Sadie Was A Lady

by Joan Jonker

  ‘They’ll get out of it, the cars go by themselves.’ Harry was eager to show how knowledgeable he was. He was showing off and he knew it, but he did so want to impress Sadie. ‘Even if yer were the best driver in the world yer couldn’t steer one of those cars, they go on their own.’ The ride came to an end and the cars emptied. ‘Shall we have a go?’

  Sadie nodded, her eyes sparkling. ‘You get behind the wheel, though.’

  Harry had never had so much fun in his life as he did on that ride. The pretty girl hanging onto his arm like grim death screamed, shouted, closed her eyes when a bump was coming up, and roared with laughter when the car managed to avoid a collision.

  ‘D’yer want to stay on for another go?’ Harry asked when the ride came to an end.

  Sadie shook her head, already out of the car and trying to walk on legs that felt like jelly. ‘Once is enough, thanks, Harry.’

  ‘How about the bobby horses? They should be tame enough for yer.’

  Sadie linked his arm. ‘Yer don’t have to spend any more money on me, Harry. I’m happy just to watch all that’s goin’ on around me and listen to all the different noises. It’s all new to me and I think it’s dead exciting.’

  Harry wasn’t going to tell her he’d been saving up for the last few weeks for this very night. ‘I’m all right for money, Sadie.’ It was then his eyes lit on a stall selling candy-floss. He steered her towards it. ‘I bet yer’ve never had any of this before.’

  Her eyes wide with wonder, Sadie watched as the woman took a thin stick from a can and began to roll it around and around a rotating drum until it had a huge head on it of pink stuff that looked like cotton wool. The woman passed it over to Sadie before going through the process again for Harry.

  ‘What am I supposed to do with this?’ Sadie couldn’t make it out. She’d never seen anything like it in her life. Then she saw Harry put the concoction to his mouth and take a bite. He grinned as he indicated she should do the same. Timidly, she took a bite. She could feel her teeth closing on the floss but when she went to chew it, her mouth was empty! She took another bite and the same thing happened. She looked at Harry who was chewing away happily and decided she wasn’t eating it properly or there was something wrong with her candy-floss. ‘Harry, I can’t get anything. I take a bite an’ there’s nothing there.’

  Harry could contain himself no longer and doubled up with laughter. ‘Oh Sadie, the look on your face!’

  ‘Never mind the look on my face. Yer’ve paid good money out and I’m not getting anything.’

  ‘You’re not supposed to. It’s candy-floss, and as soon as yer put it in yer mouth it melts … disappears.’

  ‘Well, you seemed to be making a meal out of yours.’

  ‘I was only pretending, just pullin’ yer leg.’

  ‘Oh, were yer now.’ There was mischief in Sadie’s eyes as she put her hand on Harry’s arm and pushed it up sharply, so the candy-floss squashed all over his face. ‘That’s what yer get for makin’ a fool out of me.’ She gazed at the floss on Harry’s nose, cheeks and chin, and it was her turn to double up. ‘Oh Harry, look at the state of you!’

  Harry fished in his pocket for his hankie and wiped the thick of the sticky pink substance away. ‘I’ll get you for that, Sadie Wilson.’

  ‘Oh no, you won’t. Yer’ll not catch me out again, Harry Young.’ She saw traces of the sticky floss on the end of his nose and took the hankie from him to wipe it away. When she handed it back to him, she grinned cheekily. ‘Your mam’s going to think yer’ve got half-a-dozen girls on the go. Just look at the different shades of pink.’

  The dimples in Harry’s cheeks deepened when he smiled. ‘It’ll give her something to think about.’

  ‘I was a bit naughty, though, wasn’t I? I really shouldn’t have done that to yer.’

  ‘Sadie, I played a trick on yer and you played one back on me. That’s only fair, isn’t it? Besides, I’ve never had such a good laugh for a long time. I feel about fourteen again.’ Harry’s words were carried on in his head. She was a dream to take out. She showed her appreciation and happiness openly, and it rubbed off on anyone close to her. She was so natural – no affectation, no flirting through fluttering eyelashes, no frills or flounces. Her beauty was a joy to behold, and she wasn’t even aware of it.

  ‘Come on, let’s have a look around before it’s time to go.’ He cupped her elbow. ‘Will yer do me a favour? Yer owe me one for spoiling me handsome face.’

