No Sugar (12 page)

He reads:

‘And whereas the protection of the law doth of right belong to all people whatsoever who may come or be found within the territory aforesaid, I do hereby give notice that if any person or persons shall be, convicted of behaving in a fraudulent, cruel, or felonious manner towards the aboriginal race of inhabitants of this country, such a person or persons will be liable to be prosecuted and tried for the offence as if the same had been committed against any others of His Majesty's subjects.' In the same proclamation, all male persons between the ages of fifteen and fifty were required to enrol in the militia, to secure the safety of the territory from invasion and from the attacks of hostile native tribes as might be necessary.

Pause.

From the beginning the natives provided the settlers with bush food and assisted exploring parties, and a happy relationship between settlers and blacks continued for some eighteen months. The newcomers were yet to impress the blacks with the significance of their invasion. In November of that year, an Aborigine was shot while stealing flour. That was the beginning of the end. Constant pressure from the whites drove back the erstwhile native inhabitants, depriving them of their water and food supplies. Naturally enough, the bolder spirits among the blacks resented this, and we cannot wonder that the murder of isolated whites occurred during this period, with a heavy toll of black life being exacted in reprisal. On the twenty-seventh of October, 1834, Governor Stirling led a detachment of soldiers and civilians to the Murray River at Pinjarra. In the early morning they came across a camp of some sixty or seventy natives. The detachment took up positions on both sides of the river. Rain, which had been threatening for some time, began to fall heavily. The party opened fire and more natives appeared from shelters. The men defended themselves with spears, while the women and children sought shelter in the river. For one hour they were subjected to crossfire from twenty-four guns from both banks. The official estimate was fifteen to twenty dead, but only eight women and several children were finally rounded up.

He pauses and takes a drink of water.

One more word and I shall have finished. When referring to Australia's treatment of her Aborigines we are apt to refer somewhat scathingly to Tasmania's harshness in ridding herself of her natives within the first seventy years of settlement. In that time some six thousand natives disappeared and only one was left alive. Yet here, in the south-west of our State, within an area about twice the size of Tasmania between 1829 and 1901 seventy-two years—a people estimated to number thirteen thousand were reduced to one thousand four hundred and nineteen, of whom nearly half were half-caste.

END OF ACT THREE

Moore River outdoor Sunday School, a hot day
.
SISTER EILEEN
,
CISSIE
and
TOPSY
sit in a group
.
SISTER EILEEN
is telling a story from memory.
Next to her are several sheets of paper.

SISTER
: After the shepherds had visited the baby Jesus in the manger, Mary and Joseph and the Holy Jesus had three very special visitors. Can anyone tell me who they were?

TOPSY
: The Three Wise Men, Sister Eileen.

SISTER
: Yes, very good, Topsy. And the Three Wise Men brought the Holy Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. But on the way to visit Jesus the Three Wise Men spoke to the King of Judea. Who can tell me the name of the King of Judea?

TOPSY
's hand goes up.

Well, do you know, Cissie?

CISSIE
: No, Sister.

SISTER
: Topsy, can you tell us?

TOPSY
: King Herod, Sister.

CISSIE
notices
DAVID
enter at a distance.
BILLY
enters behind
DAVID
and sees him.

SISTER
: That's right, King Herod. And when the Three Wise Men heard that a Saviour was born to be King of the Jews, he wasn't pleased at all, because he was king and he didn't want any other king. So what did he do? Can anybody tell me?

BILLY
puts a hand on
DAVID
's shoulder
.
CISSIE
puts up her
hand.

BILLY
: Eh, boy, where you goin'?

DAVID
: Swimmin'.

SISTER
: [
surprised
] Yes, Cecilia.

BILLY
belts
DAVID
on the legs with his whip.

CISSIE
: Look, Sister Eileen, look.

BILLY
: [
to
DAVID
] You s'posed to be Chunday School.
Gudeeah
waitin' for you.

TOPSY
: Billy Kimberley's belting one of the boys.

BILLY
: [
to
DAVID
] Now you git to Sunday School, straight away now, git, git, git.

CISSIE
: It's David.

She jumps up and picks up a stone, and runs to
DAVID
.

SISTER
: Cecilia, wait. Cecilia!

