Pat Ritter. Books

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'Tilbaroo Station' - Page 89:

‘I’m Hannah Gibson. This is Ryan Carlson. I’m pleased to meet you and your family.’ Hannah stepped down from the sulky to come abreast with this woman.
‘Mr Meston, Aboriginal Protector, bought us here from out bush. This now our home.’ Daisy explained.
‘I teach at Cunnamulla State School. Ryan is one of my students. Your son fished at the river earlier today.’ Hannah explained.
‘Desi good catching fish.’ Daisy explained.
‘Anything I can do for you and your family?’ Hannah asked. She’d never seen anyone live under these conditions before. Hannah wanted to help.
‘We right. Build gunya, plenty fish in river. You teacher?’ Daisy inquired.
‘Yes. At Cunnamulla State School.’ Hannah replied.
‘Desi old enough to go to school. He had no schooling. Want him read write.’ Daisy asked. ‘I never learn.’
‘We can arrange for your son to attend school. Can you bring him to the main office in the morning to enrol? School begins at nine o’clock.’ Hannah finished. Clothing Daisy and the children wore were different shapes, sizes, colours.
‘We don’t wear clothes. Mr Meston told us we need to wear clothes since we live near town.’ Daisy explained.
‘How many clothes did Mr Meston give you?’ Hannah inquired.
‘Only these we wear.’ Daisy smiled hoping to impress Hannah who was the first white woman she met since arriving.
‘Would you mind if I find more clothes for you. I’d love to help.’ Hannah asked in a friendly voice.
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'Tilbaroo Station' - Page 90:

‘Okay Missus. I’ll wash these down by the river tonight, have them clean for Desi tomorrow.’ Daisy replied with a huge smile showing a set of sparkling white teeth.
‘Great! I’ll catch up with you at school in the morning.’ Hannah said her farewells to Daisy and the children. ‘Come on Ryan. Meet you at school in the morning Daisy.’ They boarded their sulky and left.
Arriving at the railway camp Melinda met them as they pulled up. ‘Ryan, why are you driving?’ Melinda shocked to learn Ryan drove the sulky. ‘When did you learn how to drive?’ Melinda gathered her dress swiftly walked over to the sulky. ‘I received your note Hannah. Would you like to stay for dinner with us? I’m sure Ryan would like you too.’
‘I learnt at ‘Kahmoo Station’ on my holiday.’ Ryan interrupted. ‘I told you it’d be okay to stay for dinner.’ Ryan whispered to Hannah who stepped down from the sulky. ‘I’ll tie Joker to the rail, or do you want me to unharness him?’ Ryan asked.
‘He’ll be right tied to the rail thank you Ryan. Yes, Melinda I would love to stay for dinner. I have something important to discuss with you. Hope you can help.’ Hannah explained.
‘Hi you lot.’ Todd called walking toward the campsite.
Ryan rushed to his father threw his arms around his waist. ‘An aboriginal boy fished today at the river Dad. He speared a fish. You should’ve seen him. Never seen anyone spear a fish before. Mrs Gibson and I visited where they live. Dad, they live in a bark hut.’ Ryan’s excitement showed on his face.
‘Let me settle first. You can tell me all about your venture. What’s next for you Ryan? Learning to fish with a spear.’ Todd released Ryan, walked over to the ladies, kissed Melinda on the cheek welcomed Hannah.
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'Tilbaroo Station' - Page 91:

