Tank Water

Ted Weymouth rang me up to see, if I could do a job he had… ‘His trucks broken down’ he said, so I told Ted ‘I’d be glad to do a favour for a mate’, he said. ‘It’s ‘Grubby’ Alcorn’s place. A load of posts!’ Lord I’ve been had…‘Grubby’s’ a real hard case. ‘Grubby’ lived out in the ‘back-blocks’, where the roads are bloody rough, Ted had ‘conned’ this job for me to do, where I heard one trips enough. It took me bloody hours. I reckon Ted’s enjoying this with mirth. I broke a spring and so the trip, cost more than the job was worth. We threw the posts off near a shed, from there ‘twas my desire, to get to buggery out of here… I asked ‘Grub’ for some fencing wire to wind ‘round the spring to hold it tight, praying to God it might hold everything together, until I got home that night. “Come inside and have a drink”, ‘Grubby’ beckoned ‘cross to me. I looked him up and down then thought, ‘I don’t like what I see’. ‘Grubby’ looked like he had wallowed, with pigs beside their sties... When I walked inside I’ve got to say, I got one ‘heck’ of a surprise. Every dish was washed and packed away. The sink was spotless clean, each cup hung upon their little hook, glasses sparkled with a sheen. Flowers ‘Grubby’ picked stood in a vase, on a table-cloth embodied gold. ‘Grubby’ asked me if I wanted tea, or would I like something cold. I felt much more at ease now, in this clean environment, it seemed like chalk to cheese, from outside when I had spent an hour’s work with ‘Grubby’, so I said, “I think you ‘oughta’ pour me out a nice cold drink of lemon cordial and water.” I took a swig and puckered; the lemon tasted kind of *****. My drink really wasn’t pleasant, more like a bad home beer. Must be just my taste buds because the weathers fairly hot, so I upended quick the ten ounce pot and drank the flamin’ lot. I said to ‘Grubby’ “That’s average, I’ve not had cordial like that before. Or could it be your water mate; do you pump it from a bore?” “Nar” said ‘Grub’ “the water’s fine now, though a week ago was rank. The taste is getting better since… I dragged the possum from the tank.”