Tears of the Moon - Di Morrissey [208]
Lily looked around the room then moved about lightly running her hands over pieces of furniture and imagining them as they once were in the house of Olivia and John. They had sat in these chairs, relaxed on this chaise, used this china, watched that clock. And finally, as she had ended each day since she came into the room, she stood in front of a large portrait of John Tyndall. His eyes smiled at her, though this time she imagined she saw more affection and a little amusement. ‘Well, great-grandfather,’ she said softly. ‘I guess you’re wondering how I’m going to deal with all of this?’ She gave him a rueful smile. ‘So am I.’
She picked up her bag and notebook but turned back to the portrait when she reached the door and spoke again. ‘I’ll start by having a strong drink at the Lugger Bar.’ She winked and quietly closed the door.
The next morning Lily telephoned the Aboriginal artist Rosie Wallangou, whom she’d met at her exhibition at the Cable Beach Club soon after arriving.
‘Rosie, it’s Lily Barton. We met at the exhibition. I’m from Sydney, remember?’
‘Of course. You came here searching for something. Any luck?’
‘Yes, quite a bit. “Tears of the Moon” now has a lot of meaning for me.’
There was silence at the other end of the line.
‘Rosie … ?’
‘Sorry. You took me aback a bit. Want to come round for a chat?’
‘I’d like that very much.’
Rosie gave directions which Lily scribbled in her notebook. ‘Might as well walk, Lily. Not far enough to warrant a taxi.’
Lily walked through the town looking at the buildings, the streets and the foreshore with new eyes. Everywhere she could see the lively past. Beyond the clean streets, modern shops and strolling tourists, Lily visualised the Broome of her great-grandfather’s day. Remnants remained, some lovingly restored and recreated. Some things were frozen now in rust-coated time—the horse-drawn train carriage, the decompression cylinder, the cracked iron railing around graves. Others were freshly painted—Sun Pictures, Sheba Lane, the old sheds now housing pearl shops. And everywhere, the painted Asian signs, the multicultural faces in the streets, the smells, the colours, were as they’d always been.
Following Rosie’s instructions she found herself climbing along the foreshore to the point that rose above the bay. A big old house faced the emerald waters, its surrounding verandah looking shady and cool. She felt a surge of recognition as she went towards the house, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw the massive poinciana tree in the garden. She remembered the poignant notation in the diary of Olivia scattering James’ burial soil there. Lily knew this was the home of Olivia and Tyndall. She paused as she reached the front gate, almost afraid to walk to the verandah. As she hesitated, Rosie came to the front steps and hailed her cheerfully. ‘Hi Lily. You’re at the right place.’
Right place, thought Lily as she walked up the path almost in a trance. Right place? She stopped at the top of the stairs and looked at Rosie, who was now standing by a cane chair on the verandah. For a moment neither said a word, both looking each other in the eye.
It was Rosie who broke the silence. ‘Yep, I can see it now. You’re one of us all right. Felt it a bit that night at the exhibition when we talked about the painting but figured I was just imagining things. Just goes to show, we should always listen to the spirit. How did you find out?’
‘From my great-grandmother’s diaries in the Historical Society. I’ve been reading them for days.’ Lily paused and took off her straw hat. ‘It’s a bit difficult to take in. Hardly slept at all last night.’
‘Then you’d better sit down,’ urged Rosie with a laugh. ‘I’ve just brewed the coffee, so your timing is perfect.’ She poured some and passed a mug to Lily. ‘So you think the “Tears of the Moon” means something, eh. Like what?’
Lily told the whole story as briefly as she could, concentrating on the relationship with Maya and Niah and then showing Rosie the pendant which she had in her shoulder bag. Rosie handled the pendant with