Across the Divide

by Brian Gallagher

  ‘What are we going to come up with for this fancy dress?’ Mary asked as the two school friends walked down the corridor towards their classroom.

  ‘I had a brainwave last night,’ answered Nora. ‘Supposing we get sombreros and go as two Mexican girls?’

  The girls had been invited to a party in Rathmines that was being hosted by the family of one of their school friends, Sheila Mulcahy. Sheila’s father was the senior engineer in the Irish branch of an international engineering company involved in the building of the Panama Canal. Although the canal wouldn’t be formally opened until the following year, last Friday had been a great day for the company. The newspapers had all reported that President Wilson had pressed a button on his desk in the White House, causing a charge to be detonated four thousand miles away in Panama, to remove the final obstacle to the waterway that would link the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Mr Mulcahy claimed that the canal was the greatest piece of engineering so far in the twentieth century, and had decided to celebrate with a fancy dress ball.

  The Mulcahys had an impressive mansion on Ailesbury Road, and the party was going to be a lavish affair. Sheila had told Mary and Nora that a small orchestra had already been engaged for the night, and that some guests were even going so far as to hire fancy dress costumes from a theatrical supplier in London’s West End.

  ‘Mexican sounds great!’ enthused Mary as they sat at their shared desk. ‘We could have those fancy fans, and flowers in our hair.’

  ‘Isn’t that more Spanish? And maybe sombreros are wrong then? Is it only men who wear them?’

  ‘What does it matter? If it’s a fancy dress, you can wear anything.’

  ‘Right. And you think Mexican is OK?’ asked Nora. ‘I mean, Panama is in Central America – I looked it up on the map.’

  ‘Mexican, Spanish … sure isn’t it all foreign?’ answered Mary blithely. ‘It’ll be grand.’

  They got out their English books for the next class and Nora considered her friend’s reaction. It’ll be grand. At times she wished that she could have Mary’s easygoing approach to life. Nothing bothered her and she just enjoyed every pleasure that came her way. Nora worried that maybe she was too serious, that maybe even people like her cousin Alan might have some grounds for mocking her as a miniature suffragette.

  But then again surely she shouldn’t have to choose between having fun at a fancy dress party and still being able to care about people who weren’t so lucky? And why shouldn’t she enjoy life like any other girl her age but still believe that there was something badly wrong with a teacher like Miss Dillon being sacked?

  All of the girls in Nora’s class had been upset at the time, but she knew that Mary and Sheila and many of the other girls had moved on now. They had accepted the injustice without too much further thought, just as they accepted that it was normal for the government to imprison suffragettes – and just as they accepted that there would be a lock-out against workers who wanted to earn a living wage.

  It was the kind of topic she could have discussed with Liam, but not with Mary or Sheila. And even though the girls were her friends she still hadn’t felt able to tell them about Liam. Why was that? she wondered. But before she could reflect any further, their new teacher, Sister Regina, entered the classroom and the hubbub halted at once.

  Sister Regina was much stricter than Miss Dillon had been, and Nora thought how much they had lost with the departure of their old teacher. Well, other people could forget her, but I won’t, she resolved silently. And I won’t forget the promise I made either, that when the time is right I’ll make a stand of which Miss Dillon would be proud. Strengthened by the thought, she dismissed her earlier self doubts, sat forward in her desk and readied herself for whatever the day’s class might bring.

  Chapter 15

  Liam watched Nora advance towards him, a smile on her face as she crossed the rehearsal room.

  ‘We missed you on Tuesday night,’ she said. ‘Not like you to mitch!’

  Liam had already explained to Brother Raymond about his father being imprisoned, and he had been surprisingly sympathetic, but Liam didn’t want the other choir members to know his business, and so he replied casually:

  ‘Couldn’t help it.’

  He could see that Nora was a little surprised by his response and he inclined his head towards the window alcove, indicating that she should join him there, where they could talk more privately.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ she asked as soon as they were safely out of earshot of the others.

  ‘It’s Da. He’s been arrested.’

