Stories Prompted By Random Photos

This is a picture of my friend Che.

We were all partying well 'ard the night this flick was taken, but that's not what this post is about.

About 5 or 6 years ago, Che, Weez (another friend who will surely make an appearance in my new 'Stories Prompted By Random Photos' section at some stage) and I were drinking at a bar in outer eastern MEL near where we all grew up. It was pretty early in the day, the bar was quiet, and from memory we were the only patrons in there.

The publican knicked out the back for a second and next thing you know - ZHOOM! A junkie shot into the bar out of nowhere like the Gott Damm Glimmer Man and racked a bottle of Drambuie from behind the bar. Now, "if I can slander my own environment" (to quote Jack Nicholson) we grew up in the kind of area where you get used to this type of behaviour, and the bar was certainly in a location where you would expect 'the junkie crowd' to be milling around somewhere nearby. So the three of us weren't particularly phased, and only reluctantly got involved when the barman came sprinting out after the thief.

The junkie was genuinely surprised, and slightly put-out, when he realised he was being pursued. So he broke into a wonky canter. As he neared the exit, which we three were sat beside, the barman's shouts for help, coupled with his forlorn 'I am man, we are human' expression, dragged Che into action. He got up just as the junkie crossed the threshold and for the briefest instant tasted freedom. He took one big step as the junkie momentarily disappeared outside the front door, one step closer to sharing the swag with his smackie mates. Then, Che stuck one mighty hand out the door, around the corner, and dragged the poor wretch back in to the bar by the collar.

Queue expletives and resignation from the junkie, and over-the-top gratitude from the barman.

I think, in the end, he gave us one free pot each. And that was it.