We were travelling up the Bruce Highway. I was getting worried about the temperature of the engine, we would have to stop soon. ‘Oh well,’ I thought ‘... don’t have to be there until 6.’ They would probably be late closing for the night anyway. They have to get everything on board before morning.
I was taking a week off work. First break I’d had in 2 years actually. Camping on the Barrier Reef mmm yeah! Well for me it was something to look forward to while under duress of day to day office drudgery. Gympie was ahead. Yep. We could stop there. There is sure to be a radiator repair place there somewhere. Sure enough we found one.
A guy in his fifties comes out. He knew we were on our way somewhere - we hadn’t rang - half worried look on his face. Brought the car to a stop on the gravel. Afternoon sun making its depressing presence felt. Inside I explain to him the situation. He comes out and has a look. Fidgets round with the motor a bit. He starts to talk about how much work he has to do.
‘Just when all the work starts coming in too!.. my second man is in Brisbane! .. his wife is having a baby!.. how am I expected to get any work done when my second man is in Brisbane?... In my time when your wife was having a baby, you stayed at work!... What do you think the country was built on?’ It was time to ponder. Yeah? What was the country built on? Do you stay at work while the wife is having a baby?

‘She wasn’t born in a hospital.’
‘Oh?.. at home?’ I asked.
‘Yes,’ she continued...’underwater.’
‘Oh ok, yeah I’ve heard of a few people that have done that.’ I kept my eyes on the road and decided to concentrate back on the driving. Well this conversation was going nowhere after I brought up the statement made by the radiator repair guy. This couple had been with us since Gympie. On their way to Mareeba. Could only take ‘em as far as Bundaberg. I grappled for something to say.....
Perfect! I thought .. why didn’t I think of it sooner? I’ll ask them what they’ve called her!
‘What have you called her?’ I eventually asked.
Even before they answered I realised that we hadn’t even exchanged names in the first place. Well.... ‘We don’t believe in names,’ came the reply.
Right.

cmc, 1996