Barefoot and Lost

by Brian Francis Cox

  ‘I have no idea but we have been lucky so far, something will turn up.’

  ‘Yeah, lets hope it’s not one of them Fenian’s.’

  ‘I’m so tired I think we should try and find somewhere to sleep for a couple of hours.’

  Following the wall, we come to a set of gates that are chained closed. On a notice board, written in bold print, Bullakanka Primary School. Underneath the heading is typed. Please note, this school will be closed for half term from 22nd September until 1st October.

  ‘That’s good; the schools are on half term holiday.’

  ‘Why good, are we going to break in or something?’

  ‘No of course not, it means we can walk around in daylight, there will be lots of kids doing it, and we won’t look out of place.’ Looking over the wall I can see what appears to be a toilet block set away from the main building. ‘Let’s go and see if that building is open, maybe we could sleep there.’ Our hopes are dashed, the door is securely locked.

  ‘Well that was a good idea while it lasted, Phil what now?’

  ‘Yeah, perhaps it is just as well, supposing we were caught in there, we would be in more trouble than we are now, I think we should get that train and get as far from here as we can.’

  ‘Yeah that makes sense, we can sleep on the train, come on lets do it.

  There is less activity in the railway yard now and only a few of the main lights are on, the man in the caravan is sleeping, he has no customers, the small gate beside the main double gates is open. A very long goods train is slowly making its way out of the yard,

  ‘Run for it Billy,’ we both sprint, I’m surprised how fast he can run ‘Where do we get on?’

  ‘Anywhere, wherever we can.’ I manage to grab hold of a bar and swing myself up Billy is running alongside, I grab him, and now both of us are standing on a small ledge clinging to the side of the truck. Up ahead I can see a man with his back to us, standing beside the track, swinging a lantern. Billy has seen him too; we edge around the end of the truck out of sight, passing him without being seen. We can’t stay where we are but I can’t see where else to go.

  The train comes to a stop; have we been seen? The man with the lantern pulls a huge lever, blows a whistle, waves his lantern and the train moves very slowly in the opposite direction. The truck behind us is like a box car, with a running board along its side. We both manage to get on the running board and, between us, open the sliding door, scrambling inside to find it full of cardboard boxes, there is just enough room for us to stand and close the door. I can feel the train gathering speed,

  ‘Hell, that was close, we just made it.’

  ‘I was sure that guard would see us, any idea Phil, where we are going?’

  ‘Don’t have a clue but the important thing, it is away from here.’

  ‘Yeah but we can’t stand like this until we get there, wherever that is.’

  ‘Look, there is space up the top, perhaps we can move some boxes up there and make room for us to sit.’ The boxes are heavy but we manage to create a space and fall asleep exhausted.

  Dawn is just breaking, through the gap in the door I can see flat countryside with the occasional tree, Billy is still asleep, I’m hungry I wonder how long will it be before we eat again? The sun is ahead of us and slightly to our right, like it was on the ship when we were watching our progress into Fremantle. That means we must be going towards the East, fantastic, we are on our way to Melbourne.

  A beam of sunlight shines through a gap in the door onto the end of one of the boxes; I can’t believe my eyes, ‘Corned Beef,’ product of Australia. With difficulty I open a box to find it full of square shaped tins each one with a little key attached for opening it. Opening one I then decide to open another giving Billy a shake, I call, ‘Breakfast is served.’

  ‘Yeah Right,’ I wave a tin under his nose, his eyes spring open then a big smile spreads across his face, ‘Don’t let me do that again, my lip hurts when I smile.’

  We have checked all the boxes we can get to but they are all corned beef. There is nothing to drink, it is so hot in here we have slid the door open a couple of inches to let some air in, but even the wind is hot, my mouth is so dry I’m finding it hard to swallow.

  The train is slowing down, Billy looks out, but there is nothing to see, only flat, sandy ground with low bushes dotted here and there. ‘Can’t see why we are stopping, we’re in the middle of nowhere.’ The train blows its whistle, the couplings on the trucks clatter as they slacken and tighten again as the train picks up speed. Then we see why we have slowed, kangaroos, hundreds of them, large and small red ones are bounding alongside the train, we are both staring in amazement. ‘Wow I never knew they were so big some are taller than a man.’

