That Devil Girl from mars!

"Simon said she really exists"

Children have a habit of conducting cryptic conversations and this afternoon was no exception. On this occasion my dialogue was even more puzzling than normal.

"Who?"

"The black lady from Mars"

She sought to provide the reassurance that I was hoping Simon would have provided and tried to dispel my fear.

"She’s only a television character" she smiled. "People like that don’t really exist".

Normally a reassuring hug from my mother was enough to assuage my fears but on this particular occasion even my mother could sense that real fear now resided within me. She assured me she would have ‘words’ with Simon. However the damage had been done, a new terror was born Over the next few years I would water this fertile fear and it grew like a noxious weed, dangerously and frighteningly out of control.

My fear was nurtured of course by Simon and also by my younger brother, Tim. Realising the easiest way to frighten me was to just mention that ‘The Black Lady from Mars’ was coming to get me was enough to provoke a reaction of near hysteria.

‘The black lady from Mars is coming to get you’ they would shout in unison.

‘Yeah and she’s going to take you away in her flying saucer and you’ll never see Mummy and Daddy again’ Tim added.

Despite being barely out of infancy, Tim’s comments were potent enough to cause yet another bout of panic. The end result saw me running to my mother in tears. Both brothers would miraculously then disappear when she tried to administer justice.

My obsession with the ‘Black Lady from Mars’ turned into a crisis. I could no longer go outside unaccompanied in the night. I began to have frequent nightmares and would wake up screaming frantically. Such was the concern of my parents that they agreed that I should now sleep in the same bed as my mother so that she could provide protection from the night.

Looking back I suppose we had the added disadvantage of living in a remote Australian country town. The absence of people and the vast abundance of space, particularly at night was enough to encourage my fears. ‘The Black Lady from Mars’ now took on a persona of her own. She was omnipresent. Any journey into the night risked an encounter with her. I convinced myself that it was only a matter of time before she would seek me out and take me back to Mars.

My parents thought, as I grew older the shadow of ‘The Black Lady from Mars’ would fade into the background. However that glorious spring afternoon had exposed a fragility that would remain with me forever.

One night, a teacher at my father’s school brought his telescope around. The night was pristine. Mr Bruce set up his telescope and then one by one my brothers and I peered upwards towards the heavens. The night sky was euphoric with a cavalcade of glistening stars. I remember the majestic sight of Jupiter, its red spot ominously visible. I also recall observing the red planet, Mars. It was a beautiful yet disturbing sight. That is where the bogeywoman resided and wanted to take me; I recoiled with terror.