Called in to the Berri club
On a glorious Thursday night
Spoke to 2 lovely old gentlemen
Friends of my father; mates at the club
They always enjoyed plying pool together
Almost every Thursday night...
Peter had given dad one of his pool cues
He had a good spare
He watched dad playing with the old ones
He saw that dad was a good player
Felt it a shame that he didn't have a good pool cue
He remembered dad's face as he presented
Him with that special pool cue...
Ross came over to have a chat with me
Asked about my darling dad
How was he doing? Was he getting any better?
Was he going to come home?
We chatted about simple things
As I told them how dad was
Said I didn't think he would go home
As he wasn't interested in going there
He was ready to go to meet his maker
To go back to his first and only love...
Talks with my father's friends
6th September 2018
Saturday 27 October 2018
My father the hero
We were watching "Bondi Rescue"
Dad remembered from long ago
(He was always a good swimmer; self taught...)
When he had saved two young people
As they struggled to stay alive
Two boys had jumped into the old quarry
It was full of water from the summer rains
They floundered around for a few minutes
Until suddenly panic arrived; things changed
They kept on slipping under
Into that water's depths; God help them
They were drowning; dad leapt to their defence
He grabbed one as he was sinking
Quickly towed him to the edge
Then hurried back to save the other
Just as he was taking his last breath
Him too he dragged to safety
Barely breathing hard; never out of his depth!
Many long years later
A man asked my grandpa (dad's father)
He asked him where he was
And could he please
Pass on his thanks to him
For saving his life in that quarry water
When he was just a little kid
His name was Antal
(Couldn't remember his last name)
But that event he did remember
It was burnt there into his brain...
Now that other boy he saved
The rich man's son...
Never once said "Thank you"
Kovacs Imre never sought to remember
He just went on with his life
Carried along by his own pride
Felt like he had been "shown up"
Feeling angry that he couldn't swim...
Mum was a hero too
She saved Bradley Tschirpig
At the riverside at Moorook
He was just a little chubby boy
Pretending to drown...
Mum jumped in to save him
Even though she'd never learnt to swim
Thank God the bank was shallow
For those few close metres
And then went deeply from there on
Because she was very angry; afterwards
Knowing full well she could have drowned
Because of a little boy's prank...
Talks with my father
6th September 2018
Dad remembered from long ago
(He was always a good swimmer; self taught...)
When he had saved two young people
As they struggled to stay alive
Two boys had jumped into the old quarry
It was full of water from the summer rains
They floundered around for a few minutes
Until suddenly panic arrived; things changed
They kept on slipping under
Into that water's depths; God help them
They were drowning; dad leapt to their defence
He grabbed one as he was sinking
Quickly towed him to the edge
Then hurried back to save the other
Just as he was taking his last breath
Him too he dragged to safety
Barely breathing hard; never out of his depth!
Many long years later
A man asked my grandpa (dad's father)
He asked him where he was
And could he please
Pass on his thanks to him
For saving his life in that quarry water
When he was just a little kid
His name was Antal
(Couldn't remember his last name)
But that event he did remember
It was burnt there into his brain...
Now that other boy he saved
The rich man's son...
Never once said "Thank you"
Kovacs Imre never sought to remember
He just went on with his life
Carried along by his own pride
Felt like he had been "shown up"
Feeling angry that he couldn't swim...
Mum was a hero too
She saved Bradley Tschirpig
At the riverside at Moorook
He was just a little chubby boy
Pretending to drown...
Mum jumped in to save him
Even though she'd never learnt to swim
Thank God the bank was shallow
For those few close metres
And then went deeply from there on
Because she was very angry; afterwards
Knowing full well she could have drowned
Because of a little boy's prank...
Talks with my father
6th September 2018
My grandparents from Hungary
My mother's father was a carpenter
After his training, a carter at first
At cart wright; technically (I guess)
Making people's carts...
My father's father was a farmer
With 10 living children..
He was a Russian POW in WW1
Not in a camp; but as a worker for a farmer
He had to work there for 4 years
Then he was finally allowed to walk home
He lost parts of the sole of his feet to frostbite...
