No Going Back

by Mick Moran

  “Thank you, replied Michael. “You put good men on the job. Have you come to check up on us?”

 

  “No. No. Not at all: I know I can trust you Michael.” It wasn’t the Eddie they knew. Eddie didn’t do complements. “I was just passing by. I was on my way to that little shop. I need a bottle of milk. But, you’ve blocked my way. I’ll have to walk all the way round now.”

 

  Then Eddie had an idea. Ignoring Jimmy’s ‘ah’ in mock sympathy, he called to some boys who were across the road. There was a school nearby; it was their mid-day break. In response to his call one of the boys came across.

  “Get’s a bottle of milk from that shop,” ordered Eddie, passing a half-a –crown through the wire netting.

 

  The boy eagerly took the coin and ran across the road towards the shop. Instead of entering the shop, however, he was seen to run past it down a side street by the side of the shop.

 

  Jimmy laughed out loud.

 

  For a minute Eddie was speechless. Then, when he got his voice back, he said, “maybe he’s gone to another shop. They might not sell milk in that shop.

 

  “More likely he’s buggered off with your half-a-crown,” laughed Jimmy.

 

  Eddie was not giving up yet. “Don’t they sell milk in that shop,” he shouted at the other boys across the road.

 

  “Yes sir,” answered one of the boys politely. “They do. Shall I get you a bottle?” The boy started to cross the road towards Eddie, but seeing Eddie’s face thought better of it.

 

  “A fool and his money are soon parted.” Jimmy was making the most of it, annoying Eddie, who failed to see the funny side of it, all the more.

 

  Without another word Eddie turned and walked away, his face like thunder.

 

  “Come on,” said Michael. “It’s dinner time.” Then turning to Jimmy he warned, “You’ll pay for that. He doesn’t like being laughed at.”

 

  “I don’t care.” Jimmy was still laughing. “I enjoyed that. Did you see his face?”

  ***

 

 

 

  After dinner the work progressed even faster. “Now we’re in the swing of it we’re going too fast,” complained Jimmy. “This job has to last all day, or God only knows what that edjit will have us doing.”

 

  Jimmy stopped and lit a cigarette. Andy, not being a smoker, busied himself kicking a stone around. It was too cold to stand around. For that reason mainly, Michael and Joe carried on regardless while Michael gave his opinion on the fencing “This wire fencing gives no shelter from the wind” said Michael. “Butler’s doing it on the cheap again. It’s not the best protection for the site either. It might keep kids out but it doesn’t hide anything. If someone wants to steal something all he has to do is to cut the wire.”

 

  “It’s thick wire. Wire cutters wouldn’t cut it.”

 

  “Bolt cutters would. That’s what they use.” Then Michael suddenly called. “Hi up! Jimmy and Andy. Watch yourselves.”

 

  It was too late. Eddie was upon them. Then they heard him.

 

  “Have you two finished?”

 

  “No,” replied Jimmy. “There’s a lot to do yet.”

 

  “Well, standing around smoking won’t get it done. Michael,” shouted Eddie. “You and your mate can finish the fencing. I have another job for these two.”

 

  No one argued. “Come on,” ordered Eddie.

 

  Jimmy and Andy followed him. “What have you got for us?” asked Jimmy, trying to be as pleasant as possible.

 

  “That main drain. You can carry on with that. You’ll find picks and shovels in there.” Eddie pointed to a cabin.

 

  Jimmy had a look in the drain, which was already partially dug out.

  “It’s full of water,” he shouted. That was an exaggeration, but there was at least a foot of water in the cutting.

 

  Eddie, who had started to walk away turned. “It will be,” he agreed, “after all the rain we had.”

 

  “Have we wellies?”

 

  “No. Some will be sent out tomorrow. You’ll find a couple of buckets in the cabin. You’ll have to bail the water out.”

 

  “I’m not going down there without wellies.”

 

  “You’ll do as you’re fucking told,” said Eddie aggressively, taking a few steps closer to Jimmy. “I know about you. You’re a trouble- maker. Then he turned to Andy. “Do you want to stand around all day as well?”

 

  “No,” replied Andy. “But, you’re not being fair.”

 

  “Look,” screamed Eddie. “Either ye do as ye’re told or ye can have ye can have ye’re cards, both of ye.”

 

  But Jimmy wasn’t for budging. “Right,” he said angrily “Get our cards.”

 

  “Don’t worry. I will. Ye’ll have them before ye go home this evening.” Eddie walked away.

 

  “Make sure we do,” shouted Jimmy after him.

 

  “Now what?” Andy was taken aback by it all.

 

  “Let’s go and tell Michael the news.”

  ***

 

 

 

  “That’s was all because you laughed at him,” said Michael. “I’ll go and have a word with him; see what I can do.”

 

  “Thanks. But, don’t bother.” Jimmy was resolute. “I’m not working for him any more.”

 

  “You’re a proud man. But, sometimes a man has to swallow his pride.”

 

  “Not me. Not this time.”

 

  “What about you Andy?”

 

  “I don’t want to work for him either.”

