In a Fishbone Church Page 6

  ‘Gosh, Craig, do you think so?’ says Rosemary.

  ‘I wonder,’ says Etta, ‘how healthy these Youth Group meetings are.’

  ‘Nothing wrong with them,’ says Gene. ‘And God knows she needs to make a few friends.’

  ‘Who’s for a barley sugar? Bridget?’

  Bridget shakes her head, not even looking up from her book. Craig offers the box around the rest of the Group. Jeremy Ward takes four, and Craig pretends not to notice.

  ‘Right then, it must be time for another video!’ Craig runs his finger down the stack of tapes. ‘The Ten Commandments, Lawrence of Arabia, Annie, War Games, West Side Story – any preferences?’

  ‘Big ’n Bouncy?’ says Jeremy Ward.

  Craig chooses Star Wars from the pile. ‘Right then, I’m just going to check on the car. Back in a few minutes.’

  ‘A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away,’ begins the video.

  Bridget pretends to keep reading, but she sees Rosemary Stokes get up from where she is sprawled on the floor, pull on a jacket and let herself quietly out the door. It’s the third time she’s done it now. The first time was when Craig had to check that the gate was locked, and the second time was when he thought he heard something outside. This time they’re gone for over half an hour. They don’t even bother returning separately any more.

  ‘What have I missed?’ Rosemary whispers to Bridget, stretching out in front of the TV.

  ‘I’ve been reading,’ says Bridget. She closes her book. ‘Just going to the toilet.’

  She takes her jacket with her, the pocket heavy with the weight of her purse. There’s a service station right around the corner. She buys a king-size bar of chocolate, a bag of potato chips, two packets of Toffee Pops and a can of Fanta. She hides her purchases under her jacket and walks back to the church. At the door of the meeting room she can hear Craig talking quietly over the sound of the video. She continues to the next door, which leads to the church toilets. She locks herself in. She eats.

  A severe

  blow

  1956

  Jan 1 Sun

  I am keeping my diary locked away as 1955 was mislaid when we shifted early December. It seems bedside cabinets are not private. I suspect foul play but will not mention names. Gene & I had a look at the recently found cave at Kai Koura the peep hole was in the roof & it felt deep & dangerous

  Jan 15 Sun

  At 5 a.m. there were 16 rods on the beach & it was very hot.

  It looked as if a storm was coming the sea was flat I couldn’t stand the heat & became afraid of the brewing storm. Went & heard the cricket at Cyrils.

  Dolly 6 p.m.

  Pulse 89

  Feb 26 Sun

  Examined crabs today, quite a few reject stones blank inside Mum went all weepy on me but wouldn’t say why she does have her spells dear old Mum I think she worries about my health more than she lets on

  Dolly 4 p.m.

  Apr 18 Wed

  Had a Mr & Mrs Ian Colbourne to see the stones tonight we saw his collection of clocks last week

  Apr 30 Mon

  My Brother Ivor rang at 1.10 a.m. to tell me that my Brother Reg was seriously ill in the Sunnyside Mental Hospital (he has been a patient there for about 40 years). I got there just too late. Had a few phone calls today but not many people knew of him. Reg was 2 years 9 months older than me and has always been a pathetic case. He is better off.

  Pulse 93

  May 19 Sat

  The time is 11 p.m. & it is blowing a strong South West wind so I don’t know about tomorrow bugger these Ducks & Swans when I walked out into the lake today with a Storm threatening I wondered whether I was game or nuts Dolly 4 p.m.

  May 31 Thur

  Beryl did some rods for me today she will have more time when Colin starts school. I had to get the emery wheel repaired it has been playing up & I don’t want to spoil my stones. In the evening Mum & I went over to the Palmers & I was coaxed into a game of euchre we were not playing for love & I won £1-10-0. When I got home at Midnight Mum had just finished varnishing the rods she had come home at 10.30 p.m. & got stuck into the work, she is a hard case. Health Reasonable

  Jun 15 Fri

  Beryl & Rob announced that Colin is to have a little brother or sister in December. Of course having a baby then will bring problems to the Stilton Family for instance you can’t take a 2 weeks old baby fishing to Kai Koura.

  Jun 17 Sun

  Mum & I had one visitor to see the collection, he was looking for someone we didn’t know but he enjoyed the stones.

