Thanks
Danny
My first encounter with Hunter S Thompson and how he changed my holidays Part 11
*Home and Epilogue*
We had to go home on the Sunday so we just hung out with the Family, as it would be some time before I would see them again.
We went shopping so Martin could find a new pair of jeans. He still couldn’t understand what happened to his underpants , we also bought some presents for the girls.
Rob gave us a treat on Saturday night by pulling out a high powered Slug Gun and we spent all night with a torch blowing away Cane Toads in the back yard.
It was the ultimate revenge for Martin even though we had to collect all the carcasses on Sunday morning before we left.
The bus station was a sad affair because it would be 12 months before I saw Lin and the kids again. It would be under less celebratory circumstances than this trip.
Rob would get some wild hair up his arse and want to become a teenager again and desert them in another six months - no one saw it coming - especially Linda and the kids sadly.
We climbed on the bus and came face to face with Ron again. He pretended we’d never met and we accepted that as forgiveness.
It didn’t matter, the trip back seemed so much shorter because we managed to sleep so much easier.
Our bodies were just giving in.
After I returned to Melbourne I managed to devour most of
Hunter S Thompson’s books and continued to enjoy his works as time progressed. I still do today.
I was surprised that he committed suicide in 2005 until I read a few more articles. The man had lived like Hemmingway and died like him. There was no way he was going to pushed around in a wheelchair and not be part of the lifestyle. In the end it was an addiction.
Not just the drugs, guns and cars.
The whole attitude.
I realized after the holiday I didn’t want to live like Hunter and only started writing again this year after a very long layoff,
As for Martin he became a printer for various companies, still is.
He never managed to get jailed (which at one stage in his life was a strong possibility) but did loose his licence for a long time (another funny story how he lost it and why he couldn’t get it back)
He was best man at my wedding in 1991 and he looked marvelous, Trimmed beard, suit , short hair.
Then about 2 years after that he had a lifestyle change (if possible)
These days he rides a 18 gear tricyle around has hair and a beard around his waist (it’s still vivid red) and a nose piercing.
Still loves his weed and the blues. Two things I have no tolerance for anymore.
He is still single.
He sees my Mum still and my younger brother a bit but I haven’t had physical contact with him for nearly 3 years.
Which will change soon - if I can arrange it.
Thanks for those who shared this journey.
It was a great stroll down memory lane after a being jolted out of my memory banks after a few unrelated incidents got me thinking.
So in no particular order thanks to Mr Khan, Bill Bryson, my old photo collection under the bed, My friends Jimmy and Martin and the memory of Hunter Stockton Thompson (deceased).
