‘Oh, my darling, what a lovely thought. And you’re doing so well now in becoming closer to them again. Now I’m going to give you a scrub.’
‘That’s good to hear.’ Reaching up, he gave Evie a kiss, the touch of his mouth upon hers filling her with joy.
No longer the rich dark brown hair it had been before the war, being now grey and fusty, she gave it a good wash with glycerine shampoo. She then gently rubbed his neck and shoulders, arms, legs and feet and other tender parts of his body with a sponge of carbolic soap. ‘Hopefully, this will make you feel better.’
‘I know another way that might,’ he said, as she sat him back on his chair and rubbed him dry with a towel. Holding her close he gave her a kiss. Later, he took her up to bed and made love to her, as they had done on a few blissful occasions since Christmas. He seemed to be making something of a recovery, bless him.
It was one Sunday a week later that Danny suggested Megan could come for a walk with him by the canal. ‘I know you’ve lost your sporting teams and not managed to be assigned to any yet in this mixed school, so I wondered if you’d like to have a go at fishing. I always enjoy doing a bit of that.’
‘Not sure that I’d be any good at it but I’m happy to join you and watch you do some fishing,’ she happily agreed.
They walked down Castle Street and crossed the bridge over the Rochdale Canal that enters the Basin, a rumble of trains thundering across the railway arches overhead, till they reached the Bridgewater Canal towpath.
‘How these canals stink,’ Megan said, giving a grimace. ‘Do you still like working on them, Danny, as you told us?’
‘I do,’ he laughed. ‘We transport cotton to Blackburn, Liverpool and other places, and take coal to various factories linked to the canal basin, often having to break the ice on the surface of the water when we go along in the winter. Not easy. There is less cotton and coal to transport than there used to be since the mills are no longer fully operational. We can but hope they’ll recover.’
‘There’s no proof they will, from what I’ve heard about Mam’s complaints,’ she said.
‘True, obviously the reason she lost her job in the mill and now has to work for Harold Mullins. The thought of that fills me with horror.’ Avoiding going into further detail regarding his low opinion of Harold Mullins, they walked along the towpath and Danny pointed out how the canal basin was crowded with tugs, barges and narrow boats. Once they’d reached a quieter spot he said, ‘Right, this is generally a good place for a spot of fishing. Do you want to have a go?’
She watched as he demonstrated how to fling out his fishing rod. The lack of interest in her eyes caused him to hesitate, torn between feeling the need to catch a good selection of fish for their tea, or spending a suitable amount of time teaching her. ‘I could start you off and give you some tips,’ he said, showing a degree of generosity.
Megan laughed. ‘No thanks. If you’re so good at this why don’t you concentrate on fishing? I very much doubt I’d be any good at it.’
She sat quietly watching him for some time. Danny liked to see her happily smiling at what a peaceful task this was, obviously not something that appealed to her but she’d welcomed this trip out with him, as she so often did.
After a while she said, ‘I feel in need of a bit of exercise, having sat still for so long. I’ll take a little walk further along the towpath, to look for some flowers.’
‘Don’t go too far,’ he instructed her.
‘I won’t, bossy brother,’ she teasingly told him, wrinkling her nose in a fun scowl.
Giving a grin, he watched her walk off. Megan was a delight but obviously felt badly in need of the good life she used to enjoy. What a struggle she was having to settle into this new world. He missed the countryside a little himself and she missed those landladies and her school in Blackpool. Joanne had told him that she missed the sea. At least he enjoyed working on the canal here. It was a short time later, having managed to catch three good-sized fish that he heard Megan loudly shout.
‘Danny!’ she screamed.
Blimey, was she in danger of falling into the canal? He instantly jumped to his feet and ran along the towpath round the bend that had blocked him from seeing exactly how far she’d walked. He was appalled when he saw her kneeling on the ground and Willie Mullins standing beside her. He couldn’t quite be certain what he was up to but it was obviously not appropriate and filling his sister with panic. He could see how she was trying to push him away. Desperate to rescue her, Danny pelted along the path at a furious speed.