  Jun 20 Wed

  A miserable day. Mum is in Greymouth, fine weather there to meet her. It seems funny that Mum & I should be on different sides of the Island, her in sunshine & us in winter. Caught 7 flounders at Redcliffs. Not feeling so good, a cold in my chest & Mum away. How would you feel. Even the fish I’m catching are flat. Health Rotten

  Jun 22 Fri

  Worked on an order of rods this evening & Carnelian put the transfers on. I discovered a way of lifting the skins off tins of varnish. Just a wire ring that reaches to the bottom & is soldered to the lid. When the lid is removed the skin comes out too. I wish Mum was back it is going to be a long weekend. Health Fair. Bowels acting up.

  Jun 25 Mon

  Busy in the shop without Mum. Fred Conway’s wife was in she had only good things to say about Gene again he is their best worker. I gave her a couple of extra slices of ham but they do all right Fred has branches in Dunedin & a new one opening in Wellington. (He doesn’t look any the better for it.) Will meet Mum’s rail car tomorrow at 3.40 p.m. Carnelian has been just wonderful, looking after me as though I was worth it I always try to be fair with them all they are all favourites.

  Marsha 9 p.m.

  Jul 1 Sun

  Gene & Etta excited about Beryl’s news. Etta says, nothing to enter in the diary on her account.

  Jul 15 Sun

  Every time young Colin comes I have to make sparks for him on the emery wheel, he demands it. He asked me a mighty queer question today, we were in the workshop & he said Gran Gran, who is going to get all this stuff when you die.

  Hell how old do I look.

  Pulse 92

  Jul 19 Thur

  We had hail stones as big as marbles & I thought they would come right through the shop windows. Plenty of lightning & thunder. After tea we went to Gene & Etta’s new place built by Gene it is a strong brick home. Etta hates lightning but I’ll bet I hate it more.

  Dolly 6 p.m.

  Jul 27 Fri

  Took the rods into the warehouse & received a cheque from Mr Drury for £59-4-0. Very sweet. Also fetched home another 76 rods to do at 7/6 each so that is good business. I gave Mum £5 for herself, she is worth looking after such a help to me

  Aug 29 Wed

  More visitors to see the stones.

  Rae 6 p.m.

  Sep 27 Thur

  At Redcliffs I caught 8 flounders, 3 cod, 5 herrings & a strange fish which Cyril is taking in to the museum. It barked & Oh Hell try & pick it up by the tail & in a flash its mouth would be there instead. Met a fellow from Southland he had some petrified wood from Mount Somers & it seemed so good it might have come from another world.

  Health Good. Bowels Good.

  Oct 1 Mon

  Cyril called in to say the museum identified my fish as a catfish.

  Nov 10 Sat

  Carnelian has gone dancing. Beryl popped in & they think the baby will be on time but they will not be coming to Kai Koura. This is a great pity & I told her so however she has Rob now & doesn’t need her old Dad.

  Pulse 92.

  Dec 2 Sun

  Gene & I left at 7.15 a.m. for Chertsey. Didn’t catch any good eating fish but Gene got a large Grey Nurse shark with 16 live young ones in it about 1ft long.

  Dec 6 Thur

  We are very pleased with the Barometer I bought Mum for last Xmas it is most interesting & reliable. I don’t know how we did without one.

  Pulse 85

>   Dec 11 Tue

  Today I went with Mum to see Beryl & I also saw

  James Clifford

  for the first time. Believe me, he is the goods

  Dec 18 Tue

  Gene has his name in the paper tonight he has passed his 2 exams. Foreman and Supervision Fred Conway has offered him a position as Foreman not bad for 25

  Well done my lad you will be clever like your Dad

  Health Good

  Dec 22 Sat

  Gave Mum a cheque for £2-10-0 for helping out in the shop also gave her a fiver for Xmas. She bought a dress with it.

  1957

  Feb 13 Wed

  Mum picked the pears. She got 721 off the one tree. I do enjoy them preserved & she makes a lovely job of it. Went to see the 1956 model James Clifford who is grand & is really a lovely baby, none finer.

  May 26 Sun

  At 9 a.m. my brother Ivor & 2 cobbers arrived to see the stones. This afternoon a girlfriend of Carnelian’s called to ask if she could bring friends to see them in the evening. The stones are becoming rather a nuisance.

