The loves, losses and random adventures of Da Loop's mannequins

Sunday, May 31, 2020

Back To The Start - Gypsy's Adventures Part 11

Da Loop is taking you back to where it all began.  Over the coming weeks we'll publish all of Gypsy's original adventures before breaking into new territory.
(Note: all Da Loop stock featured in the original adventures is no longer for sale.)



“Maybe it’s just as well that Andrew is recovering in hospital right now”, said Ron in regard to Gypsy’s ex-boyfriend who had recently reappeared in her life under mysterious circumstances that had put all their lives in danger. “Because the scene I’m picturing involves flying crockery.”
Gypsy was not amused. “Can you please explain for a start why he has two names?” she asked. They were seated in the local police station sipping cups of tea while their conversation was taped. Gypsy was fidgeting and tossing her chestnut mane in exasperation.
“OK, OK. Here’s the deal.” continued Ron. “Traeger’s real name is Andrew, and mine is Simon. Until recently we lived in Victoria – me, Andrew, Mum and Dad. One day at work Andrew came across a drug lab, and …” 


“Hang on, hang on”, interrupted Gypsy. “He’s a mechanic, so how does that work?”
“No… he’s a crop consultant, and he found this drug lab in a limestone cave near Portland.”
Gypsy felt a bit stupid – she had met Traeger when he’d been servicing her car. He had told her he was an itinerant mechanic and that he had only stayed in town as long as he had because he’d fallen in love with her. The lying bastard - she decided it was probably a miracle that her car hadn’t since blown up.

“On a table in the lab was a document containing blueprints for nine other drug labs across the country, only he didn’t know that’s what they were when he grabbed it. He also didn’t realise he had triggered an alarm and that there were two armed men on their way across the paddock to kill him. He only escaped because he heard some White-eared Honeyeaters sounding their distinctive alarm calls and knew something was amiss. And also because he was wearing some hardy John Frith leather work boots (Da Loop, pre-owned $25).”

“Ah, so he fled with the document.“ chipped in Dave, Gypsy’s current partner of the completely non-lying-bastard variety.



“Yes, but he ended up dropping several pages in his rush, so the police only ended up with half the plans.  The problem is the ringleaders thought, and still think, that Andrew has the whole document.
They threatened him many times thinking he would hand it over. They chopped off his dog’s tail (
dog wouldn’t pose for photo, sorry – ed.). Then Mum and Dad ended up with third degree burns when their house was set alight. It was so awful seeing them with their scarred faces and burnt-off eyebrows. That’s when the police proposed that the four of us join the state’s Witness Protection Program. So Mum and Dad were relocated, with new identities and new eyebrows, to a rehabilitation centre in Adelaide. Andrew and I followed, as Traeger and Ron. But we didn’t trust the system for a moment. I knew they’d eventually find Andrew, so when they did I was ready – a man tried to attack him in his caravan but I made a racket and he ran off because a crowd started to gather


“So then we decided to split while we had the chance, and have been on the run ever since, heading to the federal police to talk to them in person about the leak in the Victorian Program. It was too hard to explain to you, or even say goodbye. We just up and left.”


“Then how did you make it back here so quickly when I was about to go underwater in Da Loop?” puzzled Gypsy.
“We had warning that you were about to be captured – they needed us to know in advance so that they could be sure Andrew was back at Da Loop with the blueprints at the exact time you were drowning and would hand them over to spare your life. We drove back -couldn’t risk the airport with our new IDs- and the call from your attacker came in as we reached Aldgate.”
Ron went on. “Look, the baddies planned on a clean getaway – you forced them into employing Plan B when you escaped – hence the torture chamber.”
 “Oh, right, so now it’s my fault Traeger nearly got his arms ripped off?!” questioned Gypsy, astounded. “Hel-lo!!”
“No, no! You took that entirely the wrong way! Look, I tried to talk Andrew out of driving back here, begged him to call the cops instead but he wouldn’t hear of it. I know you’re going to give him a hard time but, for what it’s worth, he does love you and the fact that you’ve been in danger has torn him apart with guilt.”
This last comment made Dave squirm in his seat. He wished that he and Gypsy were at the How To Host A Murder Party as planned instead of sitting in a police station listening to smart-arse mannequin drivel. He knew that Gypsy would want to see Traeger. And he was scared of losing her…
Gypsy stood up. “I’ve gotta go. There’s something I have to do. Please excuse me.” Dave’s face fell.
Once outside, she ran to the nearest payphone and slotted in the coins she had nicked from Dave’s wallet earlier.
“Sam?” she said when her bestie picked up. I need to shop. Wanna go help your niece pick out her formal dress, right now??”
The reply was squeals of delight. The men could wait, for goodness sake. 
(Below - Supre T-shirt, Da Loop, very cheap.)

Gypsy wears Henry Roth vintage black dress, $40; Chrysalis handmade bracelet and necklace featuring Swarovski crystal $40 and $30 respectively; pre-owned handbag $12. Sam wears stunning maroon formal dress with hand-beading, worn once, new $695 tag, Da Loop price $250; vintage beaded purse $8; vintage bracelet $25; pre-owned bracelet $8; Liliana pink heels $16. Traeger wears Rodd & Gunn check shirt $28; Hugo Boss jeans $25.

Ron wears Back To The Future T-shirt $14; Guess shorts $18; Duchini sandals $10.