True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey Read Free Book Online

Mr Kelly back to you.
    Though I couldnt see my mother’s face I did see her back shiver like a cat with ringworm.
    How do you mean?
    Mr Kelly is in the lockup you’ll forgive me mentioning it.
    It is a private subject.
    I made an enquiry of Constable Doxcy.
    That aint your business Mr Shelton.
    You’ll forgive me he says it is a matter of £25.
    But my mother did not want her husband back. Oh no she cried I will not let you.
    But I must Mrs Kelly I am bound to it.
    Mr Shelton it is a lovely sash you give our Ned but if you don’t watch out you’ll spoil him. He’s a good boy but very headstrong and don’t need no encouragement to take more risks he’s lucky he didnt drown himself.
    But surely you aint saying you wish his father left in gaol?
    No cried my mother I’m saying you shouldnt make a fuss of my boy.
    But you would not object to your husband being freed?
    Dear Jesus cried my mother what sort of woman do you think I am?
    What else could she say? One week later her husband walked back into her life. We was seated round the table eating tea when he come and stood behind me. I twisted in my seat but didnt know whether to rise or what to say.
    Get out of my adjectival chair.
    I squeezed down the long bench and my father took his place he rested his freckled forearms on the table and asked my mother the baby’s name. I could not take my eyes off the arms all puffy white and sweaty like cheese wrapped up too long in summer.
    Grace as you know.
    How would I know?
    I sent Ned to tell you.
    Again my father turned his eyes on me and I felt he were looking into my heart at all the sins I committed against him and he pushed his stew away telling my mother to give him what money she had hidden. I thought she would say no but she emptied her sock and give him all she had and my father walked back out into the night. We was all very quiet after he were gone.
    You may think it strange that a man can survive transportation and the horrors of Van Diemen’s Land and then be destroyed in a country lockup but we cannot credit the tortures our parents suffered in Van Diemen’s Land—Port Macquarie—Toongabbie—Norfolk Island—Emu Plains. Avenel lockup were the final straw for your grandfather he did not speak more than a dozen words to me from that day until his death.
    Once he worked with us putting in the oats but he no longer liked the light of day and mostly remained inside the hut. By late spring the following year he were so bloated you could hardly see his eyes was lost and lonely and angry in the middle of his swollen face. We moved around him as if he were a pit too deep to fall into. Dr May come and told us he had dropsy and we paid a great deal of money for his medicine but there were no improvement and our father lay on his crib he could hardly raise his head to sip the rum.
    Mother and I now did all the ploughing we seeded 20 acres but it were too late in the season. One day at noon it were a hot December day the sky were blue and the magpies carolling my mother returned to the hut then come straight back out to fetch me.
    Come she said come now.
    We entered the hut together our bare feet caked with soil our hats already in our hands and there we saw our poor da lying dead upon the kitchen table he were bulging with all the poisons of the Empire his skin grey and shining in the gloom.
    I were 12 yr. and 3 wk. old that day and if my feet were callused one inch thick and my hands hard and my labourer’s knees cut and scabbed and stained with dirt no soap could reach yet did I not still have a heart and were this not he who give me life now all dead and ruined? Father son of my heart are you dead from me are you dead from me my father?

PARCEL TWO

    His Life Ages 12–15
    Red-and-white-striped cloth booklet with red-and-blue-marbled boards (6½‘ × 7½‘ approx.). First page inscribed “To E.K. from your own M.H.” Comprising 42 pages completed in red ink, 8 pages in faint pencil. Dust soiling along edges.