Kirsty's Final Rewrite- Mission Island

My rewrite is based on the movie Australia. I am writing from the point of view of the aboriginal boy Nullah. In the movie he gets taken away to Mission Island but we do not see what happens to him there.

I Nullah. My grandfather King George. He take’em me walkabout. He teach’em me black fullah way.
But I not black fullah. I not white fullah either.
They call’em me mixed blood.
Creamy.
My grandfather tell’em me I important. I magic man. But I not feel important. I belong no one. That why I on the Mission Island. Dem white fullahs they make’em place for the Creamies to go to learn’em white fullah ways. When I at Faraway Downs, dem coppers always come to take’em me away. Fletcher, he send dem for me but they never catch’em me there. Fletcher, he my father. He bad man. The last time he send dem coppers to Faraway Downs for me, that when my mama die. She drown in water tank, try to hide me from dem coppers. I not allowed to say her name no more. I miss her. I miss that Mrs Boss too and the Drover and my grandmother. Even Sing Song. He make’em good food. Everybody get taken away from me. I get found when I on walkabout. They take’em me from my grandfather and send me here. They put King George in the Lock Lock. Now I got nobody. So I tell’em story. I tell it to myself, but it not matter. I not want to lose the most important lesson my grandfather teach’em me. So I tell’em story.

That first day I come here I cry and cry. The boat take’em me away from Mrs Boss and it like losing my mama all over again. I find’em corner of the boat and cover my head and cry. That Father Benedict, he tell’em me I going to good place so I can learn’em be better. What better? I not good? They teach us to be like’em white fullahs. I not want to be like’em white fullahs. I want to be back at Faraway Downs helping the Drover break dem horses, and drove dem big cheeky bulls. I want to go walkabout with King George and learn’em magic song. This place not like Faraway Downs at all. Here we stay inside a lot. Too much.
It feel like I not breathing.
For one month I been here. I not run. I not climb trees. I not catch’em animals to play with. I not make’em magic.
For one month I not breathe.

The island run by dem priests. We call’em dem Father. I not know why, they not our real fathers. Every morning we get up and wash. Then we pray. It what dem white fullahs do. They pray to a fullah they call God. I not hear bout’em God from King George. Dem Fathers on the Mission Island tell us God made all the land, the water, the sky. Just like black fullah spirits. But he also make’em rules for everyone to follow. So many rules. The Fathers, they always tell’em us the rules. There lot of rules on Mission Island. The Fathers say if we don’t follow dem rules, we get punished by God. It seem like I always breaking dem rules. I always getting punished. Especially by that Father Benedict.

Our first day on Mission Island, the Father Benedict he talk to us all. He tell’em us why we here and tell us the rules. He tell’em us that we Creamies are not the will of God, that we insult to him. I not know what will or insult mean, but it sound very bad. Father Benedict he tell’em us not to worry. That there be hope. That on the island we learn’em good ways. God’s ways. Then we can go back to the mainland and be treated like proper people. That day I not like what he say. I tell’em him I good and I get treated proper.
I say to him, “That Mrs Boss she treat’em me good. She take care of me. She love’em me. I not need to be here”.
That be the first day that Father Benedict hit me. He walk’em right up to me and hit my face. It so loud all the other boys jump. Even the other Father’s get shock. One of dem Fathers, Father Thomas, he move to help, but Father Benedict stop him with one look; like a king snake dat gonna bite. I never see anybody scared from just a look. But that Father Thomas he get’em scared. My face it hurt so bad I wanna cry. But I not show that Father Benedict. It make’em him happy to see that I think. I look right at him and he slap me again.

“You do not belong with that woman”, he tell’em me. “There is no way she could love you, or else you would not be here. I suggest you remember that dear boy” I want to shout at him. I know he wrong. Mrs boss, she tell’em me that she will find’em me. That day on the dock, she wave me goodbye and cry for me. I know she love’em me. But I not tell him that. I just look’em at my feet so he not hit me again. But he still keep talk’em me.

“This is where you are, and this is where you will stay until you learn the proper ways of good, godly men. You will leave all thoughts of that barbaric place you lived”. He turn to all the Creamies and he tell’em dem, “That goes for all of you. Your new life begins here and now boys. You will get used to it. If not, we’ll teach you”

That when he look back at me and smile. He make’em smile look mean. My stomach get a funny feeling inside.

Later I find out what that smile mean. It mean I get’em punished. That smile I know very well, from when I live on Faraway Downs. It the same one Fletcher give me when he beat’em me. That night the Father Benedict he not give me dinner. He make’em me sit with dem other boys who eating and watch’em dem. He tell’em me this is what happens when a children speak when he not asked. That was the first rule I learn’em on the island. There many after that.

