My Panda Fetish

 It seems, to me, everywhere I look lately – in all forms of the media – pandas, in their brilliant fluffy, black and white glory are shown nonchalantly going about their business  – big pandas, small pandas, animated pandas, stuffed pandas; bamboo-eating pandas and pregnant pandas, too! Pandas appear to be never in a hurry.  Life is to be savoured and enjoyed at a leisurely pace in the panda world.

Unfailingly (and gratefully) the month of May rolls around each year; always appearing at the end of April. As far back as I can remember, and that is a long, long time, May is the month the Gympie Show Society opens its gates to the public displaying its produce, wares, arts and crafts; animals. And, best of all, for the young and the young-at-heart, the carnival folk arrive in town to set up their stalls in the entertainment alley.

Each year when I was a wee girl with long plaits and a sprinkling of freckles across my nose, my older brother and I saved our pennies, threepences and sixpences we’d earned from collecting recycled soft drink bottles and newspapers. We’d lug our load to the local stores in exchange for money. Eagerly we waited for Gympie Show Day to arrive. “People’s Day” was always on a Friday in May.

Chaperoned by our Nana, we’d urge her to hurry through the produce pavilion in our impatience to go to Side Show Alley where all the rides and fun-filled stalls were. That’s where we wanted to be!

Jimmy Sharman’s Boxing Troupe with its loud hailers and big base drum invited excited bystanders to enter the tent and enjoy the excitement on offer; daring some to don boxing gloves..

Wandering up and down the lanes, I would stare in open-eyed wonderment at a particular stall in Sideshow Alley. Perched high on a shelf, out of reach from inquisitive little hands at the rear of the booth, haughtily and knowingly surveying all who dared pass by without stopping, and, yet showing a semblance of disdain to those who did pause to play, lounged a huge, fat, fluffy, black and white panda.

For me, it was love at first sight!

Drooling, dreaming and longing year after year, I’d stand gazing at that beautiful creature, willing him to be mine. If I squinted a special way, I was sure he winked at me!

Try as I might, I never did throw the winning ball; and every year he taunted me with his frozen gaze.

As the years came and went, I believed he recognised the little girl who held him so dearly in her heart.

I’d be willing to lay a bet – if I wandered down Side Show Alley today the very same giant panda would still be there waiting for me to toss the winning ball, He is older, now, of course. He’s dustier; a bit frayed around the edges and battle-worn, but, then, so am I.   He’s probably wiser;  I’m not sure if I am!

How wonderful it would be to finally bring him home with me.