tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11045064061388135342024-03-15T05:49:26.411+11:00Terry L ProbertTerry L Probert is a novelist and shortstory writer. His debut novel KUNDELA earned a commendation in the 2013 FAW Christina Stead Award.
Currently looking for an agent/publisher to bring any of his novels to print, Terry is a member of the Fellowship of Australian Writers, Writers Victoria and SA Writers. Terry is active in his local literary community. His Short Story Banib the Bunyip placed second in the City of Melton Short Story Competition 2013.Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.comBlogger220125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-44421335639956205192022-09-09T15:35:00.000+10:002022-09-09T15:35:07.999+10:00My FSH Journey<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8MTGSnYW6h40tlG8KNHkFqd6R_HJdxZ9ASXvQAYSPP8IGw7P9LQttWY6scFDnNpMgAmiPIMbSu8ft32FKHf9PTcH3F3o2dgPaklvwy4RTTAecjadp5J691EV4Dm1Q6UVwQfpnMMpJ36gWFJi2a2By5l3a7fkq2QyOWnpiESg021Z7vlOLX-I6xrDv/s462/Thre%20generations%20Darwin%2017-10-16%20(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8MTGSnYW6h40tlG8KNHkFqd6R_HJdxZ9ASXvQAYSPP8IGw7P9LQttWY6scFDnNpMgAmiPIMbSu8ft32FKHf9PTcH3F3o2dgPaklvwy4RTTAecjadp5J691EV4Dm1Q6UVwQfpnMMpJ36gWFJi2a2By5l3a7fkq2QyOWnpiESg021Z7vlOLX-I6xrDv/s320/Thre%20generations%20Darwin%2017-10-16%20(2).jpg" width="249" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Born in the middle of last century my life was one big
adventure rolling endlessly from morning into night. A bag of skin and sinew, always a
bit slower, a little weaker and believing my peers considered me less
intelligent, made me determined to succeed.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">There would be no question as to my career path, I
wanted to join the family motor business and become a racing driver. Well, a
boy could dream. My heroes were men like, Lex Davidson, Jack Brabham, or NASA astronauts.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Never questioning my strength, I found it hard to
understand why everyone around me could run further, swim faster and whose
hand/eye coordination seemed like it was God given. In essence I considered
myself a dork and, if I wanted to get to the Grand Prix circuits in Europe had
better be a bloody good mechanic.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Back then, I never understood about the effect girls
would play in my post-pubescence. One kiss from a blonde bombshell at a netball
game on a steamy, starlit, summer’s night knocked my boyhood ambitions for six.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The girl, now long gone, woke me to a different set of
priorities and for the next thirty-five years I won and lost at business, never
having enough time to question my health, or why my stamina failed me when
others worked on.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">My business world was crumbling during the recession
we had to have and, I felt as if I had been building sandcastles before an
incoming tide. I couldn’t make anything last. However, determination and
perspiration are strong allies and our family business held ground until a
buyer could be found.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Moving to Melbourne, I worked in a number of sales
positions, which took me across Australia and overseas. In my sixties and
considered a fossil by HR folk, I took a job as a parts picker at AGCO, a
company selling Massey Ferguson tractors. Considering myself unfit, I didn’t
take a lot of notice of the aches and pains, but my right shoulder began
drooping even more and occasional numbness travelling to my fingers worried me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHXbwdH8DbEYIa8dIUDQcP06BV7sZ3NfVKouZDET0JBdytCrOVf4Lg1iyT8wwJPspOjjIskPzKkHvU6RchdlWoKt8hYQiavKAQMzwR03Hrf9SVO8zNk4JMTTP5vQURJLNvkwXyCbUNAjM8Y2QqzjQx4K1v0H7YR8qICxuGOTUtQqJmoEfQJXdURC-/s4032/20180706_104807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHXbwdH8DbEYIa8dIUDQcP06BV7sZ3NfVKouZDET0JBdytCrOVf4Lg1iyT8wwJPspOjjIskPzKkHvU6RchdlWoKt8hYQiavKAQMzwR03Hrf9SVO8zNk4JMTTP5vQURJLNvkwXyCbUNAjM8Y2QqzjQx4K1v0H7YR8qICxuGOTUtQqJmoEfQJXdURC-/w240-h320/20180706_104807.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">So began a never-ending roster of specialists who,
while they thought they could relieve my pain, never offered confidence enough
to let them operate. A referral to rheumatologist Dr. Wendy Stevens led to a biopsy
and an overnight stay for wine and bickies in St Vincent’s. Luckily, before going
to surgery, she thought a second opinion might offer a more accurate diagnosis.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Introducing herself as Dr. Katrina Reardon bustled in.
‘Now look straight ahead and purse your lips,’ she said. ‘Hmm, now whistle?’ <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Doing my best to imitate a botoxed catfish, a breathless
wheeze escaping my pucker.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘As I thought,’ she said, while casting a knowing eye
over my <i>Mr. Men</i> like physique, ‘you can’t pucker your lips.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘I’ve had no complaints to date,’ I replied.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">My smartarsed comment withered, dying the death it
deserved, Katrina asked me to remove my shirt and as I responded to her diagnosis
commands, she checked my drooping right shoulder and soft froglike midriff.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Dr. Reardon had been with me only a matter of minutes
before offering her suspected diagnosis, FSHD. Recommending the biopsy be sent
for genetic testing to confirm her verdict, Katrina explained how my life could
change over the next few years and my need to give up working as a furniture
delivery man.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">At home my wife Ruth and I began sorting out the
ramifications of this change to our lives. ‘What are you going to do?’ she
asked.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Might write a book,’ I said<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘But you don’t read,’ she laughed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">She was right. I didn’t read novels, but being in
sales I could tell stories, I just needed to make a yarn last.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmMqpwQF_xRlqTTUYcGmbnPKDTTB1qQUbKT6MCDE9YqOATHMTlMEkP5TZmhr-OV8s8NzCOnNgH2KAI5AQbs3aw6fJ66-GOWKYSlPM-VZ8rjxdhrkbf8X83enP8fxnqreBJmcpHXwQjkmnY_RFWMEJyTGMaP-pIyCp2Ar69YoShB8ZU3haErjDNr8wy/s2419/e-book%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2419" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmMqpwQF_xRlqTTUYcGmbnPKDTTB1qQUbKT6MCDE9YqOATHMTlMEkP5TZmhr-OV8s8NzCOnNgH2KAI5AQbs3aw6fJ66-GOWKYSlPM-VZ8rjxdhrkbf8X83enP8fxnqreBJmcpHXwQjkmnY_RFWMEJyTGMaP-pIyCp2Ar69YoShB8ZU3haErjDNr8wy/w265-h400/e-book%20cover.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Fast forward two years and we were sitting among
writers from across Australia at the 2103 National Literary Awards where my
debut novel KUNDELA received a Commended. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left; text-indent: 1cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Since that night Voss, The Price of Innocence and
Gillespie’s Gold have also been published. With a growing list of novels, biographies
and self-help stories gathering dust on my hard drive while I search for a
publisher, I continue to write and learn my craft.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Who would have thought this no longer skinny kid from
Orroroo in South Australia, could find his books in many libraries around the
country? Not me.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left; text-indent: 1cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Terry<br /><br /></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></p>Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-81786846495332977012021-12-12T12:25:00.002+11:002021-12-12T12:25:24.735+11:00Just a boy from Burraboi<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p> </p><p align="center" class="MsoHeader" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Just a boy from Burraboi</span></span></p><p></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Not a lot of money for luxuries</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Yet ample time to spend,</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Lost in routine, a farmer’s daily grind</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Praying the drought would end,</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Dreaming an outback boy’s day away</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Escaping the loneliness of Burraboi</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Running from the Wakool line</span></i></div><p></p><p class="MsoHeader" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div></i><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoHeader" style="text-align: center;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p></p>Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-28292790367040181792021-06-25T17:24:00.001+10:002022-09-13T19:47:22.247+10:00Orroroo Sunset<p><span color="var(--primary-text)" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>I reworked a poem I wrote on Tim Frolling's Facebook page after he posted a photo of a sunset, please leave a comment as <br />I would be very interested to know what you think.</i></span></p><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">You posted the picture of a sunset</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7HRBD9W4oLM/YNWEQjMfq4I/AAAAAAAAA5E/8Az__8MNjnMgqdf8ZvAGgnmvTEh39y3TQCLcBGAsYHQ/s899/Danny%2B%2526%2BLisa%2Bon%2Bwall.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="684" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7HRBD9W4oLM/YNWEQjMfq4I/AAAAAAAAA5E/8Az__8MNjnMgqdf8ZvAGgnmvTEh39y3TQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Danny%2B%2526%2BLisa%2Bon%2Bwall.jpg" /></a></div>And it took me straight back home</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Clouds red and hanging lazy over Morchard’s rolling Hills</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">To a place where time was always friendly</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">And innocence made us free</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">When life had more questions</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">To who or what we wanted to be</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">When we didn’t care about our answers</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">For in that blood red sunset</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">We had faith its mystery would unfold</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Running close to new days of our future </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Were not of big concern to me</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Then depending on the season</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">For less than just one hour</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Our backs on warm and fresh cut lawn</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Gazing skyward in the purple of the twilight</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">We would wait for twinkling stars</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Sneaking skyward over Black Rock Peak </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Fat and golden our full moon would spread its glow</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Laying still scanning that wide familiar cosmos</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">For the joy that jolted through you</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">When you witnessed Sputnik make its rounds</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Back when yellow of the street lights struggled</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">To feebly penetrate the dark</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Our eyes adjusted, and ears sharpened to the silence </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">As the Milky way lit up our night</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">In all those wonderous minutes of our innocence</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">We couldn’t feel it slowly slipping by</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Times hands have washed the muscles from my frame</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Even though the wrinkles on my face</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Declare the time I’ve won</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Inside I feel just as I did in nineteen sixty-one</div></div><p><span color="var(--primary-text)" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">So, Tim, thank you for the photo</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">And taking me back home</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">For showing me the shadows of those wonderous hills</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Where as a boy with bicycle and rabbit traps</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Around them I would roam</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">With cousins Doug and Geoff and John,</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Our mates Placey, Paul and, Spider too</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Oh, as lads we had a time, I tell you</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">A time when freedom knew us well </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">As in that short bright flash of youth</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">We lived as kings, in good old Orroroo</div></div><p><span color="var(--primary-text)" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="stjgntxs ni8dbmo4 l82x9zwi uo3d90p7 h905i5nu monazrh9" data-visualcompletion="ignore-dynamic" style="border-radius: 0px 0px 8px 8px; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="tvfksri0 ozuftl9m" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 12px; margin-right: 12px;"><div class="rq0escxv l9j0dhe7 du4w35lb j83agx80 pfnyh3mw i1fnvgqd gs1a9yip owycx6da btwxx1t3 ph5uu5jm b3onmgus e5nlhep0 ecm0bbzt nkwizq5d roh60bw9 mysgfdmx hddg9phg" style="align-items: stretch; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-flow: row nowrap; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; justify-content: space-between; margin: -6px -2px; padding: 4px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><div class="rq0escxv l9j0dhe7 du4w35lb j83agx80 cbu4d94t g5gj957u d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz rj1gh0hx buofh1pr n8tt0mok hyh9befq iuny7tx3 ipjc6fyt" style="box-sizing: border-box; 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min-width: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v lrazzd5p m9osqain" color="var(--secondary-text)" dir="auto" style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;">Comment</span></div></div><div class="n00je7tq arfg74bv qs9ysxi8 k77z8yql i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 b5wmifdl hzruof5a pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 c5ndavph art1omkt ot9fgl3s" data-visualcompletion="ignore" style="border-radius: 4px; font-family: inherit; inset: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: opacity; transition-timing-function: var(--fds-animation-fade-out);"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="cwj9ozl2 tvmbv18p" style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 4px;"></div></div></div></div>Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-38064684322566600122021-06-18T17:11:00.003+10:002021-06-18T17:11:37.054+10:00Sally<p><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i8yQgfFt8js/YMxGlUSWZ_I/AAAAAAAAA4Y/pPtYP_KQFp8SQnFBHavGA1XYMS1uxZd3QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1728/2014-09-22_11-37-34_695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1728" data-original-width="976" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i8yQgfFt8js/YMxGlUSWZ_I/AAAAAAAAA4Y/pPtYP_KQFp8SQnFBHavGA1XYMS1uxZd3QCLcBGAsYHQ/w226-h400/2014-09-22_11-37-34_695.jpg" width="226" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rollin down an old dirt road</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Dust hanging onto the back of the truck</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Radio beating out an old country song<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">An angel singing beside me, bringing me luck<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Slappin her hands in time on the dash of my car<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Singin on pitch, knows every word<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Seems to me, there’s