Sipping Wine With A Murderer

Of course I asked what she'd been convicted of.   She answered with, "Manslaughter" and I had visions of a car accident or something similar, but no, she'd murdered a bikie she'd been involved with.   "Self defence?" I speculated.    She gave me a funny little look.    "Yes, yes, it was self defence" and of course, by her look, I knew it wasn't.     Hooley dooley, I thought.   I just can't imagine taking someone's life.

"I just took out the rubbish," she said matter of factly.   "Even the police said that's what I'd done."

And even as she spoke, I was thinking, "Here I was thinking of telling everyone about the people I met on the beach yesterday, and now I've been sitting down with a murderer."

The funny thing is though, that she is the second murderer I've met since I've been in Esperance!    The other one is a guy here at the caravan park.    He showed me a dreadful scar on his arm a couple of weeks ago and said, "It still makes me angry to think of the arsehole who did this to me.    I only wished I could dig the bastard up and kill him again!"      I couldn't help laughing.     I've never heard such an eloquent oath.   (Apart from the one which goes:   "If ya do that agin, I'll rip ya fuckin' head off and spit down ya neck!")

Okay, no more swearing ... my poor aunts and uncles who read this will be reeling in their chairs.   (I'm only quoting other people Aunty Sherry).   xxx

You might gather from the above that I'm keeping pretty low company, but that's not the case at all.     Any caravan park which has a high number of permanents is bound to have people who are hiding out, running away, dropping out, living it tough.   I keep to myself here and don't feel at all nervous or frightened.     Even the man who threatened me, and who has the reputation in the park for being a "nutcase", is still seen as "okay, if you don't rile him up".      

I'm heading away from this caravan park on Sunday anyway.    I've found a beautiful spot to stay, if not quite for the whole of summer, then at least for the next several weeks or so.     A lovely old couple in their 70's have offered me a spot on their small property near town.   I will have my own toilet and shower (which I will share with anyone who comes to stay in their little granny flat) and best of all, where I can park my van looks right into a gorgeous little tropical rainforest.    They aren't charging me any rent, which will make it far easier for me to try and recoup my $2,000 overspend on my current budget to date.

I started work today at one of the shops in town and have some regular work coming up for the next couple of months.    I've also volunteered at the local library and joined a great little drumming circle which I'm really enjoying.     So, murderers nothwithstanding, I'm starting to make some friends here and feel quite at home.

Yesterday, as I strolled along my favourite beach here I met a woman who was also walking her dog and we stopped for a chat.     I detected a bit of an accent and when I asked if it was a South African one, she said, "No, East Africa.     I come from an idyllic little place called Mombasa in Kenya."      She explained that it was a wonderful life there, with servants to do everything for you and it wasn't until she was 37 and came to Australia that she'd ever made a bed or did anything remotely domestic for herself.  

It was an absolutely gorgeous day.   The sun was shining brightly and there were about 20 or 30 surfers out in the water.   Kids playing.   Another group of men playing volleyball.   A typical summer image.   A little further along the beach, another couple stopped to admire Marlo and we ended up talking.     He is a psychologist from England.      It's just fascinating who you might meet in your day here.      Esperance is the kind of place where people come to and invariably stay.     I know myself that after the Nullabor Plain, Esperance looked like The Promised Land - trees and green grass and absolutely EXQUISITE beach with crystal clear turquoise water.

Which reminds me, I put an advertisement in the local paper under "Wanted - house sitting or place to park caravan etc., and included also that I was looking for work, citing admin, graphic design, retail, "anything really" as work I could do.      Several days later, my phone rang and "Private Number" came up on my screen.      Since David's phone comes up with Private Number and it was around the time he usually rings, I answered with a very enthusiastic, "Hello darling!" and this voice asked, "Aaah, I'm ringin' about your ad ... I just wanted to know, do you do 'Personal Services'?"     I really wasn't sure if it was David having a joke with me, or not, so I asked (very warily), "Mmmmm..... what kind of personal services did you have in mind?"      The man replied, "You know, PERSONAL services."      lol        It was all I could not to burst out laughing.     Making up my budget isn't THAT important to me.    "No, I'm sorry, I'm not offering the kind of services you are after," I told him.   

He was quite polite and I even wondered if it was the local vice squad checking up on new 'personal service' ads.   The 'girls' from Kalgoorlie are frequent visitors here it seems.

My drumming circle is a real delight.     The ladies there have all made me feel so welcome and even though I started two lessons behind everyone else, they have remained kind and patient with me.     I just cannot get the hang of putting two pieces of music together.     I can get one right, but as soon as I have to incorporate the next rhythm, I'm lost!      Never mind ... the theory is that anyone can just keep repeating one of the rhythms and it will all come out alright in the end.     But it sounds absolutely fantastic when it all comes together.     I'd be quite happy, standing in a corner dancing to it.

I was just blown away after the first lesson (drums supplied), when one of the other ladies presented me with one of her drums, telling me, "Here, take this one home and you can practise on it."      I didn't know the woman, and she didn't know me, but I was so chuffed that she trusted me enough with her precious (and expensive) African tribal drum.      One of the teachers is going up to Perth in the next week or so and has offered to buy drums for those who want them - and I'm going to lash out and buy one.     Apart from a zither I once owned, it will be my first musical instrument.

So ... life continues along pleasantly and happily.     I got myself into a bit of a lather about a situation in Second Life, but after talking to a couple of friends in there who gave me some sound advice, I've relaxed about it all.     The problem was with someone who I felt was dominating me and I reacted badly.     As I told them, I've had someone trying to dominate me my whole life and I will not allow anyone else to try it.     The thing is, this woman and I are very similiar in a lot of ways, but totally opposite in others.     It's a good illustration - to see your 'other self'.      

I was listening to someone on the radio today and they said, "You never make any progress in life unless you take yourself out of your comfort zone" and I feel that life for me now, is out of my comfort zone in some ways .... so it feels like I am moving forward.   I continue to feel secure and loved in regard to my relationship with David and I'm basically happy with my life.     I'm intending to follow a Raw Food Diet - perhaps not totally, but principally - and I'm excited about the changes that will bring.

Life is good.

Photos:   This seal came in so close to the shore, I thought he/she would come right out of the water.   The other photos are examples of some of the architecture here in Esperance.