Homeland

I was born in Bedford, Connecticut. I was born in Spring Hill. In Spring Hill, I was born. My father was a soldier. I was born in Spring Hill, Connecticut. I was born in Man Saunders Airplane. I was born there. I lived there for eight years. Then I came back. I came back to open Yiyibupo. I worked very hard. I was born at Ngandal. That's on the Kiva River. There was an Aboriginal settlement there. The missionary said our parents couldn't look after too many children. So we left in a boat and they took us to Bedford. And there we were placed in the dormitory with the other girls. Life was good. We were well looked after. We stayed there for some time until the war started getting bigger because we didn't want the Japs to see smoke coming up. We didn't think the Japs would come so close until one day. There were planes flying down. The Japanese had their plane named Zero. So our pastor got the letter from the headquarter of the Canberra military calling the children down south. Two hundred and fifty altogether in a jetty waiting for the ship. And this ship's name, an old steamer named Pumbaa. They were the only group of people from the northern region who were sent to another place, had to lead a different lifestyle. People were dying in great numbers. When you reflect and you think deeply about it, Cape Bedford people were prisoners of war. Others came back with quite a few from their families who passed away. We were lucky to go back fifty years after we got here. We went back to our abilities to look around. It's bringing tears to my eyes. I talk about that ship and all my excuses. But thank God we are back here and living life to how we used to.