not a song Sally hasn’t heard<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Give her an old church hall or a public bar<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">She's got a head full of dreams and songs to play<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Doing her dues and making it pay<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Someday soon she’ll be on her way<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">A crowded bar, or empty barn<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">All she needs is a place for her to sing<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">So, turn up that amp, girl -- and make it ring<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Six new strings on an old guitar<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Scuffed Williams boots and tight blue jeans<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Tapping feet and swaying hips<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Eyes of fire, hold a wild girl’s dreams<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Killer smile on forbidden lips<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Stuff another greenback in her old tip-jar<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Help like yours will take her far<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">I remember Sally slappin her hands<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">On the dash of my car<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">A head full of dreams and songs to play<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Thinking someday soon she’ll be on her way<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Doing her dues and making it pay<o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">No longer playing old church halls or a public bars<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">It’s Opera house and Stadiums<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">No longer dreamin of fortune and fame<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">My little girl’s a superstar</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Now this old world knows her name<br /></span></p>Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-78860792316754323192021-06-17T16:14:00.004+10:002021-06-17T16:14:54.295+10:00A Conception Conspiracy<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6K9Q0U7pQQs/YMrnelIapJI/AAAAAAAAA34/IbZFpFMgj8c33-Hqs6yXndwTpP38dVEywCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/2012-04-30%2B11.21.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6K9Q0U7pQQs/YMrnelIapJI/AAAAAAAAA34/IbZFpFMgj8c33-Hqs6yXndwTpP38dVEywCLcBGAsYHQ/w320-h240/2012-04-30%2B11.21.39.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Way back in September 1948</span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">Time was pressing it couldn’t wait<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">And our mothers, the sisters three<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">Hatched a plan, or so it seems to me<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">Something my cousins and me<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">Called the conception conspiracy<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;">If such a plan had been discussed</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The birthday dates preferred were June<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And with many factors to consider,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Husbands to coerce would be a cinch<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A kiss, a cuddle, a loving pinch<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A little human to create<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Doubled over and throwing up<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Each sister thought with banging head<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">She should have bought a pup instead<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Encouraged by Grandma saying something great<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Like, “It’s your first, I had ten.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">No sympathy from our Nan, she’d say, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Now, out of bed and start again.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And as June 1949 came around<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Through the moaning and contraction slug<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Auntie Aileen gave birth to Doug<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I was next with Edna pushing hard<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My father banished to the yard.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Last was Beth bringing cousin Geoff to life<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But there we were cousins three<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Doug and Geoff and little me<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">June’s babies born eighteen days apart<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A bond soon formed and as we grew<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Through our scrapes our fights and fun<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Some battles lost some battles won<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Now sitting here soon seventy-two<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I think about our shared history<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Our mothers, fathers and siblings too<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Of Nannie Symes, those sisters three<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">and I am convinced, there had to be<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A planned conception conspiracy<o:p></o:p></span></p>Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-66135032225252012212021-06-16T13:22:00.000+10:002021-06-16T13:22:42.689+10:00 DAVE THE SLAVE<p><br /></p><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Dave, everyone thought him slow</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">And, because at school his grades were low</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Teachers gave him extra work</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">But when it came to jobs outside of school</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Dave bent his back and sweated hard</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Doing the crap no one wanted to</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Became a target for the high school jerk</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">But Dave was a thinker, strong and kind</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Taking all those rotten jobs, he never had a care.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">At fifteen Dave left school, failed without a pass</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">But Dave had a plan to outdo his peers</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">All those jobs others just would not do</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">For a price he’d clean a drain, or pick-up shit</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Some old red paint, and flattened tin, he made a sign</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">That read:</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">‘Dirty, smelly jobs, not for you?’</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Give Dave a call and I’ll make them mine’</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">And below number painted in bright red,</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Free to call of course, is what it said.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">At first the townsfolk thought him a joke</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Called him Dave the Slave</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">When his name they used</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">But that was always part of young Dave’s plan</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Cleaning gutters, raking leaves, </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">There wasn’t a thing he wouldn't do.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Gave the pubs a miss when his day was done</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">No-one he had to sit and yarn</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">With this drop-out kid from a busted home, on the edge of town</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">After counting his cash by lantern light</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Dave stashed it down tight in an old milk can</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">And while the town was having fun</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">It was Dave the Slave who counted his cash</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">HIs twenty first, no <span style="font-family: inherit;">birthday bash </span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For Dave</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">’d be cleaning the toilets at the local hall</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">No invitations ever came his way</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">For weddings, church outings, birthday parties, or such</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">So, unseen but watching Dave cleaned it all</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">A life’s ambition had been to save</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">And now a master stroke he played</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">That horrid name, no longer was a joke</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Our man Dave now changed his brand.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">And Dave the Slave, he franchised out</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">His company’s growth it didn’t stop.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">He bought pavilions, generators and polished floors</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Now rented out to those who'd teased</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">He took their cash and walked away</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">He bought a block on the side of town</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Built a strip of shops and factories too</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Fast Food joints along the highway faced</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">And soon the shopping strip was full</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">A Hardware chain called and asked him </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">To build</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">A warehouse large for them to fill</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Dave’s wealth and influence continued to grow</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">No more the small town laughing stock</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Dave bought the farm one of his bullies lost to the bank</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Only contempt he had for Dave</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">With little left that the family owned strapped to their truck</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">In desperation, the bully’s wife gave Dave a call</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">So with fading light and choking tears</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Between them both they worked out a plan</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">She'd keep the house where she’d raised their kids</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Her husband still would work his family land</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">New machinery from Dave now filled the sheds</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The bully, his attitude had changed</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">And the sense of privilege that he once knew</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Had disappeared like morning rain</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">They struggled hard his wife and him</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Until they saved enough to buy</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">That same land his forebears had worked for years</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">His lesson learned; his pompous nature gone</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">A better man now like a chrysalis emerged</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">No longer propping up the bar when there was seeding to be done</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The farm a show piece for all to see</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">He’d tell his admiring friends when they came to stay</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">None of this is because of me</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">It was Dave the Slave, who set me free.</div></div>Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-20409183665699112222021-06-14T18:06:00.002+10:002021-06-15T11:48:58.451+10:00Was the Imperial Hotel Really Fire Bombed in 1969?<p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;"><o:p><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"> Gillespie's Gold: Chapter Forty-Nine </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">Sam went with her father to shift the pivot irrigator. She knew it
was a ploy to talk about mining and something she would rather do than grocery shopping
with her mother. There was something about being on the farm that eased her mind,
the rattle of tools on the tray of his four-wheel-drive was comforting and the
incessant barking of the farm dogs riding in the back reminded her she was
home.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘I’ve been thinking about the Gillespie place,’ her father pointed
for her to open the gate.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Yeah?’ Sam climbed out and waited until he drove through. There was
no stock in the paddock so she left the gate open and ran back to the vehicle.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘I remembered something an old scratcher told me back in the
seventies, reckoned he’d been done out of a claim, years before. He bragged
about a reef that would make Lasseter envious.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Scratcher?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Something my dad called people who scratched a living out of
prospecting.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Where was this claim? And who was he?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘I just knew him as Mad Charlie,’ he eased the irrigator over the
pivot point, ‘here, jump out and pull the drawbar pin, eh,’ he rocked the
vehicle back and forward until he felt the pin loosen, ‘then it would be a big
help if you could give me a hand to set up.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">As they worked, Sam’s father told her the scratcher had worked a claim
at Waukaringa in the early days and asked Les Gillespie to back him. For years
they combined to make the claim work and, like everyone else around there, they
sent their ore to the battery in Peterborough. Rumour had it there’d been a
card game at the Imperial Hotel the night it burnt down. Les Gillespie and Mad
Charlie were the last players standing and the stakes were high.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Everything had been fine between Gillespie and the scratcher
until the night of the pub fire in Orroroo. It was around September ‘69 and the
licensee often promoted a card game to boost his takings. However, that night
was a big one, a poker championship, something he wanted to become an annual
event.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘I can’t see how that would have been legal,’ Sam said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘It wasn’t, and his idea was scotched by the local copper and most
of the town’s wowsers, but he got around this by putting up stake money for the
people who objected.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Yeah,’ Sam knew her dad loved a story, but the mix of truth and
fiction in his yarns could always be called into question.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Two hundred dollars was a lot of money to most in the district,
but Bert saw it as an investment that would pay dividends after the tournament.
