Page 36 - With Karoline Siepierskit, Whitney Pier

ISSUE : Issue 36

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1984/6/1

here • I can't explain to you. (They did something to his neck?) Yes, back here. And it didn't help. And after those months, he sent me a letter: "If you want to see me, you'd better take me home." Just awful? ly sick. He came home. He stayed more than a year home. And after awhile, he came a little bit better. And he went back to work some more. (To the plant.) Yeah. They took him back. He was working, some easy job. Maybe working one year, that's all. He got sick again. Same sickness. And he went in the hospital some more. He stayed a couple of months, and after the doctor said, "You're not really sick--a little bit cured. Well, you'd better go home." And every week he'd just go for something they'd give him for the chest. Some gas, something--I don't know. I can't explain. And he went every week, once a week. And he stayed home, he didn't work, just kept in. The steel company gave him a benefit. They didn't give all the time, just three months they gave you benefit, and they fin? ished. (Not a great deal of money.) No, no--but still good. At least then for one dollar you could buy something. Today you can't. When my man was sick, the city gave me seven dollars a week, every week. Called relief. (How could a person sur? vive?) Well, just do it • The hard time. Just I'm glad the city gave me seven dol? lars. And the boarders I've got gave me money, that paid for my rent. I'm glad. (Did you have any children yet?) I had three children. I kept three boarders. Rooming, see? I'm washing clothes. I make meals, not just my meals--those men bought meals I cooked. I give him a room, he paid me five dollars in a month. I'm telling you: when I think of it, I nearly cry. I didn't have a machine like that today-- just I'm washing their clothes by hand. Those men--they'd tell me in the morning when they went to work what they wanted for dinner. When they come from work. Well then, the fellow come from the store with what he wanted--pound of meat, bread and butter. That's all. And I'm cooking some soup and like that for supper. And I lived. I'm paying 15 dollars in rent every month. What those boarders gave me I paid in rent. And the heavy clothes, the men come from work with heavy clothes, dirty clothes and everything. (You worked hard for your rent.) I was young. I didn't mind. I didn't mind those jobs. Just young, I'm strong and I'm working. (How does your husband take this? He's come to this country, he's tried to start a new life--and for five years he's sick.) Well, he wasn't expecting to get sick. Well, sickness comes, that's all. I'm tell? ing him, "What for are you working too many shifts?" And he said, "Well, you know what I'm doing--I'm working and I'll save money and go back to Poland." He must have been missing Poland too much. All the time TL Blue Heron Gift Shop VyBOOKS, GLASSWARE, FIGURINES, WOODENWARE. CRYSTAL 'Vi Gifts for All Occasions 'iJl, BADDECK, N. S. 295-3424 Plage St-Pierre Camping Situee / situated route 19 / 3.2 km. He de Cheticamp/Cheticamp Island Sites: 60 aucun service (unserviced), 49 electricite (electric), 33 eau (water), 16 complet (complete) Plage/beach, terrain de jeu/playground, mini-golf, tennis, cantine/canteen, foyers/fireplaces, tables de pique-nique/picnic tables, toilettes/toilets, douches/showers (36) Saison/Season: Juin/June - Septembre/September INFORMATION: Les Trois Pignons C.P./P.O. Box 430, Cheticamp, N.S. BOE IHO (902) 224-2112 224-2642 OPEN 7.00 A.M. TO 11.00 P.M. Bomie Jean Restaurant Home-Cooked Meals with Fresh Vegetables Gift Shop Groceries and Meats On Highway 105 near the Seal Island Bridge QUALITY SOFT DRINKS SINCE 1905 AT THE PRICE THAT REFRESHES Pop Factory I Ron McKinlay&SonsLtd.; A COMPLETE partTsuppues 262 BROOKS IDE 849-6644 GLACE BAY

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