Beth Spencer
Doing the Rock
: June 1984
© 1986/98 by Beth Spencer and gangan books australia
Doing the Rock : June 1984
the
bus took off without me and I was missing you
[flashback]
drinking gin on the flight from Cairns
--'trash can?' said the American
across the aisle
--'rubbish bin' said the hostess and
pointed to a paper bag
had
the plane to ourselves our postcards and politeness the
biscuit-baked land followed us red as your thumb [now] the
American smiles sitting next to the driver caught them up at the
camel farm fists full of meat pies and Big Bill with the cowboy
hat and the bus between his legs [later] when we reach the
motel they book a room together quick work! I smile back
[now] spinifex and wild melon and the well-beaten track
and a haze to go with the six a.m. high / the big trip / doing it
/ 'Get to know each other' Bill drawls into the mike so I pretend
to examine the view and make a list instead: 1) two young men in
the back seat propped up with a can each one of them reads the
tour guide the whole way and forgets to look out the window 2) a
Canadian couple with a baby -- babies : dingoes -- the mind's
corny as it slides to the association but what can you do they
look so straight and you wonder how old it is why they're here
(why the baby never cries) and then 3) an English teacher with
large friendly thighs who's seen more of Australia than I have
which isn't difficult and up further 4) two old ducks Rosy and
Else laughing and talking the whole way making the most of it and
5) a lonely man (there always is) [later] he shakes
everyone's hands with tears in his eyes [now] up front Big
Bill with his hand on the American's knee and his grin in the
mirror says 'Get to know each other folks fun's only what you make
yourself' which is true I suppose but I'm not having fun and my
sneakers bought in Alice are too tight and I've no suntan cream
because it's winter in Sydney
--and I think of your warm bed and
cold room
--and Elaine walking up the stairs
with a loaded needle 'helping you out'
so
maybe Bill's right or maybe fun's only what you left behind miles
and miles and I'm not even sure which direction 'out there' and
'home' make much more sense on a plane here there is only the
track (always the same one) and the band of travelling tourists
visiting the rock like visiting Grandma that same sense of duty
and boredom and just maybe the thought of something
unexpected but there was nothing unexpected not really we saw the
rock and climbed it (Rosy and Else took a helicopter) we took
photos and watched slides and oohed and ahhed as the sun painted
the rock colours that it hadn't for us and we bought postcards of
those colours and played pool in the motel that the truck went
through (had a plaque on the wall, I lost) and then the English
teacher took photos of little black kids playing in the dust that
is theirs and she cried when she read about Marilinga
nothing
unexpected except this: the Olgas (Katajuta) were magic and
on the way back we all sang 'pack up your troubles' and 'you are
my sunshine' and best (and loudest of all) 'beautiful
beautiful brown eyes' while the road followed us into town
and the desert creaked towards night
E-mail beth@cbl.com.au