SISTER EILEEN
jumps up and runs after her.

CISSIE
: You leave him alone, old man.

SISTER
: Billy, Billy!

CISSIE
prepares to throw the stone.

Cecilia, don't you dare!

She grabs
CISSIE
's arm.

Billy, what are you hitting that boy for?

BILLY
: Him cheeky fella, missus. He goin' swimmin', don't wanna go Chunday school. He bad boy, that one.

SISTER
: All right, Billy, but we don't hit people to make them do God's will.

DAVID
: [
to
BILLY
] Black crow, black crow.

SISTER
: David, that's enough of that! Come on, now.

BILLY
: [
to
DAVID
] You bad boy.

He exits.

SISTER
: Did he hurt you?

DAVID
: I'm all right.

CISSIE
: Rotten stinkin' mongrel.

SISTER
: That's enough! David, in one way it's your own fault.

DAVID
: It's not.

SISTER
: If you'd been at Sunday School that wouldn't have happened, so remember that… All right, now where were we?

She gives
DAVID
a humbug and they go back to the others.

TOPSY
: King Herod, Sister Eileen.

SISTER
: Now, King Herod was very angry and very wicked and you know what he did? He ordered his soldiers to kill every first-born baby boy under two years old. So Mary and Joseph didn't want them to kill the baby Jesus, so they had to flee from Bethlehem. They wrapped the baby in a blanket and crept away in the middle of the night. They travelled all night and by sunrise they were far away and safe.

TOPSY
: Where did they go, Sister?

SISTER
: They went to Egypt until King Herod died and there was a new King of Judea. And then they returned to Jesus' home in Nazareth, where Jesus grew up to be a man. Now wasn't that a splendid story? Did you like it, David?

DAVID
: S'all right.

SISTER EILEEN
hands out a sheet of paper to each.

SISTER
: Now, here are the hymn sheets for today. It's a hymn I'm sure you all know, and want you to sing in your very best voice, because this is the hymn we'll be singing for Mr Neville in the Australia Day celebrations.

ALL
: [
singing
]

There is a happy land,

Far, far away,

Where saints in glory stand,

Bright, bright as day:

Oh, how they sweetly sing,

‘Worthy is our Saviour King!'

Loud, let His praises ring,

Praise, praise for aye!

Bright in that happy land,

Beams every eye:

Kept by a Father's hand

Love cannot die.

Oh, then, to glory run,

Be a Crown and Kingdom won

And, bright above the sun,

Reign, reign for aye!

Amen.

They gather around for their humbugs.
DAVID
holds out his hand.

CISSIE
: You've already had one.

DAVID
: Shut up.

SISTER EILEEN
gives him a humbug.

The Superintendent's Office, Moore River, day.
MR NEAL
reads at his desk.
MATRON
enters while
BILLY
and
MARY
, now very pregnant, wait outside.

MATRON
: She's here.

NEAL
: Dargurru?

MATRON
: Yes.

NEAL
: Oh, good. Aren't you needed down the hospital?

MATRON
: Just remember, that girl is pregnant, and unwell.

NEAL
: Don't worry, I won't touch her.

MATRON
exits.

NEAL
: Billy? Billy?

BILLY
: Yes, boss.

NEAL
: Bring her in.

BILLY
brings
MARY
into the office.

You wait, all right? Don't go walkabout.

BILLY
goes outside to wait.

Dargurru, you finally got caught, eh? And you got yourself pregnant? Well, you'll be all right here. You can stay in the nurses' quarters.

MARY
: No, I wanta stay with Joe's Mum and Dad.

NEAL
: Don't be stupid, girl: you're meant to be pregnant and sick, so you can stay in the nurses' quarters and do a bit of light work in the hopsital.

MARY
: I don't want to work in the hospital.

NEAL
: You'll work where I think fit, digging graves if I say so.

MARY
: I'm not gunna work in the hospital.

NEAL
: You'll do as I say, do you understand?

MARY
: No.

NEAL
: So you intend to defy me, do you? Billy!

He takes the cat-o'-nine-tails from his desk
.

Do you know what that is?

BILLY
enters.

MARY
: I don't care. You can belt me if you like, I'm not workin' in the hospital.

