Exodus 3.5 – Chapter 5

Waltzing Matilda

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong

Under the shade of coolabahs tree

And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled

"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?"

Claire softly sang to her son about her homeland. It was a silly song, she thought, but it is purely Australian. She was trying to calm the baby as they walked back to the caves. He was fussing and seemed not to care very much for the bjorn-sling in which he was being carried.

"Shhhh, Aaron" she cooed, "Be good for momma, okay?" she patted the baby on the back. He scrunched up his face in baby anger and waved his tiny fists in the air. He let out a wail that Claire thought would wake the dead.

"Sweetie, please stop!" she said as she stopped and lifted him out of the bjorn and held his face next to hers. "I'll feed you soon – as soon as we get to the caves." She looked him straight in the face and smiled, "Alright? Really, I promise." Aaron continued to scream. Claire was at her wits end. She started to walk and sing again.

Down come a jumbuck to drink at the water hole

Up jumped a swagman and grabbed him in glee

And he sang as he stowed him away in this tucker bag

"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me"

Tears started to drip down her face. They were almost unconscious tears coming from both frustration and fatigue. This was too hard, she thought, too hard. Nobody understands yet they keep telling me what I should do. Telling me it's going to be okay. What do they know? She put the baby back in the bjorn and started earnestly down the path again. Fate – there's no such thing as fate. We make our own fate, don't we? She thought back to her astrology. Maybe our fate is in the stars after all. She smiled to herself. Of all the silly things to remember right now.

She pulled up short. There was a rustling in the trees. She turned and scanned the forest around her. A chill ran down her spine. The baby has suddenly stopped crying. She took another hesitant step. The rustling became louder. Fear was starting to grip her. She put her arms around the baby and scanned the area again. Her body was telling her to run, but her head was trying to stay in control.

"Hello?" she called tentatively. The rustling had stopped. Then the voices started. She turned at the odd sound. Whispers actually. She couldn't understand what they were saying but she decided she wasn't going to stick around to find out. Claire hurried her steps down the path. Her breathing became rapid. The whispers became louder. Stop! She screamed inside her head. She started to run. The fear was so tangible she could taste it. Run, the voice inside her head cried – Run! She looked back over her shoulder to see if it was behind her.

"Claire!"

How did they know her name? The voice was faint but clear. She started to run faster but all of a sudden her feet were no longer on the ground. She had tripped over an exposed root from a nearby tree. Almost through instinct she twisted her body in the air so as not to fall on the baby. She landed on the ground with a thud trying to keep Aaron out of harm. The baby also bounced on the ground and started to scream again. Claire had the wind knocked of her and was unable to get up quickly. She heard the bushes rustle again and footsteps coming up fast behind her.

"Oh God" she thought, her heart was frozen in fear "It's the Others," she raised herself up on her hands "they're coming after all!"

Claire heard her name called again. She struggled to get back on her feet. Her knees were bruised and her forearms were badly scraped. She slipped back down to her knees and tried to pull Aaron closer to her.

"Claire! Are you there?"

Now that voice was familiar, she thought to herself.

"Charlie!" she screamed. The footfalls were coming closer now. She tried to rise again and suddenly felt strong arms pulling her up.

"Claire – what happened?" cried Charlie as he picked her up and held her in his arms. She hugged him tight and started to cry into his shoulder. "Hey now, what's all this?" He pulled her forward to face him.

"Aaron!" she cried and bent down to pick up the still crying baby. She held him close to her chest and tried to soothe him with both words and cuddles.

"Ok, everybody good?" Charlie slipped his arm around Claire again. "Now what the bloody hell happened?"

Claire wiped the tears from her face and took a deep breath. She explained how they were walking down the path, heard the trees move, the whispers…

"Whispers?" Charlie questioned, "What whispers?"

Claire looked at him with concern "You didn't hear them?"

Charlie shook his head "Didn't hear a bloody thing but your screams." He looked at her face again "Are you sure you're alright?" Claire nodded, checked Aaron, and nodded again.

"Ok," he said and pushed her forward, "Let's get out of this enchanted forest from hell and get back to the caves."

They started back down the path. Charlie kept a watchful look around him and strained his ears to see if the whispers came back. Nothing. They could see the outcropping where the caves were. Claire had begun to relax as they came closer. Aaron was now calmly gurgling in his bjorn.

"Were you singing?" Charlie asked turning towards Claire.

Claire raised her eyebrows, "Yes, I was trying to calm down Aaron – hey wait! I thought you didn't hear anything but my screams." She gave him an indignant look.

Charlie shrugged his shoulder, "Well, that…" he looked down to the ground "and some sort of dance song?" He looked back at her "What's that about then?"

Claire smiled and shook her head "Waltzing Matilda, Charlie, Waltzing Matilda" she said giving him a questioning look "Have you never heard that song?" He shook his head. She was taken aback "it's only the bloodynational song of Australia!"

Charlie laughed at her shocked look "Sorry luv, wasn't on the DriveShaft playlist."

Claire rolled her eyes and started to walk faster, getting ahead of him. "Bloody Pom!" she said under her breath. She started to see the opening of the caves.

"Oi!" Charlie called after her "Wait up!" Claire picked up her pace. "I didn't say I didn't like it…" Charlie watched her as she disappeared into the caves. "I thought their song was about a koala or something" he muttered to himself as he entered the caves.

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda

Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?

And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled

Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?