Now Peter was a funny lad. He had binges here and there, ate lots of things that were good for you..but too many at once. Overdid his exercise at a local Gym, and developed a limp…which he kept, because..that was Peter! He’d actually suddenly stop, and walk backwards in the street..but a staggered one, with a limp thrown in..if he wanted to cross the road, he’d suddenly straighten up, and run across, I kid you not, sending cars every which way..then resume whatever walk he fancied next on the other footpath.

He had his own flat out in Glenorchy in later years. The neighbours couldn’t get him evicted, because he wasn’t renting you see…I visited here and there, and one day was accosted by one of his neighbours. In no uncertain terms, he told his tale of woe,..that was a trifle melodramatic,wasn’t it..very old England…anyhow, Peter had been told to let his frustrations out on his punching bag, which he did with great gusto, and accompanied that with a great deal of yelling, and, which was the main problem, a lot of swearing. A lot of us here have our grandkids over..and you get the picture. Ring him up wasn’t working on account of Peter didn’t like those calls, and had gotten himself a silent number. So, he said he would give out his phone number again, and talk to his counsellors about it. The neighbours settled down after that, thank goodness. He was highly strung, and was on lots of medication…had the occasional stay in the local mental institution. He was there briefly in the last year of Matric..was so worried about his exams. He worked briefly in one of the sheltered workshops; but they had to let him go. He bought a computer, but that didn’t go well either. He bought an electric bicycle to get around; there wasn’t any hope of a car licence, and you didn’t need a licence for a push-bike.

I came back from the Navy, and mellowed a bit myself. One day, something was different or what I don’t know, about Peter, and I ended up taking him to see some spiritually oriented friends in Lenah Valley. What happened then still amazes me. They got him to fill out a chart of all the momentous things that had happened to him..it looked like a page from a calendar; you could see three columns of events down the page, in the different years. Moment of silence..tell us about your Dad, what did he do in the war. He was in Changi…oh, blimey, we’ve had mostly sons and daughters of Changi vets for a fortnight… Your parents poor, Peter? – as church mice…and went on to tell them about the whoops, the drugs he was on, that sort of thing.

Those two people gathered their thoughts. That chart represents the 9 months you were in the womb, Peter. You see those three !ines down the page, one under the other? That’s a fair indication that your Dad tried to abort you three times. I’d guess kicking your mum in the stomach Now, the medical profession generally has been treating you, but they should have been treating your Dad. Children are .(sensitive to the spiritual atmosphere in the house..those sort nightmares shouldn’t be visited on them..)..You’ve been on those drugs for far too long for you to be able to get off them..you’d have lots of help, but it wouldn’t work. We’re so sorry.

Bombshell! Peter was fine underneath..poor sod.

They sent him to the Vietnam Veterans Counselling Service…Peter said they were excellent. Did a great job.

So, I go to the mainland. Am still here, and it’s been the occasional letter, and Xmas cards..but they stopped coming, he did say he went to a nursing home.

Corona Virus hits. So I check up on people…to get his phone number, a Google.

Here was a notice in the Mercury. Peter had passed on in December 2017.

Death notice provided details. I found a picture of the family before Peter came along.

He was the last of his immediate family left. His sister had a family, and there were relatives in Sandy Bay. His aunt had him up for tea here and there, and kept an eye on him.

His Dad died 83yo, in 1994. Sister died 4 days before Peter, albeit 30 years previously.

Source of the photo.

From left; Peters sister, then mother, underneath older brother. Pair of ring-ins…cousins I think, then Peters Dad.