Five percent from each winning pot meant his plan couldn’t fail and commercial
travellers who were regulars at the hotel would soon spread the word.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘So how did it work?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Bert capped the number of players at sixty and on the designated evening,
thirty serious and twenty-six novice gamblers registered for the championship.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘That many?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Yep, professional players deposited ten thousand dollar stakes,
amateurs gamblers put up two thousand. Mug punters, for whom he had a waiting
list, thrust their two hundred dollars at him.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘You’re making it up,’ Sam said, ‘that would never happen in a
place like Orroroo.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘You can scoff young lady, but I’m told at the gala dinner that
night a red pyramid of notes built on the table as each gambler pressed forward
to register their stake and before the soup arrived two hundred and ninety thousand
lay before them. Bert and his wife stood behind the cash and as a photo was
taken to record the occasion, Bert held up another ten grand.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘A photo, really?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Yes,’ Clive sounded indignant, ‘I even had one somewhere.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Bet you can’t find it now,’ it felt good to laugh.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘It’s in the wardrobe at the back of the motor-shed, I think.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘That’s lost then,’ they both laughed this time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Anyway, he puts the ten thousand on the pyramid, declaring this
the richest poker tournament in the State’s history. After dessert, he puffed
himself to full height and rapped on his glass. When he had the attention of the
diners, he told them the games would begin at nine o’clock and asked the players
to open the envelopes in front of them. He waited and they fidgeted. Each
envelope held a card, a red number to tell them their table and the blue, their
seating position. He wished them luck and said the match steward would call
them at eight forty-five pm and the doors would close at nine until the first
refreshment break at midnight.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘It’s a good story Dad.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">He passed her a couple of spanners and pointed at the toolbox. ‘The
mug punters took to their rooms where some tried to sleep while others flexed
their fingers with a card deck and at eight fifty-five, the dinner gong sounded,
and players were called to take their place at the tables.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘And they had to stop at midnight?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Yes,’ he rocked on a tyre and watched a wave of movement ripple
along the irrigator’s length, ‘anyway, when tournament master called time, the
gamblers returned to their rooms and the mug punters who’d lost went home to
explain the unexplainable. Others sat outside in their cars and cried like
babies. Only the winners were happy and twelve hours later those left in the
tournament gathered again in the dining room, a scene more sombre than the
night before.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘How did anyone go to the loo?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘They didn’t, anyway it went on just like the night before until time
was called. By then the room stank of cigarettes and the sweat of desperate men
and the remaining players adjourned to their rooms for a shower and a change of
clothes.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Dad, forty hours is a long time and even with scheduled breaks,
how did the players rest?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘It is a long time but think, everyone would be going over the
other players’ faces in their mind, trying to remember flinches, smiles,
searching for anything that might indicate their next play.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘But what has this to do with the Gillespies?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘If you have some patience, I’ll tell you,’ he turned the key and
started off again, ‘Mad Charlie didn’t like his last hand and called for a new deck.
On the table, over two hundred and seventy thousand dollars in cash and bonds
sat before them. Only four hours earlier he’d won the deed to the John Billings’
farm. John sat in the corner drained, he couldn’t go home. He had no home,’ he
waved his hands to emphasise the tragedy of it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">'Really?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Yeah, Bill Simpson had folded a broken man and the title to his
engineering shop added to the pot. Together these two upstanding citizens owned
only the clothes they stood in. Only Charlie, Les Gillespie, two other players
and the dealer remained. There was still a lot to play for.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘I’ll bet there was.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">In the swing of the story, her father pressed on, ‘Charlie
reckoned he had a better gold find than the legendary Lasseter’s Reef and pulled
a map out of his jacket and put it into the pot. Les Gillespie called and
raised with the deed to his own property and the two other players at the table
folded and left. Everything to play for was now between the scratcher and the
squatter.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘So is that what I am Dad, a scratcher?’ <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">He didn’t answer and pressed on with his story, ‘having matched
and raised Charlie’s bid, Les then drew three gold bars from his jacket pocket.
The scratcher folded. He couldn’t call or raise. He was out of options and Les
had beat him.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘And that’s it?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Not quite, but yeah. Mad Charlie demanded to see the cards, but Les
just laughed. I’d heard he was mean bastard, but mean enough to laugh when he turned
over his hand, that’s a whole new level of low. The bugger had nothing and he’d
bluffed Charlie out of everything.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘What do you mean?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Charlie had the better hand, but Les had more to bet. His only gamble
was that Charlie had less to play with and it worked. Les Gillespie got
everything and it pissed Charlie off.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘I’d be pissed too.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘That’s how it works with poker, so be careful who you play with.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘So, the guts of the story is, Charlie hated Les because he
believed a Gillespie cheated him out of his,’ she used her fingers to make speech
marks, ‘better than Lasseter’s reef and their farm too.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Yep and that’s why I never play cards.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">Sam loved her father’s yarns but she dismissed it as a myth, something
drillers in bush camps tell each other to pass time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Bigger find than Lasseter’s, yeah?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘So, the scratcher said.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Which we can’t prove because neither has been found.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Yep.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘So, the Gillespies have Mad Charlie’s mine, if the map to its
whereabouts didn’t go up in the pub fire, and you believe that?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Nope,’ he tightened the last clamp and straightened up and put
his hands in the small of his back and stretched, ‘the only bit I believe is
that the pub burnt down.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘So, you just told me a whopper to cheer me up?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘You used to like my stories,’ he feigned hurt.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Of course I love your stories, but what I want to know is why
Charles is so dammed positive the Gillespie land has gold on it.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘I dunno love. Your former boss and Mad Charlie could be related,
still carrying the grudge. Charlie told anyone who’d listen that Les had blown
the entrance of his mine to stop people raiding it. He maintained there was an
underground rift, or fissure, millions of years old running east west, on a
line from Burra to Roxby, somewhere between the Walloway Hills South of Eurelia
and as far to the north-west as Lake Torrens. If the reef does exist and is on
Gillespie land, then it’s probably on that line.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘There’s not much evidence on the surveys to support that.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Well, he was a bit of a crackpot. He reckoned if you knew where to
look, you could grow gold.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Yeah?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘So, he said. He also reckoned that the inter-plate fault line has
smaller fissures, fault jogs he called them. Anyway, these lines can have
several mini earthquakes a minute and if you know where they are, you can literally
watch gold grow.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘And you believe him?’ She wondered if her father was winding her
up with another yarn.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Nope, and like you, I never found anything to substantiate his
ravings,’ he laughed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘You bastard, Dad. You’ve sucked me in twice. I come down here for
some respite and all you do is take the piss.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">He was falling over himself with laughter, ‘Google it if you don’t
believe me. C’mon let’s get Mum and take her to the pub for lunch.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Fault jogs?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Google it.’<br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-78516266757510082422020-10-07T15:30:00.000+11:002020-10-07T15:30:16.303+11:00First Draft of The Songbook Chapter One:<p> </p><p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">Rosco Bryant wiped an arm still flecked with metal
from the black grease that wouldn’t wash off with just soap and water, pointed
to the window. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘What the fuck is that?’ he said,
his other hand waiting, poised to pick up his beer the moment Kathryn Morgan,
the pub’s owner set it down.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Oi!’ Kathryn might have had to
stand on tip-toes to reach the change on the bar and, when she ran the bar,
Rosco always put his cash where she had to stretch reach it. Always peering
into her cleavage as she did.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘G-wan, you love it.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Not me you tool,’ she dragged
the beer mat toward her deliberately spilling the froth down the side of the
glass just before he caught it. ‘I’ve told you I won’t tolerate racist remarks
in my pub.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Jeeze Kathryn, your little Irish
brain jumps to conclusions quick,’ Rosco was feigning hurt, ‘I was looking at
his bike, ex Australia Post if I’m not mistaken.’ He lifted the front of his
blue singlet and bending to wipe it across his sweat beading forehead only to shift
a blob of grease from the singlet to smear a spot just above his right eye. ‘It’s
not something you see out here every day, a redback spider riding a Honda step-through,’
he said and stretched the singlet back over a tangle of wire like hair that
matted his more than ample belly.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Bullshit,’ she turned to serve the
only other patron who just sat, staring at the dregs slowly draining to the
bottom of his glass. He only nodded as she reached to take it from him, ‘Wouldn’t
hurt you to jump in and defend me, George.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Oh – yeah s’pose,’ was all he
said and went back to staring at the spot, to where as if by magic, a new glass
would always appear in front of him until his money ran out.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">The morning had pushed the
mercury in the thermometer way past thirty and Rosco had been changing a bearing
in his harvester. It had to be well over forty degrees in the feeder throat where
the bearing on the top roller of the feeder chain had let go. He had pictured
himself roasting like a turkey in an oven and thinking a turkey lucky, at least
for the bird, there would be no chaff working its prickly scratchy way into every
crease and fold of its skin.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">Rosco was a strong man, and his
doctor had been warning him off the booze for that many years, but his advice
was never heeded. Now, it no longer came up when he had use of the physician.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">From outside a horn on a four-wheel
drive blew a long and two short blasts. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Noon, gotta go,’ he picked up
his change stopped and slapped three, wet with beer, two-dollar coins back onto
the bar towel, ‘here Irish, buy this nig-nog a beer on me, just to show him I
got no problems with race.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Fuckwit,’ George said under his
breath.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">Kathryn found it hard to contain
herself as the stranger and Rosco danced around each other trying to get
through a door ample enough on other days that it could allow a pair of lovers
holding hands through its void. Rosco, shorter than most of the men in town,
resplendent in baggy, pink boardshorts, a faded navy-blue singlet complete with
a mandatory hole worn through over the years by being stretched over his belly
button hair. Steel capped boots with the toes out of them should never make
disparaging remarks about anybody.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">In
contrast, the stranger was spiderlike. Yes, his skin was black and his limbs
looked as if he had been overstretched, but it wasn’t that. His flat black ex-biker’s
helmet had been festooned with an array of different sized costume eyes,
supposedly to keep magpies from swooping. On his back a guitar case with red
racing stripes clung to him as if it was glued there.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">To
stop the farce, he put his arms around Rosco waltzed him two turns into the bar
and said, ‘thanks for the dance, I’m Jamie.’ Kissed his fingers and tapped
Rosco on his bad spot with them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Fuck
off,’ Rosco said, annoyed to have been made look a fool yelled at a closing
door and stepped off the curb to where his thirteen year old daughter was waiting.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘You’re
such a dick Dad, c’mon Mum wants us to pick up milk eggs and cream on the way home.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘You’ll
have to go in,’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘What?