Reaching her, he yelled at Willie, ‘Take your filthy hands off my sister, you bastard!’
‘Why, I’m just trying to help pick her up since she’s fallen.’ he said.
Landing him a smack across his shoulders with the fishing rod, Danny watched with pleasure as, waving his arms in a panic, Willie fell backwards into the canal.
‘He won’t sink will he?’ Megan asked, giving a shiver.
Gathering her in his arms, Danny instantly gave her a cuddle. ‘No, as you can see he’s wisely swimming away. He knocked me in the canal once for no good reason, so he deserved to suffer the same bleedin’ mess for pestering you.’ Taking his sister’s hand, he gave it a gentle squeeze and took her to sit with him on a nearby bench. ‘Are you sure you’re all right, Megan? I deeply feel the need to understand and support you. Tell me what he did. Was he touching you?’ he asked delicately.
She gave a nod even though tears rolled down her cheeks. As she quietly began to speak, Danny had to lower his head to listen, a fury developing within him as he heard what she had to say.
‘I was idly picking flowers from the bank beside the towpath when I heard a voice say, “Hey there, gorgeous!” Looking up I saw that young man. He seemed familiar and I realized who he was, having seen him at that Christmas party. I felt swamped with a sudden attack of panic. Turning to run I found the way back down the towpath blocked by him, standing with his legs astride and his hands in his pockets. I gave a gasp, wondering why he was not letting me pass. I feared he might be planning to touch or kiss me, a terrifying prospect that made me sway with fear.’
‘Oh, I’m sure it did.’
‘When he saw the panic in my eyes he just laughed, telling me I was growing into a most attractive girl but was a bit shy and far too quiet. He asked if I felt the need for him to give me a cuddle to cheer me up. I firmly told him not to touch me and backed away. The dread of what he might do pounded in my heart. I thought how stupid of me to take a walk on my own. Giving another spurt of laughter, he took a step towards me and, reaching out his hand, he slid it over my cheek, down my neck and looked as if he would go on to caress my breasts. That’s when I jumped away, screamed, and shouted for you, Danny. I then fell down on my knees.’
‘Good Lord, what a flamin’ bastard he is.’
Megan gave a shiver. ‘His eyes were filled with such an odd expression I thought I was about to go through what I did back in the past, or worse,’ she whimpered.
‘Oh my God! Are you saying that something similar happened to you in Keswick at the start of the war? I didn’t know that, although was aware something had upset you, which is why you were moved.’ Joanne had sent him a note saying they had to go, not explaining the full details. Could it have been Willie, the lad who’d created problems for him too? Megan’s silence about the past seemed to indicate that she had no wish to speak of whatever it was that had upset her. Now he needed to know. ‘Tell me what he did to you back then, love.’
She took a breath. ‘Being young at the time I can’t entirely recall all the details. Just as well, as I’ve no wish to remember or speak of it, having blocked it out of my head.’
‘You can tell me, Megan, being your brother.’
Giving her head a shake, she said, ‘Not right now. Can we go home, please?’
‘’Course we can. Do you want me to tell Mam about what happened to you just now?’
‘No, please don’t. I could be fussing over n
othing important and I’ve no wish for her to view me as stupid and shy.’
‘You most definitely aren’t.’
‘Besides, doesn’t our mother work for that lad’s father? If I were to tell her what happened she’d be sorely tempted to complain to her boss about his son, which could lose her the job.’
Danny felt a glow of rage spark within him at the possibility this dreadful abuse could damage his mother too. How he hated that bastard and sorely longed for his mother to be free of him. ‘I’ll say nowt to Mam just now, but we could tell Joanne. She surely deserves to know, being most caring of you.’
Megan gave a little smile. ‘Maybe. Joanne has had boyfriend problems and needs time to settle down and build a new life for herself too. Let’s keep quiet until it feels appropriate to speak of it. I’m all right and recovering from that fumble he made on me.’
