Branksome Hall - Slogan Yearbook (Toronto, Ontario Canada)

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THp] Branksome Slogan 31 concentrate while some very boring- professor tried to drill History into his brain. Even after all that he was not through. After he had walked home the two miles, carrying an equally heavy load of books, he had had to start rig-ht in again and puzzle out some hopelessly diffi- cult homework for several hours. The children of today seemed terribly lucky. They went to school each morning in their own super-modern cars and sat for an hour or two in cushioned arm chairs watching technicolour movies, which were supposedly educational. Then Mr. Bumby forgot the trials of his school days for awhile and concentrated on finishing his breakfast. ' Top, are you taking the helicopter or the rocket-ship to Chile? Junior asked him in an anxious tone. ' T ' m taking the rocket-ship son, the helicopter is much too slow, and I want to get there a few minutes early so I can look for a thyrone girdle for your mother. Aw gee. Pop! I ' ve got a date with a sizzlin ' siren out in Van- couver and I was going to take her to a Russian night club, but we ' d never make it in the helicopter. Fm sorry son, but perhaps Til be home in time for you to take the rocket, and, if not, they tell me the night clubs in Alaska are very good. Mr. Bumby kissed his wife and daughter and went out the slam-proof door. A few minutes later he could be heard starting the motor of the rocket, and a quiet ' swish ' indicated that he was on his way to Chile. Back in the kitchen Junior and Cerise were getting readj for school and Mrs. Bumby was piling the breakfast dishes in the dish-washer and drier. At ten forty-five the children left for school in their super- Out for PrAetie —

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80 The Branksome Slogan the curtains were drawn back to allow the early morning sunshine to fl sh its brilliant rays into the still closed eyes of Mr. Bumby. ' •Cuthbert, said Mrs. Bumby in an annoyed tone, Wake up. ' •My dear wife, yawned Mr. Bumby, ' ' Who would ever dream of getting up at this hour. What ' s the matter? Cuthbert Bumby, don ' t tell me you ' ve forgotten your luncheon date with Mr. Whats-his-name in Chile ! No, no dear, I ' m sorry ; I ' ll get right up. What do you want with nylon anywaj Cuthbert? Why it ' s going- out of date very quickly. If I were you I ' d try and meet someone inter- ested in thy rone. Luetta Smith told me that thy rone girdles give you the most wonderful figure. Well, if a thyrone girdle could do anything for her figure it really must be wonderful. Before his wife could answer, Mr. Bumby was in the bathroom setting the shower dial at extra cold. The cold suds made him feel wonderful ; he even attempted to sing while he turned on the rinsing water. It was a gay little ditty, he was not sure of the name of it, but he thought it was something like Boog it Momma. If Junior could hear him he would taunt him for being old-fashioned, but Mr. Itumby felt that there v as nothing like the old songs, the new ones were far too dreary for his taste. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Mrs. Bumby was getting breakfast. She glanced at the bacon and eggs which were frying themselves on the built-in stove. A small red light flashed on which meant that they were done exactly the way Mr. Bumby liked them. The coffee was bubbling a joyful tune which meant that it also was ready. She poured it into a plastic cup and put the bacon and eggs on a matching plastic plate. Breakfast, Cuthbert dear, she called, and you ' d better w ake the children. It ' s nearly ten-thirty and they have to be at school by eleven. Mr. Bumby appeared in the kitchen a few minutes later. He looked very handsome in his blue suit of nylo n-gaberdine. He kissed his wife and seated himself on one of the air-filled breakfast benches opposite her. She passed him his coffee and the morning- paper. - Hmmm, he said thoughtfully, I see that those scientists have reached Mars. I wonder what they ' ll find? Before his wife could answer, they were interrupted by the entrance of their children, Cuthbert Junior, who was seventeen, and Cerise, a pretty girl of fifteen. Mr. Bumby looked enviously at them. In his day he had had to walk two miles to school, carrying a heavy load of books, and then he had had to sit five long hours in a hard chair and

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32 The Branksome Slogan modern cars. Mrs. Bumby switched on her television set and watclied her favorite liquid soap-opera while she put away the dishes. When it was ' over she put the veg-etables in the vegetable peeler and the meat m the oven and set the dials on the stove so that dinner would be all ready when she got home at eight o ' clock. Mrs. Bumby ' s housekeeping cares were over for the day, and as she left the house to spend a carefree afternoon with her friends, she breathed a sigh of happiness and thought how wonderful it was to be alive on that beautiful day in 1970. MARY LIZ WH ITE. NOS COMPATRIOTES SONT AMIABLES L ' avez-vous jamais visitee, cette captivante ville de Quebec? Ou connaissez-vous 1 e s Canadiens francais? Je vais vous les pre- senter. Je suis allee a d ' Orleans pour y perfectionner mon francais. Un jour apres avoir beaucoup appris (selon moi) je suis allee chez Pac- quets. Vous comprenez que Pac- quets est un grand magasin. Je suis montee au deuxieme etage et la j ' ai vu beaucoup de robes de vendeuses et de vendeurs. Je me suis rapprochee de I ' un d ' eux. ' ' Je veux acheter une robe monsieur, 1 i I 1 -1 et je porte la taille douze ' ' ' Com- ment, vous voulez parler au numero quatre-vingt-douze? Et avant que je Taie bien comprise, il s ' en est alle et moi je restais la rougis- sante! Une demoiselle qui avait ap ' parement le numero quatre- vingt-douze s ' est approchee de moi. Je lui ai explique ma difficulte et elle a souri. Elle ne comprenait pas un mot d ' anglais. Mais enfin, grace a elle, j ' ai fait mon achat. Puis j ' ai re joint ma famille. Et si vous voulez visiter Quebec une fois ou I ' autre vous trou- verez qu ' ils vous aideront aussi. SHIRLEY BAKER.