The Blue Seal of Trinity Cove (11 page)

W
anda and her father arrived at the gully just before nightfall. Madden tethered his horse to a tree and gave it food and water. Wanda took Madden's hand and led him down the rocky slope to the gully. She could tell how shocked he was to find a community of people living there, by the way he stared around in wonder. Her people looked at him distrustfully and frowned at Wanda with disapproval. He shouldn't have been brought here, was what their looks said.

“He is my father,” Wanda explained, as she walked along the river to where her family was.

“Are you telling me this is where you were raised up, lass, right here among these black people? Well then, that explains a lot doesn't it.” He smiled at the people and nodded his head as they walked along. He took his hat off and scratched at his hair and every now and then he shook his head in disbelief. They finally came to where her adopted family was sitting. Madden put out his hand to shake the hand of the father.

“I owe you a great deal, sir,” he said politely. “You accepted my girl here Veronica, er, I mean Wanda, and gave her a home and raised her up as one of your own. And a fine job you've done too, I must say.” Madden gestured to Wanda. “She was just a little lass when I saw her last,” he said and put his hand about three feet above the ground to show how little she was when she had disappeared. “But now look at her, all grown up. So thank you for looking after her and giving her a home and …” his voice trailed off nervously and he fingered the brim of his hat and looked around at the people as he spoke, unsure of what to expect from them.

“We are happy to see the father of our daughter here. Any relation of Wanda is welcome here among our people and can stay as long as he pleases,” and with that the native smiled widely at Madden and pointed to a spot on the ground for him to sit. Although there was no understanding of language between the men, they had understood the gist of what each was saying because of their body language and facial expressions and both believed they had reached an agreement and now they smiled at each other.

Madden felt much more at ease and took his spot in front of the fire next to the other people. He was offered food and drink. Wanda told her story of why she had left the tribe and gone to the nearest town and then what had happened to her, including the story of how the group of men had tried to kidnap her. Her mother looked very sad and told Wanda how worried she had been about her. She stroked Wanda's hair and her face. Her Aboriginal father though was somewhat more assertive. He let Wanda know in no uncertain terms just how disappointed he was with her and that she had done the wrong thing to go off by herself without letting anyone know where she was going. He told her how worried they had been and that they thought they would never see her again. He was very angry and scolded her in front of the tribe. Madden looked into the fire and stayed quiet to show that he knew it was important to remain uninvolved. Wanda looked down at the ground, wiping the tears of shame from her eyes.

“I'm sorry, Father, I know I did the wrong thing and I will not do anything like that again,” she said to him and to the other people who were gathered with them. Her mother put her arm around her shoulder and her father came and stood behind her and placed his hand on her head to show that she was forgiven.

“Tonight we will celebrate the return of my daughter to us and also this new arrival, her father, who has come to us at a time when we are in need of a promise of hope for the future, especially where the white men are concerned.” All at once everyone stood up and walked to where Wanda was seated with her mother and other mothers and fathers came and touched her head gently to say welcome back and then laughing and singing they all went to do the various jobs that needed to be done to prepare for the evening feast.

Now Wanda could relax a little with her new-found father and get on with the language lessons that they had started earlier. Madden had many questions that he wanted to ask her and one by one all of them came to be answered. Within only a few hours, the basics of the language had been explained and they were able to communicate haltingly but with some understanding. The matter of the shapeshifting though was not spoken of. Wanda thought it too difficult to explain and probably unnecessary, at this point anyway.

Madden stayed with the tribe and learned all of the ways of his daughter's people. He learned how to fashion spears and boomerangs from wood and clothing and shoes from kangaroo hide. He learned how to hunt and gather and to build the huts. He even learned how to cook and he became quite friendly with all of the people, including the little children, gradually winning them over with his pleasant personality and charming Scottish accent. He learned to speak their language and predict weather patterns and became fascinated with the stories of the dreamtime. In exchange he told them stories from his own culture, which the little children found enthralling. Wanda was extremely happy to have both of her fathers living peacefully side by side, each important to her in his own unique way. Madden was present when she had her bridal ceremony, became fast friends with her new husband and was there for her first pregnancy and the birth of her baby. Madden explained that he was happy to have a new life with her and her people. Back at his shack he had known mainly only unhappiness since the death of her mother and Wanda's disappearance. He was a hermit who stayed at home and worked on his inventions and so the townsfolk didn't bother much with him; thought he was some kind of loner that just wanted to be left alone, which was not far from the truth. In fact, he didn't bother much with the other people of his kind, finding them to be too unfriendly and disagreeable. He would rather stay out of the local gossip scene and away from the other bawdy, drinking men who seemed to mainly occupy the town. But at least his loneliness had eased somewhat, now that he was a part of a community of people. And to have found his beloved daughter again was a dream come true. He didn't plan on returning to his little shack any time soon. Even his dogs and horse had come to be a part of the tribe. They were very well-treated and spent their days lolling in the sun and being patted and kissed by the tribe's children (and the adults too for that matter). There was a lot to be thankful for and the days seemed to be endlessly happy and sunny, that was for sure. There was only one thing missing for Madden; a companion. It wasn't long before his eye fell on the very wise and confident midwife of the tribe, Inuwatu. She was different from the other women in that she had green eyes and brown hair rather than the brown eyes and black hair. She had an air of authority about her and she would look at him as if she was looking straight into his soul. There was something about her that reminded him of his late wife; it was probably something to do with the way she seemed so sure of herself; she had an almost regal air. Everyone noticed him staring at her. She wouldn't hold his gaze though. She would turn her head and walk away as if she didn't care for him at all and this confused him. Madden enquired after her; her husband had died some years before, she was childless; she lived alone and kept mainly to herself. All of the tribe's children adored her – she had brought all of them into the world with her own hands – and whenever she walked out of her hut all of the children would run to her and clamour around asking to be told the story of their birth. She would sit with the women and children and weave baskets or sew clothes and shoes and they would talk all day about their business.

