It was not the holiday travel either of them expected. Thurston Klotz, owner of Klotz Holdings and Investments Limited, and his business manager, Delumi Vido, decide to drive the company limousine to its meeting at the mine instead of taking the mundane trip by air. While crossing the Nullabour Plains in Western Australia, Klotz turns sharply to miss a kangaroo jumping in the road; the car swerves, crashes, and bursts into flames. Klotz perishes instantly, but Delumi survives. Delumi wanders for days without food and water, only to be found by an Aborigine youth, who brings her to his home of the Ballagalla Tribe. The gracious people help her recover, and she eventually returns home. Delumi is grateful to Wally (short for Wallaballagalla) and the tribe for helping her to survive the ordeal in the desert. As she returns to work at KHII, she must overcome many challenges to make sure the company survives, but she does not forget the kindness of the tribe in the desert.

Delumi

By Howard Reede-Pelling

Trafford Publishing

Copyright © 2011 Howard Reede-Pelling
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4269-5223-4

Contents

1 Ordeal......................................12 Re-Organizing...............................93 The Corroboree..............................174 A Change Of Format..........................255 The Movie Star..............................346 A Door Opens................................437 Enlightenment...............................528 The Wrap Up.................................609 The Ballagalla Children.....................6810 Uluru......................................7811 Jacinta....................................8612 Catching Up................................9313 Leadership Spill...........................10114 Consolidation..............................10915 An Old Friend..............................12116 Sapphires!.................................12917 All Systems Go!............................13918 The Week Off...............................148

