2011 - Theses - Flinders University

pregnant again. 60Jean takes the unabi that has slid easily into Rebecca’s hands, and wraps itin bark, ready for its burial later on.One of the women takes a damp cloth and fixes it to the end of a stick, clambers out of thecreek and waves it in wide arcs towards the settlement, to let everyone know the baby hasarrived. 61‘What name, Mrs Forbes?’‘Florrie’, she says, thinking of her own sister, and suddenly surprised at herself. 62‘First one for Minerawuta! Warndu!’ The elderly women crow, and smile at Rebecca. 63Ray and John are first up in the mornings, swarming the hills with the other children on theirfrozen bare feet, listening for the thin squeal of rabbits caught in their traps, for them toproudly bring home, teeth chattering through their grins, and their thin bodies licked by theicy winds of morning. Rebecca frowns even as she smiles for them and takes the catch. Whenshe was Jack’s age, she had proudly worn shining black shoes and a button up coat to attendschool classes each morning. Here she can do little better than run up thick cotton shirts forthe boys on one of the sewing machines in camp. 64 Rebecca is surprised at herself, beingbothered after more than ten years away from such thoughts. But she is bothered; botheredtoo by the almost daily traffic along the road that stops at the gate, greeted by a cluster of menand swarm of children, wheedling or threatening before allowing the traveller passage. Andthen the spoils brought back to camp: food stuffs, or rough plonk, tobacco, old clothes, andeven gossip. Sometimes the men – and it always seems to be men – leave their wagons orcars and walk down into the camp itself, looking for workers for this job or that. They knowher Jack is good for station work.39