This story goes back to about 1969-70 when we were living in Mosman Park. We were all set to go to a gathering at daughter's school that evening although I can't recall what the event was for. We lived next door to where MOH worked in an office of that firm and they were having after work drinks as one of the ladies who worked in the office was retiring after many years service with the firm.
The two children and myself had dinner and got ourselves ready to go to the school gathering but no sign of MOH. There was no way I was going to his office appearing as a bad tempered wife wanting her husband to come home straight away which he would have hated and so would I.
Eventually, far too late by then to go to the school, MOH arrived home clutching a bunch of jonquils. It seems one of the young women in the office realised he could be in trouble for being so late and as he went to leave she handed him the jonquils and said to give them to me as a peace offering. Unfortunately they are one flower I've never liked as their perfume gives me hay fever so a bad choice on his part. I love daffodils which belong to the genus Narcissus as do jonquils but daffodils don't seem to upset me in any way.
MOH was definitely under the influence which was most unusual for him and it was really funny the way he acted and as we'd never seen him like that we often used to look back on it and laugh our heads off.
I went into the bedroom and shut the door but in he came still trying to make amends for being so late and as he walked around the end of the bed he lost his balance and ended up knocking some items off the dressing table. The funniest thing was when he said "you pushed me", me being on the other side of the room. This made me laugh which in turn made him quite 'cross' but in a funny way.
I think he eventually slept it off and was quite OK the next morning but I have never been sure that he actually remembered much about the previous evening.
I am hoping my daughter may add to this by saying what the occasion at the school was and whether she was upset at our not going. I don't remember her being upset about it so maybe she wasn't. I have never worked out why I just didn't go to the school with the two children as the car would have been at home but obviously it didn't happen. Or did it?? Help me K. What are your memories of that night?
Seriously, I can only remember Pop being late, staggering in with some stinky jonquils (which I thought he had picked rather than been given them) and you stomping into the room and slamming the door (or at least shutting the door hard). I know we all had a laugh at Pop's expense for many years to come. I think it is the only time I have every seen him drunk.
ReplyDeleteI asked Pop where the jonquils came from before I posted this and he said Marion Haines had given them to him (as described above). I too thought he'd picked some from where they grew on the verge outside the factory fence. Do you remember what was on at the school that evening? I don't think we ended up going did we but don't remember you being upset about it. Yes, he was so funny....quite a happy drunk!!!!
ReplyDeleteLove that story Mimsie, thank you so much for sharing it. It's given me just the giggle I need on a monday morning xx
ReplyDeleteThanks PPMJ....I often look back on that night and have a chuckle about it.
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