BROTHER NUMBER 3.
RON.
Of all the brothers most affable I would have to say that our Ronny would be the one.
Another of the Wellington Tech mold Ron was made responsible for the running of Hing Lee in Riddiford Street, Newtown.
From his mannerisms and slight stature I always thought Ron could have been the Chinese Mickey Rooney.
He always appeared serious with his white apron strung tightly around his waist and the perpetual cigarette drooping from his lips or held smoking in his fingers.
Ron took his position seriously and kept the shop really neat. He had a great relationship with his customers and I think they really reciprocated this feeling.
He looked so young for his age that I recall him driving the truck one day with us kids jumping around on the rear deck but hanging onto the backboard.
In no time he was stopped by a traffic cop.
It looked like a 14year old was at the wheel and with the big V8 Ron looked even smaller inside the cab.
He got off but you could not blame the cop.
Mrs Smith was a nice friendly customer who lived just up the road on Russell Terrace.
She had a son by the name of Roy who was a real character.
Roy became a close friend of Ron’s and here another two milkbar cowboys were born. Ron on his black Matchless and Roy on his bike whose brand I cannot remember.
Later on Roy would zip around on an MG TD sports cars. He was a member of the MG car club and just loved the marque.
Roy’s friend was the tall and lean Duncan Skinner who later managed the Colonial Motors Panel beating Company off Tory Street.
These three were great companions and would talk about anything from football to boxing.
Ron could discuss anything even though he might have known little of the subject.
2.
He would take a drag on his cigarette and blow the smoke out then perhaps draw a comb out of his pocket then sweep his hair back, lean on the counter then roll his eyes to the ceiling and then with an uncertain “Ah yeah…” about whatever was the topic could go on for hours.
His favourite morning ritual was to open up the Dominion newspaper and study the racing pages over endless cups of tea then after this was finished casually take up his responsibilities like time did not exist.
Ron was also a transient person going from Newtown to Manners Street then off to another Zenith Seeds in High Street Lower Hutt then when this was closed down off to the South Island to join David in the Zenith Garden Centre there.
It is strange that once the brothers moved south a link seemed to have been broken.
The years passed and we did not see but only heard of the boys down south.
I last saw Ron in Brisbane where he went to see an ill David.
Then he returned to Christchurch and he would phone me every now and then.
We both had heart problems and we would compare notes over the phone.
Then one day I heard he had a heart attack whilst going to the dairy to buy a packet of cigarettes.
Helen and I went to his service and there on his casket someone had placed a packet of the ground tobacco leaf that probably helped with his demise.
I still remember Ron as the eternal good guy.
I don’t think anyone had an axe to grind with him.
His attitude on smoking would be “ If I die I die”.
He taught me the difference between Kissing Gouramis and Neon Tetra goldfish being an avid collector when at Karori.
And I am sure that if he had only one dollar left in his pocket he would spend it on his kids.
It was a shame he had to leave them.
Draft 1.
25th December, 2007.
Amended 10/1/08
