 A new life awaits at a petrol station. 

 

I bought him these dogs to show him how to love, by Romy Ash

Read by George McMillan.

Originally published in the Big Issue

 

Synopsis

The service station is a beautiful building from the 1950s, beautiful bones, as they say, with the potential to be anything. But what will it be for Aya and Charlie? A new opportunity, and a chance to build a life together, or the first step towards a future neither of them wants?  

I bought him these dogs to show him how to love presents a us with a vision of rural Australia we’ve all seen through the car window, and leaves us questioning whether it’s a hopeful future that awaits these characters, or one of despair.  

I bought him these dogs to show him how to love was originally published in The Big Issue: Fiction Edition.  

Listeners are advised that this episode of Unfolded comes with a language and content warning. 

 

About Romy Ash

Romy Ash is the author of novels Mantle (2026) and Floundering (2012) and the childrens' book As Bright as a Rainbow (2024). Her first novel Floundering was shortlisted for The Miles Franklin Award, The Prime Minister's Literary Award and the Commonwealth Writers Prize, amongst others. Her essays and journalism have been published in The Saturday Paper, The Guardian, Meanjin, The Griffith Review and others. She teaches creative writing at The University of Melbourne. 

 

Unfolded is produced with support from the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative, on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Eastern Kulin Nation.

The producers would like to pay their respects to the traditional owners, to their Elders past and present, and to acknowledge their storytelling history, which goes back tens of thousands of years. 

&nbsp;A new life awaits at a petrol station.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
I bought him these dogs to show him how to love, by Romy Ash
Read by George McMillan.
Originally published in the Big Issue
&nbsp;
Synopsis
The service station is a beautiful building from the 1950s,&nbsp;beautiful&nbsp;bones, as they say, with the potential to be anything. But what will it be for Aya and Charlie? A new opportunity,&nbsp;and a chance to build a life together, or the first step towards a future neither of them wants?&nbsp;&nbsp;
I bought him these dogs to show him how to love&nbsp;presents a us with a vision of rural Australia&nbsp;we&rsquo;ve&nbsp;all seen through the car&nbsp;window,&nbsp;and&nbsp;leaves us questioning whether&nbsp;it&rsquo;s&nbsp;a hopeful future that awaits these characters, or one of despair.&nbsp;&nbsp;
I bought him these dogs to show him how to love&nbsp;was originally published in&nbsp;The Big Issue: Fiction Edition.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Listeners are advised that this episode of&nbsp;Unfolded&nbsp;comes with a language and content warning.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
About Romy Ash
Romy&nbsp;Ash&nbsp;is the author of novels&nbsp;Mantle&nbsp;(2026) and&nbsp;Floundering&nbsp;(2012) and the&nbsp;childrens'&nbsp;book&nbsp;As Bright as a Rainbow&nbsp;(2024).&nbsp;Her first novel&nbsp;Floundering&nbsp;was shortlisted for The Miles Franklin Award, The Prime Minister's Literary&nbsp;Award&nbsp;and the Commonwealth Writers Prize, amongst others. Her essays and journalism have been published in The Saturday Paper, The Guardian, Meanjin, The Griffith&nbsp;Review&nbsp;and others.&nbsp;She teaches creative writing at The University of Melbourne.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Unfolded&nbsp;is produced with support from the <a href="https://arts.unimelb.edu.au/public-humanities-initiative">Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative</a>, on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Eastern Kulin Nation.
The producers would like to pay their respects to the traditional owners, to their Elders past and present, and to acknowledge their storytelling history, which goes back tens of thousands of years.&nbsp;

Seasons change. An actor prepares. A birthday is removed from the calendar.  A hypnotist causes chaos on a cruise ship. A new life awaits at a petrol station. A grieving granddaughter finds a surprising stowaway. A dog makes yakisoba. The sun rises in the west. 

We’ve all read stories that changed our lives. We’ve all imagined places that feel like home. We’ve all met characters who feel like family. 

Now, we’ll hear the stories, then go to the source. We’ll speak with the authors, to find out what makes a story great, where they come from, and why they connect. 

These are stories: Unpacked. Understood. Unfolded. 

Join us for season 2 of Unfolded as Seth Robinson and Tony Birch speak with authors Melanie Cheng, Bri Lee, Dominic Amerena, Briohny Doyle, Helena Pantsis, Jumaana Abdu, Scott Limbrick and Romy Ash, or travel back through the archive to hear the incredible stories from season 1.

 

Unfolded is produced with support from the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative, on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Eastern Kulin Nation.

The producers would like to pay their respects to the traditional owners, to their Elders past and present, and to acknowledge their history, which go back tens of thousands of years. 