  ‘Oh, no!’

  ‘The police lifted him on Monday. He’s in Mountjoy Jail.’

  ‘Oh my goodness. And what…what is he supposed to have done?’

  ‘He grappled with a DMP man at a picket line, so he was up for assault.’

  ‘Oh Liam, that’s…that’s awful.’

  ‘If it wasn’t that it would have been something else. They were out to get him.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘That’s what he said.’

  ‘And how long will he be in jail?’

  Liam swallowed before he answered, not wanting to sound emotional. ‘He got three months’ hard labour.’

  ‘Gosh.’

  ‘Like I said, they were out to get him.’

  ‘I’m so sorry, Liam, I really am.’

  ‘Thanks,’ he answered, touched by her obvious concern.

  ‘So, what’s your family going to do?’

  Liam shrugged. ‘What can we do? I’ll have to help Ma as much as I can.’

  ‘But, for…money…and food and everything?’

  ‘Ma makes a few bob from her dressmaking. And I’ll collect Da’s strike pay – though that’s not much.’

  ‘Oh, Liam.’

  He glanced away. He had told no one else in the choir, not wanting their sympathy, and now that he had told Nora she was really sad for him, which made him feel bad.

  ‘We’ll get food from the union as well as the strike pay. We won’t starve,’ he said, turning back to her and making his tone more upbeat.

  Nora looked at him, and Liam could see that she wasn’t convinced by his attempt to sound positive.

  ‘It’s not good though, is it?’ she said.

  Liam hesitated. Ever since the shock of the news on Monday he had been trying to keep up a brave face, but it was a relief to have someone with whom he could be honest.

  ‘No, it’s…it’s pretty bad.’

  ‘And what happens to your father if the lockout ends while he’s in prison? Will he get his job back when he’s let out?’

  ‘I don’t know if they’d hold a job for someone who’s in jail for fighting with a policeman.’

  ‘They let Mr Larkin out early, maybe they’ll let your dad out early too.’

  ‘Ma has us praying for that.’

  ‘I’ll pray for it too, Liam. Every night, I promise.’

  ‘Thanks. It’s just … like, my da is really tough and strong, but in prison … you wouldn’t know what they’d do to him.’

  ‘I’m sure they won’t mistreat him.’

  ‘I hope you’re right.’

  ‘Liam, there’s something I want to say, but …’

  ‘What?’ he prompted when Nora hesitated.

  ‘I don’t want to offend you, but what you said earlier …’

  ‘About what?’

  ‘About being short of money, and needing to get food. I’d like to help.’ Nora raised her hand to prevent Liam objecting. ‘Please, just listen. We’re really good friends, and friends are meant to help each other. I know it’s not much, but I just got my pocket money for this week. Would you take it? Please? For your family.’

  Liam felt a lump in his throat, and he blinked hard, trying to stop the tears that he felt welling up in his eyes.

  ‘Please, Liam,’ persisted Nora.

  It was a really generous gesture, but something stopped him from taking cash from Nora, knowing that the pocket money had com
e from her father. Whatever about accepting a book as a gift, he couldn’t take money. ‘Thanks, Nora, you’re…you’re a great friend. But I can’t.’

  Nora looked at him, and Liam could see the uncertainty in her eyes.

  ‘It’s not that I’m not grateful, I really am. And you’re brilliant to offer. But I can’t take it.’

  ‘Liam …’

  ‘There’s no need. We’ll manage OK. Really, we will.’

  He saw that Nora was about to reply, but Brother Raymond called the rehearsal to order, and Liam was relieved to be saved from further argument. He tapped Nora on the shoulder in thanks, then turned away, took out his sheet music and hoped he could leave his worries behind for the next two hours.

  ‘What do you think, Mummy?’ asked Nora as she entered the drawing room in her fancy dress outfit.

  Her mother had helped her to acquire most of the items, but this was the first time that Nora had tried on the full costume and she was pleased to see her mother smiling approvingly.

  ‘It’s excellent, Nora,’ she said. ‘You’ll be the belle of the ball!’

