Stubby

New Zealand Listener, Volume 9, Issue 228, 5 November 1943, Page 7

Stubby

WHEN I first started washing for his mum he used to come and try to help. He’d hold the soap or scramble on a chair and try to get beside me while I boiled the copper and put the coloureds in to soak. He was a real nice little kid. When he grew up he still was nice but I know lots of things his mum don’t know.

I seen him one night coming home quite late. . I’d started cleaning offices by then, and he’d been drinking. And he saw me. And he said ‘Lo, Stubby. don’t let on, will you?’ And he’d bin kissing someone. And he said, ‘Here, give us your bag an’ let me see you home.’ He was like that. Even half tight he still could take hold of me bag. ‘Come on Stubby,’ he said, ‘come on and take me arm? So there we were, the pair of us, me with me old working hat and coat and me feet hurting something cruel, and him with his overcoat unbuttoned and his scarf flying out, like they sometimes heve in the pitchers. ‘Look here,’ I said, ‘look here. You should be home. Yer mum’ll .wonder where the ’ell you are.’ But he just laughed. ‘I’m grown up, Stubby and a man has got to... try his wings.’ ‘lf you were mine,’ I said, ‘I’d clip em, clip ’em fast. ‘Oh, go on, Stubby, you know a man must live,’ He left me at the gate. And he got home. I never told his mum.

But I’ll always remember him really best when he was a little bit of a thing scrambling on a chair to get beside me copper when the clothes wuz put to soak. * x -.