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Story by LindyP
Jim arrived in the community one day -his old truck towed in with a well travelled dog that had seen better days. Muttering to himself he proceeded to set up camp, nervously busying himself with the task , a process which had obviously been repeated many times before.
He was a short , wiry older man with a weathered expression and dark skin. His ready but guarded smile became popular quickly in our camp and he could be seen out and about ,always ready to give a helping hand.
He found people warmed to him and his ways, and his old dog. They started giving him stuff —old bits of board and old tarps. He got to work , diligently putting them together to extend his living arrangements into some semblance of habitation.
One day someone gave him a white plastic wedding marquee with pretty cut-out windows; this fitted neatly around his structure, making it more pleasing to the passing eye.
There was something quite final about this elegant finish to his humble home. Perhaps , I thought , it gave him comfort , or stability , or whatever this hardened traveller was searching for.
Unfortunately after a couple of months the flimsy covering was damaged and torn apart by our gusty Perth winds, and had to be removed.
He lived amongst us for 2 years , a recovering alcoholic, with his problems of emotional and mental abuse and petty crime .
One day he was told to leave -an unfortunate incident happened which ended his tenancy. His old dog had reacted one day when Jim was out and had bitten someone who inadvertently had walked into itβs territory .
He had a choice -get rid of the dog or move out.
Without objection Jim dismantled his home in 2 hours .
I watched and waved as he was being towed away in his truck to his next home. As he passed I glanced at the trailer full of his precious belongings , and saw the neatly folded remains of a battered and torn wedding tent.
Lindy, a very sensitive and compassionate observation of the situation. Yes, the account has saddened me. Excellently presented.
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I loved reading this story, LindyP.
I see too in NSW the Tenants Union is starting a project to try to convert the bond money people pay to as close to 100% contribution to advocacy services as possible and calling it ‘More Bang For Your Bond’, which made me laugh too as it has always offended me as a term delivered by frequently figures of authority albeit of dubious intentions, no insult intended those who use it and that’s likely creatively. π
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Good story Lindy. We used to camp a lot, forever putting up tarps and cutting firewood. The kids loved it. The site was just visited by a few and only accessible by a ten km dirt road. Many a Coolabah cask was consumed with friends and family. It had a protruding rock plateau with ample oysters at low tide. We took some lemons and consumed them on the spot.
Thanks for the memory Lindy.
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Thank you for your memory too Gerard -I remember those casks well-
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Redhead special Gez?
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Well written Lindy. Good to see you back at the pub. Are you a permanent camper?
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Thanks Viv -yes -quite permanent, although my next stop will be my last – hopefully.
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I’m about to become a grey nomad Lindy so I can relate to this story.
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Can feel some tunes coming on “When Hung comes to Town” and “Gypsy’s tramps and thieves” oh yes, coming to a town near you.
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Will you lay your money down Hung? π
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Know when to hold ’em, oh the list goes on…
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…camped by a billabong
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I envy you Hung-keep in touch with the pub as you go-
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I will still need to work sometimes Lindy but yes I thought that I might write a story or two about my adventures.
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