  Jul 15 Mon

  Mum fetched me a cup of tea just after 6 a.m. good old Mum this has been going on for nearly 40 years & I like it. Rain predicted tomorrow you cannot expect cherry blossoms in July. Health all right my biggest worry is a few missing beats of the heart perhaps 6 a day.

  Dolly 8 p.m.

  – Jul 16 ’65 Not so many misfires now on new pills.

  Pulse 85.

  Jul 26 Fri

  Little Jim is such a good baby but Colin is a hard case & completely bosses Rob, anybody would think Rob was the child & Colin the father. I must admit I would warm his bum for him I do like obedient children & I can honestly say that all mine were very well-behaved. Rob you will regret not being firmer. Win the first battle & you have won the lot. Health Good.

  – Apr 8 ’68 I have been proved right Colin is now a stroppy teenager

  Sep 11 Wed

  Another hell of a day, wet & cold just like winter at its worst with a lie attached: the trees are all in blossom

  Oct 29 Tue

  Tonight we paid an overdue visit to my brother Ivor’s. His hobby is tropical fish.

  Marsha 5.45 p.m.

  Nov 18 Mon

  Gene called for a whisky he was off work today. He did a stupid thing yesterday at home he was up on their roof doing some repairs and he fell off, missed the fence, grabbed a very small tree and finished up at the feet of his neighbour, flat on his back on the concrete path next door. No bones broken but the Doctor has ordered him to bed for a couple of days. Etta saw Gene’s dark form flash past the window she was very upset and said how could he climb all that scaffolding at work and then fall off the roof at home. Next time take a ruddy parachute with you Gene. Health all right but this bloody indigestion keeps me awake.

  Dec 11 Wed

  Oh what a disappointment regarding Gene and Etta going to live in Wellington. We had the whole family nice and handy and now Gene has spoiled it. Mum & I are not fond of travelling so we will not be seeing much more of them I repeat it is a severe blow.

  1958

  This diary was given to me by Gene & Etta for Xmas & I told them that some day they should have it back. We are many miles apart now that you have left the South Island so I will record all the main events of my life and also little events which will be of interest

  Feb 7 Fri

  My Birthday. Born 1900 in grocer shop corner Durham St & Bath St Christchurch. Well I am another year older but it took twelve months to happen. Another two years to the pension. The family came round in the evening, except Etta & Gene. They telephoned from Wellington.

  Mar 16 Sun

  A Day of Worms. Cyril & I went to Redcliffs & dug a lot of sea worms for bait. Then I went out to Moynihans’ farm Etta’s father was ploughing & I followed picking up the worms. Had a whisky with them for St Patricks Day I’ll take the drink but leave the prayers. Looked like Mother Moynihan had been celebrating for a while on her own it still hadn’t sweetened her up no wonder Owen reads so much. Health Good. Bowels V Good.

  Mar 17 Mon

  A Day of Work. Finished off the last of the rods. Mr Drury wants to buy my binding machine (my own design) but I’m not even considering his first offer either he thinks I’m an idiot or he’s meaner than I thought. He is a queer chap his wife comes into the shop now & then & always buys the cheapest cuts I’ll bet he doesn’t give her much to come & go on.

  Marsha 5 p.m.

  Mar 30 Sun

  Rain & wind all over NZ 86 miles per hour wind in the NI snow on Arthurs & Lewis Pass. This will bugger up my fishing the Heathcote is bank to bank. Gene the way it is blowing now you would get all the shooting you wanted. Remember the swans in McBride’s paddock, 100 by 4 p.m. Palm Sunday, have a coconut.

  Apr 6 Sun

  Mum’s birthday I brought her a cup of tea in bed. The family (except Gene & Etta) came round Mum cooked a goose shot by me. Carnelian gave her a Nylon Petticoat & she got a beautiful Maiden Hair Fern in a pot from Beryl & Rob. Young Colin gave her a teatowel & Etta & Gene sent a flash manicure set from Wellington. I gave her a new Eiderdown & took her to Tingeys on Friday to select wallpaper for our bedroom & ordered the tradesman to do it so I reckon she had a pretty good innings.

