eternity, things to come – girr Did you remember that the ‘rr’ is trilled? It sounds like disappointment when you say it girr. And this might disappoint you, but I can’t tell you what the things to come are, what happens tomorrow, just as nobody can tell me.
day after tomorrow – nganha-gunhung-guwala The last weeks of my life have been spent sitting out here at Prosperous. I can look up and see all the work I’ve done in the years. Repairing the roof, installing sealed windows into new frames, the guttering, fixing loose floorboards, painting the outside. I haven’t done much work on the thing the last few years. Eddie lends me the tools I need and holds the ladder. And the rest of the time I’ve spent at the library. I will miss the library when I can’t visit there anymore. I’m going soon, I’m going nganha-gunhung-guwala. I’m trying not to dwell on it too much and trying to finish these words during the hours I have each day. Maybe I won’t finish everything I meant to, but maybe someone else will tomorrow, next day, someday. Remember Matthew 6:34, Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
dead man – gudin After they’d drained the dam, and searched the property three times, after I’d made my spear and sat with my evidence for long enough, I left the house in the night, and pushed the car out the driveway and halfway up the street before turning on the ignition. I drove to the boarding-house flats he lived in. I crept up the side of the building and looked in the window. He was watching telly, feet up and drinking a beer like he didn’t have a worry in the world. I leant my spear outside his front door; I put my boot between the screen and knocked. ‘Who’s there!’ he said. ‘Me,’ I said. He cracked open the door and I shoved my boot inside, grabbed him by the throat and with the other hand brought the tip of the spear to his chin. ‘Walkabout time,’ I said. I walked him to the car, put him in the driver’s seat and told him to drive out to the back of the satellites. I held the spear low against his side: ‘Drive steady or you’ll be in trouble.’ We didn’t pass another car at that small hour. When we arrived I told him to walk out nice and easy for a talk. Under the light of the satellites I asked him flat: ‘Where is Jedda? You tell me and I won’t hurt you too much.’ He put his head in his hands swore he didn’t know, but I knew then. Only a guilty man hides his face. I took a couple of paces back and raised the spear. ‘The further I go back the further this thing is going to go through you, Jimmy,’ I warned. Well, just like that he took off and I threw my spear, got him in the back of the thigh. He staggered a little and I took chase, but the bastard held the thing there and ran into the night. So I knew then. I knew everything had fallen apart.