THERE'S A WAR ON And Even School Reunions Aren't The Same

New Zealand Listener, Volume 6, Issue 141, 6 March 1942, Page 16

THERE'S A WAR ON

And Even School Reunions Aren't The Same

Reunion Dinner. I’ve been to every one we've had since I left school six years ago. It’s great getting together with the girls and finding out all the things that have happened since you met last. Though I suppose we really spend more time discussing the things that happened when we were at school. It’s funny the way things that weren’t so very amusing at the time gain entertainment value with the years, isn’t it? Like the time when Hilary dropped the vase on the Senior Inspector’s toe, and we were all scared we wouldn’t get our Higher Leaving Certificates. Last year we had it in the Bolonia ballroom. Of course there were lots of faces I didn’t know-children who had come to school after I left-but all the old gang seemed to be there. Joan and Marion and Helen and Marcia and Con. We had a little table to ourselves. Reunion dinners are awfully cliquey affairs, aren’t they. We’d never dream of doing anything like welcoming a stranger into our midst. But I suppose everyone who goes knows somebody. ] ALWAYS enjoy our Old Girls’ * * Ea = Y dear," said Marion, " you're looking marvellous! Being married must agree with you." "You’re looking rather marvellous yourself," I retorted. Marion has red hair and she was wearing a jade green velvet dinner frock. "I believe that frock’s exactly the same colour as the one you wore to the school dance, Remember?" "Tl never forget," said Marion. "I suppose it was rather advanced to wear a halter-neck at the age of sixteen." "But quite unnecessary for the Head to mention it in hall." This was Joan. "And do you remember Hilary’ won the sweepstake on which frock the Head would wear? She drew the flowered pink chiffon, And sure enough old Florrie turned up in it, although she’d worn it to the Swimming Bath Opening and the Parents’ Social." "What's she got on to-night?" I asked craning my neck to the official table. "The black velvet and pearls. I’m sure it’s the one she wore to the 1936 do, but Marcia says there’s something different about the neck-line." "Of course I’m quite ready to admit it may have been remodelled," conceded Marcia. "By the way, where is Hilary?" I asked. "Can’t see her anywhere." "Oh, didn’t you know? She’s having a baby." Incredulous whoops from the five of us. "Can’t imagine Hilary with a baby. How on earth would she manage about bathing it? She’s bound to drop it." "Do you remember the time she dropped the vase of gladioli on the inspector’s toe?" More laughter.

"Say, girls, don’t tell me that’s old Sonia over there. The one in that unfortunate shade of pink next to Barbara." "Yes, that’s Sonia. Did you know she’d got engaged?" "Impossible. Who to?" "A rather lanky youth with spots and spectacles called Christopher something. He’s in the Army. They’re going to be married on his final leave." "They say all things are possible. But why pick on Sonia?" "She says he writes poetry." "That explains it. Do you remember old Harty quoting her essay as the supreme example of gush?" "And she was so upset she had to get under the desk to powder her nose. An objectionable habit. Do you remember Shirley used to, too? But that was because it shone. By the way, did she marry Michael?" "No. He’s overseas of course. But she’s awfully keen on him and writes every second day. And when she gets a letter she goes round telling everybody about it."

"Rather a-mistake, I always feel. I wonder why they didn’t get engaged?" "No idea. But you know he stayed with her family on his final leave? And there they were all sitting round waiting for Michael to ‘speak.’ But he didn’t. And then he went away and he still hadn’t. At least that’s what her young sister told me." "How pathetic. And now her only social activity is sitting at home embroidering table linen." "T know. Every stitch a dream. And she’s being depressingly faithful. Won’t even come to the Girls’ Club to entertain the members of the Forces." * % % HE chatter eddied around me. Everywheré else things are changing, I thought. This war. But people don’t change much. Marcia, Joan, Helen, Con, Marion. And the things that happened when we were at school are exactly the same, And the Head’s still wearing the same frocks, and we're still talking about the same things. There’s something to hold on to.

THOUGHT of our Reunion often when I was working up in Auckland. I hadn’t intended to go to it, because it’s a long trip and it would mean getting an extra day off from work. But I got so tired of hearing people talk of nothing but invasion possibilities and the fall of Singapore, and seeing ordinary suburbanites digging trenches in their back gardens and of being dragged out of the office about once a week to try out dispersal schemes. I wanted to hear all about Hilary’s new baby and Sonia’s poet and the Head’s pearls. We didn’t have it in the Bolonia Ballroom this year because the Air Force has taken it over for stores. So we had it in St. Thomas’s Hall instead, I’d written to Marion to tell her I was coming and they’d kept me a seat at their end of the table. Marion was still looking marvellous, in ice- blue satin this time, and none of the others looked a day older. * (Continued on next page)

SHORT STORY (Continued from previous page) Then I noticed that Marcia wasn’t there. "Oh, didn’t you know?" said Helen. "Marcia’s gone overseas as a V.A.D. Collecting experiences, she said. I’m trying to go, too, and so’s Joan, but we haven’t done our sixty hours’ hospital training yet." "Don’t suppose we'll be able to get @way now, anyway," said Joan gloomily. "Why not?" I said. "Be rather difficult travelling by then, don’t you think?" "I see the Head’s back to pink chiffon," I comment. "Dad dug our trench this afternoon," said Con, "I said ‘You don’t think I’m going to spoil my few remaining clothes by lying flat on my stomach in that, do you?’ and he said, ‘If there’s a raid you'd be only too pleased to lie flat on your stomach anywhere.’ Did you know I joined the W.A.A.F.’s?" "No. How’s Hilary’s baby?" I ask. "They’re taking our house over to turn into an emergency hospital," says Marion. "I said to the man who came to inspect it that [ thought I should be allowed to stay on as a canteen worker. After all I’ve lived there for twenty-two years and I do know something about running the place." "Where else could you go?" I asked. "Oh, didn’t you know. They’ve got a wonderful scheme, all perfect down to the last detail, for evacuating all the women and children to the hills. Safe, I suppose, but awfully dull. Can’t you imagine it? Crying infants and harassed. mothers. I suppose one could play bridge." "By the way, is Shirley engaged to Michael yet?" I interrupt. "Tf this V.A.D. business falls through TI don’t know what I shall do," said Joan. "T suppose I’d better join the W.W.S.A., but as what? I can’t make up my mind whether to go as a Plunket Aid and be sent up to the hills with the women and children, or enlist as a canteen worker and stay down here and cook for the Home Guard. The Plunket Aid business would be safer, but as Marion says, how dull. But if I stay with the Home Guard and the Home Guard gets captured what happens to me?" "I’m all for dark glasses and hair im curl-papers," says Marion. "Listen," I say. "Are you children being funny or something?" They look at me incredulously. "Do you honestly think there’s going to be an invasion?" "Well, it’s quite likely," says Helen. " But why? Why should the Japanese come here? What reason could they possibly have for wasting time and ammunition on a town with three thousand inhabitants and a bicycle or two?" "There’s thé camp," says Helen. "And it’s near the coast," says Marion. * And the Main Trunk," says Con. " And didn’t they say they would land in the centre and separate Auckland and Wellington?" triumphantly from Joan. "Don’t be ridiculous," I say. "It can’t happen here." And ignoring the cries of * ostrich " and " What happened at Pearl Harbour?" I say firmly, "And now will someone please tell me when and how and where Sonia married the youth with spots?" |