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The Village Squire, 1981-08, Page 23"Well known for featuring the finest furniture and accessories, selection and values available in South-Westem Ontario." GG G ET LER ot Fine Furniture Main Street, Dublin 345-2250 Closed Mon. Open all day Wed. Fri. till 9 p.m. 1 3.z/4 10 sexed Kilts Blouses Dresses Sweaters Rainbow Jeans and Cords Sizes 0 -16 for boys and girls Children, s clothes and toys CAROLYN LOWRY 11111011111/11111 Inc Festival Square Stratford, Ontario [5191 271-6536 PG. 22 VILLAGE SQUIRE/AUGUST 1981 straw nest. They climbed onto the big tractor and turned the steering wheel. Beside the tractor was a pail of black stuff. It looked like black soap. Regina said, "Come here Cor and let me wash your hair." It was a good game. When she was done he washed her hair too. They washed each other's hair with axle grease. It was a good game but their mothers were not as pleased as they expected. There was a silver spoon in the white sugar bowl with blue flowers. Mom made tea and Regina brought Papa his sugar, holding the fat bowl with both hands. There was a church with pointed towers on the sugar spoon. Papa stirred his tea and pointed to the thin silver spikes. "Where is the church, Regina?" he asked her. "In Opa and Oma's village." she said. "And what is the name of the village?" "Noorden." "And the province?" "South Holland." "Good girl. And what is the name of the church?" Regina though. She knew it but she had to think. "Saint Martinus." "Good girl!" said Papa. ` "Tell me about Ome Wout." Papa took the silver spoon and pointed to the silver towers again. "The choir sits in the towers of the church. Your Ome Wout used to sing in the choir. During the war he was sent to Germany to work in the factories and when the war was over he could come home. He had to walk from Germany because he had no money and when he came home he fell asleep all the time because he hadn't had enough to eat for a long time. He fell asleep at the dinner table and at work and everywhere else. One Sunday he fell asleep in church when he was singing in the choir. The church was locked up and your Ome Wout slept for hours in the choir loft, and nobody knew where he was. Tante Mien wasn't married to him yet and she was waiting for him all afternoon. Finally she went through the whole village asking if anybody had seen Wout Van der Werf." "How did he get out Papa?" Tell me again how he got out." "When Ome Wout woke up it was dark. He went through the whole church but all the doors were locked. So he went back to the tower and opened the window and called down but nobody heard him." "So then what did he do?" "He rang the church bell and everybody in the whole village came running to see what was wrong." At Christmas they opened the brown paper package that had come from Holland. It had a cow's tongue in it that Opa smoked himself. Mom said she hadn't had cow's tongue in years, not since they left home and Papa said he would like it too. Regina remembered Cor's calf sucking her fingers with his rough tongue and she didn't want to eat the tongue from Holland. There was a new doll in the package for Regina and a pocket knife for John, a new sweater for. Myske and handkerchiefs for them both with their letters on them and pictures of Dutch boys with klompen on. There were books for Mom and magazines for Papa and Tin Tin book for John and a puzzle of South Holland. There was a smoked eel with its eyes still in it that Regina knew she wouldn't eat. There were snoopjes of salted licorice and fruit candies and peppermints and chocolates. a spice cake and a picture of Sinterklaas with the names of everyone on it. Opas and Omas and aunts and uncles and cousins. There were hand knitted socks and mittens and a long scarf for each of them and a great big round red cheese. It was marvelous what all came out of that package. Papa was laid off from the plant and Mom went to work. That was not good. The factory was a good job except when Papa was laid off. Then he stayed home and planted gladiola in the backyard and sold them and tried to find work. The gladiola were all colours, white and orange and red was best of all and they waved above her head. Barbara said. "That's dumb that your Dad doesn't go to work. My mother stays home and my Dad goes to work. He has a job " "Papa has a job too, he just got laid off." "Still dumb." Regina wouldn't play with Barbara anymore. She took Myske and went to watch Papa cutting gladiola. He had a big pair of scissors that flashed in the sun. Papa bent over the flowers and cut them in bunches of red, yellow, orange and white. He was h6 and when he saw Regina he stretched up straignt anu %%iped its Lace ‘‘uh his big red handkerchief. "What does my Myske have to say?" he said. "Are we going to buy a farm Papa?" Regina asked. "Ja myske, some day." "Why are you laid off?" "Nobody buys cars so your Papa gets laid off." "Why isn't Barbara's dad laid off?" "He has been at the plant longer." He bent over again and the scissors flashed the red. white. orange gladiola into piles. "When are we going to buy a farm?" "As soon as we have the money." Regina built a house for Myske with gladiola leaves.