Udjerlah’s Song: an adult fairy tale

Followers of Alice Online will be familiar with the work of Helen Womack, a British journo who has worked for more than twenty years as a correspondent for London’s Independent and also for the Fairfax media. Over the past decade or so Helen, a confirmed traveller, had added Central Australia to her path and in 2003 created the magazine Bushmag from Alice Springs.

Like many journalists, Helen has another kind of writer dwelling within. In her case, this writer has her own name. Nelen wrote and illustrated  Udjerlah’s Song, which she describes as an adult fairy tale. We’ll present Udjerlah’s song in weekly parts. But Nelen is the best person to introduce it:

When it’s day at the biggest, reddest rock in the world, it’s night on the biggest, reddest square.

When it’s day in Moscowville, it’s night down in the desert. This is a woman’s odyssey, the story of Udjerlah, who turns herself upside down to save her life.

Udjerlah’s Song is illustrated with 64 paintings. I did not know it when I was in the frenzy of painting but later I learnt that 64 is the number of human states as described in the I-Ching, the ancient Chinese Book of Changes. There is no 65.

Udjerlah’s Song

Once upon a time there was a woman who lived in the Frozen North. Her life was icebound and she was trapped like an Arctic fox in a cage. Early on Easter morning, when the Christian whitefellas say their God rose from the dead, she had a powerful dream. She dreamt that if she went to the desert, she would find water – drip drop, drip drop, drop, drop, drop; under the shadow of a red rock, she would find a new source of life.

The woman had always trusted her brain and used it to make plans. Now she decided to try something new – to follow her heart and instincts, the signs and omens of  the road, and see where they led. She bought a ticket to the Other Side of the World. She would walk alone and accept whatever came her way. Whatever came her way would be what was meant to be…

The woman had no plans. She was not expecting anything in particular. But when by the big red rock called Luluru she saw a blackish fella, handsome with silver curls, she recognised him. Her brain said: “This is impossible. You have never seen him before in your life.” But her heart said: “No, you have known him for a million years.” His name was Muthabadah. She knew she could trust him to lead her down tracks where there might be serpents.

Her dream came true. In the heart of the desert, she found water. In a red canyon there was a black pool into which she plunged and swam as joyfully as in any ocean. Afterwards, it was very hot. The woman dressed in a long purple skirt to protect herself from the sun and went walking around Luluru. On the rock, she saw a perentie lizard.

Later, in the camp, she fell in love with Muthabadah. The last thing on earth she was expecting was to fall in love but it just happened in a twinkling. Her brain said: “Don’t be stupid. Only in fairy tales do people fall in love at first sight.” Her heart said: “Shut up, brain.” In an instant, the woman saw right through Muthabadah’s fattish body into his soul. She saw him as God made him. And she gave him the chance to see her in the same way.

She told herself: “What will be, will be. Whatever will be will be good and there is no other way that things can be.” This a true story for bedtime. And the woman’s name was Udjerlah.

To be continued