janette girl to woman 2 Derek Harper
Without Prejudice
So I was now not just schoolgirl janette, I was going out with a man, janette. Derek was 21 to my 16.My parents approved of derek and we were allowed to see each other. It was hard as he was a lowly mid ship man and I was a passenger and passengers and crew were not supposed to fraternise. but we found ways to be together and spend time holding hands and kissing. In the middle Of the ocean, how romantic. i was always a very practical girl, however, and kept my sailor at arms length. One time he was able to sneak down and see me before I went to a fancy dress party. Mum was going as a chain smoker, her outfit one of a cocktail dress, long black cigarette holder, ( a la the roaring twenties, ) and a chain.
I was dressed as a Tahitian dancer with grass skirt bra top and bare feet. Derek was not happy. He wanted me to wear something else, but I wouldn't. I was as fickle as 16 year olds can be, and went to the party and had a fabulous time and he seethed below stairs. I had never had a boyfriend before and I had no idea how to behave. i was gauche and shy and bold and outrageous in moments but mainly shy. He called me his Yorkshire Pudding as after 5 years of good solid Yorkshire food i was rounded.
The crew at that time were always painting the boat, the Southern Cross and on Sundays would strip off their shirts, turn the radio up loud and laugh, smoke and sing. i will always remember the song "EVIE" parts 12 and 3 belting out over the radio, the sweating crew and the sun and heat. George, dave and I had palled up with some English kids that were also returning to australia and we would swim and sunbake and go for english High tea at 3pm with all the grown ups. Cucumber sandwiches and cress and egg, smoked salmon club sandwiches with petit fours and eclairs picked off a gliding silver tea trolley. and there were countless cups of tea served to us by the stewards dressed in full whites. It was fun.
Debbie, one of the girls that was my age was boy crazy and always wanted to be hanging around the painting crew. One called Angel was also from Cornwall, had an accent you could cut with a knife. A real Wurzel gummidge accent and he only had to open his mouth and we would be in fits of giggles. He was also tanned as only some of the English can be. I was pale white and the first day of heat had gone out and sunbaked all day. Forgetting the dangers and ignoring my burning skin. There was no such thing as SPF, anything and I burned to a crisp. Mum and dad had to fetch the doctor that night as I was burning up. i was so badly sunburned the long dormant smallpox scar on my arm from 5 years earlier erupted and oozed pus and blood. Mum and Dad were astounded as the doctors had told us smallpox scars were just scar tissue and dead. Well mine erupted like Mount Vesuvius.
I had to lie in bed for a week, not moving, not that i wanted to. My arms and legs blistered immediately. Those blisters turned into one big one and that popped and the stuff inside hardened onto my skin. I was a sad and sorry mess of burnt skin, red peeling face and I don't think I have ever been tempted to sunbake in any thing over 18 degrees since. George, Mum, Dave, and i had also been terribly sea sick crossing the Atlantic. Dad had escaped unscathed. We couldn't face food had made several attempts to dine in the fabulous silver service dining room, tried and failed. One or the other of us hand to mouth rushing swiftly out of the room, our faithful steward, white linen napkin folded across hes forearm, watching us in consternation. he had to be there whether we were or not. Dad would make sure he would tell us of the delightful food he alone had eaten. Usually that would make George or I hurtle from our top bunks to the hand basin.
We recovered as we headed for the Panama Canal as the weather was calmer and warmer and thats when I had been burnt to a crisp. so I had 2 weeks of being uncomfortable before I had a chance to venture up stairs to the breezy decks and very welcome fresh air. We did have our revenge on Dad, however. when we felt better, all of us, we ventured upstairs for our first luxury dinner on this so regal ship. Boston Baked Beans were on the menu that night and bravely we picked them. They came to the table, glistening with onion and bacon fat, Dad took one look at one of the pork fatbacks and bolted for the door hand over mouth.
