CHARITY BEGINS AT SOMEONE ELSE'S HOME

Marty and Laura were also staying; (yes Henrietta really is that warm and welcoming a person that she often has three couch surfers at a time. I’ve joked that we should marry, but she really will make quite some catch for some lucky guy) Laura is from Florence and Marty from Leeds. He has been travelling for three and a half years and his list of countries reads like a CV or a menu. It does make you question if you really do want to settle down in a house in England with a wife, children, a mortgage and cats… or more likely dogs.

The second day I stayed Etta fed me Coco Pops with rice milk (she eats healthy, hippie food which I admire) and off I popped to Gloria jeans to steal their electricity. After a while an elderly gentleman sat down and on the phone he mentioned needing access to his website so I offered him my laptop. After a discussion about said website he very kindly bought me a coffee. And then we went for beers. Sixty nine year old Bill told stories and was generally a bit of a guru and philanthropist. Aged twenty five he disarmed two men, one with a gun and one with a knife for which he won a medal for saving the policeman they were kicking to death. It was one of those, tear-welling stories of awe, inspiration and humility.

Then Bill insisted he buy me dinner - ribs for starters and a New York Strip steak in Sydney’s best steakhouse! More stories and advice on love, life, philanthropy and his seven month jail term where he built a prison garden and began a charity. He was no saint and it turns out had a secret, hidden past including suitcases and guns and people leaving the country. On the way to the station he reached into his pocket and handed me two fifty dollar bills. Crazy! Stuff like that doesn’t happen! Of course I declined but he insisted saying he didn’t need it and I did. I accepted on the condition that it could be a loan.

My friends say that he was after something, most likely my arse but had you met Bill and heard his words of wisdom you too would understand that its just the way he is. A guy Chris from Southport said its sad that society assumes acts like this mean Bill must be after something and I agree. He is a philanthropist not a filthy rapist. Maybe he is just one of life’s guardian angels, come to think of it he did look a bit like Clarence from It’s A Wonderful Life.