Chapter 41

We had just finished and about to head in to watch TV when our parents made it home. First through the door was Hurricane Mary. She was so excited, they had been to the big city shopping, and she had some new clothes!

Mum and Dad followed her at a more sedate pace. Dad looked like he had been shopping. Tired that is. Mum was happy and full of energy. She looked like she had been shopping. Between her and Mary we had an instant fashion show.

Mary had a plaid jumper with a white blouse. Mum had what she called a little black dress. It reminded me of what I had seen Audrey Hepburn wear in movies. It was very simple and elegant. I even said so.

Dad whispered to me, “Sixteen dollars of elegant.”

That was a lot, a normal dress was six or seven dollars.

Mum said, “I heard that!”

“Worth every penny dear,” Dad came back with.

“Nice save Dad.”

“Jack, show him the Bulova watch you just paid ten dollars for,” Mum said sweetly.

Dad opened the box showing me his new wristwatch, and I said the right things then headed for my room. There is a time to retreat from the battlefield and this was it.

When I came out for dinner, Dad had just woke from a nap, and it seems peace had been declared. At least Mum and Dad were cheerful with each other. We had spaghetti for dinner. Mum had frozen some sauce she had made last year with tomatoes from our garden.

At dinner, I asked if we were going to have a garden this year. If we were, where would it be?

Dad said well that raises some issues. Mum and I have been talking. We think we should go to England this year.

We finally can afford it and your English grandparents have not seen you since you were a baby, and they have never seen the others. They are in their seventies and not the best of health.

“How would we get there?” I asked.

“Well, we would be flying,” replied Mum. The way she said it I wasn’t certain that I was included.

So I asked, “Am I part of this?”

“Well no, we thought you should take a ship,” said Dad.

“Why can’t I travel with you?”

This was confusing. What was going on?

Dad replied, “You had such an adventure last summer we thought you might like to have another one this year.”

“I am missing something, what are you thinking off.”

Mum broke in, “We thought you might like to work your passage on a tramp freighter. Your cousin John has worked for the last year as an apprentice engineer on a passenger ship for the British India Line.”

“He is on the SS Uganda sailing from Liverpool to East Africa. There is no reason you couldn’t work most of the summer on a freighter with a final destination of Liverpool or London.”

“Let me get this straight. You are flying to England this summer to visit family and I am welcome to join you if I work my way?”

“You got it,” said Dad with a big smile.

“Wow this is out of the blue, it sounds exciting. How do I get a job on a ship?”