Marj had a funny yarn to tell. When she was first married, she and her husband wanted to buy a farm up near Hervey Bay at a place called Toogum. It was a citrus orchard. Great spot, right on the beach, plenty of fishing and the only problem was that oranges didn't pay much money in those days. But they didn't really know that and if they did, they had high hopes that the price would rise. The thing was, they were really wanting to buy the farm and it was only two days before settlement. Mr and Mrs Burrowes, the people, who were selling the farm, were still living there and so, just to sweeten the purchase Perce, (Marj's husband) suggested they get them some fish. “Me and Ginger will go fishing.” Perce said. So off they went. When they came back they said that they'd got some mullet.
Marj thought the meal was great. But she did wonder about the mullet, after all you don't normally catch mullet on a fishing line. Later, Burrowes went to feed his dog. But it had gone missing. They couldn't find the dog anywhere. They searched high and low for it. They called and they called. One day they called. Two days they called. And then the Burrowes went away, minus the dog. Perhaps the dingoes had got it.
“About 25 years later”, Marj tells us, “I had left the farm and had another job and Perce was working at the powerhouse. And just before he came home one evening, Ginger, the same guy who Perce had gone fishing with, came wobbling across the road. He'd been in the pub all afternoon and he said, “I've just been thinking Marj. Just say to Perce “Remember what happened to Burrowes's dog?” Just say that and see what he says.”
“Burrowes's dog? 25 years later, what can he mean?”
Anyhow as Perce came in the gate, I said to him, “Hey, Ginger has just been over and he said to remind you – y'know what happened to Burrowes's dog!” All Perce did was to “humph” and go on into the house. I thought, “This is funny.” So I followed him inside and said, “Hey! Come on, the truth. What did happen to Burrowes's dog?” And Perce said, “Well, um, um ….” And that was it. And I said, “Come on, what did happen to Burrowes's dog?” So Perce said, “Well, gelignite is cheap isn't it!?” And I said, “Well on a farm, yes.” “Well,” he said, “mullet's good isn't it?”
And I remembered! Burrowes's dog! They used to have it chasing sticks all the time and apparently, that's what happened. And then Perce said to me, “Ah! But the mullet was good wasn't it?” And I said, “Yes, but why the hell did you have us chasing the dog for the next couple of days? And Perce said, “Well, I wanted us to buy that bloody farm!”
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An embarrassing moment with Marj, which prompted a few more yarns by other members of the audience about embarrassing moments. Not surprising really considering how everyone's had such an experience. The thing is it can be just as embarrassing to admit to them in the first place, but as for telling them in front of an audience, well!
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