Ricky

by Sheila Hunter

  Their hostess gave a small chuckle to herself, thinking of the task she had before her. She set about trying to ease their pain and as she was a lady skilled in dealing with bashful and frightened boys, she soon had them, eating out of her hand, so to speak. She offered them some cool refreshing drinks and over these she concentrated on talking small talk to Ricky, whom she knew was the 'father' of the group. Mr Fishbon did not make a great effort to ease the discomfort of the other two boys but was willing to let his wife handle the situation, for he knew of old her wisdom in such matters. She was very experienced in dealing with the boys whom he had found difficult, when he was a house master in England, and he knew she would not find these Australian boys any different.

  Dinner was a quiet meal served in a small room with a fairly small table. The boys did not know it but this room was Mrs Fishbon's sewing room. She had thought that the formal dining room would be a little too much for her raw recruits. She planned well. She found that Ricky had taught the others well, for when something cropped up that the boys didn't know about, such as, which were the fish knives, they just waited, hardly breathing, until they could see what their host and hostess did, then they quietly followed.

  They retired to the sitting room again after dinner and Mrs Fishbon surprised her husband by coming out in the open with her plans.

  "Richard," she addressed Ricky, "I know and understand that you are ardent in your desire for education, not only for Will but for Thaddeus and yourself as well."

  "Yes, ma'am, I am, and Mr Fishbon is helping us very much indeed. We are very grateful, aren't we?" he asked Tad and Will. They agreed.

  "Yes, well, that's all very well, but you should have your education rounded off. Did you know that?"

  "I am sorry. I don't quite understand." Ricky replied wondering.

  "Richard, you are going to be one of the leading business men of this colony. I gather that Thaddeus will become a leading journalist and that Mr Hughes will have to watch his position one of these days. And I hear that William is a rising artist and with the right tuition he will be also someone of note. Do I surmise correctly."

  The three boys had chuckled loudly over her summing up of their capabilities, this seemed to break the tension that had accompanied their visit. She went on, "To be successful you need more than academic skills, native wit and ambition. You need a certain amount of social skills and I am here to provide it."

  "But Mrs Fishbon, but what do you mean? Have we done anything wrong?" blustered Ricky. Tad and Will looked quite embarrassed.

  "No, you have done nothing wrong, and I am surprised you haven't." said their hostess. "But you will find yourselves in much more difficult situations that this. Do explain to them Geoffrey."

  Now Mr Fishbon took over, explaining to them how pleased and happy they were that the boys were able to handle themselves with the skill that they had shown that evening, but offered the services of his wife and himself to teach them all the nicer points of etiquette, to learn not only how to be guests but also to be hosts, to dress well, to talk social small talk and all the other things that one needs when one 'goes up in the world'. At first Tad and Ricky got a bit hot under the collar about it. Will by this time lad lost interest in the conversation, so it went on over his head. Before Ricky could speak Mr Fishbon went on in his quiet way and smoothed them down until they could see the reasoning behind it all.

  This was the beginning of a new life for the boys. They learned to live in a different world. The Fishbons were wonderful teachers, they were true to their word, they taught them not only to be guests, but also to be hosts, in other words they gave the boys some polish. At times they thought their teachers went a little far, especially when Mrs Fishbon insisted that they learn how to properly set a table, serve food and wine and all the other things that a good servant knew. At the look of dismay on their faces she laughed and said, "A servant is no better than his master. If you want good servants you must know what to expect of them." Tad laughed when he thought of his having a servant.

