TheHallowian-2021Vol2 - Flipbook - Page 16
Das Prayer for
Dentists
The Baby Doll Pyjama
Episode
Felicity Begley-Mills, Class of 1969
Felicity Begley-Mills, Class of 1969
I will always be grateful to Sister Mary
Claver who taught me German in Years 11 &
12 (1968 & 1969), including how to say the
Our Father & Hail Mary in German.
To give this story some context, back in my school days,
students weren’t required to sign an authentication
declaration when handing in assignments, not only
because assessment was almost always done in exam
conditions, but also because our parents didn’t get
involved and we didn’t have tutors!
I think I was born with a fear of the dentist.
I was having some dental work done and
dreaded the drill and numbing injections.
It was quite hard to get outside ‘assistance’ as I found
out in my Year 8 Home Economics sewing class.
Trying to take my mind off the high pitched
whine of the drill I would fervently and
silently recite,
I am not sure where Sister Mary Eucharia got what she
thought was a modern pyjama pattern, described to us
as the Baby Doll style! Right from the start, they just
seemed wrong on every level.
Vater unser der du bist im Himmel etc,
etc.............
and
Heilige Maria ..............etc etc over and over.
The A line top had short fly away sleeves and a deep
scoop neck. The pants were knee length bloomers with
an elasticised frill. Having said that, I had zero talent in
this area, which caused me anxiety each week when we
had our lesson.
I can’t quite remember the last lines of each
prayer now, but over the past 53 years my
high school German has got me through
many, many dental visits.
I was still cutting out when others were already busy
on the sewing machines. The finished product was to
be marked, so Sister Mary Eucharia would stand at the
door at the end of the lesson as we filed out to make
sure no one took the pyjamas home.
Hopefully the dentists have also
unknowingly benefited from my calling
down blessings on them!
At our second last lesson before hand-in day, I was in
quite a state at my pending pyjama disaster. Normally a
very compliant student, I made the desperate decision
to smuggle my pyjamas out so I could take them home
for Mum to fix. As we filed past Sister Mary Eucharia, I
was sure she was going to call me out, but miraculously
she got distracted by another student.
Oh, what a sweet relief!
Mum had a tough time undoing my poor machine
work, however, with an iron and neat fold we put them
in a bag and I successfully smuggled them back into
class.
It was the best pass mark I have ever received. I tried to
like them, especially given the effort that Mum had put
in, but after one wear my original first impression was
right – they were just wrong.
I think we put them in a recycle bag and I can only hope
that someone put them to better use!
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The Hallowian | 2021