Darwin

1

The Witch and the Gun

Aedan had just turned 16 the year he found the AK-47, the same year he fell in love with a witch. Not the evil kind of witch in horror films, but a woman with an eerie ability to see into the future and talk to ghosts. It was lucky that he did, for she saved his life more than once.

His Irish mother insisted he be named Áedán at birth; a special Gaelic name meaning ‘little fire,’ but the registrar at the time couldn’t type accents on his typewriter so he informed Aedan’s parents in no uncertain terms that, We don’t include wog bullshit on kids names in this country, so you’ll have to Anglicise it like every other wog name. Aedan’s mother was too weak at the time from the long hours of labour she’d endured, so the registrar went unchallenged and ‘Aedan’ it was from that day on.

But like so many things he failed; Aedan didn’t live up to his name. He had very little fire in him at all, hardly even a spark. He was a sensitive child, prone to illness, and a perfect target for school bullies. Aedan became ‘Aye Dan’ then ‘Aye Danny’ which soon became ‘Danny Boy’ and that famous song followed him everywhere he went. Danny Boy, yer mum, yer momma’s calling. His mother told him not to fret because it was a song about an Irish hero, but he grew to hate the song.

The bullying continued through primary school and beyond, until finally, he reached the breaking point. He had to do something. The catalyst was a broken nose, a week into the third year of secondary school. Aedan started training at the local boxing gym five nights a week. Boxing built up his strength and gave him a much-needed dose of confidence. The bullies still came after him, but after a few months of training, he started fighting back, and winning.

One night, while jogging home from training, he stopped to relieve himself behind a shrub in a small park and got the surprise of his life. What looked like a military rifle was lying there, stashed in the bushes. The reddish-brown of the wooden stock and grey steel of the barrel gleamed magically in the streetlight. He fell in love with it immediately. This was more badass than anything he’d ever seen before. How can anybody lord it over you again, when you’ve got this?

Aedan wrapped his towel around it and took it home. He played with it in the privacy of his room that night then stashed it under his wardrobe. At first, he didn’t know what kind of gun it was, and it took a good couple of hours of research at the library to discover that it was a Soviet-made AK-47. The same rifle being used by the Viet Cong against Australian soldiers in Vietnam. Maybe one of our blokes brought this home as a souvenir or something, he thought as he wiped it down that night, wondering how many Aussies or Yanks it had killed and what had happened to the owner.

Aedan had no idea what to do with such a powerful weapon. He fantasized about using it on the bullies who had tormented him but knew that was too extreme. Besides, by then, with his boxing training, those same kids were steering clear of him.

He thought about it a few days later while smoking ganja down at Lameroo Beach, his most recent pastime after failing to perform in school. It was 1974 and ganja was becoming the drug of choice in Australia. It was easy to get, and relatively cheap.

It was just before Christmas and Aedan pretended he was going to a friend’s house, so he could sneak down to the hippie commune, nestled in the rainforest that hugged the shoreline close to the city. He sat in a treehouse, smoking a joint with a tanned man, who sported a matted tangle of blonde hair and a boar’s tusk hanging from a leather thong around his neck. Aedan was contemplating quitting school and getting a job, regardless of what his parents thought. He took another drag and felt a wave of tranquility move through his body, his muscles relaxing completely. His face started tingling. Nearby, a thin lady in a tie-dyed tank top and no bra started laughing. Aedan joined in impulsively, not knowing whether he was the joke, or it was something else. The boar’s tusk man also laughed. They all continued laughing until their sides hurt and they were gasping for breath.

This is wicked weed, said Boar’s Tusk, still chuckling. The woman with no bra nodded, grinning. Aedan didn't have a clue who these two were, but it was the house he was visiting tonight; the random treehouse he'd found by walking up one of the well-worn paths in the rainforest. He'd learned to follow his nose. Head wherever the smell of marijuana was the strongest. Sooner or later someone would pass you a joint. The hippies never hassled him or judged him. They shared whatever they had without question. Though Aedan liked hippies, he knew he could never be one. Never let your guard down, he reminded himself. You have to be tough. He shuddered at the thought of falling victim to the bullies again.