Dad and his older brother Imre Jnr
Slept in the barn loft above the animals
It was lovely and warm in there
The younger children slept behind
The kememce (bread oven)
Whilst the girls slept in another room
Sharing large beds; 3 to a bed
There were 4 boys and 6 girls
Imre, Dad, Antal and Pali
Rozsi, Zsuzsa, Iluzs, Margit, Nusi and the youngest
Talks with my father
18th August 2018
After his training, a carter at first
At cart wright; technically (I guess)
Making people's carts...
My father's father was a farmer
With 10 living children..
He was a Russian POW in WW1
Not in a camp; but as a worker for a farmer
He had to work there for 4 years
Then he was finally allowed to walk home
He lost parts of the sole of his feet to frostbite...
Dad and his older brother Imre Jnr
Slept in the barn loft above the animals
It was lovely and warm in there
The younger children slept behind
The kememce (bread oven)
Whilst the girls slept in another room
Sharing large beds; 3 to a bed
There were 4 boys and 6 girls
Imre, Dad, Antal and Pali
Rozsi, Zsuzsa, Iluzs, Margit, Nusi and the youngest
Talks with my father
18th August 2018
The cold winds blew in Saint Peter
The cold winds blew in St Peter
Minus ten degrees; deep snow
He trudged on and on (my then young father)
As the wind blew from the side
His ears were turning blue; freezing
But the urgency of his errand
Could not be denied...
He had to keep on going
Had to get his dad's medicine
Had to make it back in time...
His elder brother called out to him
Said quite urgently as he arrived
"No! You cannot come inside!"
He grabbed that icy snow
Two huge handfuls
Rubbed them over his tingling ears
To bring back that circulation
Before he would allow him
Into that glowing warmth inside...
Dad's older brother saved him from losing his ears
They would have melted and slipped from his head
Talks with my father
18th August 2018
Minus ten degrees; deep snow
He trudged on and on (my then young father)
As the wind blew from the side
His ears were turning blue; freezing
But the urgency of his errand
Could not be denied...
He had to keep on going
Had to get his dad's medicine
Had to make it back in time...
His elder brother called out to him
Said quite urgently as he arrived
"No! You cannot come inside!"
He grabbed that icy snow
Two huge handfuls
Rubbed them over his tingling ears
To bring back that circulation
Before he would allow him
Into that glowing warmth inside...
Dad's older brother saved him from losing his ears
They would have melted and slipped from his head
Talks with my father
18th August 2018
Apprentice storekeeper factory worker
When my dad was 15 years of age
He was an apprentice storekeeper
Learning the trade...
In summer it was a 2-3 hour bicycle ride
To get to work in a little town
Called Hegyeshalom; near the Austrian border
Then another 2-3 hour ride home...
In winter he had to stay there and earned nothing...
Because he had to pay his room and board
He earned a quarter of standard wages
Then half wages as he progressed
Not worth it!
He left that and got a job in the local factory!
In Mosonmagyarovar; Hungary
At 15-16 he did so well
Did a month's work in a day...
His boss was Kovacs Lajos
He was put on a machine
Making copper/brass fittings
(Don't ask me what machine!)
He had to place his foot upon a pedal
And press it down whilst pushing a long
Piece of brass/copper into the machine
To make single fittings...
He worked out that if he kept his foot
Upon the pedal and continued to push
The metal through; he could simply keep
Producing them over and over
Without stopping...
So that's what he did...
The boss came around to check his progress
Kovacs Lajos was amazed and praised him!
He kept on producing heaps of these fittings!
At Christmas time; Kovacs Lajos
Gave him half a day off and said
He would clock off for him at 5:30 pm!
Later on dad was involved in making
Brass casings for cannon shells
In a munitions factory: (Corvus Corp)
Which were sent off to be filled elsewhere
Talks with my father
18th August 2018
He was an apprentice storekeeper
Learning the trade...
In summer it was a 2-3 hour bicycle ride
To get to work in a little town
Called Hegyeshalom; near the Austrian border
Then another 2-3 hour ride home...
In winter he had to stay there and earned nothing...
