chapter 7 hendrik

Hendrik came from Norway. He was typically Scandinavian in his look - blonde, tall, slim, blue eyes. He had a degree in archeology and had decided to travel the world before getting a regular job. Of course he was interested in taking in the historical sights on his journey. He’d even had the opportunity to join in with some of the archeological digs in Egypt, China, and Cambodia. When he got back home, he was thinking about doing his PHD on Viking tool making. In Australia, he was keen to find out more about the aboriginal culture. He was intrigued about how some of the aboriginal art was actually maps of the countryside with symbols drawn in dots of colour. He had come to Alice Springs in the hope of learning more. He saw himself as living alongside them in a remote village in the outback. Maybe he could go hunting with them for wild animals or go foraging in what appeared to be a barren desert.

Before he got in with the aborigines though, he wanted to relax after his long, dusty bus journey from Adelaide. He had found a pub, not far from his cheap hotel and he was enjoying a few beers while trying to make sense of the cricket match that was playing on the large screen in the bar.

He’d already drank too much and was thinking about heading back to the hotel when he bumped onto a French woman called Brigitte. He apologised for spilling her drink and offered to buy her another to compensate. When he was at the bar, he bought himself another beer. He thought he could manage one more without coming over as a hopeless drunk. In any case, he thought he might stand a chance with her. He’d never been with a French girl before. Oh, her accent was so rich and sexy! Her clothes were sophisticated and chic, for a town so far away from the rest of civilisation!
She excused herself for a moment to see to her toilette. On her way back, she placed a food order at the bar. She said she had hardly eaten at thing all day! Minutes later, Hendrik was sitting with another pint in front of him and he was tucking into some cheesy chips. He had not realised how hungry he was himself until he saw them!
By then, he was too drunk to notice that Brigitte hardly ate any of the, food she had ordered from the bar, while he tucked in to battered onion rings, chicken nuggets and more cheesy chips.