Renaldo's Story

© John Sawyer – May 2007

Well I bought a camera last week. I was working on the building site and this bloke pulls up in a car and yells at us. “Do you want to buy a camera mate?”

“No thanks mate.”

“I won't charge you nothing to look. Here look at it.”

It was one of those new Canon digital things. “How much?”

He suddenly goes all secret and starts to look around. You know – looking for the cops. “Only $250 for you mate. That's good value. They sell down the road for $400.”

This would be good to take photos of the new baby to send home. “I'll give you $50, no more.”

“You're kidding aren't you? How much you got?”

“I've got $80.”

“That's no good. Can your young mate lend you $20 and it's a deal?”

I says: “I'll give you $90 and that's all.”

“OK mate you drive a hard bargain, I'll give you a new one, still in the box if you like. It'll impress the missus.”

He goes to the car and comes back and hands me the camera. New box and all. I hand over the money while he tries to sell a camera to the apprentice. Talk about a cheeky bugger.

Anyway, when we break for the lunch, I start telling the apprentice what a good deal I have. He wants to have another look so I go to the car and get it.

I open the packet and bugger me it's one of those plastic throw away cameras they sell at the chemist for 7 bucks. The box was fair-dinkum.

Was I upset? The apprentice didn't stop laughing all afternoon. The wife wasn't that impressed either.

You've had similar problems before haven't you Renaldo?

There's always someone trying to sell me something. I was stopped at the lights the other day and the bloke in the next car tried to sell me a new stereo.

I suppose it's not as bad as the bloke I heard about who bought a digital movie camera off a bloke in a pub. He opened the box and there was a bloody house brick. At least I could use the camera. The photos turned out OK too