … By tha way, … have ya heard all the hype about the prophesy child, … tha ‘Foundling’?” queried Kini. Tulla stared intensely at Kini and wore a knowing smile, then remarked, “Oh yeah! Us old ones have known about it for a long while, … though we don’t talk about it as much as tha other Dreamtime stories. But just lately, … all tha elders have been havin’ tha same dream, … that the Founding is on it’s way, … ta save tha great land … and its people! Kini was surprised and so queried, “Really? … All of them are havin’ tha same dream?”                     Tulla continued, “Yeah! … The two elders, who just returned after finishin’ their three year walkabout, … well as soon as they entered, Kalumburu, … they were telling everyone that tha Foundling is comin’, … an’ tha change that’ll follow is gonna be a biggie! … Ya see, … all the stories about The Founding were buried, when a cave collapsed in Oombulgurri! Ya see, … they were minin’ around there an’ they shouldn’t have, … there were sacred writings an’ many stories in those caves. But they wanted tha gold there; those new settlers … and our culture paid tha price for it! Now no one can see the writin’s, ‘cause it’s all buried! The drawin’s, as well as the ancient Aboriginal writin’s; which not many know about, … well it was all about tha Foundling and ever since then, there’s been a curse on that town, .. a lot of dark stuff happens there; a real lot!” Kini looked surprised and then remarked, “I’ve heard about that town! … A lot of crooked stuff happens there! … Considerin’ all that you’ve just told me, … sounds as if tha ancestors have put a curse tha place!” .........  “It would appear so!” responded Tulla. They both looked sombre, contemplating all that they had heard about the town of Oombulgurri and then Kini remarked, “I wonder if we should get a group of us together; to head over to Ooombulgurri and dig out tha collapsed mine, … so we can see all the drawin’s, … as well as these ancient writin’s; that ya just said about, … that most of us have neva even heard about! … I thought, that tha ancient ones, only ever did tha drawin’s, … not writin’s! … Never heard about tha ancient writin’s before! … Only the stuff, we’ve picked up off tha whities and mixed their alphabet, with our names for people an’ things! … That’s about it!”  Tulla commented, “I’ve seen a little bit of it, …  ‘cause the chief elder, Karmidga; … who they say, is nearly a hundred and forty years old, … well, … he carries some skin scrolls with him all the time … an’ as well as this, … he keeps a pile of ‘em in a cave and he won’t tell anyone where it is! …                But he better tell someone one soon, ‘cause, … he ain’t getting any younga!” Then both of them roared laughing, due to the incredible age on Karmidga. After this, Tulla added, “I think we need to get back into that cave; … I think ya right! … ‘Cause it’s not just about reading tha stories that tha ancestors left for us, … on tha walls of that cave; ‘bout tha Foundlin’, … but I was told, … that there is such a power in tha speakin’ of this ancient language, that it’s like magic! … Things happen after ya speak it; so the old ones say! … That’s what the elders whisper about, … but it’s kept secret, … so maybe that’s why. ‘Cause in the wrong hands, with powerful ancient words spoken, … well, … in could rain down havoc!” Kini looked surprised at what Tulla had spoken and as he pulled the truck up, outside his house, he stared at Tulla with a serious expression, as though he had just unearthed a great opal, but it was actually the great gem of his heritage, which had been lost and now he was quite intrigued, … realising that his Aboriginal culture, held much power and many secrets, … it left him wanting to know more. As he walked around the truck, then opened the door and next helped Tulla out, … he looked at her again, intensely and queried, “So’s that what tha old ones; the elders are whisperin’ about? … Cause I’ve caught ‘em out; whisperin’, at different times over the years, … then soon as they realise that I’m tryin’ ta earwig, or anyone for that matter, well, … they just stop yackin’ and clamp up!” Tulla confirmed, “Yeah, … that’s what tha whisperin’ is about, … but they better be passin’ that info onto someone, … an’ soon, … ‘cause the old ones, … well, they ain’t gettin’ any younga!”

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COMING SOON!

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