ON THE MOVE AGAIN
Written by Ronald MizonPublished on January 2018
The Wallace’s house lay not many yards from the railway track and when I first went to live there with them I could hear the trains roaring by at all hours when I was in bed, but, to my surprise, I did eventually get used to hearing them. I mentioned this to Mr. Barton the stationmaster and he laughed and told me that with a little applied knowledge I would soon get to know each one as they cruised by. And to reinforce his comment, he jotted down the train times, type (ie passenger or freight) and destination. Specials had a unique whistle. These were troop trains or munitions types. Looking at my list and slowly memorizing the data, much to Annie’s delight at my enterprise, I was soon able to identify the various trains as they passed by our house. Ah, that is an east bound freight or checking my Big Ben watch, which I bought from the pocket money from Uncle George in Uniacke, I was able to calculate that at a particular time – ah, that is the Halifax express. The noise of them did not worry me again. I was too busy.
I don’t remember a Christmas with the Wallace’s but to my surprise we had another lady visit from the Dept. of Health. She conferred with Ernie and Annie and then went away. She returned a week or so later and talked with them again and then had a quick word with me about how I was getting along with my hosts, and if I was happy here in Milford. Replying in the affirmative she asked if I would like to be nearer to Bessie and if so it could now be arranged. Having agreed to her suggestion, she and I went into the house and she spoke to Annie and Ernie and then with Annie’s help, I again packed my belongings and within a couple of hours I was on my way again. I was sorry to leave Ernie and Annie as we had built up a good relationship during our short time together. Annie understood that I wanted to be closer to my younger sister.
So, I was on my way once more and this time it turned out to be a small hamlet by the name of Egerton. This apparently was about three miles from Thorburn where Bessie was ensconced. Arriving at Egerton was a surprise for me. We passed a Roman Catholic Church, a house here and there, then a schoolhouse about the same size as the one at Mount Uniacke. Just about three hundred yards further on a driveway on my left about a half a mile long leading to quite a large house on top of a rise which I classed as a large field. We passed a double garage and behind that was a horse/cattle trough and a pump which was fed by a hand. As we approached the house, outer buildings and toilets were to our right. An elderly man was to be seen and within minutes was introduced to me as Mr. R.H. Powell, his wife Jean, son Allister and Norma the daughter. Mr. Powell at once broke the ice and said, “Just call me Harry. This is Jean my wife and Allister my son and Norma my daughter.”
After our introductions were over the Dept. of Health lady, whose name escapes me, conferred in the house with Harry whilst I got to know Allister.
The Powell house was set on top of a rise and overlooked the driveway right up to the road - to nowhere as far as I was concerned.
Eventually, my clothes, books and my microscope were transferred to the house - up to the room allocated to me. Toilet facilities, which was a three-seater, was about fifty yards away.
Waving goodbye to my escort, Jean took me around the house. It had a large living room cum kitchen, a small bathroom. At the back of the house the land continued to rise slightly. About thirty yards or so away were the stables and cow byre (new word to me). Over to the right was the hay and grain barn and a pig pen brought up the rear. Beyond the barn the land levelled and was good and arable for potatoes and greens. Between the barn and the house an orchard beheld fruit trees of abundance.
As I settled into my bedroom, Norma put in an appearance. She was, I’d guess, about 16 or 17 years old. She was nice and friendly. Quite tall. Unfortunately, she suffered from epilepsy, her mother informed me. I soon learned that if she stood still and gazed into space she was liable to fall at any moment. She took a liking to me and never tired of endeavouring to put her arms around me. I tried to avoid these advances when I could but she was a very loving person to Harry, Jean, Allister and now me.
After a few days to get my bearings, I was taken to yet another school with a complement of about twenty-five mixed pupils. The teacher was a young, dark haired girl quite pretty and pleasant and as I was taken into the one-roomed school, I was the centre of silent attention. Teacher showed me to a desk which I would take up next day. Being a leftie I was pleased that the desk was for such a pupil as me. A piano occupied one corner of the room.