Prep can be a
tough gig when you have a thermos of fried rice rather than a Vegemite
sandwich.
Sure, I got a
knowing nod from the Wong sisters, and the insatiable competitive
beast that was Andrew Sun, who, even at the ripe old age of five,
had the age-old Chinese tradition of comparison perfected. “My
mum’s is better than that” he’d say. That was slightly
unfair I thought. Andrew’s dad worked in the building across
the road; he’d get fish and chips delivered every day.
But to the Steves
and Jeremys of the world, this was uncharted territory – Vegemite
sandwiches were safe.
They were good
fellas, Steve and Jeremy; they would share their Twisties during recess.
Steve’s dad went for the Swans. From the age of five he knew
about the “blood culture”, and knew about Bobby Skilton.
He’d yell out at recess while jumping on my back “CAPPER!!”.
I asked my mum what he meant. She didn’t know.
