Still impertinent and protesting in disagreement to school attendance he
eventually made friends with others willing and able to tolerate his persistent
squawks. The only pleasurable days he gained from school were those in which a
mate and he would ‘wag’. It was easy to do because they were sent walking to
the bus stop in the mornings without parental company and when the school bus
arrived home at the end of the day they were entrusted to walk home alone. Work
commitments meant everybody went to work early and got home late, this left a
big gap in the middle for them to do as they please because there was no-one to
report to. Their plan to skip school was simple, they would walk to the stop in
the morning and fail to board the bus then spend all day at home; it worked
many times. They were two truants who managed to get into more trouble than
‘Speed Gordon’. Other times when they did attend school, they would ‘hitch’ a
ride home after lunch, hide in the communal toilets and puff away on their
‘Capstain’ rollies which his friend would steal from his father’s stash.
But life always pledges a diverse synopsis ensuring not all goes
according to plan. They were caught unexpectedly by Don’s sisters’ new
boyfriend, Bing, the Sharp’s son. He was of medium height, a wiry kid with the
features and hairstyle of a rebellious Elvis Presley; his ‘kiss-curl’ more
pronounced than Elvis’s. He was cocky, mischievous and always evading trouble.
When he came early in the day to visit Zoe he noticed clouds of smoke billowing
from the toilet block and unfortunately for Don and his friend he deemed it
necessary to investigate. On his unpleasant and lecturing arrival, while
shouting a cacophony of slang incomprehensible to such young ears they both
burst into tears. After he reprimanded them they promised never to ‘wag’ school
or smoke again and begged him not tell their parents. Being caught was bad
enough but telling their parents they were smoking and ‘wagging’ school would
have been disastrous. As luck had it they were sure he did not squeal. He
probably didn’t want to make trouble and ruin his chances of furthering his
dating developments with Zoe. This escape from punishment and reprisal may have
been the catalyst of future daring escapades because, in youth we all think we
are bullet-proof, and without forms of retribution to teach right from wrong, a
reprieve from disciplinary action does not teach the lesson of repentance, it
only serves as a worthy reminder not to get caught next time. Hence a valuable
lesson was learnt; do not get caught.
Good friendships flourished on the ‘Hostel’; it was inevitable. The
conditions relating to the interaction of neighbours made to live in such close
proximity demanded concerted efforts of diplomacy to preserve peace and
tranquillity. There were disputes caused by varying attitudes and opinions but
all-in-all the majority were amiable and none more than the family living under
the same roof in the adjoining unit to the Scotsdon’s. They were not related to
Don, but he referred to them as uncle Ben and aunt Peg. They had three
children, two boys and a girl, each similar to the Scotsdon children in the
mirroring of their ages. Uncle Ben, through someone’s misfortune, gained a green
‘Morris panel van’. The people who owned it had a death in the family and
needed money for funeral expenses. He was in the right place at the right time
and picked it up for the whimsical amount of 10 pound. Naturally it needed
major mending and a lot of attention. Uncle Ben attracted Ted’s services with a
commission amounting to the sum cost of mateship.
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