He had a bronze 1967 Ford Falcon GT. It was his pride and joy. He bought it from the original owner, a fact he was clearly chuffed about. That meant something, that did, only the second owner. He said it proudly. It meant the car had clearly been loved. It was no accidental purchase this car.
"Only people who really love XR Falcons, drive XR Falcons," he said.
She knew she was meant to be impressed, that much she knew. "So, you love XR Falcons?" she said.
"They are my favourite car ever," he said.
He looked at her expectantly. She was used to boys looking at her expectantly because they wanted something, but this wasn't quite the same look as those boys who wanted her to show them her knickers.
"She runs like brand new," he said.
She got the distinct feeling that he wanted her to ask him to let her hear it run, so that is what she asked.
"Go on, let me hear what she sounds like."
She wondered what made this car a ‘she’, but she decided not to ask.
The engine roared into life with a single turn of the key. “Bwup, bwup, bwup, bwup,” was the sound the engine made.
The only thing she could think to say after he started it up was, "Is this a V8?"
"Yes," he said.
"Oh jeez," she replied.
"Nervous?" he asked.
"I am now I know it is a V8."
"Don't stress," he said. "I'll be gentle."
"Please," she said. "This is my first time."
"We don't have to," he said. "Not if you don't want to."
"Oh no, I wanna," she said. "I just didn't expect to feel it quite like this. Through…"
"Through the seat?" he asked.
"Yeah, I didn't expect to feel it, um, er, that way." She looked down at her lap.
"Oh," he said. He laughed. "It's nice though, isn't it?"
"Yeah, I guess," she said.
"It is the cylinders."
"Oh," she said.
He gunned the accelerator.
She squealed.
He laughed. He gunned the accelerator.
She giggled.
"Should I spit me gum?"
"Dunno…"
"You'd know better than I would," she said. "I don't wanna choke on it."
"You're not gonna choke on it."
"You sure?"
"Only if you inhale on it."
"Am I gonna inhale on it?"
"Dunno."
"Are you gunna make me inhale on it?" she asked.
"No, I don't reckon."
"Well, I don't know what its gunna feel like."
He suddenly pulled his left foot from the clutch, and pushed his right foot to the floor. The car raised up at the front and took off.
She shrieked.
The old Falcon sped across the field at a cracking pace. He whooped and hollered.
She screamed out, "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! YES!"
“Hold on,” he said. “I’m going to take her out onto the road.”
“Okay.”
“Buckle up,” he said. He clicked his seat belt into the clasp by his left hip.
She clipped her seat belt too.
The dirt drive took the car to the gate on the main road. “Here we go,” he said.
She whooped, as the car’s back tyres gripped onto the bitumen and the rear of the car fishtailed as it headed out onto the road. “Oh Johnny,” she called out.
“Don’t worry, Katie,” he said. “That was just the big old Yokoyama’s biting into the blacktop.”
“It’s wild, Johnny, wild.”
“You ain’t seen nothing yet,” said Johnny.
Johnny’s foot pushed down on the accelerator and the car’s engine growled as it started to pick up speed.
“Oh Johnny!” Katie said. She held onto the top of the passenger door with her left hand.
“289 cubic inches of thrust,” said Johnny. “Like nothing else.”
“I can feel it pushing in my, oh, back… Johnny.”
“That’s where you feel it.” Johnny laughed. That’s what he wanted to hear. That’s what his car did.
“That’s where I’m feeling it,” said Katie.
Johnny reached over and grabbed Katie’s thigh, her skirt had ridden up as she pushed herself back in the seat more and more as the car went faster and faster. So, Johnny made the car go faster and faster. Johnny enjoyed the feeling of Katie’s bare flesh under the touch of his hand. He let his hand slide slowly up her thigh.
“Oh Johnny, I don’t think I have ever gone this fast in a car.”
Johnny couldn’t help but feel excited at Katie’s excitement.
Johnny glanced down at the speedo as they flew up the straight out the back of Cochran’s Estate and the big Ford was pushing 100 miles per hour.
Johnny slapped the side of the car with his arm out the open driver’s window. He took up the entire road of the two-way back road heading into town.
Katie was sitting up, staring out the windscreen with a smile across her face. Holding the passenger door with her arm.
The city outskirts were fast approaching. Johnny lifted his foot off the accelerator to slow down. They still hit the Welcome to Gisborne sign considerably over the speed limit.
Johnny started to pull the big gold sedan up.
“Oh Johnny,” Katie said. “That was really exciting.
“She’s an excitement machine,” said Johnny.
They wound around the curvy roads not real fast heading into the centre, but still over the limit.
“It’s real slow through here if you do the limit,” he said.
“I love this car, Johnny.”
“You thought it was old,” said Johnny.
“Oh no, I don’t think that,” she smiles, “anymore.”
They pulled up behind Chook’s GTI Golf and Robbo’s Toyota 86.
