The Long Grass

Every family, to a greater or lesser extent, has “sayings” peculiar to their group, with origins frequently associated with a happy, sad, humorous, or strange event. Our extended family is no different, especially as there are three different generations involved.

For instance 10-year-old Brynn is quite comfortable and accustomed to tapping the side of her nose with a sly Monty Python “nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more, say no more” even though its origin pre-dates her by many decades. Young Tyler, at the rapid development stage, is full of organically-generated expressions, in addition to his “Chemistry” jokes.

A couple of months ago, Tyler arrived home with the bad news that he could not find his smartphone. He’d searched “everywhere”, but, alas, it was missing. He immediately contacted the bus company lost property – same status. He searched high and low, but to not avail. It was ‘gone’ forever.

“No matter, Tyler, we’ll get you a new one, and the full cost can come out of your chores allowance. It will take almost the full allowance for a year or a bit more, but you must learn to look after your stuff. Money doesn’t grow on trees…”

Tyler, knowing full well that he’d really done it this time, was not at all happy.

The next day after school, a simply radiant teenager arrived, all smiles and laughter. In his hand high above his head he waved his smartphone.

“I looked all over the place, and the last place I looked was at the bus stop where I got off yesterday! It lay there a full day and night without anyone seeing it. I’m so happy!”

“That’s marvellous, darling. Where exactly was it?”

“There at the bus stop on the verge. In the long grass.”

Sine that day, whenever anyone is looking for something, or something is misplaced, the stock comment is automatically, “It’s probably in the long grass!”

A few days after this incident, Jeanette misplaced a library DVD Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Jokingly, she was teased for dropping the DVD in the long grass. She retraced her steps and travel route to the school and library, but, alas, there was no happy ending and she ended up paying the Public Library the replacement cost of the item. Macbeth become the property of The Long Grass.

Yesterday, we went for a drive to Waikanae Beach (see next blog post) in the Toyota. This morning, when Clayton prepared for work, his Ford keys were nowhere to be found, and he made alternative transport arrangements. The keys were lost.

I have subsequently searched high and low, followed by an intensive vehicle search of his car, without success. Then I scanned to the Toyota, but without luck. Sadly, it seems as if Clayton’s keys may be in The Long Grass.

On the upside, while searching under the front passenger compartment of the Toyota, I discovered a “secret drawer” under the seat, probably for out-dated roadmaps. Imagine my surprise – the drawer is, in fact, so-called Long Grass!

In the drawer lay the long-missing Macbeth!