FIRST TIME IN THE SHED ©

    The following morning I was sat on the curb outside Twitcheys at a quarter to six waiting for the contractor. As I was sat there wondering what shed life would be like, a cars' horn beeped and Don Freeman pulled into the curb.

"G'day Don." I said, as I jumped up.
"G'day Chummy. Hop in mate, we've gotta pick up the other blokes."
As I got in the front of the Falcon Sedan, he said, "I hope old Gundy's sober this morning. He was pissed as a chook yesterday. It took him a couple of hours to sober up. He only shore 15 sheep the first run."
"Isn't 15 sheep a lot to shear in one run?, I asked.
"That's nothing for a shearer of Gundys' capabilities Chummy. When Gundy's sober and he feels like working, I've seen him shear a couple of hundred a day and not break out in a sweat. 'Course, he's very rarely sober."

      We drove around Shamens Corner where the blackfellas' hung out. There was a couple of 'em sitting on the bench swigging on a half-gallon flagon of plonk.
"I don't know how those blokes do it.", said Don. "I've seen 'em sat there in the  hot sun all day getting full on plonk."
"Where do they git the money from?", I asked.
"They get a government check every week and most of 'em spend the whole lot on cheap plonk."

     We pulled into the curb again and a young bloke about my age hopped in the front beside me.
"G'day Freeman, how ya going mate?",  he said.
"G'day Boney, how ya going mate? D'ya know Chummy?", said Don.
"I've heard of ya mate. Mi brother Kenny told me about ya."
"Good to meet ya Boney.", I said as we shook hands.
"How's Kenny doing?, said don.
     Boney, who was a small, thin bloke with jet black hair and a cheeky smile said, with a laugh,
"He's fast asleep in the front seat of his car. He got full as a boot again last night. He drove home from Twitcheys  but was too drunk to make it from the car to our front door."
"Jeezus", said Donny, "What does his new missus think about that?"
"She ain't too pleased about it.", said Boney between laughs and giggles. "They've been married for two months now and he's only slept with her about half a dozen times. The rest of the time he's been drunk in his car."
"How long till she has the kid?", asked Don.
"About a month, I think. I asked Kenny the same question the other day and he said 'what kid?"
Boney had a real good laugh over this little joke.

"This is gonna be Chummys first day in the shed Boney so teach him the ropes, alright mate?"
"Ya haven't worked in the sheds before Chummy?"
" Only for half a day out at old Burt Booths' place."
"They tell me old Burt's a bit of a hard man to work with.", said Don.
"That's an understatement.", I said.
     Everyone had a real good laugh at that.

     Shearers and roust-a-bouts are always trying to take the piss out of each other, probably 'cause it makes the day go by easier and relieves the tension from the hard work.

     The car pulled up in front of a cream-colored weather-board house and Donny Freeman honked the horn. After a few minutes a bloke appeared at the door and called out, "Be right with you."

"Jeezus", said Don. "Old Gundy doesn't look too good to me this morning. I heard he was as full as a boot up at Giltraps' bar last night."
"He doesn't mind a drop now and then.", said Boney, with a giggle.
"Ya not wrong there.", said Don. "It's a bit hard to say anything about it though cause he's such a good shearer. Even when he's crook from the grog he's cleaner and faster than a lot a' blokes."

     The front door of Gundys' house re-opened and Gundy walked out. He looked a bit sick and was a little unsteady on his feet as he walked over the dead and patchy grass of his front lawn. Just before he got to the car, his old lady came running after him with a packet of fags in her hand. He took the fags from her and never said a word. As Gundy neared the back door of Don Freemans car, he tripped over a crack in the cement and nearly crashed into the glass.

"Open the back door for him Chummy before he hurts himself.", said Don.
     Leaning mi arm over the back seat, I pulled up on the handle and pushed on the door. The door almost knocked Gundy over and he took a couple of steps backwards. Very carefully he maneuvered round the open door and slowly got in the back of the Sedan.
"Ya tryin' to knock me arse over head?", said Gundy as he made himself comfortable.
"No", I said. "It was my fault for shoving the door so hard."
"What's your name?", he said with a drunken grin on his face.
"Yorky.", I said.
"What kinda' fuckin' name is that?", he said with slurry speech.
"It's a knickname 'cause I come from Yorkshire."
"Fuckin' hell.", said Gundy "A pommy fuckin' bastard! What are ya doing in the sheds?"
"It's Chummys first day.", said Don. "We're gonna teach him to Roust-a-bout."
"Chummy eh?", said Gundy. "That's not a bad fuckin' name. I think I'll call ya Chummy from now on."

