Chapter 20 – The Blacksmith’s Daughter by Fay Berry 2013 – 19550823

My inability to understand any subject that required a knowledge of Maths was so apparent to me and to my teachers that I finally went to Mr Jenkin my English teacher, and asked him for some ideas for a possible career for girl who did not do well at ANY commercial subjects. He suggested radio work, script writing or journalism. That sounded more palatable to me than Secretary, Shorthand typist, Administrator or such like, but how to go about finding a job in a different field I  wasn’t too sure.  I supposed I would find out in time.

What was more pressing for me right now was the production  of the school Opera, “The Black Tulip.” Duncan McKie, our school Music Masterhad written and produced the Opera and I and my brother were members of the chorus.It was being held in the Unley Town Hall. We all had so much fun running around in the passages under the stage before the commencement of the Opera. The opening night was a great success and by the time the final night was over we were all “played out” and thoroughly exhausted, but happy that it had been such a success.

 

My school hockey coach rang me up one day and asked me if I would play a match for Greenwood “A” grade hockey team because their Goally, Judy Gilbert had appendicitis and could not play. I was delighted and played with Greenwood and apparently did a good job because they asked me to continue with the team for the rest of the season. I so badly wanted to play with them but I had also been booked to go to Pinnaroo to stay with the Wurfels, and each of these two options was equally appealing. After hours of  “Will I” “Won ‘t I,” I decided to go to Pinnaroo and forego playing goally for Greenwood “A. “ It was a terrible choice to have to make.

The School Social was next on my agenda and that proved to be a great night but towards the end of the evening I began to feel very sick and in the end Roger Griggs sent me home in a taxi because I was just too unwell to go by public transport. The end of the term was the day when my new pen got a real work out signing my name on squillions of School Magazines and then after that came my trip to Pinnaroo in a brand new Mercedes Benz, the Wurfel’s new vehicle.  I met, but did not take to, Lin Wurfel, Mr Wurfel’s brother. I had a great time at Pinnaroo, but I noticed some things about the boys and the way they interacted with their parents and the fact that they were not at all helpful around the house, that made me think a little more closely about how I felt about each of the boys.

Back in Adelaide I went to the Show again and met up with the Wurfel’s and spent time with them there.

DIARY ENTRIES

19550823 Tuesday – What a day! In book eeping lesson Jacky Braunsthall read me a lecture about my work in general and warned me that if I wanted to pass I would have to pull my socks up etc. etc. All he’s worried about is how our results will look when he shows them to old Desert Head. I don’t think he’s been able to get a class of his through yet, but I sincerely hope that I do get through. I’ve just got to! He told me that I’d never get my shorthand so I would be wise to sit for the 100 instead of 120. How I just love lectures, grrrr!

Anyway, his lecture did me some good. It made me go to Mr Jenkins and ask him what a person who liked only English could do. He suggested such things ad Journalistm, News reporting etc, but I didn’t want that type of work so he suggested radio work, script writing etc. And you know, I think I’d like something like that. He told me that he’d think about it and see if he could find someone who could help me get into some job that I’d like. Am I glad that it looks as though I may not be condemned to sit in an office day in and day out after all.

At about eleven I went to the Town Hall again and started the ritual of plastering 1 1/2 inches of cold cream on my face and then putting that beastly “Carmen” on my lips and cheeks. When Mr ? had finished doing my eyebrows I looked like a Dutch doll whose face is set in perpetual surprise. Such fun!

At a quarter to one, the school started to roll up and then we had to keep quiet while they came in. At last the Opera started and so did the fun. George acted well as the Town Crier and the first scene went off pretty well, In the scene where Boxtell is spying on Rosa and Cornelius he had the whole school in fits of laughter. He is certainly a comedian. In the execution scene, we had such fun but I bet Ron Smith didn’t because it couldn’t have been too comfortable sitting up there on top of that moving mass of boys. I wish we could have really ducked him in the horse pond, but then one can’t have everything. The Opera was a success and Musical Mick McKie was beaming practically the whole way through. Even the school enjoyed it for a change. This time there were really some decent love scenes in it so the Friday night one should be pretty good.

