Life on the road means never knowing what comes next!
It’s been two years and a bit now, since the last post. I spent 4 weeks in England, catching up with old friends and family, drunk a lot of beer and reaquainted myself with the North East. Herietta would be arriving in Australia, it had been held up because of the devastating storm in New York but was ok and would be leaving soon. I was feeling I had unfinished business in OZ, so it was time to head back, I thought a summer in Perth would be just about right after two years on the road moving around. Get a job spend some time on Swanboure beach, something I hadn’t done for years. I was also looking forward to spending some time with old friends, and family. I arrived back early November 2012 in time for the Bridgetown Blues Festival which was one of my annual must do’s while resident there and also the home town of my Brother and his family.
The plane touched down and after about an hour I walked through the doors to be greeted by my old mate Craig, or cabbbie as he is affectionately known. “Hey what’s happening”? “Ah! same old same old” he say’s, his usual response. “Brent say’s there’s a room at his place, if you need some where to stay” “Fantastic! lets go”. It takes about 45 min to get to Scarborough from the airport, we walked in and there was Brent in his usual place on the couch, with the big Kiwi towel/flag draped over the back, Clyde the staffie was already leaping all over me, tail wagging waiting for his scratch, “Hey what’s happening” “Ahhh! the usual, you know, How you doing, wanna beer?” “Yeah!” “Pipe?” “Yeah!” “I’ll get on the phone and order some Pizza’s then?” “Yeah!” Just then Jay walks in, the other occupant of the house, “Hey how yer doing?” ” Fantastic!”” What you up to these day’s?” Supervising a bunch of cleaners for a cleaning firm” “Ahhhh! need any cleaners?” “When do you wanna start?” “I’m going down to Bridgetown in a couple of day’s, how about next Wednesdays?” “Ok, I’ll set it up” “Fantastic! All I need now is a car!” ” I’ve got a little Suzuki out the front I’m not using, I’ve got a company car, Wanna use that?” Yeah!” “Ok!”…. I am a lucky fella to have such good friends, I’d been back less that two hours, I had somewhere to stay, a job and a car to drive until Henrietta arrived, I was fed, a little stoned, I was back! ain’t life grand.
Perth is a great Place to be!… In the winter, which is really only June to September, people hibernate and things quiet down. In Summer, it comes alive, the beaches are some of the best in the world, the sun shines, the winter cloths are packed away till next year and the streets are full of walkers, runners, skater’s, surfers, biker’s, all scantily clad and lapping up the sun, sea and surf. I drove up the coast to the big house on the hill that I’d left a couple of years earlier, the missus had found a buyer and it was time to find out where we were at? All was good but It became very obvious that after thirty years of life together, I was no longer part of her life. I was EX! I’ve never really understood that term and still have difficulty using it, so what am I now? expired, extinct, excommunicated, excused, expelled, extinguished,? or am I extra special, extraordinary, exceptional? With a bloke on each arm, a smile as big as a new moon and a glass of chardonnay in each hand, the reality hit and the unfinished business was well and truly finished. After thirty years of cohabiting What I was mostly, I think, was exhausted!!
I got word from the States, Henrietta would be arriving in Brisbane in a couple of weeks. My son was on a 5 month trip in Asia surfing his heart out and was heading back soon. We arranged to meet in Brisbane. I hadn’t seen him in 2 years so was really looking forward to a trip down the East Coast. I hired a camper van, we spent a week on the road from Brisbane to Sydney, it rained all day every day but it didn’t matter. He got the odd surf in on the way and I got his company for a whole week. I dropped him at his mates place in Bondi, “see you in Perth son!” I headed back up the coast to Brisbane where Henrietta was waiting to be picked up stayed with my old mate Jim who goes back as far as our school day’s while I got all the paper work sorted. I was back on the Bike, Brisbane – Perth 4500 kls, I had 4 day’s to attend a wedding, wasn’t sure I would make it but I’ll give it a go, I was on the road in NSW, the road stretched as far as the eye could see off into the horizon, a beautiful day to be alive, ah! the open road, does it get any better, not another vehicle to be seen, wait a minute, a car coming the other way, someone to give a wave. As he got closer I saw the blue light, looked at the speedo, 120, I didn’t wave, just watched in the rear view as he turned around light flashing, he got out smiling, “120” he say’s, happy as a pig in shit,” you got to be kidding, who am I gonna hurt out here”? “you might hit a kangaroo” “in the middle of the day”? $450.I hope I made his day, he certainly spoilt mine. Prick!! I made it to the wedding.
It was April, cooling down a bit, it had been an interesting summer, I was feeling rejected, dejected, affected, suspected, infected, disconnected! I’d spent thirty years trying to be the man I was expected to be, without success, it was time to be the man I was. So! I closed that door and wondered what I might find on the other side of the next one. Costa Rica had really grabbed me while I was there, I decided to head back. The wet season in Bali was over, so a couple of weeks there, on to England to see my mother again, then on to Costa Rica. I booked the ticket to Bali.
I am….THE LONESOME TRAVELLER…. The Journey Continues….BE HAPPY!