  There followed some evenings which were full of surprises. At first alone with the Fishbons where they took to their lessons quite well. But one evening when they arrived expecting it to be the same medicine as before they were surprised to find some friends of Mr and Mrs Fishbon, who had been invited for dinner. They were a couple, Mr and Mrs Reeves, who were much of an age as their hosts. They gathered that Mr Reeves had been a teacher at The Kings School at the same time as Mr Fishbon. The boys presumed that they had been told of the lessons but were surprised when the Reeves asked how long they had been in the colony and had they attended The Kings School. When answering in the negative to the last question Tad looked a bit bewildered, not knowing how to answer at first. So Ricky took over and said straight out that they were very much of the Sydney scene in that they had had to make their own way in the world and that Mr and Mrs Fishbon were helping them acquire a little town polish. The astounded pair were most impressed and Ricky went on to tell them how they filled their days and what their ambitions were.

  The boys remained after the Reeves left for home, waiting to hear the comments of their teachers, for Ricky was rather wondering if he should have told straight out what he did. But he needn't have worried for Mr Fishbon congratulated him on being so forthright, saying, "I am pleased that you told our friends your story, Ricky. I think you handled that very well. I did not tell Mr and Mrs Reeves anything about you. I wanted you to learn how to handle being asked and I thought it would be better to spring it on you."

  "Well, sir, it did give me a start, as it did Tad, I could see. I think he thought as I did that I would shuffle past that, then I thought, why shouldn't I say what we did. It is no use telling people we are gentry when we are not. I am not ashamed of us and so I went ahead."

  "Yes, I agree," said Mr Fishbon. "Many people have come to this colony and tried to make out that they are other than what they really are. Answer in like manner when asked, and do not be ashamed of what you are, for we are very proud of what you have achieved, and you should be too."

  From then on the boys did not know who would be at their hosts home when they dined, and they very rarely had to explain who they were or what they did, for Sydney was full of people whose lifestyles had changed, some for the better and some not. Transportation had stopped in 1841 and so there were no new convicts in the colony, but there were many folk who had come as convicts and were only too pleased not to be asked their background. But mostly the guests they met were families who had young people much their age. So their circle of acquaintances grew.

  Will was the least interested in all of this than the other boys, as his ambitions were not of the social kind. Not that Ricky or Tad had social inclinations either, but they did realise the worth of what Mr and Mrs Fishbon were teaching them. Will always thought a lot of Mr Fishbon for he had the knack of making lessons very interesting and always seemed to be able to use examples for his lessons that brought in things which he knew Will was particularly keen about. But as for all that Mrs Fishbon said, well, he agreed to go along with it because Tad and Ricky wanted to, but all changed when he found that Mrs Fishbon had at one time produced some very passable water colour sketches.

  Mr Fishbon showed him these one evening when he could see that Will was particularly bored with proceedings. The boy's delight knew no bounds. "Can you still paint like that, Mrs Fishbon?" he anxiously asked.

  "Yes, dear," she said, "I still do paint at times. Would you like me to teach you the little I know?"

  "Oh, yes, please," said Will, "I just dream of colour. I do want to paint."

  "Well, you shall. Mind, I'm not much good and I cannot draw as well as you, but I can teach you the technique and you will soon pass me in skill."

  Will was in seventh heaven, and before he left that night was able to pin his hostess down to making a firm appointment to come during the daytime and have his first lesson.

  Transport was always a worry. Ricky was coming to the conc
lusion that they would soon have to invest in something that would get them from one place to another. Left to the two older boys, this would not be a worry, but getting Will around the town was quite a difficulty. There were horse drawn buses but they were far too difficult for Will to cope with. However Mr Fishbon suggested that he take Will home with him after some of the academic lessons and send him home by cab when his painting lessons were over.

  John Landon was most interested in his young friends' progress. He often caught up on their welfare from Mr Fishbon and Mr Hughes of the newspaper. He was concerned that Will was not able to take his painting along quicker than he was and so was pleased when Mrs Fishbon agreed to teach what she knew of the art.

