© Jean L. Hays
In the Apollo Cafe the waitresses ran. The tourists had already visited Happy High Herbs, Bringabong or bought from the one of the long-haired, skinny boys sitting on milk crates and plastic chairs outside the café. Now they had the munchies and wanted food fast.
“Taxi, taxi, taxi!” Hearing the warning the street vendors sped into action, concluding their deal, before disappearing down the street. As soon as the police were gone, they’d be back.
In desperation, the undercover police arrived in a tourist bus. They felt bad they were breaking the unwritten code but that code didn’t include ice.
In response to the photo prompt kindly provided by Jean L. Hays and the hosting by Rochelle who invites us to write a flash of no more than 100 words and link up via the blue frog on her site. If you don’t want to write have a read as there is always a varied talented selection to read.
About Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist
I began my working career as a reluctant potato peeler whilst waiting to commence my training as a student nurse. On completion I worked mainly in intensive care/coronary care; finishing my hospital career as clinical nurse educator in intensive care. A life changing period as a resort owner/manager on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu was followed by recovery time as a farmer at Bucca Wauka. Having discovered I was no farmer and vowing never again to own an animal bigger than myself I took on the Barrington General Store. Here we also ran a five star restaurant. Working the shop of a day 7am - 6pm followed by the restaurant until late was surprisingly more stressful than Tanna. On the sale we decided to retire and renovate our house with the help of a builder friend. Now believing we knew everything about building we set to constructing our own house. Just finished a coal mine decided to set up in our backyard. Definitely time to retire we moved to Queensland. I had been writing a manuscript for some time. In the desire to complete this I enrolled in a post grad certificate in creative Industries which I completed 2013. I followed this by doing a Master of Arts by research graduating in 2017. Now I live to write and write to live.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
The first part had me laughing but then I wasn’t sure what happened. What did I miss?
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Sarah, you weren’t alone in missing it as many others from the U.S. also didn’t get the reference.. I realise that ice must not be a common term in the USA.”Ice, along with speed and base, is a form of the potent stimulant drug methamphetamine. Also referred to as shabu, crystal, crystal meth or d-meth, ice is the purest and most potent form of methamphetamine. It comes as a powder or crystals that are usually snorted, injected or smoked.” Ice is Australia’s biggest drug problem. Being highly addictive, chronic users tend to have less of the euphoric effects and more of the side effects such as heart attack, stroke and extreme violent paranoid behaviour. A real problem for hospital staff, police and other emergency services. Nimbin, the marijuana capital in Australia had its first ice problem in 2013 when a policeman was injured. The police lived (unhappily though as the general length of duty in Nimbin was shorter than 3 years) alongside the open dealing on the street. I thought something needed to be done about ice. Did that fill in what you missed? You weren’t alone in missing it.
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Pfft! It probably is used here. You’re more street-wise than I am. I’ve always heard it referred to as meth or crystal meth. I had no idea you had such problems with it there. I believe our biggest problem here is heroin (not counting abuse of prescription drugs).
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Actually our biggest drug problem is alcohol and that’s legal.
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Truth. Here too.
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Bringabong? That’s an interesting name! lol
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Yes. I can’t take credit for it though as it is the name of a shop in the town of Nimbin. Happy New Year Dawn.
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Happy New Year Irene!
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This sounds like crossing the border into Washington state: “The tourists had already visited Happy High Herbs, Bringabong or bought from the one of the long-haired, skinny boys sitting on milk crates and plastic chairs outside the café.” Those would be busy waitresses indeed! I feel like there’s a double-meaning to “ice.” Did the drugs get harder, threatening to make the fun touristy experience more dangerous?
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I had exactly the same question, Charli!
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Judy, I think you will have received my explanation to Charli about ice so I won’t repeat it but if you didn’t let me know and I’ll fill you in. Hope you have a really Happy 2016 Judy. Happy New Year.
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Oh, Irene.. My brain is a sieve lately and I can’t remember what your alllusion to “ice” is about. No doubt a comment I’ve made regarding your writing, but I’ve looked in you last post and can’t find it. Just a tad more information, please. I can’t even remember what I wrote yesterday!! I guess it comes from concentrating on the present, or at least we’ll make that excuse for me!!!
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LOL I am so glad that someone else is like that and my apologies for my slow replies. It was in response to a response you made on Charlis comment about https://irenewaters19.com/2015/12/31/nimbin-style-friday-fictioneers/ a short piece of drug dealing in response to a photo of a cafe.
Just hope the present is fantastic. Happy New Year.
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Charli I thought ice would be a general term used world wide. Either I’m street wise and many of you in the States aren’t or you use a different name for the drug as you weren’t alone in not understanding the reference.”Ice, along with speed and base, is a form of the potent stimulant drug methamphetamine. Also referred to as shabu, crystal, crystal meth or d-meth, ice is the purest and most potent form of methamphetamine. It comes as a powder or crystals that are usually snorted, injected or smoked.” Ice is Australia’s biggest drug problem. Being highly addictive, chronic users tend to have less of the euphoric effects and more of the side effects such as heart attack, stroke and extreme violent paranoid behaviour. A real problem for hospital staff, police and other emergency services. Nimbin, the marijuana capital in Australia had its first ice problem in 2013 when a policeman was injured. The police lived (unhappily though as the general length of duty in Nimbin was shorter than 3 years) alongside the open dealing on the street, turning a bit of a blind eye. I thought something needed to be done about ice.