I’m all gritty and covered in dirt and chaff, I can’t. I’m not having my friends
seem me looking like your lacky’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Sure,
you can, look do your old Dad a favour. Christ you know that ever since that
oxygen thief cheated me, I’m not allowed in there anymore.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Like,’
she rolled her eyes, ‘old Mister Rasheed has ever stolen from anyone, you were
trying to put one over him and you know it.?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Go
on girl and ask him for a job after school while you’re at it, tell him he can
take your wages off your Mum’s tab.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘That’s
your tab too, Dad. She only buys what we need, It’s not her who puts money on
horses, shouts the bar for his mates, or leaves a tip on the bar for his dance
partner.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘You
keep that to yourself my girl.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Why?
Kathryn and old George will have that story all over town by tonight.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">He
raised his hand and remembered the remorse that fell like cloak of misery,
drowning him for days the last time he hit one of the kids. That and the threat
that Liz made when he went to hit her for coming to their aid. He dropped it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘And
I got it all on my phone,’ she held it for him to see, ‘now where’s that Insta
app?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">Rosco
reached for the keys and as he did saw a flash of lights in the drivers’ side mirror,
‘Fuck,’ he threw the keys to his daughter.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Rosco?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Constable.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Not
thinking of driving, were you mate? I reckon you have been here about an hour
and the way you knock-em back I’m guessing there’s about three or four schooners
sitting inside you.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Yeah,
spot on Chris, I was just getting the kid here, to call her mum tell her to ride
her bike in and pick us up.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘That
right, Bella? He said ending down to look her in the eyes, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">Bella
might be just a little over thirteen and be packed full of sass, but her
parents had instilled in her truth was always the only policy. Now she had to
choose between loyalty to her dad or their teachings. ‘I’ve got the keys.’ She said
jangling them so he could see, ‘and my phone.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘It’s
okay Rosco,’ Jamie burst out of the door they had been tangled in earlier, ‘Kathryn
said she’ll put me up. So, if you can help us get the bike on the tray,’ he
turned to the policeman, ‘Chris is it?’ and shook his hand before he registered
what was happening. Turning back to Rosco, he continued, ‘I can drive you and
Bella home and do a bit of sight seeing on the way back.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">Chris
helped bike lay on its side among the grease tins, loose spanners and other
tools in the back of the old ute, ‘everyone got a seatbelt on?’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘Hell
yeah, cried the teacher ‘and damn tight they are too.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">Chris
felt Kathryn slide her hand onto his shoulder as he leant against the veranda
post. ‘What as that?’ He asked.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">‘That
my man, man is our new English teacher making friends with the town bigot.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-11157224866809258892020-10-06T16:22:00.004+11:002020-10-06T16:22:46.532+11:00The Songbook a Novel<p><i> I had an idea for a story wake me on Sunday, below is a rough outline from which I will start developing my characters.</i></p><p><i>Cheers,</i></p><p><i>Terry</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;">Synopsis</span></div>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">School teacher Ji-hun Kim takes the only posting he
can get in the outback town of Wongan Hollow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A mixed farming area and although the town has been slipping into a long
and agonising death since the middle of last century, only the school and the
cemetery are growth areas. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">Arriving in a primarily white
populated village riding an asthmatic scooter and carrying a guitar slung over
his back along with having all of his belongings stuffed into the Uber Eats box
on the back of his bike, he was nothing like the locals expected. This Aussie,
born of a Korean father and Somali mother might as well have put a target on
his back. His arms and legs stretched and wrapped around this former postie
bike making him look like a circus performer clowning around on a toy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">Stopping at the top pub, called
because of its location rather than its class, looking more like a basketball
player he untangled from the bike and went into the bar seeking directions to
the school. Stepping up into the shadowy gloom the murmur of the patron’s babble
died as they caught sight of him.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif;">No-one in Wongan Hills had seen
anything like him before and could not imagine how a guitar player with a
Korean name and African face would change their lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-28562452923651010262020-06-15T15:56:00.000+10:002020-06-15T16:07:07.483+10:00Heroes<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="60bvm" data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0"><i><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">This morning I reworked an old poem I wrote back around 2010. Far from perfect I am trying to write without listening to the rhyme in my head and for me this is difficult because when I write, I also hear a melody in the words I'm thinking.</span></span></i></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0"><i><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></i></span></div>
</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2GxKTr8BFZQ/XucElrWj4_I/AAAAAAAAAus/iKx1kFd4ElsP3oJYO30LE0m_Wujy6DUDgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20190702_143630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2GxKTr8BFZQ/XucElrWj4_I/AAAAAAAAAus/iKx1kFd4ElsP3oJYO30LE0m_Wujy6DUDgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20190702_143630.jpg" width="155" /></a><span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0"><i><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thoughts about my forebears come flooding into my mind, people like Ron Lindo who was killed in New Guinea during WW II.</span></span></i></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0"><i><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Uncle</span></span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Doug Symes who ran away from home to go droving before joining the Royal Australian Navy where he served for any years. </span></span></i></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0"><i><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></i></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0"><i><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I think about the times my own father who grew up on the banks of the Coorong at Goolwa, went on to serve in the RAAF and after the war, made his home in Orroroo where he raised his family on the proceeds from his business Pro Motors.</span></span></i></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0"><i><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></i></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0"><i><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I think of the many English lesson daydreams I'd have while watching a windmill lazily roll around its axis. My teacher's frustrations as she tried her best to focus my and my classes' attention to the works of C.J, Dennis, Banjo Patterson and Henry Lawson.</span></span></i></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0"><i><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></i></span></div>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-size: medium; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tPTHPAXfnqs/XucE8JcuIMI/AAAAAAAAAu4/f6tFOQqXEsAIZyL93XhCjT4wWJ22Kfw6gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2016-04-03_14-50-12_984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1196" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tPTHPAXfnqs/XucE8JcuIMI/AAAAAAAAAu4/f6tFOQqXEsAIZyL93XhCjT4wWJ22Kfw6gCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/2016-04-03_14-50-12_984.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Uncle Doug Symes 90th birthday</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: right;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0"><i><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today as I try to channel their muses, I find myself regretting I didn't pay proper attention and feeling some of the same frustration when the words don't come. </span></span></i></span><i><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, now when I read some of my older work, I realise something from those distant days seeped into the grey matter between my ears. Now, as I love listening to those old stories and try my best to write even better ones, I know I'm not there yet. However, the more I write the more confident I am and in that, I know I am spinning a better yarn.</span></span></i></div>
</div>
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<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0"><i></i></span><br />
<div style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0"><i></i></span><br />
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0"><i></i></span></div>
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0"><i>
</i></span>
<br />
<div style="color: #1d2129; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0"><i></i></span><br />
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0"><i></i></span></div>
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0"><i>
</i></span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<h2 style="color: #1d2129; direction: ltr; font-family: inherit; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0" style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Heroes:</span></span></h2>
<div>
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0" style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0" style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All
along the wide and lonely stock route <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0" style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0" style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
across the drying plain,<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0" style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0" style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">with
horse, stock-whip and saddle<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0" style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0" style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Our
Aussie outback heroes<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span data-offset-key="6nkdu-0-0" style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">fought
flood and fire and famine<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
for not much more than tucker, did it all<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So
kids, when you see his statue<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
you feel inclined to climb<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
disregard the fall<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Take a
moment to remember<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That
he stands here a tribute<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To you
and me, Australians all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He’s
the one who battled loneliness <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">and
constant demons of his mind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">High
of skill yet lowly paid, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">the
outback in his blood<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Leave
him rest here where he stands<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">for he
has done more than just his time<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He is
an icon to us all<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Offer
up a subtle prayer <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">or
leave fresh flowers at his feet<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
he’s our image of ourselves<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">tempered
by Australia's sun<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
often wet or dry or lonely <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">he did
his best<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Until
one day on a deserted plain<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">his
maker, he did meet<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
droving 's more than just a job <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
there’s nothing more wholesome<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Than
riding with the mob<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bringing
sheep and cattle down<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">to the
town and city’s table <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
when called to war<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For
his country gave it all<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-55101073502652612302020-05-16T10:15:00.000+10:002020-05-17T18:32:18.404+10:00Wow, the Worry of a Rejected Manuscript.<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HJ5zPkIb1Hg/Xr8wXl4iPsI/AAAAAAAAAsU/YqKvtqG-6Lkuex7rRmCH3ZJiIk-aRAVTACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2016-11-09_11-40-46_154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1196" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HJ5zPkIb1Hg/Xr8wXl4iPsI/AAAAAAAAAsU/YqKvtqG-6Lkuex7rRmCH3ZJiIk-aRAVTACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2016-11-09_11-40-46_154.jpg" width="239" /></a><i><span style="color: blue;">I had written a long story which I thought was aimed at a middle-school market, when I asked for the manuscript to be edited it came back with almost 50,000 words removed from the original draft. I now understood where I went wrong, by head hopping the plot and subplots became so complicated, I missed the mark. After submitting to several publishers and receiving their rejections I asked what were the reasons for rejecting it. No one said it wasn't commercial, but they wee worried it was patronising. I now wonder if I should keep some of these pieces that hit the cutting room floor and re-write for an adult audience.</span></i><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><i><br /></i>
<i>Meet a couple of my favourite characters in a piece that didn't make the cut.</i></span><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">John knocked on the
front door. It opened, he showed his identification and asked. ‘William Wyatt?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Yes.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘I saw you at the
Farrier place yesterday and wondered if we could ask you a few questions. May
we come in?’ Jenny showed her warrant card. ‘This is Constable Azzopardi.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Willy ushered them into
the kitchen. It was tidy, but Jenny could tell he lived alone. Dishes drained
on the sink and the place was dark.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Mind if I open the
drapes?’ She asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Not at all, I had a
long night and only got up a couple of hours ago.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Do you know the bloke
in this sketch.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘He’s Phillip Ryan, a
Professor of History at Melbourne Uni.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘And you recognise this,
why? Jenny asked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Because I think, no, I
know he wants an old book that belongs to Toby. He has some strange idea that
it’s his. He has a fixation about the criminal characters of early <st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region>, particularly <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Melbourne</st1:city></st1:place>. He’s written about twenty books on
them.’ Willy yawned. ‘Pardon me. After you lost him at the Farrier’s yesterday,
I thought he might have hidden out at his boat, but I didn’t see him near the
marina all night.’ William stood up and lifted the kettle. ‘Tea or coffee?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘No thanks.’ Jenny said.