"D'ya have a hard night at Giltraps Gundy?", asked Boney.
"I sure fuckin' did mate. I never got home till 1 O'clock this morning and the missus was as cranky as hell with me. She made me sleep on the couch all night. She was still cranky this morning. Oh shit, mi head's not too good either. Hey Freeman."
"What d'ya want Gundy?", said Don.
"Can ya go a bit easier on those fuckin' corners mate, mi brain's slopping around in last nights grog."
"How many are ya gonna' shear today if I slow down?", said Don, in a joking way.
"How many did I shear yesterday?
"102.", said Don.
"Alright, "I'll shear 103 today. How's that?"
"Could ya do 150 please.", said Don, taking the piss out of Gundy.
"You fuckin' contractors are never satisfied.", said Gundy as he pulled a fag out of his packet.
"Give us a light Boney.", He said.
"I haven't got one Gundy.", said Boney.
"Here ya go Gundy.", I said as I flicked the lighter.
"Good on ya Chummy, ya pommy bastard! Me and you are gonna git on real well mate."

      Gundy was a very funny character. He was about 5 foot 10 with dry, wavy hair. He had a bald spot in the middle of his head and the hair was starting to thin at the front. His eyes were blue and his broken nose shot off to the side at a very acute angle. He was dressed in the usual shearers garb which was a cardigan, blue singlet with a reinforced patch on the front-left side, double-legged heavy-duty blue denim shearers dungarees which helped slightly to keep the thistles out, wooly socks and shearers boots. The trousers were help up with an elastic belt made out of good-quality surgical elastic.

"Where's that fuckin' Athel Cook this morning Freeman?", said Gundy.
"We're gonna pick him up now. Suppose he was with ya at Giltraps last night was he?", said Don.
"Yeah.", said Gundy. "The bastard tried to miss out on buying a round before he left. He can be as tight as a fishes asshole."

     The car ground to a halt at the far end of town and another shearer was sat on the curb smoking a home-made.
     He was a thick-set bloke with a whiskery face. Not a very good-looking bloke at all. His thick wavy hair was plastered down on his large head and he had a sweat towel around his neck like a scarf.
"G'day ya fuckin' bastards.", Athel said, as he got in the back besides Gundy.
"G'day.", said Don. "This is Chummy, Athel. He's roust-a-bouting for us today."
"G'day Athel.", I said as I leaned over to shake his hand.
"A fuckin' pommy bastard eh?" I've never seen a good one yet."
"This one is a fuckin' beaut, so go easy on him today Athel cause it's his first day.", said Don.

     Don let the clutch out and the sedan sped off out of town onto the dirt road heading for the Cockies' shearing shed.

THE QUEEN BEE ©

     On Sunday afternoon, I noticed an older woman, sitting at the bar in the Argent, having a few beers with a group of men and women. She kept staring over at me. I said to Soreback,
"Who's that old bird over there that keeps staring at me?"
"They call her the Queen Bee mate. She's not that old, she's only about 50, if that?"
"Well, I'm only 19 Soreback. 50 seems old to me."
"They tell me she's a bit of a go-er.  She looks like she's got her eye on you!"
"Don't be stupid Soreback. She's old enough to be mi mother."
"Maybe so Yorky but she's taking more than a bit of interest in ya."

     As the afternoon wore on, I forgot all about the Queen Bee 'cause I'd had one too many beers for my liking. I said to Soreback,
"I'm off upstairs for a lay down. Give us a shout at Seven, will ya mate?"
"Alright Yorky. Lend me another 50 will ya mate?"
"Jesus, Soreback, you and money part company pretty quick."
"Yeah mate, I know. Don't worry about me not paying ya back Yorky. I always pay up mi debts."
"Alright Soreback, here's another 50. That make 200 bucks now, alright?"
"Good on a mate. You're a real good cobber."
     Once Soreback had the 50, he bought himself another beer and then looked around the bar for another school to join in.

     As I walked up the stairs to mi room, I was walking along the passage when the Queen Bee came walking around the corner from the opposite end.

"G'day, ya staying in one of the rooms for the weekend?", she said.
"Yeah, Number 17s' mine."
     I'd had a few beers that afternoon so I was not my usual shy self.
"Why don't we have a beer together?"
"I  just came up for a rest. I've had a couple of beers too many already."
"Well one more won't make much difference. I'll go back downstairs and bring up a bottle. Leave the door open for me for when I get back."

     She took off down the corridor and disappeared around the corner. I shot in mi room and locked the door.  'Maybe she was only joking', I thought, as I lay on the bed, mi heart pounding away. I was remembering what Soreback had said about her being a bit of a go-er.

