The Five Old Men

By BERNARD WENDELIN

Five elderly men discuss daily the world and their personal view. It is not always pretty as they have their coffee each morning. Then meet for a beer late afternoon. Character is forthcoming and discussion often vibrant. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bernard Wendelin
• Release date: Sep 24, 2022
• ISBN: 9798985817317

Book preview

cover-kindle.jpg

The Five Old Men

Copyright © 2022 by Bernard Wendelin. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, digital, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or conveyed via the Internet or a website without prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

ISBN:

979-8-9858173-0-0 (paperback)

979-8-9858173-1-7 (ebook)

Printed in the United States of America

In many suburbs of Sydney there is a town square with a memorial or statue, usually for the fallen servicemen and women of past conflicts around the world. Ramsgate Beach, a suburb close to Mascot Airport, has the ‘Bill Batley’ plaque which commemorates a citizen with long service to the Community, especially through the Life Saving Club 300 metres away on the shores of Botany Bay. There is a Clubhouse with facilities. Bill Batley, a retired plumber, now lives on the Central Coast of NSW. Today in the square, four retired men and a ‘ring in’ gather in the sun for talk and coffee. Not all of them are Gentlemen! The ‘ring in’ is still working full time, hospital shift work. These five are the mainstays and have progressed as a group from discussion of the weather and family issues.

When you are crazy, every day is a party …..Turkish saying The oldest man of this group, Carlos Zapienza, was born in Tuscany, Italy. Carlos is a complex individual who likes women, music and cars in that order. His wife Beatrice could attest to Carlos’ love for women if she was still with us but unfortunately Beatrice had succumbed to lung cancer some two years ago. Beatrice was a smoker and had been a veteran ‘actrice’ in Italian Cinema for ages before the pair arrived in Sydney in mid 1964. They had operated a small Hotel in Sardinia, the large Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea. Their small Hotel was in Chia and Beatrice assisted between work in Theatre and the occasional film commitment. Sardinia has 2000K of coastline, sandy beaches and a mountainous interior crossed by walking trails. The interior is rugged and littered with neolithic remains (Nuraghi) which are described as mysterious Bronze Age stone ruins shaped like beehives. East of the island’s capital Cagliari about an hour’s drive you will find blue sea on the left and flamingo-dotted lagoons on your right. Chia is a little resort nearby. Carlos and Beatrice arrived in Australia under some marriage related strain and it was twofold. Work offers had dried up for Beatrice as the Producers chased younger actresses for their new projects. The second thing was that Carlos was used to being on his own for months at a time and prioritized fixing cars (Fords particularly- Carlos had three of them) and chasing skirt from all the single female Tourists littering the streets of Chia in his spare time. Beatrice picked up on these facts quickly and they had an ultimatum argument leading to a one way boat trip for both of them to Fremantle, Western Australia. Their new life together galvanised their partnership once and for all. They settled eventually in Monterey on the shores of Botany Bay in Sydney. After three years and citizenship finalised Carlos joined the Australian Army in 1967 during the conflict in Vietnam. He went on two tours of that country and did himself proud.

Today in nearby Ramsgate not far from Monterey the assembled other four witnessed Carlos in full flight. He barked today like in the days of old as a former Military sergeant at the question just put to him (not one of his four retired friends knew his background – service in Vietnam was all). Carlos then gesticulated with his hands like many of his countrymen.

Are you serious? The Buddhists at a basic level believe in accepting life’s ups and downs and trying to maintain a sense of inner peace. They consider suffering a part of life and feel that accepting this truth gives a person of great wisdom. Something that is lacking in today’s conversation!

The unsurprised other four shuffled their feet and reset their mouths, some wiping their lips for the inevitable waving of arms and agitated rebuttal. Cedric Shehadi wiped his nose with a sleeve. He sat next to Carlos and erupted.

Carlos. You are full of it! Many claim that Zen Buddhism is an elaborate trick played upon a gullible public for almost 1,400 years.

Carlos eyed the man next to him, Cedric and calmly stated.

"When I was at school, a Tuscan Christian Brother, Rocco Severino did emphasise honesty and frankness. His clear message; ‘Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable, be honest and frank anyway.’

Nothing matters more than to live your life decently. You Philistines are complete losers to believe otherwise.

Cedric was not finished.

"Let me ask then. ’What is the sound of one hand clapping?’

