In November of my second year at school, I was chosen to be the Fairy Queen for the Christmas Concert. No doubt because of my great beauty and charm – my curly hair had people calling me another Shirley Temple. I was strutting around proud as a peacock, especially since Connie was only one of the elves.

Then one Sunday night, coming home from Clovelly, I leaned against Mum going up the stairs. “I feel AWFULL” I moaned. “She’s doing it again,” said Faith, and it’s true I never lost an opportunity to whine. But this time, Mum felt my forehead, looked intently into my eyes, and said, “Off to bed, no school for you tomorrow.” It was Red Measles, the first case in school, and possibly the worst.

I was very sick indeed.

Dr. Wasson came next morning, and had me isolated from the others in the old baby crib in Mum and Dad’s room. The blinds were drawn all day to protect my eyes, and a yellow quarantine sign was posted on the front door. The others got to stay home from school; if they also got measles I never knew, I was not aware of anything for a very long time.

Dr. Wasson came another time, shaking his head. “This child should be in hospital.” “Do you want to go to hospital?” Mum asked me anxiously. “No!” I wailed, so I was allowed to stay home. What a missed opportunity!

Only Faith had been in hospital before, when she had her tonsils out. When I got a little better I bitterly regretted not taking advantage of such a chance to see inside a real hospital.

One Sunday, after taking the others to Sunday School, Dad brought me an ice cream cone from Jimmie Little’s, a lovely treat even though its distinctive “nuts and bolts” top had melted off by the time I got it.

Then one afternoon I said to Mum “That’s Frank home from school; he’s whistling.” “You can hear!” cried Mum, and I realized that I’d been stone deaf for all that time. After that I started to get better rapidly, but of course I didn’t get back to school in time for the Fairy Queen, or even see the performance, and on Christmas Day, I was only allowed downstairs for about an hour, wrapped in a blanket, for the Tree. I got a toy accordion, the best present I ever got, until it broke a week later.

The Christmas Gift Clip

 

Felicity got the Measles and missed being the Fairy Queen

Connie got Scarlet Fever

Scarlet Fever Clip

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The Gorge House: Friends and Neighbours