  ‘Thanks, Mummy.’

  Nora turned towards her father, who was engrossed in his newspaper.

  ‘Thomas,’ said her mother, and he lowered the paper distractedly, then smiled on seeing his daughter’s costume.

  ‘That’s marvellous, Nora, really colourful.’

  Nora thought that it actually was marvellous. She was wearing a long dress in red satin and black lace gloves. She had a full-size fan in one hand and castanets in the other, and the sombrero to top it all off. She knew that a sombrero wouldn’t actually be worn with the rest of the costume, but she loved the big rounded hat, and as Mary said, it was fancy dress, so really you could wear anything you liked.

  Her two brothers came into the room just then, and David sneered.

  ‘That looks really stupid!’

  ‘Yeah,’ said David, slavishly echoing his older brother.

  Nora decided to ignore them, feeling that little brothers talked rubbish most of the time, but she was pleased when her mother intervened.

  ‘Mind your manners, Peter. You too, David.’

  The boys looked a little taken aback, especially when her mother pointed towards the stairs. ‘Up to your rooms and finish your homework, right now.’

  Her brothers left sheepishly and, bringing things back to a happy footing, her father looked admiringly at her costume once again.

  ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if you won a prize for one of the best outfits,’ he said.

  ‘Do you think I might?’ asked Nora.

  ‘Absolutely – wouldn’t be surprised at all. And when did you say this ball is?’

  ‘Really, Thomas,’ said Mummy in mild disapproval, but Nora didn’t take exception to his being a little distracted.

  ‘Tomorrow night,’ she replied.

  ‘Yes, of course. Sorry, Nora, my thoughts were elsewhere.’

  ‘It’s all right, Daddy.’ And it was all right, for Nora knew that the lockout was causing all sorts of problems for the employers as well as the locked-out workers. She began to take off the sombrero and her gloves, and her father indicated the newspaper to her mother.

  ‘Extraordinary scenes at the docks, according to The Irish Times,’ he said. ‘It seems the clergy prevented the children being taken to England.’

  ‘Proper order,’ said her mother.

  Liam had told Nora that there was a plan to send children of some of the locked-out workers to England temporarily, where they were to be fed and looked after by the families of English trade unionists. But some priests in Dublin had claimed that the children’s faith would be in danger in England, and had led crowds of people to the docks, where they had blocked the children from boarding the ships.

  ‘I’m not so sure,’ said her father.

  He rarely disagreed outright with his wife, but Nora could see that he was troubled by the article in the newspaper.

  ‘It sounds to me like the priests showed a little too much vigour.’

  ‘Their concern is for the children. Who knows what religion, if any, the families in England would have.’

  ‘Mr Larkin says it’s a poor religion that can’t take a holiday,’ said Nora.

  Her mother turned to face her.

  ‘Mr Larkin is hardly qualified in such matters, Nora.’

  ‘Well…he is a Catholic himself, Mummy.’

  ‘Then he shouldn’t put the faith of children at risk,’ said her mother sternly. She looked at Nora quizzically. ‘And where did you learn to quote Mr Larkin?’

  ‘I … eh … I heard a girl in school saying it,’ answered Nora, hoping the explanation sounded convincing.

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Yes,’ answered Nora, then, seeking to distract attention from herself, she turned to her father.

  ‘Daddy, all this trouble with Mr Larkin and the lockout, is it going to end soon?’

  ‘Difficult to say, Nora. If Mr Larkin continues getting support from England he may prolong the agony here for some time.’

  Nora made sure to keep her voice reasonable. ‘But, Daddy, could they not just let the men go back to work?’

  ‘Not if they’re members of a union.’

  ‘Why not? Could they not let them be in a union and just pay them – I don’t know…whatever is fair?’

  ‘I wish we could, Nora. I hate the idea of anyone going hungry, but it’s …it’s complicated.’

  ‘And not the kind of thing on which a young lady should exercise herself,’ added her mother firmly.