  ‘I never knew they could go so fast Phil; that is bloody amazing.’ We watch as they turn away from the train soon disappearing into a dip. The train slows again, we look out for more kangaroos, but there is none to be seen.

  The engine has stopped beside a large tank, on a platform the fireman is connecting a large hose to take on water.

  ‘Billy, we need some of that water, any ideas how we can get some?’

  ‘G’day lads, where did you spring from?’ We both spin around to see the guard standing there; we have been so interested in watching the kangaroos we haven’t heard him walk up.

  ‘Hell, run for it Phil.’

  ‘I wouldn’t if I was you, there is nowhere to run to, out there you would die in a couple of hours so best stay put and tell me where you came from and where you think you’re going.’

  ‘Sorry mister we-----’

  ‘Jesus, a couple of bloody Poms, how the hell did you get here?’

  ‘We-----’ the guard is about fifty with black curly hair, his weather beaten suntanned face is smiling, and his blue eyes are laughing.

  ‘Hold it, get down and come with me to the guards van, you look as though you could do with a bit of cleaning up and a feed; I’m not going to hurt you and I can’t kick you off the train because, as I said, you would die out there, so let us go to my place and discuss your future Okay’ we both nod and agree.

  ‘I have to go and report to the driver and check that we have taken enough water, you two walk to my van and get inside out of sight, at this stage I don’t want Fred and Albert to know about you until I know the facts, so no funny business, just do as I ask.’ The guard walks towards the engine, leaving us to make our way to his van. Inside there’s an armchair, a bed, and a cooker with a kettle gently steaming on top.

  ‘Phil, why do you think he doesn’t he want anyone else to know about us?’

  ‘I have no idea but what choice have we got, can’t run, we will just have to do what he wants?’

  ‘Perhaps he is going to kill us and throw us off the train.’

  ‘I don’t think so; did you look at his eyes?’

  ‘Not really, what’s wrong with them?’

  ‘Nothing, they are kind that’s all; he has kind eyes, believe me, he is a good man.’

  The train starts to move our friend is not back yet, just as I get out of the armchair to see where he is he appears at the door, comes inside and slams it behind him.

  ‘Fancy a cup of tea lads?’ We both nod ‘Yes Please.’

  ‘Oh, you are so polite, milk, sugar?’

  ‘Yes please.’

  There are dozens of questions running around in my head but I don’t know which to ask so say nothing.

  ‘Sit on the bed; my name is Tom Mooney,’ Tom holds his hand out I shake it I’m Phillip Snell. Tom offers his hand to Billy,

  ‘I’m William Craig, everyone calls me Billy.’

  ‘Right, now we are friends, tell me how you come to be here?’

  ‘We scaped frm a ‘ome smewhere and------’

  ‘Hold it I can’t understand a word you’re saying, slow down and speak English.’

  ‘I’m sorry, Billy comes from Northern Ireland, and nobody understands him.’ I then tell Tom everything from my Mum being
killed, then Barnardos to the ship, my new parents in Melbourne, the brutal brothers at Blendoon and all about our escape.

  ‘That is some story, perhaps you should write a book.’

  ‘What are you going to do with us; you won’t send us back will you? Please don’t send us back to Blendoon.’ Tom doesn’t speak for quite awhile, appearing to be deep in thought; he takes a sip of his tea.

  ‘I’ll tell you what I am going to do and why I’m doing it, okay.’ We both nod almost as though our heads are connected. ‘In a couple of hours we will be in Kalgoorlie, where we stop for two hours while we lose some rolling stock and gain some, almost doubling our length----’

  ‘Wow that must make it a mile long.’

  ‘---Just listen, you can ask questions later, I need to work this out as I go along; now where was I, oh yer, we also gain another loco, and yes we will be nearly three quarters of a mile long Kalgoorlie is a tough Gold mining town, not a good place for two young boys.’

