The purple passionfruit hung on the vine just waiting to be picked. If I didn't grab it soon I could be sure someone else would but it was tantalisingly out of easy reach. There was no way I was going to step in closer because I just knew that there would be snakes lurking in all that growth. Our home at Annerley in Brisbane had been on the edge of bushland and as I often trailed after my brother and his mates as they headed down to the creek and thereabouts, I already knew to watch for snakes. However, this was the "real" bush and warnings had been delivered in a way which was not to be taken lightly! I had also heard all about death adders and they had me really worried. Needless to say it didn't take Alan long to find a way to harvest the passionfruit so I just kept close to him.
From the start it was my chore to gather kindling for the stove. Alan had to collect the heavier branches and cut them to length . We usually just headed out to the roadside as there was plenty of fallen branches there. Every skinny branch and twig was carefully looked at to make sure it didn't wriggle!
Close to the cottage was an outcrop of granite rocks. This was a favourite playing place where Lois and I could mark out pretend rooms and play "house". It was the ideal place for snakes to warm themselves. While we never became blase about the chance of snakes and always kept a lookout we learnt not to let our fear interfere with our activities.
When later I had a bike,someone told me that if you ran over a snake it could wind itself around the spokes in the bike wheel. Did a lot for my confidence!
The only time I can actually remember encountering a snake close-up was when I returned home from school one afternoon and there was a snake lying just in front of the small house gate. I remember standing there for ages waiting for the thing to move so that I could get to the house. I suppose a local kid would have thrown a stick or something but I wasn't that game. I have seen a few snakes even here in my Toowoomba garden but have never lost that shudder on coming across one.
As far as I can recall we didn't ever have one come into the house at Amiens.
I dont have a clear mental image of the layout of the cottage. This may seem surprising as I was there for about 18 months and from 10 1/2 to almost 12 years old. We moved so frequently in the following years that I think each move must have wiped out the previous one. There was no bathroom and we had our bath in a large round galvanised tub in front of the stove. Because the water had to be heated on the stove, there was a strict pecking order for a bath with a top-up of hot water in between each person. I expect Alan was unlucky last and had the job of emptying the big tub. I think there was a shelf by the kitchen wall and two basins underneath it. One was a white enamel to use for our daily wash and the other was the tin dish for washing the dishes. I think there was a tap over the shelf . I assume it was connected to a tank. There was a well in the backyard some distance from the house though I dont think we used that water for drinking or bathing. I have no memory of how Mum did laundry but expect there was a copper outside somewhere.
There were no other houses for miles. Mum used to cycle over to visit other women in the district or to Uncle Ernie and Auntie Mary. If she wasn't home by a certain time it was my task to start the fire in the stove and peel the vegetables. One afternoon I had trouble getting the fire to"catch", so , as I had seen Mum do on occasions, I poured in some kerosene. Unfortunately I didn't have her experience and the whole thing flared up strongly. I singed the front of my fringe and all my eyebrows and burnt the backs of my hands as I put them over my face. Mum must have bandaged them later because the next morning I had to go to the Rural Nurse and was very scared wondering if the bandages would have stuck. I had to go each morning for a while to have them inspected and the dressings changed. It didn't get me out of school!
The house must have been rather crowded in the early months while Edna and her 2 girls were with us. I dont think they stayed very long as they dont figure in many memories. I do know that Edna milked the cow. How did we acquire a cow! Probably Uncle Ernie arranged that. He used to come over each week in the early stages to do the heavy things like disposing of rubbish and emptying and burying the contents of the outside toilet...a job which Alan eventually had to take over.
There was no electricity so light was from lamps; no TV of course and papers only came in once a week on the train. I expect Mum had a portable "wireless" and kept track of news of the "real" world. It is only as an adult that I can imagine how her life had changed and how she must have missed her home and life in Brisbane. Still we were safe and Dad was not overseas as so many men were. For us life was a bit of an adventure and there was a new school with new friends to meet.
Oh- the granite rocks. I LOVED that place. It was like fairyland to me . Even these days when I think of a relaxing place to be I go back to there.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the layout of the house, I can recall the kitchen and the long stove down one end and the tub for bathing facing a passage to the front door. I can also remember sleeping on a small bed or couch in the front room and waiting for Santa to appear. I have a vague memory to you in the other front room and sleep walking? I was told not to wake you up.
Lois