Chapter 13

After a delicious dinner Hannah farewelled her friends. Ryan couldn’t stop speaking about his new venture. ‘I’m going to ask Desi if he can teach me to spear fish.’ Excitement flowed from his mind. Melinda agreed to help Daisy her small family with clothing plus any other essentials she needed. She handed Hannah a box filled with assorted clothing, blankets for Daisy.
To Hannah’s surprise Daisy with her two children arrived at school the following morning. Desi neatly dressed in shorts clean shirt wearing no shoes. Most of the students at the school didn’t wear shoes. Hannah introduced Daisy to Miss Wallace, Principal. After giving Daisy the box from Melinda, Hannah asked to be excused to attend her class inviting Desi. Desi accompanied Hannah to her classroom filled with students.
Desi stood beside Hannah in front of the class. He became the first aboriginal student to attend Cunnamulla State School. Hannah wanted to spread the word for other aboriginal children to attend school.
‘Fellow students.’ She said, ‘May I introduce Desi Whiteman to our class. Ryan, would you be kind enough to be Desi’s buddy to help him through his days at our school.’ Hannah smiled at Ryan who stood to attention walked abruptly to front of the class.
‘I’d love to be Desi’s buddy.’ Ryan smiled. ‘He can sit next to me.’ Desi accompanied Ryan to a seat next to him in the class. Each student’s eyes followed Desi’s movements.
At morning break Ryan and Desi sat on a seat in the play-ground. Ryan shared his biscuits with him.
‘Do you speak?’ Ryan asked in a kind voice hoping not to embarrass Desi. Ryan wasn’t certain if Desi spoke in English or his own aboriginal tongue.
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'Tilbaroo Station' - Page 92:

‘I speak. Nothing to say.’ Desi answered continuing to eat his biscuit.
‘Can you show me how to spear fish with your spear?’ Ryan asked in an excited voice.
Desi thought for a moment. ‘You not aboriginal.’
‘No. I still want to learn. What you did the other day to spear the fish; I’ve never seen anything like this before in my life.’ Ryan’s excitement overflowed.
‘If you want.’ Desi answered.
‘When.’
‘After school.’
‘I’ve got to go home. What about the weekend.’
‘I do nothing. Weekend good. You teach me read write?’ Desi asked, embarrassed to ask the question.
‘Sure. I’ll ask my Mom if she can bring me to your home on Saturday. I’ll show you how to read and write, you show me how to spear a fish.’ Both boys agreed.
The bell rang to tell students morning break was over to return to class.
‘What bell for?’ Desi asked bewildered.
‘We return to class. A bell rings to start class, one at morning break, another at lunch, another afternoon break, final one to go home.’ Ryan explained accompanying Desi back to their classroom.
‘Lotsa bells.’ Desi questioned.
Saturday morning couldn’t arrive quickly enough for Ryan whose mind filled with spearing a fish. Melinda and Ryan arrived at Desi’s camp early enough for Ryan and Desi to enjoy their day together.
‘G’day Ryan.’ Desi met Ryan with his mother when they arrived.
‘Mom, this Ryan’s mother. We go fishing. Come Ryan show you how spear fish.’ Ryan jumped down from the sulky saying farewell to his mother to follow Desi in a jog toward the river. Desi carrying his spear.
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'Tilbaroo Station' - Page 93:

‘Hello.’ Melinda said climbing down from the sulky. ‘I’m Melinda Carlson.’ Melinda put her hand out to greet Daisy.
‘Kind lady give clothes.’ Daisy said shaking Melinda’s hand with glee almost dislocating Melinda’s shoulder. ‘They fit good. Come sit. I’ll put billy on.’ Daisy dressed in one of Hannah’s frocks she placed in the box.
Daisy’s camp clean tidy. Hannah walked to a nearby log near the gunya, sat. A small child walked from inside the gunya grabbed her mother’s skirt; with wide open eyes looked at Melinda.
‘What’s your name little one? I’m Melinda.’ Melinda said to the little girl who buried her face in her mother’s dress.
‘This little Daisy. My almost two-year-old girl. She little shy. We don’t often have visitors only from Mr Meston or one of his men ask how we going.’ Daisy told Melinda.
‘How are you going?’ Melinda queried.
‘I’m pleased Desi found friend in Ryan. Good boy your Ryan. Friendly, looks after Desi.’ Daisy explained whilst pouring tea into a pannikin mug handed to Melinda. ‘No milk or sugar.’ She finished poured herself one in the other pannikin mug. Daisy sat nearby on another log. Little Daisy sat cramped beside her mother. Daisy handed Melinda a slice of what Melinda thought was damper. Her taste buds exploded when she placed the damper into her mouth.
‘This is delicious. Did you bake this? Isn’t this honey?’ Melinda said finished eating the slice.
‘Just this morning. My mother taught me to bake. Aboriginal damper. Two cups of flour we grind from seeds. Pinch of salt; little water. Mr Meston left these cooking dishes when he bought us here. Come in handy.’ Daisy explained.
‘I’ve never eaten damper so soft tasty before. Where did the honey come from?’
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'Tilbaroo Station' - Page 94:

