| Jack: |
Hurry up, Sue, I’ve got lots to say. |
| Sue: |
Go on then. |
| Jack: |
Oh, shit! |
|
Here comes stupid face. |
| Sue: |
G’day, mate. |
| Rob: |
Miss, this is the guy I was talkin’ about. |
| Jack: |
Me name’s Jack. |
| Rob: |
I know. |
| Sue: |
Don’t you have some work to do, Rob? |
| Rob: |
Kin oath, Miss. |
|
Just thought I’d say g’day, that’s all. |
|
G’day! |
| Jack: |
Ya numpty. |
| Sue: |
You’ve said it, now leave so Jack can continue with his story. |
| Rob: |
Is it as good as mine? |
| Jack: |
Better. |
| Sue: |
I’ve enjoyed both. |
| Rob: |
Yeah, well, I reckon mine’s better. |
| Sue: |
See ya later, Rob. |
| Rob: |
Don’t worry, Miss … I’m goin’. |
| Jack: |
Did you see what he did to my hair? |
| Sue: |
Rise above. |
|
What do you want to talk about? |
| Jack: |
Well, you know the man body-part graffiti at the Catholic Church? |
| Sue: |
Yep. |
| Jack: |
Well, I helped Mum spray over it. Gran helps out too. |
|
She holds the torch and looks out for anyone coming. But Mum does all the creative work. She’s only tall enough to reach the bottom half of the graffiti if it’s big. |
|
I do the rest. |
|
Mum just tells me how to do it, you see. Mum and Gran can’t work out why you’d want to spray-paint a male body part on a building. Mum says it’s dumb and it gives her the dumb shits. |
|
Whatever that means. |
|
Sounds funny, but, eh? Dumb shits. Lol. |
|
Anyway, the graffiti kid’s name’s Pen. I found that out last week. |
|
I’ve met him … he’s fifteen. Little fella, but funny as. So he spray-paints a male body part on a wall and then Mum comes along and changes it into an animal. |
|
Mum loves animals and so does Gran. So do I. |
| Sue: |
You realise your mum, gran and yourself could also cop a fine if you’re found out? |
| Jack: |
Yeah, we know, that’s why Gran’s always on guard duty. |
|
Mum says we’re beautifying the town, you see. Her and Gran and me we also look after the cemetery and we’re building a nice vegie garden all along our nature strip. |
|
It’s gonna be great when the vegies are ready to eat. And all the neighbours can have some too, you see. |
| Sue: |
So, you’ll be a horticulturalist when you leave school? |
| Jack: |
Nah. I found an apprenticeship with a local builder, Dave Bower and Sons is their name. |
|
Pen’s Dave Bower’s youngest son. Joey’s the eldest and then there’s stupid face, Rob. Rob and Joey are just like Dave. |
|
Pen’s nice like his mum. |
|
Ya see, I must have presented myself pretty well cause Dave signed me up two days after I applied. I mean, I’m on probation for a month, just to see if I like it or not and if I’m good at it or not, and then, yep, I’ll be an apprentice builder … |
|
So, yeah. |
|
Last week we did a job in the new housing estate, the Retreat. It sounds like an old people’s home but it’s for everyone who has money to spend and who wants to live on the rise close to the coast. |
|
Gran and me think it’s overrated. We could live in a shed somewhere and not be bothered much. |
|
I guess the Retreat isn’t for us mob. |
| Sue: |
So, how’s it going, working for Dave? |
| Jack: |
I like the work … |
| Sue: |
But? |
|
|
|
Jack? |
| Jack: |
I like the work. |
|
My dad was the best bloke. He was kind and understanding and he learnt me good. |
|
Why can’t other blokes be like my dad? |
| Sue: |
Everyone’s dealing with their own battles, I guess. Some deal with them well and others … |
| Jack: |
Get angry and pissed off and rant and rave. |
| Sue: |
Do you need a minute? |
| Jack: |
Nah, I’m good. |