This happened a few years ago. One of our carers was having problems with her health and decided she needed a rest from caring for a while. Most of her joeys were big, and just about ready to be released, so we decided once they went, she should take no more. She just had the one, fairly small pouched grey kangaroo joey. So as I had no other charges I said I’d take it. It had only come into care a few days previously; the local dog catcher found it on the side of the road in its dead mothers pouch, and took it to Val straight away. However when Val was ready to organise her hubby to bring the joey to me (we were to meet half way), the car broke down, so I had to make the whole 2 hour trip to pick him up.
So I arrived at Val’s, she gave me a welcome cuppa, and we discussed the problems of the world, and solved them, then I took the joey, and left. Just at the corner of her street, just near the NRMA (they go out and rescue stranded motorists), MY car broke down. I went in and got the mechanic, he had a look. Bad news he said, looks serious, we’ll have to tow you home. Wonderful I thought, 2 hours in the tow truck. So a little while later, they had put the car on the back of the truck, and I was perched majestically in the front, with the joey. Off we went, and arrived home in due course, and the bloke set off back again. I found out later from Val that the tow truck broke down on the way home, so of course the joey got called Breakdown. I might add, that a couple of days later, Val’s car was back on the road, with no further hassles. After quite a long time in the garage, and after a large bill, we got our car back. Then hubby’s work truck broke down. We found this very strange, because our vehicles were usually very reliable, and if we had slight problems with one, the other always went. Meantime, the joey grew and prospered, in fact he was healthier than most joeys I care for. He even survived the introduction of Nolan the Labrador into the family circle.
The time was approaching for him to be released, but you guessed it, more car trouble. I rang the guy who was going to take him and told him I would be unable to bring him out, and why. He said no problem, I’ll be down your way in a few days, I’ll pick him up on the way back. The night before he was due, he rang me, sorry, car trouble. Can we put it off? So we did. So then my daughter had car trouble, and she borrowed our car, which was actually going at the time, so we were stuck again, and of course he was getting bigger, and it was starting to get urgent for him to go. And of course the fellow who was taking the joey was still having car trouble. One of my neighbours volunteered to drive me to his place, which she did, and I was in fear and trepidation the whole time, in case her car broke down too. The joey travelled well, just had a small dose of valium and spent the whole trip in his pouch munching on grass. We finally got to his new home, with no ill effects, and handed him over. We didn’t stay long, because this fellow lived very rough; he was building his house, and only had room enough for himself, and we all had to sit outside for our cuppa. I won’t describe the toilet facilities, except to say they were very basic, and we didn’t use them……
So when we left, Breakdown had been moved into his enclosure with a nice little shed for shelter (I think he was going to live better than the bloke), and he was still munching away on grass, and seemed contented. We got home with no problems, and a few days later, my daughter brought our car back. I visited him a few times, as is my wont, just to see how they go, and give support to their new carer, if they need it. The joey went well, as he had been, and of course, the guy’s car was still giving trouble. Ours by this stage was back to its normal self, not giving any trouble at all. Then, I got a phone call telling me the joey had finally gone. He had been coming and going for a while, but he seemed to have finally left, and the bloke’s car was going……
Mamaroo's Diary 