By late afternoon, everyone had arrived back at the ‘Hogs Head Inn’.
To save time, Chopper decided to follow Pearl in and clean himself up at the hotel for the party. He parked the Ute in a shady spot at the rear; ordered the dogs to stay on the back, and placed the piglet into a large holding cage against the wall.
He was upset they hadn’t caught Gutsy, but decided that if Denny had no luck, he and Clyde would head off the next day for another shot.
Jordie parked the dune buggy beside the Ute, then he and Mitch jumped onto the bus to go back to Maddy and clean up before the party.
“How are you fellas holding up?” one passenger asked.
“Not a problem,” Mitch chuckled.
“You guys are making this trip one to remember,” another put in.
“It’s just part of the job,” they laughed.
Back at Maddy, Julio and May-lee retired to their cabins to freshen up for the night’s entertainment. Kristy rushed to hers, showered, threw on a pair of white shorts, a red and white checked shirt then slipped on her joggers. She walked to the bar and asked Jordie, who’d had a quick shower and changed into his uniform, to mix her a tangy fizz.
While she waited for her drink, she looked about for Mitch in the hope he may join her.
With him nowhere in sight, she strolled up to the sundeck, plonked onto a deckchair and sipped on her drink to ponder the day’s events.
She was pleased that the boys were Ok. With the trip nearing an end, and the excitement being more than she had expected, she was looking forward to the night’s laidback entertainment, ‘If there’s any more incidents the boys could be dead meat, and the insurance premiums will sky rocket,’ she tittered.
It was early evening when Pearl picked everyone up from Maddy. She drove them into town, and pulled the bus to a halt beside a stage that had been erected a hundred and fifty metres from the hotel.
It had an aluminium sunshade roof and canvas backing to block out the setting sun.
Jordie & Mitch grabbed the DJ’s backing track system and amps from the buses luggage compartment and helped Kristy set them up.
May-lee went to the kitchen to assist Pearl, and a few local women in preparing large bowls of fresh salad. She had decided to wear a light casual dress until she changed at the hotel for her performance. Julio, who had offered to help with the food, accompanied Clyde to the back of kitchen. They rolled out a few spit roasts that had been cooking succulent pigs throughout the day, and placed them on the footpath near the hotel. With everything complete, Jordie & Mitch walked over to a makeshift bar, which sat beside the spit roasts, to help serve drinks.
Kristy pressed a button on the DJ keyboard. She played a few slower songs as the locals entered the street. Old men and their wives shuffled in with the aid of walking sticks. They were followed by husbands & wives with their excitable kids and good-looking girls that clung to the arms of the local youths.
With the passengers and townsfolk happily eating & chatting away, the street buzzed with excitement, as the Mallee Meadows party and feast began.
Jordie & Mitch, who had just finished serving some of the crowd, were at the bar having a breather, when a slightly drunk Denny wandered over.
“Where’d you get to?” Mitch asked.
“Yeah,” Jordie chimed in. “Ya find Gutsy?”
“Naw, I’ll head out tomorrow,” he told them. “I’ll get him, mark my words,”
“Well good luck to ya,” both chuckled at his big-headed attitude.
“Don’t need it,” Denny bragged, then added, “I’d better go, I have a street load of people to entertain,” and with that he staggered through the crowd onto the stage and stumbled over to Kristy at the DJ’s seat. He grabbed a microphone, told her the song he wanted then leant against the keyboard. “Have ya missed me doll?” he droned and blew her the wettest imaginary kiss he could manage. Kristy, well used to Denny’s moronic behavior, returned it with her finest, ‘touch me and I’ll kick your butt,’ gaze, and thought, ‘This is all I need.’ But she dare not stop him in case he caused a scene. ‘Best let him sing his song, then get rid of him,’
Denny laughed at her response and turned to face the crowd.
“G’day folks I’m Denny Dennison, the greatest trail bike rider, chick magnet n singer in the district… I’d like to sing a tune before the luvaaly Maay-leee entertains you,” he turned toward Kristy and roared, “Hit it Krisssy,”
Kristy forced a smile and scanned until the song he’d chosen came up.
She hit the button and an electric guitar instrumental blared from the speakers.
Denny gave a couple of sharp jerks of his hips, and when it was time for the lyrics to kick in, he let it rip. He whooped and hollered about the stage, performing a bizarre and frenzied jig, much to the amusement of the crowd.
When another instrumental kicked in, he broke into a brilliant air guitar move; kicking his legs high and striding back and forth to the cheering crowds delight.
As the tempo lowered, he staggered over to Kristy, knelt before her, arms opened to perform his finest serenade. Kristy rolled her eyes, placed a foot onto his chest and pushed. Denny stumbled onto his butt, performed a spirited backward roll, landed on his feet and continued to impress with his comical moves.
