No Sugar by Jack Davis Read Free Book Online Page B

like that.
    They approach JIMMY .
    JIMMY : ’Ullo! ’Ullo! How’s everybody?
    SAM : Tired, bloody tired.
    They start to unload their possessions.
    BILLY : Now, you fellas sit down along this place, you hear me? Matron comin’ bye and bye.
    MILLY : Who?
    JIMMY : Matron, Superintendent’s Missus. She runs the hospital.
    MILLY : When’s she comin’?
    BILLY : Dunno, ’morrow, must be next day. She comin’ you fella all wait this place now.
    BILLY exits.
    JOE : Gawd strewth!
    The children laugh at the departed BILLY .
    JIMMY : Anyway, how you, Mill? Joe and you kids? Mum?
    MILLY : We’re all right, I s’pose.
    JIMMY : And how you, Mother?
    GRAN : I’m warrah , gnuny tjenna minditj ; and I got no gnumrnarri .
    JIMMY : Never mind, Mother, here.
    JIMMY takes some tobacco from his pocket and gives it to her.
    GRAN : Winjar kaep ?
    JIMMY : Straight down the pad, there.
    MILLY : You kids get a billy each and go and get some water.
    DAVID : Oh boy, I’m gonna have a swim.
    MILLY : No, you ain’t. Might be bilbarl , dugaitj , anything down there.
    DAVID : Aw, Mum.
    MILLY : I said no!
    JOE : I’ll come with youse.
    MILLY : All right, you can if Joe’s with youse.
    DAVID : Come on, Cissie!
    MILLY : Take the water bag.
    They take it and run off.
    JIMMY : Kimberley tell youse where to get the tucker tonight?
    MILLY : No.
    JIMMY : Down the kitchen.
    SAM : Where?
    JIMMY : Soup Kitchen.
    SAM : Good tucker?
    JIMMY : More like three-course bloody pig swill. Treacle and bread or bread and fat, take your pick.
    SAM : What about daitj ?
    JIMMY : Meat? You gotta be jokin’.
    MILLY : What about a sheet of iron for the fireplace?
    JIMMY : Don’t worry, I know where I can get one. Come on, Sam, I’ll knock it off, you can watch.
    JIMMY exits, followed by SAM .
    GRAN : Cooo , cooo ! You come back now, Jimmy, you hear? Cooo !
    MILLY unrolls a blanket. She and GRAN are left alone.
    MILLY : Come on, Mum, lay down and have a rest.
SCENE TWO
    A clearing near the Moore River, day. JOE , DAVID and CISSIE fill a water bag from billy cans.
    JOE : Don’t spill it.
    CISSIE : I’m tryin’ not to.
    DAVID tries the water.
    JOE : Good kaep .
    CISSIE : Don’t spit in it.
    DAVID : I ain’t.
    Unseen, two girls approach: TOPSY and MARY , who carries a bag of meat. DAVID takes his shirt off.
    Where we gonna swim?
    CISSIE : Dunno, let’s find a place.
    DAVID sees the girls.
    DAVID : Tjinung , yorgahs !
    They all look.
    JOE : Gidday.
    MARY : Hello.
    TOPSY : You fellas amongst the Northam lot?
    JOE : Yeah, that’s Cissie, and that’s David. I’m Joe, Joe Millimurra. We’re all Millimurras.
    TOPSY : I’m Topsy, that’s Mary. She’s from up North.
    JOE : They grow ’em pretty up there.
    DAVID , CISSIE and TOPSY giggle.
    What you got in the bag?
    TOPSY : Yonga , we’re takin’ it up to Uncle Herbie.
    CISSIE : Uncle Herbie’s our uncle too.
    JOE : How come he’s your uncle?
    TOPSY : His cousin is our grandfather—I think, on our mum’s side. How come he’s your uncle?
    CISSIE : He’s married to our aunt. You know, not really married.
    She and DAVID dissolve into the giggles.
    JOE : [ to MARY ] Are you related too?
    MARY : No.
    DAVID and CISSIE laugh.
    DAVID : Eh, gnoon , you’re cruel!
    JOE : Shut up. Take the water back, you two.
    DAVID : What about our swim?
    JOE : I’ll take youse later, get goin’!
    CISSIE and DAVID run off, shouting:
    CISSIE and DAVID : [ together ] Joe’s got a girlfriend, Joe’s got a girlfriend.
    They exit.
    TOPSY : I got to get goin’ to set the tables for supper.
    TOPSY exits.
    JOE : [ to MARY ] I can take the meat for you if you like.
    MARY approaches with the bag of meat.
    What’s your name?
    MARY : Mary.
    JOE : I know that. Your full name?
    MARY : Mary Dargurru.
    She runs after TOPSY , still carrying the meat.
    JOE : Mary!
    MARY : [ stopping ] Yeah?
    JOE : The