Filling in the Gaps by Peter Keogh Read Free Book Online

older, man and I believe that I grew a lot from much of the earlier negativity I experienced. It was swim or drown, and I never could swim and still can’t, but I have yet to drown!

Show Business Beckons
    When I was about seventeen Dad was promoted again, which meant that he was sent back to head office in Sydney and I was back to where my life really began!
    I worked for a while as an accounts clerk at LEP Transport at Circular Quay near the Sydney Harbour Bridge, until the day I said, totally innocently, to a young woman that I thought she looked lovely and that she had lovely breasts. The next thing I was in the street, sacked on the spot aged about 17! I then obtained a position almost immediately at the Johnnie Walker whisky company as an accounts clerk. Every Friday all of the staff was given a bottle of Black Label Scotch, which I always took home to Dad. Even the smell of the scotch made me bilious, as I never took to drink. Perhaps I had better rephrase that statement - I never appreciated alcohol until I was in my late 20s. I stayed at Johnnie Walker’s about six months until boredom set in and I was off.
    Around this time I ventured to work on a cargo ship to Africa, which I describe in detail in my earlier book. But adventures of another kind also awaited me.
    Looking back now I am shocked to the core how bold I occasionally was with my sexuality, in spite of my deep fear of being found out to be gay and in spite of deeply wanting to get married and have children. The following is an incredibly tacky incident but I guess my hormones were hopping all over the place. One day I was house sitting for Mum and Dad in Applecross, a Perth riverside suburb, whilst they were touring up north of Western Australia. They had booked the lawn mower man to cut the lawn and he turned up with his wife who did the edges. It was a boiling hot day and I was on the front verandah watching this man mowing in just his shorts. Soon afterwards his wife had to go to their next job and feeling kindly I asked him if he wanted a cool drink and if so to come inside. I made some comments about his great tan and body and he responded in a very positive fashion, if you get my drift. We had a quick ‘experience’ and then it was back to the gardening - a bit like Lady Chatterley probably! As awful as it sounds, I guess the fact that he was married was a strange turn on. Dr Freud where are you?
    While in Perth I decided to go back to Sydney by ship, as one could in those days on overseas liners from companies such as P&O and Shaw Savill, as well as smaller Australian ships including the MV Manoora and MV Kanimbla . My choice was P&O’s Canberra . It was huge for those days and I had to share a cabin with a stranger. It was so low in the ship that occasionally the porthole was underwater so the cabin crew sealed it, ominous I thought. It had just two bunks, one upper and lower. I was in the upper and after a day or so of mild sea sickness I was really enjoying being on board. I loved the meals, cinema and especially walking around the upper sports deck after sunset. As usual I was always on my own. As we crossed the Great Australian Bight, I decided to have a haircut, which was available free. I sat in the chair and was covered by a big white sheet when the barber started to work on my hair. Well, not just my hair! Whenever he cut the front of my hair he would straddle my leg and gently rub himself against me. Here we go again, I thought! By the time he had cut half my hair I decided that I had had enough and told him I felt seasick and had to be excused. All very well, until I looked into the mirror and I nearly passed out. I looked like a circus clown! He had only cut one side of my head and it was very short, while the other side was still long with the mullet at the back. I was so embarrassed that I went to the shop on board and purchased a beanie - thankfully all the rage that year - and wore it until we disembarked.
    On that