ReadersDigestAustraliaNewZealand-April2018

April• 2018 | 37

READER’S DIGEST

Georgewasnowabout80yearsold.
Herangonedayandaskedmeto
come to his house, saying he needed
toaskmesomething.Whilehisdear
wifeDorothyservedteaandcake,
Georgeexplainedthathewasgiving
uppaintingandgivingawayallhis
‘stuf’. Everything – paints, boards,
canvases, completed works, rolling
pin and even the precious red tool
box!“Ican’tpaint,Bev.Idon’tknow
why I ever thought I could,” he de-
clared in the manner of a man who
hashadthescalesoflovefallfrom
hiseyes.(Hewasmistakenabout
his painting ability because he had
turnedoutsomeuniqueandwon-
derful works.) However, George had
decidedhewasthroughwithpaint-
ing,andnoamountoftalkingcould
persuade him otherwise.
AndsoitwasthatGeorgebe-
queathed all his painting equipment
tome.“Youhavethebesttalentand
aremostlikelytouseit,”hesaid.
Afterconsiderablepersuasionand
feeling quite wretched about his de-
cision,Iacceptedthispreciousgift
ontheprovisohecouldreclaimit
atanytime.Heneverdid,ofcourse,
andIstillusemuchofhisequipment
today, more than 20 years later. As I
paintIoftenrememberGeorge,his
bigpersonality,generousspiritand
unfailing encouragement.
he most treasured item is the Red
ToolBox,stillingoodshape,vibrant
red and barely scratched despite
being rather paint splattered. The

original shop sticker is still firmly

inplacealthoughthepricehaslong

since worn of.

But that’s all right because to my

mind some things, like friendship,

are beyond price.

In2004IlearnedthatGeorgewas

very ill and, together with his daugh-

terPenny,Ivisitedhiminhospital.

“He’sveryconfusedandmaynot

recogniseyou,”Pennywarnedbe-

foreleaningoverherfrailfatherashe

dozedintherailedbed.“Dad,there’s

someoneheretoseeyou.”AsIleaned

over,Georgeopenedhiseyes–“Bev!”

he said, and with surprising strength

pulledmetohimandplantedakiss

hard on my cheek before lapsing

back into a sedated, semi-conscious

state. He didn’t speak or rouse again

duringourvisit,anddiedtwodays

laterjustacoupleofweeksshyofhis

90th birthday.

George’s inal resting place was a

bushland cemetery where birds, kan-

garoos and rabbits abound. “Ashes

to ashes, dust to dust.” During the

committalservicealittlegreyrabbit

hopped up and sat at my right foot as

Istoodatthegraveside.

Brought me undone, that did.

Now retired, Field Editor Beverly

Rhodes has begun learning

watercolour techniques and recently

went on a painting trip to France.

Sheis‘grandma’toLucas,Samuel

and Jacob and has a faithful

companioninher mini dachshund,

Maggie-May.