Tears of the Moon - Di Morrissey [201]
Tyndall nodded and walked slowly towards the front of the group. The son of Takahashi, who had been elected spokesman, detached himself and came forward.
Tyndall removed his hat and put it under his arm. ‘Good-day Takahashi san. You have heard the news, I take it?’
‘Yes, captain. We no like. No good for anybody.’
Tyndall looked around at the earnest, concerned faces watching him.
‘What we do now, captain?’
Tyndall took a deep breath and slowly explained the situation as the Australian Government saw it—that they were now considered enemy aliens and they would have to be arrested and sit out the war in gaol and internment camps.
There was a soft murmur but no one stirred. Tyndall looked around at the faces of the men he had known for so many years. They, too, had chased the same dreams, fought the same battles against the dangers of the ocean, above and below the sea, celebrated each other’s good fortune and festivals. They were as much a part of this tightly knit community as anyone else in Broome.
Takahashi bowed to Tyndall. ‘We understand, captain. Tell Mr Magistrate and the Sergeant we go as he say.’ Straightening up, he gave a rueful half-smile. ‘Too bad. Good shell now.’
The gaol and adjoining ground were crowded with Japanese divers, crews, workers and businessmen—some with families. Their children had been born in Australia and in the sweltering humid summer heat, conditions in the small gaol were harsh. The Japanese overflowed into flimsy temporary dwellings next to the makeshift compound that they helped to erect.
The rest of the townsfolk rallied and the women set up a roster system to take homecooked meals and small practical gifts to the prison to make them comfortable.
The RM, formally attired even to his plumed hat, had addressed the assembled ‘prisoners’ and had come away humbled at their patience and tolerance. He allowed regular shopping trips into town and assured them they would be looked after as well as possible until they were sent to the internment camps.
As the luggers returned, groups were let out of prison to help pull them up on the beach and bed them down for the wet season.
Ahmed shook his head in dismay as he and Tyndall sat on the small deck of the foreshore camp quarters. ‘Broome going to sleep till war over I think, tuan.’
In Olivia and Tyndall’s world, the war was overshadowed by their concern for Maya, who had caught influenza. Olivia cared for her, while the doctor made calls each day. Tyndall sat by her bed, but found Maya’s breathing difficulties, persistent cough and obvious discomfort distressing.
‘Isn’t there something more that can be done for her?’ he asked Doctor Haynes.
‘She isn’t responding well. I think we should put her in the hospital for some tests,’ he suggested.
Maya lay in the hospital bed staring at the lush greenery outside the window. She felt as if a great boulder was crushing her chest, it was painful to take a breath and her energy simply seemed to melt away moment by moment. She turned towards the door as Doctor Haynes came in. One glance at his face and she briefly closed her eyes, knowing the worst. Opening her eyes, Maya gave him a comforting smile. ‘Cheer up, Doctor Haynes.’
‘I should be the one cheering you up.’
‘I don’t think you have good news for me.’ It was a calm statement, not a question.
‘No, Maya. We’ve got the results of the chest X-ray. You have tuberculosis.’ He took her hand and went on. ‘That means careful nursing, good food and plenty of rest.’
‘I don’t have to go away?’
‘Not for the moment. It’s complicated by the influenza. Let’s just take matters one day at a time. But it’s best you stay here.’
Tyndall and Olivia were devastated by the news. ‘Would she be better off in a sanatorium? Though I couldn’t bear her to be far away from us,’ said Tyndall.
‘She’s too sick, John.’
They spent every possible moment they could at her bedside, but despite the care, Maya seemed to fade before their eyes, day by day. Finally she whispered to