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| Janet C "BFF" |
She has known my father as I have known hers, since we were 8 years old. The Eulogy at Dad's "Ceremony of Life" was given by people that our family respected in which they recounted tales from four different annuls of his life and included many, many memories of things that would now be frowned upon. One such reference regarded him driving a group of young girls to a venue for a birthday party... my party! Five innocent 10 year old girls from St Margaret's squeezed into the back of a "Pontiac", Dad behind the wheel and driving at a speed that he loved but probably not one that my older sister in the front seat applauded.
We approached one of Brisbane's first round-abouts, which retrospectively was more like a swerve in the road, Dad slowed slightly on entry and managed to spin said Pontiac a full 360o! "Impossible" he said, "ridiculous" he mumbled and to prove a point that it could never happen again he retraced his steps and drove the car back up the road to prove to us all how it should be done.
Sister Penny sweating in the front seat, he took off to demonstrate that his American Cadillac was made of sterner stuff and this kind of automotive behaviour was not going to happen again, especially as he was such an experienced driver. We hit the same part of the road at the same speed with the same sister in the front now showing signs of apoplexy and all of us still giggling in the back seat. WHEEEEEE as we spun again the full 360o ...... Sister now in complete silence, Father furious with the Qld road system and five little girls thinking this was all inclusive of the party frolics, we headed to the final destination and I am pretty certain that none of the birthday invitees mentioned anything at all to their parents' and nor did Dad.
When we left St Augustine's Church for Royal Queensland Golf Club where his Wake took place Janet said - "I was in that car and remember the whole thing". Funny how little memories travel with you for your whole life and manage to get passed down the line to others.
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| Missing Felicity who was taking the photo and Bill who would have been hiding somewhere |
Back to the chat with Janet and sitting together at one of Brisbane's many cafe's sipping Flat White's discussing this intermingled life we share. We were talking about our parents and how when we were young thought that they were bullet-proof (it now seems looking back that our parents believed that too), and at some stage in life we look at them again and re-appraise our points of view.
Mum and Dad had moved from Hillside Crescent to Sykes Street Hamilton before he had his first "turn", Janet and I had written our initials in the newly wet cement pathway directly out front of this family home which was something that no-one was happy with including the council workers who had to repair the vandalism. Janet said "how are your Mum and Dad?" to which I would normally say "good" or "the usual" or "cranky as ever". This time however I had a slight sea change in the way I looked at someone I never thought would leave us.
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| The house on the hill at Sykes Street, Albion |
"Janet, I thought that Dad would always be an EverReady battery - bright, strong and that he would just simply go on and on forever, but lately I am concerned that he may have morphed into a normal, slightly less than perfect alkaline cell, you know the one that has lost a little of it's shine." What I was worried about was the time when he would eventually change from that dependable but slightly tainted type of battery to the "Black and Gold" variety. You wake up one day and realize that your father has a "use by date" he is a little slower and you know in your heart that some day hopefully not to soon unlike like the battery, he will simply just stop working...
Hi Sweetheart. I'm afraid you'll never convince me that Bill Snr has 'stopped working'. The evidence is within and all around you.... in your family (and especially your children), your friendships, your behaviours and your sweet memories. xo W
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