‘We’ll be off in a minute. Where is this boat?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Willy scribbled down
the address and passed it to her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Expensive habit,’ John
said studying the note. ‘Professors must earn plenty?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Old money, family
trust, the boat’s in the grandfather’s name. Sixty foot cruiser, called
Shogun.’ Willy scratched his greying temples. ‘A banking family with many
interests, most of the money was made trading and hiring jewellery in Victorian
times. Phillip bragged the depression was a good time for his family.’ Willy
felt his face flush and dropped his eyes. ‘Not that I’m envious, I resent his
manner. But Ill admit I’ve dropped his name if it afforded opportunity. Not
that I’ll do it again.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘We’ll check the boat.’
John said. ‘Tell me though. Did you ever give Danny Sabo a mobile phone?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘No, don’t have one
myself. I believe people will find me if they want to. Why do you ask?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Oh, just wondered?’ He
winked at Jenny. ‘We coppers ask all the hard questions.’ John said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Jenny started the car while John fiddled with
his seat belt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Want to see the boats
at the marina?’ He said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Nope, I want to go
home.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘One more call and
that’s all for today, promise.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘You really do know how
to charm a girl, Evans,’ Jenny said , turned into the traffic and headed toward
the bay. She thought about Willy and said. ‘We coppers ask all the hard
questions. Is that the best you could do? You disappoint me Johnny boy. And
what was that about the phone, Slasher said the ASIO guy,’ she took her hands
off the wheel and made quotation signs with her fingers, ‘gave it to him.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘I checked the
supplier. It’s in Willy’s name. Why would he do that?’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Ask him, shall we?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Love to, gotta find
him first, though.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Well there is that.’
She said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The marina staff were less than helpful. Nobody
had used the yacht for days. The marina had a security monitor on every pier
and jetty, but relied on the owners to secure everything else.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘We’d better take a
look then’ John had enough. ‘Where do we go?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Here,’ the squadron
secretary jabbed his finger onto a photocopied directory, ‘you’re not a yachty,
then? I can see that now.’ He answered his own question and followed it with.
‘I hope you swim?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Constable Azzopardi bit
her lip. ‘Yeah and I might be back with a team to examine your records later. I
hope you’ll have time?’ She said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">They walked to the end
of the pier. John looked around the hull. Shogun hardly rose or fell to the
light swell, it just road there, the fenders squeaking in protest from the wake
of passing boats.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘You didn’t like the
squadron secretary?’ He said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘I’d like to take Mr
Tighty Whitey shirt and shorts and throw him, and his white Italian boat shoes,
in the drink. I hope you swim. I’d say as he hit the water. His type are hard
to take. I grew up in Footscray, and blokes like him loved to rub our noses in
it at school. No, John, I don’t like the squadron secretary.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Bad luck, because here
he comes.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘I thought I should
tell you, I checked the log and Mr Ryan has booked this boat into the ship
builders for a surveyor’s report tomorrow.’ The polished man was panting now. ‘We
need twenty four hours notice to cancel. Do you think I should cancel? There
are penalties if I do, but bigger ones if the boat doesn’t show up.’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘It should be okay.’
John said. ‘But tell me, what’s the secret to getting on board?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Here, I’ll do it for
you.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Reminds me of Mr
Humphries from the old TV show; Are You Being Served, just look at him.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Give him a break, Jen.
I don’t like him either, but I want to get this over and go home.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Yeah, but he tightens my
spring.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Tighty Whitey flounced back; he gestured toward
the rear deck of the cruiser. ‘Come quickly. The launch and the Moke are
missing.’ He had lowered a gang plank and raced onboard. ‘And the alarms are
smashed too.’ He paced in circles. ‘What will I do, Gentlefolk...? Shogun has
been violated.’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Thanks we will take it
from here.’ John said. ‘What’s a Moke?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Tighty stayed near the
stern. ‘A small car, old. Made in the seventies and fitted nicely on the launch.
Phillip had his shortened, and he was talking about replacing it with a Smart
car. But oh, how I do go on.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Oh but you do.’ Jenny
pointed to the dock. ‘You can go now. Don’t leave the marina. We’ll want a
statement of your movements for the past forty eight hours.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘When might this be?
I’ve got a champions dinner to organise tonight, the Governor will be here and
all. I can’t have you disrupt that.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Should we book a table,
John?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Sorry, members only
I’m afraid.’ He smiled and shrugged at her, holding his palms out in the manner
of a street beggar.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘That’s okay. Expect us
to crash at around eight o’clock then.’ Jenny was sick of him. ‘We’ll be back
with an order to seize your records, might be months before they get them back
though. It’s only John and me to go through them.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Aghh, now you’ve
spoilt the surprise, Jen. I so much wanted to come unannounced.’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Jenny glared at Tighty
Whitey. ‘You’d better go mate, before I find something to charge you with.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">He looked at her, his
instinct wanted to put her in her place, but he thought better of it. ‘You know
where I am if you need me.’ He had spent enough time in the company of a
Footscray dialect for one day, thank you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The cabins were immaculate. Everything was as
it should be. John thought about the way Arthur’s place looked yesterday. The
neat freak, liked things this way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Nice, I could spend
some time on one of these. Do you think he is planning to get away, having her
slipped and all?’ Jenny said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘I think it’s
coincidence.’ John said. ‘See the slime and barnacle build up, she hasn’t been
out for a while.’ He flicked through the log book. ‘Over twelve months in fact.
Scraping the hull will be maintenance, but I am curious to know if the theft of
the launch has been reported.’ They looked around and satisfied, left.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Home time beckons.’
Jenny said as she pulled out of the parking lot. ‘I’ve had enough today.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Yeah, but first I’d
like to check out his office, or his home. I know it’s a long shot but we
haven’t looked there yet. We just took what Willy said and blitzed down here.
He might have just gone home.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘You’ll buy me a dinner
to make up for it. You know that, don’t’ you?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Mario’s, all you can
eat it is then, tomorrow after work.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘I don’t think so, what
say the middle of February, the fourteenth. That’ll give me time to find a
sitter, and you time to book somewhere nice. Oh, and get a suit to wear too.
One for dancing.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘That’s Valentine’s
Day?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Yep,’ she battered her
eyelids at him, ‘all those William W Ryan romance novels lined up in the glass
bookcase at Willy’s place got me thinking. You don’t have a life after work,
and neither do I. We could go out on a date.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Are you asking me out,
Miss Azzopardi?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘I do believe I am, Mr
Evans.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘It’s settled then.
Where will we go, on this pretend date?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Surprise me.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; tab-stops: 1.0cm; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Done.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<i></i>Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-9211792973738967372020-05-15T13:21:00.001+10:002020-05-15T13:21:22.477+10:00Words that never make it into print.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">S</span></span><i><span style="font-family: Bookman Old Style, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Sometimes the stories we write within the novel don't make it into print, this is one part of many that were sent to the trash can when editing Toby Farrier. I had a lot of fun with</span> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">both of these characters and hope to be able to draw on them again one day.</span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Helen Sabo waited
as William Wyatt opened the door of the MG for her. It had been a long while
since someone had treated her as a lady. He’d been respectful, and listened to
what she said. When his hand fell into the middle of her back to guide her to
their table it felt warm, and strong, yet his touch was gentle. Yes, she
thought, I could get used to this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">The low seats and
the high heels of her borrowed shoes conspired with her dress to make it
difficult to move out of the MG’s seat. William held his hand out to help. She
took it, and felt him hold her weight as she tried her best to be graceful. She
saw the slats at eyelevel of the narrow venetian blind by the front door open.
It was only slight, but she knew they had an audience. The light distracted her
and as she stood, her foot slipped on the kerbing and she fell forward.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Willy caught her.
‘Hey, did you hurt yourself? Is your leg okay?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">It had been a warm
night, but the ride home in the open car had chilled her a little. His arms
were warm and she rested against him and caught her breath.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">‘I’m fine, just not
used to being swept off my feet by a handsome man in an English sports car, I
guess.’ Did she say that, God she was making a fool of herself and why, she
should be mature enough to have dinner with a friend? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">‘I haven’t worn
heels for a long time. I had better go in, we have an audience.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">‘An audience?’
Willy felt his heart race, he hadn’t sensed this since he was a kid. The
thought of being caught out of character was exciting, he liked the adrenalin
rush. ‘Who and how?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">‘When I slipped, I
saw the blind open and I think my mate, Silvia, is busting to find out how we
went.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">‘Is she nosey?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">‘Not nosey,
concerned, and she will want to know every detail from tonight, right down to
what colour the napkins were.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">‘Details, all of
them?’ His mind was racing he wanted to stay out here and talk for longer, but
knew she had to go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">‘Yep, Silv does
like details.’ She felt his arms around her still and leant back against them.
This bloke works out a bit, she thought, his stomach felt hard and flat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">She smiled, ‘It
won’t be too hard to tell her what a great night we’ve shared. I had a great
time, thank you.’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">She wanted to tell
him more, but he moved her to one side, she was now looking up at him. He bent
forward and kissed her. She felt startled for a second and pulled away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">‘For Silvia.’ He
said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">‘For Silvia.’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">He knew she agreed,
as he felt her hand in his hair pulling him down to her lips. A car went past
and tooted its horn, they didn’t care. They broke their clinch, and looked at
each other.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">‘For Silvia.’ He
said, raising an imaginary glass.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">‘To Silvia, my best
friend.’ She toasted too. ‘Thanks Will, I’d better go now.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">‘I’ll walk you to
the door then.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">She put a hand on
his chest and kissed his cheek. ‘No, look you’ve been sweet enough. I had a
great time tonight thank you.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">‘Me too, I haven’t
been out for years, not on a date anyway.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">Helen turned and
sauntered toward the front door. He waited leaning against the front fender of
the car. He watched every slow step and with each movement his grin grew.
