Before I go in to my first date I want to take you back a little. We were in Year 8. We all decided that we would go out and have a party there were about 15 people that I was close too. It was all planned for a Friday night. We all told our respective parents that we were going to have a farewell dinner at a Chinese restaurant down town for a friend. I had a friend stay at my house because she lived out of town and she wouldn't have been able to make it if she didn't stay over. My friends loved my Mum but not Arthur even though he tried to act cool around them. Looking back now he probably looked like a dirty old man. He always tried to joke with my mates.
My house was the place to be we wagged school all the time. We would go to school then decide we would go back to my house because we couldn't be bothered and sitting around my house smoking cigarettes and talking was so much better. At lunch times everyone would be at my house and a couple of us (usually Trish and I) would call a cab and go get Chinese for lunch and bring it back. This wasn't easy as we would have to duck down when we went past my mums work and then again before we went past Arthur's work. We would have to do the same on the way home.
Everyday Arthur would come home at lunch and ask the same question " what are you all doing here" we would lie and say they are watching a movie at school or we had a free period. He believed us if he didn't he never said anything.
It was on one of these days our final "party" plans were hatched.
I worked for my mother on the weekends and most days after school to get some pocket money. One day my friend who was going to stay over (we will call her Pam) came to work with me. She had her school bag which was not unusual. Mum managed a grocery come liquor store. Mum went out the back and we went to work. We rushed over and grab like 5 bottles of alcohol (enough for everyone) we put them in Pam's bag and she left the store to take them to my house (not that far away) and out them under my bed. We were set!
The next day none of us could be bother going to school so it was off the my house. We were so excited. Everyone left just before the school bell was to ring and caught the bus to their homes. The party was to start at 7:30pm.
Pam and I got dressed up and I wore my Mum's skirt. We did our makeup and we got in the car as Mum was dropping us off. On the way down Mum said " don't burn my skirt Emily!" She knew I smoked she didn't condone it but she thought she could control it ( she would never buy me cigarettes either). Back then smoking wasn't splattered all over the papers and tv as a killer.
We arrived at the Chinese restaurant and as mum pulled up she bunny hopped the car out the from (she wanted to embarrass me and it worked). We planned this party down to the last minuet detail. The girl who was suppose to be leaving walked out of the Chinese restaurant like she had been inside. Our parents had brought it we had then hook line and sinker.
After we all arrived we crossed over the road and went down to the river to drink the alcohol that Pam and I had stolen. I drank so much ... We were only there an hour when we decided we would all go and sit in the mall outside a nightclub where my Shihan (Matty) worked.
I was so drunk. I had never drunk before so drinking almost a bottle in an hour made a mess out of me. I sat in the gutter outside the night club and all I could say is "please don't tell Matty". I knew if he found out I would be in so much trouble. Karate was still first in my life at this stage. The only other thing I said was " don't burn Mum's skirt". I started to feel really sick and I asked Pam to go upstairs and get lex (she was an older girl I knew who was a bartender at the club. Matty was the head bouncer. I said to Pam " don't tell Matty why just say you need Lex".
Pam and my friends were really worried about me they had drunk too just not as much as me. Pam did what I asked and Lex came downstairs only to run back up and get her car keys to take me home.
Lex had a really old valiant. It was red but faded and rusty. She got me in the back and put Pam in the front. She was racing me home when I said " I'm going to be sick" she pulled the car over got me out and I was violently ill. The trip home took us 45 minutes I was told the next day. It should have only taken 5 minutes that is how often I was sick.
Lex pulled up 1 house away from mine and helped me out. Pam grabbed my arm and we walked around the side of my house to go through the back door. Pam whispered to me loudly (yes a loud whisper) "Emily! Come here and I will hose you down". I remember looking at her and thinking how is hosing me going to help. I turned and started to make my way up the stairs holding on to both the rails so I didn't trip and I walked really slowly. Pam in toe. I walked in to our laundry past out kitchen left in the dining room then followed the hallway till I go to my room. I didn't stop to look in to the lounge room. I flopped on my bed. I heard Mum say to Pam " what are you doing home so early? you have been gone under 2 hours" Pam responded "I think Emily has good poisoning". Well after hearing that I was set to play the role of my life, or so I thought.
Mum rushed in to my room. She stood over the bed I had flopped and and all I said was " Mum the food was terrible". She knew exactly what was wrong and dragged me out to the toilet. When I kept lying to her she got really angry (she hated alcohol) she slapped me across the face and said " your just like you father!". After I had been sick again those words hit me hard. She got me in the car and off the the hospital. I had to drink charcoal to pump my stomach. I had alcohol poisoning.
I promised myself after this I would never drink again. I had never had a drink before this so needless to say I had never had a hangover. Well that changed the next morning Mum woke me early and made me go to work. I had a terrible head ache and all Mum could say it that is your own fault. Mum asked where I got the alcohol from and I had to tell her the truth. She didn't say anything ( it's always scary when mum says nothing or is calm). About an hour later the police Sargent came in to the shop. He took me out the back and had "the chat" with me and told me I could be charged with stealing, underage drinking, public intoxication etc. I was petrified. Mum had called the police one me. Luckily i wasn't charged. This was the way mum dealt with things and I would do the same to my children. What I did was illegal and this taught me never to steel and at the time not to drink again but I also think the hangover taught me that also. I was barred for a very long time after this and it meant not leaving the house except for school and no phone calls or friends over. Mum didn't stop karate or hockey though. She knew that karate would sort me out and Pa would also even without words.
I thought all the trouble was over until I had to go to Karate later that day. Mum had spoken to Matty. I didn't know this before I left the house that day. I got to the dojo and bowed to enter as you always did.
As soon as I stepped foot inside that dojo Matty called me to the Alter and told me to kneel down. He told me he knew all about the drinking as he had seen me on the cameras out the front of the club. He spoke very calmly to me and asked it I knew all the things I had done wrong. I went through the list and he agreed. He then proceeded to tell me that he could strip me of my belt ( degrade me). I started to cry. I had worked so hard for my belts all the way through and this had ruined it for me. I felt stupid and embarrassed but this, this one thing made me realise how stupid I was. Not the police not mum but losing something I had worked so hard for and was so proud of.
We spoke for a whole and I thought it was over. He then said "this is your warning Emily! Never ever ever get in this sort of trouble again or it is your belt!" I agreed and a the tears stopped running. He scared the crap out of me....
Next instalment I will give you the insight on my first date with Dan.
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