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The Annual Picnic
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The Annual Picnic |
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Mysteria 
since 2001-03-07
Posts 18328British Columbia, Canada 
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 ~* The Annual Picnic *~ © Mysteria 2000 1,710 words The big day dawned bright and clear, promising to be a real scorcher. Us kids knew it was going to be a hot one, as we had been up since daybreak waiting to go to the brewery picnic at Hennessey’s Point. Our entire family always climbed into a big boat and went up there every year, it was a ritual. We would get a nice lunch, and even a soft drink. The brewery had donated all the beer, the food, and the chartered boat for the families coming to their picnic like they did every year.. There were always general sports and races for the kids, the one-legged and egg-and spoon races all very popular with the grownups as well. There would also be a baseball game in which my Pa would take part, he being a really good ball player and all. Pa worked at the brewery and drove one of the drays with a four-horse team of Clydesdales all week, and he was looking forward to this Saturday outing quite as much as us kids. I think he fancied himself as a fine figure of a man, and managed to look most imposing when he had his holiday clothes on, with his large waxed mustache and derby hat on his head. For some reason my Ma was always getting after him especially when he had to go through the back hall of the tenement block we lived in to fetch wood for the shed. “Albert, you come straight back, and not chatting with that red-haired witch along the hall,” she would yell as he disappeared out the door. Sometimes he wouldn’t be too long – probably because the lady in question wasn’t home when he passed her door, which she usually left wide open on the corridor. I had seen Pa go in there once or twice guess she needed help with something. Pa told Ma he felt sorry for her living alone and all. Well, we got underway in the boat at last. There was such great fun on deck, with all the kids being chased away from this and that, so we watched the boat backing out to continue its trip up the coast. We were always getting into places we shouldn’t have been and it was not easy dodging cuffs on the head from an angry parent or two. On the return trip we would go through it al again, only it would be that time be almost dark and we could doge around with great success. At last, freed from restraint, we ran all over the park like wild animals. We look at everything there was to see in case there was something new added since last year’s outing as we always came to the same park. The grown-ups had carried the baskets of food and crates of beer and pop to the picnic site. There would be loads of ice cream brought up later on. Ma and her cronies had settled themselves under a shady tree, and were likely enough reviewing the recent doings and morals of their neighbours. We kids were climbing trees and paying little attention to entreaties to come “down off them branches.” I noticed Pa and Uncle Jock coming out of the brush surrounding the park and laughing their heads off. They were followed by old Mrs. Wilson who was trying to run and pull down her skirt and she was shouting and shaking her fist at them. My Pa was known as “quite a card’ and uncle Jock, his brother, had the same sort of reputation. After we had been served lunch and had gotten into just about everybody’s way we went to take part in the sports. I won a baseball for a race but didn’t get to have it long. Later, it went through Mrs. Wilson’s window and I sure didn’t dare stay around her place to retrieve it. One less licking was worth the loss. Ma didn’t’ take part in any of the races, as she being pretty heavy she probably figured that she might as well have a day off from chasing and running around; there was quite a lot of gossip to be heard and dispensed, and such an opportunity didn’t come around any too often, so she stayed right under that shade tree. There was plenty of beer for the grown-ups, the brewery had seen to that, and the kids got their fair share of pop too, a real treat actually. Mrs. Wilson’s redheaded daughter who worked in a café was there with some of her pals who were smoking perfume-scented cigarettes with a real flair. She was also drinking beer like any sophisticated lady. Her Pa being the night watchman at the brewery had entitled her to come to the picnic though she was not an employee herself. All the young women there always made eyes at the brewery workers, and it didn’t seem to matter if the men were single or married, and many a man got into a terrible tongue-lashing after the picnic came to a close each year. Later in the afternoon the ball game got underway, with Pa in the team as usual. He had got through a good few bottles of beer by this time, and looked as if he was in a good fettle. Ma said, “There you go showing off again, and you figure you’re quite the man don’t you, eh?” Still, Pa’s side won the baseball game; they always had done so and probably would continue that way so long as