I promised the follow up to the three day party mentioned in my Return to Bondi post so here it is.
Party started on Friday night and went backwards and forwards between our flat and the one opposite which was heaving with Aussie policemen, all of whom were extremely fit and burly to put it mildly. We were all glammed up and I decided to leave my glasses off even though I was as blind as a bat without them as I felt they detracted somewhat from the eyelashes and make up. I was informed by my flat mates that there was one guy there who was seriously gorgeous and all the girls were determined to pull him and off they went to do so. I was chatting and talking when suddenly this chap appeared at my side and asked me to dance and so I did and he stayed with me the rest of the party and, well I will leave the rest to your imagination. It appeared that he was The Guy and all my flatmates wanted to know how I managed to get him. I hadn't the faintest idea but it transpired later when I was talking to him that he had picked me out as he had smiled and beamed at me and I had totally ignored him and made no attempt to attract him in any way at all and he say this as a challenge and thought I was 'cool'. I never told him that I could not see across the room without my glasses and had no idea he was eyeing me up. Some things are best left unsaid.....
To cut a long story short the party went on all weekend and by the time I caught the bus to the city on Monday, I was feeling fragile and looking pretty washed out. My flatmate and I were sitting half asleep as the bus turned into Elizabeth Street and I glanced out of the window on my left and saw....an elephant. It was standing in the back of a pick up truck and I blinked as I just could not believe my eyes. The inside lane traffic moved on and when I dug Chris in the ribs and told her I had just seen an elephant she just said 'Yeh, right...' A few mins later we came up alongside the truck and this time the elephant (a baby one I should say) poked his trunk through an open window and took a grip on a woman's hair just a few seats in front. Well, shrieks and screams abounded and then the lorry shot off and still Chris, in her dozing state, had not seen the elephant so I gave up.
By the time I got off the bus and cut through George Street on my walk to my office the elephant had vanished and I really began to wonder if I had imagined it all when rounding the corner into St Martin's Place, there he was! He was now being fed buns and goodness knows what by all the office workers and was having the time of his life. It then transpired that a circus was coming to town and this was advance publicity.
Got to the office 'Hey guys, guess what? There is an elephant in Martin's Place'. All looked at me, at my white face with black circled eyes and my general air of decrepitude and laughed. Various comments along the unsubtle lines of Oh was it pink were aired and no matter what I said they did not believe me. I was giving up when suddenly the door burst open and in ran the office junior, hair on end and eyes popping out of her head.
'There's an elephant in Martin's Place!!'
I kid you not the entire office got up and belted down the stairs and rushed off to have a look. I sat back and awaited their return so I could say I Told You So.
I never made it through the day - after I had cocked up several documents (and this was pre-computer days, I was using an electric typewriter) my boss came into my office, patted my head and told me I was no use to him and he took my home in his posh new car and delivered me to my front door in style.
I only saw the gorgeous policeman for a short time after this party. Oh he had all the attributes, over six foot, very good looking but he was pretty boring on the whole and once the initial glamour had worn off we had nothing in common. Sad but never mind. For the rest of my time in Australia I went out with a lovely man called Jan, he was a shot putter from Yugoslavia, as it was then, who had taken part in the Olympics in Australia and had stayed behind. He was HUGE and could pick me up with one hand, and I am no lightweight, but as gentle as a kitten.
I thought of all of this when I saw my old flat and sat on the beach. Seems such a long time ago and now I am a grandmother, but oh it was fun.
And thus endeth the ramble.
Off to the Blue Mountains later on today.
