THE ONLY GOOD thing about the next day, as far as Jimmy was concerned, was that Kim did not show up at school. It meant one less person to deal with.
Until Janey rang, everyone had been trying to make him feel better about the disaster at the demonstration. After that, all the talk had been about ‘Poor Janey.’ No-one had actually had a go at him, though Ally came close, with a dirty look in his direction as she told the others how upset Janey was.
Coming home from school Dancer and Buddy are friendlier than they were in the morning, telling him that Janey will get over it. But he is not in the mood for reassurance.
As they turn into the driveway, Bella is at the front door of Col and Mary’s house, waiting for them. She calls Buddy over and tells the others to go out to the backyard and wait. The kids look at each other suspiciously.
Jimmy throws his schoolbag down and plonks himself into the hammock. But Dancer and Tich head straight to one of the shutters where they can eavesdrop.
Buddy sits on the sofa between Mary and Bella, arms folded and staring at the ground, avoiding the eyes of the Welfare woman sitting opposite him in the best chair. ‘You are Buddy’s aunt, Mrs Jirroo?’ the woman asks Mary.
‘Yes.’
‘And you are his grandmother, Mrs Richards?’
‘His great auntie, whitefeller way,’ Bella answers. ‘His granny died, but he calls me Mimi, same as her.’
A car pulls into the drive, and moments later Col comes into the room looking very riled. After they are introduced the woman asks Col, ‘You and Mrs Jirroo care for Buddy when his father is out of town?’
Mary puts a hand on Col’s knee, hoping he will stay quiet. ‘Yes we do.’
‘And how often is that?’
Buddy glares at the woman suspiciously. Col can’t restrain himself. ‘He makes his living driving a cattle truck, for God’s sake. He’s got to be out on the road a lot of the time.’
‘As I said to Mrs Jirroo earlier, a complaint was lodged with us this morning about Buddy’s behaviour outside the Planning Department yesterday. As you all know, Buddy is a former ward of the state, and this means we are obliged to check out such reports.’
She pauses, but no-one says anything. After a moment or two she breaks the awkward silence, putting on her friendliest voice. ‘It’s a shame your father’s not here Buddy.’
Buddy gives her a hostile glare. Col pushes Mary’s hand aside and tells her tersely, ‘I told you, he’s out on the truck.’
The woman holds her hands out in a placating gesture. ‘Look, I’m not here to take any action. I’m simply following procedures. It’s clear that Buddy is well cared for. But Buddy, please try to behave yourself, and keep out of trouble. I’ll be on my way now.’
As she gets to her feet Bella asks in an icy tone, ‘Who made the complaint?’
‘I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to tell you that.’
Buddy speaks for the first time, angrily, ‘As if we didn’t know.’ He stalks off to his bedroom, leaving an uneasy silence in the room.
Bella tries again. ‘Was it Georgie Jordan?’
‘I’m sorry, I really can’t say,’ the woman replies, heading for the door. ‘Thank you all for your time.’
As soon as the Welfare woman has gone the kids rush in. Dancer goes straight into their bedroom to see Buddy. Tich is tugging at Mary’s skirts asking if Buddy will be okay.
Jimmy notices an envelope sitting on the table. He recognises Janey’s handwriting straight away, but it takes him a moment to register that it is his name on the letter.
‘Dear Jimmy, I hope you get this letter before the demo. I’m not sure if I’ll get it posted in time. The closer the committee meeting gets, the more nervous I am. I could hardly sleep last night. I feel so terrible being stuck down here, where I can’t do anything. Mum told me the other day that you guys are going to play at the demo. She said you are really worried about singing. Specially my song. I mainly wanted to write to just tell you to go for it. You won’t be as good as me, of course, but you’ll be fine cuz.’
Sitting on the old swing in the back corner of the yard, Jimmy can hardly bear to keep reading. ‘It’s been harder than I thought it would be, fitting in down here. It’s all so different, and some of it’s just weird. But the girl I share my room with is really nice. Her name is Sal Pearson. Would you believe she actually lives in Perth, but her parents make her board. Like I said, there’s some weird things down here. I’m going to stay at her place next weekend. It’s going to be so good to get out of here for a couple of days. She reckons it’s a real flash place, near the river.’
