“That’s a Good Lesson for Everyone.”

I’m out for a drink with Gil, Tisi’s big brother. He’s the last piece of The Hatcher Family puzzle. I’d met Sipola, Tisi’s younger sister, earlier in the week and her parents stayed with us in Melbourne.

And it’s official: they’re all fantastic, without exception.

***

An older man comes over selling chocolate for some fundraiser or other. Gil buys a macadamia nut bar. After the man leaves, Gil ponders aloud whether the charity was legit, then concedes he’s not too fussed if it isn’t, since he got something in the exchange.

He goes on to tell me about a time he and a friend were approached by a guy who wanted $5 for drugs.

“So I said I’d give him $5 for his shoes.”

The friend, who until this point has been enraptured as Gil waxed on about his personal philosophy, was disgusted that Gil actually took the shoes.

He was disenchanted with the religion. I told him he could still be my disciple, but he ran away.
I wasn’t going to just give the guy 5 dollars; there needs to be some kind of exchange. That’s a good lesson for everyone. The shoes are 1½ sizes too small. I still wear them. I get blisters.