‘Look at this,’ Adelaide’s husband said quite late on Sunday night when the light had no right still being on. They had stayed up too late watching that lovely Alisa Camplin on the tele, and it was Monday tomorrow with business shirts to iron and school lunches to be made. ‘Phillip Adams telling the world he was Kerry Packer’s long-time confidant.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Is there anyone in the world that man hasn’t had a close encounter with?’ He cleared his throat again. ‘Except me of course.’
‘And me,’ Adelaide said, but her husband didn’t reply.
Adelaide’s husband – an increasingly bitter man – threw the magazine to the end of the bed then picked up his copy of BRW.
Sometimes, Adelaide worried that she didn’t understand her husband anymore.
She leaned down, picked up the magazine and skimmed the article. It really was getting late so she read just the first few paragraphs, then skipped to the last.
‘Look,’ she said. ‘Phillip Adams reckons Jamie and Gretel are polite, delightful kids.’ She smiled. ‘I think that’s nice,’ she said. ‘I think that’s a nice way to end.’
Her husband just coughed, then turned out the light.
I like what he writes mostly but I met him once and did seem like just a little bit of a twat. A big, drizabone-wearing, ever-so-slightly smug (despite his left-wing, we’re-all-equals-here kind of way), rather tall twat.
(Removed my last comment… spelling error. I have standards to maintain.)
I’ve never really met anyone famous. Well, I did meet Bob Hawke when he was the Prime Minister. I’m guessing he doesn’t remember the encounter but.
PS Off topic, but what do you think of the use of ‘youse’. I am mounting a one-person campaign to introduce its widespread use. But I’m guessing you would be one of my more serious opponents
“Adelaide’s husband – an increasingly bitter man – threw the magazine to the end of the bed then picked up his copy of BRW.”
I would’ve aimed for the cat, though I tend to see sense in your husband’s approach.
Regarding the ‘youse’ idea, my vote has officially been cast on the negative side. However, I’m willing to swing should the term be used with utmost conviction in the category of Pisstake-101.
Hey ThirdCat — off-topic, but did you give in to temptation, toss the cat basket in the car, and trundle off to Wingfield or Lonsdale yet to choose a FourthCat?