Morisset Mental Hospital
It’s 1968 and I’m ten. We’re gonna go and see our Dad again. We haven’t seen him for a long while; Kevin and me are real excited.
Daddy’s driving us up to see him so we’re all really happy. This place isn’t as scary as the last time; it’s much friendlier and the people are nice, too.
We got to sit with him and talk to him and touch him! There was nothing stopping us. No walls or bars or wire mesh, just us and him sitting around this table. I was allowed to sit on his lap for the first time in my life. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he held me tight around the waist. I touched his hair. It’s like mine—it’s got curls, kinda like ringlets but he has more of them. I told him the story of Meryl and Maureen wrapping my hair with brown-paper strips and how, next morning, I had fuzzy hair and the kids called me a golliwog.
We had the best visit! We’re real happy to see him. His eyes were still sad but they sparkled like mine when he got excited and laughed, and I could tell he’s really happy. We talked and talked and held hands. We told him about school and all the rest of the family. He told us he’d be coming home one day. I don’t think anyone wanted to leave that day. I reckon my Dad didn’t want us to go at all. I could tell.
We argue about who looks like him the most and who’s got the blackest hair as well, and we both win. My hair is black and a little bit curly like his; Kevin’s is just black and straight. Mummy is happy, too. We all tell him how much we love him and miss him but then it’s time to leave again. During my childhood, we only ever visited my father three times: the first time in Grafton Jail; this second visit in Morisset Mental Hospital; and a third time, later on, is at Long Bay Jail.
This trip has been so exciting and wonderful, and we seen all these new things and did things that we never do at home; we can’t wait to tell the others. Another long drive in the car and then we’re home again back in Condo, back where we belong. We run and kiss everyone, excited. Lots of family come over that night for a big feed and to find out how our trip went. Hooray!
In June 1968, he was moved again, to Long Bay Jail.