Because he had to pay his room and board
He earned a quarter of standard wages
Then half wages as he progressed
Not worth it!
He left that and got a job in the local factory!
In Mosonmagyarovar; Hungary
At 15-16 he did so well
Did a month's work in a day...
His boss was Kovacs Lajos
He was put on a machine
Making copper/brass fittings
(Don't ask me what machine!)
He had to place his foot upon a pedal
And press it down whilst pushing a long
Piece of brass/copper into the machine
To make single fittings...
He worked out that if he kept his foot
Upon the pedal and continued to push
The metal through; he could simply keep
Producing them over and over
Without stopping...
So that's what he did...
The boss came around to check his progress
Kovacs Lajos was amazed and praised him!
He kept on producing heaps of these fittings!
At Christmas time; Kovacs Lajos
Gave him half a day off and said
He would clock off for him at 5:30 pm!
Later on dad was involved in making
Brass casings for cannon shells
In a munitions factory: (Corvus Corp)
Which were sent off to be filled elsewhere
Talks with my father
18th August 2018
Bogar the Pulli sheepdog
Bogar was dad's family dog
He was a black Pulli; sheepdog
Way back; many years ago in Hungary
The kids were often warned
By their dad: Imre Szabo
"Behave; or I'll set Bogar on you!"
Sometimes the sheep would go far away
Up into the hills; eating the tall grass
Bogar was sent up into the hills to get them
Alone...
Two hours later
He would be back with all the sheep...
Talks with my father
6th September 2018
Bogar translates to "Bug"
He was a black Pulli; sheepdog
Way back; many years ago in Hungary
The kids were often warned
By their dad: Imre Szabo
"Behave; or I'll set Bogar on you!"
Sometimes the sheep would go far away
Up into the hills; eating the tall grass
Bogar was sent up into the hills to get them
Alone...
Two hours later
He would be back with all the sheep...
Talks with my father
6th September 2018
Bogar translates to "Bug"
Grumpy old man
Your heart has atrophied
Has seldom been in use
Your tongue; with angry words
Spits out your continual abuse
19th October 2108
Has seldom been in use
Your tongue; with angry words
Spits out your continual abuse
19th October 2108
Dulcie's sausage rolls
Dulcie was the sweetest old lady
The nicest
neighbour to be had
Over 93 years
of age; she was
She lived
alone; it wasn't so bad
While she was
still sprightly
She certainly
got around about
Her dear old
head sparkled whitely
If she ever
needed a little help
She would ask
so politely and
This she would
so kindly repay
With cooking;
she would always repay
For her
neighbours; day by day
Her sausage
rolls were nutritious
Tasted
scrumptious; so delicious
Lip smacking;
they were eaten whole
What more could
I sincerely say?
Her Anzac
biscuits too; were scrumptious
Delivered by
her dear old hands
Haven't eaten
any so lovingly made!
Now my darling
dad passed in October
Saturday the
6th was this sad day
At the end of
the following week; we gathered
To farewell him
along his way...
At the wake
were several dishes
Spring rolls;
chicken; dim sum; satay!
Pies and
pasties too were delivered
But it was the
sausage rolls
That drew me
that day...
Shelley looked
at me; commented
"What?
Mum, you're eating a sausage roll!"
I said
"Yes! What of it darling?
It is for
Dulcie I eat it today!"
That was on
Friday the 12th of October
In this year of
2018; in Berri SA
A few weeks
later I was driving
Past Dulcie's
old Goolwa unit;
Her erstwhile
stomping ground
A "For
Sale" sign; there I noticed
Yes her old
unit was there on display
Again time
passed quite slowly
Thursday the
24th of October came around
Met up with
another old neighbour
Lynne R and her
pet Marley of local fame
She told me of
poor Dulcie's misfortunes
Of her fall;
hospitalisation in Millicent
Her hip
operation, her decline and
Ah sadly; dear
old Dulcie had passed away
On Friday the
12th of October 2018
Way down south;
Mount Gambier way
God bless you
dear old Dulcie...
Back then; a
few weeks ago...
I somehow knew;
you had gone your way!
