One evening, during the week, as I laid on mi bed at Arthurs' place, I was bored shitless, staring up at the ceiling. I was trying to think of something to fill in the time. 'Ah, fuck it!', I thought, I'll ride into the Lake, that'll fill in a bit of time.
Walking down the street, towards Blackers Hotel, Gus who was the Publicans' son, was sitting on the steps of the hotel with a few blokes who I'd become real friendly with.
"G'day.", I said, as I stopped for a natter.
"How are ya Yorky, ya Pommy Bastard?", said Robbie Townsend. "What are ya doing in town mid-week?"
"I was bored out at Arthurs' place. There's not much to do of an evening out there."
"How's Arthur treating ya?", asked Gus.
"Great mate. He's a real good bloke."
"Better than old Burts' eh?", said another one of mi new-found mates.
"Tell us that story again.", said Surrey, who was also a pommy who used to work for Burt.
"Nah mate, I've told ya that one a dozen times."
"Yeah, I know mate but it gets better every time ya tell it."
"What are you blokes doing?", I asked.
"We're off upstairs for a game of Pontoon. Ya wanna join us?"
"Shit yeah, why not.", I said, practicing mi new Aussie Bush lingo.
"Ya wanna beer Yorky?", asked Surrey.
"I don't really drink Surrey, but I'll have a Seven."
"A Seven's only for puftas and sheilas. They drink Sevens mate. I'll shout ya a middy sport."
Everyone had a great laugh about this little joke.
"Ya gotta learn to drink, fight and fuck if ya want to survive in the Bush, sport."
This statement caused another round of raucous laughter from the blokes.
Once we were upstairs, it was decided, whoever had the most money in their pocket was nominated the Banker. Roddy, who owned the clothes shop next door and also the SP Bookie over at Twitchys' Hotel, had the honor of being banker. The rules of the game were explained to me, the limit was set and the card game started.
I didn't have much money in mi pocket so I didn't expect to be in the game too long. To my surprize, I started to win a few hands. By the end of the night, I'd won about 5 quid. I couldn't believe
mi luck. While I was way out in front, I said,
"It's gettin' late, I think I'll take off. I've got to get up early tomorrow."
"Like fuckin' hell!", said Robbie. "You've got a lot of my money in ya pocket mate. You've gotta' give me a chance to win some of it back."
Roddy was a bit full, plus he was bigger than me, so I said,
"No worries Roddy, I'll stay for half an hour more and that's it."
"Right-o mate."
Roddy dealt the cards and at the end of the half hour, I had more of Roddys' money in front of me on the table.
"That's it Roddy.", I said, as I won the last game.
"Half an hour more!", said Surrey, as he pulled out his wallet.
"No, fuck it. That's it, I'm off. Thanks for the game.", I said.
I scooped the money off the table and filled up mi trouser pockets.
"Ya must have 5 or 6 quids worth of shrapnel there mate, and most of that is my money.", said Roddy.
"Was your money!", I reminded him.
Outside, on the street, I swung me leg over the saddle of the Honda. A few coins fell out of mi trouser pocket onto the street. As I bent down to pick 'em up, a few more coins fell out. I had so many coins in mi pockets they were bulging. I didn't have a coat on, so I shook 'em around a bit to make more room.
Everything went well as I rode out of town on the bitumen but as soon as I hit the dirt road things changed. As I maneuvered around the first corrugated corner at a reasonable pace, I heard a tinkling sound. Some of the coins had fallen out of mi pockets onto the exhaust pipe and then bounced onto the stony ridges in the road. Parking mi bike safely off the road, I went back to take a look. Surveying the corrugation, I found a couple of half-crowns, three 2 bob bits and a few Zacks (sixpence).
Gathering them up, I was thinking, 'This is not too good! At this rate, I'll be broke before I get back to Arthurs.' Suddenly, I had a bright idea. I transferred a few of the coins into mi socks and pulled 'em up tight. I had to keep stopping and pulling them up on the way home.
Eventually, I made it. Sitting on the bed, in mi hut, I counted the coins. I had almost 7 quid!
The next morning, when Arthur came out, he said,
"How are ya this morning Yorky?"
"Not bad Arthur. I went to town last night."
"I thought I heard ya leave mate but I wasn't sure, since ya put those new baffles back in the exhaust pipe. I can hardly hear it when ya take off."
I told Arthur about mi big win at Pontoon. He had a good laugh at the part where the coins were falling of of mi pockets. At the end of the story, he said,
"Well mate, I'm glad ya won a few quid but I gotta' warn ya Yorky, gambling is a mugs game!"
One evening, a few weeks later, I was in the Lake, sat in Jimmy Xmas' dego shop, having a cupachino when Surrey walked in for a packet of smokes.
"Yorky mate." he said when he saw me and walked over to where I was sitting.
"G'day Surrey, how are ya mate?"
"Bonza mate. We've to another card game goin' on tonight, if ya interested.
"Where at mate?"
"Same place. It's sort'a a weekly thing we do. There's fuck all else to do in the lake, besides drinking. Ya' interested?"
Remembering all the money I'd won the last time, I said, "Shit yeah. What time ya startin'?"
"Probably in half an hour, once we've got a few more middies into us."
"I'll be there.", I said.
"Good on ya mate. It'll give us a chance to get a few bob back that ya won from us last time."
Well, I don't need to tell ya what happened this time. It only took a couple of hours before I'd lost all the money I'd made in the last game. What really gave me the shits was that I lost a quid out of me own money that I'd worked for, stacking up stumps and logs.
Riding back to Arthurs' on mi bike, I was really pissed off with miself for being so stupid. To make matters worse, I heard a little voice in mi head, which I recognized as mi mothers, that said,
"A fool and his money are soon parted lad."
Next day, as Arthur and I sat on a log, having Smoko, I said to him, "I went into the Lake last night mate and played cards at Blackers again."
"Oh yeah Yorky, how did ya go this time mate?"
"Not too good Arthur, I lost the lot, plus I done a quid of mi own."
"Jesus Yorky, that don't sound too good."
"I know. Had I taken your advice Arthur, I'd still be in front, but instead it cost me 7 quid and a quid of mi own which makes 8 quid and that's what I make here for a weeks work!"
"Oh well Yorky, not to worry mate. That's how most of us learn, the hard way. How do ya think I know that gambling's a mugs game."
Arthur gave me a wink and a smile, then rolled himself another Log Cabin.
