Tears of the Moon - Di Morrissey [209]
Lily took a breath. ‘Looks like it, doesn’t it?’
‘That makes you and me relatives, same mob.’ She looked keenly at Lily.
‘Yes, I guess it does,’ acknowledged Lily in a whisper. Rosie settled back in her chair and just looked at Lily, who went on, ‘You’ll have to bear with me. It’s hard … ’ she faltered, searching for the right words.
Rosie’s solemn face fractured into a big smile. ‘It’s a real blast, Lily. Really it is, when you think about it. You don’t have to make any big decisions right away. Geez, people like you are popping up all over the place these days. Come and have a look around the house. You probably have a mind full of images of what it’s like from Olivia’s diary.’
Lily felt a huge weight lift from her shoulders as Rosie grabbed her by the hand. They were still holding hands when they went into the living room where a beautiful oval, framed photograph of Olivia was hanging.
‘There she is,’ said Rosie with admiration. ‘Magnificent isn’t she. So strong, so beautiful. There’s nothing like it in the shots down at the museum. It was taken by a touring Japanese photographer just before the war.’ Olivia gazed out from the picture with a bemused expression as though about to break into laughter. Her thick hair was pulled neatly back from her face in a complicated loop, a soft chiffon print dress was draped across her torso and around her neck hung the strand of magnificent pearls.
‘You must have become very close to her somehow,’ said Lily, acknowledging the warmth with which Rosie talked about Olivia. ‘I only ever met her once, in Perth when I was very little. Mum had come back from America after her divorce. I remember walking with Olivia in the garden. And I remember the pendant. She must have given it to Georgie then.’
‘Probably,’ said Rosie brightly. ‘Yes, she was wonderful to me. Although I was very little, too. I was brought up by my grandmother, who worked for Olivia and John in their last years. Olivia helped keep me in school and then set up a trust fund to send me to art school. “Tears of the Moon” was one of the first paintings I did at the art school. The teachers loved it and that helped make me proud of my heritage and I knew I had to paint it. “Tears” is still special to me, but I told you that the other night.’
‘How did you get the house? Did you buy it?’
‘Yes. It got sold up when Olivia died, just like the house in Perth. I guess your Mum put it on the market. Several people owned it before I bought it … thanks to the art punters in New York.’
They reached the verandah that overlooked the bay. ‘Great view, isn’t it? said Rosie.
‘Wonderful. It must have been a sight in the old days when the luggers were putting to sea under sail.’ They stood in silence, taking in the view, then Lily turned to the attractive woman beside her in smart cotton slacks and a T-shirt emblazoned with the Aboriginal flag and the word MABO. ‘You’re living in two worlds, Rosie. How do you cope?’
‘It’s easy. I’ve always lived in two worlds, but I know why you’re asking. You want to know if you can live in two worlds like me. Well that’s something only you can answer. It depends on the spirit in you, I guess. You see Lily, it’s one thing to acknowledge you’ve got Aboriginal blood. It’s another thing altogether for you to really know in your soul if you are one of us.’ There was the noise of someone in the kitchen and Rosie called out, ‘Out here, Gran. Come on out and meet a special visitor.’
Lily turned and gasped in surprise when the old woman came through the door. Gran was Biddy, the wizened old woman she had found fishing on the sand spit the day she arrived in Broome.
‘Catch enough for dinner again, Gran?’
‘Yeah. Done orright.’ She eyed Lily thoroughly. ‘G’day.’
‘Hello, Biddy,’ said Lily softly.
The old lady peered at her, then broke into a gap-toothed grin. ‘We talked down on the spit. You brung in me line.’
‘That’s right,’ explained Lily to Rosie, ‘I was wandering around when I first got in and we chatted for a bit.’
‘Grandma