Free Kakadu Calling by Jane Christophersen

Finding My Way Home

    B urrki was ten years old. He was living with his grandparents in the hilly country, while his father and mother attended ceremonies back in their own country, on the coast.
    Burrki was lonely and he missed his family very much. He had to wait for four full moons to pass before his parents returned to collect him. Burrki knew that was a long time because he had already seen two full moons pass. To have to wait for two more made him feel very sad.
    â€˜I don’t think I’ll see my mum and dad again,’ he sniffed with tears in his eyes. ‘I might just go and look for them. I’m sure they’ll be happy to see me.’
    For many days, Burrki sat and watched the sun rise and set. His father had told him which way to walk, and how many days it would take, to reach his home by the ocean. For his parents it was only two days walk, but for young Burrki it would be at least three.
    â€˜I know I can do it. I’ve done it before with my family, and once I’ve gone over the hills, it will be easy.’
    Burrki didn’t tell his grandparents about his plan because he didn’t want them to worry.

    One morning, Burrki got up before the sun had risen, and he made a mark on the ground with a special stone that his granny had given him. Burrki took the stone out from a little bag he wore aroundhis neck, and he drew a round circle with an arrow pointing in the direction he was headed. He then placed the stone in the circle, so that his granny would know it was his mark. This sign would tell her that he was going home.

    Gathering up his spear, a little bit of wallaby meat and some cooked yams, Burrki packed his dillybag, which his granny had made from the leaves of the pandanus tree, and he left.
    Burrki walked across the plains towards the foothills, and then he began to climb. The sun was just peeping over the top of the hills, and to stay walking in the right direction, Burrki knew to keep the morning sun in front of him.
    It was already getting hot so Burrki decided that he would rest when he found some shade. When he saw the dark entrance of a cave, hecrawled in under the mossy rock. The air was cool and fresh and there was a trickle of water running down the cliff face into a small pool. He was able to have a drink and wash his face. After eating some of his meat and yam, Burrki lay down and went to sleep.
    Suddenly a loud noise startled him, and he sat up and looked outside. He could see lightning flashing, and then came the rumbling of thunder.
    Burrki was very scared and he said to himself, ‘Did I do something wrong?’
    When he looked up towards the roof of the cave, he could see paintings of the lightning man on the rock walls.
    â€˜I’m sorry I came into this cave without telling you first. My name is Burrki and I’m going to look for my father and mother. I’m truly, truly sorry.’
    Burrki lay down and watched and waited. The lightning looked like it was throwing down big balls of light. He was very frightened, and hewondered if this was his punishment for running away and not telling his grandparents.
    At last the lightning and thunder stopped, but it was still raining. It rained until late afternoon so Burrki decided to sleep in the cave. When he woke the next morning, he ate some meat and then set off again on his journey. As a mark of respect he called out to the lightning man that he was leaving, and he thanked him for looking after him.

    All that morning Burrki scrambled up and down over rocks, and squeezed through clefts in the rock formations. Some of the rocks he didn’t recognise at all, while others were a bit familiar. By lunchtime, he’d reached the bottom of a big cliff and he could no longer see the sun, or what direction it was in.
    Not knowing what to do, Burrki sat on the ground and looked up at the cliff walls. What he then noticed made him happy. The shadows of the rocks on the cliff face were getting higher so