Yulara

Not wanting to break the silence I asked a question.

‘What team do you go for?’

‘Collingwood.’ Marlee answers back quickly.

‘Collingwood!? I live in Collingwood!’

She doesn’t acknowledge it. I quiz myself, maybe she doesn’t know that Collingwood is an actual place? Why would she? It’s a team she goes for. This place is probably all she knows. She’s 2,296km away from Collingwood according to Google Maps.

‘I live right next to their original home ground.’ I pitch as a test to see.

No response.

Marlee waved us down standing next to her white Commodore as we were leaving the National Park. It was pitch black out and I pulled over after watching the Pajero and Lancer ahead of us whiz past them.

I wind down the window ‘Need a hand?’

‘Outta fuel.’

‘Need a lift back?’

‘Got no fuel?’

‘Nah… sorry.’

Marlee looks back at her car and 3 colleagues. ‘Can ya take us back to town?’

‘Yeh easy. Get in.’

I could tell Jay was a little pensive about the whole situation I just created for us.

‘Text me.’ Jay says as I walk back to the car.

‘It’ll be fine. Relax, I’m just taking them back.’

‘You sure you don’t want me to come? You’re my brother I worry about you.’

‘It’s fine. I’ll be right back.’

Marlee jumps in the front and the two teenagers and older woman pile into the backseat. We jet off into the darkness back into the National Park. We talk a bit trying to find something to talk about. I don’t know. How can you find anything to talk about with someone who’s life you’ll never be able to relate too?

I embarrassingly pull up Frank Yamma on Spotify, the only aboriginal artist I know.

‘Yamma! Turn it up!’ Marlee shouts.

‘Louder.’

Marlee starts singing along.

‘Frank played here last month.’ Marlee says.

‘What’s he singing about?’ I ask.

‘Family. Being with family ya know?’

‘You got a hose?’ Marlee asks as she jumps out.

‘Shit! I don’t.’

Marlee walks back and the teenagers find a 1L Coke bottle in the back of their car to fashion into a funnel. I text Jay to tell him I’ve dropped them off and they’re just filling up the car. I see a fierce lightning storm on the horizon.  It flashes brilliantly and even though it was probably hundreds of kilometers away, its violent beauty was easy to make out.

Marlee starts up the car, waves and drives off. I set off behind.

My eyes remain transfixed on the storm. 

The phone dings with a new message.

Marlee is out of sight and I pull over.

Shutting off the engine and turning off the lights I pull myself up to sit on the window sill looking at the storm in the horizon.

It is so quiet. A quiet unlike anything I’ve ever heard. I can’t hear the thunder from this persistent violence I’m staring at. It’s hypnotic.

As I approach the exit, I see the White Commodore up ahead. I slow down and Marlee’s voice ‘What happened?’

‘I just stopped for a second.’

‘Ah, we were worried you broke down.’ She laughs as I pull away further after assuring her.

She follows back to town, and flashes and honks as I pull back into the hotel.

Walking back to the room I read Jay’s text. 

A thumbs up emoji.