  ‘Yeah, what is it?’

  ‘Come on the ghost train with me.’

  ‘What’s the ghost train when it’s out?’

  ‘Well, it’s like a train and it goes through a dark tunnel. And they have ghosts and all sorts of strange things popping up at yer.’

  ‘Ooh, er! I don’t think I’d like that.’

  ‘Don’t be such a baby! There’ll be lots of other people on the train and yer can close yer eyes if yer don’t want to see anything. Do it just to please me?’

  So it was with trepidation Sadie sat on the bench seat of the ghost train. Her fear was heightened when the train chugged into action and a door in front of them mysteriously flew open and they found themselves in complete darkness. She closed her eyes and felt for Harry’s hand. ‘I knew I wouldn’t like it.’

  Harry slipped an arm across her shoulder and pulled her towards him. ‘Nothin’ will happen to you when yer with me.’

  Sadie opened her eyes to have a peep just as a white apparition appeared right in front of them. With a skeleton-like face, and making frightening noises, it seemed to be heading straight for the train. Sadie let out a piercing scream and buried her head on Harry’s shoulder. She kept it there for the whole ride, missing the ghosts and the other weird things that kept popping up from nowhere. And also missing the smile of happiness on Harry’s face as he held her tight.

  They stood at the rails of the ferry on the homeward journey, Sadie with Harry’s coat across her shoulders to protect her from the cold breeze. ‘It’s been lovely, Harry, I’ve never enjoyed meself so much. I’ve seen and done more in the last few hours than I have in me whole life.’ Her laugh had a hollow ring to it. ‘I’ve seen how other girls my age can enjoy themselves. Talk about seeing how the other half live isn’t in it! I bet if their mothers gave them a shilling pocket money they’d throw it back at her.’

  ‘Yer’ll be getting a rise in yer next wage-packet, yer know.’

  ‘Yeah, I know. The trouble is, me mam knows as well. I’ve asked her about puttin’ me pocket money up but she just fobs me off, tells me to wait and see.’

  ‘She’s got to give yer a rise, Sadie. She must know yer can’t go many places on a shillin’ a week.’

  ‘If I only had to spend the shillin’ on pleasure, I’d be made up, but I’ve got to keep meself on it. I was going to say that half of it goes on me dinner money, but you’ve been paying for that since that fateful day in yer life. But I’ve to see to me own clothes and everything. I’ve tried explaining’ to me mam, but I could talk till I’m blue in the face an’ it won’t make a blind bit of difference.’

  ‘Open yer wage-packet before yer give it to her and take yer money out. I know I shouldn’t be tellin’ yer to go against yer mam but she’s really not a good mother, is she?’

  ‘I don’t think there’s a worse mother and father in the whole world. And I’ve thought about what yer’ve just said, about opening me wage-packet and taking the money out, but if I did that me life wouldn’t be worth living. It’s not worth living now, not in that house, anyway, but knowing them as I do, it could be ten times worse.’

  Harry sighed. ‘I don’t know what you can do, then.’

  ‘If she turns me down next week I’ll just have to hang on until our Dot leaves school in a few weeks. When she starts bringing a wage in, me mam won’t be able to plead poverty any more. She’ll have no excuse.’

  ‘I can give yer an extra sixpence a week until then,’ Harry said. ‘That would help yer out a bit.’


  ‘Thanks, Harry, but I scrounge enough off yer as it is. No, I’ve put up with things the way they are for two years now, I can manage another few weeks until our Dot starts work. With a bit of luck, with her money coming in the kids might even get a few decent clothes.’

  ‘If yer ever in trouble, Sadie, just shout out. I’ve told yer, I’ll always help yer out.’

  Sadie could feel the boat slowing down and turned her head to see they were nearing the Pier Head. She handed Harry his coat with a smile on her face. ‘The end of a perfect day, and thanks to you it really has been a perfect day. You’re a good man, Harry, and a good friend. It’s nice to have someone to tell me troubles to and I’ve no one else except Mary Ann. And I don’t tell her as much as I tell you. I just hope I haven’t spoiled the day for yer by bending yer ear with all me moans and groans.’