Hosts: Seth Robinson and Tony Birch

Creator and Executive Producer: Seth Robinson

Recording: Gavin Nebauer, Horwood Recording Studio, University of Melbourne

Editing and Sound Design: Nick King and Courtney Carthy, Nearly Media

Artwork: Marty O'Meara

Seasons change.&nbsp;An actor prepares.&nbsp;A birthday is removed from the calendar.&nbsp;&nbsp;A hypnotist causes chaos&nbsp;on a cruise ship.&nbsp;A new life&nbsp;awaits at a petrol station.&nbsp;A&nbsp;grieving granddaughter finds a surprising stowaway.&nbsp;A dog makes yakisoba.&nbsp;The sun rises in the west.&nbsp;
We&rsquo;ve&nbsp;all read stories that changed our lives.&nbsp;We&rsquo;ve&nbsp;all imagined places that feel like home.&nbsp;We&rsquo;ve&nbsp;all met characters who feel like family.&nbsp;
Now,&nbsp;we&rsquo;ll&nbsp;hear the stories, then go to the&nbsp;source.&nbsp;We&rsquo;ll&nbsp;speak with the authors, to find out what makes a story great, where they come from, and why they connect.&nbsp;
These are stories: Unpacked. Understood.&nbsp;Unfolded.&nbsp;
Join us for season 2 of Unfolded as <a href="https://sethrobinson.com.au/">Seth Robinson</a> and <a href="https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/13630-tony-birch">Tony Birch</a> speak with authors Melanie Cheng, Bri Lee, Dominic Amerena, Briohny Doyle, Helena Pantsis, Jumaana Abdu, Scott Limbrick and Romy Ash, or travel back through the archive to hear the incredible stories from season 1.
&nbsp;
Unfolded&nbsp;is produced with support from the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative, on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Eastern Kulin Nation.
The producers would like to pay their respects to the traditional owners, to their Elders past and present, and to acknowledge their history, which go back tens of thousands of years.&nbsp;
Hosts: Seth Robinson and Tony Birch
Creator and Executive Producer:&nbsp;Seth Robinson
Recording:&nbsp;Gavin Nebauer, Horwood Recording Studio, University of Melbourne
Editing and Sound Design:&nbsp;Nick King and Courtney Carthy, Nearly Media
Artwork:&nbsp;Marty O'Meara

Unfolded

Seasons change. An actor prepares. A birthday is removed from the calendar. A hypnotist causes chaos on a cruise ship. A new life awaits at a petrol station. A grieving granddaughter finds a surprising stowaway. A dog makes yakisoba. The sun rises in the west. 

We’ve all read stories that changed our lives. We’ve all imagined places that feel like home. We’ve all met characters who feel like family.

Now, we’ll hear the stories, then go to the source. We’ll speak with the authors, to find out what makes a story great, where they come from, and why they connect.

These are stories: Unpacked. Understood. Unfolded.

Join us for season 1 of Unfolded as Seth Robinson and Tony Birch speak with authors Melanie Cheng, Bri Lee, Dominic Amerena, Briohny Doyle, Helena Pantsis, Jumaana Abdu, Scott Limbrick and Romy Ash.  

 

Unfolded is produced with support from the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative, on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Eastern Kulin Nation.

The producers would like to pay their respects to the traditional owners, to their Elders past and present, and to acknowledge their storytelling history, which goes back tens of thousands of years. 

 

Hosts: Seth Robinson and Tony Birch

Creator and Producer: Seth Robinson

Recording: Gavin Nebauer, Horwood Recording Studio, University of Melbourne

Editing and Sound Design: Nick King and Courtney Carthy, Nearly Media

Artwork: Marty O'Meara 

 

Seasons change. An actor prepares. A birthday is removed from the calendar. A hypnotist causes chaos on a cruise ship. A new life awaits at a petrol station. A grieving granddaughter finds a surprising stowaway. A dog makes yakisoba. The sun rises in the west.&nbsp;
We&rsquo;ve all read stories that changed our lives. We&rsquo;ve all imagined places that feel like home. We&rsquo;ve all met characters who feel like family.
Now, we&rsquo;ll hear the stories, then go to the source. We&rsquo;ll speak with the authors, to find out what makes a story great, where they come from, and why they connect.
These are stories: Unpacked. Understood. Unfolded.
Join us for season 1 of Unfolded as <a href="https://sethrobinson.com.au/">Seth Robinson</a> and <a href="https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/13630-tony-birch">Tony Birch</a> speak with authors Melanie Cheng, Bri Lee, Dominic Amerena, Briohny Doyle, Helena Pantsis, Jumaana Abdu, Scott Limbrick and Romy Ash. &nbsp;
&nbsp;
Unfolded&nbsp;is produced with support from the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative, on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Eastern Kulin Nation.
The producers would like to pay their respects to the traditional owners, to their Elders past and present, and to acknowledge their storytelling history, which goes back tens of thousands of years.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Hosts: Seth Robinson and Tony Birch
Creator and Producer: Seth Robinson
Recording:&nbsp;Gavin Nebauer, Horwood Recording Studio, University of Melbourne
Editing and Sound Design:&nbsp;Nick King and Courtney Carthy, Nearly Media
Artwork: Marty O'Meara&nbsp;
&nbsp;