G’day Bloggers,
Today I learned that my Aunt has passed away. She was in her eighties and had her ‘hip op’ a few years ago and I think had another one done not so long ago. Up and till she got very sick she ’s always been able to ride her pushbike and did so with a vengeance I reckon. She would indeed turn up just when you didn’t want to see anybody, let alone your Aunty. She was the ‘outcast’, ‘the black sheep’, ‘the mad one’, and basically got spat out by most of her family. So she found her own family and found her ‘home’ with the church people, and that’s really how I’ve always known my Aunt, being a God person who had God people to go to church with and do God like things with God in mind. Sang in the local church choir and even travelled to Sydney to sing for all, and with all those other God people.
I think she has had a pretty rough time in the beginning of her life, but I’m sure the love that she had found after all that has happened to her, has been equally rewarding for her and her friends. She will be remembered as the ‘ odd lady ‘, ‘the one that never got married’, “You don’t say!?? Is that your Aunty ??? ” And you see people smile at the thought that the person they’re talking to is related to this eccentric but funny lady. Strange how things can turn out in such a short time. Lets face it, what’s a life time ?
So she will be buried, no big funeral, just an add in the paper to state that they’ve buried her and a mention of a family somewhere she was somewhat related to sometimes.
She died around the same time the Pope died, so I imagine both of them meeting somewhere in a holding dock or something where their names are being checked and crossed of the list, and as they travel towards the light they would introduce each other and ask, ” what did you do ?” ” Well not much anyway, not that it matters now I guess! “And he would say. ” Nah me neither! “.
” But I’ve learned a few things though, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know, so stick with me kiddo, we’re gonna go places”.
Which brings me to the cheezy part.
Coming back from a nice little cafe, drink and eat aswell if you didn’t want to look any farther after you had them nice little beers. We tried the ” CHEEZ FONDUE ” in a place where we knew that it was a going to be a mistake. And it was ! I guess Groningen is not the place.
Should not have done it.
But ok, you learn and you live to tell the tale.
On our way back the our cosy carpark, where the cosy car is being kept safe , from not so cosy minded individuals, the thought had crossed our minds earlier on to just walk out of that place and not pay and tell them that our nite was spoiled and that we were very ” dissapointed!!! ” and that we had every right to walk out like that !!!!, without paying them a cent !!!!! and how dare they put terps in the fondue rather than in that thingy that makes a little flame like shape to keep the pot warm with the cheese kinda mixure.
Outside near the cosy machine to put the ticket in so we can drive back to our cosy house where its warm and coselly cosy, stands a young man with long blond hair in a ponytail with a leather kinda jacket made out of black groovy plastic crying his heart out. Big tears rolling down his cheek, big blobs of sadness hit the ground. We stand frozen. I don’t know what to do.
We ask !
This young man had been told his father had died and he wasn’t there when he passed away, and he cannot be at the funeral because he is standing on corners begging for money so he can buy him a place to sleep for the night.
I’m speechless.
He’s addicted.
He forgot to ask for money.
I felt too embarrased to give him any.
He looks totally numb.
I felt like a spoiled little prat.
I walk away awkwardly telling him it’ll be alright, but feel guilty complaining
about ‘nothing’ walking back from the restaurant knowing I’ve got ‘cosy’ waiting for me everywhere in my cosy life.
So I’ve leaned a thing or two,
.. you can have a rich life if you want to, even though your family might not want anything to do with you,
…when you die, nothing else matters,
….and don’t go eat your favourite food away from the place where you ‘ve discovered it.
….And as for the young man with the ponytail, I saw him the next night walking across the streets in the dark with his sunglasses on , his belongings dangling from left to the right hanging of his back.
As he was swaying through his life I couldn’t help but wonder about the choices we have in life, how much of it is our own choice and at what cost.
JZ