charles and his scouting 2

Mother and Father never told us that Mother was pregnant. We found out by accident. It really was an accident. We had finished our dinner and seated round the room to study. Mother was seated on the floor of the lounge near to the door.

She calls out, “Charles, help me.”

I turned round, and from her foot, was blood spouting up one and ½ meter high like a shooting fountain. I was very petrified, but Charles was very calm, he was a King Scout, and knew about first aid. He used his scout’s kit and used the bandages and stopped Mother’s bleeding. 

When it was all good, we went to get Father. I do not know why we did not get Father straight away? Did Mother tell us not to?

There was a lot of blood, we cleaned the floor up and Father came up.  Mother explained she had a splinter from gardening, and she used a needle to remove it. She was so glad that she let Charles join the scouts.

Father said, “You are so careless, you might have hurt the baby. When you are pregnant, you have a lot of blood.”

        Our eyes pricked, baby? What baby? Only then we realized that Mother was pregnant. Charles was the hero.

Charles left for New Zealand in the beginning of 1970. He had been a King scout in school. When he left, many of his scouting friends wore their uniform and gave him a good send off.

  Grandfather went too. He must have been feeling mighty proud. Less than fifteen years ago, he was at the same airport sending off his son to England. Today, he was sending a grandson to another white man’s country. 

Charles did not return until 1977. When he did, he had a law degree and a wife. Karen was born in Christchurch. 

Photo from Kong Tong Kiong, Charles old scouting buddy. He kindly sent it to me.