When we had been so ill Dad had bragged of his never being sick, ever, not even feeling sick. only very "exhausted" sometimes. as dad bolted and disappeared, George commented wryly,
"There goes Dad, being exhausted, again". we cracked up laughing as did Andrew out steward and we dug into our Boston Baked Beans with enthusiasm. the food ever after that was to die for and we would turn up for them all from then on. Andrew was touchingly pleased to see us after standing on sentry duty at our empty table night after night. So we sailed on back to Australia, us kids with no more thought in our minds than having the best time we could.
I didn't tell my friend Debbie about Derek as she would have been intrigued and i'm sure gone after him. I liked her as she was a bit wicked to my gaucheness and she totally believed she was the hottest stuff going and nerdy me was not. I hugged the little secret to myself. unbeknownst to me she had made a grab for George in the swimming pool, grabbed hold and wouldn't let go. George was bit nerdy too and was totally shocked at Debbie's forwardness. he didn't tell me till just recently and I was stunned. I mean I knew she was wicked but I didn't realize how much at 16, only. we would moon light swim and apparently so were the Aussie girls, who drank and cavorted in the pool naked, we heard. Us proper little English kids were shocked at this display of drunken debauchery and the adults just explained it away as the were "Australians" what could you expect. It was a bit hypocritical of us as we were also Aussies in a way but you get used to Aussie bashing when you are in England, people there really do believe we are pretty much savages with a thin veneer of culture.
Derek remained my companion and when we reached New Zealand bought me a pearl bracelet and took me to a real grown up club, where i was allowed to have a sneaky drink. we left there and strolled through the city of Wellington at 10pm on a sunday night and I felt sophisticated and older. We knew that Sydney was not far away and that my family and i would be disembarking forever and that Derek would be returning to the UK and then on to Russia as a crew member on another cruise. Those moments were precious to us both. We seemed to get on really well never running out of things to say. he protected me and took care of me and had great manners and a spontaneous laugh, that I loved. he had these really blue, blue eyes and the lines around them crinkled with laughter in his tanned face.
the next night was New years Eve, our last night before disembarking. A big Gala new year Eves Party was planned in the Entertainment room and all after noon us kids had been trying to get a peek in at the covered windows.Mum loaned me her cocktail dress, black knee length with a daring vee neck line trimmed with black maribou feathers. I was allowed to borrow some jewellery and high heels and felt very grown up. the hairdresser had put my hair up in a chignon. I felt a million dollars. We all arrived at the party and my first dance was with Dad, i felt a tap on my shoulder and there was Derek dressed in Officer whites. i swear to God it was like something out of a movie and we danced this midshipman and i like there was no tomorrow.
I knew he would be in trouble for coming to the party. some friend had loaned him the uniform and he looked stunning. But he said he didn't care, it was worth it to be with me just for the last night. There were balloons and stars decorated the white fabric draped across the ceiling as the clock struck twelve the fabric dropped away with a whoosh and we were covered in glitter and stars and it was magical. We kissed as we twirled around the floor and i never felt more romantic in my life. Mum and Dad urged us to leave shortly after and we were happy to. Mum had seen glances directed at Derek from the Officers at the party, so we fled downstairs and the game was up. The old man in the lift, a sailor with a pronounced limp who had been given light duties for the night,knew Derek.
Derek said the man was bit of an old lag and would tell so we headed for the upper deck and hid ourselves in a locker. At last we could be on our own and spent a half hour making out and promising to see each other again, no matter what it took. it was a magical evening and I was tripping on air as I made my way down to the cabin. I knew I would see Derek in the morning, he had promised to find a way to see me before we disembarked. I knew he would and that night as we neared Sydney I fell asleep to the remembered sound of his voice whispering in my ear and my eyes were full of falling stars.
