I'm always broke

I have become friendly with another electrician at Carriers, Ray Belcher and his wife Zenya from Poland. They have taken me under their wings and we often go out together, on weekends, to the Gold Coast and other places. Ray, like myself is always short of money. By Tuesday we’re both broke and we pool our money, and Zenya cooks with what we can afford to buy and during those periods I eat at their flat in New Farm.

I'm always broke by Monday

I often borrow twenty dollars from Urs and pay him back on Friday when I get paid. The trouble is I refuse to work on Saturday. No one works on Saturdays in Switzerland so I’m not likely to start now. But every Friday, when I see what the other electricians get compared to me I’m starting to wonder.

Often I go out with Sue, Fred and Shelley, to restaurants or to the coast and that costs money, sometimes a lot of money, that’s why I’m usually broke after the weekend.

Ray and Zenya suggest I should get a one-bedroom flat at New Farm near them as I spent most of the time there anyway. This would save me money and I wouldn’t have to drive so far.

I start looking for a one-bedroom flat and find one in Merthyr Road, New Farm. The flat is in Alexandra Court on the ground floor. It has a timber-paneled wall in the lounge room, a kitchenette a bedroom and a bathroom with shower. It is fully furnished and I am impressed. It’s much cheaper and I move in a few days later. Ray borrows a ute from Carriers and on Saturday after I say good-bye to Ian and the girls upstairs, he helps me move my possessions from Red Hill to New Farm. 

My neighbour next door, a nicely dressed young man knocks on the door and introduces himself and invites me in to his flat for a drink. I am happy and except. A little later on his ‘boyfriend’ arrives and I realise that my neighbour is gay, but he never tries to convert me so I accept him and his ‘boyfriend’.

I invite Sue to come for dinner to my new flat and she is impressed as well. It’s a great flat, owned by an Italian who calls every week for his rent.

There are lots of great shops near the flat, in the hub of New Farm and it’s only about five minutes walk to Ray and Zenya. The washing machine is broken but Zenya points out a Laundromat just a few yards from the flat, and every week I take my washing there and bring it home wet and hang it on the line. I don’t have an iron but I have a few army tricks up my sleeve to keep at least my trousers pressed.