Page 14 - CR-92

touch him. "What a sweetie," Mum cooed, the
first time she saw him and, before I had a
chance to warn her, she rubbed him behind an
ear, squealing when he hissed and paw-
swiped her hand. "He can't stand women," I
feebly apologized. "You could have told me,"
she indignantly grumbled, frowning at the
culprit while dabbing a handkerchief on her
bleeding hand.

Another of his peculiarities was christening
patron's cars, backing up to tyres and bumpers
before squirting on them. Had his bladder
capacity been measured, I'm sure he'd have
made it into the Guinness Book of Records as
no car was exempt.

Being a cat of many talents, his understanding
of the elements beat weather forecasts hands
down, as was evidenced one sultry night.
"What's with Gazer?" Ron, the projectionist,
asked. "He shot in here like his tail was on
fire." Equally puzzled, I shrugged while
studying the cat crouching in a corner, wide-
eyed with terror. Within minutes a fierce
hailstorm hit, denting car roofs and bonnets
and causing a car being driven along the road
outside to slide backwards out of control on
the icy surface. The nightly weather report
hadn't mentioned the storm, so it surprised
everyone except Gazer, who waited till it was
over before creeping from his corner to peep
saucer-eyed at steam rising off the warm
ramps.
One evening, instead of trotting into the ticket
box as usual, he howled for attention from
behind a nearby embankment. Upon
investigating, I saw his very pregnant partner
cringing a safe distance away. She scooted off
as I watched and then Gazer, happy at having
shown off his lover, pranced into the ticket
box and took up his position on the counter.
She was seldom seen after that but, a couple
of months later, Gazer brought his favourite
son along to teach him the finer points of
marking territory. Junior copied his father but,
lacking the same liquid capacity, his efforts The Drive-in was equipped with a pair of Toshiba 35 mm projectors
became dry imitations. After several nights
the son disappeared. I guess the drive-in cried out, scrambling with his girlfriend as far charged for primary school children, even
theatre was exclusively Gazer's domain, to be away from the grey intruder as they could. though the latter admissions were a pittance.
flaunted but not shared. Their yelling brought me running. "Sorry," I Most of the complainers drove expensive cars,
apologized, tugging the rogue's head out of patrons in old models generally being more
The Stargazer occupied only half of the the car and, with my trouser-belt around his pleasant to deal with, some even offering to
twenty acre site, so when my friend, Bryane, neck, led him back to his paddock. I hope the pay for babies. "At last! Some cheerful
saved a thoroughbred horse from the shock of being snorted on didn't create customers!" Bryane declared, as a bus loaded
knackery, the unused portion was fenced into problems for them nine months later. with young men, some laughing and waving
a horse paddock. Old Blue loved movies, with heads and arms stuck out of windows,
especially family ones when, for a bit of He slipped in another time while a zombie came along the driveway towards us. "They're
comical weaving and head bobbing, children horror movie played, his ghostly form freebies," I said, grinning. They were from
were enticed into feeding him sweets over the looming up in the darkness, scaring the wits nearby St John's orphanage, an orphanage in
fence. He was not a horse to let chances slip out of patrons sitting on chairs beside their name only, since the religious brothers started
through his hooves so, when the gate to his vehicle. looked after mentally challenged men,
enclosure was left open one night, he delightful people who were always in great
wandered onto car ramps scavenging food With the large paddock erected, Bryane and I spirits. To accommodate them, four back row
tossed from cars. bought thoroughbred mares in foal, speakers had long cords attached so they
misguidedly expecting to make our fortunes reached to the top of the bus as, on warm
Tracing an aroma to a bucket of chips left on breeding horses. Being a gelding, Old Blue nights, most of the men sat on the roof to
a car dashboard, he poked his head through came in handy as a foal-sitter at weaning time. watch the movies.
the open driver's window and munched on
them while a young couple pashed on the back One night, when Bryane and I worked at the We got to know them well, especially Mark
seat. The lovers were blissfully unaware of ticket box, we had a spate of cranky who spoke so loudly that some people were
him until his hot breath and whiskers fanned customers, either objecting to paying full intimidated. "How much does this come to?"
the man's bare buttocks. "Bloody hell!" he price for nineteen year olds, or for being he bellowed one time, when midway along the

14 CINEMARECORD # 92