AustLit

'It was the story of a child who lived in an apartment house because his parents despaired of ever finding a home of their own.

'Jackie's wants in life were simple. He wanted a backyard to play in, a dog, a cat, a little sister, and some "chooks."

'His parents kept promising him these things, but, as Jackie never tired of saying, "grown-ups never keep their promises."

'Jackie had nobody to play with because, when he tried to bring his friends home, he was met with the Rule of the House - "Non-resident Children Not Allowed on These Premises."

'He couldn't play in the streets, of course. Children get killed that way.

'In the meantime, his parents were degenerating under the strain of living in one room. Ill-temper and sour frustration were marked every day of their lives. Naturally, Jackie suffered from this, too.

'Jackie could only get friends by buying them, since he had no facilities to offer. This led him to steal sixpences to buy comics for bribes.

'His father discovered this, and taxed him with it in the street one day. Jackie got frightened, and ran, rather melodramatically, under a car. That was the end of Jackie.

[...]

'Using a strange device, the story was told as it would be by a little boy who had achieved a mature, god-like capacity for summing up his own situation.

'The device was to have Jackie himself acting as narrator, after his death, and speaking from the land of those about to be reborn.

'This narration takes the form of dialogue with another child waiting to be born; one who has never been born before.

'He is warning her of all the traps there are about being alive, except for the fortunate few who are bom to such rare delights as backyards to play in, dogs, cats, Iittle sisters, and chooks.

'Set against this background of absolute wisdom, the story took on a nightmare quality which made one struggle and fight for breath.'

Source:

'"Only Child" Story Was True to Life', The Argus, 12 August 1950, p.15.