Page 87 of Perfect Three

Lucy woke first thenext morning.She lay recalling what had happened the previous night, unable to wipe the smile from her lips.Sebastian lay on his side, facing her, to her right.The bed clothes had fallen partly aside, and she lightly traced the scars on his chest.

He opened his eyes.“Morning, sweetheart,” he whispered.

“Hello,” she replied shyly.“I fell asleep.”

He grinned at her.“I noticed.”

“What are these?”

She ran a finger along some of the scars.

“Got them when I was sixteen.Long story.”

“Tell me.”She added, “Please.”

“My parents were living in Darwin.”He replied softly.“My mother’s people, theWarlpiri, live around the Tanami desert in the Northern Territory.During school holidays, I would stay with the mob, with my grandfather, and my aunts and uncles.My grandfather insisted I learn their language as well as the oral traditions.Because I was sixteen, I was a ‘clean-skin’, an uninitiated boy.I couldn’t participate in a lot of tribal activities as I held no totemic responsibilities.I felt like I was an outsider with my mother’s family even though they treated me as a son.

“Anyway, Grandfather brought it up.Talked about scarification and its meaning, so I wanted it done.At the same time, because I’d been circumcised as a baby, I accepted that I should have the septum in my nose pierced like all the other circumcised boys in the tribe.Once I accepted and it was done, I was formally given weapons and could see my first Dreaming ceremonies.”

“What’s that?”

“Our creation stories, cultural values, and social structures.Our Ancestral Spirits created life, the world and the Earth.The Dreaming,Jukurrpa, explains the workings of nature and peoples, the origin of the universe. Everything we need to live in harmony is handed down through Dreaming—our stories, our art, ceremonies, and songs.”

Lucy noticed a funny little grin on his face.

“I didn’t tell my parents what we’d planned.”

“You didn’t?Oh hell, were they angry?”

“It was the Christmas holidays when the ceremony was held.I stayed with Grandfather for the four weeks of the New Year and it was done on the first week.So by the time I came home, it was too late to do anything.It was a done deal.The scars had almost healed.Any earlier and they could have been cleaned out.They still would have scarred a little, but they wouldn’t be raised and noticeable like they are.They would have eventually faded out.My father had a fit, but my mother was proud of my decision.In the end, so was Dad.”

“Did it hurt?”

“Bloody hell yeah!”He snorted.“My grandfather used a sharp rock to cut my skin.After, he rubbed ash into the wounds with sticks to make a permanent raised scar.The sticks stay there as each cut healed.My nose was pierced at the same time.”He grinned at Lucy wickedly.“The scars and the nose are both supposed to make me more attractive as well.”

Lucy stifled a laugh, but as she ran her hands over the marks, she came to the realization theydidmake him more attractive.They were an integral part of Sebastian.They were who he was and without them, he would be a much different man.

“Are you happy you did it?”

“Yep.Like I said before, I love my heritage.I love my people.”

“So now you’re officially able to participate in stuff?”

“Yes.My grandfather told me he’d discovered through a Dreaming that my life was intended to help the tribe, and also all First Nations people.That’s another reason why I joined the Outreach group.I guess you may have noticed there are a few Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples staff in the night club and the restaurant.You said your son-in-law’s a police officer?”

“Yes, he’s here at Katoomba.”

“We have a lot of officers from the area that help with it, too.We try to work with the police.Try to get jobs, help out with housing.Somehow sort out problems with the police before they become major.Try to make sure none end up caught on drugs or in the alcohol hell.”

“I bet your grandfather would be very proud of you.”

“I think he was.He’s passed now, but he knew I took my responsibilities very seriously.I try and visit the mob, my relations, a few times a year.Jack loves it there.”

“How do they take your relationship?”

“Not good in the beginning, but they’ve slowly come around.Jack has a skin name now.They wanted him to pierce his nose and get scarred, but he politely declined.”

Lucy jumped as Jack spoke from behind her.

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