19550824 Wednesday – I’ve had enough of listening to Jacky’s lectures so I’m staying home for a rest. I’m glad the exams are over at least I can do these things without feeling too guilty. Anyway, soon, very soon It will be the holidays. Nine days in fact, and am I glad. School, how I hate thee “my hate is choking me” quote, Mynheer Isaak Bontell unquote.

Soon I will be free again and then I hope I will go to Pinnaroo and there I will have a terrific time. I hope and will still be only hoping until I get there. No, I’m not going to hope, or even think about it, because then if I can’t go I’ll be horribly disappointed. What I am going to do is forget about it and then when I am on my way there, then I can get excited. “He who expects nothing is never disappointed.” I haven’t clue who said that, but it certainly fits the bill. Fancy that, I’ve turned into a philosopher. I hope that’s how you spell it.

Well now I’m in bed with nothing much to do I think I’ll start sticking in all the letters I’ve kept for years in my diary. They’ll be beaut fun to read in a couple of hundred years’ time. It’s amazing just how many letters and things I’ve accumulated, though I got most of them last year and the year before.

These are some of the drawings I did of the various teachers and girlfriends of mine.

This one is Miss Penney. She was a teacher we had last year and she was terrifically pretty and I liked her. I remember in a shorthand lesson she gave us, I couldn’t get the shorthand down because her voice sounded so pretty and I had to stop to listen to it. She was only there for a week or so and then she and the rest of the student teachers left.

This is Miss Tomlinson, my Geography teacher in Intermediate and she was a rotten teacher. She was also the softball coach and she was pretty good at that. She is in England now though and it looks as though she will stay there.

This is Pam Bastian the girl I went around with all last year (1954). I became friendly with her first when I went to Parkside Primary School. She was a nice kid, though She took some getting used to at first. These are all the letters I received from Pam Hissey the girl in the Office. She was mad as a hatter, just as mad if not more than her letters show.

This letter is one I received from Robert Oertel when he was over in Melbourne. It was the start of our going together.

19550824 Program for the Black Tulip.

 

 

 

19550825 Thursday – I went to school in the morning and at dinner time I went home to get ready for the Opera. Mum, Dad and Maynard and Roma all went to see it and they enjoyed it. It was a much better performance than the first night. I’m beginning to get a rash from all the make we’ve been using. This Opera! I know practically all the solos and principal parts now, but I’ll be glad when the Opera’s over because I am dog tired. Colleen has blabbed again. That girl will never learn to keep her mouth shut. She told Graham about the money he owes dad for the car and he asked dad about it and then Dad of course came and told me off. I could wring that girl’s neck, but then I shouldn’t have told her what Dad said in the first place, so I’m just as bad I guess. She must have got some idea of what was the cause of my depression and she kept asking me if she were the cause of it. She reckoned that if she was, she’d be just as likely to walk under a car. That’s just what the silly little under grown, overgrown idiot would do.

19550826 Friday – Mum and I went into town today and bought me some clothes and things. I’ll need up at Pinnaroo. Nancy King, Rosalie Foster , Marion King and Mum came to see the Opera tonight and they enjoyed it very much. They all teased me afterwards that whenever they wanted to see where I was on the stage, they first had to look for the biggest bunch of boys and there I would be in the middle of them. Not fair, it wasn’t my fault. I always go on the stage and stand somewhere and then the boys come on afterwards and stand next to me and I get told that it’s me standing with them when it’s them standing with me.

At the supper afterwards Nancy and I went in together. Ray Keatley was presented with a little toy axe and Brian Holt got a mug with an onion planted in it. It was good fun, but Nancy and I left early because we were terribly tired.

19550827 Saturday – I feel miserable, utterly and completely miserable. Why Oh why do things have to happen to spoil things. Why on earth did I ever play hockey to start with. This morning after Nancy had gone to work Miss Dunn rang up and asked me if I could take Judy Gilbert’s place in Greenwood A’s hockey team. Me playing A grade hockey? Of course I said, “Yes” and so I arranged to meet Miss Dunn at the top of Frome Road in the city. When I arrived at Frome road I was a half an hour early but at last Miss Dunn came and took me to the ATC grounds. Was I nervous! She introduced me to the members of Greenwood’s team and did I get a shock when I saw some of the team members. There was little me, about to play in the same match as Miss Duffield our Sports mistress of four years ago and Marjorie Adams the PGC Sports coach. Fancy playing with her. She plays interstate cricket and hockey and is she a terrific player.

