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My people, the ancient first people of this land Australia have faced more hardship than most contemporary mainstream humans will ever know. 50+year droughts, carnivorous Megafauna, volcanic activity and the 2nd Ice Age for instance. Not only have we adapted and survived each new, often substantial incident and climatic change, but have once again begun to flourish in the ‘new’ society in all strands of modern life. All within two centuries of a massive change from possibly, 60-100,000+ years of traditional lifestyle.
NB* Unlike many indigenous races worldwide, every advancement has been accomplished without using violent terrorism to regain equality or a genuine ‘Voice’.
During these chronicles, you will find that our warriors used a form of mystical travel and had no need of Shank’s Pony, as the act of walking is often called in Australia. In times of need for speed, these relentless spectres walk the ancient Dreamtime ‘creation-song-lines’ that cross every sacred feature of our wide red-brown land: out of Space and Time as we know such. Across numerous lifetimes of reinforced superstition, fear and awe, the Clan became known as The Fethafoot: half-human half-spirit beings that could come and go at will leaving no trace. Kadaicha spirit-warriors. Shape-shifting spies that transform as required into Judge Jury and Executioner for the Shameless. Unknown to the majority and a great boon to our work, many of these enigmatic warriors arise from that innocuous and supposedly more delicate gender of the language creatures.
The FfC stories are not mine. I had never written fiction in my life before. They came to me via the Great Spirit of our unique, wonderful lands at a time when I was crushed and needed a passionate goal. I believe I was merely a conduit that appreciated the English language and could type (8-finger-style). I did no story planning, gave no forethought to characters or thought about where the story would be set. I merely sat and began to use the English language to paint ‘known’ stories about my wonderful, adaptive, creative people.
The first four stories were ‘painted’ at 55 y/o in a month without thinking or blinking. I wrote the next six tales while travelling outback Australia, in a sedan with my dog (a loyal, warm-hearted red-cattle dog), after a major personal life shock: and, was driving through/camping in the lands I word-painted into the later tales.
I hope you enjoy the stories: and that ‘FfC’ will inspire the moral and ethical aspects of each spirit that may read them.
Pemulwuy Weeatunga – masquerading as John M Wenitong.
Australia, 1360: A cunning and foul being has claimed several lives around the Heart-rock peoples’ great namesake – Uluru – the Heart-rock. The locals are scared to leave their camps. Ceremony has stopped. Initiations, weddings, betrothals are on hold. A bold young warrior, Nyarla has been sent by Clan elders to look into the matter and; has been given the authority to act if needed.
Australia, around 39987BP (Before the Present): this chronicle comes alive from the legend of a great sweeping saga, which covered of the lives of four Australians who lived and died numerous generations ago. Their meeting and lives together left an archaeological puzzle that stands even today. In those times – the chronicle reveals – Mega-fauna: the giant-sized animal ancestors of our unique modern day fauna yet roamed across our lands. The stage is set; the lights drop, the curtain rises – and when the lights come back up at the scene of a ‘dig’ on the shores of Lake Mungo, two Australian archaeologists have uncovered two sets of ancient bones; both buried with particular ceremony previously unheard of for people from those times.
Australia, approximately 2020BP: this year’s annual fishing contest heralded the start of the celebrations for the tri-annual Bunya-nut harvest. People came from all over the east coast to meet old friends and extended family and to compete. Walking south from Darumbal lands along the coastline of present day Queensland, Jundabara, his wife Niyola and Wogwun arrive to find that all is not as it seems on the surface. After several outlandish confrontations with shameless, the family must decide what is most important to them: their family, the contest, or resolving several major dangerous issues for the local elders that manage the huge gathering.
Australia, around 240BP: the ancient legend of forewarning, maintained by the infamous clan since the Dreamtime gave way to the present Dreaming has reached its maturity in Yungurra-bih-Mah’s lifetime. It tells of the arrival of a colossal tribe of pale-skinned Ghost-people: a long-lost people that had disappeared from their Dreaming cycle many, many generations earlier. This chronicle begins with this legendary warrior’s mission to Eora lands – to where the present-day city of Sydney sprawls – there, to meet with his uncle and clever-man: the infamous Pemulwuy, of the Bidjigal people. What they discover will change the people and the sacred Heart-rock lands forever.
