CHAPTER 14

BITTER SWEET

This period proved, a dark cloud and put us all to the test. as well as one brother in hospital, Alice also soon joined him, I really was affected then. Without Alice I was lost. Then Fred was once again ill, with his worst attack of pleurisy. Dangerous was the word used at that time, this shocked me more than ever before at that time I was trying to learn a piece of music on the piano called “over the waves”. Up to this day I have only to hear that melody, and that feeling of deep misery descends on me that I suffered then. No Alice! No Fred! Just John and myself going off to school alone. Grace had left school, and was Mother’s home help which included visiting Alice and Bob in hospital, like me, her older sister had gone away as mine had done but perhaps she didn’t miss her as much as I did my Alice, and like me, her next to oldest brother was ill in hospital, which was worse than brother Fred being ill at home. But then nothing was normal for any of us. I felt it never would be anymore but the cloud rolled by, and with it relief to me. I was changed, I was no longer a child. My childhood was over. I could tell, and it had been a good childhood - one of the best. Thanks to a wonderful mother. Who had by her influence given us all a strong foundation, strong enough to accept life for what it is - bitter sweet. That cloud as black as it was, rolled by. Fred is still with us. So is Alice and Bob and Hylda, and Mother was with us until she was nearly 90.