  Harry took her elbow as they joined the other passengers in making their way to the gangplank. ‘I could stay on the boat and do it all over again; it’s been great. But there’ll be other days, won’t there Sadie?’

  ‘There’ll definitely be one more day, and that’s on your birthday. It’s a couple of months off, or so yer said, and by that time I’ll be in the money. It’ll be my treat to pay back a little of the kindness yer’ve shown to me.’

  As they neared the gangplank there was such a crush of people trying to get off to dash for trams, the two were separated and didn’t meet up again until they were off the boat. Harry was anxiously scanning the crowd and when he spotted her he waved to attract her attention. ‘I thought I’d lost yer.’

  ‘You should be that lucky, Harry.’ Sadie opened her handbag and took out the tiny teddy bear. ‘Thank you for this, I’ll never part with it ’cos it’ll always remind me of me first trip on a ferry boat, me first visit to a fairground, and the candy floss, the Dodgems and the ghost train. Thank you for all those things, Harry.’ She kissed the teddy before putting it back in her bag. ‘Now, I think we’d better go our separate ways in case anyone sees us together. There’s so many nosy parkers around our way an’ I don’t want yer gettin’ into trouble with yer mam.’

  ‘But we can get on the tram together,’ Harry protested. He didn’t want the day to end, not like this. He knew in his heart she was right, but why should it be so? You’d have to go a long way to meet a nicer girl than Sadie and he wished his mam wasn’t so stubborn. If she’d only give herself the chance to get to know the girl, she’d find out how wrong she was about her. But no, the Wilson family were a bad lot in her eyes and that was the end of it. ‘I don’t like the idea of you being on yer own, not at this time of night.’

  ‘It’s not worth takin’ a chance, Harry. You go on ahead and get the first tram and I’ll wait for the next. And don’t worry about me, I’ll be all right.’

  ‘No, I won’t do it! We’ll get on the tram together and it’s just too bad if anyone sees us. If it makes yer feel better we can sit on different seats and I’ll get off the stop before. But I’m not leaving yer on yer own down here, Sadie, ’cos there’s always drunks hanging around and anythin’ could happen to yer. So come on and don’t argue.’

  ‘Have it your way, then, but don’t say I didn’t warn yer.’ Sadie held out her hand. ‘In case I don’t get another chance, I want to thank yer again for me birthday present and a lovely night out.’

  Harry looked down at the proffered hand. ‘To hell with that, Sadie, I want a good-night kiss. And a promise that yer’ll see me in the park on Wednesday night for me usual “two for the price of one”.’

  Sadie smiled before puckering her lips. ‘Yer can have both.’

  Sadie tiptoed up the yard so her high heels wouldn’t make a sound on the concrete. She was expecting her parents to be in bed and although she was surprised to see a dull glow from the gas-light she just presumed they’d left the light on for her. Carefully she lifted the latch on the kitchen door and stepped inside. She was closing the door behind her when she heard voices and her heart sank. As she’d come in the back way her father had been let in the front door and it was his voice she heard first.

  ‘Where’s yer mam?’

  It was Dot who answered. ‘She’s in bed, Dad, so I waited up for yer.’

  Sadie was rooted to the spot. With a bit of luck they’d go straight up to bed and she wouldn’t have to face them. If they did come out to go down the yard to the lavvy, she’d pretend she’d just come in. Through the narrow gap on the hinged side of the door she saw her father fall heavily into his chair, obviously the worse for drink.

  ‘Dad,’ Dot was standing in front of him, ‘did yer think about what I asked yer? You know, what I want to do when I leave school?’

  George’s lips curled into a drunken smile. ‘It depends how nice yer are to yer dad, how well yer look after him.’

  ‘I am nice to yer, Dad, an’ I do look after yer, don’t I? I’ll be nice to yer now if yer like, ’cos I know how to make yer happy, don’t I, Dad?’

  Sadie saw her father nod and noticed the saliva running down the side of his mouth. He’s a disgusting, evil man, she was thinking as she saw Dot fall to her knees between her father’s legs. And she’s no better! She’s after something and wants to get it out of him while he’s drunk. But when she saw the young girl begin to unfasten the buttons on the fly of her father’s trousers, Sadie had to clamp a hand over her mouth to stop the cry of disgust and anger that came to her lips. How in the name of God could a father behave like this with his fourteen-year-old daughter?