  Nora thought of Mrs Pankhurst, the leader of the suffragettes, who had been told that she shouldn’t exercise herself in seeking votes for women. But she had exercised herself, despite being pursued by the police, and brought before the courts, and even sent to prison. Since first hearing of the suffragette movement from Miss Dillon, Nora had followed their exploits and found them inspiring, but she knew that this was not the time to say so.

  ‘Now, I think you should take off your costume, dear,’ said her mother, ‘and hang it up for tomorrow night.’

  Nora didn’t want to get into a row, so she said ‘Yes, Mummy,’ politely. Then she left the room, still rooting for Mr Larkin, but with a little of the good somehow gone from the prospect of the fancy dress.

  Chapter 16

  Liam hungrily tucked into his plate of stew. It was over three weeks since his father had been jailed, and the lockout was in its ninth week, with money and food getting scarcer all the time. His mother did her best to stretch out the weekly food parcels from the union, and between that, the meagre strike pay, and whatever she could earn herself, the family managed somehow to survive.

  Liam made a conscious effort not to wolf down the stew too obviously, so he slowed himself, relishing each precious mouthful. It had been Brother Raymond’s idea to begin serving stew before rehearsals, and Liam was glad that he could count on a hot meal each Tuesday and Thursday night.

  Brother Raymond claimed that the food was to warm the children up now that it was November and the weather had turned cold, but Liam suspected that this was just an excuse. The choirmaster had to be aware that many people in the city were going hungry because of the lockout, including some of his young pupils, and this way it was possible to distribute hot, nourishing food without it seeming like charity.

  Liam chewed the meat, grateful to Brother Raymond for his thoughtfulness. He saw Nora come into the rehearsal room.

  ‘Hello, Liam,’ she said.

  ‘Nora.’

  Seeing Nora taking off her mittens, the choirmaster came over.

  ‘Nora,’ he said, ‘care for a warming plate of stew?’

  Liam noted a tiny hesitation before Nora smiled and nodded.

  ‘Yes, thank you, Brother, that would be lovely.’

  She probably had a full dinner before she came here, but she knows what’s going on, Liam thought. This was only the second night that the food had been served, and Liam had noticed some
of the more middle-class children being a bit sniffy and declining to eat the stew.

  Nora took her plate and began to eat with apparent relish, and Liam felt a surge of admiration for her. As one of the wealthiest children in the choir she was sending out a message that there was nothing wrong with eating the food provided. He saw Brother Raymond smiling approvingly, and he guessed that the choirmaster also knew what Nora was doing.

  Liam finished his stew, then looked up as Brother Raymond cleared his throat and addressed the choir.

  ‘Your attention, boys and girls. No, it’s all right, those of you eating may continue, but I do have an important announcement.’ He paused dramatically, and Liam smiled to himself, knowing how the choirmaster enjoyed his theatrical flourishes.

  ‘We have been chosen,’ said Brother Raymond, ‘chosen, I might add, from many available choirs, to perform at a charity concert at the Mansion House in three weeks time. It’s a considerable honour, and we need to rehearse assiduously – most assiduously.’

  Brother Raymond loved using big words, like ‘assiduously’. But he wasn’t wrong about the honour, though, because the Mansion House was the home of the Lord Mayor of Dublin, and to perform there was a big thing.

  ‘So, a date to remember, boys and girls: Saturday, November the twenty-ninth. And I expect no one to miss a single rehearsal between now and then. Not a single one. Understood?’

  ‘Yes, Brother!’ chanted Liam, along with everybody else.

  ‘Very well, rehearsals begin in five minutes.’

  ‘That’s great, isn’t it?’ said Nora.

  ‘Brilliant,’ answered Liam. It was good to have something to look forward to, and a big concert like this would help to distract him from his other worries.

  ‘Lovely stew,’ said Nora, pushing away her empty plate.

  ‘Yeah, it was really good,’ said Liam, noting that a couple of the wealthier children had followed Nora’s example and taken the stew. ‘So, how are things going for your Panama Canal party?’ he asked.