‘All right, and I’ll do what I can to warn that bugger never to come near you again. He certainly has no right to touch or fondle you, which I’ll make very clear to him!’
‘I think it would have been much safer if I’d stayed in Blackpool.’
‘You could be right about that.’
It was not a discussion that went down well, the pair of them still not having achieved a close friendship even though Danny did love playing cricket and footie with his gang and had saved him that time from being arrested for stealing eggs. They’d begun the evening by playing a game of football but having socked him with the heavy ball he’d booted at him, they now stood inches apart, a fury darkening both their faces. Danny clenched his fists, making the effort not to thump Willie, which could involve himself in another fight, possibly with the rest of the gang too.
‘I didn’t do anything dreadful, only being friendly. You’d no bloody right to chuck me in the canal just because I was teasing that pretty little girl. What’s wrong with that? It was just a bit of fun,’ Willie protested.
‘I have every right to protect her since she’s my young sister and only twelve years old, not old enough for such attention. Nor does she like you or any other nasty lad wishing to fondle her. So if you ever flamin’ well touch her again I’ll mek sure you sink next time.’
‘I could chuck you out of our gang for mekin’ that threat,’ Willie roared.
Pausing, Danny gave him a sour smirk. ‘And I could report you to the police if you ever attempted to pester her again. Got that?’ Then, turning to his mates he calmly asked, ‘I’m quite friendly with you lads, do you want me to leave this gang because of this complaint or not?’
Some remained safely silent being a little nervous of their leader; others agreed that Danny should stay. One said, ‘I wouldn’t want my little sister to be kissed by a lad older than her either, and we do like having you as a member of our footie team, so why would we?’
‘Quite,’ Danny said, and calmly folding his arms met Willie’s furious glare with a grin. ‘You’ve been a right pain in the ass for my sister, so keep well away from her in future.’
‘You don’t know owt and making this threat will do you no good at all.’
Chapter Twenty
The following Sunday afternoon when Joanne visited her family she was happy to take a walk with her brother and sister. There was a small patch of blue sky and a ray of sunshine lighting a prettily painted barge as they walked down by the canal, which brought a resonance of happiness to her heart. Pausing to gaze out over the Giant’s Basin, a great curving overflow sluice that takes surplus water from the canal down into the river Medlock, she watched Danny put his arm around Megan’s hunched shoulder, meeting her troubled gaze with a comforting smile. Then leaning against the wall he quietly told Joanne what Willie had done to Megan.
She listened to him in stunned horror. ‘Oh no, not again.’
Giving a jerk, Danny gritted his teeth in fury. ‘Are you saying he was the one who did something to her before? I remember being charged with . . .’ He stopped speaking, as if still wishing to keep this issue private.
Joanne gave him a pitying look. ‘What were you charged with back then, Danny?’
Giving a glower he paused to take a breath then finally said, ‘I was accused of having assaulted some girl or other, as well as nicking fruit and veg from that farm. I was given no details or names and furiously insisted that I was innocent of both charges. Ignoring my defence, I was sent to that bloomin’ camp. As was Willie Mullins. Was it him what hurt you back then, Megan?’
Joanne put her arm around her sister to give her a comforting hug. ‘I do know a little more than Danny but not a great deal, since you’ve had no wish to speak of the specific details. Do you think you can manage to tell us about it now, sweetheart?’
Taking a deep breath, Megan began to slowly speak. ‘Being only a small kid just turned seven years old when we were living in Keswick in 1941, I agree that I’ve never wished to speak of it. But seeing that lad start to touch me by the canal the other day, what happened back then came shooting into my mind. A cold terror seeped through my veins. I’m so grateful that you saved me, Danny.’
‘Thank God I did. You may not remember but Willie Mullins was billeted in Keswick too, around twelve years old at the time and a real jerk. What did he do to you when you were nobbut a young kid?’
