3rd time lucky

So often, we say “oh, third time lucky, maybe!” and for me, that’s exactly what happened!

Sure enough, mother was so grumpy that the silly Broncos had lost to the BOTTOM-PLACED eEels, she demanded dad take us to another match!

So dad goes out and buys three more tickets to the next Broncos match, against the Melbourne Storm. I just moan to mother, “Remember how we got flogged by twenty points to the cellar-dwelling Eels? Well, against the Storm (who are like, minor premiers/close to the top), we’ll probably get thrashed by FORTY! XD

So again mother and I buy two pork salad rolls for our dinner, and again dad drives us to the Eight Mile lains busway station, where we board a bus directly heading for Suncorp stadium. Thankfully, the bus driver knows the way to Suncorp stadium this time, and doesn’t require dad to stand beside him and give him directions. XD

Same as last time, I gently hold dad’s hand and walk well into the stadium. Again, we’re offered those clap banner things; dad takes three, one for each of us.

Mother takes me to the bathroom once shortly before kick-off.

It’s a tight match, and sadly, our hearts are broken when Cooper Cronk breaks the 18-all deadlock with a field goal. And to think I held him in that high regard, too, when he slotted in the winning field goal for the origin series this year! XD

Anyways, in the days after the match, I wonder will mother order dad to take us to yet another game; I think she’s insistent we keep going until we finally win one. XD

Instead, CODA South (the agency that provides me with carers) offered us two free tickets instead! And not just to any match, but the one for Petero Civonaceva’s final match at Suncorp stadium! The really cool thing is that after the full-time siren gets blown, we (the audience) will be allowed down onto the field to farewell Petero! Trust me, when mother rings CODA south to let them know we’ve received the tickets, I lustily yell my heartfelt thanks. XD

Like both times before, I tell Jess, my UQ physio, that dad and I are attending, and she again promises to come visit.

Then I find out that Joshels will be attending, too!

Anyways, just with the last two matches, mother and I go to buy two pork salad rolls and a bottle of water for dinner during the match. The funny thing is, by the time mother pulls into the car park outside Coles, I’m like, busting and unsure whether I can last the long walk to Coles, then the bakery, then the trip home! XD

So I come up with this harebrained idea: “mother, how about you buy the water and I’ll get the pork salad rolls?” mother agrees, then I tentatively make my way over to the Runcorn Plaza Hot Bread, hoping with every timid step that God won’t push me over.

The funny thing is, mother and I frequent the Runcorn Plaza Hot Bread so often (like, at least once every fortnight), the owner lady recognises us! Meaning, as I was making my mincing way over to the counter, she sees me and calls, “Where is your mother?” I don’t answer her until I’ve reached the front counter and have something to brace against. Then I look up, grin, and say, “She’s gone on holiday somewhere. That’s why it’s just me here today.” Obviously, she doesn’t believe me; we both have a good laugh then I tell her the real reason, before ordering the two pork salad rolls.

Suddenly, it’s Friday afternoon, and after aunty Lucia (she’s from Cathay Community Association, which specialises in looking after Asians like myself) helps me with a shower, I munch some afternoon tea (one yummy chicken sushi roll I got from Sushi Paradise that afternoon after ordering a kebab from Naz the kebab guy), use the loo once more before aunty Lucia leaves, plop briefly back online then suddenly, it’s time to head off!

I wave bye to mother then dad drives us to the Eight Mile Plains busway station. Getting out of the car, we suddenly bump into our neighbour, uncle Alan! “Hey, I’m just picking up my daughter (Sharon) from the bus,” he greets us. Then, just as dad and I cross the road, we pass Sharon, who looks up in surprise. “Oh, hi, uncle!” she greets dad.

Luckily, there’s barely any waiting time before we board the bus. Dad and I squish onto the first seat, which, he tells me, is actually only designed for one person. “Luckily, neither of us are very fat,” he laughs. XD

Fortunately, the bus driver knows the way to Suncorp stadium (seems like the first bus driver, who needed dad’s navigational skills to drive everyone to Suncorp stadium, was an aberration. XD)

Dad and I hold hands, and I walk well into the stadium. Again, we each take a proffered clap-banner, which dad folds once we’re seated. Dad also grabs a Petero mask, which is basically a cardboard cut-out of his face with two holes for your eyes. XD

I wonder how dad picks our seats? Or, are they just allocated to us? (Remember, this time, the tickets were free, courtesy of CODA South) Anyways, again, we’re seated slightly to the right of the try line.