He was thinking about this when the woman who would eventually change his life arrived. She looked older than him, by probably five years or even more. He couldn't take his eyes off her. Maybe it was the effects of the wicked dope he’d been smoking, but he would have sworn she was the most beautiful lady he'd ever seen. She carried herself like an athlete, standing straight and proud. Her blond hair bounced on her tanned shoulders whenever she moved. Pale blue eyes, the colour of icebergs, beamed from her proud Nordic face as she climbed the ladder from the overgrown path and greeted his companions with a hug and a smile. The warmth she radiated contrasted sharply with her features. Aedan got the impression she was cool and unapproachable; way out of his league.

When she turned and smiled at Aedan, a feeling of warmth flushed over him; a new and exciting experience he didn’t completely understand. The lady in the tank top poured some kind of tea and Eva passed Aedan a cup. He took a sip but didn't recognise the herbal taste. In Darwin tea was just Lipton, there was nothing else.

Aedan sat back, looking up through the branches of the banyan tree the house was nestled in. The stars shining brightly through a gap in the leaves seemed unusually bright that night. He would look down whenever a joint was passed to him, sneaking glances at the woman as she conversed with the others, all the while trying not to appear rude. She seemed better dressed than the other women he'd seen here, or perhaps it was just the way she carried herself. She had a long sarong tied around her waist and an embroidered top that looked like it came from another era. He wondered what her nationality was. Dutch or Scandinavian, he guessed. Someone had once told him that was where all the really beautiful women came from. He got a good feeling about her, a nice energy.

After a while, she joined Aedan out on the bamboo deck. I'm Eva, she said, smiling warmly.

Aedan, he replied shyly.

Her voice was soft, and maybe it was his imagination, but it also sounded very sexy. Maybe it’s her accent, thought Aedan. She smelled of incense, an exotic, Indonesian scent, Aedan guessed. But what stood out most about Eva was the calming aura that emanated from her.

They sat together silently, enjoying the weed, the stars, and the general ambience. Aedan longed to speak with her, but he was far too shy and didn't know what to say to a lady like her. He wanted to ask her where she was from, but he stayed silent, which in a funny kind of way made it more enjoyable.

You like it here, she said, after a few minutes of silence. It wasn’t a question.

Nobody hassles me here, Aedan replied. She laughed and passed him the joint. He drew on it.

I can't see you going back to school next year, she continued. Aedan shrugged. How does she know I'm at school? Do I look that dorky? He looked down at his clothes and Eva smiled as if reading his mind.

You don't fit in there, do you? she asked.

He shook his head. The more she talked, the more he was drawn to her. She was probably the first adult he'd spoken to who didn't judge him. She just spoke plainly as someone would about the weather, but she was talking about him. She's interested in me.

I know school is important and all that. He felt foolish for saying it; it just came out. It wasn't entirely true, and she seemed to know it.

She simply shrugged, Everyone's journey is different. Just follow your heart.

Yes, and my heart is leading me to you, he thought.

She laughed shyly.

She’s reading my mind. He looked into her eyes and she into his. He felt connected to her, somehow: the shy inexperienced schoolboy and the exotic, worldly lady.

After a couple of hours, Aedan's conscience began to trouble him. He was supposed to be home before twelve and it was already well after midnight. He wanted so much to stay right there. He wanted these feelings to last forever. The desperation must have been evident in his eyes because Eva said, You'd better go home. She smiled and touched his arm tenderly, sending a warm sensation through him.

Her tone changed then, Our paths will cross again, and I'm happy about that, because I really like you. Then she lowered her voice, looking intently into his eyes as if they might reveal some terrible secret. Take care. Do you understand? There's some bad shit coming. He nodded, somewhat puzzled by her words as he started to leave. She called after him as he climbed down the ladder. See you on the other side of it, Aedan.

As he walked home, he pondered what she could have meant. See you on the other side of what? Death? he thought, shivering at the idea. Or did she mean just the other side of whatever’s about to happen next?

