FAMILY MEMORIES
by Rosemary Walsh
Who am I? Believe it or not, I‘m among the first of the ‘Cabbage Patch’ kids, as I was found under a cabbage leaf, up in Mrs. Hynes' garden!
My birth was a joyful event, especially to my sister Nancy, as I was born on October 16th, her birthday. At that time, Nancy was always being teased by our cousin, Tom Hann. When she saw him coming over the style, she ran to the door, slammed it in his face, while shouting, ‘You're not going to see my birthday present, Tom Ham!’
We lived in the same house with my father's mother, Mrs. Kate ("Mother" we called her). From the time I knew her, she went from deaf to deafer. I was her conversational helper, writing notes or yelling in her ear. When the time came for her to go to confession, I went along to hear her penance. (Of course, everyone heard her sins because she thought Monsignor Fyme was deaf, like her). I found it hard to tell her the penance she was given, until I grew wiser. Then when she's say, ‘Did he give me the Rosary? Did he give me the Stations of the Cross? I'd nod my head, up and down for yes. Needless to say he may have only given her three Hail Mary's.
My father, ("Pop" we called him), left home each year to fish on the Grand Banks and Golden Bay. Of all the stories I could tell about my Pop, one incident stands out in my memory. It was winter and the harbour froze over. This particular morning, Pop warned me not to go on the ice, as it wasn't solid. When recess time came, all the senior kids trotted onto the ice. I felt Pop was mistaken, so I ventured onto the ice, one step, and down I fell into the icy water. I was pulled out and ran home freezing. Mom changed my wet clothes and put me behind the stove to warm up. Pop came in, took one look at me and said, ‘You disobeyed me, didn't you?’ (Punishment enough!)
My Mom, Mrs. Mame, was a gentle mother and very creative. I remember one birthday when my cake had pink flowers and green leaves. Mom had invented food coloring from beet juice and green cabbage leaves.
On another occasion, the enamel from our ‘Maid of Avalon" stove got knocked off. To cover it up, Mom used the flowers from the Carnation milk can--‘the first decals. Soon, everyone who visited had learned a new way to cover scratches on stoves, etc.
However, I never learned to swim for as I headed for the beach, I'd hear Mom's voice, ‘Rose, don't go down where those boys are!’
I cannot finish without mentioning my brother, Ron, who was always so dear to me and ‘there’ for me. Ron worked in Argentia, when the USA Base started, tallying the bags of cement without a mask. The powder was inhaled and Ron developed tuberculosis. He was sent home ‘to die’ in 1943. However, under Mom's loving care and his own perseverance, Ron lived 10 years, passing away on October 7,
1953, the feast of the Holy Rosary.
Several incidents stand out in my mind when I think of Ron. When I was about 7, Mom told me that Ron liked eggs. Going to the henhouse this day, I found two eggs. Happily, I ran down the hill, an egg in each hand. Rushing up to Ron, I shouted, ‘I have two eggs for you, boy’, while clapping my hands together. In tears I watched as the eggs fell to the floor.
A few days before Ron died revealed how much he had suffered. Getting ready to go upstairs, he remarked, ‘I must mount Calvary one last time!’ Pop helped him up the fourteen steps of the stairs. Monsignor Fyme came two days later to anoint Ron. Before Monsignor Fyme reached the presbytery on his way home, someone ran and told him Ron had died. ‘Proper thing’, the priest replied, ‘gone straight to heaven!’
I could go on, but the time to stop has arrived. I hope that my memories of those who have already been ‘embraced by the LIGHT‘ will bring a smile or a tear to the readers.