Australia, early 1800s: for more than 165 years the disappearance of the explorer Ludwig Leichardt has remained unsolved. On his second exploration of Australia in April of 1848, in the company of five white men, two Aboriginal guides, seven horses, 20 mules and 50 bullocks, the explorer left the Darling Downs area in southern Queensland bound for Western Australia some 4000 kilometres away across ‘virgin’ deserts; where our people lived. Shortly afterward, the entire party and all stock vanished without trace. From those terrifying harsh times for our own people – the Heart-rock people – the following chronicle reveals the tale of that journey through their ancient eyes.
Australia, around 2014BP: the time of the great games of prowess – managed by the Kabi Kabi people of southeast Queensland. Jundabara – the Fethafoot warrior from FfC 3: The Contest – is attending the significant event with his growing son Wogwun, and his practical, often short-tempered wife Niyola. Both adults have entered one of the demanding physical contests and local kin are looking forward to the events. Between the various rough and ready competitions, including a game of full-contact Burionjin with the huge hairy-man Grok; and being surreptitiously attacked by his tiniest enemy ever – Jundabara knows that he will need every bit of training and patience to keep the peace and see his own small family group safely through the great event.
January 7, 1811, Orleans County, Louisiana, United States of America: the man ran as fast as the swampy terrain, the foggy night and his laboring breath would allow. Simon: bonded slave; descendant of Haitian Kings and a sharp intelligent young mind was on the run from his Plantation manager’s grown son. When he met the strange black-skinned warrior from Australia that fateful night, everything he thought he knew about his own life: life in general, and the world around suddenly altered. That incredible night – the Fethafoot Nhompo – dispersed the power of fear that he’d lived under all of his life – and along with his timely appearance he brought the first scent of hope that young Simon had ever known.
A huge thank you to Red Headed Book Lover for reviewing ‘To Save A King’!
Australia, modern-day: when Detective John Pomeroy’s wife Lalaili, asked him to look into the mysterious death of young Jimmy Jungarai; an Aboriginal youth from a remote Aboriginal community in the middle of Australia’s dry Desert country, the Detective began to understand just how large his home country really was. Before long, the Detective was wondering if it was only the land that was large? Since beginning this case, his own life had become large: with ‘out-a-the-box’ situations and events occurring much too frequently for his liking. During the international investigation, Detective Pomeroy began to expand his case notes and his mind; at any and every chance that presented itself.
Tasmania (Trowena) 1830: identical twins Sonni and Bobbi were having the time of their lives. They were the youngest of a family of six and their parents were at an afternoon ceremony being held at the top of a thickly treed hill close by. On that day, their normal day’s playtime was shattered when the twins saw the rumored Ghosts for the first time. Right then, their slow-living harmonious lives began to change speeds forever. As within the nature of their Mother, they would adapt or die underfoot. The very flexible Fethafoot – Gyor-bun – is sent from Uluru to Trowena: where he discovers that even after horrendous calamity and loss of life – as in Nature – there always follows rebirth and new life.
Earth, Australia, tomorrow: from all over the known world, wrinkle-skinned old sages – some from ancient sects unheard from for generations, have begun speaking out. Acquiescent with the fact that they will be ridiculed for the message they bring to the modern world, they step forward into the camera’s lights and give warning of a dream – a common dream-vision. Predictably, they are ridiculed.
In the land down-under – Australia, Pem Weeatunga is happy as a Pig in shit! Pem watches Space and its beautiful though lifeless citizens. Unknown to him, the Fethafoot Clan of his ancient people have supported his people to survive six major calamities over 50,000 years and will be asking for his help. The bright young Astrologer-scientist has a part to play in his people’s adaptation and survival of the 7th event. Caught up in a believe it not race through his country, Pem soon finds that travelling with a genuine Fethafoot, through a pre-apocalyptic down-under, toward a coming unstoppable worldwide catastrophe, is not the least of uncanny phenomena to occur when the enigmatic Clan are involved in the end of the world.
Great book. Well written and interesting ... I read it from cover to cover without putting it down.
Fascinating story with vivid visuals.
Pemulwuy Weeatunga's narrative is akin to the traditional oral storytelling of Indigenous people - there is an informal yet cheeky tone, indicative of someone with much respect for their culture and country. A compelling story with delightful characters and beautiful descriptions, this is a short read but well worth it.
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