28 Novemeber, 2016. 14:02
ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
STARING OUT THE WINDOW of her boutique florist shop on Hunter Street in Sydney’s Central Business District, Amy Dalhassie finds it hard to remember the good times.
Especially now when the rent is beginning to fall behind, almost three months now. Just this morning, one of her creditors at Flemington said he needed his money before Friday – otherwise, he was going to come ’round there and break her fingers.
It seems a millennium ago who the shop was stripped bare by well-wishers and do-gooders after the Sydney Siege.
“It’s almost two years ago,” said the 28-year-old small business owner over a cup of tea. “I sold almost everything that day, only a few pot plants left over. I even unplugged the EFTPOS machine and told everybody it was down because of the siege so they al had to pay me in cash.”
“I made so much money that week. I was on Cloud Nine.” she explained.
But those boom days were soon replaced with the frightful monotony that life often exists. The week came and a month went. Business slowly went down and the bills got redder and redder.
But while she says she’d never want anything bad to happen to anyone else, she says she can’t speak for everybody in this world, including the evil ones who want to terrorise and inflict pain upon us all.
“I’m not asking for much,” she said. “Maybe a ferry crash. Only one or two dead. Perhaps the ferry was hijacked? That might work better.”
“I need a ‘Diana-style’ sea-of-flowers type tragedy to happen for me to get out of this funk. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still good days when some banker wanker comes in after he’s played up on the wife and needs some proper ‘I’ve fucked up’ flowers. But they won’t keep me above water.”
“Not asking for a miracle. In fact, I’m asking for the opposite,” she said.
More to come.