they had my Pa to back them up. We kids believe my Pas was the most important man in the picnic as well as the game. After that was over, however all the grown-ups had a sort of snooze on the grass, and I noticed that Ma kept one eye and ear open to keep tabs on pa. Most of the wives did that, I guess, at most times, but today being such a scorcher, a lot of them had dropped off to sleep. They were very slight snoozers us kids found out, as we could hardly manage to swipe a thing without being caught or yelled at. Then supper came around and it was really good! Cold ham, picked pigs feet, baloney and potato salad in huge pots. There were even buns and rich butter in a crock. We did ourselves proud, especially as tearing about the park, and all this fresh air away from Harris Street, the docks and the brewery helped too whetted our appetites. We cleaned up everything in the baskets and were then inveighed into packing them and carrying them down to the wharf, ready for the boat as soon as any sight of her appeared. Pa and his pals were seeing to it that they wouldn’t have many bottles to cart away either. After a while we heard the well-known whistle and so, marshaled together we were there to board her. Frantic last minute round-ups were made, and many clouts delivered to cheeky heads. It was beginning to grow dark now, and the boat finally pulled out with a couple of shrill toots that scared us almost out of our wits. We kids were told to stay in the stateroom where we could be seen, as the Mothers’ didn’t fancy running about the deck or rushing to see if one of us had fallen or been pushed playfully overboard. I played about for a while with a number of kids my age, but got tired of it last as it had been a long, long day. I decided to take a walk round the deck to see what it really looked like in the dark. I found walking around quite difficult as a lot of the grown-ups were sprawled out here and there, smoking and talking, and some even sleeping. It was a real nice night and not the least bit cold. I opened the stateroom room and went in as I figured I better not be away too long or Ma would find out. I had just barely opened the door and glanced back to find out if anybody was following, when I caught sight of Pa stretched out on a steamer rug, and I thought there was someone with reddish hair alongside of him. Pa saw me all right before I slipped to the other side of the door. “Jackie,” he said, “You get right back in there and here’s a quarter, now don’t you go and say that you saw me to anyone including Ma, eh!” Well I got down to Ma and found out she hadn’t even missed me, which was a wonder, so I had no difficulty in keeping my mouth shut. I was quiet all the way home, and Pa just kept staring at me. I always slept with Pa and Ma in the same room although I had a smallish cot of my own, not long enough for my legs and then my feet always stuck out. That night Ma was going on at Pa in a queer angry tone I didn’t like, so I couldn’t let on I was still awake. ”You cut a pretty fine figure today, after having quite a skin full of beer. I’ll bet you were telling the tale to that red-headed with of Mrs. Wilson’s” I heard Pa’s retort: “Don’t understand what you’re getting at Ma.” Then, after she muttered something I couldn’t quite catch, he added quite cockily, “I always make a point of being polite and helpful towards the fair sex, so I was only doing my duty Ma.’ “I’ll say you were,” Ma went on, “After a lit of beer you get a wonderful sense of duty don’t you?” Then I heard her heave her body over on the much-overstrained bed. The springs of the bed squeaked in protest and I was a long time falling off to sleep myself. The last three things in my conscious mind seemed to be of Pa’s famously loud snoring, the angry creaking of the valiant bedsprings, and me anxious about the new ball I would get from the General Store tomorrow with this year’s quarter. Well, there ended another picnic. There is nothing means more to me than |
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Janet Marie Member Laureate
since 2000-01-22
Posts 18554 |
I just found this...I'll be back when I have more time  |
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Mysteria
since 2001-03-07
Posts 18328British Columbia, Canada |
Well thank you for that Janet Marie. |
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Sudhir Iyer Member Ascendant
since 2000-04-26
Posts 6943Mumbai, India : now in Belgium |
WOW... this is so well written... glad to have been able to read this... Regards, sudhir |
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Mysteria
since 2001-03-07
Posts 18328British Columbia, Canada |
Sudhir you are so kind, and it is I sir envies your writing, so I do thank you sincerely for even taking the time to read it. |
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pjtalty Member
since 2002-07-17
Posts 111W.A., Australia |
Most enjoyable! Reminded me just a little bit of some of the Mark Twain stories, though this did not detract from my appreciation of your very readable and interesting style. I look forward to reading more of your work. Patrick Talty |
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