NOT TO SHOW IT 1956

A 8 YEAR OLD BOY AND GIRL AT A TEA PARTY IN LONDON IN 1956

After going to Janice's doll's
tea party in her gran's flat
I thought I'd best ask her to
a cowboy's tea party as a sort

of pay back thing so she came
to my parent's flat and I said
hi glad you could make it she
came in along the passageway

past the kitchen where my
mother was arranging a few
items for the tea and then
turned left into what I termed

the toy room where I'd arranged
a small table(tea-chest upside-down)
and cloth of bright colours
(tea towel) and two small chairs

(large seaside buckets turned
upside down) with cushions
on the sideboard I had arranged
my toy soldiers and guns a rifle

a sword and bow and arrows
and a number of Dinky cars
she said I guess you don't have
any dolls? no no dolls I said

I can borrow one of my sister's
if you want a doll present
I said no it's all right she said
gazing at me smiling weakly

while we were waiting for my
mother to bring in the food
items I showed her my guns
and holsters and she picked up

a silver looking gun and held it
in her hands it's quite heavy she
said is it real?  no it's an old one
my old man got me some place

looks real though don't it I said
it's one of my favourites she
lifted it and pointed it at the
wall and pulled the trigger

and the gun went BANG and
she dropped it and put her hands
over her mouth and said was
it loaded? she looked scared yes

it was loaded with a roll of caps
I said sorry I should have warned
you I picked up the gun and put
it back on the sideboard and handed

her my rifle which she held gingerly
is it loaded? she said no it's ok no
caps there I said she put it against
her shoulder and looked along the

barrel and aimed at the light bulb
and pulled the trigger and it went
click and she smiled and said I blew
out the light she gave me back the

rifle and my mother brought in
some items and put them on the
table and said what would you like
to drink Janice? may I have orange

juice please? my mother nodded and
said you Benny? Tizer please with
a shot of red-eye I said my mother
nodded bemused and went off to

the kitchen Janice looked at the items
nice cakes and sandwiches she said
and chocolate biscuits too yes I said
Mum knows you are special to me

so she pulled out all the stoppers
and here we are and we sat and ate
and Mum brought in the drinks
and left us alone to eat and drink

and talk and I told her about the
gunfight in Dodge City and how
I had shot the Billy the Kid Gang
and she sat impressed and told me

about the coming trip to the seaside
with the gospel church and that her
gran had bought tickets and was I
going? and I said yes I was pleased
she was going but tried not to show it.