The adventures of Koala Kid Ch.2

Honk!! Honk!!

It was 8 o’clock already… I overslept!

“Get your fat ass out here Kay Kay!”, that was definitely Aya.

Since she thought the world settling on my name being Koala Kid was trash, she decided it would be more fun to call me Kay Kay, and to be honest I prefer it, so the name stuck.

Still feeling hazy, I lazily get out of bed, grab an apple for the road and my bag I left by the door. Brushing the crust out of my eyes as I lock the door, I hear a few more honks.

“Do you not understand the meaning of patience?!” I yell back at her.

“Hmm? Patience? If you mean by hurry the fuck up, then yes I do understand the meaning of it.” she cheekily remarked while tilting her head to the left as she glared at me.

I swear this woman is gonna be the death of me.

“First we need to get your balls back, so we’re headed to Manly Beach!” Aya announced triumphantly.

She turns up the radio as I pack my bags in the back and then hop in the front seat beside her.

“Alright, but I never lost my balls. They’re right here”

At that point, I lean over and unleash a tidal wave of water from a super soaker gun I bought off Amazon a few weeks earlier. She screams at the top of her lungs trying to block it with her hands but by then it’s too late.

She’s drenched in vengeance.

“This is my Aya repellent” I confidently state with a giant grin on my face, proudly gleaming at my new favourite toy.

“Of course it is you ass” she smirks back while punching me in the shoulder.

We share a quick laugh and that’s when she starts the car engine and sets us off on our journey.

“Where did you get the car from?” I was a little bit perplexed as to how she got one so quickly.

“I know a guy who owns a rental shop, he said he keeps this one for himself usually but was nice enough to let us borrow it until I bring it back.”

I nod in response, thinking how wide the spectrum was of how nice or not so nice people can be to one another. It’s something I wanted to find out more about, as to why it varies so much.

“Still got a lot on your mind Kay Kay?” almost as if on cue Aya sensed I was deep in thought.

“Yea, I’m thinking about going a little further after our road trip. I wanna explore as much as I can.”

A moment of silence reverberates for some time. You can only hear the sound of the car engine and tires moving over the gravel on the road.

“Where do you wanna start?” with a curious look, Aya enquiries into the depths of my mind.

“I’m not sure yet, but I’ll start it from Perth. Luckily all these toy and commercial deals made me get rich off of royalties. Maybe it’s time to spend it.”

Aya looks straight ahead at the road for a moment, clearly her mind is ticking.

“You know what? I know exactly how I can help you.”

“How’s that?” I asked her, as I noticed we were pulling up to the beach.

Getting out of the car she explains that she knows a string of other teachers all across Asia who would be more than happy to host me and aid my explorations.

“So don’t worry about it so much, I’ll set you up and join you when the semester is done for summer.”

It was at that point that I thought, well damn… maybe she won’t be the death of me.

As we walk into the nearest bar, I’m processing everything from what I’m about to see and the bubbling feeling I have inside that is raging to get started. Suddenly I hear Aya in a cheery mood exclaim.

“But for now, we’re downing shots!”

Location: Manly Beach

“Kay Kay!! Kay Kay!! Kay Kay!”

Screamed the joyous bar crowd as I jumped from table to table downing shots and handing out high fives.

I’m a lightweight. Call it Koala problems. Aya had only given me 3 drinks before this mayhem began and naturally being a local celebrity the atmosphere took a turn for greatness.

“Okay lil one, calm down now before you make a mess the staff have to clean up.” Aya said in an attempt to bring me back to planet Earth.

She giggles as I stick out my tongue at her in reluctant agreement.

“Wanna order some wings and get some sun?” I suggested it to her.

“Only if they’re teriyaki”

Once the wings reach us, we drunkenly stumble our way down to the sand and relax on the beach. Watching on as people walk past us with their bodies trained for summer, or lack of.

“See anyone you like?” I ask Aya. In an effort to see what dating is like as a human, it all looks so complicated.

“Hmm..” Aya lets out as she glances over the beach.

“No, to be honest I haven’t been looking for anyone lately. It’s been more peaceful this way.”

“How so?” I enquire, trying to get a better grasp.

“Well, when you’re with someone. It isn’t just dates, it’s two people trying to amalgamate their lives together, while also simultaneously trying to better themselves. It takes effort and endless communication to try and keep that balance intact.

In all, it’s energy I don’t feel like exerting at the moment. Because the moment one person decides not to put in the effort for the other, the relationship starts to go downhill.”

I stare at her for a while trying to process it all.

“Shit, well if it takes all that I'd rather just drink beers on the beach, sounds like a pain in the ass.”

“You have no idea, they… can really change your outlook on life in a way, you would have never guessed” Aya responded as she took a sip of her drink as we stared into the sunset.

“Where do you wanna go next?” she asks, breaking the silence.

“Melbourne.”

Detour to Melbourne

After spending the night in a hostel, Aya and I set out for Melbourne. With every intention of taking detours along the way.

Because fuck it, we’re out to have some fun.

“Put on your seat belt” Aya reminds me a few hours into the drive.

“Since when did you become my mom?”

“Since I found you lost in the rain, silly.”

Just as we’re settling into a silence, I check my phone for places to see, and Narooma stands out emphatically as something beautiful, but one thing bothers me.

They have seals. I fucking hate seals, they look weird and scare the shit out of me.

“Looks like I’m tossing you right in the middle of them then for a laugh.” Aya chuckles while smirking at me.

“Do that and I’m peeing on your backseat” I look directly back into her eyes challenging her.

Scrreeecchh!! Smack!

Before I knew it Aya had slammed on the breaks and I flew face first into the front window, stuck to it like molasses.

“I told you to put on your seatbelt” I heard her say as I could feel the smugness in her voice.

Feeling defeated and annoyed I crawl back into my seat and put on my seatbelt.

“Just drive to Narooma please…”

“I’m getting hungry so let’s take a little detour first” Aya says as she swings the car over to the right down a narrow path.

“I saw a sign for bottomless nachos and I’m craving something spicy.”

The idea sounded tempting, as I peered out the window I gazed into the wilderness, dozing off under the hot Australian sun. Until suddenly.

Skkkkrrrttt.

“What is it?!” I asked, silently content that I didn't fly into the window this time due to wearing my seatbelt.

“Kangaroo!” Aya exclaims with the joy of a little girl.

“And? It’s Australia! they’re everywhere.”

“Everywhere except where I’ve been apparently because this is the first time I’ve seen one.” she contested, eagerly looking at me like she wanted to hop out of the car and explore.

Before I could even agree to go, she opened the door and left me there. She hides behind a bush nearby to get a closer look without disturbing it.

Her excitement seeps through and now I’m keen for a bit of fun too. Slowly I exit the car, still a little groggy from nearly falling asleep, I walk my way towards her.

However, during my approach I step on a dry twig. This alerts the kangaroo and it glares straight at me.

I try to stay still but by then it’s too late! Suddenly the kangaroo begins hopping in my direction, starting off slow then picking up the pace fervently.

“Run!” screams Aya.

For those that don’t know. Kangaroos are not tame.

They would gladly fuck you up.

I turn, fully awake now I’m running towards the car. It doesn’t feel fast enough as I can hear the thuds from the kangaroos hops getting closer and closer.

Just as I’m about to reach for the door handle. I feel something grab me and suddenly..... everything goes dark.