GREGOR REDPATH | Rugby | Contact
There was a time when Peta Washbrook regretted walking into the Betoota Heights Hillsong Church – but those days are long, long gone.
The 19-year-old said she didn’t know what she wanted from life before she found Jesus.
Now she just wants to be happy.
And that happiness now knows no bounds after a fellow churchgoer dropped a knee just 44 days into their budding post-summer relationship.
“It really took me by surprise,” said Peta.
“This time last year, I was pulling cones bigger than the boys were at recess. You could rarely find me without my favourite Paul Newman salad dressing bong. I thought I was happy. We’d go out and underage drink in parks. Throw rocks at the police and leave things on the road for people to run over like cans, rocks and bottles,”
“It was a simpler time.”
Peta recounted her misspent youth for our reporter last night at the Old City District Bowlorama, where she and some other church friends celebrated her last few weeks as a single woman.
“Kimberly said they do an ice cream cake here that’s so good, it’ll make you speak in tongues,” said Peta.
But the conversation was interrupted by Kimberly getting a spare.
With a great shriek, young Kim spun around in her bowling shoes and let the sheer ecstasy of the moment wash over her like she’d been dumped by a four-foot shorey outside the flags.
“Fuck yeah!” yelled Kim.
Peta laughed and jumped up and down as Kim ran up for a hug.
From the side, Peta’s non-Christian sister Brenda suggested they get a bag.
They all looked puzzled but Peta nodded in quiet agreement – then the celebrations continued.
More to come.
