Wanted: House to rent at Holloways Beach

This morning, Uncle Tinus and cousin Bridget dropped in for a cup of coffee and a yarn.  We were talking about Kibby’s thriving icy cup business which he operates with the business acumen he inherited from Tony’s father, Dato Henry.  Until his death in September, 1997, Dato sold icy cups, red raspberry and brown sarsparella.

     People came far and wide to buy Dato Henry’s icy cups from this house because they were the best icy cups on the island, not too watery, not too sweet.  Dato Henry had a special formula to guarantee the unique taste for which he was famous.  Before his death, he confided the secret formula to Tony and Tony has disclosed this to Kibby who, of all the children, has showed the most interest in becoming a small business entrepreneur.

     Now people come far and wide to buy Kibby’s icy cups.  It is a thriving business for an eight year-old  He is selling the traditional red and brown varieties, but he has also added green and orange.  While not as popular as red and brown, Kibby wants customers to have choice.  In fact, red outsells brown.

Kibby needs to make up red and orange icy cups.

     From early morning until late at night, the customers come at a slow and steady rate.  We hear the gentle pad-pad-pad on the stairs and the rattle of the veranda gate.

     ‘Two red, one orange and one brown, please,’ says a little voice and a little hand holds out some loose change.

     If Kibby is out with his dad, it’s up to those left at home to service the demand.  Even the crew downstairs help out if all the Titaseys are out.

     Here’s the sad part.  At the end of January, the kids and I are going to live for a while with my mum, Bubu who has not been well.  She lives in Smithfield, Cairns in a quiet suburban street.  I’ll miss the faces that appear, here and there through the day, asking, ‘four brown and two red and one green.’

     ‘Are you going to sell icy cups from Bubu’s house?’ asked Uncle Tinus, sipping his coffee.

     ‘Nah,’ said Kibby, ‘no one’ll buy them.’

     ‘It’s not the sort of thing people buy down there,’ said Tony.

     ‘You could give it a go,’ I said not wanting to discourage Kibby, but I was thinking, there was no way people in suburbia would rock up at someone’s front door and say, ‘one red and one brown.’

     ‘White people don’t buy icy cups,’ said Sutchy butchering a loaf of home-made bread.

     ‘We matha go live in Holloways Beach,’ said Kibby, who has spent much time at Holloways with his  sister, Ashlea who lived there until recently. 

     ‘How come?’ we all asked at the same time. 

     ‘Black people live there,’ he said matter-of-factly.