Chapter One

ORDEAL

Delumi Vido raised a weary arm to wipe the globules of perspiration from her dripping brow, hoping to ease the stinging of the rivulets affecting her vision. With shaded eyes the young lady earnestly scanned the arid, far horizon. Nothing! No movement stirred within the wide vista of her roving gaze. One or two stunted trees every kilometre or so for as far as she could distinguish through her tear-streaked, glazed red eyes, irritated by hours of plodding through this inhospitable, dry and dusty sand blown land-scape; was all that could be discerned. A stark, dying tree afforded scant shade from the fierce burning rays of the merciless sun. Delumi collapsed as a discarded sack of potatoes into the meagre shade. Despair and hopelessness etched deep into her worried face; a face which glistened with beauty and grace albeit though tear-stained and grimy. The clothes she wore, once elegant and neat, now were as a dishevelled bunch of torn and dirty rags. The ravages of time, distance and the fight for survival had transformed the once clean and trim young executive into a quite pitiful, ragged tramp. Delumi heaved a weary sigh and fell asleep. Again in sleep, she re-lived the most frightening prelude to her present dilemma. With her wealthy industrialist employer, Thurston Klotz, they had been driving across the Nullabour Plains of Western Australia to settle the terms of a lucrative contract at an isolated mining lease. They opted for the overland drive in preference to the company twin-engines jet by way of a diversion from the monotony of the continual flying business trips. As Thurston had quoted "A change is as good as a holiday!" This was not the holiday either of the travellers had in mind. Whilst Delumi shuffled through papers and re-checked the wording of contracts, Thurston drove the company limousine; the usual driver having been offered a week off. It was while Thurston's attention was diverted to a particular paragraph queried by Delumi, that a kangaroo resting in the shade of some scrub became agitated by the fast approaching vehicle and suddenly bounded out in front of it. Thurston valiantly attempted to avoid the marsupial and in doing so, caused the long limousine to slew sideways. A large boulder by the roadside straightened the careening limo' with a severe jolt and Thurston's head crashed against the door upright, sharply snapping his neck. He died instantly; a foot jammed the accelerator to the floor. The ungainly limousine sped out of control pitching and tossing across the Nullabour; Delumi unconscious in her seatbelt, having also bumped her head. The vehicle sped uncontrolled for many kilometres across the rough and rocky terrain, miraculously missing trees but occasionally grubbing saltbushes as it bolted aimlessly. Eventually a ditch rolled the limousine; Delumi was jolted awake by the exploding gas tanks. Otherwise unhurt, the very bewildered young lady released her restraining seat-belt and hurriedly, frantically, quit the blazing wreck to scurry in terrified bounds for the safety of a large rocky outcrop. In awe, she watched the remains of the vehicle and her employer, as they burned! For three days Delumi searched in vain for the road over which the two had been travelling, but city-bred, she had no idea of bush craft or direction and had stumbled in abject terror in any but the right direction. Without food or water the young body was beginning to dehydrate. Mirages began flashing with scintillating realism before her tired and flickering vision; her spirit and strength, fast declining. In sleep she twitched and rolled from the blessed shade into the hot sand and searing sunlight. Delumi roused and forced her tired being back into the meagre shade. After an hour of rest another effort was made and the hopeless young lady struggled to her feet. She scanned the horizons again and finding no comfort in that effort, boldly plodded forth. Two more kilometres of trudging found her beside a larger shrub of the desert than hitherto had come her way. As Delumi tried to crawl under it into the comfort of the shade, her head swam dizzily and she fainted; falling prone into the welcome safety of the darker shadows of the shrub. Warm liquid trickling over her lips woke Delumi. She opened her eyes to the spectacle of a grinning black face, which displayed huge white teeth. A comical yet strangely cultured voice addressed her. "Ay, Missus! You a long way from somewhere, I reckon!" Delumi opened her mouth to speak but no sound came forth; more water was squeezed into it. The aborigine broke another small branch from the shrub and began pounding it with a rock. The girl watched in awe as this stupid man wasted his energy trying to kill a dead stick. She mentally apologised as the 'stupid man' squeezed the pulp to let more droplets of water into her parched mouth. Delumi fervently swallowed and licked the while she attempted to smile her thanks. Having recovered slightly and with a not so parched throat, Delumi struggled to a sitting position. "Thank you!" She croaked. The huge grin again engulfed the handsome black features. "Ay Missus. Reckon you can walk a little bit over there?" He pointed to the West but Delumi did not know that. "Plenty water in the rocks. Come Missus, try!" The youth gently raised the weak girl to her feet. She marvelled at his strength for such a slightly built lad. Together they made their way in the direction indicated, the aborigine bearing the brunt of the burden at first. As they progressed, Delumi found her strength returning slightly and was able to carry her own weight a little better. A rocky outcropping came into sight. It was little more than a small wall and no creek or billabong could be discerned. Delumi began to fear that the intended water supply which they were seeking may very well have dried up; her face fell. Her guide led the frail girl to a ledge and bade her sit. He then reached into a crevice with both hands cupped and withdrew them brimming with water — the water of life! Delumi fairly charged at the precious liquid spilling a little in her frenzied fervour. "Easy Missus!" Her host chided. "Plenty more — ay?" The girl nudged him away and helped herself. After six or seven cupped hands full of water were dispatched, the aborigine pulled Delumi away with a caution. "No more yet — wait — waste not good!" He took a few hands full himself, then filled a small leather pouch from his waist-string, to tide them over the next stage of their journey. Feeling more refreshed and with renewed hope, Delumi studied her stalwart saviour. He was but a youth, possibly seventeen or eighteen. Clad only in a loin-cloth and a head band which held up unruly black locks. He was barefooted and had a working boomerang through the 'g' string at his back. A wooden sliver with what appeared to be a very sharp edge was also thrust through the 'g' string. Delumi wondered how often that 'knife' cut through the supporting string and then she smiled that such a strange thought should come to her. The youth also carried a very long spear.

"Wallaballagalla!" The youth spoke. Delumi looked puzzled.

"Pardon?" She asked.

"Wallaballagalla — ay! It's me name, just call me Wally!"

"Oh! Er — Delumi, Delumi Vido! Please call me Delumi!" She smiled coyly.