I was in the changing room putting on a Greenwod Uniform when Miss Duffield came in. One of the team members spoke to her and told her that Judy Gilbert their goally had Apendicitus and Miss Duffield asked who on earth was taking Judy’s place. Did she get a shock when she saw me and was told that I was taking Judy’s place. She told me it made her feel quite ancient because she remembered me as a first year and I remembered her when I stared her out a long time ago and she got angry with me and pulled my plaits.

Anyhow, this is off the track. They took me out and started to give me some practice. I did all right evidently because they seemed rather relieved. Then the match started. Marjorie Adams was one of the backs and can she play!

The Graduates scored the first goal, but Greenwood’s scored very quickly after that. At one time one of the Graduate forwards came dashing down, but was stopped before she reached the 25 line but she managed to send the ball straight at me. I had raised my foot and was in the middle of giving the ball a terrific belt when our Captain called out “let it go.” Somehow or other it registered and my foot stopped in the middle of the kick and the ball flew under my foot missing it by about half an inch and then went straight into the goal.

I looked at it with disgust and was feeling like wringing the girl’s neck but to my intense relief, they told me it wasn’t a goal because a goal can’t be scored outside the goal ring. The rest of our team were all sure I was going to kick it and were very pleased that my reactions were quick enough for me to stop my kick. In the second half three more goals were scored by Greenwood and I played pretty well, though Miss Dunn could tell I was nervous because I relied too much on my stick. What a match!

Now comes the worst part. They want me to play for the rest of the season,and I would LOVE to, but I can’t because I am going to Pinnaroo! Why do I have to choose between them, why! Why! Why! Everybody was saying “You’ll do us,” etc. And when I told them I couldn’t play they looked at me as if I was mad and then Miss Dunn started to work on me and by the time I arrived back at Frome Road, Miss Dunn had persuaded me that I was going to play and I was quite decided that I would go to Pinnaroo on the Monday but when I got home I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to go to Pinnaroo much more than I wanted to play but then I thought of Miss Dunn and now I‘m back where I started. What am I going to do? Miss Dunn kept saying this was my chance etc. But then, can I as a Christadelphian take that chance anyway? Do I really want to play “A” grade hockey. What shall I do!!

19550828 Sunday – I’m not miserable now, I’m just plain depressed. I’m still unable to decide what I should do. Mum rang up Mrs Wurfel and told her about it and she doesn’t seem to mind but then their shearing has gone all wrong and they can’t even start it until later in December and if I play hockey, I might not be able to go at all because Don and Keith will be coming down on the Tuesday of our school holidays to the show.

I’ve just spoken to Maynard about it and he didn’t help me very much, though I’ve decided that if Dad doesn’t stop me, I’ll go on the Monday and stay for the hockey. But that might ruin my chance of going to Pinnaroo altogether. What does it matter though. Oh I don’t know, I don’t know!!

I have decided – I think . I will go to Pinnaroo! I will not play hockey! I will not play hockey!! I will not, I will not, I will not, not, not!!

I will tell miss Dunn that it cannot be helped but my father has said I must go to Pinnaroo and so I must go. I will pass the buck onto Dad.

Oh please let me keep that decision!! Don’t let me change my mind again. I have written a letter to Wurfels and will send it so then I have to go!!

19550829 Monday – Pedro‘s dashing about trying to get everyone to pay for their fares tomorrow but I’ve forgotten and so have about five others. I told Miss Dunn that I can’t play for Greenwood “A” ans she said it‘ll be all right so it is settled at last. I am so relieved.

This afternoon there was the Old Scholar’s football match so we skipped Economics and started to watch it. It seems that quite a few had the same idea because there were quite a number out there. Before the match, in my spare period, Colleen and I were playing tennis when John Bevan came in (evidently he was to play for the old scholars match) and started to talk to me. He made a few pointed remarks about himself and Aileen Osborne not getting on together anymore, so it seems he still wants to go with me, but no thanks, I don’t feel like it. He ‘s different now he has left school, he is not half as nice, he has adopted the “man of the world” atmosphere and smokes like a steam engine.

