Cunt Bubblegum and Other Stories.

Well, this is something new for me.
I'm going to write about experiences that are not my own.

My beloved of nearly 20 years, grew up in South Sydney territory, the second of four children born to Lebanese immigrants.
His brother, Greg, being just short of 18 months his senior.

These stories belong to them.

It has always been a source of wonder and pride to me that each and every time either - and if you're really lucky, both of these boys, relate even the most fragmented story from their youth, the entire room freezes, enchanted by their shenanigans.
It's magical to watch.

Both are natural story tellers, yet more often than not, they choose to exhibit this talent through fiction rather than by drawing on their experiences.
I've been begging Jeff for many years now, to write down something of his childhood and now his escapades as a teacher, but with little success, which means that I'm going to have a crack at doing it now myself.


Now, as rumour would have it, the world was apparently a safer and simpler place in the 60's and 70's, so that these two energetic and, well let's face it (trust me on this), naughty children, were comparatively free to roam the streets of the Sydney beach side suburb of Maroubra and it's surrounds without any real fear of interruption or consequence.

And they were not alone.
They had what seems to me to be an endless army of ratbags to collaborate with and an evil genius as a leader, who happily, lived just over the fence.
Whether it was Patrick's advancing years (he was 3 years older), freakish IQ, or that he had a direct line to Satan that placed him in this role, we'll never know.

An ideal Australian childhood...

Many of these stories have been related differently to me by the boys.
And this is one of the reasons I like to hear them both speak about their past together.
Almost like twins, what one forgets, the other remembers.
The tale unfolds like a dusty old rug until even though the pattern may be faded, you're dead certain you can see just what it looked like all those years ago.
They can connect to their childhood with such warmth and clarity that it glows. It's beautiful.
I hope I can do it justice.

So, in putting this together, I'm going to write what I know and then perhaps punctuate it with quotes from the culprits themselves.
Perhaps I'll even bring Mum in on it, hang the expense.

I may go on to change the names in order to protect the innocent, but I'm not too sure that anyone actually was innocent. Not really.
Maybe that's what makes it so special.

So, standby, I shall get it together soon and you shall soon know all about Cunt Bubblegum and Other Stories.