WARNING...a long read.
Growing up it was just me, Mom and Dad. My only sibling came along when I was nearly eight.
I wished for no name clothes, most of mine were hand sewn by Mom on the pedal Singer or hand knitted or from the 2nd hand shop. I remember that everything we owned was 2nd hand and reused. That and being a 1st gen. Aussie made me realise that name calling and bullying were to be a daily occurrence and part of the norm.
I had to walk to school, begged and begged for a pushbike.
School milk every day at Recess time, three flavours to choose from, vanilla, strawberry or chocolate. 1/3 pint sized bottles is how I remember them. That and the foil that sealed the bottles, I remember we used to slowly push down and run our finger in a circle to form a dip in the lid until it would come away in one piece. Yummy cream on top too. In summer the milk smelled like vomit.
Bread was delivered by the baker in his horse drawn cart. One square and one roll loaf. Extra on the w/end.
We had a veggie garden, fig, almond, lemon, mandarin and orange trees. Tons of grape vines of course. Chooks and pigeons. The dunny cart came via our lane.
I remember we had an ice chest then the kero fridge. After the sewer was laid the electric fridge appeared.
I also remember using ink from the ink wells in the school desk but ink was phased out before I headed to high school.
How I dreamed of owning a "spud gun".
I was never given any pocket money but I soon learnt what "tapping" bottles meant and finally had a spud gun. Spud guns and playing 'alleys', usually 'knuckles down' for 'keepsies'.
Finally Dad bought me a 2nd hand, boys pushbike for me, a 24 incher, it was too big. He painted it red and black like my school colours, just a plain bike with only an internal back brake and no mud guards. From somewhere an old rusty bell was found for it.
I was usually in the top three in the test results of the yearly exams and two of the prizes I received, I still have, books called Tom Sawyer and The Skyscapper. Despite being "smart" I was made to repeat 6th class as I was deemed too young for high school. I wasn't the only one thankfully. Is there still a stigma around those whom repeated?
The 24" bike was beyond repair so he bought me another 2nd hand bike that was too big for me. We spent three months worth of w/ends stripping that bike down, sanding and painting. It had a back mud guard. Replacing the seat with a better 2nd hand one, the rusty chrome bits were painted silver, replacing cones and cotter pins, replacing broken spokes and the blown light globe. The bike had three internal gears in the back hub operated by a thumb lever and cable/chain gear changer. It had a dynamo in the front hub, it was a 26 incher. I had to use the front fence to help me mount the bike least it was a boys bike. The old bell went to the "new" bike.
That bike allowed me to expand my reach and I soon learnt how to use prickle proof tubes with two tyres to keep the three corner jacks out.
As I grew up Dad built two new houses in his spare time as in after work, w/ends and my school holidays. Guess what I did most of the time after school, w/ends and school holidays?
My fav time of year was the Xmas party at the Italian club. Brand new cheap presents, fabulous food and lots of care free fun.
Never did get a mechano, lego, slot car or train set nor was I allowed to play sport. "No money in sport." my Dad would say. I was quick to point out when Steve Waugh became the captain of the Aussie cricket team, Steve became a 'million dollar man'.
High school, yeay! Didn't get the 'royal flush'. Handball and all those new, different and exciting subjects. 2,000 plus students, talk about hormones. I felt a freedom for the very first time. I could soak up so much stuff and constantly fed my burning thirst for knowledge. I relished the thought of heading to university.
My first paid job was delivering the evening paper via the pushbike, I was 14 and it paid $20 a week. I smoked a lot of that away.
Unbeknown to me, when I left school on the last day of my Leaving Certificate year, Dad told me in no uncertain terms that I wasn't allowed to go on to 6th form/Yr12. I was told that I had to pay board and lodgings of $20 per week, starting the very next week.
I gave the paper run away and scored a job within a week or so labouring, building evaporative air coolers and off siding the plumber on installs. I worked Boxing Day and New Years day and in that new year, scored an apprenticeship as a plumber.
I moved out before I turned 18...