  We then set off for Port Augusta, a two day journey, where I rest up for three days before I head back to Perth. Port Augusta is another tough town and again not good for you, my sister in law Gertrude lives there, I can hand you over to her, she will take you on to Adelaide which is a very nice city, full of good people, where Gertie will hand you over to the Salvation Army, they will treat you right.’

  Tom stops talking, I can see his brain working, and he takes another sip of tea. ‘Yer, that’s it, that is what we will do.’ Tom goes into deep thought again, I sip mine, and it is cold and soothing as it trickles down my parched throat. I croak

  ‘Tom, why are you helping Billy and me?’

  ‘Because I know what you are running away from, you see I’ve been there.’

  ‘Wot inner ‘ome?’

  If you said Billy, what I think you said, yes, I was in a home; my mother was unmarried when I was born, her dad was a strict Catholic man and a prominent person in their town, he couldn’t afford the scandal so he kicked her out of the house. She had to work hard to keep me but, when I was nine, she got TB and died, her dad still would have nothing to do with me, so I was put into a home run by the Christian Brothers. From then, until I was kicked out at fourteen, I was beaten daily by half of the brothers. During the night I was taken to the bed of another brother, where he looked after me for his own satisfaction, so as I see it, this is pay back for me I’ll do anything to keep you from those Bastards.’

  ‘We don’t even know how we ended up with a load of Fenian’s, we’re both Proddies.’

  ‘Then you’ll get on well with the Salvo’s. Billy why can’t you speak like that all the time I understood every word you said.’

  ‘Dunno I fought I did’

  ‘Tom, why do you want to keep us secret from the driver?’

  ‘Because they may not agree with what I’m doing and make me hand you over to the police, they would have to send you back to Blendoon.’

  ‘Tom, we will do anything you say, thank you, I can’t believe we have been so lucky.’

  ‘Well it is not all over yet, the two hours in Kalgoorlie could be a problem but I’ll work something out don’t worry, but you must do everything I say, I could lose my job if the Company thought I was assisting you to runaway. I have my wife Karen and two girls back home, I can’t afford to be out of work so, if you are discovered, I will make out I have just found you and you will have to accept whatever happens, agreed.’ Tom holds out his hand, I shake it.

  ‘Agreed,’ Tom offers his hand to Billy, Billy takes his hand with both hands,

  ‘Yer’re a bleeding, star agreed.’

  ‘When did you last eat?’

  ‘We opened a couple of tins of corned beef for breakfast.’

  ‘Fair dinkum; Christ, it gets worse; I could get sacked for nicking the goods.’

  ‘But you didn’t, we did.’

  ‘Yeah, but you’re not here, remember?’ Another period of deep thought, ‘Right, this is what you do, when we get to Kalgoorlie I’ll put you back in that truck and lock you in, it is going all the way to Port Augusta, while you are there---what did you do with the empty tins?”

  ‘They are still there.’

  ‘Good, while you are in the truck put the empties back in the box, put some full ones on top and bury the box at the bottom of a stack, do you think you could manage that?’

  ‘Yeah we’ll do that’

  ‘Good, that way hopefully, the missing tins won’t be discovered until someone opens the box that could be anywhere and months away and I won’t be blamed.’ Tom opens a cupboard beside the cooker, taking out a frying pan; he calls over his shoulder, ‘Eggs, and bacon do yer?’

  It is dark when we come to a halt in Kalgoorlie, armed with a beer bottle full of sweet tea and two cheese sandwiches each, we are made to walk behind Tom, where he helps us back into our truck. ‘Sort those tins out, I’ll come back for you just before we leave, don’t worry, there will be a lot of shunting as the yard men sort out the rolling stock, but stay quiet and you’ll be okay, right, see you.’ We both whisper okay, Tom slides the door shut and fastens the lock, I feel trapped, I hope he doesn’t have an accident. I hear Tom call, ‘Fred you and Albert need anything, I’m going to Mrs. Nevershuts?’

  ‘Jesus yer fat bastard, have you eaten all yer tucker box already?’

  ‘No, Karen was a bit short so I told her I’d stock up here.’

  ‘Yeah right, I’ll believe yer.’