Before Helen had her key in the front door, it opened and he saw an arm drag
her inside.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">The door closed and
heard hushed voices, their excitement filled the house. He walked around the
back of the car, opened the door and slid into the driver’s seat. He turned the
radio on, and easy listening music carried him home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: -21.3pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">#editing</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">#writing</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">#TobyFarrier</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">#stories</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: Batang;">#romance<br />#</span></div>
<br />Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-51349583169062246172020-05-11T09:02:00.002+10:002020-05-11T09:02:53.467+10:00Writing and research, why is it so difficult to let go?Over the past week I have been trying to research a South African Hotel that was the playground of the jet set up until the eighties. Although a motor racing fan, my quest was not for an expose on the lives of the many Formula 1 drivers who based themselves at the Kyalami Ranch for the South African Grand Prix, but as it was an International Hotel, the subject of my biography also stayed there.<br />
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Kyalami Ranch, from my research was set up by a former bomber captain who had served in WWII and saw the need for a modern hotel, where International Airlines could accommodate their cabin crews when on layover before there next assignments. The fact that it was a short way from the Kyalami race track added to its mystique.<br />
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Wandering the manicured grounds in the sixties, sharing luxurious accommodation and the heady mix of exotic people from all over the world must have been similar to attending a party thrown by "The Great Gatsby". Which after the end of apartheid, may be why the hotel has slipped out of the reach of the internet.<br />
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I have left a few links for those who are as intrigued as I am.<br />
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<a href="https://www.mclaren.com/racing/heritage/south-africa-72---40-years-ago-today/">https://www.mclaren.com/racing/heritage/south-africa-72---40-years-ago-today/</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.pinterest.dk/pin/308778118195061902/?nic_v1=1aSylGRAhlWcq4zC45%2FJBNhZ55SofaUEJEYHb2Al56oZi9PXrt1NjslRXfndFWppqH">https://www.pinterest.dk/pin/308778118195061902/?nic_v1=1aSylGRAhlWcq4zC45%2FJBNhZ55SofaUEJEYHb2Al56oZi9PXrt1NjslRXfndFWppqH</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.thepaddockmagazine.com/rip-kyalami/">http://www.thepaddockmagazine.com/rip-kyalami/</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.classicdriver.com/en/article/cars/golden-years-kyalami">https://www.classicdriver.com/en/article/cars/golden-years-kyalami</a>Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-38316417711030552892020-04-30T12:28:00.001+10:002020-04-30T12:28:45.449+10:00A Poem from researchers and seafarers too.<br />
And now for something a little older, research of South Africa has drawn me to this poem by Luis de Camoes from 1572 called <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/32528/32528-h/32528-h.htm">Lusaids</a><br />
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If you want to know how the masters write, read this:<br />
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<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/32528/32528-h/32528-h.htm">https://www.gutenberg.org/files/32528/32528-h/32528-h.htm</a><br />
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#writers #poets #sailors #SouthAfricaTerry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-84153958078470325322020-04-30T10:53:00.003+10:002020-04-30T10:53:50.061+10:00Smudge a view of himself<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The only thing my father gave me was his name and my
mother called me Silas. Most people call me Smudge. Ever since I was a kid my
dream was to race on the European Grand Prix circuits, but where does one get
the knowledge you need, trapped in a backwater like Crystal Springs.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I was working on my race car,
Psycho, a few Fridays ago when I heard a commotion coming from the pub across
the road. I had to bend to get a good look through the open door to the bar so
I could see what was happening. A shearing team were celebrating their cut out
from Yap-Yap Station. One of them had Charlie by the collar and she was kicking
and screaming at him to put her down.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Charlie, bloody kid, only eleven
years old and seen more of life than someone three times her age. Anyway, she’s
up to her old tricks raising money for the car club. I see some of myself in
her sometimes, she’s trapped here too. Unloved by her mother and has never
known her father, but Charlie loves cars and I let her dream in the same way I
did. Sometimes I catch her sitting behind the wheel and I know she’s driving
the tracks of the world in her mind. </span></i><i style="text-indent: 1cm;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I
hear her making gear change noises and it makes me smile. Given half a chance
this kid could be someone special. She is special. I have heard the gossip and it
might have hurt before, but I am her friend, someone she can talk to.</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Had a girl of my own once, Lilly.
Prettiest little bundle of precious I ever held, but it wasn’t to be. Wilms
Tumour the doctors said, we tried everything, today most kids survive this
cancer, not Lil. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Ripped Ruby’s heart out from then
our life together was never the same. She found excitement in the arms of a man
who used her as a punching bag. I visit every Wednesday, I don’t think she
knows me, but I go anyway, hoping she’ll come out of her coma and smile. She
doesn’t deserve to live this way, but after the divorce she has no one to make
those sort of decisions for her. I guess had we stayed together, I would be
agonising over turning off the machines. Oh I tell her everything and I’m sure
somewhere in there she hears me, if not it helps me I guess.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Anyway back to the Friday night, its late and I get
a call from the Peterborough police, the little bugger has got down there
somehow and they want me to pick her up and take her home. I act up a bit, but
decide to go anyway. When I take her to her mother’s place, that useless prick
Kevin is there. Long story short, the kid comes home with me and stays in
Lilly’s room. Terri storms in and accuses me of all sorts of shit. That day
there’s an accident and the authorities let Charlie stay with me. It’s nice
having a kid to look after, I thought when Lil died and Ruby left, I’d missed
my chance.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Now with a bit of giggling about
the place, I might just get a chance to reach at least one of my dreams. Oh!
and doesn’t that feel so good.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-12234862728392575492020-04-16T14:32:00.002+10:002020-04-16T14:38:39.178+10:00Why reviews give a writer a lift<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Today I received an e-mail reviewing my two books Kundela and Gillespie's Gold, and </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">here is what Derek Saunders a former school teacher from Orroroo, South Australia said about them:</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7flEzLNqd1E/XpfcDL3HuRI/AAAAAAAAAqw/FEdR1beDBfEgzO_nVXbc7y0sRbTeH18BgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/kundela%2Bebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7flEzLNqd1E/XpfcDL3HuRI/AAAAAAAAAqw/FEdR1beDBfEgzO_nVXbc7y0sRbTeH18BgCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/kundela%2Bebook.jpg" width="133" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I have just finished reading your 2 novels, Kundela and
Gillespie’s Gold which Paddo lent to me. Looking forward to reading “Voss”.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I thoroughly enjoyed the read and found the story line
captivating, imaginative and certainly held my attention. Detail of the
characters’ everyday activities and inter-relationships added to the realism.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gv6MSsvxTW8/XpfbujNrSGI/AAAAAAAAAqo/9jOzwnE0RS4M_z7nxn1dYSj2MZmB5RGKwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Front%2Bcover%2BEbook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gv6MSsvxTW8/XpfbujNrSGI/AAAAAAAAAqo/9jOzwnE0RS4M_z7nxn1dYSj2MZmB5RGKwCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/Front%2Bcover%2BEbook.jpg" width="133" /></i></span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I felt I could connect with the settings around Orroroo and
district, bringing back many fond memories. I actually got out my Flinders
Ranges map to follow your story line.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I thought the scene in the Port Augusta Police Station when DI
Cassidy and team were investigating events in Gillespie’s Gold, reminded me of
the procedures that were used by DS Vera Stanhope in the “Vera” series- you
certainly did your homework, as you obviously did in many areas such as the
local geology-which also interested me, reminding me of trips out to Prince
Alfred mine and other places.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>So hope you keep writing Terry, and take care.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Best wishes,<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NYJ7dwlQLwU/Xpfb7OC_XlI/AAAAAAAAAqs/5_ralmb0y18H6osCqVR6fOML6i4QUjoYACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20171220_111754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NYJ7dwlQLwU/Xpfb7OC_XlI/AAAAAAAAAqs/5_ralmb0y18H6osCqVR6fOML6i4QUjoYACLcBGAsYHQ/s200/20171220_111754.jpg" width="150" /></i></span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="color: blue;">Derek.</span><o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Books are available from:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Collins Booksellers Sunbury Victoria:</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.collinsbookssunbury.com.au/?fbclid=IwAR2hJfqENpZpvCHMc0IuIK85jYsDz4pnl9dcVStnWrVGYOB2p_Z9PLeDTLw">https://www.collinsbookssunbury.com.au/?fbclid=IwAR2hJfqENpZpvCHMc0IuIK85jYsDz4pnl9dcVStnWrVGYOB2p_Z9PLeDTLw</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">E-Books available on Kindle Books:</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/KUNDELA-pointing-Justice-Terry-Probert-ebook/dp/B00GRKYV4I">https://www.amazon.com.au/KUNDELA-pointing-Justice-Terry-Probert-ebook/dp/B00GRKYV4I</a></div>
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<br />Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-13018354562771325432019-12-30T19:31:00.001+11:002019-12-31T08:58:56.423+11:00Sometimes your grandchildren surprise you.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rijiBrzIvFg/Xgm1irPiWCI/AAAAAAAAApE/B13grcR22D4GHYi4Oc8hkwcLBvwaeUnyQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Scan_20191230.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1150" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rijiBrzIvFg/Xgm1irPiWCI/AAAAAAAAApE/B13grcR22D4GHYi4Oc8hkwcLBvwaeUnyQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Scan_20191230.png" width="460" /></a></div>
<br />Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-39763914501791910412019-12-14T13:54:00.000+11:002019-12-14T13:54:21.742+11:00Port Fairy Priest a Detective Voss story.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p><i>My second Detective Voss novel seems to have strayed from the original plot frame that I created before going to Port Fairy a couple of years ago. This was the original plan, might have to back to it and change a few names to protect the criminals.</i></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Synopsis<o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;">:</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-64fCnMjcvTU/XfRMbXo8SLI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/SgPmtFt4F00OSQHiO8QMUhqhqTEPPBYSgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20180423_143133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1276" data-original-width="957" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-64fCnMjcvTU/XfRMbXo8SLI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/SgPmtFt4F00OSQHiO8QMUhqhqTEPPBYSgCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/20180423_143133.jpg" width="149" /></a><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Voss takes a cottage in
Port Fairy to re-assess his life. Likes the ebb and flow of the locals, doesn’t
like the tourists much, but appreciates the improvement to the coffee shops and
pubs their trade has brought.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">He
befriends a fisherman who is in his mid-seventies, Leith Pritchard is worried
about his grandchildren, they are cutting school and spending most of their
time boozing and taking drugs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">He
has noticed that they have better supply a week after the full moon at first,
he thought the drugs were coming in from the fishing fleet, but as most of the
captains and crew had children affected, he’d dismissed it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Voss
watches a wedding where the bride’s theme is red and black, Men are dresses in
mail box red suits with black top hats, while the bridesmaids a dressed in
black with red aprons. The wedding is lavish and Voss learns the couple are
recent pop music stars who have decided Port Fairy has the right setting for