A huge grin which seemed ever to live upon the face of this welcome young man was again evident.

"Delumi?" He sounded the name with fluency.

"Crikey! You white ones got real funny names — ay?"

Delumi smiled again, her cracked face paining under the wind and sun burn.

"Thank you for finding me. Where do we go from here and how far it to get anywhere — anywhere at all has to be better than here?"

"No worries Missus. A couple of days and we get to my uncle's place!" Wally settled Delumi down under another shady bush, then told her to stay put and wait — he would go and get some tucker! As he silently disappeared, Delumi pondered the next phase of this terrible excursion. Uncle's place would probably be just a humpy further out into this damnable desert. She did not look forwards with very great expectations. Wally returned with a quite large but scrawny lizard and some tubers. Delumi could imagine him finding and catching the lizard but where on earth in this dust-ridden hell-hole he managed to find tubers, was beyond her. She just shook her head in disbelief and watched as the lad built a fire and threw the carcass of the lizard upon it. No butchering, no skinning or preparing, no gutting — just a whole lizard to sizzle on the embers. Wally passed a few tubers to Delumi as he lustily chewed upon some himself.

"Put 'im to good use Missus!" He said. After having turned the lizard once or twice, Wally declared the meat ready. It was not unlike tearing a cooked chicken apart with a remarkably similar taste. Delumi raised her eyebrows in pleasant surprise.

"Good tucker, ay?" Wally grinned his toothy grin.

Having dispatched their meal and all traces of the fire covered with sand, the pair ventured forth

"Walkabout now when the sun is down and into the evening, we travel better, hot sunny day no good for walk. We rest in the day, make better travel!" Wally explained. Delumi nodded. She realised the young man knew what he was doing and was experienced at it, she also realised how hopeless and very helpless she was in this environment. It was most comforting to have someone else shoulder all the responsibility for a change. Young though her escort was, Delumi relished the respite from her heavy workload and felt quite confident in putting her future and faith in this resourceful aborigine, named 'Wally'. After three hours of steady walking, Wally declared it was time to rest. They sat close together against a rock which kept the very slight breeze off them. The evening was becoming quite cool as it always does upon the desert at night. Wally stretched his legs out and packed dirt all over them.

"Keeps 'em warm, Missus!" He explained. Delumi did likewise. They slept for a further few hours. Delumi was awakened by Wally rising.

"Time to go Missus!" He stated.

"Getting' too cold just sitting. Lookit 'im the moon — he's a big fella — ay? Walk now and get warm, sleep in tomorrow's hot!" Once again they shuffled off.

Another very hot day began to draw to a close. The pair had covered a remarkably long distance during the evening and then the early morning, they rested through the heat of another day. Now it was time to get moving again, this was only possible for Delumi through the expertise of Wally. This young man timed their walks and rest periods to perfection, conserving energy so well that Delumi actually began to recover from the terrifying ordeals of her first three days alone. Water was still a very scarce commodity and was used sparingly, even though Wally seemed to have unlimited knowledge of supply areas. Food was not all that easy to come by; however, the pair was never really hungry. Another lizard and more tubers found beneath a rocky outcropping at one of the watering places, sufficed to give the nourishment needed to keep going.

"Soon be there Missus!" Wally stated, as he pointed ahead.

In the far distance Delumi could barely recognise what appeared to be a homestead. Fears of Wally's uncle living in a humpy, abated.

"Is that cattle I see, Wally?" Delumi asked.

"Too right!" Wally grinned his toothy grin. "It's me uncle's place — he runs a cattle station!" Delumi looked her amazement.

"But I thought only white folk ran cattle stations?"

"Nah!" Wally became enthusiastic. "Maybe in them dark day's way back — now the people of the earth manage their own affairs — like they always did. The Ballagalla tribes have grown from this land since time began; they are the land around here!"