‘Desi tie a small feather onto a bee. Watched bee return to hive. He climbed tree take honey from hive. Do you want some?’ Daisy asked, walked into her gunya returned with a package of honey. ‘Here you are. Very tasty.’
‘Thank you so much.’ Melinda replied sat the package beside her on the log. I’ll need to try to cook the same. The clothes I gathered. Were they enough. Do you need more?’ Melinda asked after sipping her tea.
‘Enough. Not much room in gunya. Two children me. Husband gone walkabout. Come back when ready.’ Daisy explained finishing her tea and slice of damper.
‘How long have you been here?’ Melinda didn’t want to intrude. Her interest how they lived in a bark humpy with little room to move. She experienced enough problems living under canvas at a railway siding.
‘Mr Meston come when we camp on Paroo River. Hunting not good, little kangaroo; fish, not much. He told us Government made laws to move near town. Been here two weeks. Good place. Near river to fish, plenty rabbits in sand hills, bush tucker everywhere. Good. Desi go school.’ Daisy answered, a smile showing white teeth, her face shining, eyes glistened.
The two women continued sharing their life experiences for a couple of hours when the two boys entered the camp.
‘Mom. Look at the fish we speared.’ Ryan excited to share the catch with his mother.
Twelve yellow belly fish with a stick through their gills swung between the two boys carrying the pole at either end. Melinda couldn’t believe the number of fish the boys speared.
‘Plenty fish for both of us.’ Daisy said. ‘Desi, give half to Ryan. Wrap them in leaves, put onto sulky.’ She told her son.
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'Tilbaroo Station' - Page 95:

Desi quickly gathered sufficient leaves to cover six fish, wrapped them together placed them onto the bottom of the sulky.
‘Thank you Desi. I’ll cook them for dinner tonight.’ Melinda said. ‘We’d better be going home Ryan. Good-bye Daisy, Desi, Little Daisy. We’ll visit again soon.’ Melinda climbed onto the sulky, gathered the reins waited for Ryan to join her.
‘What about my lessons reading writing?’ Desi asked Ryan.
‘I haven’t forgotten.’ Ryan took a sheet of paper from his pocket handed to Desi. ‘Twenty-six letters written on this sheet of paper. Read them over and over. Study their shape of each letter. All these letters form words. After you remember these letters I’ll show you how to put them into words. Thanks for teaching me to fish with a spear. Catch up with you at school on Monday.’ Ryan joined his mother waving to his new friend and family.
Todd couldn’t believe Ryan speared not one fish but four. After cleaning them Melinda cooked each one in a pan on the open fire. By sundown she completed cooking the fish placed them onto a plate for dinner. Melinda had never eaten yellow belly before.
‘These are tasty.’ She mentioned eating the flesh of the fish.
‘I speared them. Desi showed me how. I needed to take my hat off to stop reflection on the water scare away the fish. I like Desi. I want to learn his ways.’ Ryan kept eating.
‘Tell me. When did they move to their camp?’ Todd asked in between eating his fish.
‘Mr Meston, Aboriginal Protector, found Daisy and her family living on the Paroo River. Told them under the recent law to live on the out-skirts of Cunnamulla.’ Melinda said.
‘Where is her husband?’ Todd asked.
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