It must have been 1:00 a.m. or even later; he'd lost track of time and didn't have a watch. It was a balmy tropical night and he could smell rain in the air. Luckily his parents had built him a room under the house so he knew he could slip in without waking the others. Home was at least three kilometres away and there was a strong possibility he’d get wet if he loitered, but tonight he didn't care. He was totally lost in his thoughts.

Aedan reflected on Eva's sweet personality and the way she'd treated him. Why would she like you, Aedan? he wondered, why would anyone like him? He was just a mixed-up teenager. Fucked up, even. Eva, on the other hand, was mature and worldly. Way out of his league. But she said, I really like you, The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to kiss her, to feel her body close to his. But more than that, he wanted to know her, to be with her. He imagined running away together. He felt extremely grateful that nobody he knew had been there because they'd only plant seeds of doubt in his mind, telling him there was no way it could happen. But on his own, he was young and innocent enough to believe he could make this dream come true.

Aedan contemplated turning around and going back there. No, he thought, that would look really desperate. He continued on his way but made up his mind to see her again as soon as possible, even if it meant running away from home.

2

A Violent Eviction

Aedan. Open the door.

The voice sounded distant, as if coming through a tunnel. Aedan had been dreaming of the treehouse and Eva, but the voice kept intruding. He felt trapped. Shit! She followed you.

There was knocking now, louder and louder. What is she knocking on?

Are you in there, Aedan?

He opened his eyes and the realisation hit him. You should have just stayed there, Aedan. This crazy bitch is going to kill you.

I'm here Mum. It's okay! he called out, wishing he didn't sound so frightened.

You get dressed and get out here right now. He knew that tone. It meant trouble, real trouble. It was the same tone she’d used once, just before she attacked some unsuspecting driver with a fence picket. The poor guy only wanted to see the rugby grand final and needed a place to park. He thought he'd be away from their driveway long before anyone in the house needed to leave.

Coming, Mum. This is going to be bad. Aedan groaned and struggled out of bed and into his jeans and t-shirt. Just talk to her, he thought. Just explain things and she’ll be okay.

Aedan steeled himself and walked out to face the music. It was not going to be easy; things had steadily been getting worse between Aedan and his mother lately. His father was often absent, working long hours and drinking heavily, so his mother probably felt she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. As matriarch she liked to be in control of the family and when Aedan began to spread his wings, his mother tried to clip them.

But this had not just been a night of dope smoking or partying, he’d finally met a girl who liked him and he’d just lost track of time. The girls at school all chased the popular guys, the football players and the confident guys with good social skills. Aedan was always sidelined. Now, finally, he’d met someone who liked him. Hell, this is important...

Had he been able to speak openly with his mother, perhaps she would have understood, but those bullying episodes had led him to believe that she didn’t want to hear about her son’s weaknesses. So, he kept it to himself, buried down deep.

Memories of the previous night and Eva brought a surge of joy into his heart and momentarily made him forget the trouble he was facing. A smile crept onto Aedan’s face as he walked into the kitchen where his mother waited.

Get that smirk off your face. Her harsh tone snapped Aedan out of his blissful state. He looked up at her, standing by the kitchen table, her Irish temper simmering like a pot about to boil over.

Coming in at all hours of the night. What have you got to say for yourself? Her jaw was set, her eyes wild.

I- I was just talking with friends… Aedan stammered, regretting the answer as soon as the words left his mouth.

We had an agreement. You were supposed to be home by twelve.

Mum, I met this girl, Aedan said shyly, I just wanted to spend some...

She cut him off, I don’t care if you met Princess Anne, you were supposed to be home by twelve.

It won’t happen again.

Damn right it won’t, you’re grounded.

Aedan stared at her in disbelief. No. No, this can’t be happening.

She returned his stare, her hazel eyes cold. Burning into his soul.

He felt something break loose inside of him, something that had been longing to be free.

Raising both hands, his middle fingers pointing upward, he spoke with all the bravery he could muster, Fuck you, Mum, He almost felt good about it, but then he noticed her pupils dilating.

Before he could dash away, she snatched a large heavy bottle of tomato sauce from the table and brought it down squarely on his head. The bottle