***
“Nullah, Nullah. Wake up. You’re gonna be late for morning prayer”

I open my eyes little bit, groan cos I still so tired. By my bed is Johnny. He the whitest creamy on the Mission Island and all the Fathers they like him. He always do good, always nice, always listen. Sometime I not like him cos he seem too good. He never do nothing wrong and I always get in trouble. All this time I been here, three months, almost everyday I do something wrong. I get punished. I not understand why. Cos them other boys they don’t get’em in trouble as much as me, and I hate it. Make’em me mad. But then I can’t be mad at Johnny for long cos he do them things like this so I don’t get’em punished from that Father Benedict.
I sit up on my mattress. It hard and many nights I not get’em sleep cos it hurt me all over to lie on it. I stretch’em my arms and all over my body make’em ‘click, click’ sounds. I look round and see that all the other creamies gone. They made’em beds and folded their night clothes, like they supposed to. Johnny look’em me, his eyes very big, try to make’em me move faster. I look down at the floor and see he already got’em my shoes out for me, and he hold’em my day clothes out to me. See, I can never stay angry at Johnny. I quickly put’em clothes on, say “Thank you Johnny. You good man”, then we run out.

We just make it to the church hall and stand in the back row when that Father Benedict he walk into the hall. When he walk into any room, it all go silent. Some boys look like they holding their breath so they don’t make’em sound. He stop right in front of Johnny and me and look’em me in the eye like he know I done something wrong. I look away. He stare too scary. He walk on to the front. He go to stand behind his big stand. It what they call pulpit. He look out to everyone. Look each boy and all of the other Father’s in the eye like he tell’em them that he boss and nobody should ever forget that. He do this every morning when we do the prayer, when he come to teach a class, when we have meals, or evening prayer. Any chance he get to use that look, he take’em it. I think it the only thing that make’em him happy. He don’t smile. No. Not that kind happy. Just happy like he know he doing the right thing and it feel good to be powerful and in charge of everyone. He always make’em us stand til he looked at everybody, then he tell’em us to sit. He clear his throat and start to talk. Every morning Father Benedict, he tell’em us the same thing. He go over all the rules like we too stupid to learn them already. He tell’em us again and again that what they do on the island is try to help us be better people. Then he pray to God that he help save our souls, be kind to us he ask, show mercy and spare us eternal death in Hell- that place where them bad fullahs go- for being born barbarians cos we have no choice. I always think why he pray like this to God. The Fathers tell’em us god created everything, even us. So what I not know is why God be angry at us for being the things he created. If he made all the people in the world, why he want to kill what he make. Maybe he make’em mistake and want to fix it.

As Father Benedict carry on I look out the window behind him and see them trees dancing in the wind. The window it open and I see a fat black spider come through it and crawl down the wall. I laugh inside my head cos I think of the spider running up Father Benedict’s robes, make’em him tickle so he do funny dance, and maybe even bite him bum. I start’em laugh out loud, but Johnny he poke’em my arm, make’em me stop. So I look back out the window. The sand on the beach it white. Not like at Faraway Downs where it red and stick’em to you. This sand it soft, and sometimes when the Fathers they let us out to play, I like’em take my shoes off and dig’em my feet into it, let it get in my toes.
Father Benedict he still talking. It very boring. I close’em my eyes, think bout that feeling when the sand it warm and fine as I walk on it. It the only time I feel’em free. I know it a lie cos it only last for little bit. Then I have to put my shoes back on and go learn’em be a white fullah. Father Thomas, he always tell’em me off. He tell’em me good gentlemen don’t put them feet in the sand. It not clean. I wonder why else God make’em that sand so nice then.

“Nullah!” I open my eyes quickly.
Father Benedict he glaring at me from the pulpit. All the boys they turn in their seats to look’em me as well. Next to me Johnny he sink low in his seat, bow his head and cross his arms. There bit of red come into his cheeks. I think if I was white like him, my face also be pink right now. But I not white.

“Are we disturbing your little nap Nullah?” Father Benedict ask’em me. I don’t say nothing. Sometimes the Father he leave me alone if I don’t tell’em him anything. But this time I know it wrong to not give him answer. His face it also change colour, but not the light red colour that come to Johnny. No the Father’s face it red red. Look all hot. I know he very angry.

“Do you think you’re smart boy, not answering me?”

I want to say no, to make’em him stop looking at me with them eyes, but my lips not move. I look’em down at the floor. That when I see it. A snake. It fat and light brown, move’em fast on the floor. I watch’em it as it move to the front of the hall.

