Tap Tap Tap, a sudden sound of loud tapping against the car window blew out my orange colour haze sunset and being instantly catapulted back into the school parking lot. "Oh hey Stacey, how's the heat treating yah?" I said out loud acting like I wasn't day dreaming in the car while winding down the car window further.
"Yeah good hun, how's baby?"
Not waiting for my reply she went straight onto the next question, "hubby at work?" As the next question flew in faster but not waiting for any answer's "kids at school? Wow! What did you do with your hair darl, loving the highlights, far out I need to get my greys done, aaarrrrhh she's looking pretty grey alright!” As she poses and looks at her reflection through the back windows of the car. “Poh! You know that Aldi's got their fish fingers for $6.50 for a pack of 40, so much cheaper than Woolies Poh, don't forget to swipe your rewards card, aye! You know that we just got Dan's tax's returns finally done from last year, lodged it in yesterday! Seriously darl if CentreLink didn't cut off my babies daycare rebates I wouldn't have gone the extra ride to Aldi's just for that $6.50 box of fishfingers! So over it Poh! Where do we find good workers?"
Waving her hands in the air as her voice changed up a tune, "Either they on an L'' plate driver's licence and come to work complaining about a sore back, they think they got Covid and smoke like a bloody chimney and then expect to be paid top dollar for standing around doing crap all!
Not to bloody mention tiktok while working! You know that Dan has to pick-up the workers up every morning, drops them home." Her voice dropping to an E' key in a guitar. "I have to sacrifice my evening shifts! To pick up the kids from school and daycare, can't even have a break from picking them up because Dan has to pick up and drop his dumb workers off home! Because they can't bloody drive!”
"Do you know how much petrol is!"
Feeling the heat of the morning sun and the heat of our sudden conversation, my orange coloured sunset was nowhere to be found but just a sea of blue sky and feeling every bit of coldness, frustration and even resentment in her voice.
I wondered if she could hear my heart drop to my knees racing for words of confort, prayers even, as I'm racing inside to find words of encouragement that she could agree on and that, it didn't make me sound like a ultra religious priest that knew no hardship.
My eyes studying her face, which was by now searching too, for that orange coloured haze sunset, “I hear you Stacey, family first, red tape all over for us small business, just hang in there! You guys are doing an awesome job! Your doing good Mama! Hubby's working hard, workers will come!”
As we talked a little while longer we exchanged our plans for the day, Stacey had only a work zoom call later on that day, she works as a triage nurse at the royal children's hospital and her husband a self employed plumber by trade.
Looking down at my mobile phone, I quickly zoomed off down the road after saying my good byes twice over with Stacey. I was late for my 6weeks baby appointment at the child health clinic.
As I'm standing at the clinics reception desk after baby's check up appointment had finished and left waiting to be rebooked for another routine appointment. A bubbly student nurse with flawless make up, you could wear on your wedding day.
"POh ToH Ah Eh." I repeated for the second time.
"What's your name?" Potoae. "Bou Toe?"
"Sorry darl, I wasn't going to attempt to say your beautiful name, in case I missed pronounce it😅,"
Thoughts running widely as my brown eyes wanted to seriously laser beam her straight down the middle. "Oh that's all right dear, you can call me Poto 🤙 just to shorten it "Poh Toh." Poto." "Ok darl," totally ignoring the excitement in my voice.
"so Bea Pou, your appointment with the child health nurse is in 2weeks time, and you can call at anytime to cancel or rebook, ok darl, lovely to met you Bea Pou! Baby is doing so well! See you next time!"
I'm thinking surely this woman knows her vowels? (a e i o u) ah eh eee Oh ow...
I really wanted to turn around and quickly give her a 10 second lesson on pronouncing my name right and clap out the four syllables of my name.
Sweat sliding down my face as the hot air from the out side comes gushing in through the double automatic doors of the community child health clinic, "Eh! Seriously!" I had just remembered I had left my sneakers bar back in car. Feeling hungry again as I reached for the side pockets of the baby'bag, hoping it was somewhere in the baby'bag.
With no luck I went on pushing the pram towards the car parking lot.