High on Kai

Just a short note to everyone who kindly e-mailed me wishing Peter all the best after my piece "High on Kai" was critiqued.

Everything in the poem is true - except I've changed all the names of the survivors. Anyway, I've just spent the weekend with Peter and he's doing good.

His little girls stayed at our house for most of last week, which was a trip because they're Portuguese and hardly speak a word of English, and Kai's not exactly fluent in Portuguese, but kids converse in kid's language. It doesn't seem to hold them back like it does adults.

Peter and I stayed up late into the night on Saturday, drinking a 24 pack of Stella. We sat outside in the garden of a house in the countryside and put the world to rights. We're old diving buddies and have a lot of old memories. Peter's logged over 300 dives and once snorkelled down to 23 mtrs and tapped a diver on the shoulder.

But, of course, we talked about him and his situation. Strange really, because he doesn't like an alcoholic being called a pisshead but doesn't mind being called a smackhead himself. He's called himself worse names over the past two years. He's clean at the moment and has been receiving therapy while in this country, but the test will come when he goes back home and falls under certain influences. However, he has three excellent reasons to stay strong and maintain himself.

I didn't really write "High on Kai" about him. I just used his situation as a focus for writing the poem. Peter doesn't mind. Dave's dead. And Rob wouldn't wouldn't give a @!#$ either way.

So another big thank you to all ABC Talers who cared enough to wish Peter well in private e-mails to myself. He's doing great and is good fun to be around. Let's hope it lasts.