Chook’s at his car. “Hey," says Chook when he sees Johnny.
“Chook,” says Johnny.
“Katie.”
“Chook,” says Katie. She heads inside the Little Pigs Café and sits with Chook’s girlfriend Mia.
“So, how’s your piece of shit going?” Chook motions toward the XR GT
“It’s going good,” says Johnny. “Ever since dad and I gave it the bigger diameter exhaust, it is really humming.”
“You still not thinking about trading up?” asks Chook.
“This is a classic, man, as I tell you, a classic.”
“Yeah, yeah a classic,” says Chook. “Does it have cruise and air con?”
“Dad and I just put air con in it,” said Johnny. “When we were doing the recent work.”
“Cruise?”
“No, Chook, you know it doesn’t have cruise.”
Chook laughed and flicked Johnny around the ear. “Get yourself a real car, Johnny.”
“This is real, Chook, realer than your Euro hatch will ever be.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Oh yeah.”
“And how about young Katie, Johnny,” said Chook. “Has she been the recipient of your,” Chook made parenthesis in the air, “bigger diameter exhaust, yet.”
“Hey, Chook,” says Johnny. He didn’t want to talk about Katie that way.
“How long have you two been going out now?”
“Six months.”
“Isn’t it time, you know, for you two…”
“Hey Chook, it’s not like that…”
“What are you telling me, Katie gets out the strap on?”
“I’m just not going to talk about her that way…”
“Oh, oo,” says Chook.
“I like her,” says Johnny. “She’s nice. Nicer than any girl you’ve ever gone out with.”
“Hey watch it,” says Chook. “That’s Mia you are talking about.”
“You don’t love Mia, you told me as much.”
“I did?”
“You did,” says Johnny. “You told me you were only going out with her so she could keep your dick wet.”
“That’s my girlfriend.” Chook was pumping up the outrage.
“They were your words, not mine, man.”
Chook suddenly dropped the mock outrage. “I did say that, they were my words.”
Johnny turned to head into the café to join the others. “I really like Katie, I’ve never been with someone who makes me feel…”
“Oh, my boys in love, is that what you are trying to tell me.”
“I think I am.”
“Oh, really,” says Chook.
Chook opens the door to the café.
“Yeah,” says Johnny. “I think it’s true.”
Johnny expects Chook to make fun of what he has just told him, as Chook makes fun of anything like that. But Chook doesn’t.
“Wow,” says Chook. “Lucky you, what we all want.”
Johnny couldn’t help but smile as he walks across the café with his best friend. “My head just spins sometimes.”
Chook grabs Johnny by either side of his head. “Is that better?”
Johnny pulls his head away. “Get off me you idiot.”
“What was that all about?” asks Mia.
“What?” asks Chook.
“Outside?” says Mia
“Nothing,” says Chook.
“It didn’t look like nothing,” says Mia.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” says Chook, sounding annoyed.
Johnny reaches across and takes Katie’s hand in his.
Cheryl wanders over, chewing gum. “You lot ready to order?”
They give their order.
“How’s the old shitbox going?” asks Robbo.
“The old shitbox is going great,” says Johnny. “Better than it ever has.”
“When are you going to let me drive it?”
“You are never driving it,” says Johnny.
“Tell us what you have done to it this week?” says Chook. He laughs. “What you have had to do to it,” he makes parenthesis in the air with his fingers, “this week to keep it on the road.”
“You said my name outside,” says Mia.
“I’ve replaced the exhaust, installing a slightly thicker one and I have replaced the 4 barrel with a new one,” says Johnny.
“So?” says Chook.
“You know what I have had to do to my car this week?” says Robbo.
“What were you saying about me?” asks Mia.
“What?” says Johnny.
“Nothing, I wasn’t saying anything about you,” says Chook.
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing,” says Robbo. “That’s what I’ve had to do to my car.”
“You said something,” says Mia.
“Good for you,” says Johnny.
“Give it up Mia,” says Chook.
“Isn’t it time you get yourself a real car,” says Robbo.
“I want to go, Chris,” says Mia.
They all look at Mia, no one ever calls Chook Chris.
“1-2 victory at Bathurst,” says Johnny. “What has your car ever won?”
“We’ve only just got here?” says Katie.
“There’s an 86 super car series,” says Robbo.
“Do you want to come to the bathroom with me?” asks Jess.
“That’s because they can’t compete against any other car,” says Johnny.
“Yes,” says Mia. The three girls go to the bathroom.
The food arrives at the same time.
“Two burgers?”
“Yes,” says Chook.
“Avo on toast and pasta?”
“Yes,” says Robbo.
“A big breakfast and corn fritter?”
“Yes,” says Johnny.
“There are 6 coffees.”
“Just put them down on the table,” says Chook. “We’ll sort them out.”
“Okay,” says Cheryl.
“Chicks, they be crazy,” says Chook.
