Chapter Four
The Christmas holidays were a time of parties and general fun and games. The navy had a tendency to make a big thing of Christmas, not only for the sailors but for the wives and families. Che chief's mess put on a party for all the children of the chief's, with games and a big tea, then father Christmas would arrive and dish out presents to every child. Then a few days later, H.M.S. Phoenicia put on a huge party for all the children who's fathers served at H.M.S Phoenicia, from the lowly Able seaman to the senior chief's, this party was held at the N.A.A.F.I club and sailors dressed up as pirates made every child crawl through the pirate's cave, there to meet one eyed Jack, the pirate captain. Each child had to pledge elegance to the pirate code and once done, each child was given an orange, some nuts and a small bag of sweets. There were games, a death slide and a trip on the pirate ship, which was a 52 foot cutter with mast and sail. After this, all the children sat down to a tea of sandwiches, jelly and cake, followed by a visit from Santa and more presents.
Around the towns and hamlets of Malta, the locals would put up lights and Christmas trees, and the whole Island looked beautiful. At the flat, the Palmer's would decorate the lounge with a tree and decorations hanging from the ceiling. And on Christmas morning the family would open their presents, then it was church followed by drinks in the chief's mess. After a rowdy sing song and joke telling session, it was back to the flat for Christmas dinner. As the family sat around the table laden with turkey, roast spuds, fresh veg, stuffing, sausages wrapped in bacon and gravy, father would say, as always. "Dorothy, you have excelled yourself once again." Then he would go around the table to her seat and kiss the side of her neck. Dorothy smiled almost too herself and reminded her family about there first Christmas in Malta. Christmas afternoon was spent with Ken asleep on the sofa whilst Mike and his mum did the washing up and put all the pots and pans away. Then with Kelvin and Mike enjoying there presents, Dorothy headed for her bedroom to sleep for an hour. At around four Mike made a pot of tea, his mother got up and laid the table for Christmas tea, jelly and trifle, cold ham and Christmas cake. But as always the family was full so that most of the food went back into the fridge, and bought out on boxing day.
Boxing day, the Trent's who lived on the next floor up would have their big party, everyone in the block was invited, plus a load of husbands and wives who worked a Manoel Island. The party started at around 20-00 and Ken told Mike and Kelvin to be good, if there was a problem, then nip up to the Trent's flat and get one of them. Kelvin went to his room to read as usual, and Mike spent an hour on the balcony watching all the party goers arrive. By 21-00 he made his way to his own room and laid on his bed, almost in the land of dreams, there was a knock at his door, Kelvin was there. "Brov," he said, "can you hear that din". Mike listened. he could hear laughter and the clinking of glasses, he also heard some music, but little else, and it wasn't too loud. Mike told Kelvin to get himself back to bed and try to sleep. Kelvin left Mike's room closing the door after him. Mike closed his eyes and must have nodded off, he woke with a start, there was a lot of loud talking coming from upstairs.
Mike put on his new dressing gown and went to the front door, standing on the landing, he heard someone shouting. "Don't do it, your crazy," and then another voice saying. "Dorothy you will kill yourself." What Mike saw next, was his mother with her dress around her waist, showing a large expanse of thigh, sliding down the bannister rail, closely followed by his father. As she turned the corner on there floor, she saw her eldest son, but instead of stopping, she just waved at him and in a very slurred voice said. "Hello, son." She past Mike, and with her husband close behind. The pair continued to the ground floor, there to slide off the rail and end up in a crumpled heap on the floor, laughing like school children. As Mike looked down at them, they looked up, but not at Mike, they were looking at the party group who had now decided to join the Palmer's. With cheers of drunken joy the whole group, one after another slid down to the bottom of the stairs. Mike watched, he saw parts of the human body he had never seen before, all the ladies felt it necessary to show their knickers, and as Mike watched, he was sure one guest wasn't even wearing any, but as he said to Kelvin the following day. "They could have been pink."
The whole party group then got to there feet and did a conga, out through the main door, Mike went back into the flat and onto the balcony, he watched as the group weaved their conga up the road, across the park, and back to the flats. The locals didn't seem to care, to them it was Christmas, a time of joy and happiness, and if the English wanted to dance around the park at midnight, then let them.
Mike went back to his room, it had gone quiet upstairs, and very soon after he fell asleep.
