Bakkie

Lorrainne is the wife of my first ever boss. I have known her since I was three. Her people came from Bendigo. She remembers as a little girl visiting her Grandmother and how her great Grandfather – then at a very advanced age - was not allowed to smoke and money was withheld to enforce this ban.

But he would say to the five year old Lorraine “Let’s go get some baccie money” and would fossick in the creek until he had enough gold nuggets to buy a pouch.

Wresting alluvium from the very earth to swap for drugs.

In South Africa though a “bakkie” is a ute.

copyright © Chris Poole Translation