“Are you even listening to me Nullah?” The Father say. But I keep’em watch the snake. Just as it reach the step up to the pulpit, Father Benedict step down to keep’em yell at me. The snake get’em fright and it lift its head to bite. Father Benedict only just see it, and his face change from angry to scared. I not think what I doing, but I get’em up and run to front of the hall. Something inside me come out. Set free. Magic song come to me. I not have it all this time, but now it come. I sing them words to the snake. It stop look’em at Father Benedict and turn’em me. It black eyes stare at mine. I keep singing, lift me hands like King George teach’em me. The snake move to me, then stop. It drop it head, then turn around and crawl out’em window. It work. My magic still work.
I look'em up and smile at Father Benedict. He not smile back. His face even angrier than before. I see he sweat on his face. He don’t say nothing to me, but he grab my arm and pull’em me through the room. All the boys they look’em me. They scared. I not want to make’em scared. I just wanna help.

Father Benedict keep pull’em me. He pull’em me so hard I think my arm will come out of my shoulder. He take’em me down a hall, past the kitchens, past the bedrooms, open a door I never seen before and keep going. After long time we get’em to small room. There nothing much in here, just few chairs and a table. Everything covered in dust. There a ‘drip drip’ sound come from above, from the roof. I think he gonna leave me in this room but he not stop there. He still hold’em my arm and drag’em me to a small door. It shorter than me. He open it, and I see it just a small hole in the wall. He tell’em me get in. I look’em him and my eyes go wide.
“You heard me Nullah. This is your punishment for that evil display you exhibited back there. You have the devil in you. I knew it from the day you got on that boat. What with your grandfather being a murderer, it’s not surprising how you turned out. And that woman who kept you, she just let you carry on in this manner. It’s sickening. But I know how to fix you”

“But I save you” I tell’em him.

“You did not! The only thing that saved me was God. It was probably you who called that snake you filthy demon. Now get in!” He push’em my head down so I on my knees then kick’em my bum, force me to get in the small space. Then he shut the door and I in darkness.
I not believe he do this to me. Did his God tell’em him be so cruel? The dark it scare me because it so full. I not see a single thing. It get’em hard to breath, and I feel’em like I choking. I push’em myself right up against the wall, make’em myself small. The ‘drip drip’ of the water so loud in here. I close’em my eyes. I see the day my mama die.

She hold’em me up in that water tank.

Drip. Drip.

Cover my mouth so them coppers don’t hear me.

Drip. Drip.

Her head go under the water.

Drip. Drip.

Then she stop moving, and there only silence.

That when I start’em cry. I not cry since that first day on the boat. But it all come now. I not able to stop it. I try make’em music, sing that rainbow song Mrs Boss teach’em me. But I got no magic in here. No song. So I cry.
I feel’em like I locked in there forever, and just when I start fall’em off to sleep, the door open and light come into the dark. That Father Benedict, he stand there, big and tall. He see I been crying, and I feel’em shame. He look’em like he got smile on his face, glad he see me weak.

“Get up boy” he say softly.

I get’em up. My backside got no feeling and my legs cramped cos I sit so long. I think I rather he beat’em me than put’em me back in there, and he know it. He look’em like he won big somthing. He know how to get’em me. I will never do nothing bad, cos I never want be put in that cupboard again. Outside I see it almost sunset. The Father let’em me walk past him and tell’em me to walk on. I do it, keep my head down.
Then I hear him scream I turn’em round and see the Father on the floor. Next to his leg is the snake. It bite him. The Father he move’em away but the snake follow. Bite him again. Then again. The Father scream each time. Then it look’em me. I stay very still. It crawl to me and I think it gone bite me to. But it don’t. It move’em past me and out the door. The Father Benedict he try to get up but that snake poison it work fast.

“Don’t just stand there you stupid boy. Go get help” He shout’em me.

I turn and run. I run fast all the way to first classroom I find. Father Thomas he there and I tell’em him come quick, Father Benedict get bit by snake. Father Thomas he move faster than I ever seen him. I follow him. When we get’em back to that old room, Father Benedict he on his back. The room dark cos the sun almost set. I know it already too late. One bite he can get away. But three, he never survive. Father Thomas he go sit beside him. He know too. That Father Benedict he die right there. His eyes close’em slowly. He not say anything. He just go. Father Thomas say a prayer and then he get up to go get the other Fathers. He not tell’em me anything. It like I not there.

I look back at Father Benedict’s body. His face, even when he die, it still angry. But the room feel different now. Cos I know he gone. I not happy he died, no, not like that. But I feel’em...free. I feel’em hope. I not get punished no more. Maybe I get’em off this island too. Find Mrs Boss and the Drover. Get King George and go walkabout. Live happy ever after like Mrs Boss teach’em me from that story with the girl with red shoes and the rainbow serpent and that magic man. Yeh. Happy ever after.
I smile.
I Nullah.
I magic man.