“Bloody hell, what has he done now?  I know he didn’t smash the car because I had it with me.  The house.  He must have done something to the house.  What on earth did he do to the house?  Brace yourself, here it comes…” Cherri thinks as Eamon meets her coming into the house.

“Mom, don’t be mad…”Eamon says.

“Oh dear, what has he done?” Cherri thinks.

“I had an American spend the night,” Eamon explains.

“Oh, thank God!  That’s it?  Nothing else, the house is alright?” exclaims Cherri.

“There’s nothing wrong.  She’s sitting on the front porch.”

Cherri comes out to the porch.  “Too bad she wasn’t a hot 35-year-old man,” she says and we all laugh.

Cherri makes herself a cup of coffee and we chat for three hours.  Eamon slipped out after about 15 minutes and I really didn’t see him for the rest of my visit.

“You know,” Cherri generously says, “Eamon is leaving on Friday for Bali. You could stay here until he gets back or until you find a place.  I have a friend whose cousin lives in Cottesloe.  Maybe you could rent a room from her.  Tuesday there is an outdoor foreign film festival at the University of Western Australia.  Would you like to come?”

“Fantastic and yes!” I say and the hunt for another place is on.

Cherri says I can use Eamon’s bike and I cruise down to the Swan River for my first swim.  I elected not to swim because I didn’t know if the jellyfish would sting (they do, I got a terrible sting on my face today in the ocean, but it’s not fatal; hence, I am writing to tell you about it) so I proceeded to take photos and video of the Black Swans.