Mike woke at around 8, it was very quiet in the flat, he made his way to the kitchen and put the kettle on. Looking in the lounge, he saw his father laid on the sofa, still fully dressed apart from his jacket, that was half on and half off. Mike went into the bedroom where his mother was, loke father fully dressed snuggled up to a pillow. When mike got back to the kitchen the kettle was boiling, so he made a pot of tea and then went to wake Kelvin, Kelvin was awake, so Mike told him that that breakfast would be a case of self service. Kelvin put on his dressing gown and went to the kitchen, he grabbed the corn flakes and a couple of bowls and put them on the table, getting the milk and two spoons, he poured himself a bowl of corn flakes. Mike took a cup of tea into his mother and shook her shoulder very gently. "Mum," he said, "cup of tea for you," She tried to open her eyes, but it was obvious that she had a major hangover. "What's the time," she asked, Mike, looked at his watch. "09-30," he said, "drink your tea," When Mike returned to the lounge, Kelvin had finished his breakfast and was heading for the bathroom. Mike roused his father with a cup of tea, but as he said,"I'm fragile," he took a sip of tea, and tried to look at his son. "Yuk," he said, "that is horrible," Mike then remembered, two sugars, he added the sugar to dad's tea and gave it a stir. "That's better," his dad said, " thank you," He sat up and tried to focus on his son. "Where's your mum," he asked. As he was speaking mother dragged herself out of the bedroom, sitting at the table, she seemed deep in thought. "Did we." She stopped, Mike had a smile on his face, and mum looked at her son. Ken, did we slide down the bannister last night." Mike was still smiling. "It was this morning." Mike said, "To tell the truth, around 12-30." Mother looked at her son. "How do you know that." She asked. Mike giggled. "I was watching," he said. "I heard noises, it woke me up, and I saw it all." Mother put her head in her hands. "We'll never hear the end of this," she said. Mike looked at her. "Never mind mum," he said, " you all seemed to be enjoying yourselves.
The party was the talk of the chief's mess for months to come, though sliding down the bannister was banned by an Admiralty order that went out to all chief's, and a copy was posted at the flat next to the bottom of the stairs.
As the holiday went on, everyone was getting ready to go back to school, Mike spent more and more time working on the canoe, he was planning to get it back into the water just before Easter. Kelvin spent a lot of his holiday fishing, the weather was good, and he wanted to be with his fishing friends, he did spend one weekend with his school friend, but again that was a weekend fishing as well.
Mike spent his days rubbing down and undercoating, and of coarse Fridays was shopping day with mother.
It was the Palmer's final year in Malta, at the end of the year the family would be heading back to England. On the Monday, the first day back at school, Mike was told by his mother, to look out for a new girl on the bus, it seemed that a new acting chief petty officer had joined fathers office in the pay section. Once father had left Malta the new man would be rated up and take over. The new family were called Taylor, and the girl's name was Maureen Ann. Mike didn't care one way or the other, he still had dreams of May and that last day before the Christmas holidays.
Dressed in his school uniform, creases like a knife edge in his trousers and his jacket cleaned and pressed, he looked the part. He stood waiting for the bus, his mother standing on the balcony watching, she was very proud of him, her oldest son was her pride and joy, and as she looked at him, she wondered what the future held for him. The bus came along the creek road and stopped where Mike and the other children stood. As Mike boarded the bus he waved goodbye to his mum. heading for his usual seat next to Jack, he sat down, as he looked around the bus, he noticed a new face, she was sat on her own by the window, getting up, Mike moved down the bus and sat next to her. His first impression was very good, light brown wavy hair, large blue green eyes, slim waist, and a small but prominent bust, then he looked at her legs, they were beautiful and seemed to go on forever. She smelled of soap, but a nice soap and her hair shone. "Excuse me," Mike said. "You wouldn't be Maureen by any chance." "Well actually." she said. "it's Maureen Ann." Mike smiled, "I'm dammed if I'm going to call you Maureen Ann every time I want to speak to you, wait, let me think, I know, I'll call you Nann." Maureen looked at him. "Why." she said, " what's Nann got to do with anything?" "Well," Mike said, "They call me Mike, four letters, and Nann is the Ann plus the n of Maureen." " Oh," she said, " well I suppose I could get used to it, as long as it's only you that is going to use it". As the bus carried on its journey to school, Mike and Nann found they had a lot in common. They were both the same age 15, their birthdays were a month apart, his in June, and hers in July, they were both mad keen on the water, and loved swimming, and when Mike told Nann about the canoe that he had, she grabbed his hand and said. " can I see it, will you take me out in it one day." Mike explained, that it was laid up for the winter, and he was repainting it ready for the Easter holidays when he planned to put her back into the water
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