My response to Alissa Leonard’s ‘Finish that Thought #2-25‘.

Start With: In the beginning, there was only [explosions], [chaos], and a bottle of whiskey.

Include: An Emu (my choice from three)

“‘In the beginning, there was only explosions, chaos, and a bottle of whiskey.’

That was how my dad saw it anyway, as you know every year he’d get all the children, cousins, and eventually the grandchildren together to go camping, and tell stories round the camp fire. Something about getting back to nature, escaping the normalities and routine of life. Dad was always in his element there, his first year acting classes at Tafe really shining through. When I was younger I loved those cool spring nights, I’d invite friends, and listen intently to stories I’d heard many times before.

It was just that one line, about the beginning of everything, and that one bottle of whisky, which told us all it was soon time for bed. I remember one year though, I must have been fourteen, I broke the silence which had settled after he’d finished that first line with:

‘Why a bottle of whisky?’

Then he said something to me which I’ve never forgotten, ‘Why whisky you say? All the crazy, deadly and just down right wacko which call Australia home needed to have come from somewhere. I came into this world because of a soon to be empty bottle of whisky and two glasses, look what that did to me. I’m perfectly normal but I know I’m part crazy and that’s half the fun.’

That’s how I want to remember him, always excited about something, thinking up impossible inventions which would never have made it in the real world, but to him they made sense. So eventually, we would too. His wild hair giving him the air of a mad scientist.

He really liked Emus, they were in the weird category he’d filed himself into. A large bird who can’t fly, but makes it work in this strange place. I loved him for that.”

I looked up at the hall of people, my eyes now damp with tears.

“Goodbye Dad. And thank you. Thank you for everything!”

Thanks for reading! And I hope you all have a very merry Christmas, and for those who don’t celebrate Christmas I hope you have happy holidays!
Anna x