Ralf Drives Halfway Across The World (Part 1) – Mad Chaos: November 17, 1998

Finally Writing It All Down

Sunday night I had so much to write and so much to think about after my long, hot and stress relieving shower. My night had been full of content and lost emotion and still now I am confused on what should be written. Confusion does play a part in why I have taken so long to write back in my Diary but that is also a result of knowing this would have been such a great task on hand.

Just knowing that I had such a great time on Saturday night with all the boys, a camera and a whole lot of dancing, Sunday night and let alone today’s slowing day were too much to write about. Knowing that I don’t want to begin straight off with a disappointing Sunday (Which I probably would have talked about straight away and with such emotion if I had the chance that night or the following morning) I stand to speak chronologically starting with Saturday as not to upset the stabilized progression.

Scrounging A Lift

What I do remember of Saturday to begin was finishing my Diary entry and then calling Shawn to see what was happening. Luckily I did call someone before 6:00 p.m. because from what I had heard the day before they were leaving around that time to head early for the Cabins. Shawn had informed me that they were leaving in a short while and he was heading to Tatton’s house to get a lift.

Shawn asked if I wanted to get picked up but telling him I still had to ring Keith I gave him a call and hearing that he was also meeting up with Binh for the night and had Ralf in his car (Of whom I tried calling first) I asked to be picked up along the way. Shawn told me he had a nightclub shirt for me to wear as he bragged to me the day preceding that it was tight and made Noah look huge. Supposedly Shawn got his shirt and some other clothes from Ace as a result of Shawn doing some electrical shit for him.

Preparing myself for the night I had a quick shower and then put on some pants and my black button up shirt which unbuttons easily. Giving Tatton a call he told me that Shawn was on his way over and hearing that they too were driving to Keith’s house to meet up with Binh who was also driving there I asked them to pick me up along the way.

Having no problem with that we jumped off the phone and in ten minutes they arrived at my house. Shawn was supposed to lend me that shirt for the night but he told me he couldn’t find it so I wore what I have already described. Jumping in the car with a towel, some shorts for the pool at the cabin, an extra shirt and some ‘Cool Water’ Cologne we departed, me blissful in the back seat.

Four Cars Bound For Wollongong

Arriving at Keith’s house it was my first chance to see who was also going to be down at the Cabin in Wollongong and also with us at ‘Waves’ the nightclub. Keith was getting ready and Ralf who was driving around with him was tossing up whether or not he was staying at the Cabin for the night because he didn’t want to pay. Binh had his car parked out the front but the only person in his car apart from himself was Tyler and that’s how it was for the remainder of the night.

Our night out at ‘Waves’ was actually Tyler’s proper birthday after-party because only him and Binh ended up traveling to Chevy’s for his actual 18th birthday night. When all was in order and Keith was ready we headed with Binh to his house while Keith drove Ralf home so he could also bring his car down. When all that was done we met up at the Rosemeadow shopping complex and as I jumped out of Tatton’s car and into Keith’s car (Keith asked me to as there was a space in front for me) we headed, four cars to Wollongong.

Keith Finds The Turbo

The only highlight of the trip to Wollongong was the fact that there was a quick motorbike on the road and on a downhill which led to an uphill Keith gave his car a squirt as the motorbike did. Keith kept behind the motorbike all the way down and then up the hill as we almost reached 200 Km/h with ease once the turbo kicked in successively on each gear.

Keith was somewhat proud that he handled his car up to that speed and after telling me that this had been the fastest he’d ever taken his new car. The adrenaline in Keith’s veins was pumping but to me 200 Km/h didn’t faze me as I had been to that plateau with Ali many times before.

Speed Is Nothing New

Driving recklessly on the road I have endured time and time again and I’ve loved every anxiety driven minute of it. When we reached 200 Km/h in Keith’s car it was like a stroll through the park to me because at that speed, Ali and I have skimmed over the top of water almost crashing, gone around bends sliding and swerved through traffic like wild running backs in Gridiron. When I receive a hand upon my own car I will not take speed lightly but rather, I will take at ease what is given to me in the form of kilometers. Driven will be my car in excess only in controlled circumstances but when is speeding ever really controlled.

A Cabin Far Too Small

Upon arriving at Wollongong I noted once again that ‘Waves’ was not where I thought it had been and indeed it was at Corrimal, right near the station. The Cabins were just across the road from ‘Waves’ and as we drove to our destination our cars were parked. Walking to Reception Binh paid for the room and allowing two cars only through the boom gates we waited to see which little cul-de-sac he drove into.

Starting to sprinkle with droplets of water we walked towards the Cabin we were meant to stay in and as we continued down our little street of Cabins I noticed them getting considerably more compact. Our Cabin was the last of that block and it looked as equally small as my room and bathroom together. The compact area had a kitchen, a stove, a bathroom, a Queen sized bed and two bunks which was supposed to fit 4 people but we chose it to fit eight. Settling down into our rooms as the time turned to 7:30 p.m. the sun was just setting.

Vedat and a newcomer called Karl arrived into the room, they were the last two to arrive and they had already been in Wollongong driving around before we had even arrived. Vedat as I would have probably mentioned before was some Hindu heritage nationality. He was black of course, skinny with a rough ponytail and to all including me he has a good sense of humor that was shown on the filming camera that Shawn had brought down.

Tyler was jumping on the double bed as Keith announced “Someone had to do it”. Bottles of where, Sambucca and all other types of liquor were brought out from within all as Binh had a thought of striking up a barbecue. My only real thoughts were to prep myself up for our night at ‘Waves’ and get there earlier than usual so I can soak up the atmosphere.

Ralf Wants A Drive

As Binh prepared the barbecue with the gas stoves we were given Ralf wanted to go for a drive and was continually taping me wanting me to go with him. Ralf was persistently in his boyish tapping on my shoulder which he so profusely took part in. It was like I was the only person that Ralf could get into his car gang and he was trying so hard for me to listen to him.

On the basis that Ralf would talk too much and feed us his bullshit of how ‘This is my car and if you don’t like where I go get the fuck out’ I was inclined to stay behind but seeming Keith and Tyler also wanted to drive out and buy more alcohol I went along too.

Detour To Find Food

Jumping into Ralf’s car Keith just wanted to be driven across the road to ‘Waves’ where there was a Bottle Shop stocking alcohol. That’s where Tyler could have bought his alcohol and Keith could have taken money out to buy tickets but instead, Ralf decided to take the privilege of driving around into his own hands. Ralf wanted to get something to eat and as we had disagreements knowing that Ralf wanted to drive ten minutes towards Wollongong Ralf fed us his bullshit and done what he wanted to do.

Keith got pissed off because of this and as I was getting a little flustered we drove on with Ralf’s pig headed wishes. We all knew that it was Ralf’s car and we all knew that if we didn’t like where Ralf was driving we could get ‘The Fuck Out’ but what we didn’t know was his intention to drive there.

If I had known that Ralf was going to drive half way across the world to get something to eat I wouldn’t have gone with him, for a minute I thought he was going to drive back to Campbelltown to eat a Kebab. Ralf is void in the cerebrum of any wise decision making and along with his null medulla oblongata action the thought of Ralf needing complete silence to think for himself was numbing my brain of sympathy.