“Chicks be crazy, really?” says Robbo.
“You were talking about her,” says Johnny.
“It was nothing,” says Chook. “Nothing I have to report into her.”
“What were you saying?” says Robbo. “You forget she can lip read because of Danica.”
“Oh bullshit,” says Chook. “I forget nothing, and not from that distance anyway.”
“What were you saying?” asks Robbo.
“Nothing,” says Chook.
“How you don’t love Mia,” says Johnny. “That’s what we were saying.”
Robbo raises his hands into the air. He exhales long and hard. “That’s all, hey?”
“Oh no, she wouldn’t have…”
“Clearly she did,” says Robbo.
The girls come back. Mia looks like she has been crying.
“What’s up?” whispers Chook.
Mia doesn’t answer. She eats her smashed avo on toast.
“Johnny’s car is hot,” says Katie.
“Nyr,” it’s not that hot,” says Chook.
“Ah, get a real car,” says Robbo.
“That’s my girl,” says Johnny.
“What did you say?” says Mia.
“I like Rob’s,” says Jess.
“Nothing, let it go,” says Chook.
“But, how big is your donk?” says Johnny.
“It doesn’t matter how big it is,” says Robbo. “It’s what you do with it.”
“That’s what they all say when they’ve got the smaller one,” says Johnny.
“I like it,” says Jess. Rob reaches over and tousles her hair.
“They all say that,” says Mia. “When it’s small.”
“What are you saying?” says Chook.
“I think Johnny’s is big enough,” says Katie.
“But you don’t know that,” says Robbo.
“Robbo?” says Johnny.
“I experienced it today, just now,” says Katie.
“You dirty dog,” says Robbo.
“No,” says Johnny. “Driving here today, flat out down the back of Cochran’s Estate.”
“Why would you say that?” says Chook.
“What did you say, outside, to the boys,” asks Mia.
“Oooo, and it is real and it is forever,” says Chook, pointedly.
“Fuck off,” says Johnny.
“Is it?” asks Robbo.
“Can we get off it,” says Johnny.
“That’s great, if it is,” says Robbo. “Something to um… er… cherish.”
“Yeah,” says Johnny.
“What are you guys talking about?” asks Katie.
“Nothing,” says Johnny and Robbo in unison.
“I want to leave,” says Mia.
“Already?” asks Jess.
“Yeah, let’s get the fuck out of here,” says Chook.
“You guys?” says Robbo.
“Don’t go,” says Johnny.
“What’s the point,” says Mia. She stands up. “Chris?”
“Oo, Chris?” mimics Robbo.
“Shut up,” says Chook and Mia in unison.
They all get to their feet. The boys make a point of paying. The girls head out onto the street. The boys catch up. Chook whistles like a man meeting his destiny.
Chook and Mia get into the car
Chook opens his window. “See ya,” he says. He smiles kind of self-consciously at the others.
Mia is not saying much. She barely looks. She waves, rotating the fingers on her right hand.
Robbo and Jess look at Chook and Mia leave, then they look back at Johnny and Katie.
“Well,” says Robbo.
Jess pulls a face. Then laughs nervously.
The four of them hug.
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
Robbo and Jess get in the car and drive away. Robbo waves out his window.
“Well, that went well,” says Johnny. He can’t help but smile.
Katie looks at him. “What were you and Chook talking about?”
“When?”
“You know when,” says Katie.
Johnny looks at Katie, not really sure what to say out of loyalty to Chook. He sighs. “Does it matter?”
“It matters to Mia.”
“Chook doesn’t love her.”
“She knows.”
“That’s what we said.”
“You boys.”
“What?” says Johnny. “You guys hate us if we don’t talk about our emotions…”
“Oh, come on…”
“And you hate us if we do.”
“You hurt her feelings.”
“She was 100 metres away through a glass window and, oh, I don’t know, how many tables and chairs…”
“Yeah, well, if she lip read what you were saying, that is pretty freaky.”
Johnny stared off down the main street. There was his next door neighbour putting her groceries into her car. She was going to the football club with supplies, where his mum would be too.
“Speaking of…” he looked at Katie, again not being able to stifle his smile.”
“What?” asks Katie.
“Freaky.” Broad smile.
“What of it?”
“Do you want to get it?”
“What?”
“My whole family will be down the footy club, Tom is playing, we’d have the house to ourselves.”
“Mr Campbell, I don’t know what you mean?”
“Well, Ms Jones, I think you know exactly what I mean.”
Katie looks coy.
“We could do it in mum and dad’s bed?” says Johnny. “You know, like…”
“Mr Campbell, you had me at freaky,” says Katie.
The gold XR GT exploded into life. Johnny selected first gear and the big car screeched off from a standing start and accelerated quickly down the main street, some people watching on, may have even said with a sense of urgency. “I wonder where the flamin’ fire is? Jees!”
