#16 The cast now. And what a bunch of characters they were! I mentioned Joy, our wonderful aboriginal cook who demanded I bury the snake I'd killed in two separate places, but before her the cook was a mad ex-merchant marine. He used to sing swing songs at the top of his lungs but he'd mix up the words, (and melodies,) from two different songs. He got baking powder confused with baking soda fairly often too and one day he decided he was leaving. I found him on the side of the highway with his suitcase by his side and his thumb up! Our assistant manager just arrived at the roadhouse one day in a clapped out Mk 2 Cortina. He'd been working for someone he didn't get on with up in Derby, (way north,) and one day he'd just 'gone for a drive'. We hired him in spite of his annoying habit. Every time you asked him to do something his reply would be, 'No drama piranha, little snake charmer!' Every time. Then there was Buck. A young 'grunt' from the NZ army he'd do anything for you with a cheerful, 'Roger that!' One day a road train full of sheep pulled in. All the sheep were covered with red, red dust. We had very little water out there, the dam was always empty, but when I handed him the site's only hose and told him we had the contract to wash the sheep he just smiled, took the hose, and said cheerfully, 'Roger that!' I had to stop him...
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