 

  “Jobs aren’t easy to come by; not round here anyway.”

 

  “Maybe we’ve been round here too long,” said Jimmy.

 

  “You’re thinking of moving on, are you?” Without waiting for an answer, Michael cautioned, “You know what they say, the grass is always greener…”

 

  Andy stopped kicking a stone and turned to Jimmy. “My landlady’s sister,” he said. “She lives in Birmingham. She says there’s plenty of work down there. She runs a lodging house.”

 

  “Well,” said Michael. “She sounds like a useful person to know, if you’re thinking of moving down there.”

  ***

 

 

 

  Brendan was slightly perplexed. It was a rare sight in his pub: two young men drinking orange juice. He didn’t recognise them. As far as he could tell it was their first time in the pub. Maybe, he thought, they’re new to the area.

 

  He had no other customers. It was eight o’clock; always a quiet time, especially during the week, and that Thursday evening was no different. It would probably be an hour before his night customers started to come in and his early evening customers, who usually called for a drink or two after their day’s work, had all left.

 

  That was how he liked it. He always urged his early evening customers to go home for their teas. He used the quiet time to tidy up and prepare the bar for the evening. Also, there was less trouble that way. The pub was doing well. Brendan didn’t need those men that came in early and stayed all night. Often, when the worse for drink, they would upset his night customers.


 

  He didn’t force them to leave. That wasn’t his way. Mostly he did it affably, often making a joke of it. “Go home to you’re darling wives,” he’d say, and most of them, quite cheerfully did.

 

  It was all good humoured. Only once a man, who was not a regular and probably a little deaf, took offence. He thought Brendan said, “go home to you’re starving wives.” It got a laugh afterwards. His regulars knew Brendan would never say that.

 

  Of course, sometimes, in spite of Brendan’s efforts, one or two would insist on staying. That was ok but he would have to watch them later.

 

  The two young men at the bar, however, would be no bother. He wished more of his customers would drink orange juice. As he approached the bar after wiping the tables, he thought they looked slightly uneasy. Brendan was curious. He liked to know his customers. They were Irish: there was no mistaking that, maybe just over from Ireland, he thought. If so they might need some advice.

 

  Brendan was always free with the advice, and with young Irishmen, especially those newly arrived from Ireland, he felt it was his duty to offer guidance. He was a mine of information.

  He knew which contractors had the best reputation. He knew the good digs and the ones to avoid.

 

  “I haven’t seen ye two before. Are ye new around here?”

 

  “We are.”

 

  “Well, my name’s Brendan.” Brendan held out his hand.

 

  “I’m Jimmy McCarthy and this is Andy Horan.” They both shook hands with Brendan

 

  “If I can be of any help…?”

 

  “Maybe you can,” replied Jimmy. “We’re after work. We were told some contractors come in here, but it seems we came at a bad time.”

 

  “Yes. But, don’t worry. I’m sure one or two will be in later.” It was no bad thing that no contractors were in the pub thought Brendan It gave him the chance to explain a few things and to learn a bit about the boys

 

  “It’s the building trade ye’re interested in then?”

 

  They both nodded

 

  “Have ye experience?”

 

  “Oh, we have,” replied Jimmy “Years of experience.”

 

  So, they’re not just over, thought Brendan, nevertheless, they’re young and new to the area. A bit of advice won’t go amiss.

 

  “Have ye cards?”

 

  “Oh, we have.” Jimmy answered for both of them. Andy nodded.

 

  “That’s good. Is it cards in work ye’re looking for?”

 

  “Yes. I think so.” Jimmy shrugged. “But, we’ll take whatever’s going.”

 

  “Good. Well ye won’t be out of work for long then. There’s a lot of work going on right now. From the looks on their faces Brendan saw that that was exactly what they wanted to hear. “But,” he continued, “I’d advise ye to think about what ye want before ye jump into anything.”

 

  “There are subbies offering cash–in-hand: no cards. Paid by the day in some cases. If that’s what ye want, go for it. Summer’s coming; ye might do all right for a few months. But, be wary. There will be days, weeks even, when ye’ll get very little or nothing. And when the weather’s too bad to work, what do ye do? I’ll tell ye. I used to do it. Ye’ll be expected to be in the pub spending what money ye got the day before.”

 

  “There is the odd exception, but most of the men on those jobs are always broke. Although they talk about getting big money, believe me, that’s all it is, talk: pub talk. Maybe, as a landlord, I shouldn’t be saying this, but that’s how I see it. Over the year, the man in the steady job with cards inn is far better off.”

 

  “I notice neither of you are drinkers.”

 

  Jimmy smiled. “I used to drink but I’m giving it a rest for a while”.

 

  “Wise man.” Brendan waited for elaboration.

 

  “I was slightly overdoing it.”

 

  “Slightly!” Andy gave Jimmy a look that said he knew different.

 

  Brendan got the picture. “What about you Andy?”

 

  “I don’t drink. You were saying about work?” Andy clearly wished to stay with the subject that they were there for.

 

  “Yes. Of course: First of all, are ye staying around here?”

