A New Driveway

'Gemfred's' tipper went past me and was pulled up in Quinn Rd. on my way back down the hill this morning, unloading an excavator. Two men were talking before one I recognised hopped into his Hiace van and moved it forward some thirty feet. I noticed a wheel barrow with a spade in it by the side of the road where the van had been. As I came next to the van, the man I recognized as a local who owned the vacant block of land I'd just walked past, was alighting.

"Gidday mate. I've forgotten your name." I thrust out my hand.

"Christian." We shook hands warmly. He had pliers and a spanner of some sort in his other hand.

"We're putting in a driveway. It's great to have something happen at last. It's a start."

"You've got a good day for it. Good luck with it all."

"Thanks, it is a lovely day."

I'll enjoy watching Christian's house go up over the coming months. He told me a while ago when we met in the main street they'd decided to build. He used to live in Launching Place Rd and I'd say hello and have a quick chat sometimes if I saw him when I walked past. They sold their house a year or so ago, maybe two, and moved into a rented house on the Pakenham Rd. He'd told me they owned the block in Quinn Rd but initially they were undecided whether to build or not. A big step, he said, not to be taken lightly.

I've made a number of friends by walking in the morning. I don't know Christian well. I do know he's a motor mechanic, is Chilean by birth, and he seems a good bloke. I'll dropin with a bottle of celebratory wine for them when they move into their new house.