A ball runner waits during the second round of the US Open tennis tournament in New York. [AP Photo]
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When I was 13 years old I worked part-time as a ball runner in the afternoon after school. I "picked ball" at the sugar-estate manager's tennis court at Uitvlugt. All the players were white people. They paid me 35 cents per afternoon for three afternoons weekly. I held the "job" for two weeks only because bigger boys bullied me out of it. The year was 1964.
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35 cents was big money back then.
35 cents was big money back then.
The $2.10 pay I got for the 2 weeks made me feel like a king. My mom used to give me 5 cents allowance every school day to buy lunch. Two weeks' allowance totalled only 50 cents.
Sir Bookman, 10 yrs after you, i got 10 cents to buy pine drink and phoulourie/salara at Aunty Shirool's stall.
btw, bossman, how's ur Aunt doing?
Chameli, in my time Aunty Shirool sold a glass of pine drink or mauby for 2 cents and 5 phoulourie for 3 cents. In the drink was a piece of ice. I made sure I consumed the ice before leaving her tent. After all, I paid for the ice too.
you guya luckly you get money i use to live on windpie and sky juice
you guya luckly you get money i use to live on windpie and sky juice
i had to sell cookrit to get a frik-1953.
The 3 cent boil channa we used to have in our bare hand and with no tissues around we would rub the hand on our heads. The stale oil used to smell funny.
Sir, i saw aunty Shirool about a yr ago (she's friends with my parents) she looks healthy and still looks great for her age. Mr Gulcharan parents also used to sell stuff and the family right at the corner b4 the bridge.
It's nice to know Aunty Shirool is alive and well. I remember Mr Goolcharran and his parents. Mr Goolcharran was a ZSS student up to 1967-68. He played cricket well, too.
The 3 cent boil channa we used to have in our bare hand and with no tissues around we would rub the hand on our heads. The stale oil used to smell funny.
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