their big day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UggFraTEjCA/XfRM388IGHI/AAAAAAAAAoY/M2qpVCys6Zcskkp9idxAP5TSTtLEmTPSwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2017-05-17_11-17-18_988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="977" data-original-width="1296" height="150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UggFraTEjCA/XfRM388IGHI/AAAAAAAAAoY/M2qpVCys6Zcskkp9idxAP5TSTtLEmTPSwCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/2017-05-17_11-17-18_988.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">On
the day of the wedding while the town watches and waits for the nuptials to
begin, Voss and Leith study the coming and going of the florist, the priest and
the caterers. Something irks Voss the, sight of the priest seems familiar and
he runs a series of old mugshot images through his mind without finding
anything. The priest, once a circuit man who came from Melbourne to take
communion once a month, has moved up within the church. His visits often resulted
in the kids going wild. Port Fairy has changed but people still remember the
Uniting Church goers in the town who believed Satan was at work. The Jehovah
Witness didn’t have an opinion and the lapsed Christians, agnostics and
non-believers are sure the local copper turned a blind eye to the problem.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gqrStBIKYf8/XfRNBUkeNeI/AAAAAAAAAoc/BY2EArfDfAEGDAoZ3z97oMs-bJUXBnBAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2017-05-16_16-48-10_265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gqrStBIKYf8/XfRNBUkeNeI/AAAAAAAAAoc/BY2EArfDfAEGDAoZ3z97oMs-bJUXBnBAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2017-05-16_16-48-10_265.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
One
time choir boy, Kyle Kipping, late thirties has made it big crossing between
heavy and death metal music genres, drugs have dominated the headlines during
the last ten years of his career, but it has brought him a new populous of
followers. His early career as a pop singer had several number one singles and
top selling albums. A career highlight of being promoted as the top billing on
Carols in the Domain and Carols by Candlelight crashed during the Enquiry into
Child Abuse, when he testified against a popular priest. <o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">After
publicly renouncing the Catholic Church on the sleeve of his last album, Songs
of Regret, his producers, the recording company has pushed him into filming the
wedding to release it in increments as video support for the songs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Ten years on and, while
the band is blasting the new album from several speakers the size of small
cars, unknown to the quests in the marquee below at the Rockstar wedding, evil
of its own is looking down on them. the priest is found dead, face down in front
of a burning cross on top of the local lookout. Thirteen small and charred
wooden crosses surround the body.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Speculation
about the devil, drugs and God’s Justice whip the town gossips and scaremongers
into a frenzy. Rumours surround the death some saying satanic symbols rose from
the burning paint and noise from flames sounded like demons squealing as the
vehicle burnt. Firefighters reported being unable to quench the flames and
suspected an accelerant like napalm. Other reports had the body covered in
knives sticking out of every muscle and body part.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">What
they couldn’t know was that the man’s genitals were removed and stuffed into
his mouth before he died. Cause of death asphyxiation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Along
with the wedding guests and gossip columnists, now city journalists and TV
reporters descended on the town in helicopters cars and most of the
accommodation is booked out to accommodate them. Considering moving to a
quieter location Voss answers his door to the Bishop seeking a meeting. Voss
tries to push the thought of getting back to investigation to one side until
the bishop tell him the priests name. this is the man who set Voss on his
career as a copper. The only real father figure in his life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">He
takes the case and is bewildered by the details of the crime. Father Geoffrey
was due to testify before the Royal Commission into Child Abuse. However, the
bishop confirms Voss’s belief his friend was one who spoke up against it, so
why would someone do this. Eddie is reluctant to become involved, he has no use
of the church for the way they treated him when his business was failing and
Donna to thinks it is a bad idea. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Voss might have to do this on his own.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-14616913074252838472019-11-13T18:14:00.000+11:002019-11-13T19:14:53.311+11:00Gillespie's Gold on Sale next week.<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Gillespies Gold goes on to sale November 20th </b></h2>
<div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1M8kPcgV54U/XcuZtTi8jCI/AAAAAAAAAns/Ip0_dc9ZT3kW6AmFImHB_TD4u3nhTiKfgCEwYBhgL/s1600/gillespie%2527s%2Bgold%2BEnd2End%2Bproof.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">t<img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1095" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1M8kPcgV54U/XcuZtTi8jCI/AAAAAAAAAns/Ip0_dc9ZT3kW6AmFImHB_TD4u3nhTiKfgCEwYBhgL/s320/gillespie%2527s%2Bgold%2BEnd2End%2Bproof.png" width="218" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">This long awaited
follow up novel to Terry L Probert's KUNDELA is now ready for release and early
reviewers a extolling Probert's capacity as a storyteller.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Following on from
Kundela, this new story is as much a stand alone Aussie action adventure as it is
a continuation of the Gillespie family's fortunes as they battle to save their
farm from mining giant RAYDOR.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Set in and around
Orroroo on the edge of the Flinders Ranges. Haunted by a rhyme his father made
him learn as a toddler Joe Gillespie is anxious. Too mean for fatherhood and
too drunk to care, Les used cruelty the reinforce his words taking the horror
of a few tours of Vietnam for Joe to replace those terrors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Now forty years after
burying the man he despised, Joe is looking at this gold receipt, memorising
the first verse of the poem, desperate to remember the rest of it. Joe scours
his mind for a hidden meaning, was there gold? Did Les bury it, or was this
just one more after death trick to torture his son?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">What the beta readers
said:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sonia Doherty, Wordsmiths of Melton<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The family
connection:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">You showed real relationships where everything
didn’t go smoothly, they argued, they had fun as couples and families.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Demonstrated their love in front of others,
and were connected in more than just name.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">All of the friendships made the story
interesting and were portrayed as reality.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Every character had a past that affected their
part in the story, some good, some not so good<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">The good guys took responsibility for their
lives, the bad ones blamed others.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.25pt; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">The bad guys were ones you really didn’t like,
so you portrayed them well.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">I love the way you
brought the various plots together in the police station, by connecting past
cases with this current case and how there were good people along the way who
wanted to do the right thing. You ended the story with hope for the future<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The lessons this
story taught:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 20.25pt; margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Give people an
opportunity to share their story.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 20.25pt; margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Forgiveness will help
you.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 20.25pt; margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Have no regrets<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 20.25pt; margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol";">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->here’s always another
adventure out there to explore.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 20.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">It was enjoyable
Terry; you’re a good storyteller.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Denise Lang,</b> independent reviewer, Maryborough. Victoria<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Morning Terry,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Well I finished your
novel at 1.25 am this morning. You continue to amaze me with your amazing
ability to consume the reader. I can seriously visualise the story unfolding
around me, the detail you incorporate actually makes you feel like you're in
the book. Kept guessing right to the end, this work encompasses the Australian
way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">On another note, I
liked the way you left it open for the next venture. Congratulations on another
great literary piece.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Regards,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Denise<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
<!--[endif]--></span></div>
</div>
Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-87228742784654815282019-06-21T17:43:00.002+10:002019-06-21T17:43:56.652+10:00Old Story Ideas Brought Back to Life<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">When I first started to write I bubbled with ideas so much so it drove
one of my contemporaries mad. She was struggling to make her novel happen at
the time and I being new to a writing group was showing off, saying things
like, "just get the words down and worry about the punctuation and
sentence structure later."</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9T7L8ePOMbI/XQyKgLJNjAI/AAAAAAAAAlE/VMJkwzrO-YY1tzW33GKW-JVgMhVEXSiygCLcBGAs/s1600/2016-11-02_10-32-26_52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1196" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9T7L8ePOMbI/XQyKgLJNjAI/AAAAAAAAAlE/VMJkwzrO-YY1tzW33GKW-JVgMhVEXSiygCLcBGAs/s200/2016-11-02_10-32-26_52.jpg" width="149" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">It may have been of no use to my
colleague, a woman who is perfect at creating a sentence and placing a comma,
but to me it made sense because my ideas disappear as quickly as they come.
However, I did realise that if I were to improve my writing, I would need to
expand my author's toolbox and so over the last few years have taken notice of
what an active sentence is, where a comma is needed and where to place a full
stop. I still get it wrong, but the editing is now less of a chore than it once
was.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Getting back to looking through some of
my plans from those early days has unearthed some treasures though and by
changing the detective’s names, this is one that should make its way into a
Detective Voss novel.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">The Desk Clerk’s Diary<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Mario Modetti keeps secrets, many secrets. He is a desk clerk in an
inner city Melbourne Hotel with an International and famous Australian
clientele.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Among the regular guests are Pilots,
cabin staff, Government officials and Casino high rollers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Sunday morning a maid enters the room
of a Kazakhstani business man to find him and two high price escorts bound and
gagged. A Polaroid photo designed to shame is discovered fixed to the mirror
with toothpaste.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Detective Inspector Rose Nguyen
is in charge of the investigation, but at every turn she is stymied by
bureaucracy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Chapter Outlines:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 42.55pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -14.2pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">The guests are discovered and no-one is
talking<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 42.55pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -14.2pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">DI Rosie Nguyen (Rosie) is on the case<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Across town a wholesale jeweler is
found at his still locked safe with two bullet holes one in from the side of
his chest the other in the back of his head. (was he alone? Where is his wife?
Does his mistress know anything)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 42.55pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -14.2pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Another murder in rural Shepparton,
this time a known drug dealer with International connections.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Are they random murders or connected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Journalist Rob Nugent is sniffing
around and has picked up a connection<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 42.55pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -14.2pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Rosie, frustrated by Nugent pushes him
away<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">The trip to Shepparton for an
exhumation finds another unknown body buried below the coffin of a drug boss
just below the bottom of the same grave.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 14.2pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">A novel length story will need more
than eight chapters to wrap up this investigation but it does give me a start.