  In the meantime, Ricky's business was flourishing. It was past being called a shop and was in the category of being a store, having a greater variety of goods. He had put on two staff, a lad called Jackie and a man who was a clerk as well as shop assistant. This allowed Ricky to spend more time buying and getting around the town to learn ideas of how to enhance his business. He had his eye on the area beside his own shop, the part that Landon's used as a sort of storeroom. He knew it was not essential to Mr Landon's business for he had enough store space in his other building. So one day while paying his rent he asked if he could have an appointment to see Mr Landon.

  Mr Landon noted with pleasure that Ricky was dressed in very neat, well cut clothes that showed the mark of an up and coming business man. He bade Ricky sit and then wanted all the news of the boys' doings. Then he asked how the business was progressing. Ricky was rather reluctant about wanting to take over more of the man's accommodation, but knew that he must expand and so put his case.

  "I am very pleased that you are doing so well, Ricky. How do you aim to use the other shop?"

  "Well, sir, I have a lot of ideas, but at first I would like to buy materials from you and sell them there. I thought of having seamstresses to make them up there and all sorts of haberdashery lines and various other things that seem to interest the ladies. I have been looking in the other shops and looking at magazines that I have had from England and I think I can give the customers what they want."

  "A very good idea, Ricky. I have often toyed with the idea of going into the retail business myself, but have no real inclination for it. Let us discuss it more."

  They did this at great length to their mutual satisfaction. Then John Landon asked how Will was developing his painting skills. Ricky was amused at this, knowing that they had not told him about Will's painting lessons, he knew that Mr Landon must surely be keeping a weather eye on them all.

  "Will loves his lessons, but he is certain that water colour is not his way of painting. He is mad keen to start in oils, sir, and I am a bit dubious about how to go about that. But for all that he is producing some very good paintings."

  "I think we have a true artist there, Ricky. Does he draw or paint all the time? Does he do anything else?"

  "Yes, sir, he does. He helps me a bit in the shop, but now that I have help he is very keen to go out and about to draw and paint as soon as he does his housework. He still insists on doing that, and I must admit I am glad. He keeps the place pretty clean, too."

  "He's a good lad. What does he do when he goes out? He can't walk far, can he?"

  "I wish you would call in, Mr Landon and see some of the painting and drawings he is doing. I think they are really something. Can you come sometime, sir?"

  "Yes, I'll call in this afternoon, if that's all right."

  Will was out when Landon called at the shop. Nodding to Jackie and George Parker the senior assistant, he went through to the residence, where Ricky was making afternoon tea. He was surprised to see that Ricky had even put a cloth on the table and set out some decent cups and saucers. He started to say something and changed his mind, being caught open-mouthed as Ricky looked up at him.

  Ricky laughed and said, "We promised Mrs Fishbon that we would never let our standards down and always make a point of doing things correctly. She's a hard task master, Mr Landon. If we find we are doing something she says we are not to, we get a guilty conscience. Would you care for a cup, sir?"

  "Yes, my boy, I would, thank you. You seemed to have fallen on your feet with the Fishbons, Ricky. I was thinking of asking him to help you for I know him slightly, but you got in before me. Mrs Fishbon takes a hand, too, I take it."

  "Yes, she has us to dinner one night each week, usually Saturday, and we have to turn out in proper style. She is giving us a little polish, as she calls it, and introducing us to various people. She's rather wonderful, Mr Landon, we all like her very much," he added wistfully.

  "You are very fortunate, lad, to have such a pair of teachers. I feel that you will go a long way in your career and from what Hughes tells me of Tad, he will too, and a little town polish will stand you in stead as you get older."

  "I know and appreciate it. Will was not very interested in it all until he found that Mrs Fishbon could paint. Now he thinks the world of her and will do anything she wants him too."

  "Where is he now?"

  "He has taken to going along the lanes and streets near here and drawing all he sees. At the moment he is in next door at your stables drawing the horses as they come in. Mrs Fishbon wanted to show him how to paint trees, but he was not interested. He mainly does people and town streets and houses and people working, look I'll show you."

