The Poorest
Without Prejudice
It was the poorest time of our lives, living in Avalon at the top of the winding hill, Kurrungai Chase National Forest as our backyard. And the Pacific in front of us, a blue ribbon through high gums. Winifred Atwell lived down the road. And we were starving, literally. Dad had gone to Melbourne to pick up a few gigs, Mum said. But I knew years later he had gone to jail.Selling a Fender for money from Allens in the city, where he worked, so it was stealing from his employer. And he tried to tell me when I was 15 and she hushed him, not wanting me to know.
And she wouldn't help herself My Mum, she would never go to charity, so we starved and she did nothing, just sat and smoked and slept. George and I were really excited one day, finding a tub of caramel sauce in a cavity in the wall in the garage. We debated whether we should eat it, but hunger took over and we scoffed it and it ran down our cheeks and chin and was wonderful for the first few mouthfuls and then was too rich. Neither George or I can stand caramel sauce any more. We made a sort of shortbread, and ate porridge oats with sugar, sugar sandwiches, tomato sauce sandwiches, Hp Sauce sandwiches, we were big on carbs and lean on no protein. But we were so skinny and David looked like he was suffering malnutrition, a Biafran.
Ian was old enough to know what was going on, but he didn't tell us and when Dad returned from "Melbourne" via The Sydney Jail (He said the "lads" were very nice ) we were very happy.
To be continued
It was the poorest time of our lives, living in Avalon at the top of the winding hill, Kurrungai Chase National Forest as our backyard. And the Pacific in front of us, a blue ribbon through high gums. Winifred Atwell lived down the road. And we were starving, literally. Dad had gone to Melbourne to pick up a few gigs, Mum said. But I knew years later he had gone to jail.Selling a Fender for money from Allens in the city, where he worked, so it was stealing from his employer. And he tried to tell me when I was 15 and she hushed him, not wanting me to know.
And she wouldn't help herself My Mum, she would never go to charity, so we starved and she did nothing, just sat and smoked and slept. George and I were really excited one day, finding a tub of caramel sauce in a cavity in the wall in the garage. We debated whether we should eat it, but hunger took over and we scoffed it and it ran down our cheeks and chin and was wonderful for the first few mouthfuls and then was too rich. Neither George or I can stand caramel sauce any more. We made a sort of shortbread, and ate porridge oats with sugar, sugar sandwiches, tomato sauce sandwiches, Hp Sauce sandwiches, we were big on carbs and lean on no protein. But we were so skinny and David looked like he was suffering malnutrition, a Biafran.
Ian was old enough to know what was going on, but he didn't tell us and when Dad returned from "Melbourne" via The Sydney Jail (He said the "lads" were very nice ) we were very happy.
To be continued
