The girl with nine toes, Ray Wilkins [black female authors .TXT] 📗

I know full well that this is a difficult subject,
both for you and the rest of the party members, as well as
for the people of Australia - but just imagine a nation of
people who really enjoy working, who are willing to take
risks even if it means starting at the bottom of the ladder
again to make there life worth living. Instead of giving
them money, lets give them new opportunities to learn a
new profession, start up there own business. Let's
encourage independance instead of dependance. We have
to teach the people what it's like to feel self - esteem and
self - responsibility , to be able to stand up on their own
two feet and say I want to help make this world a better place to
live in. Instead of suffering from feelings of hopelessness
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and aggression, that are nothing but the seeds of laziness
and No future consciousness which develops in our young
people looking for jobs when they leave High School ,
let's have the courage to make a change!„ There was dead
silence in the conference room, thirty eight men and
women holding there breath, too surprised to be able to
react. Mr Norton packed up his papers stomped out of
the room with a look of disgust on his face. Some of the
other Members of Parliament stood up and applauded
(most of them women) the rest of the people present
were either too astonished or moved to do anything. That
this man, John Macmilan , normally a reserved yes-man,
was capable of such strength of character - was hard to
digest.
John felt his head getting hot and his face was as
red as a tomato , but inside he felt great! At last he had
said what he thought about a major issue, not caring how
anybody else would react, just following his heart. He
knew that this was just the beginning of a battle - not just
a political battle, no way, this was a personal fight, a fight
to find his own inner truth. He looked up at the gallery
where there were paintings from Australian artists and his
eyes fell on one that he thought must be new because up
till now he hadn't seen it. It was a painting of an
Aborigine standing on a rock pointing in the distance to
the horizon, and he looked suspiciously like the old man
who had led him down to the river.


24


A vision is a path..
A guide to your
dreams.
Dream your vision
everyday
And it will become a
reality


25


Chapter 5


So now Im really curious to see what happens this time when
I jog down to the river. I was thinking, while tying up my
trainers. The two bodyguards as yesterday were also
getting ready to get onto the jogging path. I couldn't help
noticing that they kept looking over there shoulder to see
what I was doing, they looked somewhat suspicious - or
maybe they just thought I was going crazy. I started doing
some stretching exercises and after a few minutes I
started slowly jogging down the path. Once again I could
feel the wind upon my skin drying up the perspiration,
hear the rhythmic sound of my feet and the calling of the
birds in the trees. I could now see the place where I fell
and without thinking I turned off the track and slid down
into the gully.
“Welcome back into the Dreamtime Turawwa!„ said
the old black man “Do you also have headaches today?„
“No I don't old man, but I'd really like to know what
your name is?„
“The people call me Baldwa which means the guide,
but we don't have enough time to talk about names now,
we have to go, she's waiting, follow!„
We went down the same path and I had the same
feeling of temperature change and all sound just simply
vanished. I had a feeling we were walking into a vacuum
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where time did not exist. Baldwa turned his head and
leaning on his spear he stopped and pointed to the
opening in the bushes where I could see the
Murrumbidgee flowing.
“She is there, go and get a change!„ I blinked and he was
gone.I walked to the river and there she sat on the same
rock in the same position with the same half-smile on her
lips.
“Welcome back Turawwa sit down and listen. You
are walking well on your path and the next challenge
waiting for you will bring you even closer to yourself.
Having a vision is like turning on the light. At this
moment you can see with the eyes of your mind the place
where you want to go to - you call this your dream - your
goal. Holding this vision inside your head will give you
the power to keep going, regardless of the difficulties you
will experience, this is your motor, driving you foreward
into the future. Now close your eyes and see within the
path - leading into the future - notice in which direction it
flows? - is it as a silver river? - or a road leading over the
mountains? As you allow this path in time to become
more clear - imagine being able to see your vision floating
back to where the path ends. Looking back you are able
to see and understand the many, different steps that you
took on this path- in time - to reach this goal, but as well
as this - and even more important – is the need to
recognise the challenge that you faced before reaching
each step ,and how did you do that exactly? What did you
change? What exactly did you win when you made that
step? And what exactly has changed in your life? Asking
these questions brings you closer to your vision and gives
you the answers to questions that you will face in the
future. Be clear about which steps you take and who you
take with you; and notice which inner feelings inside
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move you the most. Imagine yourself standing on the
bank of a wide river, on the other bank of this river you
can see your vision. Yes! not only can you see it, you can
even hear the noises and voices that go together with this
vision - you can feel it inside yourself - even taste and
smell it - your future, your goal. Now to cross to the
other bank you have to use the stepping stones that you
yourself have laid in the water. Take the first step only
when you know you are ready.„
“I found myself going into something like a trance
listening to the sing-song rhythm of her voice I could
really see the river in my imagination. The colours were
really intense and all noises were incredibly clear. I could
see myself jumping to the first stone and I shouted out
loud Courage! And the girl with nine toes looked up at me
and said “You have now reached your first stepping stone
on your way to true leadership, now go back into your
country and practice what you have learnt!„
“Mr Macmillan, Mr Macmillan sir where are you?„ I
could hear them shouting from up on the jogging path, I
leapt up the embankment almost bumping into Rick
“Here I am men, lets get back to moving the world!„
They both looked at each other with that queer look they
both had and then, shrugging there shoulders ; started
jogging with me back to the car.


28


Have the courage to speak up
and know love


29
Chapter 6


John opened the front door and called out to his
daughters “Sarah, Caroline where are you both?
Come down here I want to talk with you both!„
They sat around the kitchen table, all three looking a little
bit uncomfortable. Joan made everything a little bit
merrier by breezing into the kitchen to make herself a cup
of tea.
“I want to start a new realationship with you both.
Well actually to you three!„ He said looking up at Joan
standing by the stove. I know that I have been closed for
a long time now - even at work its the same, I can
function, I can even make decisions, I can talk to people
but I've forgotten how to show my feelings. It sometimes
feels like there’s a band of steel wrapped around my
heart.„ He felt his eyes getting watery again, damn that girl!
Well to cut a long story short I've decided to have the
courage to start opening up to you all. I don't really know
how to do it but I have met a girl with nine toes whose
showing me how to jump onto stones.„
“Dad! Wait! Wait! What are you talking about girls
with nine stones and jumping on stones ? Hee?„
John took a very deep breath and then started to tell
the three of them all about his visits to the girl at the
river, leaving nothing out. When he'd finished, to his
amazement none of them looked at all disbelieving , Joan
even asked if she could come next time too, maybe
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Baldwa could cure the warts on her feet and heal her
varicose veins. They all laughed heartily and John felt
lighter than he had ever felt in a long, long time.


31


Live your dreams


32
Chapter 7


Lying in bed listening to the songs of the crickets
outside in the garden his thoughts started slipping back
into the past, he started remembering moments ,both at
work and on a personal level, when he didn't have the
courage to say what he really thought or felt. Looking at
the scenes flashing in front of his eyes he could see how
the decision not to say what he thought, or