Total Pageviews. Thursday 31 December The German Lady. It was in October , about the time of his 87th birthday. My father Kevin was spending a few days with us in Geelong. He and I went to a local bakery to buy some meat pies for lunch. There was a queue so we waited our turn patiently. Kevin picked up on her accent and responded in German.
Even then, I thought that his German language skills were limited to the pleasantries. The lady, however, was less than impressed. Offended by my father's approach, she braced her shoulders and stood even taller.
Her bosoms rose over my head. You can speak to me in English! I have been in this country 37 years. I took a step back but Kevin held his ground and continued to speak to her in German. He spoke to her politely, softly and fluently, not even stopping to search for an occasional word. I was gobsmacked! Just when I thought the German lady was about to king-hit my Dad, she suddenly went quiet. She calmed down and, surprise, surprise, her bosoms deflated and she resumed her normal height.
She responded to my father, now speaking in German herself. They chatted in German for a minute or so but then stopped and returned to English. You are Dutch, yes? I think you are from Switzerland. Kevin Byrne, June Wednesday 30 December Friendly Fire. Oaklands is a small town in the New South Wales Riverina district. Kevin, my father, worked for Kevin, his uncle, in the Rourke Brothers stock and station agency business. Kevin Rourke was an excellent auctioneer and my father, his clerk.
Kevin enlisted in the Army on 5 Aug Sometimes I wonder whether his enlistment was simply a ruse to leave Oaklands. He had worked for his uncle since the age of 16 and was now almost I think Kevin felt he was in a rut and just wanted to move on.
