Normalising Life

It became obvious, in the first week at work, that there had never been a controlled system in the office.  The paperwork was willy-nilly all over the office. Work became very confusing but my life after work became so entertaining and exciting.

I have met many characters over the years, a lady called Jean was the first. The company I had contracted with had also placed Jean in our office. Jean had a weather-worn face, she had the most to die for figure. But far from that she had 2 teeth in her head. An amazing site, as one of the  Police officers later used to describe her. 

Jean’s husband was a little short dumpy man who I thought had been in the community for years but as it turned out it was 2 weeks. The outrageous stories these two could tell about their “years” in this community were mind-boggling.

They were the cause of my first adventure as well.

PETROL SNIFFERS

It soon became very evident there was a big problem with the youth of the area with drugs, petrol sniffing and alcoholism. Because of unemployment, lack of education etc many of the young people became addicted to petrol sniffing. I had never come across this before.

Opal is a variety of low-aromatic 91 RON petrol developed in 2005 by BP Australia to combat the rising use of gasoline as an inhalant in remote Indigenous Communities. In an attempt to eliminate petrol sniffing from the community the elders made the rule only Opal fuel is to be used in cars and engines. In this instance, Jean’s husband had a petrol driven lawn mower and he insisted on using normal petrol. There was a shed provided to lock it away when not in use. Obviously that had not happened.

Sunday night I was in bed early and fast asleep by around 9 pm. I had spent the previous week cleaning. Suddenly I was woken by glass smashing.  Then the overpowering smell of petrol fumes drifted into my bedroom.  Without thinking I jumped out of bed and ran into my lounge room thinking the place was on fire. Standing in the room were 3 youths with tins held to their noses, sniffing petrol. I don’t know who got the biggest fright them or me. We all headed in 4 different directions at once. Later it was discovered the petrol sniffers of the town used my little house, when it was abandoned, as their hideout. These boys did not know I had moved in.

POLICE INVOLVEMENT

I ran around turning every light on I could find, then sat in my lounge room glued to the seat with my broom for protection.  After about 1 hour I decided I needed to get help. The first 2 houses I went to were still away for the weekend.  At last, I found the storekeepers home.

We sat and had a very strong sweet cup of tea to settle my nerves. As no one knew the police phone number we jumped into the shop car and drove to the police station. The problem was the officer on that weekend was a relieving officer from Darwin very young, very wary about being in a community, and had no idea what he was doing. He had been there for 1 week.  In the end, he told me he would get the ACPO to come and see the mess.

After reporting the incident, the shop manager and I returned to our car to head home. We looked at each other and simultaneously said “What the hell is an ACPO”. Shock finally took over and before we knew it we were crying with laughter and I must say the laughter kept up most of the night because none of us were going to get any sleep that night. Turns out later ACPO means Aboriginal Community Police Officer.   

He never did come to see me.