19550831 Wednesday – We had the Old Scholar’s hockey match today and it was a good game and ended up in a draw. One of the Greenwood “A” players was in the Old Scholar’s side and she played well. She told me afterward that Greenwood were talking about having me to play in the finals for Greenwood “A.” That would be great.

Tonight was the school social!
What a night. I danced every dance and the toes of my new shoes were all scuffed. The first dance was a Snowball and I forgot who I had for it to start off with. I had Mr Page for the Lady’s Choice, and it was a Military Two Step and did we have fun. Mr Boundy and Julie Martin were dancing just ahead of us and when he had to kick in the dance, Mr Page was kicking Mr Boundy in the pants. They are so mad.

Dennis Traeger took me for a quick step and he thoroughly enjoyed himself making me do spins. I had Tony Wright for one dance and just in the middle of it my broach fell off and it took ages trying to pin it on again because the catch had broken. Then Tony took me in to supper and we managed to get something to eat, but by this time I wasn’t feeling very well. We had musical arms later which I won and I received a big bar of chocolate which silly Fay left behind afterward. By the last dance I get really ill and Kevin Foreman looked as though he was going to ask to take me home so I made a hurried exit because I felt so sick and didn’t want to go home with a boy. I started to walk up the street with Gunta and Bev Rivers but then I saw Al Kalnins ahead and had visions of that fast worker trying to take me home and my head was so foggy that I just didn’t know what to do.

Once again, that life saver Roger Griggs came to my rescue. He could see Al ahead so he came along and walked beside me. Al gave him a glare but there was nothing he could do. By the time we got to the tram stop I felt really ill and Roger saw I was in no fit state to go home on the tram so he got a taxi for me and put me into it and was it a relief to sit down. He had his bike with him and couldn’t come with me and I was glad because I didn’t feel like company.

When I got home Mum gave me five aspros which put me to sleep pretty quickly, thank goodness. Next time I’ll know not go go to a school social unless I’m feEling really well to start with.

19550901 Thursday – The second school term over at long last! I arrived at school just before the bugle went and then Colleen and I went up to the chemist to buy some film for my camera. When we arrived back at school, Ridiculous Destruction was practically over but we walked in and listened to some minister give a garbled account of why people make assumptions. What that has got to do with anything I really don’t know. We got our magazines after that and then started the long, long autograph collecting. As soon as Colleen and I got out of the door we were surrounded by autograph hunters and our pens began to work over time. I managed to get time off to take a photo of IV G but after that there was nothing but more autographs.

When at last the bugle went we all went over to the Vogue and got into our seats for the presentation of certificates. Somehow or other my magazine got passed along the boys lines and what was left of the room on the back page was well and truly filled up. Tony Wright ended up with it and he kept it for me until after the assembly. We all received our certificates and Professor Olliphant gave us an address. It was a pretty good one too.

When we arrived back at school, the autographs started again. Colleen Robjohns, Gunta Vitolins and I tried to get up to the shop to buy our lunch but we couldn’t make it because every time we’d try to make a dash for it, either one or the other of us was again besieged by autograph hunters. Colleen and Gunta both managed to get free together but I was surrounded by about ten boys and I couldn’t get free. Colleen and Gunta waited for a while, but then the crowd grew instead of diminishing so they left me to it. When eventually I got free they were coming back from the shop and when we met about three of the boys rolled up in Graham Salkeld’s car so they took us for a ride. Some crook old car, and a crook old speed. When we got back, the bugle had just gone so we went inside to get our report books. Jackie gave us a lecture on how we would have to work next term etc. We know that already. We don’t need Jackie to tell us that.

After school I took a few photos and at long last it was time to go home

What a day!

Forgot to say, one of the boys who got my autograph at least twenty times wanted to take me out in the holidays. Told him I was going away.

19550902 Friday – There’s nothing worse than having to wait for something when you are expecting it to happen at any minute. We didn’t get a phone call or anything from the Wurfels in the morning and I just moped around the place.

At about three o’clock when I had given them up for lost, Graham rang from the Blacksmith Shop and told me that Mr Wurfel was down there. I breathed a sigh of relief and made my way down to the Blacksmith shop. Mr Wurfel was there all right but so was another man who he introduced as his Brother Lin. For some reason which I couldn’t define at first I took an instant dislike to this brother whom I’m glad to say is nothing like Mr Wurfel in any way.