  May 3 Sat

  Opening of the duck shooting & I stayed home getting old no getting sense. It’s different now, there are more regulations than hairs on a cat’s back.

  Dolly 3.30 p.m.

  May 26 Mon

  A Black Day. Was not well at all & I think it was my Chest. Went home at lunchtime & Mum looked after the shop. I wouldn’t like very many days like today it is too upsetting & you think a lot of strange things. Went to Beryl’s tonight Mum had a good sleep there in the arm chair she can never stay awake.

  Pulse 95

  Jun 11 Wed

  What could be sweeter than to have a Blonde

  A fishing rod and bait and a nice little pond

  – Original

  Health Good.

  Jun 12 Thur

  The Blonde I referred to on the previous page Is to bait up my hooks, think of my age Health Good.

  Jun 25 Wed

  Beryl & Rob left the boys with us while they went to the Pictures. Jim went up to the barometer & gave it a couple of taps & said Oh Jesus. At least Etta wasn’t there but Mum was none too pleased. Wonder where he learnt that. No news from Wellington of any grandchildren on the way. Health Good.

  Jun 30 Mon

  Went to Beryl’s for dinner & all Jim would say was bugger bugger. Beryl not pleased with me. Hope all is well with you Gene it’s been half a year now.

  Jul 4 Fri

  Mr Drury rang at 7.30 p.m. & blasted me for putting coloured binding on the rods. I thought they looked good but he is sending them back to be altered. He was very bloody annoyed & I am too. He can shove his rods. I’ll make him pay one way or another he still wants to get his hands on my binding machine & do the rods using girl labour. I think my price has just gone up another £50 yes £50 per insult. Health Fair.

  Jul 14 Mon

  I didn’t feel much good this afternoon I had a very fast pulse (95). I think the spot welder makes one nervous, on edge all the time. Carnelian always says you won’t die till its your turn well that’s no bloody comfort is it.

  Aug 4 Mon

  We had a terrible night with the flu Carnelian Mum & I coughing in unison. Mum went grocery shopping today so she must be the toughest of the 3 of us. Beryl looked after the shop & seemed to cope all right no thanks to Rob. They want to take over the business when I retire well I don’t know about that.

  Nov 13 Thur

  Had a letter from Etta she writes every week a lot more often than Gene does. They are keen for us to spend Xmas in Wellington but I hate being far away from home, don’t like travelling to me it is always a risk. Health Fair.

  Nov 22 Sat

  Up at 4 a.m. Cyril & I went down the Cam in Cyril’s boat but the bloody whitebait ha
d stopped running. Home at dinner time as we had to go to Dawn McKinnons wedding (Baptists). Everybody came away with Christ in their Hearts & no booze in their stomachs.

  Nov 30 Sun

  Beryl & family went to Hororata where Jim while sitting in the river found his first piece of agate with crystals well done Jim

  Dec 25 Thur

  Xmas Day & I can’t see the sea, I’m really lost. Cyril & Vera came over for a spot this morning & I had a cup of tea at Beryl’s in the afternoon. How bloody exciting. No Gene no Carnelian & Mum’s feeling crook. Beryl & Rob came for the evening. They gave us a clock. Gene & Etta rang from Wellington. Gene sounded homesick.

  1959

  Jan 7 Wed

  When I’m gone what advantages will I have not many but I won’t be afraid of Lightning my greatest fear I would rather face a maniac with a gun I won’t mind the storms the floods the heat the cold the Atom Bomb the fishes in the sea will surely declare it a holiday when I pass on

  Jan 8 Thur

  This will surprise you but I never go past the Sydenham Cemetery without crossing fingers on both hands one for my Fathers memory and the other for my Mothers. I have done this for years.

  Jan 9 Fri

  If we had gone to Kai Koura this Xmas it would have been the 40th year but I have lost the urge. The fishing is not as good & the hills are steeper & the rocks harder. And I hate the boats up there & Cyril always takes a boat & I sit on the shore & wonder if it is safe. They tell me there were lots of spear fishermen underwater there this year that’s not fishing Dolly 8 p.m.

  Mar 27 Fri

  Up at 1 a.m. this morning not for the fish but for Mum she had a terrible pain in her chest. I didn’t know what to think for a while but I’m all right again now.