When the music faded, he faced the applauding crowd, gave them the cheesiest of grins and proudly took a bow.
With the crowds’ great response, he decided that an encore song, plus a job well done smooch from Kristy were in order. He staggered over, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close, “give us a little kissy Krisssy,”
Kristy gave him a smile and quick fired elbow to the ribs. He got her message, sucked in deep breaths and staggered slowly and pained from the stage.
“Shit that hurt,” he groaned.
Kristy smiled innocently at the audience, “Ladies and gentlemen, after that excellent performance from Denny, I would like to welcome once again, the ever lovely Maay-leee,”
Amid an enthusiastic round of applause led by a drunken Julio, May-lee, wearing a sequined peach & violet trimmed flowing gown danced onto the stage.
Overwhelmed by her loveliness Julio rushed up and clutched her hand. “Ooh my belleza, we shall perform another duet,”
May-lee drew back and attempted to remove his hand. No chance, Julio held firm.
“Where do these tossers come from?” Kristy groaned then darted over from the keyboard to get rid of him.
Meanwhile, Denny, suffering from a bad dose of humiliation, decided that getting even was the best medicine for his dented pride. He staggered through the bar out the back to the holding cage.
“G’day little piggy we have a bit of fun to attend too,” he reached in, grabbed the piglet then raced back to the street and stood at the rear of the crowd.
“G’day folks it’s time to catch the piggy,” he dropped it onto the ground, screamed, “pig... pig... pig,” and the piglet was off.
The crowd parted in quick speed time and were in hysterics as they watched it squealing toward the stage. The dogs, hearing the piglets’ cries, jumped from the Ute and were in hot pursuit. The kids, thinking that chasing it would be fun joined in. On the stage, Julio was breaking into song as May-lee and Kristy continued to push him away. On hearing the commotion, Kristy turned and saw the piglet racing toward them, “Oh shit,” she muttered.
The piglet dashed past and attacked the backing canvas, its little tusks ripping it to threads. It darted off the rear, and bolted into the night, with the barking dogs and screaming kids hot on its heels.
An angry Kristy spun toward the crowd and saw a sneering Denny at the rear. She sent him a piercing glare, then screamed, “You’re a tosser Denny Dennison!”
The crowd silenced. Denny, realizing that maybe he had gone too far turned on his heels. As Kristy prepared to jump from the stage and throttle him, she was stopped in her tracks by a thunderous rumbling from afar, that shook the earth and hinges on the doors. She spun and stared into the dusky night. Beyond the stage, the dogs were bolting toward them. Nudging their heels was the monstrous frame of an angry Gutsy.
“It’s the pig,” someone yelled and Kristy nearly fainted.
A quick thinking Jordie jumped onto the stage. He grabbed May-lee and a stunned Kristy and hurried them off. A fast moving Julio followed. The dogs hit the stage and scurried over; Gutsy hit next and sent it into splintered obscurity.
Terror erupted in the street of Mallee Meadows, as old men and their wives fled without the aid of their walking sticks; husbands, wives and good-looking girls hot on their heels. Gutsy charged down the street with the kids chasing and cheering him on. This was the best party ever, and they were enjoying every minute of it.
Chopper, who was sitting in the bar with Captain having a beer and eating hogs head cheese, heard the ruckus. On hearing his boy’s squeals he jumped from his barstool and bolted outside. He saw Gutsy, leapt from the veranda and raced to the middle of the street. He planted his feet firmly onto the ground, sucked in a deep breath, and roared, “Guuutsssyyy!”
Gutsy charged on, and Chopper, refusing to believe his beloved pig would harm him, held fast.
As Gutsy loomed, Denny roared from the side of the ‘Hogs Head Inn’ astride his trail bike. He came to a broadsiding halt, gave the engine a couple of sharp revs and yelled. “I’ve got him covered,”
On spotting Denny, Gutsy changed course. Realizing Gutsy’s intentions, Denny freak out. His face turned cold blue and his eyes seemed to spring from their sockets. After a moment of frenzied quivering, he regained his senses and accelerated. He executed a quick-fired three sixty and sped off wheel standing as he went, with Gutsy nudging his rear.
“Hi ho away he goes,” Mitch screamed and buckled over with laughter.
With calm restored, Clyde assured Kristy that the damage was minimal and he wasn’t overly concerned. She asked after Denny, although he was a pain she didn’t want him to get hurt. Clyde told her Denny was a great trail bike rider, and the chance of Gutsy catching him were doubtful. Kristy, feeling better by his assurance walked to the wreckage of the stage and grabbed a microphone.
“Well folks, the entertainment is never ending… that’s country life for ya,”
After a couple of quite drinks and some laidback music by May-lee, the passengers filed onto the bus. They were driven back to Maddy for a good night’s rest, to wait and wonder what adventure their journey home would bring.