I took them up and gave them a cup of tea and from the moment they sat down, Lin started to talk! If it wasn’t wirelesses, etc. it was himself, a subject which seemed to be extremely popular with him. After they had drunk their tea, they said they had to leave to do a number of jobs etc. Mr Wurfel said that I could come but Lin soon jumped on that idea for number of reasons he devised on the spur of the moment. Mr Wurfel seemed rather disappointed but it seems that Lin’s word is law so they went off in their car with a promise of returning in an hour and a half.

Mum came home just as they had gone and was terribly disappointed that she had missed them because she had only been up the shop buying cake for their afternoon tea. In an hour and a half there was still no sign of Mr Don A Wurfel or Mr Lin Wurfel so Fay naturally began to walk up and down trying to be patient but not succeeding. Half an hour later still, the phone rang and Mr Wurfel told Mum that Lin had wanted to to see some relation, note, in the new Mercedes and they wouldn’t be back for another hour.

It was certainly a long hour and at half past eight, when I had almost worn a hole in the floor walking up and down, the Wurfel brothers arrived in the celebrated Mercedes Benz.I must remind you that the car belongs to Mr DA Wurfel not Mr L Wurfel, although you wouldn’t know it because Mr Lin Wurfel took it upon himself to show off the car and naturally after this long procedure he drove the car, not Don. If my dislike for Lin was only instinctive at first, it had grown considerably on the basis of hard facts by the time we arrived at Pinnaroo.

Of all the wind bags. He couldn’t let himself be quiet for a minute. He blew his bags and bragged about himself all the way. He told us all about the car and his tremendous knowledge on every subject all the way to Pinnaroo. Oh that man! Lin and Graham argued about photography because Lin was an “expert” at that too. He didn’t know much about music either, but that didn’t daunt him, he just keep on talking. He’s a city slicker and a half, and he certainly has no consideration for others. Mr Wurfel had apologised to us for being late, “Because,” he said, “My time is not my own, Lin wanted to see some relatives etc.”

Thank goodness Lin’s only staying for the weekend. I couldn’t stomach much of him. When we eventually arrived at Pinnaroo, it was three o’clock and I was dead, absolutely dead. Trevor and Max came dashing out to see the new car and once again the showing off procedure took place, but I didn’t stay to hear it. I had a cup of tea and just fell into bed. What a day.

19550903 Saturday – I slept in this morning and when I eventually got up I went out with Graham while he attempted to shoot rabbits and he actually got one. It was beaut fun dashing around chasing the rabbits and I only wish or should I say hope that I will be allowed to use the gun as well. Practically all the morning I watched the boys buzzing round the new Mercedes, patting it lovingly and rubbing it till it shone. It amuses me how boys and men get so crazy over a car. I’d be nice company for them if they wanted to talk cars because I don’t know a thing about them so I’d be a good listener.

This afternoon we went (in the Mercedes of course) to Wilkawatt (I think to watch the football between Parilla and some other team. Parilla won easily and I didn’t watch it much. Graham and I sat in the Bennett’s little Renault and talked. I have found that we both agree on the subject of Lin, so we both kept out of his way. He’s not a bad chap really, but he gets on your nerves with all his gassing.

When we left the grounds after the match, everyone’s head turned and gazed longingly at the Mercedes. All I want though is a nice bike, and then I’ll be satisfied. I’m getting terribly cynical these days. When we arrived home I went out and sat down in the seat of an old abandoned piece of farm equipment in between two water tanks near one of the big sheds. It was just coming into dusk and in front of me was a big tree that I was longing to climb and beyond the tree and the paddocks there was a wide stretch of mallee scrub and everything was so peaceful. The sky was a pale, pale blue and at the horizon it was shot with pink and grey. I love this Australian kind of outback country. It feels home to me. Well it is home really, this is where my great grandparents and my parents were born. I wish I could paint this scene.

