Talk twenty four.
Sydney Zoo, 04thJanuary
- As it appeared, the best way to get to Sydney Taronga Zoo[3] was to take a ferry form the most important harbour, located in the heart of Sydney - the Circular Quai [4]. The one where the famous Opera House is situated.
- From the ferry I was enjoying the view of all the Sydney attractions and landmarks which were really impressive.
- And the Zoo which is located on a hill falling down towards the bay, gives an excellent perspective to watch Sydney while walking around.
- Much ado about nothing. The garden is small, the exhibits (!) very are well known. If not for the sweet koalas, I would’ve been disappointed. Nothing exceptionally cool.
- Good that you are cool! What indifference! Nothing can please you! Didn’t you like those seals poorly trained? Didn’t you like those unique species which would hide and nobody could see? Didn’t you like those boring talks about some animals? Didn’t you like those long queues to see the most interesting creatures? Nothing turns you on?
- What turns me on is your story about Jim and Tomek. I have my role in it, don’t I?
- We’ll get to this soon. Have a sit here on this bench, watch Sydney spreading in front of us, look at those thousands of sail boats on the bay. The sun is shining, let’s enjoy our ice-cream and listen to what happened next.
- In the story, who is the main character, Tomek or Jim?
- Tomek is the main actor. Jim, the actor of the second plan, about whom I can’t tell much good, was totally subject to Tomek’s manipulation. They both decided to outsmart me and as a result of their plot, I’d have to totally submit to their will.
- What did they expect you to do?
- To grant Jim a job, which meant providing then with survival money.
- For a living?
- They had huge expenses. I wouldn’t know much deitails. Some debts, some obligations.
- Did you submit to their will?
- No kidding! I orderd Tomek to leave my office and never come to my sight again. I was left there with great disgust and some indefinite fear that they might do some harm to me.
- Did Jim contact you?
- He was too much of a coward to look at me full in the face. I saw him only once again. For a short while. After breaking up with Tomek and leaving Poland for good, Jim worked as a flight attendant for an airline operating between the USA and Germany. One day I accidentaly bumped into him at the big airport in Frankfurt. We exchanged casual greetings and that was all.
- And Tomek?
- He kept renting the flat from me and quite regularly paid the bills.
- Until he stopped.
- The unpaid bill accumulated for a half a year. One day he moved out and covered up his tracks. I had no slightest doubt what I was supposed to do. I managed to find his new address and sent him a letter calling upon him to the debt. Another letter I sent to the address of his university where he was doing his Phd studies.
- Did you threaten him to sue him?
- Call it whatever you like, but I followed the Polish (!) law.
- What was the result?
- None at the beginning. It ended up with a lawsuit, as a result of which we came to terms. He paid the debt in full and I waived the accumulated interest.
- That’s all?
- I think that was all. However, I must tell you what I heard from him before you showed up at that penultimate stage of my relationship with Tomek.
- Did you meet up?
- He brought the debt money in person. He took the advantage of the moment to blame Jim for having ruined a part of his life and left him alone.
- Would you listen to this?
- It was a bit masochistic on my par but at the same time it necessary for me to be able to close the chapter. Tomek decided to change himself and live life to the fullest. He’d tell me about his regular outings to Berlin, to various gay events. About his meeting young men. About his plan of moving to Germany.
- Before we start a chapter with Tomek and me in the background, let’s take a breath and go back to Sydney.
- My pleasure.
- The day we spent with Paul and Andrew yesterday was a surprise too. In a sense.
- We’d go to the Sydney beaches with them, which are countless there. Paul and Andrew took us to see the most interesting ones. We saw family beaches by secure bays, the others by the open ocean with huge waves and sharks, for courageous surfers, and still more beaches with a beautiful view over the city.
- And those for naturists and gays?
- There are some, too. Exactly, strangely enough, our friends from Bali didn’t take us there. We are seeing Sharron and Wayne tomorrow, they go to those beaches frequently. They might take us there.
- I was also astonished when Paul and Andrew, quite suddenly, said good-bye to us in the afternoon, in spite of the plan of spending the whole day with us.
- I can only think of one reason. During the day we wouldn’t show enough interest in spending the rest of the evening and night with them…
- Speak openly. We didn’t want to fuck with them.
- And they found it as a waste of time.
- We may be judging them too harshly. There weren’t any hints.
- We must’ve bored them. That’s why a nice acquaintance at the beginning, failed the test of time.
- Thanks to the situation we could watch a spectacular sunset by ourselves only.
- We’ve been wandering around in Sydney one week only and I can already say I love the city.
- I, too, like it a lot. I mainly like the leeway in the streets with those pubs and restaurants. The food from all over the world, the order in the city, the weather, and the organization of the numerous mass events.
- I love Sydney for its perfect metropolitan transportation, tourist information, the climate, both responsible for weather and that amongst the people. Let’s don’t forget the coffee! They brew excellent coffee here!
- I don’t like the prices, to make things clear.
- The Australian economic boom is not friendly for tourists with US dollars.
- If I had a practical profession, I could live here and work.
- I could live here, too.
- Well, are we moving to Australia?
- One condition: we’re taking our summer house from Wisełka with us. And its surrounding too.
- Talking doesn’t hurt.
[1] Taronga Zoo Sydney
[2] Circular Quai Sydney
[3] Taronga Zoo Sydney
[4] Circular Quai Sydney
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