Therefore, when the writing slows down on my current work in progress, I can
duck over to this tale and create a much bigger yarn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Wish
me luck.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br /><br />
Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-66175139365314100522019-06-09T12:31:00.002+10:002019-06-09T12:31:39.525+10:00Bang<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I knew my target and
knew the time he would arrive. The Awards Presentation would be crowded and people
lining the red carpet would work to my advantage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Television crews were
everywhere and it was easy to blend in, my only concern was the occupants of
room five, fifteen. From there an easy shot, of four hundred metres and the
carpet offered excellent alignment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Checking the apartment
mail boxes revealed Faith and Cindy McLeod lived in 515. I posted Logies
tickets to them on a ruse that they had won an in-store competition. The girls
would be out of their apartment by noon and not return before midnight. Once
inside, all I had to do was wait.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Dressed as one of the hotel's handymen </span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 16px;">I found the fifth floor</span><span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and picked the pocket of a housemaid for her pass to gain access, throwing the item into the passage near her trolley. At one o’clock the girls
left via the lift at the end of the hall.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Once inside, I took a
towel from my bag and laid it on the table. I assembled the rifle and pulled a cleaner through the barrel. A quick look down
the bore and attached the scope. I filled the five shot magazine and put a
cartridge in the chamber.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I shifted furniture, to
ensure I was comfortable, and opened a small gap in front window. There was
nothing between my position and where the target would take his last breath.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I closed the window. At
2.30 the phone rang, I ignored it. By 3.30, I heard people in the hall, but they
walked on. I kept the television muted and watched reporters accosting
celebrities who were making their way to the ceremony.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">At 5.00 pm I opened the
window again and took up my position. Flags hung listless from their poles, no
wind, that would help. I lined up a couple of guests who were about the same
height as Finch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A stretch Hummer
arrived at 5.10 and he and his escort stepped out. I whispered a curse, the
limo blocked my view. I cocked the rifle, slid the safety off and waited. The
Hummer glided away. He was clear, I squeezed the trigger and watched the bullet
take its mark.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">My contract fulfilled.
I packed the rifle, put the furniture back and sauntered out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-44576163498310298372018-12-12T17:22:00.000+11:002019-05-04T09:22:08.290+10:00The Orb of Infinity, Second Rewrite<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A few months ago my granddaughter India, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 37.7953px;">who is eight </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 37.7953px;">and</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 37.7953px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 37.7953px;">has a wild imagination </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 1cm;">began writing a Sci-Fi novel with me. For now, the main character whose name just happens to be the same as my co-author, has to save a far off planet. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="text-indent: 1cm;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Between her inexhaustible love of adjective filled drama and my yarn-spinning skills, we hope to tell you the story of "The Orb of Infinity". </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="text-indent: 1cm;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here is an excerpt</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 1cm;"> from the first chapter in the second round of drafting.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PqIZcFyE6DM/XBCoWMdUGAI/AAAAAAAAAgo/Zwryk9XD95w8F_76OgX_25vQGEWS1c3UwCLcBGAs/s1600/cover%2Bshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1182" data-original-width="784" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PqIZcFyE6DM/XBCoWMdUGAI/AAAAAAAAAgo/Zwryk9XD95w8F_76OgX_25vQGEWS1c3UwCLcBGAs/s320/cover%2Bshot.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">'Cute
and childish won’t work on me Princess, I haven’t time, besides we’ll be back
before everyone wakes up.’ Waving her froggy finger she opened the closet, ‘now
what have we got for you to wear?’ The envoy tut-tutted, saying, ‘No that just won’t
do.’ pulling things out, one after another until a mountain of clothes covered
the floor. ‘Stand still, we’ll need to kit you out and, Uniforms Online, are
too ugly by far.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Pointing
at the mess in her room, India said. ‘Who’s going to put all of this back?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘It’s
a little girl’s room, they’re always messy.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Stamping
her foot, India said, ‘Put all of it back now.’ and made a pointing motion
toward the empty closet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Xlora
huffed and clicking her fingers, began ducking, stepping out of the way as
India’s clothes flew back to where they came from. ‘You’ll just have to come in
your pyjamas. We’ll pick up something on the way.’ She took India’s hand and
snapped her fingers again. ‘We have to hurry.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">‘Why?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "bookman old style" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">‘Like I told you Princess.’ There was a huff of
frustration to Xlora’s tone, ‘It is written and we have a planet to save.’ </span>Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-43828331733702419652018-12-11T16:46:00.003+11:002018-12-11T16:46:43.194+11:00COPYRIGHT CHANGES THAT MAY AFFECT YOUMight be time to go through your archives and rustle through material and manuscripts lounging in hard-drives or filing cabinet drawers, because if you are a writer, film maker artist or musician, then these changes affect you.<br />
<br />
Please log into the link below to find what is happening to Australia's Copyright Law on January the 1st 2019.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.arts.gov.au/departmental-news/changes-copyright-duration">https://www.arts.gov.au/departmental-news/changes-copyright-duration</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-18111209888531496002018-12-08T16:23:00.002+11:002018-12-08T16:23:17.778+11:00It's Been a While Since My Last Post<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Orb of Infinity</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mkH58TebGKw/XAtU4QPHATI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/3TXz7RNgnOABm20N7AU1I_cPydWY2p1GwCLcBGAs/s1600/2016-12-13_19-56-00_314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="238" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mkH58TebGKw/XAtU4QPHATI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/3TXz7RNgnOABm20N7AU1I_cPydWY2p1GwCLcBGAs/s320/2016-12-13_19-56-00_314.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A few months back my granddaughter and I had an idea for a book that we should write together. India is eight years old and by her ninth birthday would like to have finished a 30,000 word manuscript where a character with her name is the hero. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is just a taste and part of a rough first draft.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Chapter One<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The soft green
glow from the digits of clock on India’s bedside table had only blinked three
am when a flash of silver and blue light filled the room. She woke to the feel
of someone blowing softly on her cheek, stoking her hair and the soulful voice
urging her to wake up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">‘Princess,
it is written that you are the chosen one and you must come at once.’ A person
no bigger than India’s arm was bending over her, repeating the plea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Believing
it to be a dream India tried pulled the bedclothes over her head and follow these
visions until morning. The covers as if pulled by an invisible thread, rolled
back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Having
gained India’s attention, she spoke, ‘My name is Xlora, special envoy to the
Prime Minister of Astranada,’ then standing back, bowed. ‘and ten centuries ago
it was written that one would come and free our people from the tyranny of Rahn.’
Xlora took her gloves off and hoping India would not fall back into sleep, slapped
them against her thigh ‘You Princess India, are the chosen one and just as the
ancients decreed. You will come.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">India
started shaking, and fearing another nightmare sat on the edge of the bed. Her
feet feeling for her slippers. Xlora used her frog like index finger and thumb
to prise India’s eyes open, it was no use as India slipped back into a slumber.
Taking a vial from the pouch on her belt and waved it under the girl’s nose.
India looked around as an aura of calm washed over her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">She
looked at the voice’s owner, a person no taller than her favourite doll was
standing in front of her. Xlora wore a silver-blue flying jacket, an airman’s
helmet, leather pants and flying boots with stiletto heels. Everything
matching, only her navy-blue cravat broke the monotony of colour. Even her skin
was silvery, her eyes and lips matched the cravat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">‘Go
away, I have school tomorrow.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">‘You’ll
have time for school later, tonight we have a planet to save.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">India
reached for the light switch. ‘I’d better tell Mum.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Xlora’s
hand stopped her. ‘We have no time for that, quick we must go now.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">‘We’ll
be back before they all wake up.’ She opened the closet, ‘now what have we got
for you to wear?’ The envoy tut-tutted, saying, ‘No that just won’t do.’ pulling
things out, one after another until a mountain of clothes covered the floor.
‘Stand still, we’ll need to kit you out and, Uniforms On-line won’t cut it.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Pointing
to the mess in her room, India said. ‘Who’s going to put all of this back?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">‘It’s
a little girl’s room, they’re always messy.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">‘Put
all of it back now.’ She managed through a yawn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Clicking
her fingers Xlora huffed, ducking and stepping out of the way as India’s
clothes flew back to where they came from.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1.0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bookman Old Style",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">‘You’ll
just have to come in your pyjamas. We’ll have to pick up something on the way.’
She took India’s hand and snapped her fingers again. ‘We have to hurry.’ And
with that, she started rubbing the screen on India’s iPhone until a whirlpool
appeared, took India’s hand and stepped into the swirling black hole of
nothingness engulfing the room.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104506406138813534.post-86592587126269847652017-09-03T11:15:00.000+10:002017-09-03T11:15:22.985+10:00Father's Day<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mVns66sg5j4/WatLHt247bI/AAAAAAAAAeI/QEWkcpwattsGlpl37SDTZ-vaWiGRkf-RwCLcBGAs/s1600/Lionel%2Bwith%2BTerry%2B9.5%2BMonths.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="826" data-original-width="513" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mVns66sg5j4/WatLHt247bI/AAAAAAAAAeI/QEWkcpwattsGlpl37SDTZ-vaWiGRkf-RwCLcBGAs/s320/Lionel%2Bwith%2BTerry%2B9.5%2BMonths.jpg" width="198" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lionel & Terry Probert 1949<br />Symes Home<br />Government Road Orroroo<br />South Australia<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It takes awhile to appreciate<br />
all the things that made you great<br />
Meeting mum then the wedding<br />
and making a home<br />
Showing me through thick and thin<br />
You'd be there<br />
No matter the trouble I was in<br />
<br />
I was nearly thirty the night you died<br />
And the way I felt I could not hide<br />
It was your funeral first<br />
and things to do<br />
A million things to fill my mind<br />
all the tasks I took for granted<br />
Blossomed in the seeds you planted<br />
<br />
Now sitting here on Father's Day<br />
To talk to you and the things I'd say<br />
I'd show you photos of my family<br />
Their homes their cars<br />
But most of all<br />
I'd show you photos of<br />
My grandchildren growing tall<br />
<br />
To young to die when you went away<br />
Your values make me<br />
The man I am today<br />
<br />
<br />Terry L Proberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848113870674892264noreply@blogger.com0