19550904 Sunday – After dinner this evening I went to Pinnaroo with Mr & Mrs Wurfel, Ken and Ian, and we sat about the third from the back in the Methodist Church. The minister spoke well, when he spoke, but their service is more ritual than speaking. I wish Nancy was here, it’s not the same without her and everyone here is not on their best behavior this time either. Mr Wurfel is snapping at everybody and he’s a rotten back seat driver. I have also noticed that all the boys, Ian especially treat their father with quite a bit of disrespect. They’re beaut people and all that, but I’m afraid they have a few faults which are a bit too much for me, the main one being that they are getting a bit too money conscious.

I think I liked them better before they got their car. I don’t know whether their boasting is the normal enthusiasm about something new, or just plain bragging. I hope it’s not bragging, but here I go again. I’m criticizing them when I shouldn’t, but I think Mum can breathe a sigh of relief that I’m not interested in any of the boys now, not even Ken. I like them a lot but not as much as she was afraid I did. I wonder what Nancy’s doing now? I wish she was here. The trip’s not the same without her.

19550905 Monday – Graham left this morning and I was going to give him a letter to take to Nancy but I didn’t finish it in time. At about a quarter to six, Graham came and woke me up and it was frigid, but believe it or not, I actually got up. Now, when at last I’m beginning to enjoy myself here, Mrs Wurfel tells me that the boys are going down to the show Tuesday or Wednesday and she would like to go too, so it seems that I have missed the opportunity of a fortnight’s holiday at “Glen Shera” On Uncle John’s station, just for five days at Pinnaroo. I would have loved to go to Glen Shera but I thought that there would be more fun at Pinnaroo.

Oh well, that’s what I chose, and if I don’t like it, it ‘s just too bad. My cousin Shirly Candy has gone to Mt Compass in my place now, and Auntie Rhonda finds that now Shirley is older she would prefer to have her to stay than me which is a bit sad. Shirley stays in the house and talks to her, whereas I go off on my own and stay out practically all day every day. In other words, Shirley likes company and I prefer to be alone. Uncle John would rather have me to stay though, because I‘m company for him and he ‘s beaut fun. Last time we went riding quite often and it was great. O why was I so mad choosing Wurfels over Glen Shera.

By the way, this was written about a hundred yards up from Border Glen where Slaters live. I went on a fairly long walk today. It was beaut fun and I enjoyed being on my own for a change, though I would not have minded being with Ken. I have written this in shorthand because the boys might read it otherwise. I wish I’d had a horse though, it would have been much more fun. Ken, Keith and a shearer have been shearing all day. You know, I think Ken does like me because he kept on acting the fool with me. At one time he grabbed my shorts and pushed me against the wall, but I still can’t work out whether I like Ken or Ian. I wish he was more willing to help his mother a bit more, but then few boys do. Yes, I do love Ken!! I don’t know who I pity more, the sheep or the shearer. They‘re welcome to the job anyway.

I was feeling pretty tired this evening so I had a bath and got into some clean clothes and I noticed that Ken and Trevor both went to bed earlier because when I went to have my bath they thought I was going to bed. I wish they had waited a while longer. I do wish I were staying longer too, because there are lots of places I haven’t been to yet. Oh well. I guess they’ll keep. Lin said that he will introduce me to someone at 5KA to give me an interview. Wonder if he will or whether it‘s another boast.

19550906 Tuesday – It seemed that Mr Wurfel and Keith would be leaving for Adelaide this evening, but now the truck has gone bung and they can’t get it finished properly until tomorrow. To start with this morning, everyone has been dashing around the place trying to get ready at least. Mrs Wurfel has been trying to get them ready but no one else has. For a fair while we polished harness and all other things connected with decking up a horse. I certainly sympathise with Mrs Wurfel, but I really think that her main fault is she takes things too seriously. If she worried less and didn’t fuss so much, the boys would still get themselves off somehow. From my observations I’ve found that the motto I learned at Sunday School is pretty accurate.

“If you trust you do not worry,

“If you worry you do not trust.”

I’ve also decided that I will never marry young because a young girl is not experienced enough to handle a family. Anyway, I’m not going to get married until Nancy and I have gone on our trip to England in six years’ time. I think that Trevor needs a darn good thrashing!!! He is a spoiled little brat. This afternoon Mr Wurfel, Keith, Trevor and I went into Pinnaroo so that they could try to get the truck fixed up for tomorrow. Trevor and I get on pretty well on our own. It seems that he is alright when there is no one to show off to. Ken is all right except that he doesn’t help his mother at all. But I do like him. I wish that I could get a decent photo of him. There is not much hope of that worst luck.

