i received a phone call once from sue, she asked if i would check up on margot as she was living in a boarding house in bondi and her house mates were abusing her. she was being beaten up as well as seriously ill.
about 16 years ago i was rummaging around a second hand cd shop and found a copy of the single 'adored' which i bought because i liked the cover and when i played the disc loved the song. imagine how surprised i was that steve and peter had played on this, maybe i already knew, i can't recall really, but either way i really loved it and sought out her work. it was majestic.
so i call her, she's all wonderful and invites me over saying sue has told her all about me. i ask her about her tormentors and she says, they hit her on a regular basis, stop her using the bathroom and generally make life really difficult. now bear in mind this is a very sick woman with a terminal illness.
i'm driving along pondering how i will confront these thugs, i'm no fighter although i can look after myself. so i park up on her street and wander over to her home, it's a room.
immediately she's swirling around me in her dressing gown, eyes moving all over me, scanning me, getting some kinda information and then smiling like a mischievous elf. she proceeded to show me her history, play me her future, she actually gave me a copy, she told me stories and spoke about steve in such a beautiful way, and then we took some photo's together, she revealed her body to me and it was ravaged, destroyed by liver poisoning and alcoholic deceasing. it was terrible to behold, i was determined i will never drink again and i never have.
she told me steve was going to be visiting her as well, and he would be here soon, at which i thought well at least if i have to confront these thugs then i have back up, i thought steve would definitely know a few moves. but steve rang a few hours later and explained he had children duties and would have to visit another day, and i said, to margot, 'do you want me to talk to these guys.'
'no way' she said, all protective, 'these guys are massive huge maoris, who fight just for fun, they will mash you to a pulp.'
jesus i thought, she showed me a doorway at the end of the corridor that lead to the room they lived in, the bathroom was just to the side.
anyway i went to put some change into the parking meter and when i returned margo sprung this on me, 'hey maybe you could go and speak to them for me, tell them to ease off on the hitting me in the face.'
i walked up that hall way, the longest walk in my life, stood before this big door i thought to myself, i may not get out of this one, but i was committed, i had no choice now. i knocked upon the door, a little tap really. i was scared.
no one home, excellent, i turned and there was margot, peering out from her doorway. she walked up and stood in the bathroom, closing a metal barred gate. 'knock louder, i'll stand in here, then they can't get to me.'
under my breath, for the first time in my life i cursed steve and thought, 'you're supposed to be my wing man.'
i knocked on the door and margo gave me that look, part mischievous partly scared, partly turned on by the whole thing.'
within seconds the door opened and this huge man, fucking huge covered in tat's and looking like some sort of meat eating black hulk fills the doorway, and i'm in his shadow, through a tiny gap i can see two other huge beasts sitting on a bed, they all look equally overwhelming and aggressive.
now i'm a big guy to, dark skinned, often mistaken for maori but i'm actually more poet than warrior and despite being in scraps in the past i usually take a beating.
i'm not sure what happened, i just started talking, something came over me, courage and action, but it wasn't really me, it was some kind of energetic being inhabiting my body, i put it down to ayahuscia, because my role with the vine was protecting women. so i said, 'i'm here on behalf of my friend margo', and i pointed down the hallway, i said that 'maoris are warriors and part of their role s to respect and protect women,' and that margo is an amazing women who 'deserves respect and to feel safe in her home', and that 'it's not their role to terrorise her because she is very ill and they should offer her protection because it is the warrior code.'
or worlds along those lines.
he mumbled something, looked at me backed away agreeing, then the door closed slowly and i stood there trying not to shake.
margo leapt out from the side and gave me a hug, 'my hero' she said.
ha, i dunno, it was more nuts than heroic.
she gave me a sculpture of a panther called 'brutus' which i keep on my coffee table.

i saw her a few months later, when she invited me to a birthday dinner, which was really special, i saw steve there and tim and sue and met some other good people for the first time. and had that photo taken which i will always treasure, steve margo and myself.
by this time she had her new apartment which was a much nicer home, she didn't have to share, but she looked great and i know she had a great night out with her friends and i was fortunate enough to be amongst them.

vale margo smith