Harry Hawkins and Edith May Forshaw - 'All Australians Had Plenty of Money and Gold Teeth: a digger's diary: his daughter's memoirs', collated by Amy Auster and Arron Wood, 2002 - Page 81

[Page 81]

Now time slipping away again and Beryl is in Crown St Hospital in Sydney with baby Daniel. She nearly lost him also. he had to have his blood completely changed and was on cortisone for some time. but he is a fine lad now married but no children so far. It is now about time I think Betty and Barrie moved into their own home at Dundas.

Well I could not handle all the drama that went on at the shop and also I had the Mosman Sailing Club Dining Room to look after which was very good. Well with what I got for the shop was banked and we were looking for something and one night at the club I took very sick, it was a perferated ulcer and I did not bleed. The blood poisoned my whole system and I was in North Shore Hospital and Marg was with Merle and Ron and Yvonne with Betty. The young couple I had working for me were hopeless and they let it slip back and then my step brother whom I don't think I have mentioned only when a baby in a pram when my mother kidnapped me and took me to Cobar. He looked after the club for me. but by the time I came out of hospital I could not do anything for some time and I was on a strict diet so the 2 girls and me were in a flat at Cremome and sharing the one kitchen but we used to cook in a frypan and boil a jug as I spent a lot of time resting. We stayed there until we found a place to buy.

Well we saw a place at Manly. it had 3 flats, live in one and let two. So we made enquiries about it and we had to get a loan so I asked the chap at the Sailing Club would he give me a reference. so he did and it was a good one. It was a lot to ask him and he said I hope it will be good for you. Well I got the loan and being on the widow's pension after all the drama I was very lucky so now I have no money left in the bank as it is all on the 3 flats. When we get settled there we find out that my friend Dorrie and Bill are just around the corner living in a unit. Well I don't go back to the Club. I got a job in Manly at a Delicatessan. It was good. I liked it. Now while we are there Betty has her second son, his name is Robert and he is now 25 years and getting married on the 4th January 1986. Later on in the year Beryl is sent to Sydney hospital to have a gland I think, it was removed from her throat. Well I was able to visit her and do her washing as I used to go across in the ferry from Manly.

Going home one day in September I met this chap. I was sitting waiting for the bus at Manly to go home and he caught the same bus. it turned out he had a friend out that way he used to go fishing with. Casually talking I told him where I was working. Another day he was outside the Deli when I came out, and he said flare you catching the bus". I said "yes. I have too much to carry today". So he caught the bus also, and then I got out and off he went. He met me another day and said "I was walking home" and so he walked also and by now he asked me if I would go to a show with him and I said "I don't know I have a daughter in Sydney hospital and I do go to see her some nights" and he asked me if I was on the phone. I said "yes" and I looked in my bag for it as I don't remember phone no's and I still don't know my own phone no., I have to look it up. Anyway he did phone me and ask me out to dinner and a show after. I said "well I am going in to see my daughter as I have some clean clothes for her". We checked what time I would be out and he had made bookings etc. Well when I came out there he was. (by the way his name is Harold Forshaw and he lived at the Cross in a flat in William Street). He told me that I looked very smart. I know what I had on it