He is sitting next to me now. He has an old greasy pair of trousers on, old jumper and shorts. But he still looks good! He has beautiful light brown eyes, jet black hair. He is simply wonderful. At about six o ‘clock I think it was, Ken and Mr Bennett came in the little Renault and we went up to the Bennett’s place for a while. Ken sat next to me. When eventually we left for home again, Ken once again sat next to me. Every now and then our eyes would meet. I love him, I love him. They won’t be leaving tonight because the truck is not ready so it seems that they’ll be leaving tomorrow.

Keith is sitting next to me right now. I wonder what he is thinking? I wonder who I will finally marry, I wonder. But that’s a long time from now. My list for the boy I marry has not been lived up to. Not even by Ken. He almost matches up to it though. He has a few bad faults, but you can’t have everything. I wonder how I will feel about him when we get back to Adelaide? Will I or will I not go to the show? If I take Colleen she is sure to take Ken from me. Not that I have even got him anyway. She’s got enough admirers already darn her. Every boy that likes me seems to like her a bit better. I love Ken, Ken Wurfel.

19550907 Wednesday – I got up quite a bit later this morning and arrived at the breakfast table about 8 o ‘clock. Ken and Trevor were having their breakfast then but none of the others were up. After breakfast everyone was in a flat spin trying to get Keith and Don off in the truck. Luggage was packed, the horse seen to. Every time I’d see Ken, for some reason or other he’d either pretend to punch me, or catch his bottom lip between his teeth and raise his eyebrows at me? Trevor was getting on my nerves a bit, so when there was nothing much for me to do, I went to the hay stack and lay down with a sheaf of hay under my head. It was lovely, I just lay there and dreamed and I could have stayed there all day quite happily. I had to get up very soon however to have dinner and help with the dishes but as soon as I could I went back to the haystack and stayed there for about an hour. All the time I was there, I had a desire to cry and if I hadn’t known that my eyes would be all red if I did, I would have cried.

When they were packing the horse on to the truck, I sat next to Max as he cut grass for the horse. I wish I wasn’t going back because I feel really miserable now. It’s funny that little things count so much when you know that it may be the last time you will ever experience them. Such things as watching the boys shearing. Ken throwing a fleece, pulling off the useless wool and throwing it at me, the way he caught hold of my shoulder when he was passing me, the way George lay his head in my arms and licked my hand when he was on the truck, the way Ken looked at me. All small things but they mean such a lot.

When we were seeing the truck off I felt really strange, because I knew that soon I would be going too. Ken, Trevor and I went off in the trap after that to check the sheep in one of the paddocks across the road. Trevor drove the thing and I sat in the middle. It was beaut fun driving in the trap but just as we were on our way back, it started to rain so we stopped and went into a shed on the property where they kept some machinery. Ken showed me how the binder worked and they’re clever pieces of machinery. We started off again and this time the horse began to play up and by the time we got home he was pretty touchy, so Trevor started careering around the place trying to cure him of it.

When eventually it was time to leave I was in a way glad that we were getting a start because we had to go sooner or later. Lin drove the car into Pinnaroo but from there on Ken drove. Ian sat on one side of me in the back and Mrs Wurfel sat on the other. I was feeling tired and rather unhappy all the way to Murray Bridge so I didn’t talk much. At Murray Bridge we got out and went into the cafeteria again and had a sandwich each and a cup of tea. Ken sat next to me this time and it was rather fun. I had begun to perk up a bit. From Murray Bridge on, I no longer felt tired and we talked practically all the way. Lin drove from Murray Bridge to Adelaide and he almost crashed us once. He was doing fifty through the hills and began to pass a semi trailer. He hadn’t been concentrating enough on the road and suddenly another car appeared coming towards us on our right and a head on collision was only prevented by the Mercedes good brakes and the other driver’s quick reaction.

When we arrived at our place, Ian carried my luggage around the back but we found that Mum was still up so the others came in for supper. We talked for ages and when eventually we got to bed it was midnight. Ian is going to stay at our place but Ken’s staying at the show.

