I did know about the water situation. And I was aware it was my job to keep on top of it. But I hated Chris pointing it out like that. Had the boys been awake and listening, I would have dressed him down, right and proper. He was a ‘plan man.’ Organized. Always wanting to know what’s next.

Well, that’s not how our fellas work.

‘There’s a good creek, just around the point,’ I said. I held my cup upside down, shook it a few times and looked over toward the coffee pot on the fire. He took the hint.

~

‘Which one of you boys has got my tin?’ I asked the group, as calmly as I could.

They were lined up. All their gear was packed and we were ready to move on. The sun was still low in the east, but we should have been on the move before now. I was holding everything up, looking for my dope. The plan had been to get up before the boys and do my morning ‘business,’ but my tin wasn’t where I’d left it, in the pocket of my pack. It wasn’t anywhere at all that I could see. I had even retraced my steps back to the last spot I’d had a chuff.

Not a fucking thing.

‘What tin, Ben?’ asked Chris, after the boys didn’t respond.

‘Just a yellow tin. I keep my medication in it. Come on, I know one of you boys has it. I won’t be mad if you give it back now.’

‘Righto, crew! Let’s all pitch in and look around the camp for Uncle Ben’s medication,’ ordered Chris.

The boys had a half-arsed look around the camp, kicking at the sand and leaves. I went through my pack again. The tin definitely wasn’t there. When I asked the boys to empty their packs too, they all did. Chris stood back, while I went through their gear.

‘I know one of you has it. It was in my bag last night and now it’s just magically disappeared?’

‘There is no medication listed on your registration form, Ben,’ said Chris, almost as a whisper. He was squinting down at his folder, flicking through the pages.

Jacob spoke up. ‘Maybe one of your spirits took it. Kutikina, was it? The one you went on about last night, who you reckoned was gunna get us if we played up.’

I caught his smirk. Smart-arse little fuck.

I knew, then, that he was the one who had my tin.

‘Righto, you mob. If that’s the way it’s going to be … Let’s go, then.’

~