     Some one turned the handle of the door. When it wouldn't open, I heard of couple of light taps. Although my heart was now pounding away with fear, I saw myself get off the bed and walk over to the door. Mi hand reached up and turned the lock. When mi other hand turned the knob and pulled open the door, the Queen Bee quickly stepped inside.
"Lock the door in case anyone comes. I'm not supposed to be up here."

     She put the bottle on the table next to the bed and then said,
"Aren't ya gonna offer me a drink?"
"Oh yeah.", I said, as I popped off the top with the corner of mi round tobacco tin. I poured out a couple of glasses. She said,
"Cheers mate!

     It only took her about 2 swallows and the middy glass of beer was gone. She asked me mi name and where I'd been shearing. As soon as I put the glass down, she stood up and pulled down her knickers and then stepped out of them, all the time not taking her eyes off me. She lay down on the bed and pulled me over on top of her.
"Come on, let's go! Give me a real good, hard fucking!"

     The fear I had been experiencing now turned to incredible excitement as she stuck her tongue half-way down my throat. When I responded, she started to move around on the bed. At the same time, she pulled mi t-shirt out of mi jeans.  I'd only ever been with a couple of young girls before. This was a brand new experience for me.

     The Queen Bee started to moan a bit as she dug her fingernails into my back. Although it hurt somewhat, I did not find myself complaining. She started to tear at mi belt trying to undo it. To make matters easier, I gave her a hand.

     I heard a strange growling sound as I pushed myself into her body. The fear started to come back as she growled and tore at mi skin. Her hips pounded away at mine as her arms and legs wrapped around me in a vice-like grip. The growling grew even louder as she bit my shoulder muscle really hard!

     I used to think I had what it took to be a bit of a stud until the Queen Bee got her teeth into me. All I could think of now, was how I was going to get away from this thrashing, biting and scratching tiger. The growling got loud at one point that I opened my eyes to check and see what it was that I'd let into my room. When I saw it was an old woman, all sorts of feelings started to flash through mi mind.
     Just then, I heard a voice in mi head say, 'What's it like fucking a pensioner?'
     Another voice said, 'Jesus mate, she's old enough to be your mother!'
     A voice I recognized as mi mothers' said, 'Don't forget son, treat every woman you meet with respect like you would your own mother!'
     Then another voice, which I didn't recognize said, 'Don't listen to those wimpy voices. Give the horny, old bitch the best fucking she's ever had in her life!'

     By this time, what with the voices and her animal-like growling, I was totally confused. The energy had built up to such a point now that I could no longer control it. The next thing I felt was a huge explosion from between mi legs. This uncontrollable orgasm sent the Queen Bee into an orgasmic fit of her own.The growling now turned into a scream as she squeezed her thighs together and thrust her crotch into mine.

     I now became aware of the pain in my back as her fingernails dug into mi skin and clawed their way downwards. After it was all over, I pulled her arms from around me. It was like trying to get away from an octopus with nails.

     When I eventually got free, I said, "You better go before someone finds you up here."
"Yeah, perhaps you're right."

     As I watched her get dressed, I was feeling all sorts of emotions again, not to mention the burning sensation in mi back. Once she was dressed, she re-adjusted her skirt and said, "See ya around honey."
"Yeah, see ya later.", I said as I quietly locked the door behind her, in case she changed her mind.

     As I sat on the side of the bed where she had just lain, I could smell her odor all over the place. I sprinkled some of mi Old Spice After Shave on the top cover, to get rid of it.  I pulled off mi good white t-shirt and discovered it was blood-stained. I walked over to the long mirror and turned mi back to it, twisting mi neck so I could see.

     It was not a pretty sight. There were long, red fingernail marks all the way down mi back. They started at the center of mi back and curved down towards mi ribs. There were still drops of blood trickling down the tracks.
     A new feeling started to creep in, as I stood there. I felt incredibly dirty. I grabbed the towel which was hanging over the end of the bed and made mi way along the corridor to the shower, hoping not to bump into any of the other shearers that were staying there.

     Once the hot water was adjusted right, I stood under the shower for ages trying to wash away the voices. The water stung mi back as it washed over the open skin. After a while I couldn't feel it. 'It must have gone numb.', I thought.

     The next time I saw the Queen Bee in the Argent Hotel, she looked past me like she didn't even know me. I lit up a smoke, picked up mi beer and carried on with mi life like it had never really happened.

  The next shed I shore at, one of the shearers asked me if I'd got drunk and fallen into a barb-wire fence, when he saw mi shoulders.
"No mate, I had a dream I was fighting a huge tiger and when I woke up the scratches were there!"
"Right mate! Pull this one, it's got fucking bells on it.