Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 42]
Aunty's husband was not there, Herbs father, he must have been dead because I never heard of him and Aunty used to do everything herself. With Christmas over Aunty had made arrangements for us to have a picnic to Byron Bay. Well the McCluskeys had a horse and sulky and so did Aunty so dad drove it with Aunty in the front and Herb and I in the back, I will never forget it, it was truly great, although, bush tracks all the way to Byron Bay and what a lovely big beach and the water, it looked like Sydney harbour to me. We had lots of fun and Aunty had given me a panama hat with a red gossamer veil on it so as I would not get my face burnt (that was for Christmas). Well time went by and Dad told me we had to go back to North Sydney. I must have slept all the way on the train. When we got to Central Station we were waiting for something to get back to North Sydney, and Dad said to me, "I am going to get married again, who would you like me to marry"? and I said "Aunty Carrie", he laughed and said "I can't marry her, she is my sister". "I am going to ask Mrs Ward to marry me and then she will be your stepmother", so I said "I would stay with Aunty Nell and Uncle Charlie".
Anyhow Dad and I arrived back at North Sydney, they were pleased to see us, Mrs Ward was there also and she told me she had dressed my doll in all new clothes and truly it was if it were new instead of one year old, it looked beautiful. I said "thank you" and dad said "I think you should give Mrs Ward a kiss for that", and I said "oh alright". I don't remember whether it was morning noon or night when we arrived, but I do know everyone was home and we sat down to a very nice meal.
Well now time has gone by and we are back at school and March 1920 and Dad and Mrs Ward get married and they leave the Young's and they go to Rozelle to live. Her sister and husband lived next door. Aunty Nell said to me one day, "we are going to lose you as they are going to come back for you one day", and I said "I did not want to go". Aunty Nell said " you know Edie you will have to, as you have to live with your father, and your mother has to come and see you now and again", and then I said "no I don't want to go". Anyhow the day came when dad came and said he had come to take me to live with him, I cried and carried on but it was no use, and Uncle Charlie was talking to me and saying nice things to me like I could go and have school holidays with him, anyhow I said in the end I would go if I could wear my maypole clothes, anyhow I was allowed to do this and we said goodbye and all that, but I did not know at that time what I was in for, all the good things etc.
Well dad and I finished up at Rozelle and it was not as nice as North Sydney. But never the less Mrs Ward as I still called her had the table set nicely and the 3 of us had something to eat and drink. I said it was very nice thanks, then she told me she wanted me to meet her sister and her husband and children. Well I met them and liked them and she said to me, "don't call me Mrs Armour, I am going to be your Aunty now and my husband will be your Uncle Bill and the boys Billy and Hilton will be your cousins" and I said "I like that". Then she said to Essie her sister " why don't you tell the child you are not Mrs Ward now you are Mrs Hawkins and you are her stepmother". "I will in time" she said, "I'll see how things go". Anyway back into our place and I was shown my room. It was right at the back of the house, the 2 houses were semi-detached in those days with big long halls from the front to the back. Anyhow, I was to be enrolled at another school,