What are educated people of this era to make of this irrational Buddhist nonsense?"

James Breen coughed knowing what was coming. The finger pointing would ensue. Under his breath he said.

Shit, oh dear!

Cedric held his ground.

I get it that the foolish Buddhists want to suffer but aren’t they on about eliminating desire from your life. Eliminate desire and that eliminates suffering.

Coop (real name Joshua Cooper but nobody uses that) supported the thought from Cedric; Hear Hear! Ennio Boldacci (known as Tony, also Italian from Milano) interjected.

Listen, listen. If you have life, you have everything. What do you old bastards know anyway? If you can appreciate what a gift life is and not only focus on your woes, regrets and resentments. I am profoundly glad to have existence itself. Everything else is hollow.

Animated now, each of the five conversing gentlemen became interested; although James spilled his coffee trying to contain his immediate contrary response. Others looked to the heavens, yet still there were two with their hands on their heads. Everyone waited as Carlos took the reins again.

To continue, I have a quote from a conversation between Carl Jung and a Wyoming American Shosone Indian Chief, name unknown. Do you want to hear this? Silence. A few nodded.

"OK. This Plains Indian Chief comments to Jung that the white people have tense faces, staring eyes and a cruel demeanour….

‘They are always seeking something. What are they seeking? The whites always want something. Uneasy and restless. We don’t know what they want. We think they are mad.’ So collective friends and hostiles, one must first seek meaning, then seek direction and then look for what is likely to bring inspiration. Then relax. None of you will be Olympic Champions, but that is a subject for another day entirely."

Carlos finished his coffee on the way to the garbage bin, waved and left the other four in the sun. He headed for the beach and the walk home along the foreshore as the other ‘Gentlemen’ continued in earnest conversation. Tony was adamant; Carlos is nuts? Where does that tripe come from? My Mother was a philosophy graduate and she never went on like Carlos. My brother’s and I would hear her say things like…. ‘Common sense is not very common’.

Coop, referred to his former tradesman’s prowess as a Cooper and Stone Mason offered; Does he not know that the greater mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. That’s honesty and frankness!

Cedric was unimpressed; Why give us a lecture? Does the prick think he’s perfect? It proves the man as an arrogant piece of work, I say.

James Breen (aka Mr. Jelly Bean), rose and made his way home.

See ya. We are all decent in our lives. What is Carlos really on about? Philosophical twit.

Carlos Zapienza had some mild pangs of guilt over the conversation that morning. He sat and looked at some photos of his wife and himself on holiday in Sardinia. This gave him pause and fond memories. He decided to desist from lecturing with the other four. It was a trait they were unresponsive to in any case.

Next day, Carlos changed tack to keep not only the conversation going but the other four on the back foot as it were. He greeted them all as they sipped coffee.

Morning gentlemen, can we talk about success today or is there a burning debate already?

Some looked away, others said nothing. Carlos was a stimulus but in no way the leader of the group. In fact, James had been a lieutenant in Vietnam with the Nashos (Australian conscripts to that war). How do you measure success? For all of us old guys we feel satisfied with our situations, no?

Nobody spoke, coffees were drunk as they patiently waited enjoying the morning sun with not a lot on their collective minds. Carlos commenced.

OK. Let me start and don’t hesitate to interject. Success could be measured by a few parameters but of course each of us have their own. I will talk generally, OK?

Still nobody spoke but now there was intent as they waited like lions, licking their lips before a meal. Carlos was no genius but he could be relied on to spice up their morning’s ‘prayer meeting’.

"So, there is a guy called Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American it turns out and he came up with some guidelines, for want of a better world, to succeed;

1. To laugh often and much. To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children.

2. To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends. (Note: Here, there was jeering from all listeners).

3. To appreciate beauty and find the best in others. (Cheering now).

4. To leave the world a bit better place whether by a healthy child, a redeemed social condition, or a job well done.

5. Finally, to know even one other life has breathed because you lived. That is to have succeeded.

The response was flat, as in contemplation. Coffee’s being consumed and as yet no wise comebacks, perhaps it was too much all at once. Carlos waited, knowing he was on a roll.

You want to change tack with some poetry? I brought …..a bloke called Longfellow.

Carlos looked up and saw no boredom or opposition, just the normal returning dissent. But they seemed to allow Carlos the floor.

"The heights by great men reached and