Chapter 12

Just under two months later, it became clear that Tessa was carrying twins. The ultrasound from Wunan Health was quite clear. [Wunan is an East Kimberley Aboriginal development organisation.] Tessa was actually distressed by the news. (The survival of twins among aborigines is rare. Several cases have been reported, but in the bush both babies are never allowed to live. The weaker twin was usually killed at birth, for purely economic reasons: A nursing mother could not supply enough milk for two children while living on bush food. In her nomadic state a mother would never be able to carry both children as well as camp gear, yam sticks, a dilly bag and spare spears. But even in the 21st century, most Aboriginal women, wouldn’t consider keeping both babies.)

“Do not fret,” Sam told her. “You will be receiving excellent pre-natal care. You don’t carry my spare spears, nor our camp gear.”

And Jos told her: “You were told you would bear a sparrow-hawk (Koordop). That you would bear a raven. A power is allowing this at the same time. Bunjil, the father, has caused two eggs to grow. But perhaps you should fly to Sydney, where Sam’s parents are. So that this would be a birth in a hospital, not here in a bush-village.”

Sam called Patrick. The next day, Patrick returned the call.

“According to The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the safest time to fly if carrying twins, is before 32 weeks,” his father said.

“Tessa’s around ten.”

“Why don’t you come here in the next four weeks or so?”

“Do you have space?”

“No. But you grandfather can arrange things.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously. That place on Goulburn has suites for rent and it’s near enough to King George.”

“And I shouldn’t worry about dosh...”

“I doubt whether you and Tessa could impoverish all three of us.”

“Three?”

“You, me and Gordy.”

“Right. I’ll phone him next. But could you and mum arrange a place for us? Two of us for about four months and then four of us.”

“So, a two or three bedroom.”

“I guess so.”

A few days later, at the full moon, Gabbaitch held a corroboree. Boobook of the Mirima stood up.

“As our ancestors were taught about our lands and how we should behave, so we learn and follow the teachings. All of this land carries meaning. It carries reminders of the giants of the Dreaming. The mountains, the rocks, the rivers, the trees remind us of the creators and of our descent from them. All our ceremonies stem from this and the lands are held as a sacred trust.

“Remember. The sun is woman. She is water and fire, earth and red ochre. She creates life. The moon is man. He is the snake, the dog, the frog. He is the tide and the seasons. Everything cycles.

“One is all; all is one; souls do not die.”

Sam called out: “Are new souls made?”

“Baiami made the sun and the moon. Baiami makes souls, remakes souls. We are old and new.”

“Raven carries new souls.”

“I see them.”

“And...?”

“They are new. They are whitefella-blackfella. They are of the sky and of the caves. They are two but not of one. I cannot see how that is.”

“I, Bunjil, see all below. Raven’s two are not one ... from a single egg. They are two from two. What the whitefella calls fraternal twins.”

“So. The owl sees a boy and a girl.”

Later, Sam told Tessa. “So you’ve dizygotic twins; they do not share the same genes. And your book says that boy-girl twins are the most common kind of dizygotic twins.”

“My book?”

“The one you bought before...”

“Oh! I thought I’d tossed it.”

“No. I put it aside.”

“I’ve a problem.”

“Talk to me.”

“I don’t want to go to Sydney. I don’t want to be in a hospital. I will have my twins here. Perhaps in the Well-Being Centre, but here.”

Sam was quiet for a bit. “I’ll make another proposal. We see how things are. We’ll visit Wunan again and a third time. If you feel OK and the staff at Wunan is content with your condition, we’ll stay. If there’s any problem, we fly out immediately. To Perth. That’s half the time it would take to Sydney. And I was born in Perth. The twins would start from the same nest.”

“I agree. Either here or in Perth.”