I visited Sandy ( our neighbour for twenty one years and now in a place for old people) today. She seems to have forgotten her age but knows that she is ninety plus. She remembers much older stuff well and regaled me with stories from the two world wars. The first was when her father went as a soldier to England during the First World War, went to a bank where he had connections and met her mother who was working in the bank. When they came back to Australia men and women were placed in different floors of the ship and could meet only on the deck. Apparently journeys were long and the ship owners did not want too many pregnant women on the ship.
And during the Second World War, her sister's boy friend was shipped off to Middle East. One of his friends offered to take her older sister to pictures. Those days, the tradition was the boy would buy chocolates which they would eat during intermission. Once, they did not come back by midnight, her mother was worried and they phoned the police. The policeman burst out laughing when he heard that a friend of the boy friend took her out and would not take the case seriously. First she thought they went out in his car and that is why the policeman expected them to come back late. But then, she said they came back in a taxi. I asked whether the car broke down and then she was not sure what happened.
And more stories of her cigar smoking and her mother asking not to tell about her smoking to her aunt when she visited England after the Second World War. But Sandy ended up sharing cigars with her uncle who was a representative for some tobacco firm in Holland. Except that Sandy did not really know how to smoke cigars, she only pretended to smoke and did not inhale.
And during the Second World War, her sister's boy friend was shipped off to Middle East. One of his friends offered to take her older sister to pictures. Those days, the tradition was the boy would buy chocolates which they would eat during intermission. Once, they did not come back by midnight, her mother was worried and they phoned the police. The policeman burst out laughing when he heard that a friend of the boy friend took her out and would not take the case seriously. First she thought they went out in his car and that is why the policeman expected them to come back late. But then, she said they came back in a taxi. I asked whether the car broke down and then she was not sure what happened.
And more stories of her cigar smoking and her mother asking not to tell about her smoking to her aunt when she visited England after the Second World War. But Sandy ended up sharing cigars with her uncle who was a representative for some tobacco firm in Holland. Except that Sandy did not really know how to smoke cigars, she only pretended to smoke and did not inhale.
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