SURPRISE DAY
Written by Ronald MizonPublished on January 2018
A big surprise to-day! The health visitor turned up with a passenger. Katherine called me from the barn where I was busy. “A visitor for you Ronald.” Puzzled, I went towards the car expecting my friend Donald to be there and wondering just what he had in mind. Yet all was revealed to me as the car door opened and out stepped my little sister ‘Bessie Florence’. She and I were thrilled to see each other, especially when Katherine gave us both the news that she and I would be living together with the Camerons. The health visitor concurred this information. Formalities were completed and she left. Katherine showed Bessie her potential bedroom. She having brought up two girls of her own knew how to treat a young lady.
I was overjoyed at Bessie’s presence. She had been with the MacKays (McKies?) at Thorburn since we parted at Mt Uniacke. It was the policy that brother and sister should stay together if at all possible. Unfortunately, it was not possible with her at Thorburn and me at Egerton, though the McKies (MacKays?) at Thorburn were interested in me at first but then declined so I was sent to Egerton.
Ronald & his “visitor” - Bessie
Later, as Bessie had settled into her room with her things, Katherine thought we should have some time of our own together so I took her on a flying visit around the farm, through the orchard to the barn and introduced her to Bobby the gelding and his companion the Mare. Told her of what my chores were with them, mentioned the chickens which were self evident.
I told Bessie that when I brought the horses in from the meadow to the stable that it was my custom to climb on his back and ride him back to the barn. I offered to give her a lift up next time so that she could ride him, but she declined.
Then I had an idea! “Come on Bessie, I will show you the schoolhouse.” So telling Katherine where we were going we sauntered down the lane to the school. We did not go in - just looked at the exterior and pointed out where the boys’ and girls’ outhouses were.
Monday came and Katherine, Bessie and I went down to the schoolhouse which was just a ten minute walk away. There, Katherine introduced Bessie to the Teacher who was delighted to have her as a new pupil. She soon found a desk for her but not near me as I was with the bigger boys and girls and she was placed with junior boys and girls. Soon her fellow students started to look at Bessie as if she was someone from outer space as they looked at her and whispered to each other, but that did not last long and soon she was one of the girls.
Now Donald went home that day from school and told his Mum that Ronald’s sister Bessie had joined the class and was staying at the Cameron’s with me. Straight away Mrs Bannerman suggested that Bessie should be invited to supper the next time I was.
Bessie was soon taken under Katherine’s wing and the two of them were busy together in the home cooking and keeping the place shipshape.
One day one of the Cameron’s daughters came on a visit from Boston, Mass and she and Bessie hit it off straight away and Bessie learned a little about how Bostonians lived their lives.
Whereas Bessie grew up in Uniacke and Thorburn, I grew up in New Glasgow.
She soon began to turn the eyes of some of her fellow pupils as young as she was. Now that was not the end of my surprise. Nay, our real surprise came about five days later by the Canada Mail from no less than the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (The CBC no less)! Not to Bessie and I but to Linus and Katherine. It was informing us of a special Radio Broadcast from England. Now what could England want to say to us?