Snake Cradle by Roberta Sykes

Author:Roberta Sykes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Autobiography
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Published: 1997-10-01T04:00:00+00:00

8

Mum became increasingly remote and inaccessible. She was away long hours at work, especially in the early morning, which was when Arthur and I would end up in all sorts of fights. He was often hungover and would want us to get out of his way in the bathroom, so that he could dress and go to work. But Dellie and Leonie also had to dress and go to school, and I had to be at work on time too.

Arthur resented the authority which I’d always had in the house when Mum was absent, and detested the way I’d jump in when he told either of my sisters to do other than what we had always done. He was forever saying, ‘You keep out of this. Dellie (or Leonie) has to get out of the bathroom when I say so. I’m the one who has to go to work around here.’

For my part I resented his presence in many ways. I had learned from Mum that he didn’t contribute to our upkeep or pay any of the bills generated by the household, and he had personal debts all over town. He spent a great deal of his money, as he always had, buying drinks and currying favour amongst the people who frequented the pool room where he had his barber shop. The idea that he could exercise the authority of a father-figure was laughable to me. He had no experience dealing with children or teenagers and had already demonstrated his ineptitude.

When my numerous pleas to Mum to sort this situation out fell on deaf ears, and after a particularly distressing argument with Arthur, I packed up and went to live at the YWCA hostel. I called in at the hostel one evening on my way home from work, spoke to the Matron, with whom I had a good relationship dating from when I used to pick up their laundry, and asked if I could be a boarder. I moved in the next day. When I told Mum I was leaving, she reminded me that she’d been out in the world working at the age of twelve, so she felt that I’d already had more home-life than she ever had.

There were no individual or shared rooms available at the Y, and even the dorms were full. The only places on offer were beds and lockers lined up along a wide hallway; a sort of enclosed verandah which ran crosswise through the middle of the hostel. Apart from the few items of clothing which I wore constantly—my work clothes and swimming costumes—the rest of my gear had to be kept in my suitcase and stored in the luggage room. The environment, with its strict regulations about our comings and going, set meal times and rules about washing and hanging out our clothes, was reminiscent of the orphanage and I felt safe there.

My board was three pounds seventeen and six a week, for which I received sleeping quarters, breakfast and a good meal at night during the week, with an additional light lunch available on weekends.

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