Carol Gano- Remembrance

Remember, remember, remember, remember

Uncle Rupe in Maleny, Qld. who married his wife in secret. She, my auntie Alex, was at Uni and would be expelled if anyone knew she was a married woman! She was found out through when the wedding presents began rolling in – who needs an ironing board, and iron or a toaster when living in a sorority building with other women? In the end, Alex wasn’t expelled, as she was top student!  She went on the help start “Relationships Australia”. Such a serious woman!  Anyway, I’ll use her Xmas pudding recipe this year. She willed it to me. No one else in the family got it. The secret she told me was the alcohol. Yet she always denied any, if asked straight out.

Uncle Rupe went to fight, in the Boer War and WWII. I wish I knew the stories of the Boer War, or Uncle Rupe’s WWII life. I wasn’t inquisitive enough on my Queensland visits while they were both still alive. They were cuties. They religiously did the crosswords on travels and kept very active. He was a dentist, taught the trade by his father, Francis, for whom my sister’s only child was named.  Francis was called Jack or John? I never met him.

Remembrances.

Yes, I recall Grandfather Francis volunteered in homes for orphans, weekly. He had a great death, as far as deaths go. He was in the habit of napping after lunch and had gone up to bed. Never to awaken again.

Our family was on one of three annual holidays when my mum was taken over by fits of crying. Very unusual for her. She made us curtain the vacation. No mobile phones then! No telegrams could reach us on a family camping trip. Still, once home, Uncle Rupe called to let mum know that she had missed his funeral. Somehow, over the miles, she had sensed the death of her father. 

OMG. That was horrid.

The same thing happened to me, but it was my mum who had died.

Remembrances.

-        Of life and of Deaths

-        Of deeds and the end of life.