Jimmy starts losing interest. He doesn’t want to know about Perth. But suddenly he is riveted again. ‘I’m missing you all so much, and just being in Broome. I’ve written some lyrics for a song about it, but I can’t get the tune right. See what you can do with it Jimmy.’
He turns to the page of lyrics. Janey has written them out with some chord notations which are full of question marks. She has decorated the page with a sketch which is the design on Mimi Bella’s pendant. He reads the lyrics through with a smile.
Suddenly he sees a way he might redeem himself. He grabs his guitar and his bike and heads for Eagle Beach.
Janey tries to back out of the weekend at Sal’s, saying she is too upset, too miserable, she’ll only spoil it for everyone. But Sal will not hear of it, and in truth, Janey’s protests are only half hearted.
They have to catch a taxi to Applecross, for even though Sal’s parents have juggled their frantic schedules to make sure they are both there for her weekend home, neither can make it back before seven o’clock.
The house is huge and ultra modern, all angles and glass, with sweeping views across the Swan River. It is so opulent, so different from anything Janey has seen before, that she feels intimidated.
When the Pearsons get home they are very friendly, but naturally more interested in catching up with Sal. Janey excuses herself early, pleading a headache.
The next morning she is still glum. She hasn’t smiled since the conversation with Jimmy. They are out on the balcony of Sal’s bedroom as lunchtime approaches. Sal tries to jolly her out of it. ‘Lighten up Janey. It’s your first weekend out. Try to enjoy it.’
Janey tries to smile, but it doesn’t work. ‘I’m sorry. I should have just stayed back like I said.’
‘Rubbish. I know what to do.’
Janey makes a better effort at a smile as Sal reappears with a cassette player.
‘Maybe this’ll cheer you up,’ Sal says as she presses the button. It is the opening chords of Bullfrog Hole on the tape of the concert. ‘I skipped the first one with Jimmy singing. Thought that might be a bit too much, but how good is this?’ Sal is moving to the music, and she sings the opening lines, accompanying Janey’s voice on the tape.
Janey is fighting to hold back tears. Sal stops dancing, and looks at her with a mixture of sympathy and frustration.
‘You there girls? Lunch is ready.’
Sal raises her eyebrows at Janey, to ask if she is okay to come down. Janey nods, and composes herself. ‘Coming Dad,’ Sal calls.
But Graham, Sal’s dad, has already come through onto the balcony. He looks down at the cassette player. ‘That’s good,’ he says.
‘That’s Janey and her band,’ Sal tells him.
‘Wow!’
Lunch is a sumptuous smorgasbord delivered by the local gourmet deli, with things Janey has never laid eyes on before. ‘Help yourself Janey,’ Sal’s mother Felicity tells her. ‘No rules here.
‘They were just playing a tape up there,’ Graham tells Felicity. ‘Janey and her band. Sounded pretty good.’
‘You’ve got a band?’ Felicity sounds surprised.
Janey swallows her mouthful of food. ‘I did — before.’
‘Run up and get it Sal,’ Graham says. ‘We’ll put it on.’
Sal glances anxiously at Janey, and then looks daggers at her father. But he is oblivious to the undercurrents. ‘Go on,’ he urges Sal, who gets reluctantly to her feet as Janey blushes.
Sal returns with the tape and puts it on, halfway through Bullfrog Hole. When the song finishes and the applause starts, Graham joins in. ‘That’s just fantastic Janey. Any more?’
‘One more.’ As she says this Janey realises what comes next. She looks at Sal, pleading for her help. ‘It cuts out halfway through. Turn it off Sal.’ But even as she speaks, her voice comes over the speakers.
‘We’ve wanted to make music ever since we can remember …’
Graham puts a hand out to stop Sal getting up. She shrugs helplessly at Janey.
‘But it took Big Al Steer and his mad plans to give us the nerve to do something about it. So at least we’ve got one thing to thank him for. This is our last one. It’s about our special place. Thank you everybody.’ And then her shout, ‘Save Eagle Beach!’ a short pause, and then the song.