  Ricky took out some paintings from Will's large folios and put them up one at a time on the easel that was standing against the wall near Will's desk. John Landon was amazed at the quality of them. He found it very hard to realise that a stripling of a boy did them. Will obviously loved painting heads and he had done quite a variety of them. He just didn't draw the features, he seemed to get right into his models and bring out their character. Then Ricky put up some of his street and working people drawings. His line was very strong and fluid, he caught the movement and life of the people and the streets around him. Then finally Ricky showed his water colours and John immediately saw what Will wanted to do. The water colour was too weak for his strong subjects. He could see what some of them would be in heavy, strong oils. They were magnificent. He liked several of the local smithy. The whole painting was dark, as dark as one could get with water colour, the light coming from the forge shone on the sweaty skin of the smith.

  John Landon felt breathless as he gazed in, almost, awe. "Ricky, he must be taught properly. He must! And we must set him up in a place where he can be free to do what he wants."

  "I agree, sir, but don't know where to start."

  "Well, I do. I hear that Patrick Thomas is taking pupils and I will go and see if he will take Will. Thomas is a portraitist but does other things and I am sure he will help Will a great deal. What do you think?"

  "That would really be something, sir. But I wonder whether I could afford that. Would he charge much, Mr Landon?" asked Ricky anxiously.

  "That is my responsibility, Ricky. I told you I would see to Will." As Ricky was about to protest he went on. "I can see that Will has amazing potential and he will need a sponsor. I will be very glad to take that on. But he will need somewhere to spread his wings. I wonder where."

  "Well, I was going to suggest that he has one of the rooms behind the new shop, Mr Landon. If the door through here from the kitchen was opened up, I think one of the rooms like these would do fine. I think it would be suitable, at least until he is older and can get a place of his own. What do you think?"

  "Yes, it may do. We'll wait until it is cleaned up, then we can see."

  Ricky thanked him and added. "Mr Landon there is another thing that worries me, too. I would like you to tell me where we could get some experience driving and riding, please. Which stables should we go to? You see Will is very restricted and I feel he should be able to be more mobile. I would like to get a gig or sulky or something so he could move around a bit. In any case we all need to be able to move more freely. We should ride, too. Tad especially needs to when he gets his n
ew job as reporter, which will be soon. He does ride some of the horses at the newspaper office, but I am sure he should be taught properly. So should I really."

  "My dear boy, I am so sorry, I should have thought of it before. Ward, the head groom at our factory stables is just the man."

  "Oh, no, Mr Landon. I didn't mean that. I wasn't asking for that."

  "I know you were not, Ricky. But nevertheless I will speak to Ward. He will teach each of you to ride and drive. There is no better teacher, I'll speak to him in the morning. You go and see him tomorrow and make the arrangements."

  Things moved quickly, then. The storeroom next door was cleaned out and the new shop set up. The double door dividing Ricky's shop and the new one was opened, as well as the ones that divided the living quarters. They found there was a very reasonable room for Will to use as a studio, and he was delighted. Another room was turned into an office for Ricky. At the same time all this was going on Ward taught them all to drive and ride. Later when the time came he was able to advise them about purchasing a decent horse and a sulky and a small horse for riding, which Tad used. So they set up their stables and used their newly learned skills, which under Ward's tutelage, included the grooming and feeding of their stock.

  It was not long after this that Ricky was driving Will through town when he pulled up suddenly calling to a stooped figure outside a public house. The old man looked up at the voice and came to the sulky.

  "Why it's young Ricky come up in the world."

  "Tom, what are you doing here. I've never seen you anyway but at the stables, and you were there last time I called."

  "They give me the push, matie. A couple o' munce back. They says I wus too old, so I'm aht on the street like yer were. They got a young'n there in my job nah."

  "Well, Tom, you just get up here, we'll take you home with us. We'll look after him, won't we, Will? Oh, Tom, this is Will." Will looked a little non-plussed at this but moved over as he was bidden.