now here's something.

now I found out recently that not only does happy drunk Barry hang out at Coburg Mall but he also lives not all that far away from me and every now and then he sits on the seat outside the Centrelink on Moreland Road, giving us the opportunity for the occasional chat.

so we are sitting there one day and he says look at this. A person is sitting at the bus stop near the corner and starts walking up Moreland Road. He walks past us and turns into the hotel car park entrance. I ask, what am I meant to be looking at and Barry says wait. Then the man eventually walks back towards us. He asks Barry for a cigarette and Barry says no as the one he is smoking is his last one, then the person walks away. Now Barry says wait for this one because it keeps happening every time and I am sick of it.

the person sits at the bus stop again and lights up a cigarette. Barry says I never trusted the creep and I have never given him a smoke. Even the first time he asked he went back to the bus stop and had a cigarette. Barry says next time I'm going to confront him.

the potential scenario, as described by Barry, goes like this.

"Mate. Every time I sit here and you are at the bus stop you do the same thing. You walk past me and up to the hotel, then come back and ask for a smoke. I say no and you go back to the bus stop and light up a smoke. Now today, you know you have a smoke and I know you have a smoke. So can you do me a favor? From now on - don't ask. Fuck off. Just sit at the bus stop, light up down there and save your time. Okay?"

about a week later Barry did it. He actually said it to this weirdo. With that this strange person said nothing and walked away. Then the kicker. He sat down at the bus stop and lit up a cigarette.

Barry may have his misgivings which he freely admits to but I like him and I trust him. What you see is what you get and that is fascinating. For the stories he tells alone.