 

  “No. We’re a long way off: in Aston. But, we’ll move if we have to.”

 

  “If ye do, there are lots of digs around here. From what I hear, some of them are good and others are not so good. But, if ye decide to move that’s something we could talk about another time.”

 

  “The work isn’t local. But, buses and wagons take a lot of men from around here to where the work is. In the morning you’d see gangs of men in lots of different places, waiting to be taken to their work.”

 

  “This seems like a good place to stay then.”

 

  “I suppose so. But, again, don’t rush to change digs. There might be work out your way, or maybe you could be picked up there and taken to where it is.”

 

  “Jim Regan. He comes in here occasionally. He’s a foreman for Langs. Langs have work all over the Midlands. From what I’ve heard, it is a good firm to work for.”

 

  “I have Jims number. I’ll give him a ring.” Brendan wasted no time. He found the number in his notebook. “He should be in now,” he said as he dialled the number.

 

  “Is that Jim?”……….”Brendan at The Antelope.”………”I’m fine. I have a couple of good lads here looking for work. How are you fixed?”

  “Yes. They have cards.”…”No. They’re living in Aston. But they’ll move if they have to.”…. “Address: just a second.” Brendan turned. “Have ye the address of where ye’re staying?”

 

  “Andy took a piece of paper from his pocked and handed it to Brendan. Brendan read the address into the phone.

  “Start: straight away.”

 

  Behind Brendan’s back Jimmy put his thumb up and winked at Andy. Andy disapprovingly kept a straight face. Jimmy quickly composed himself as Brendan turned around.”

 

  “Can ye start in the morning?

 

  Friday was an unusual day to start in a new job. They hadn’t expected to start before Monday at the earliest. This was excellent.

  “Yes,” said Andy enthusiastically. Jimmy nodded too.

 

  “Yes. They can.” Brendan was writing in his notebook, while behind his back, to Andy’s annoyance Jimmy was rubbing his hands in excitement.

 

  “Thank you Jim. I appreciate that.” Brendan put the phone down and tore the page that he’d written on out of the notebook.

  “This is where ye’ll be picked up,” he said. “I don’t think it’s not too far from where ye’re staying. I’ll get the A to Z.”

  “A couple of other men will be there too,” he said, finding the page in the A to Z. “It’s outside a pub called the New Inn. Yes. It’s only a coupla streets away. This might help.” Brendan drew a little map on the page. But, ye can always ask for the New Inn.”

 

  “Thank you Brendan,” said Jimmy. “You’ve been a great help.”

 

  “Yes,” agreed Andy, “I don’t know what we’d have done without you”

 

  “I’m glad I could he
lp. Where did you live before?” Brendan felt that he’d earned the right to know some more about them.

 

  “Not far from Manchester,” replied Jimmy. “In a place called Broadfield. You won’t have heard of it.”

 

  Brendan smiled. “It’s a smaller world than you think. It wouldn’t have been Mary’s lodging house you were in, would it?”

 

  The both laughed. “Not Andy,” replied Jimmy. “But, yes, that’s where I stayed. But, how-----?”

 

  “It’s better known than you thought. Did you know Michael O’Malley?”

 

  ”The man that was killed lately?”

 

  “Oh, yes,” said Brendan. “I heard about that. Terrible business. But, no. That wasn’t the man that I meant. This is confusing. You might have known the man that I had in mind as Martin: Martin Prendergast. Did ye know a man by that name?”

 

  They both nodded. “Indeed we did,” said Jimmy. “We knew him well. Sure wasn’t he a neighbour of Andy’s back home. And we both worked with him. “He stayed at Mary’s like myself, though last week he disappeared. No one knows where he went to.”

 

  “It’s worrying,” added Andy. “He told Mary he’d be back in a few days and the most of his clothes are still there. You knew him then?”

 

  “Oh, I did. Sure he lived round here for a number of years: a decent quiet man. I liked him a lot. He often came in when the pub was quiet. I think that’s how he liked it. Many’s the chat I had with him. Not that he ever told me much about himself. He very much kept himself to himself. It was only after he left that it became known that his real name was Martin Prendergast. He was always known round here as Michael: Michael O’Malley. No one knew why. His was his business and he told no one. But, I’m afraid it’s now common knowledge. He cleared off without telling anyone as well. Some people were concerned about him at the time. But, it seems that’s what he does. And you say he’s done it again lately?”

 

  “Yes,” said Andy, “but this time his landlady believed him when he told her that he’d be back in a few days. All his clothes are still there and he had a job waiting for him. It looked like he intended to come back from wherever it was that he went to.”

 

  “He came down here.”

 

  Both Andy and Jimmy looked surprised.

 

  “Yes,” continued Brendan. “He was here on a Friday evening a coupla weeks ago. He didn’t stay long. He wanted an address of a man that he needed to see. I gave it to him and he left saying he’d see me later but he never returned.”

 

  “So, he came down here,” mused Andy. Do you know if he went to see that man?”

 

  “He did. I know that.”

 

  “He told Mary he had a bit of business to attend to. Maybe it was with that man.”