Where the pindan meets the ocean
Where the mangroves line the creek …
Janey thought she was going to die of embarrassment, but when she dared to glance up, she could see Graham smiling broadly, nodding and tapping his fingers to the music, and Felicity watching her with a thoughtful air.
When it finished they plied her with questions, and gradually drew her out of her shell as they moved from the dining room onto the patio. Before long she was her passionate self, spilling out the story of the battle for Eagle Beach.
When she has brought it up to date, with the latest word from the committee — though not the events outside in the forecourt — she finally falls silent. Graham chuckles, ‘Big Al, what a name for the bad guy.’ Then he asks Janey, ‘What’s his surname again? Steer?’
‘Yeah, Alan Steer. But everyone calls him Big Al.’
‘Mmm. I’m sure I’ve heard his name somewhere, but I can’t place it.’
‘That’s quite a story Janey.’ Felicity turns to Sal. ‘It’s a sheltered life you lead by comparison, isn’t it darling.’
Sal looks cross at this, and is about to say something, but Felicity has already turned back to Janey. ‘How do you think it’s going to turn out?’
Janey’s face clouds. ‘I don’t know Mrs Pearson. We’ve tried everything we can think of, and done everything we can to hold him up. But the Planning Department’s on his side in the end.’
‘I presume you’ve applied for protection for the site under the Aboriginal Heritage Act?’
‘Stop playing the lawyer Mum,’ says Sal. ‘You’re not at work.’
At that moment the phone rings and Sal heads inside to answer it. Janey resumes the conversation. ‘The department reckons there’s a big enough buffer zone in the development plans. Little Joe — he’s my uncle — he’s trying to get the Legal Service to check out whether that can be challenged, ’cause it’s rubbish. But they’re really slow. He reckons they can’t cope with the workload.’
Felicity is thoughtful. ‘I don’t really know the Heritage Act very well. It’s not my field.’
‘I’ve read it, but it’s not really clear on buffer zones.’
‘You’ve read the Act!’ Felicity is astounded.
‘Yeah. After all this started.’ Janey can’t help a little boast. ‘My mum reckons I’d make a good lawyer — always arguing.’
‘From what I’ve seen of you, she’s probably right. You should give it a go.’
‘Janey.’ Sal is calling from the doorway.
Janey looks up at her, surprised.
‘It’s Jimmy.’
‘Jimmy?’
‘Yeah, Jimmy. On the phone.’
‘How’d he get your number?’
‘He said he rang the school.’
‘There’s no way I’m talking to him.’
‘He says it’s really important.’
‘No way.’
Sal disappears back inside. Janey sits with crossed arms, back in her shell. Felicity and Graham exchange puzzled looks. There is silence on the patio for a minute, until Sal comes back out, tugging at the phone cord for extra length. She puts the phone on the ground, says ‘Okay,’ into the receiver, then hits a button. Over the speakerphone comes the sound of guitars and Jimmy’s voice.
Mango trees flowering in June, tamarind getting ripe soon
Cricket soon over, and football will once again rule
Dancer and Tich join in.
And here we are dreaming in Broome.
Janey is biting her lip.
Easterly winds blowing today, blowing across Roebuck Bay
Mozzies are coming, and salmon are running in schools
And here we are dreaming in Broome.
Now the tears are streaming down her face. Graham and Felicity are throwing worried looks at Sal, who signals at them to stay where they are and keep quiet.
Playing and laughing and crying under the moon
Dancing and swimming and fishing, singing in tune
Horse races run in July, scorpion in the night sky
Shinju is coming, and Sammy will once again rule
And here we are dreaming in Broome.
Jimmy has taken the chords, and the half a melody that she posted up to him, and crafted them into a song that she recognises as her own, but that is somehow better, richer, just right. Janey starts singing the words. Softly at first as she gets her tears under control, but gradually becoming stronger.
Now mangoes are ripe on the ground, Nimanburr hanging around
Rain clouds are building, and we’ll see the wet season through
And here we are dreaming in Broome.
She takes the receiver from Sal and sings the chorus down the line with Jimmy and the others.
Playing and laughing and crying under the moon
Dancing and swimming and fishing, singing in tune
Horse races run in July, scorpion in the night sky
Shinju is coming, and Sammy will once again rule
And we’re just here dreaming in Broome.