Duffy gets romantic with bunch of irony

DUFFY’S gallantry toward ladies has also been noted. There was an incident when he and a reporter stopped off at the newspaper group’s Pietermaritzburg bureau, while on their way to an assignment in northern Natal. They needed to use the telephone.

Inside the editorial office sat a gorgeous brunette, wellstacked, hair coiffed and manicured in every detail. She tapped daintily at a typewriter with long, painted fingernails. On her desk was a red carnation in a glass of water. “Who gave you the flower?” She ignored Duffy. “I said, who gave you the flower?” “Mind your own business!” “He’s a cheapskate.” “What? How dare you!” “One carnation? He’s a cheapskate.”

“He’s a man who loves me very much. He sends me a carnation every day!”

“He’s still a cheapskate. A girl like you is worth a dozen red roses.” At which she stomped off to complain to the bureau chief, Johnny Odendaal … Driving out of Pietermaritzburg, Duffy and his companion discussed the lack of humour and tolerance so often to be found in otherwise highly attractive women. They stopped at a red traffic light. They were outside a florist’s shop.an idea dawned. They went in and ordered a huge bouquet of consummate vulgarity. Everything went into it: roses, carnations, lilies, snapdragons, lavender, banana fronds, ivy.they explained to the counter assistant that they would pay cash but they wanted the bouquet to be delivered with a COD slip – cash on delivery – to a certain lady at the Daily News Pietermaritzburg bureau in Longmarket Street … – Extract from the book by Graham Liscott