Once lived an Aboriginal man who was a Paralympics athlete. This young man, Karl Peter, was an amazing runner, even though he was an amputee since birth. He was full of determination and was mentored by his father and coach Chris Nunn. It was not long before he became the fastest parathlete in Western Australia; in a few years, he won many awards.
This proud Noongar man had so many dreams and achievements from his competitive days and from those he grew up to move on with life. Karl Peter had a wife and a daughter whom he loved dearly. He was not only good at many things but was also a good role model for his family. His community found in him a trustworthy and caring person.
Karl Peter had loving connections with kookaburras ever since he was little. He absolutely adored them, from their blue strips of feathers to their loud and happy voices. There was something about kookaburras that Karl Peter loved so much to the point that he imagined himself being one.
He would talk about this bird to his wife and daughter with childlike exuberance. Together, they would usually go for bushland rides by car or even bushwalks along the thick layers of bushland along the Bibbulow Track and Jarrahdale in the south west part of Western Australia, a region that that they admired and cherished so much.
As years passed and Karl Peter grew older, he became very sick. He would not worry too much about what was going on with his health. His young daughter and wife advised him to go to the doctor’s but he would just brush it off, saying that he was fine. But his wife grew more and more worried about him and his health.
The day he picked up his daughter from primary school early, he was meant to go to the doctor’s appointment but he didn’t. Later on that day, he took his wife and daughter to the local beach for a walk while the sun was setting. His daughter collected seashells and as the day ended, they had dinner and relaxed.
Then, the next two hours that followed were pure tragedy! Karl Peter had a heart attack at home and help was delayed because of a bad telephone service connection. When the paramedics finally arrived, Karl Peter was rushed to the hospital. However, nine days after the incident, his life support had to be turned off. His wife and daughter were devastated and so heartbroken after Karl Peter had died.
A few weeks later, the daughter and mother went for a barbecue down at Serpentine Dam which is a very peaceful setting with bushland. This was their father’s and husband’s favourite spot! While they were there, a kookaburra flew down and picked up a sausage from the barbecue and then sat on a nearby shady gum tree.
The mother and daughter were shocked first, then, they had a thought in their minds that the father’s totem was the kookaburra. This was Karl Peter! They looked once again and both started crying with much emotion at the thought that they knew Karl Peter was there.
He would always be with them in their spirit to watch over them and comfort them and with these thoughts, they felt safe. Now every time they see his totem, their hearts and spirits are warmed and nourished by their devoted husband’s and father’s presence.
-Based on a true story-
