Llanelli Turk 'Cariad'

Chapter Eleven . Cathy the Ghost

Cathy the Ghost

My Brother Henry had done well in school. In rugby, he had won a Welsh cap and played hooker for the Welsh Schoolboys. Straight after school he started a four-year apprenticeship with one of the world's best civil engineering company; namely the German company Thyssens, and became a plumber and central heating specialist. My mother, who had encouraged him, said that plumbers would never be out of work. Well, he was, not because of lack of work, but due to mental illness. However, he did recover. In addition, got married to his hospital sweetheart soon after his eighteenth birthday. Henry stopped hanging around with his old hippy mates, and for some reason known only unto him, he rebelled against the church, or should I say 'knocked it on the head'. He concentrated his energy into his work and family.

As for myself, I'm soon to be fifteen years old, not quite old enough to leave the nest not that I feel a need to do so. It feels comfortable at home, a 'stress free environment', all needs taken care of by my 'mummy'. I suppose, at my age that may be the last time I use that word - 'mummy'... Which is a shame. What will I do when I fall, cry, or am alone?

I am developing ambitions to travel, to announce myself to the world; 'Hello, I'm LEO from WALES'. Not being afraid to wander beyond the Severn Bridge to the land of foreigners. I'm not afraid of people, and my well-read respect for other folk's cultures, traditions, and languages gives me a brave urge to wander off...

...I had done a little 'wandering-off' as a child, sometimes returning home by ambulance, police car, or fire engine. I knew that during my day wandering when it was about to get dark or when I was becoming hungry, I used to make my way to the policemen's white houses or the ambulance station or fireman's houses. There I'd get a lift home just by knocking on the door, putting on a sad face and saying, 'Can you help me, I'm lost and hungry'.

After being spoilt a bit, with scone's and lemonade, I'd have a nice evening trip around town in an emergency vehicle before saying, "yes, that's the street! I know that street – I live somewhere up there."

Apart from the adventure, there was escapism involved but what I was escaping from, I don't know. Maybe it was my mum and dad's arguing that came through the wall and into my dreams, or Henry getting the bigger toffee apple... it's not important.

A Lost Five-Year Old Asks for Bread and Water.

Late on Wednesday evening, a lost five-year-old boy knocked on the doors of the ambulance houses at Trostre Road, saying he was lost and hungry and wanted some bread and water. The young lad was taken care of, by Mrs. Jenkins, who quenched his hunger and thirst with Lemonade and homemade Welsh cakes. Shortly after, Mr. Jenkins drove him home, in his ambulance. His mother Mrs. Evans of 5 Bigyn Lane said that he had wandered off before and he likes to look at the birds.               

Llanelli Star Newspaper 1964.

In school, I'm glad to say my Math's has improved. That's a lot do with extra tuition at school with a group of eleven slow learners. I'm far from brilliant at Math's, but I have now gained enough confidence to give O' level Math's a shot. The best news of 1974, for me was the splendid recovery of my mother. She no longer acted neurotic or bizarre. Peculiarities I can handle, and enjoy encountering in others, but for my mother to show off her mixed-up emotions, got to me. She now only dresses in widows' black on occasions. She is talking to the neighbours and people again, even enjoy a good chinwag with Mrs. Morris the-gossip. She still laughs to herself, but that's okay because I can identify with that. She still goes to church, but has given up on the morning mass and some of the evening one's. Television seems to upset her fragile emotions, so she reads knits and potters about the garden much more. The improvement came when Henry got well and married. Now his wife is pregnant and my mum's sanely over the moon. Bet my mum's looking forward to doing some babysitting, now that I'm too old.