21
Over the following few weeks, Harry and Patrick made it a pleasant habit at the end of each working day to sit on the old wicker chairs on the front verandah of their cottage and imbibe in either a hot cup of tea, or if the mood grabbed them, a cool beer. Occasionally, neighbours would call in for a chat. Most others who walked by would raise a hand to acknowledge them, whereupon Harry and Patrick would call out their names and typically either enquire after their health, or how their kids were getting on at school.
One evening, out of the blue, Patrick said to Harry, ‘has anyone told you that those magnificent mountains to our west are called the Barrington Tops?’
‘Yeah, apparently the locals call ‘em “tops” because once you get to the top, you can only go down; a bit corny, I know.
