How to meet your neighbours

A few minutes ago I was driving home, in the dark, and got to our drive, which we share with our neighbours who I will call Dan and Dot.  To my surprise Dan was walking up the drive with a torch which he flashed at me, so i stopped and he opened the door of the car and said "G'day mumble.  I was just checking the creek crossing so thought I'd walk up the top and get a lift".

Funny, I thought, how did he know I was coming?  He then gave me some instructions about which way the drive twisted and which drive was his.  Funny I thought.

I said "Shall I take you to the door or is the new gate locked?" to which I got the response "You can take me round the back and we'll unload and you can meet the wife and have a cuppa."  Funny I thought, he knows I have met his wife many times.

But I said "What are we going to unload?  At which point he turned on his torch again and said "Strewth its you Martin.  Why did you say G'day when I said Gday Phil?"  I explained that I had heard the 'G'day' but not the 'Phil'.  He'd spoken to Phil, who was bringing some stuff, a few minutes previously so knew he was on the way, which is why he'd thought he might get a lift.

I went back down the drive chuckling and have had a beer rather than a cuppa!  After compsing this post I sent a copy to Dan, who subsequently sent an update:
  • "It was indeed a bizarre meeting.
  • "To add to the comedy while we were meeting each other in the dark, Phil, who I had mistaken you for, had entered a driveway of another of our neighbours on the other side of Whiskers Creek Road and when challenged he greeted the resident as 'Dan?' Thanks to that neighbour for pointing Phil in the right direction."

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