Black Angels???Red Blood by Steven McCarthy Page A

Gilbert, who he thought played the part of the young man convincingly. He’d met him a couple of times and Gilbert was quite famous in the acting profession. They made the usual small talk interrupted occasionally by people who were leaving and passing on their best wishes for the remainder of the season.
    The old man decided to go back to Redfern.
    At around midnight the remaining people, now numbering around twenty and predominantly Koori, decided to head to the Paddington Night Club. Sylvia was going so Tim quickly joined the queue. They corroboreed and danced until the early hours of the morning. Tim had no problems telling Sylvia all the things he wanted to tell her once he got her alone. He finally asked if he could take her home.
    Tim bummed some pot off Charlie and he and Sylvia left together as inconspicuously as possible, catching a taxi to her home in Bondi. Sylvia asked Tim what his real thoughts on the play were.
    â€œWell, white fellas are never gonna get it right, are they?” he said. “White producer, white writer and a white director doing a black play. I think they’re gonna miss some of the finer points. Don’t you reckon?”
    â€œWe were worried about that, but Koories had a lot of input and we worked really hard to keep it together,” Sylvia responded defensively.
    â€œThe point I’ll make is that they won’t allow blackfellas to do a big budget play and have black people in crucial positions,” Tim said, “because they’re frightened of what might be said to a white audience.”
    â€œYou’ll have to come up with something better than that,” Sylvia chided.
    â€œThe leading lady was absolutely fantastic,” Tim said. “No, truly, it was a good show. Just a few things missing, that’s all.”
    â€œYou can tell me what those few things are in the morning,” Sylvia said as she embraced him and then told him to sleep on the lounge.
    When he woke Sylvia was sitting there watching him, waiting for him to wake up.
    â€œWhat are you smiling at?” Tim said through waking eyes.
    â€œOh nothing,” she said, still smiling.
    They ate breakfast with the full view of the ocean before them.
    â€œYou’re a nice man. What are you like at relationships?” Sylvia questioned with an intense gaze. “I’ve heard you’re a bit of a loner.”
    â€œMy relationships are few and far between.”
    A small silence and Tim continued. “I always thought that beautiful black women were out of my reach. My shyness took care of that, I guess, and the job that I have means I’m always on the road.”
    â€œWhat job is that?” Sylvia asked.
    â€œThe one that I never get paid for, the one that I’ve been studying for the last ten years.”
    â€œWe’ll pull it up right here,” Sylvia said. “You’re the bloke my uncle talks about occasionally. And I know exactly what sort of job. You’re not going to be talking like him in a few years, are you?” Sylvia felt that she may have pulled the wrong rein with Tim.
    Tim laughed. “We’re different men, generations apart. People don’t understand what he’s on about. They thinkhe’s crazy because of the way he talks. It’s a form of protection. People dismiss him out of hand as having no real power, when the opposite is the truth.” Then Tim added, “It lets him get close to those he’s gunnin’ for”
    Sylvia had an awful feeling in her gut and changed the subject. “Are you gonna move back to Sydney?”
    â€œIt’s really peaceful in the bush. I’d move back for work but I’d keep my place.” Tim looked into the distance.
    â€œThe best of both worlds, hey?”
    â€œWhat about yourself, ever considered making a home base in the country?”
    â€œSounds great, but naaaah, I’ve got too much work to be far away from it.”
    â€œI’d have