Because of the flat nature of the terrain, the house forever seemed to be far away. The two continued for two more hours before they got anywhere near the buildings. Cattle were roaming more thickly about as Wally and Delumi finally came to the outer boundary of the homestead yards proper. A utility left the house and came their way. Wally sat on a rock awaited it. "Sit down Missus, they coming to get us!" The weary young body needed no second bidding; she also sat and watched the dusty approach of the vehicle. There was but one person in the cabin, the driver. He was a very large aborigine not unlike Wally in looks but five or so years older. In the back of the utility were half a dozen noisy, chattering youngsters. As the vehicle stopped, all alighted and upon noticing the white girl, the children became silent. Not so the driver, he warmly slapped his cousin on the back; dislodging much dust.

"Ay Wal!" He grinned, looking keenly in surprise at Delumi. "We expected a wallaby as a gift — we don't eat whites no more!" Delumi started with a gasp, fear crossed her features.

Wally eased her trauma.

"Ah — take no notice of him Missus — he's only funnin'!"

The driver courteously held out his hand to Delumi.

"Wal's me cousin — we haven't seen him since last summer — I'm Johnny. My dad owns this cattle station. Hop in the ute and we'll get back home for a cool drink an' some tucker!"

Delumi prettily thanked him and introduced herself. As the group motored back to the homestead, the children jabbered on in their own tribal tongue in the back.

"What you doin' dragging a white lady 'round the desert, Wal?" Johnny asked.

"I was lying almost dead under a bush when Wally found me — thank goodness — he has been marvellous! Thank you so much Wally!" Delumi answered for him. Johnny nodded, and then said.

"Nah! There's more to it than that — how did you know she was there Wal?"

"Yeah!" Wally explained. "On me way here I saw the smoke of the burning car and went to have a look-see. Found the driver an' I buried 'im beside the wreck, then scouted about and found the Missus' footprints; so I followed them — thassall!"

"Oh! Wally — thank you — oh, thank you so very much!" Delumi pressed his arm.

"Yeah! Sorry about your husband, couldn't do much but bury 'im!" Wally was not grinning. Delumi was quick to explain.

"No — he — he wasn't my husband Wally, he was my boss! His name was Thurston Klotz. We were on our way to the mine when we crashed!"

"The gold mine?" Johnny asked. When Delumi nodded, Wally said.

"Lots of our people work there, mostly drivin' the heavy machinery. Our people don't go down under too much, we got too many dreamin's!"

"We were due at the mine a week ago, they must be wondering what has happened to us!" Delumi worried.

"Don't worry — we got communications at the house — you can make some calls from there!" Johnny assured her, then as an afterthought. "Ay! Your boss wouldn't be from some doin's called 'K.H.I.L.', would he?"

"Why yes!" Delumi turned to him in surprise. "He WAS Klotz Holdings and Investments Limited!" Johnny nodded.

"There was something on the telly news about him and his Business Manager going missing. It reckoned they've disappeared without a trace, been searchin' for days. Guess they will be glad to hear from you; I reckon!"

As the 'entourage' arrived at the station proper amid billowing clouds of choking red dust and the horde of dis-embarking, noisy youngsters; a group of people emerged from the house to welcome them. The most imposing of these was Johnny's father and tribal elder; the owner of the cattle station. He was indeed a striking person. Dressed in denim waist-jacket and jeans, with a rather battered wide brimmed Akubra hat firmly jammed upon his greying shock of loose black hair; which contrasted oddly to a flowing white beard almost reaching to his heavily buckled belt. Either side of him was a large plump lady who proved to be Johnny's mother and a short grizzled old-timer who was the head man of the Ballagalla tribe. Delumi of a sudden realised that she must present a wretched sight, dusty and bedraggled as she was; far removed from the most meticulously dressed and groomed person who set out on this illfated trip.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Delumiby Howard Reede-Pelling Copyright © 2011 by Howard Reede-Pelling. Excerpted by permission of Trafford Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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