my bizarre day

i fly to melbourne early to do press

met at airport by 2 lovelies the delightful smiling cake

and the aegean diamond  herself

who drive me around town

so far so good

i get to the first interview at the abc radio

before we go on

a guy comes up introduces himself

hes a novelist and we’re both on this show today

something is troubling him however

hes hesitant to say it exactly

hes about ten years younger than me and hes a very nice bloke

hes very articulate

and he goes at great lengths to be polite and gracious

to cut a long story short

he is currently “seeing” an old flame of mine

a famous old flame i have never really ever discussed much

shes not mentioned in my bob lurie bio at all

lately strangely i have been feeling her presence in my life

to set things straight

she was truly the first women or person i ever “loved”

whatever that word means to you or me  now or then

she was that person

after being in a few boring painful meaningless nothing much things

a short marriage to a women who was good looking and intelligent

but so unfulfilling for both of us

and then one day i met this particular person

i was 26 and pretty much single again

at 21 she was extremely girlish

she was reading the news at a radio station where i was being interviewed

i looked through the glass booth and we made eye contact

and her charisma and happiness and intelligence blasted me

i also had an incredible sense of familiarity instantly

we both felt the hand of fate

we recognised each other

i knew at once we would fall in love

i got an introduction and it all worked out

she came and saw my band play one night

and the next day i refused to go back to sydney

it was impossible

things happen in my life

and i cannot do otherwise but obey this feeling of destiny

like the way i hired marty on the spot…i just knew

i could  sometimes somehow remember the future…

well i stayed in melbourne

i remember the other geezas laughing and getting on the plane

but i hung around in melbourne and tracked her down

i had never done anything like that in my life

i was confident that this person would play her part in my life

we met up

she was everything i thought and more

larger than life and so thoughtful

so well bred

impeccable taste impeccable manners impeccable language

yet approachable with a musical laugh and strange emphatic eyes

she blew my socks off i guess you could say

we fell in deeply and fast

we were in truth each others first important thing

she obliterated everything before her with one easy smile

and she was yet young and naive and …..everything

for the next 2 years or so  81,82

i spent most of my time staying at her flat in south melbourne

she was delighted to show me round melbourne

a city that was always more my spiritual home than sydney

she got up early and went in to her job now on tv

it was apparent to me she would be a big star

no question in my mind

she had across the board appeal for everybody

she had all her bases covered

she was effortlessly “sexy” whatever the fuck that is ,she was

she was that without trying

and no one to my knowledge could resist her warm soothing voice

but she was not a fake

her dad was a silver haired handsome  pharmacist

her mother  an incredible beauty and ex-socialite or something

she had 5 brothers n sisters all goodlooking and charismatic

it was just one of those families …they were all kinda perfect

a stately family home

after dinner the gentlemen would retire drink a brandy

and play billiards in the billiards room

they were an elegant family

it was an honour to know them

they made me quite welcome even tho i was a pot smoking yob

my parents and my house werent anything like them

i was a bit impressed and intimidated

yet they were not snobs by any means

they were just a patrician type of family

they were good taste and never vulgar

they were like australian royalty or something

i could not find any fault with them or my girlfriend

she inspired many songs

i wrote many well known church songs to her and for her

to be in your eyes was a private song i wrote for her

but other people urged me to put it out there

i guess i didnt need much arm twisting

another song :disappear?

i wrote that as a lullaby for her on the spot

one sleepy afternoon strumming my guitar as she lay in bed half awake

many other songs too….you can figure em out if you want

we had amazing times together and rarely quarrelled

i believed we had something

we spent much time enjoying ourselves

we had money between us and some fame

and free time to goof off

and we had little holidays n stuff

am i allowed to say all this now?

is 30 years long enough for declassification ?

anyhow i met karin jansson in  late 82

and felt the hand of fate

i knew as soon as i saw her that we would have the twins

i could not alter it

me and the other girl parted company i guess

she was understanding and super unhysterical

she was sad but no fuss was made

i saw her once or twice after that

but it was kinda strange and it discontinued

she went on to fame and fortune

she had a few famous and not so famous boyfriends after me

she got married had kids and i never heard from her again

the case was closed

we never mentioned each other i guess

then lately i feel her moving again towards me somehow

on the way to this studio ive been thinking about her today

30 years ago today….i wonder what i was doing ….

anyway the author guy kinda says he thinks someone may mention it

someone has in fact mentioned it already it seems

he doesnt want it n she doesnt want it

but me…i cant guarantee him i wont talk about her if they ask

shes a bit of an icon with a serious reputation

i guess they dont want me reminiscing over our days

even tho so long ago

i come loaded with drug and hedonistic connotations

is it possible people may imagine how that youthful popstar

and that lovely and clever catholic

and soon to be famous girl next door type

whiled away a few years

when money and time and freedom were plentiful

people may imagine i was a bad influence upon her

people may imagine she was impressed by my schtick

most people probably dont imagine

how we had such a good thing and let it go just like that

i dont really understand it myself

its a bit of a mystery

anyway luckily i suppose because

after a strong spliff and a big cup of coffee

i was ready to yack my head off about anything

including and especially about her

despite the authors very reasonable hope i’d shut up if asked…

but they never asked

the author turns out to be a good guy

a serious contender in his field

a deep and weighty tome on something serious

at the airport i notice his books all over the place

the man is a top notch proper artistic type

the reviews from everywhere are glowing

paris washington new york london

the guy is doing very very well

i am pleased for them both i guess

they are both very clever and very gracious too

yet i am disturbed nonetheless….why?

the rest of my interviews today is just me raving on

i’m good at raving on

so its all at it should be

the other thing tho is weird

postscript

i see the geeza again later outside another radio station

he kinda blanks me

and gee

i had hoped they might invite me over for dinner one night

seriously…

or what……?