The next day dawned bright and clear as we sailed into Sydney harbour sailing, majestically smoothly. We had been up since dawn .finishing our packing, breakfasting saying goodbye to friends who were sailing on to other ports.Melbourne, Adelaide. Perth.we were excited to think we would see my brother Ian after 5 years and his wife and baby, who we had yet to meet. Ian was in the army and had stayed behind while we were in the UK, married and had become a father. We looked forward to meeting our new sister in law, Merilyn and baby Andrew. they came on board and there were rapturous greetings and admiration of Andrew. But the thought kept nagging at my brain that Derek had not appeared. I was in tears by the time the taxi arrived to take us to Ingleburn army camp. The boat was only docking for one night before taking off to ports anew. I cried in the taxi all the way to Ingleburn.
so we duly arrived at the camp. Ian had a married quarters bungalow and we fitted in quite well. It was so very hot and still. we all had dinner and as darkness feel Ian wondered about my sailor and what had happened to him. Within a moment a taxi pulled up outside, I held my breath, hoping against hope. A man came to the door and Ian called to me from the bedroom door
"Someone here to see you Nette" I ran. It was Derek. Even though i wanted it to be him I couldn't believe my eyes. Such a celebration we had my family were so happy for me. Ingleburn was miles and miles from the docks. Derek had asked a favour of a friend and received our disembarkation address. And the reason he hadn't seen me that morning because he was locked up in the brig all night for daring to go to the party and for impersonating an officer. He was frantic when he realised he wouldn't see me again, so he just hopped in a cab and came all that way. he had to be back at the ship before midnight so we had little time.
Mum and dad let us go for a stroll in the dark, withdrawing politely from our company. Derek and I walked in the hot dark night. It was so very still. we sat down on some swings at a local park and talked of a future. he wanted to know if my parents would be willing to sponsor him to come to Australia. I knew they would. Derek had had enough of sailing the world and wanted to marry and settle down, have a family after a while and he saw me as that girl. I was charmed to say the least. he had to go then and we promised to write. Mum and Dad rejoined us at the house and we all waved him off. My parents and ian and merrilyn were very impressed at him coming all that way to see me for such a little time.
We did write. we wrote and planned and wrote some more. he was usually somewhere exotic and i was jealous. Then I met Bob a few months later. Merrilyns badly behaved brother. he mocked my going out with the sailor, said he would never come. and as only 16 year olds can , I believed him. he and I then began going out and I had to write to derek and tell him. he deserved that. He did write back to me and it was sad. i have never forgotten him and wherever he is today, i hope he is happy and well loved janette
So I was now not just schoolgirl janette, I was going out with a man, janette. Derek was 21 to my 16.My parents approved of derek and we were allowed to see each other. It was hard as he was a lowly mid ship man and I was a passenger and passengers and crew were not supposed to fraternise. but we found ways to be together and spend time holding hands and kissing. In the middle Of the ocean, how romantic. i was always a very practical girl, however, and kept my sailor at arms length. One time he was able to sneak down and see me before I went to a fancy dress party. Mum was going as a chain smoker, her outfit one of a cocktail dress, long black cigarette holder, ( a la the roaring twenties, ) and a chain.
I was dressed as a Tahitian dancer with grass skirt bra top and bare feet. Derek was not happy. He wanted me to wear something else, but I wouldn't. I was as fickle as 16 year olds can be, and went to the party and had a fabulous time and he seethed below stairs. I had never had a boyfriend before and I had no idea how to behave. i was gauche and shy and bold and outrageous in moments but mainly shy. He called me his Yorkshire Pudding as after 5 years of good solid Yorkshire food i was rounded.
The crew at that time were always painting the boat, the Southern Cross and on Sundays would strip off their shirts, turn the radio up loud and laugh, smoke and sing. i will always remember the song "EVIE" parts 12 and 3 belting out over the radio, the sweating crew and the sun and heat. George, dave and I had palled up with some English kids that were also returning to australia and we would swim and sunbake and go for english High tea at 3pm with all the grown ups. Cucumber sandwiches and cress and egg, smoked salmon club sandwiches with petit fours and eclairs picked off a gliding silver tea trolley. and there were countless cups of tea served to us by the stewards dressed in full whites. It was fun.
