Memories of Red Shoes

I was only about 8 years old I think
Or maybe I was 9 or maybe 10, but I think it was 8
I had a friend who lived up the street from me in Port
Her name was Hillary Burrell, an only child
She came from South Africa with her Mum and Dad
The family was born in England
Hillary's Father was in the Air Force
They lived in South Africa for 5 years

I met her when she rode past on her new bike
I never had a bike,only a steel scooter
my Father ( a boilermaker) made for my Brother and I
Her bike was quiet,black tyres and a basket on the handlebars
Our scooter was loud, no rubber on the wheels
just steel ....it went fast and you certainly could hear it coming
It didn't matter what you crashed into, the scooter remained in one piece
The boys loved to ride it around the block, down the driveways & over the gutters
Not much traffic in the 1940's.

Back to the story of Hillary Burrell
We became friends as we always had lots of kids at our place
Mostly the boys were in Dad's shed fixing up things
The boy's liked Hillary, she had long black plaits,long black eyelashes
And she was 10, quite grown-up and she spoke so beautifully
Would she have flirted with the boys at 10
I didn't even know what flirting was
Except when my cousin who was 15 told me that Hillary
was flirting with the boys

Now Hillary was enrolled in ballet lessons
In Melbourne ,in the city at at school
I was asked if I wanted to go and watch
Of course, Mum said it was ok
So one Saturday morning we hopped on the bus
with Hillary' Mum.
We walked up from Flinders st to Collins St to the ballet school
Being in town was great,I loved going to the city
We used to meet my Aunt at Coles Cafeteria,
in the school holidays,with my 3 cousins
Lunch out was a big event, only once mind you

We went up to the ballet school in the lift
And there I saw another 20 or so young girls
all in their costumes (Leotards)-another new word
I sat with Hillary's Mum and watched them go through the lesson
After 1/2 an hour a break, then another 1/2 an hour all dancing
steps done to a piano player in the corner.
Hillary had Red Ballet shoes, some girls had black,some blue
and some pink and white as well
But I loved Hillary's red ones best

After an hour and a half, we troddled off home
down Elizabeth st to Flinders st
to catch the Garden City bus home
What an exciting day, I knew what I wanted to be
Even at 8 I knew I wanted to be a ballet dancer
I dreamed about those red ballet shoes all the way home
We called into Hillary's place for a drink of milo and a biscuit
(They always had the best shortbread) her Mum made them
My Mum never made biscuits or cakes
Rice puddings ,sago pussings,bread and butter puddings were
her specialty

That night I asked Mum if I could learn ballet
and have a pair of Red Ballet Shoes
I was not worried about the leotard, just the red shoes
Mum said " We might not be able to afford them"
" You ask Hillarys Mum how much the lessons are" and the shoes as well "
I did this and then brought back the brochure for Mum
" Oh heck " said Mum (I think she said heck or maybe it was (Oh Hell)

My face dropped....I knew I wasn't going to get my wish
The cost of the ballet lessons plus the shoes were far out of our
price range
Mum didn't work,Dad's wages as a boilermaker were low
They were paying off the house
We didn't have this sort of income
Nobody in Garden City went to ballet
Some girls went to tap dancing at the local hall
I could go there Mum said
BUT.....I wanted a pair of those Red ballet shoes
so much, never argue with Mum...No meant No.

So I never got to go to Ballet school
and I never went again on a Saturday morning with Hillary
But when I turned 10 my cousin paid for me to go ice skating
at the local St Kila St Moritz rink
My Aunt made me a short frilly frock
I was given a pair of boots and
my Dad made me the chrome blades
I thought I was Sonja Henie (Is that the right spelling).

So the Red ballet shoes and the lessons
faded into the past as I skated round and round that rink
The ice skating lasted till I was 16 and if I do say so myself myself
I cut a georgous figure in my little frilly short skirts
Whirling, dancing, figure skating every Saturday morning
Never a star but not bad even if I do say so myself....

Ah- Ballet and red shoes sounded nice
Especially to a starry eyed 8yr old
but so was ice-skating at the St Moritz rink,
when I grew up to be 10.

Lois (Muse of the Sea) 25.4.06