  Sadie was watching her father’s face when he closed his eyes and said in a strangled voice, ‘Oh, that’s good, that is, girl.’

  She moved her eyes to where Dot had undone the trouser buttons, pulled up the front of his shirt and had slipped her hand inside. A wave of nausea swept over Sadie and she knew she had to get out of the house. She opened the door, fled down the yard and into the entry where she bent over and was violently sick.

  With her tummy raw with retching, Sadie leaned against the entry wall and tried to think straight. The scene she’d just witnessed flashed before her eyes and she began to sob. No decent loving father would let a fourteen-year-old do what she’d seen Dot doing. But then, he’d never been loving, or decent. And she couldn’t feel any pity for her sister because, as she’d known for a long time, Dot was a crafty little bitch. She was the one who’d initiated what was happening inside that dirty little room. Sadie shook her head … a dirty room and dirty people.

  And what about her mother? Lily had to take some of the blame because Sadie had warned her often enough about what she thought was happening. But never in a million years did she think things had reached the stage they were at now. Did her mother know? She must have some idea but was probably too afraid to do anything about it. Either that or she just didn’t care. Perhaps it was a case of anything that kept her husband happy was all right with her.

  Sadie sighed. Surely it was against the law for a father to do this to one of his children. But who could she ask for advice? She’d be too ashamed to tell the only two people she trusted, Harry and Mary Ann.

  Thinking of Mary Ann made Sadie make up her mind. The best thing she could do was get away from this house as soon as she could and start a life of her own. She’d do it now, tonight, if she could. The thought of having to face her father and sister after what she’d seen brought forth another wave of nausea.

  I’ve got to get away from them, she thought desperately. I know it will take money, but so help me, I’ll get that money from somewhere.

  Chapter Nine

  Sadie’s eyes widened in surprise when Brenda took her overall off at the dinner-break. ‘My God! You’re coming out, aren’t yer?’

  Brenda smirked as she looked down at the pink jumper she was wearing. It had a low round neck, short sleeves and was tight enough to show her bust off to advantage. ‘I got it in Blacker’s on Saturday. Three and eleven it cost, but I think it was worth it ’cos it suits me.’

  ‘It does, it looks the gear on yer.’ Sadie cast
an admiring glance. ‘It doesn’t half show yer figure off. Yer’ll be gettin’ loads of wolf whistles when the lads see yer in that.’

  This was precisely what Brenda wanted – particularly from a certain lad by the name of Alec. He was smitten with Sadie but she intended to make sure he began to take notice of her. ‘Me mam said I can go out with a boy now I’m sixteen, as long as I bring him home first so she can see him to make sure he’s the right sort.’

  ‘I don’t know how she thinks she can tell if he’s the right sort by just lookin’ at him,’ Sadie said as they linked arms. ‘I’m surprised she let yer buy a jumper like that, showing off everything yer’ve got.’

  ‘Oh, she likes it,’ Brenda said, when in fact her mother had nearly hit the roof when she’d seen it. It was only when Brenda swore that she wore her overall all day in work, so no one would see it, that she was allowed to wear it. But she wasn’t going to tell her friend that. ‘She said the colour suits me.’

  But if Brenda thought she was going to attract Alec Gleeson’s attention she was to be bitterly disappointed. He was standing in his usual spot, next to Bobby Bennett, leaning against the factory wall. And he only had eyes for the blonde girl by her side. ‘All right, Sadie?’

  ‘Oh, can I speak with yer for a minute, Alec?’ Sadie gave Brenda a gentle push. ‘You go on, Bren, I won’t be a minute.’

  Alec moved away from the wall and the ears of Bobby. ‘What’s up?’

  ‘I can’t go out with yer tomorrow tonight – I’m sorry.’

  ‘But why not?’

  ‘I feel mean lettin’ yer down, Alec, but I saw something I liked in a shop window and the woman put it away for me. I said I’d pick it up on Saturday afternoon when I got me wages, but it costs more than I get in pocket money.’ Sadie couldn’t look him straight in the face as she lied. But she’d made a vow on Monday night that she’d get money by hook or by crook and she wasn’t going to weaken. ‘Me mam won’t lend me any money – she says I get enough – so I won’t even have the tram fare.’