The Turning Page #6

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But I didn't even have the guts

to do that.

It would have saved us all

a lot of pain.

I just hung on in there until

there was nothing left of me.

There was nothing left

of any of us.

It was cowardice.

It's not natural.

You learn it.

So, how did you

get off the booze?

I went to a meeting

in Kalgoorlie.

Just the one?

Yeah. Only the one.

I'd had enough of self-pity.

30...?

I was living

behind the pub then.

Called myself a yardman,

but basically I was an alcoholic

sweeping floors for drinks.

Then I came up here

with the dog and I hid.

I think I was trying to work up

the nerve to kill myself.

There's plenty of mineshafts

up here.

No shortage of means.

I spent months

plotting and planning.

I went mad, I s'pose.

And then I realised I'd been

six months without a drink.

I woke up one morning.

It was winter.

The sun was on this fallen tree,

this dead, grey tree,

and there was steam

rising off the dead wood...

...and I felt new.

I had this feeling that

the world was inviting me in

and luring me towards...

...something.

I dunno. Life, I s'pose.

I see you read a lot.

Yep.

It's an education.

But my eyes are going.

We'll get you some glasses.

What time do you want to leave?

Uh, first thing.

Fair enough.

You got it?

You'll take it.

And you'll keep

your f***ing mouth shut.

Say g'day to Vic for me.

Ultimo

1 radio - you have a job for us?

Listen up, everyone.

There's been a report

of a missing hiker.

Last seen

on the western track here.

By the sounds of it,

he's been caught in a fog

and wandered off the path

somewhere.

He's missing two days now,

so he's either fallen off

the first tier,

or broken something

along the way.

If he's alive,

we'll need to find him by dark.

It's getting bloody cold

up there.

So we need to move fast.

Right. Stick to your groups.

Let's get going.

Uh, Bill, you lead the group

along the western track

and keep everyone close.

We don't wanna lose any more

of you, for God's sake.

Lang. You'll be taking

a back seat on this one.

Join Bill's group or something.

There's a reporter

looking for you somewhere.

Just talk her

through the process

and make us sound good, alright?

- Me?

- Yes, you.

F*** knows why,

but she wants to speak with you.

Is there a problem, Sergeant?

No. No problem.

Good. 'Cause we don't want

any more trouble now, do we?

Constable Lang?

Um... excuse me?

Constable Lang?

Sergeant Lang.

Oh. Sorry, Sergeant.

Um... I was told you were

someone who could help me.

My name's Marie.

You're the journalist?

Mmm, no - I'm a cadet, actually,

but I was hoping

I could ask you a few questions.

Won't hold you up. Promise.

Can ask 'em as we walk.

Oh. Well, come on, then.

Can you explain why

we've left the group?

In my opinion,

he's landed on the eastern side

of the mountain.

He's fallen into that area

up ahead.

So, have you worked in

this area long'?

About six months.

Oh.

How do you like it here so far?

Looks like

the weather's coming in.

I can't see the track anymore.

Or hear anyone.

Maybe we should just go back.

If you go back the way we came,

you should find the track.

It's getting dark.

I can't go alone.

Fair enough.

Hello?!

Constable Lang!

Marie'?

Hello!

- Help!

- Hey!

I'm over here!

Marie!

- Is he alive?

- Just.

What are we gonna do?

It looks like we're gonna

be in for a long night.

F***, I just feel so helpless.

First day

I was posted out here...

...got called up on this...

this accident.

This young farm kid...

...was doing tricks...

...on his trail bike.

He pulled out from behind the

bus on to the oncoming car.

Just cleaned him up.

I just sat there.

Waited with him

till the ambulance came.

All his schoolmates

just staring at me

like there was something

I could actually do.

He died in my arms.

Oh... God, I'm sorry.

I thought I was tougher

than this.

Sometimes there's just

nothing you can do.

Do you like your work?

What'?

Guys you work with? Good guys?

Yeah.

The two detectives

found his father on the bed.

He'd been dead for 10 days.

Some say that he put a pillow

over his dad's head...

...and suffocated him.

But that's just

what they told me.

Mum and Dad told me about

an oldish man called Boner.

He lived by the river

in a beat-up caravan

and his girlfriend had left him

and he'd shot himself underneath

the chin but he survived that.

He had half of his face

blown off

and he had a big hole

in his neck,

where his... around

where his voice box was.

So every time he spoke,

he had to put his finger

into his mouth,

into his neck,

and that... just so he could...

was able to speak.

It was, like...

something like that.

I reckon it must've been

early high school

and Boner was older than me.

He wasn't really a mate.

I didn't have any mates

in those days.

A mate was probably just someone

who was a bit less of

an arsehole than an enemy.

And people used to

just treat me like sh*t.

They used to call me

f***ing 'Flathead'

and there was

these two older c*nts

that used to just belt the f***

out of me every lesson.

They thought it just was

good fun.

Anyway, one day Boner

must've f***ing heard about it

and I was down in A-wing,

down this long bloody corridor.

I looked up and I saw these two

bastards coming and...

...and Boner was standing

behind them

and he was kneeing them in the

backside as they walked along

and whacking them

in the back of the head

and he was saying to 'em,

"You f***ing leave him alone.

"You leave him alone."

And he got to

the end of the corridor

and then he just f***ing

belted the sh*t out of them

and he was saying,

"Leave the... leave him alone,

you f***ing dogs."

And no-one knew... no-one except

me knew why he was doing it.

And he was standing up for me

and yet...

he hardly knew me, really,

and that was the first time

anyone had ever really

stood up for me.

Yeah, well,

Boner was driving along one day

and he had

a whole heap of garbage

on the front of his car,

on the dash,

and they fell off and he looked

down to see what was going on.

And there was a police car

coming the other way.

And he wandered across the road

and pushed the police car

off the road.

Got down the road a bit,

looked in the mirror

and the police are chasing him.

So he pulled up.

The police said to him,

"You just run us off the road."

.

He said, "Well, that's pretty

obvious you didn't see us."

He said,

"You run us off the road."

He said, "We had to go

out in the paddock there."

He said, "Look at the car.

"It's covered in grass and dirt

and mud.

"What were you doing?"

"Oh," he said, "what happened

is... I'm a snake catcher.

"I had a snake in a bag there."

And he said, "And he got out and

he was crawling over my legs."

He said, "I bent down

to pick him up

"and when I bent down, I must've

wandered across the road."

They said, "Where's the snake?"

He said, "In the car. Do you

want to help me catch it?"

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