My brother Pete and his Kelly wife flew half way around the world before landing in Melbourne. They picked up her daughter and drove the nine hundred kilometers to Sydney so they could be present at his son’s wedding. After arriving in Budgewoi they stopped overnight at the Oasis Caravan Park in Budgewoi and slept in pretty little cabin overlooking the lagoon.

They arrived on my doorstep at 10am on the 29th Oct. I had been recovering from wearing myself out at the hot rod show the week before. The only thing I hadn’t been able to rein in was the Insomnia so I had only had my head down an hour or so and when they knocked I couldn’t get my mind and body to function together. This sort of thing happens to a lot of people with problems like mine. The body relaxes and is trying to rebuild itself. There was also a constant wave of pain for the same reasons. I was deeply ashamed and upset to have to ask them to head up the shops and give me time to recover. As it happened that was not a problem for them. They had come to ask me if I wanted to go over to his son’s house for a while and they went there.

They came back at around three in the afternoon and jet lag had set in for them while the break in sleep was still bothering me. We all fell asleep and on waking they headed off to the Oasis for a snooze with the agreement that we would meet again in the evening at about six O’clock and go out for a meal.

When they came back we decided to try out the restaurant at the Coast Hotel at Budgewoi. I had heard good things about it.

We had known of the wedding for months and it taken all of that time for me to prepare. Not just for the wedding but for the days around it as well. I had a pair of hiking boots rebuilt with high soles so I could go out and be able to walk. That had taken weeks to get done but the Shoeman at Toukley did a good job and it ended up that I was able to be comfortable for the whole evening. In my cupboard there had not been one decent, casual, long-sleeved and collared shirt left and all of my golf style shirts have aged with holes in them. The community worker took me to Tuggerah to the Superstore and we went to Rivers clothing store. It took weeks to arrange but having a shirt that suited the occasion felt good.

I was very surprised by the Superstore. I had not been there for years and it had been lively both upstairs and down that time. This time most of the upstairs was empty apart from some contemporary artists in the spaces that had once been stores. The bookshop which had been there still is and is still very good. Rivers was there too hidden among the slightly darkened halls. Rivers was a surprise. Normally when I buy clothes late in the season all of the reasonable designs in my size are sold. Most stores only stock the amount of each style they expect to move quickly. Rivers had all the styles and plenty of sizes. The sizes were even correct. I didn’t have to buy an XXL to get an L! The Mall’s low lighting and empty stores left me feeling very odd, as though I had tripped into some apocalyptic movie or something. I was sore and tired after the walk through the Mall. The worker got me back to the car and we left. She is used to watching me for symptoms of exhaustion. When my health was even worse than now she once had to support me all the way back to the car. I am sometimes too stupid to know when I have had enough!

It took about three days to get the pain in my legs down to where I could relax or sleep without being invaded by it.

As I said before, having clothes that were right for a casual night out was pleasant. So sick of being shabby! I knew also how important the whole weekend was to my brother. His pride and happiness were a fierce glow in his eyes!

The restaurant was big and airy with polished wood floors and hardwood chairs. The chairs were a bit of a shock. They were comfortable and looked great. The first time one reached to move them they seemed to be bolted to the floor. We are not used to hardwood chairs and that stuff is heavy!

We had not booked and it was Friday night but we were early enough and the staff competent enough to get us a nice table. The staff are very good and we felt quite pampered. Because we were so early and there was no one there at first the noise levels were really odd. Every sound seemed loud and harsh. After a few people had settled into their seats the sounds seemed to drop to normal.

We all had a drink (bourbon for me) and ordered light appetizers which were delicious although after all this time I can’t remember what we had. The main meals ranged from ricotta to pasta and filet mignon. It was delicious with generous portions and well-plated. We really enjoyed ourselves. I had not seen my brother in many years and had lost a brother since the last time so this was a big deal for us all I guess. Pete wanted to celebrate the moment and paid for everything. Being broke embarrasses me a lot. I should have been able to argue the point with him. I forget to check if he left a tip or not. I am sure he would have. We were treated very well.

Pete wanted to spend more time with his son before the wedding which was the next day so rather than get him to drop me home I went with them. I hardly ever get to see the family even though this part of it has been quite close lately. Mike (his son) and friends were having a few drinks and we stayed for a while. I struggled to keep up with everyone. A trip to a restaurant is enough to wear me out. About an hour or so in front of the TV in the empty living room while everyone roared and chatted was the best I could manage but it actually felt good to be there and people would stop and chat every now and then as they passed the room.

I think the only reason Pete, Kelly and Alex (her daughter) eventually left was because somebody mentioned I was motionless in the lounge. It sits badly with me to need so much attention. They took me home with much grace and love however and I never felt anything but welcome and was pleased to spend some time with them all. I still have the warm glow weeks later.