Debbie, one of the girls that was my age was boy crazy and always wanted to be hanging around the painting crew. One called Angel was also from Cornwall, had an accent you could cut with a knife. A real Wurzel gummidge accent and he only had to open his mouth and we would be in fits of giggles. He was also tanned as only some of the English can be. I was pale white and the first day of heat had gone out and sunbaked all day. Forgetting the dangers and ignoring my burning skin. There was no such thing as SPF, anything and I burned to a crisp. Mum and dad had to fetch the doctor that night as I was burning up. i was so badly sunburned the long dormant smallpox scar on my arm from 5 years earlier erupted and oozed pus and blood. Mum and Dad were astounded as the doctors had told us smallpox scars were just scar tissue and dead. Well mine erupted like Mount Vesuvius.
I had to lie in bed for a week, not moving, not that i wanted to. My arms and legs blistered immediately. Those blisters turned into one big one and that popped and the stuff inside hardened onto my skin. I was a sad and sorry mess of burnt skin, red peeling face and I don't think I have ever been tempted to sunbake in any thing over 18 degrees since. George, Mum, Dave, and i had also been terribly sea sick crossing the Atlantic. Dad had escaped unscathed. We couldn't face food had made several attempts to dine in the fabulous silver service dining room, tried and failed. One or the other of us hand to mouth rushing swiftly out of the room, our faithful steward, white linen napkin folded across hes forearm, watching us in consternation. he had to be there whether we were or not. Dad would make sure he would tell us of the delightful food he alone had eaten. Usually that would make George or I hurtle from our top bunks to the hand basin.
We recovered as we headed for the Panama Canal as the weather was calmer and warmer and thats when I had been burnt to a crisp. so I had 2 weeks of being uncomfortable before I had a chance to venture up stairs to the breezy decks and very welcome fresh air. We did have our revenge on Dad, however. when we felt better, all of us, we ventured upstairs for our first luxury dinner on this so regal ship. Boston Baked Beans were on the menu that night and bravely we picked them. They came to the table, glistening with onion and bacon fat, Dad took one look at one of the pork fatbacks and bolted for the door hand over mouth.
When we had been so ill Dad had bragged of his never being sick, ever, not even feeling sick. only very "exhausted" sometimes. as dad bolted and disappeared, George commented wryly,
"There goes Dad, being exhausted, again". we cracked up laughing as did Andrew out steward and we dug into our Boston Baked Beans with enthusiasm. the food ever after that was to die for and we would turn up for them all from then on. Andrew was touchingly pleased to see us after standing on sentry duty at our empty table night after night. So we sailed on back to Australia, us kids with no more thought in our minds than having the best time we could.
I didn't tell my friend Debbie about Derek as she would have been intrigued and i'm sure gone after him. I liked her as she was a bit wicked to my gaucheness and she totally believed she was the hottest stuff going and nerdy me was not. I hugged the little secret to myself. unbeknownst to me she had made a grab for George in the swimming pool, grabbed hold and wouldn't let go. George was bit nerdy too and was totally shocked at Debbie's forwardness. he didn't tell me till just recently and I was stunned. I mean I knew she was wicked but I didn't realize how much at 16, only. we would moon light swim and apparently so were the Aussie girls, who drank and cavorted in the pool naked, we heard. Us proper little English kids were shocked at this display of drunken debauchery and the adults just explained it away as the were "Australians" what could you expect. It was a bit hypocritical of us as we were also Aussies in a way but you get used to Aussie bashing when you are in England, people there really do believe we are pretty much savages with a thin veneer of culture.
Derek remained my companion and when we reached New Zealand bought me a pearl bracelet and took me to a real grown up club, where i was allowed to have a sneaky drink. we left there and strolled through the city of Wellington at 10pm on a sunday night and I felt sophisticated and older. We knew that Sydney was not far away and that my family and i would be disembarking forever and that Derek would be returning to the UK and then on to Russia as a crew member on another cruise. Those moments were precious to us both. We seemed to get on really well never running out of things to say. he protected me and took care of me and had great manners and a spontaneous laugh, that I loved. he had these really blue, blue eyes and the lines around them crinkled with laughter in his tanned face.
the next night was New years Eve, our last night before disembarking. A big Gala new year Eves Party was planned in the Entertainment room and all after noon us kids had been trying to get a peek in at the covered windows.Mum loaned me her cocktail dress, black knee length with a daring vee neck line trimmed with black maribou feathers. I was allowed to borrow some jewellery and high heels and felt very grown up. the hairdresser had put my hair up in a chignon. I felt a million dollars. We all arrived at the party and my first dance was with Dad, i felt a tap on my shoulder and there was Derek dressed in Officer whites. i swear to God it was like something out of a movie and we danced this midshipman and i like there was no tomorrow.