“She the one you like?” the chief asked Madden one day when he had caught him staring at her.

“Well, I suppose, yes,” said Madden, looking away with embarrassment.

“Now, don't be shy, Madden. Every old head needs an old hat. Every man needs a woman to make him good, yes?”

“Well, yes, I suppose you're right, if you put it that way.” But still Madden rubbed his hair and looked into the sky to try and avoid the subject.

“Why don't you look at the other girls?” the chief said and pointed to where the women were seated. All at once Madden realised that quite a few of the other women were staring at him and making little gestures; a wave or a smile with their beautiful, gleaming, white teeth. And some of them were quite stunning, he thought and young too. He looked for a moment but then shook his head.

“It's no good,” he explained to the chief. “I wish I could get my mind off her as clearly she is not interested in me but the heart wishes to have what it really wants …” and he looked down at the ground and shook his head.

“Yes, but Inuwatu is – how I say – she is not the marrying kind. Since her husband died many men have asked for her but she say no. But if your heart is set then I ask her for you,” and before Madden had a chance to answer, the chief had leapt toward the circle where the women were seated and asked to speak to Inuwatu.

“What's wrong, Father?” Wanda asked. She had been coming back to where the women were seated after collecting her baby and noticed her father leaning against a tree, his face hidden in his hands.

“Oh, lass. Am I to die right here of embarrassment? The chief has taken it upon himself to go and ask Inuwatu if she would be my wife – I can't bear it.”

“Don't worry, Father. This is the custom of the people. The chief always does the asking and by rights she can't really say no, especially with you being the honoured guest but …” She stopped talking when they both heard Inuwatu yelling at the chief.

“And you can't make me do this anyway,” was what they heard of what Inuwatu was saying. And with that she stomped angrily away from the chief and the women and children and went back to her humpy.

“I knew it; that did not go well at all, and now what am I to do? How I wish I had never uttered a word of this,” said Madden and he was just about to walk off in the opposite direction when the chief arrived beside him and took his arm.

“No, Madden,” he said happily, “this is good; she like you, I can tell. With the other men she just laugh at them, but with you, she react differently. I know this woman and I tell you, she like you. But because she so proud and confident in herself and older than the other single girls, she can't be told what to do. She will though. She like you so you must ask to talk to her yourself. Right now, go to her hut and say, ‘Can we talk please?' and she won't say no, this I know for sure.” The chief seemed so sure of himself and Wanda encouraged her father too.

“This is good, Father. You will have a partner like me and be much happier and Inuwatu is a wonderful woman. She will be my step-mother,” said Wanda, deliriously happy.

“How can you both be so sure?” asked Madden. He took his hat off and rubbed at his oily hair, obviously still completely perplexed about the situation but also feeling that Wanda's confidence and happiness were making him more confident. After all, these were her people.

“Are you absolutely sure about this? I'm a bit out of practice, you might say,” but as he spoke the words, fingering his hat nervously, he gave his daughter an ear to ear smile and started to walk in the direction of Inuwatu's hut. Wanda watched as he stood outside the hut and asked her to come out. She noticed Inuwatu look at her, the chief and the other women and children watching. She saw how Inuwatu crossed her arms as if she was just about to say no to whatever Madden was prepared to say. Madden spoke to her again, saying something that no-one else could hear. Inuwatu smiled broadly at him, uncrossed her arms and welcomed him into her hut, closing the door behind them.

“This is good,” the chief said to Wanda, with wide eyes and a smile.

“Yes, I know,” said Wanda, smiling. But how could she know that this very day would be the last day of peace and serenity for her much loved tribe?