Seeing the distress in her face and tears flooding her eyes, Joanne said, ‘I think it’s time for you to tell us whatever you can remember about that issue, lovey. I agree with Danny that he needs to know in case it was Willie who touched you back then as well as now, since he’s had problems with him too.’
‘Let’s find somewhere private,’ Danny said, and took them down to the old lock on the River Irwell. There was no movement of boats or barges, the river quite silent on this Sunday when there was little work taking place, the trees looked brightly rich with scarlet berries. They settled on the bench as if they were in a secret world of their own.
After some moments, Megan began to tell her story. ‘I was happily exploring the woodland by the lake late one afternoon. It was one of those quiet, still days in autumn, the leaves like a palette of russet and the sky very cloudy and dark. Joanne was chatting to the steamboat manager so didn’t notice when a man suddenly leaped out from behind one of the trees and squeezed my bottom. A bit like that Wing Commander Ramsbotham did, as you recall.’
‘Oh, what a dreadful man he was too,’ Joanne said. ‘No wonder you were furious with him.’
‘Being so young I felt frozen with shock. Then, standing under the tree, he slipped his hand inside his coat, looking as if he was holding something and quietly whispered to me, asking if he could show me something. Not able to see exactly who he was or what he was doing, being clothed in a coat and hat in the dark damp of that woodland, I just gave a blink and stepped back. He came closer, his hand making strange jerking movements. That’s when I saw what he was holding and fell to my knees in horror, losing all strength in myself. I felt the urge to run away but couldn’t move an inch, my knees glued to the ground. Screwing my eyes tight shut, I desperately wanted to shut out the awful sight of it. The sound of his grunting rattled in my ears, making me feel sick. A flurry of terror hammered up through my throat and I gave a scream.’
‘Oh, my God, what a nasty bugger that lad is,’ Danny stoutly declared. ‘How dare he show himself in such a dreadful way to a little girl. He should be locked up for that.’
‘Hearing her scream that’s when I realized something terrible was happening to her, as you did the other day,’ Joanne said. ‘I ran like hell to find her shaking with fright as she lay huddled on the ground. Had I seen that stupid lad, I too would have been sorely tempted to thump him or toss him in the lake. The offender had, of course, run off before I arrived, so to be honest it could have been anyone, a perfect stranger. We’ve no proof that it was this Willie. She was in a state of hysteria and a flood of tears so could only tell me briefly what had happened. I remember you crying and saying that you wanted to go home, Megan. It was then I decided that, having endured problems whe
re we were previously billeted, moving on again would be the right thing to do.
‘We went immediately to see the billeting officer. I strongly made the point we were not happy there and seeing the distress Megan was in he did catch my drift, insisting I give him more details. I was obliged to roughly explain what she’d suffered but couldn’t give specific details or name who was guilty of that, not having seen exactly what happened to her or the man responsible. You were unable to explain or say a word, weren’t you, Megan, being so young and in a state of frozen terror. He kindly arranged for our swift departure.’
‘Was that the officer who delivered your note? You sent me one saying you were leaving but didn’t go into any details as to why.’
‘Sorry about that, but, as I say, I couldn’t. The officer simply gave me a stamp so that I could post it to you. He was a most helpful man who ultimately had us transported to Blackpool, far away from the anguish Megan had suffered. I did write to you later, to say where we were living.’
Danny gave a sigh. ‘Sadly, within days I was moved to that camp charged with being a problem evacuee who’d nicked fruit and veg, as well as this issue. Whether that accusation came from that billeting officer or the farmer’s wife, I’ve no idea. She was adamant that I had to leave. I believe it must have come from Willie, as that bloody lad was also evacuated to the camp and very much into weird behaviour, which he still is. We had a terrible row when I blamed him at the time and he claimed his innocence, sounding very full of himself. He proved to be a real nightmare towards me throughout the war. We were never decent friends ever again as a result of that problem. I believed he could well have been guilty.’
Peace In My Heart Page 17