19550908 Thursday – This morning we had breakfast in bed and slept in and did I need it. I’m tired out and once again I’m beginning to realise that my short visit to the Wurfel’s is over. I do wish Nancy were here at least, because she is real, and nothing else seems real to me. After dinner, Ian and I went into town to see “Doctor in the House.” I tried to give Ian the money to pay for me before we went into town but he wouldn’t take it, darn him. Why is it that boys always take it as a slight to their self-respect if a girl offers them money to pay for anything. It’s stupid, it only causes embarrassment and it’s not as if I was “going with him” or anything. Anyway, the picture was pretty good and we both enjoyed it and when we came out we both had a drink (which he paid for) and then we started straight home. We caught a bus and we both got a seat but then a lady with quite a number of bags and things came in and Ian didn’t stand up for her which made me furious but I didn’t say anything to him. I hate the way some men can be so disrespectful of women.

19550909 Friday – This morning I wanted to go to the show and I just couldn’t wake up my mind though because I didn’t want a repeat performance of yesterday. I just couldn’t decide what to do so I rang up Colleen Robjohns and as she wasn’t home, I rang up Pauline Viney and asked her if I could come to her place in the afternoon, but then I went out to the Blacksmith Shop and asked Ian what he was doing. We talked for a bit and then it ended up that I would be going to the show after all. Mum promised to ring up Pauline and tell her that I wouldn’t be coming round, so Ian and I got into the car with Graham and he took us, first to Hill’s Hoists where he had to take some gear and then to the show. We met Marion Simpson there and we talked to her for a while but then we went straight to the stables to dump our gear.

The first thing we saw when we arrived at the Heavy Horse pavilion was Mr Wurfel leading his horse with the proudest look on his face, for around the horse’s neck was the ribbon of the Grand Champion. Photographers were crowding around taking photos galore and honestly, Mr Wurfel was so pleased. He looked like the cat that had eaten the cream.

Ian and I went and dumped our gear and when we came back a crowd of agricultural students were surrounding the horse and a man was there giving a lecture on the points of a good horse and using “Balville Renown” as the Wurfel’s horse is named, as the subject of his talk. We were standing a fair way away but Mr Wurfel beckoned us over and soon we were listening raptly to the talk.

For the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon I walked around with Ian and we saw practically everything. Mrs Wurfel came later in the afternoon and she came and sat with us while we watched the sheaf tossing. Ian didn’t seem to want her with us because he tried to get me away from her as soon as he could. We went off together until dinner time and then we came back to the locker where we all managed to fit in to have dinner.

After dinner I was getting a bit sick of being with Ian all the time but there was nothing I could do about it so Mrs Wurfel, Ian and I went into the grandstand to watch the horses in action but half way through as I was feeling terribly bored, I decided to ring Nancy up to pass the time away. I went to the phone booth and tried to ring her but she wasn’t home ans so I just left a message for her. Just as I was walking back to the grandstand, Ken appeared from out of nowhere so it seemed and asked me if I was lost. Then he said that Jacky (a lad from Minyip) and he were having a drink and would I like to join them. Of course I liked, and although I told them I was expected back in about ten minutes it was more like forty by the time I did get back.

It was beaut fun, we walked through the cow pavilion and I listened to their mad remarks about the cows and then we walked onto the mound to watch the ring events. After about a half an hour had passed I told them that I would have to get back because Ian and Mrs Wurfel would be wondering where I had got to. We started to walk back but not very fast and by the time we arrived back near the stand another quarter of an hour had passed.

 

I didn’t want to go back into the stand to spend the rest of the evening there, so I told them that I would go in and sit down with Mrs Wurfel and Ian and they could come up later and pass us and ask me to go somewhere with them. This being arranged we began to set the plan working. I went in and sat down and a minute or so later they came in too and sat down with us. The rest of the plan didn’t work though because Ian decided it was time to go home. There was nothing much I could do about it though so I started to walk back to the locker with Ian. He was walking as fast as anything so I told him to wait for Mrs Wurfel so we stopped and waited but when we got back to the pavilion he still seemed inclined to hurry me away from the others, so I went with him and all the way home I was feeling unhappy as I could possibly be because I was positive that Ken liked me and I wanted to be with him and not with Ian. Ken’s about the nicest boy I’ve met. I’m longing for tomorrow to come.