Chapter 8

"Will there be an argument?"

"About what?"

"I'm afraid that Gordy and the twins might be militant and that Alf and Mark and Allison might not appreciate that."

"Militant about what?"

"The panel report. The response, rather the lack of response, on Gillard's part."

"Well, I'll admit that I'm disappointed. But it's only been six weeks; it's too early to start a fight."

Section 25 of the Australian constitution of 1901 recognizes that states can disqualify people, such as Aborigines, from voting. Section 51 says that the federal parliament can make laws based upon a person's race. Both were intended to prevent Aborigines or Torres Islanders from living in areas reserved for white people and from taking up certain occupations.

Saturday morning everything got hoovered. Books were (re-)shelved. Papers straightened. Then we went off to shop: several cheeses, several sorts of biscuits and crisps, a kilo of yabbies, pop, and the ingredients for several dips.

"We're only eight," I protested.

"I know. But they might be hungry. There's wine at home, right?"

"Yes. I put a bottle of David's white in the fridge, and we've plenty of red. And two kinds of beer: Fosters and Little Creatures."

"Ice?"

"I emptied the trays into a bag and refilled them yesterday."

"Oh. Thank you. This is our first event."

"But there's no reason to get excited."

We got home and everything stowed appropriately.

"Patrick, you're so good to me!"

"I know. Do we have time for sex and a shower?"

We left a trail of clothing across the floor.

Allison was the first to arrive, bearing a bottle of wine and a bunch of flowers. While Rachel was looking for a vase-substitute, Mark arrived. Then Alf and a few minutes later, Gordy and the twins. I just greeted them, gobsmacked. They were similar, but not identical. They were nearly two meters tall and were broad-hipped and large-busted. They weren't 'black' at all. More a yellow beige. They were wearing tight tee shirts and shorts and smiles.

"I'm Audie; that's Gerri. You must be Patrick."

I nodded and closed my mouth. "Welcome." I took Audie's hand. "You have met Jimmy."

"You know Jimmy?" asked Gerri.

"Yes. But I've seen him only once since his father died. You have a new nungungi."

"How do you know?"

"He knows many things. Glad to see both of you." Rachel was playing hostess.

"Hey," Gerri said. She turned to me. "We're not really part of the band. We used to go walkabout with them, but our dad got a fencerider's house. So we live there. But we go on corroboree."

"When you next go, you must greet Jimmy for me."

Gordy looked up. "His mum saved Jimmy's life."

They both stared at me. "You're nungungi!" "We've heard of you!"

"Come. Sit down. Eat and drink. We are all students." I proceeded to introduce everyone to everyone.

"What was all that about?" Alf asked.

"The twins had heard about one of my hats."

"One that's important to us abos," Gordy said. "I wish Pat could talk to Gillard and Abbott."

"I wouldn't know what to say," I remarked.

"I'd know," said Mark. "She's ruining the economy. I wish Rudd hadn't been ousted."

"Even my dad thinks that was a dirty trick," Allison remarked. "She's got no feel for the land."

"No. Barrett's right: there are the makers and the takers. New South and Queensland and West are the makers..."

"And the Territory!" Gordy interrupted Rachel.

" ... and the Territory. But not as much as those three states. South and Tasmania and Victoria are the takers."

"And the ACT! The biggest teat suckers of all!" Gordy was really getting into it.

"Perhaps," I said. "But with the Constitution all the states and the Territory share equally."

"With the Constitution, I don't really count," Gerri said.

"No," added Audie, "And three of us can't even vote."

"My folks were here ten thousand years before the first fleet!"

"And our mum and her folks!"

"I don't think any of us has a relative who came in 1788," I said. "My guess is that most of us have parents or grandparents who were born elsewhere. Rachel's mum's from Japan, but her dad's family did a bit of exploring on this island 150 years ago. All four of my grandparents were born here. And I don't know about Allison's or Alf's or Mark's families. But I'm not certain any of that matters."

"But that's not really the point," Rachel stated. "Each of us belongs to many communities. And in each of those communities a different aspect steps forward. Different roles and different positions; different social status and different rituals." She looked at the twins. "Would you reveal where the band keeps its stones? Would you tell me your mother's true name? Would Patrick reveal his totem? Would Allison tell me what her mother's pet name for her is? Would Gordy talk to us the way he does to his teammates when he plays footie?" Everyone was looking at her. "Let's have something to eat."