BILLY
: Boss talkin' to you.

MARY
: Go to hell!

BILLY
: Don't be cheeky, now.

NEAL
: [
to
MARY
] What did you say?

Silence.

BILLY
: Boss talkin' to you.

NEAL
: What— did— you— say?

MARY
: Go to hell! Fuck youse!

NEAL
: Millimurra seems to have learnt her well. Well, I'm going to unlearn you.

NEAL
grabs her.
BILLY
holds her outstretched over a pile of flour bags.
NEAL
raises the cat-o'-nine-tails. Blackout. A scream.

Long Pool Camp, Moore River.
MILLY
sorts clothes for washing.
SAM
and
JIMMY
drink tea.
GRAN
sits in the shade.
MILLY
looks up as
MARY
enters.

MILLY
: Mary! Oh, gawd, Mary…

MILLY
runs to her, takes the flour and helps her to the camp.

Come on, Mary, sit down.

MARY
sits painfully.

You all right?

MARY
: Yeah.

The others gather around as
MILLY
carefully lifts the back of
MARY
's galatea blouse to reveal huge welts.
GRAN
fetches some medicinal leaves.

SAM
: Oh, my gawd.

JIMMY
: The bastard. I'll kill him.

GRAN
: Ne'mine, ne'mine, put these
jeerung meear
on your back. Fix up quick and make you better.

MILLY
: Baby all right?

MARY
: Yeah. He's kickin' like a Kimberley camel.

SAM
: I think we better take her to the hospital.

MARY
: No. No, I'm not goin' to no hospital. I'll die first.

MILLY
: But you'll have to go to have the baby.

MARY
: No, I'm havin' it 'ere. I can 'ave it 'ere, can't I?

GRAN
: You can have it right 'ere, darlin'. I brought Joe into this world and, by crikey, I'll bring his baby.

The sound of the shrill voices of
DAVID
and
CISSIE
are heard, off.

DAVID
and
CISSIE
: [
together
] Mum, Dad…

The kids run on.
DAVID
carries a letter.

CISSIE
: Mary, a letter from Brother Joe.

MARY
takes the letter and reads.

DAVID
: Willy Knapp give it to me. He just came back from gaol, and Joe give it to him.

CISSIE
: Gave it to him, not ‘give'.

DAVID
: That's what I said.

CISSIE
:
Nyummi
.

DAVID
:… Give it him to gave to youse so Mr Neal wouldn't read it and tear it up or something.

JIMMY
: Bastard reads everybody's mail.

MILLY
: How is he?

MARY
: Good, reckons the tucker's all right. Here, you read it, Cissie.

CISSIE
takes the letter and reads in silence.

DAVID
: Out loud,
nyummi
!

CISSIE
: ‘I'm giving this to Willie to give to youse 'coz if…'

Pause
.

[
Spelling
] ‘F-U-C-K F-A-C-E gets it, he'll most likely tear it up. How is everyone? Mum and Dad and Gran and the kids and Uncle Jimmy… And my little brother and sister? But really, how are you and the baby? I've only got eight weeks to go and I'm counting them days, every one of them. We are getting married when I get out. If the Aborigines Department give us permission. I am going to ask Mister Neville myself. I'd sooner we got married at New Norcia like Mum and Dad. Though I ain't really a Catholic. You know, I don't know what you are, I forgot to ask you. It not too bad here, plenty of Nyoongahs and some from up North. Tucker's not too bad, better than the Settlement. At least they don't give us bread and fat, and we get real ‘bacca, not nigger twist. Tell Willy to behave himself now he's out and not to go hitting any more policemen. Well, darling, I'll close.

CISSIE
sniggers.

‘I love you and I think of you day and night.'

She laughs.

‘I even dream about you. Lots of love and kisses to you and Baby. Joe.'

MILLY
: Come on, Mary, you come and lie down.

The Superintendent's Office, Moore River.
MR NEAL
works at his desk.
SISTER EILEEN
approaches and knocks. He ignores it. She knocks again.

NEAL
: Who is it?

SISTER
: Me, Sister Eileen.

He continues working, head down.
SISTER EILEEN
enters the office.

Matron said you wanted to see me.