Rest in Peace
Dulcie Hunt
1924- 12th
October 2018
Aged 94 years
Friday 26 October 2018
Gutted 31 July 2018
I'm gutted; distressed
All my thoughts; a mess
Can't believe it could be true
Those words; hurled by you...
I thought you loved me
I thought you were fair
I thought you were supposed
To divide equally; to share
To be equal in your love
Oh dear God; heaven's above
How do I cope?
With these revelations
So much for brotherly love...
31st July 2018
All my thoughts; a mess
Can't believe it could be true
Those words; hurled by you...
I thought you loved me
I thought you were fair
I thought you were supposed
To divide equally; to share
To be equal in your love
Oh dear God; heaven's above
How do I cope?
With these revelations
So much for brotherly love...
31st July 2018
Saturday 6 October 2018
Made in China
A belt made in China
Bonded Leather it claims
Looks pretty good
Until it rains...
He's had it over 10 years
Worn it once or twice
Bent over to pick something up
It fell to pieces in a trice
I recall what happened to mum
In Italy in December 1956
As they were leaving Hungary
She fell for those Itie's tricks
She bought a pair of kids shoes
Leather soles they seemed to be
Until my brother got them wet
Disintegrated; there upon his little feet
Bonded Leather it claims
Looks pretty good
Until it rains...
He's had it over 10 years
Worn it once or twice
Bent over to pick something up
It fell to pieces in a trice
I recall what happened to mum
In Italy in December 1956
As they were leaving Hungary
She fell for those Itie's tricks
She bought a pair of kids shoes
Leather soles they seemed to be
Until my brother got them wet
Disintegrated; there upon his little feet
I need to make it to the river
I need to make it to the river
I need to make it out of town
I need to escape these feelings
To find some peace else I'll drown
The sky too, is grey, my darling
My tears are slowly falling down
And as I wander by these waters
Deep inside I cannot frown
My dad has gone as he had come
Done his time; gone his way; shown
His need to leave this earth behind
Goodbye my darling; my sweetheart
I will remember all those times
When we shared good times together
Today the sky may be overcast
On this sad October spring day
When; peacefully he breathed his last
RIP Sandor Szabo
12:12 pm
4/1/1935-6/10/2018
I need to make it out of town
I need to escape these feelings
To find some peace else I'll drown
The sky too, is grey, my darling
My tears are slowly falling down
And as I wander by these waters
Deep inside I cannot frown
My dad has gone as he had come
Done his time; gone his way; shown
His need to leave this earth behind
Goodbye my darling; my sweetheart
I will remember all those times
When we shared good times together
Today the sky may be overcast
On this sad October spring day
When; peacefully he breathed his last
RIP Sandor Szabo
12:12 pm
4/1/1935-6/10/2018
Friday 5 October 2018
Little treasures from dad
Found some old papers
Folded neatly into fours
An old paper clip secured
Touched by hands; yours
Folded neatly into fours
An old paper clip secured
Touched by hands; yours
You'd built a little bungalow
Many long long years ago
Now I know that address
I always wanted to know
Lot 232 Bayview Road
Down in North Geelong
You sold it for £600
It went for a song...
You'd bought 2 massive boxes
From the old Ford Motor Co
Filled with packing crates
"Temporary bungalow" it states
"On property; 2 rooms"
These were our home
You proudly told me
Built by you alone...
In memories I stand
At the top of the hill
Overlooking Corio Bay
These linger still
One day I'd like to again see
This piece of land; so free
Empty of other homes; back then
Just once; dear dad; amen
My sleeping beauty
Just visited my sleeping beauty
The lovely ladies told on you
Said you'd had your breakfast
Then that was it for you...
You just wanted to sleep...
Quietly I called your name
I thought your dreams were ascending
I didn't have the heart to wake you
But now I know you were pretending
You didn't want them to bother you
7th September 2018
The lovely ladies told on you
Said you'd had your breakfast
Then that was it for you...
You just wanted to sleep...
Quietly I called your name
I thought your dreams were ascending
I didn't have the heart to wake you
But now I know you were pretending
You didn't want them to bother you
7th September 2018
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)