I knew he would be in trouble for coming to the party. some friend had loaned him the uniform and he looked stunning. But he said he didn't care, it was worth it to be with me just for the last night. There were balloons and stars decorated the white fabric draped across the ceiling as the clock struck twelve the fabric dropped away with a whoosh and we were covered in glitter and stars and it was magical. We kissed as we twirled around the floor and i never felt more romantic in my life. Mum and Dad urged us to leave shortly after and we were happy to. Mum had seen glances directed at Derek from the Officers at the party, so we fled downstairs and the game was up. The old man in the lift, a sailor with a pronounced limp who had been given light duties for the night,knew Derek.
Derek said the man was bit of an old lag and would tell so we headed for the upper deck and hid ourselves in a locker. At last we could be on our own and spent a half hour making out and promising to see each other again, no matter what it took. it was a magical evening and I was tripping on air as I made my way down to the cabin. I knew I would see Derek in the morning, he had promised to find a way to see me before we disembarked. I knew he would and that night as we neared Sydney I fell asleep to the remembered sound of his voice whispering in my ear and my eyes were full of falling stars.
The next day dawned bright and clear as we sailed into Sydney harbour sailing, majestically smoothly. We had been up since dawn .finishing our packing, breakfasting saying goodbye to friends who were sailing on to other ports.Melbourne, Adelaide. Perth.we were excited to think we would see my brother Ian after 5 years and his wife and baby, who we had yet to meet. Ian was in the army and had stayed behind while we were in the UK, married and had become a father. We looked forward to meeting our new sister in law, Merilyn and baby Andrew. they came on board and there were rapturous greetings and admiration of Andrew. But the thought kept nagging at my brain that Derek had not appeared. I was in tears by the time the taxi arrived to take us to Ingleburn army camp. The boat was only docking for one night before taking off to ports anew. I cried in the taxi all the way to Ingleburn.
so we duly arrived at the camp. Ian had a married quarters bungalow and we fitted in quite well. It was so very hot and still. we all had dinner and as darkness feel Ian wondered about my sailor and what had happened to him. Within a moment a taxi pulled up outside, I held my breath, hoping against hope. A man came to the door and Ian called to me from the bedroom door
"Someone here to see you Nette" I ran. It was Derek. Even though i wanted it to be him I couldn't believe my eyes. Such a celebration we had my family were so happy for me. Ingleburn was miles and miles from the docks. Derek had asked a favour of a friend and received our disembarkation address. And the reason he hadn't seen me that morning because he was locked up in the brig all night for daring to go to the party and for impersonating an officer. He was frantic when he realised he wouldn't see me again, so he just hopped in a cab and came all that way. he had to be back at the ship before midnight so we had little time.
Mum and dad let us go for a stroll in the dark, withdrawing politely from our company. Derek and I walked in the hot dark night. It was so very still. we sat down on some swings at a local park and talked of a future. he wanted to know if my parents would be willing to sponsor him to come to Australia. I knew they would. Derek had had enough of sailing the world and wanted to marry and settle down, have a family after a while and he saw me as that girl. I was charmed to say the least. he had to go then and we promised to write. Mum and Dad rejoined us at the house and we all waved him off. My parents and ian and merrilyn were very impressed at him coming all that way to see me for such a little time.
We did write. we wrote and planned and wrote some more. he was usually somewhere exotic and i was jealous. Then I met Bob a few months later. Merrilyns badly behaved brother. he mocked my going out with the sailor, said he would never come. and as only 16 year olds can , I believed him. he and I then began going out and I had to write to derek and tell him. he deserved that. He did write back to me and it was sad. i have never forgotten him and wherever he is today, i hope he is happy and well loved janette