It’s about 6:50pm by then, and the under 20’s game is being played. I’m proud to report that the junior broncos won that match, by the way! XD

Anyways, once they end, it’s about 7pm, so dad takes me once to the loo first. Back in our seats, he hands me his mobile and tells me to ring mother, who answers and says she’s just cooking some vermicelli for dinner right then. Again, I see the Courier Mail blimp flying around, and just before the match the broncos cheerleaders prance out onto the field and strut their stuff.

All too soon, kick-off! I cheer loudly for the Broncos, getting a pretty good view, coz for the first half, their try line’s on my side.

Jess appears somewhere during the first half; she and dad nod to each other and she sits beside me. Actually, correction: I don’t think she actually appears until the second half. Oh, curse my shoddy memory, I can’t remember at all when she came, just that she did, okies?! >< XD

Anyways, she tells me that Katrina actually dropped off harry at her place, meaning the lucky lad got to come see the game! “I ordered Jack (that’s his name, I think/hope XD) to grow an extra eye and not lose him!” Jess confides to me, and we both have a laugh.

Alas, the smelly Panthers go into the half time break with a six-nil lead over the poor Broncos. “The Broncos need to step up, we can’t send off Petero with a loss!” I moan to Jess.

Luckily, Hook (dunno how the coach got such a weird nickname XD) must’ve ripped into them something almighty, coz they return on field with all guns a-blazing, and soon, the scores are level, before they pull ahead by one try! Then, just to seal the victory, Peter Wallace slots a field goal, thus sealing the match and sending 35178 spectators (well, the ones that were Broncos supporters, anyway XD) into jubilation.

As the match was nearing completion, some announcement went through the entire stadium, saying that we fans were allowed down onto the playing field to bid Petero Civonaceva a final farewell.

Everyone immediately started rushing down while I waited. Earlier, during the match, I’d asked jess, “Hey, can you please help me down to the field afterwards? Coz we fans are allowed to head down and bid farewell to Petero!”

“You’ll haveta ask your dad first.” Jess replied.

So I did, then turned excitedly back to jess and said, “Dad said yes!” we high-fived, then kept watching the match.

Anyways, after almost everyone had flooded down onto the field, I too went down myself slowly, Jess behind me and dad in front, holding onto my hands. Once onto the pitch, I asked jess, “Where can I sit?” she replied, “Wherever you want.” So I aimed for the try area, sat down, then cheered, “Yeah, I’m four points!” XD

Jess and I posed for several photos, then, suddenly, who should plonk his butt beside me on the turf and say, “Hey, Em,” but Joshels! He’d come to watch this game with some … working people, and they had a corporate box to watch from with catering and everything!

So we took more photos, after which I ordered Jess, “You. Go and find some big strong Broncos player to carry me back up to the bus stop. I’m not hiking up all those bloody stairs I came down on earlier. Jess just laughed. “Sure thing, Emilah,” she laughed, but made absolutely no move to do so. Guess I was gonna haveta haul myself back up there myself. Damn. XD

Anyways, dad walked behind me all the way back up the stairs; there were like ninety-one!

And right at the top, we bumped into that guy who supports the Eels and took our tickets the first time we went to watch a Broncos match! He recognised me too, and we had a good laugh when I asked him, “Who’d you go for this time, sir? I remember you don’t like the Broncos, but ha, we won.” XD

Anyways, turns out Joshels and Mr. Meggs waited for me when I reached the top of the stairs! We all walked together to the bus; thankfully there was only a short wait until we boarded one. Dad and I squeezed in together into the first seat, Joshels just stood beside dad, and Mr. Meggs … “Umm, where’s your dad gone?” I asked Joshels. A happy voice called back, “I’m behind you. Hiding.” XD

Anyways, while the bus driver tootled us home, dad and Josh yakked about work-related topics.

We all got off at the Eight Mile Plains busway station, and I bid Joshels and Mr. Meggs a good night, before dad tootled us home.

Back inside, the first thing I yelled in the direction of upstairs was, “Mum! We won!!” Mother quickly came down to celebrate with us~

Anyways, the Broncos are up tomorrow night against the Cowboys in a do-or-die match! I hope we can win!!

Next post here … umm, perhaps my MRI follow-up, which happens sometime next week. Righteo, until then!

Cheers,

Em. ^^