  ‘Tom can you get me twenty Craven’s, do yer want the money now?’

  ‘No Albert, when I get back’ll do.’ Tom’s feet crunch on the gravel, everything goes quiet,

  ‘You okay Billy?’

  ‘Yeah, I’m just shitting myself in case he don’t come back.’

  ‘Me too; come on; let’s get these boxes sorted out.’

  The train moves several times, once we were convinced it was going without Tom, and then it came to a halt, after what seemed forever it reversed again. Through the gap in the door we can see a marker, beside the track, that has 300yrds written on it, we seem to keep passing this marker. Without a watch it is difficult to know how long we have been in the truck, we have been at a standstill for quite a long time. I can hear the crunch of boots on the gravel but they walk on by. The boots are coming back, they stop at our truck, I’m frightened to breathe, ‘You lads okay?’ it’s Tom

  ‘Yes we’re fine.’

  ‘I’m going to open the door, don’t get out yet stay until you see me get up on the footplate, then jump down, slide the door shut, keep low and run to my van, it’s a lot further away now, just run and don’t stop. I’ll keep Fred and Albert busy, I just hope the blokes on the other loco don’t see you, okay, got that?’

  ‘Okay Tom,’ we both whisper.

  ‘Good, don’t worry, I won’t be getting on until the van comes to me, just stay inside and keep out of sight.’ Tom walks towards the engine, swinging his lamp as he goes.

  Tom jumps on board leans out and waves his lamp, two short blasts on the whistle signals they know he is on the train; with a jerking movement we gather speed. ‘Okay lads time for some tucker.’ Tom pours water from the kettle into a saucepan, drops six, very long, red coloured sausages into the pan, while the sausages are cooking, he cuts six long bread rolls in half lengthwise and butters them, he then spoons three spoonfuls of tea into the tea pot and pours in boiling water.

  ‘Right, fifteen minutes to tea time, hope you like hotdogs’

  ‘I don’t know what they are but we nearly had them in Perth but had hamburgers instead?’

  ‘Never had a hotdog? You don’t know what you’ve been missing; fair dinkum, you have never had a hotdog, what about you Phil, have you had one?’

  ‘I don’t think so what are they?’

  ‘A sausage in a bread roll with mustard; Jesus, I can’t believe you’ve never had one.’

  ‘They sound nice but in the war we had rationing, still have on some things, so we didn’t have food like that.’

  �
��What sort of things do you Pom’s eat then?’

  ‘Anything that’s put in front of me, I’ve always been in an ‘ome, I’ve never had a choice’ Tom puts a sausage in each roll then spreads mustard over the sausage and hands us one each.

  ‘There yer go, lads get yer laughing gear around them.’ He watches us as we take our first bite,

  ‘Well do they pass muster?’ I’m enjoying mine so much I just manage to mumble, fantastic. Billy puts his thumb in the air, giving the hotdog a thumb up.

  ‘I know what you mean Billy, but that action means something totally different in Australia, very rude in fact, but glad you like them.’

  Billy and I have shared the bed; Tom has slept in the armchair with his feet up on a box. He didn’t look very comfortable but said he often did it and was fine. Sunlight is streaming in through the window, the train is rattling along at a fair speed the telegraph poles are flashing by, and beyond them is nothing, just flat dry land with an occasional stumpy bush.

  ‘Tom is all of Australia like this?’

  ‘How’d yer mean?’

  ‘Well, nothing, until you come to a town.’

  ‘No Phil, some of it is very beautiful, I’ve not seen a lot of it, never been to the east. I’ve never been to Victoria or New South Wales, in fact not got past Adelaide, I went there once, for a week, it was very nice but I couldn’t wait to get home. This is the Nullabor Plain, about a thousand miles of nothing; Nullabor is a word meaning no trees.’

  ‘Is it a desert?’

  ‘No, not as you imagine a desert to be, it is not a lot of drifting sand like the Sahara, it is hot and dry but after the rains it bursts into flower, it can be very beautiful but very dangerous, that is why I said you would die out there.’

  ‘Does anybody live there?’

  ‘Yeah a few Abo’s and lots of roo’s’