success of the heart

Now, as the cicadas chorus begins for the first this summer, & the jacaranda sheds its purple flowers & the koel bird woo woops. I recall my father's mercilous mimicking of that bird, I reflect on the overnight sale of my childhood home. 

Many years back dad proudly annoumced to us kids that he was about to start building a new house on The Quarterdeck, Merewether Heights. Rather than shouts of glee, the protests from the children was assertive & brief; "No. I don't want to live up there!".
Dad was bewildered. Why on earth would his offsprings not want to live at such a prestigious address? Each child had their own take, but the central themes were; it was too far to get to the beach, to friends', school or the shop & it was far too hilly. Mum smiled gently in agreement, she loved our home at 97 Ridge Street Merewetherxtill her dying day. Dad was perhaps easily convinced  & within hours said he would sell his block of land on The Heights. Little did we know at the time, but we were making a collective vote in support of a lovely lifestyle over one we thought that would impress others. 
   Coming up from a childhood  living by the railroad tracks, Dad had long thought a new home in Merewether Heights was the epitomy of success. There were many people in the parish that tried hard to give that impression that houses on the hill were populated by "better" people. I always thought differently, & if they were "better", I didn't want to be like them. 
   Living at 97 was easy, a gentle walk to facilities & as a sutfer, one of the best point breaks on the east coast. 
Nowadays it seems the world has caught on to Merewether. It has become the place to live & be seen by sports people & professionals of all stripes. It has changed, for sure. 
So on the eve of the sale of 97, still unchanged as it was in 1962, we kids can celebrate making that decision. Not only has it served us well, its value is twice that of the random  house on The Quarterdeck shown above. 
   Well done Mum & Dad! And thanks for the gifts of life, love & good fortune, & the waves!

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