Tuesday 15 April 2008

To black stump - Part II

Let me tell you a little something about me, seems as how we’ll be travelling together, today.
It happens that my name is Walter; Walter Seddon, actually. Yeah, people pretty much just go with Walt, so why don’t you?
Guess I’m kind of a bum. Got kicked out of every place. First my mum kicked my dad out. Then she kicked me out when I got older so I guess I take after him, there.
I lived with a couple of guys - friends, you know? Lived with a girl, she was nice. Pattie. I’ve got her photo somewhere in my pack. I’ll get it later.
Anyway, kind of had to move out, move on. If you’re in someone else’s place you’re in someone else’s hair, that’s how I see it.
I mean, I’m happy for the couch or the floor or wherever, but you got to be ready, you got to prepare yourself, mentally, for that look in your direction, that whispered conversation. You’ve always got to be thinking about the door.
I’d like to find my own place one day, but I dunno where yet. I’m still looking, looking for someone or something to tie myself to. Put down roots or whatever it is people say.
You say you’re from Port Augusta then? Well, I’m an Adelaide boy, 24 years. Never did drive up to Augusta myself. Good fishing round there, I hear. Looked nice as the coach pulled in, anyway.
I take it you’re going on up to Alice Springs? Just sightseeing? Or you trekking on after that? Well, if you stick around there a bit, I might catch up with you. Could only afford a ticket to Marla, you see. I could stay on, but they’d just catch me at the next changeover and I’d be just as stuck.
But Marla, that sounds like a nice place. Like a girl’s name, or something. I’ll be able to find a ride in Marla’ll get me further north, or in Wilder’s Creek. I’ll be seeing you in a few days mate, I’m sure of it.
Or maybe I’ll see me a bit of this beautiful country of ours? Look at it, both sides of the highway, stretching on for bloody miles it is. Might get me a lift in some bloke’s Ute, head down to the local watering hole.
Ah yes. See this ancient land of ours. It’s gonna be sweet. Bet my old mum never thought I’d be, erm, ‘communing with nature’ in the middle of the bloody bush.
Nor Pattie neither. I never did show you a photo of her, did I? Hang on a sec. I’ll just get her out.
She’s nice, yeah? Pretty? Smart too. Too smart, really.
Well, we’ll be stopping soon. I’ll be getting off. Out of your hair. Heh!
You have a good one, mate. No, you keep the picture. Keep it for me. I’ll get it from you when I catch up with you. You know, in Alice Springs.
Yeah, g’day. See you soon, mate.

...to be continued...

5 comments:

Sucharita Sarkar said...

Hi Paul,
Thanx for sharing your earliest memories in my new blog.
This second part is also really good, and you have completely changed the style from breathless narrative in Part I to rambling stream-of-consciousness in this one. Great way of keeping the reader on her toes.
You are right about Royal Jelly...I had forgotten the name (amnesia is a side-effect of raising children).
Needless to say, looking forward to the next part(s?, in terms of both plot and style.

Svetlana said...

i absolutely love those stories, Paul, can't wait for the next one. Australia is a great country. we went there for our honeymoon, rented a camper van and drove down from Darwin to Perth, seven weeks! it was absolutely fantastic. i'd go back in a blink of an eye and would love to just "get lost" in the outback somewhere looking for the black stump!

Anonymous said...

So this is out to be a serial adventure, eh? Did CBB have an influence there?

The exposition is helpful to the story, I'm sure, but the narrative almost rambles too much. Maybe I'm just irked because there's not more story there today.

I remember Royal Jelly, but didn't sucharita say that the wife fed the husband that stuff? As I recall, in RJ, the husband actually ate it himself while feeding it to their underweight infant daughter.

Aleta said...

This has a completely different tone than the first installment of the story. The read is now a part of the piece. Interesting perspective. Enjoyed!

Anonymous said...

Paul-

This is the best thing I've read on your blog yet. Part III better be a real whopper!

I realize you may think I have a streak for "stream of consciousness" or "first person narrative", but I will say that is not true. I have passion for innovation and excellence. So if you do jump perspective again, I want to encourage you to do some weird stuff with it!