My wife and I were recently invited to my sister’s home for Christmas dinner.
My brother-in-law Len is a keen beer lover and for Christmas we had bought him a 24-bottle case of ‘Celebrate the Millennium’ Crown Lager.
I had planned to drive from our home on the Central Coast to Lorraine and Len’s place at Jannali, but my wife, knowing that I like a celebratory drink myself, insisted we travel by train for safety.
I had to lug the heavy case of beer over two kilometres to our nearest railway station, sit it on my lap for safekeeping on the one and a half hour journey to Central Station, carry it again for what seemed like miles to the train platform for services to Jannali, and hold on to it for the forty-minute journey to Jannali and then walk from the station, finishing with the climb up a steep hill to our destination.
To ease the burden I sang a song on the way: ‘It ain’t heavy (well, it was, but you know what I mean), it’s for my brother.’
I was so relieved when I touched down at my sister’s, and just found enough strength to grab my first coldie for Chrissie.
Len was overjoyed with this thoughtful gift, which made the effort worth the while.
Imagine my surprise upon opening my Christmas present from Lorraine and Len to find — you guessed it — a 24-bottle case of ‘Celebrate the Millennium’ Crown Lager.
Of course, I took it home with me on our long return journey. There was no way I was going to leave ‘my’ carton with beer-loving Len.