Most of you will know that my local riders club, Illawarra Riders, not only organises short and long distance rides and tours but also has an active social calendar as well. One of the long standing social activities of the club is the Tuesday night coffee night. For years this has been held every Tuesday, rain, hail or shine, at Litanis Restaurant in Corrimal Street in Wollongong. However, as numbers have grown and we have attracted more members from the Nowra/Shoalhaven region, the decision was made some time ago to alternate the coffee night with Wollongong one week and a more southern venue on the alternate week. After some investigation, we decided up the Gerroa Boat Fishermans Club, high on the hill overlooking the fabulous Seven Mile Beach.
As well as being a great venue, going to Gerroa gives us “Northerners” the opportunity to have a decent ride TO the venue. We try to meet up somewhere locally then ride down together but it doesn’t always work out due to it being a work day and various peoples’ time commitments.
Last night was such a night. I worked till late in the afternoon putting the bike back together, grabbed a quick dinner then checked in with my brother if he was coming and where could we meet up and ride down together (I’d already missed the set time for the ride so was going to make my own way). Paul said he’d head off and meet me at the Octopus at Albion Park, so the plan was made.
As soon as I headed out of the driveway I realised that the plan was doomed. I needed petrol having not filled up since returning from the Newcastle run on the weekend. So I did a “splash and dash” at the local servo and headed south. At the Octopus, Paul was nowhere to be seen and I assumed he had gotten tired of waiting and gone on ahead (he had).
Arriving at the club I was pleased to see Paul’s blue VFR in the car park so I headed inside. Just as I went up the steps to the main door, I noticed a wallet on the top step. I picked it up, flipped it open, couldn’t see any ID so, after signing in, I headed straight for the bar and handed the wallet in to the barman. He also opened it and couldn’t find any ID but he said he’d look further and put an announcement over the PA if he found any. He asked me if I had looked and I said that, as it was someone else’s property I didn’t want to pry.
After telling me about an overseas tourist who had visited the club the week before and who had lost his wallet containing $3500 while there, he handed my LLB over the bar and said, “There, that’s on the house because you’re an honest bloke.”
Drink in hand I went upstairs and joined my friends. After the usual introductions and greetings, Paul got up and headed back downstairs to get a drink for himself. He came back upstairs almost straight away and started looking in the pockets of his jacket. Yes, you guessed it, he had lost his wallet! I said, “Go check down at the bar and see if anyone has handed it in.” not believing that such a freaky occurrence could have happened.
Sure enough he returned a few minutes later, with his drink AND his wallet! “That was lucky,” he said, “Someone HAD handed it in.” “I know,” I said, “It was me, I found it on the front step.” “Well, ” he said, “That explains why the barman looked at me so funny.”
NOW, in order for this story to make any sense at all, you need to know (if you don’t already) that Paul and I are identical twins and, even now, in our 60’s, even people who know us, still mix us up. Apart from the amazing coincidence of him dropping his wallet and me being the one to pick it up and hand it in some minutes later, the confusion that the situation created for the barman can easily be understood. A couple of minutes later he came up the stairs to our table and looked at us both and laughed. “I thought I was seeing double, “he said, “I couldn’t figure out how come you lost your wallet, handed it in and then came looking for it at the bar!”
Several more times during the night he returned to our table, still chuckling over the situation. If only he had known how many people we have confused in our lifetimes!
