In the summertime, when the weather is hot

You can stretch right up and touch the sky

When the weather’s right

You got women, you got women on your mind

Mungo Jerry – In the Summertime 1970

Joanne was idly reading The Daily Mirror at home one weekend when something caught her attention.  In a wanted column she saw that an American stationed on the Marshall Islands was looking for a penfriend.  She had penfriends all over the world but they were all girls.  Maybe this one would be fun to write to and she might even get an answer.

The reply arrived a week later.  The American said his friends had placed the ad as a prank but he would be happy to write to her.  The letters led to an exchange of photos and cassette tapes, even Christmas presents.  He was from Alamogordo in New Mexico but instead of going home for his vacation he was coming to Australia.  

It was then Joanne found she wasn’t the only penfriend.  She had offered him accommodation on their twelve-acre farm when she found he was staying with another girl as well.  ‘I’ll meet you at the airport,’ she wrote excitedly.  ‘You can visit your other friend and then come and stay with us.’

Joanne had never had a sleepless night in her life but this was an exception.  She was up at dawn to catch the diesel train to Sydney.  Alighting from her taxi at the airport she saw a huge run in her stocking. Nothing could be done about it now so she pushed on regardless looking for a likeness to the photo in her hand.

He seemed nice and asked if she would like to travel with him to Kings Cross where he had booked a room.  He dumped his bags and they made their way to Circular Quay where they caught a ferry to Manly.  The Opera House drew their attention, with its tall cranes and unfinished sails.

‘It’s supposed to represent the sails of the yachts in the harbour but it’s quite different to the original design by Jorn Utzon, the architect,’ said Joanne. ‘It’s certainly not like any other buildings in Sydney, I’ll give you that.’

They ate a meal together in Kings Cross and bid farewell.  Joanne caught the train to her grandmother’s house in Cronulla, excitedly looking forward to meeting again in a couple of weeks.

He arrived by train at the small station of Yerrinbool.  Annie had fixed up a room for him in one of the outbuildings.  She didn’t want this stranger in the house near her daughter.  Joanne had planned every day of the week; a bushwalk, horseriding in Mittagong, a train trip to Canberra, a visit to the Lion Park at Warragamba and a drive down to Wollongong and the south coast.

During this time the American became a little restless, especially with the constant supervision of Joanne’s mother.  He bought a bottle of bourbon and suggested to Joanne that they visit the young stationmaster who lived in the residence up the road.  When he knocked on the door the stationmaster and his wife were already in their pyjamas but that didn’t deter the American.  They sat and talked for a couple of hours.  

The following day Annie said it would be all over the township and Joanne’s reputation would be in tatters.

‘First you go to a Kings Cross hotel with a strange man, and then you go uninvited to the stationmaster and keep him up all night drinking!’

When would Joanne learn to keep her mouth shut?