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Actually, I think it is, but consider some of us blissfully ignorant of street names for drugs, ha, ha! Now, Baileys over ice, that’s another matter. 🙂 I didn’t realize that ice was a big problem in Australia; meth is what it’s most commonly known as here and takes its toll on rural places. So sad. Then I did read correctly that the “hey-man-hippy-vibe” of the the touristy marijuana town was giving way to something harder, which exemplifies the idea of pot as a “fun” but a dangerous gateway drug nonetheless. You got a good discussion going with your take on the photo prompt!
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Yes you definitely read correctly. Let’s stick with the Baileys over ice. Sounds much more enjoyable.
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Grass is one thing. ‘Ice’ is dangerous. Next time – two busloads.
Good story. My city is trying to clean up a four-block stretch so it can be gentrified as the LRT goes in. 😳 It’ll just move them somewhere else.
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I agree. Ice is Australia’s biggest looming problem. Frightening so yes… two busloads may be the way to go.
So many places move on their problem areas (at least yours is for LRT not something like the olympics or soccer world cup) and it does just move the problem elsewhere.
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Such an unusual story – loved this.
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Sandra somehow I didn’t see your comment. Glad you liked the story.
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Funny story with a bite.
And a moral.
If one side messes with the code, the other is entitled to respond.
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Absolutely. Their has to be honour amongst those outside the law and those within it.
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Dear Irene,
I was a bit confused by the ending. I’m guessing that ‘ice’ is a drug? Bringabong. Love that. Um, I had one of those many moons ago. 😉
Happy New Year and Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
I made the mistake of assuming ice was the common name world wide. I have been shown to be wrong. Ice, along with speed and base, is a form of the potent stimulant drug methamphetamine. Also referred to as shabu, crystal, crystal meth or d-meth, ice is the purest and most potent form of methamphetamine. It comes as a powder or crystals that are usually snorted, injected or smoked.” Ice is Australia’s biggest drug problem. Being highly addictive, chronic users tend to have less of the euphoric effects and more of the side effects such as heart attack, stroke and extreme violent paranoid behaviour. A real problem for hospital staff, police and other emergency services. Nimbin, the marijuana capital in Australia had its first ice problem in 2013 when a policeman was injured. The police lived (unhappily though as the general length of duty in Nimbin was shorter than 3 years) alongside the open dealing on the street. I thought something needed to be done about ice.
Happy New Year Rochelle
Cheers Irene
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Lots of double meanings and images to puzzle over. I think I know what a Bringabong is though!
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LOL
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This was indeed unusual. Great word creation!
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Thanks Dale but really I can’t take credit as they are actually the names of shops in the town (apart from Apollo café) but the story had to have an Apollo in it. Hope you have a Happy New Year Dale.
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To you and yours as well, Irene!
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Whew…You had to write a post as long as your original to explain your original. I guess you’re just going to have to assume your readers aren’t half as with it as we seem to be!! xooxoHappy NY!
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LOL. Happy New Year Judy.
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Irene, Fun story! Thanks for the explanation about ice, I didn’t get that either. Happy New Year!
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Yes those slight language differences can make the difference between understanding and not but until you have a reader often you are unaware the difference exists. Happy 2016.
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Somebody commented, “two busloads”; too true. My new granddaughter will end up in Oz sometime (her dad’s from Sydney) and i’d like to see the drugs off the street by the time she gets there. keep fighting.
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I hope they are off the streets also. A much more frightening time to grow up than when I did. All my parents were worried about then were spiked drinks (and I think it was stronger alcohol that spiked them not drugs).
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Loved your story. My daughter lived near Nimbin for some years in the 1990s so I can visualise your story setting quite easily. I like how you’ve shown the way the new reality of ice has disrupted the fragile balance in the relations between police and residents – ‘the unwritten code’. I love the descriptions in your opening paragraph and how you’ve incorporated the local cafe names.
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Thanks Margaret. Knowing Nimbin would make the piece really make sense and I’m glad to hear that it worked for someone who knows the place. The local shop names had to be used, my creativity couldn’t surpass them.
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That sounds like a terrible problem, Irene. I read the comment and then understood. I’ve also heard crystal meth. I don’t know that alcohol will ever be considered as a harmful enough drug to keep it controlled more than it is now. Here in India, the law is cracking down more on drinking and driving. Good and realistic story. Well done. Happy New Year to you and yours. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Happy New Year to you Suzanne. With the population in India I would think driving whilst drinking would just be disastrous. Good to hear they are cracking down on it.
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An added problem, Irene, is that there are often people sleeping outside and they get run over. It’s terrible. Sometimes truck drivers drive drunk and cause terrific accidents. — Suzanne
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That sounds just horrible being run over whilst you sleep. I read a book ‘A fine Balance’ and it gave me a brief look into just how hard life in India can be. Alcohol wouldn’t make it any better. Cheers Irene
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