by Dee Williams
Ruby laughed. ‘I thought you might like to hear about it?’
‘I should say so.’
Ruby went into great detail of what had happened and how Florrie and her lot had been trying to prise it out of her ever since.
Elsie sat back, still laughing. ‘Well I never. I wouldn’t have liked to sit next to him if he stank of mothballs.’
‘He said he didn’t care, she was paying.’
‘So she’s not a bad old stick after all? I would have loved to have seen him.’
‘So would I. It must be nice to get all dressed up.’
‘That’s why I want a white wedding with all the trimmings.’
‘I bet you’ll look lovely.’
‘You’ll be able to see for yourself.’
‘What? Don’t worry, I’ll try to be there outside the church.’
‘Not outside. Inside with me family.’
‘I’ve never been to a wedding.’
Elsie laughed. ‘Well, you’re coming to mine. As soon as the date’s settled, I’ll come and tell you.’
‘Me going to a wedding. What do I wear?’
‘Don’t worry, we’ll sort something out. It’s so good to see you again. Here, what’s happened about all the washing your mum used to do?’
‘Had to let it go. I couldn’t do it, not with going to work. When Tom took all the stuff back a lot of Mum’s customers was very upset.’ Ruby shrugged. ‘But it couldn’t be helped.’
‘So you don’t see that Mrs Bell then?’
‘No. I don’t know who does her washing now.’
‘I often think of her smashing place. I’d like things like that in my home.’
‘It was the buildings that I didn’t like.’
‘It was a bit rough round there.’
They talked a bit longer, then Ruby stood up. ‘I’m really sorry, but I must be off. Let’s try and get together again.’
‘I’d like that.’
Ruby hugged Elsie.
‘I’m really sorry about your mum.’
‘Thanks.’
Elsie kissed Ruby’s cheek and wandered away. Ruby waited till her friend was well out of sight before she began scrambling round the back of the stalls for tomorrow’s veg.
A week later Ruby was surprised to see Elsie waiting for her outside the laundry.
‘This is just a quick visit, I can’t stop. Here, take this.’ She shoved a piece of paper into Ruby’s hand.
Ruby turned it over. ‘What is it?’
‘Does your dad still want a job?’
‘Yes.’
‘That’s an address.’
‘Where, where is it?’
‘The Green Man off Lurcher Street. Me dad said George wants a pot man as his old boy had dropped dead. What d’you say?’
‘Well, there’s no harm in him going to see him.’
‘Must go.’ Elsie quickly kissed Ruby’s cheek and hurried away.
‘Bye,’ Ruby called after her. ‘And thanks.’ She looked at the paper. Although in many ways Ruby was pleased her friend had thought of her, the problem was she knew where the Green Man was: it was near the docks and not a very nice area. Would he take it, or was it all just a front on his part?
Ruby was surprised at her father’s reaction when she told him her news.
‘I’ll have a walk round there tomorrow and have a word with this George.’
‘Just be careful, Dad.’
‘Ruby, I keep telling you. Things are different now.’
‘Yes, I know, Dad.’ She kissed the top of his head.
Ruby was having mixed feelings. Lurcher Street was also a short walk from the buildings. Should she have told him about the job? She could have kept it to herself, but she knew she had to help her father get back out into the world. But what if when he walked home late at night someone set on him? If anything happened to him she’d never forgive herself. She could still remember the state he was in after the incident with the horse. Had she done the right thing?
The following morning Thomas went to the Green Man. He knew where the pub was and as he passed the docks and slums he barely glanced at the men lolling against the wall; he knew it didn’t do to look them in the eye. This wasn’t what he wanted, but he had to do something. Ruby had been trying hard to get him a job, but with the work situation as it was, he had to take anything. It was going to be hard after all these years but he wanted to show Ruby he was capable of helping to look after his family. She was too young to shoulder such responsibilities alone.
‘So you’re Thomas,’ said the landlord when he walked over to him.
This place was very different to the Royal Albert; the sawdust on the floor was sparse and the place stank of stale beer.
‘I only want you Friday and Sat’day nights. Me missus helps out at other times. The name’s George by the way.’ He threw his dog end to the floor to add to the others.
‘What time do you want me?’
‘After seven.’
‘Does it get a bit rough round here?’
‘A bit. Can you handle it?’
‘Yes. Yes, of course.’ He wanted to ask how the other pot man had died, but thought that was a little unwise at the moment.
‘Me wife don’t like coming down here on those nights; being pay day it tends to get a bit boisterous.’
Thomas gave him a half-smile. ‘I can understand that. So I’ll see you on Friday.’
‘OK.’
As Thomas walked home his head was pounding. Would he be able to stand the noise and the people? He had to for Ruby and Tom’s sake. But he knew it was going to be very hard.
That evening her father told Ruby he was starting work Friday night. ‘He only wants me Fridays and Sat’day nights. He seems a decent enough bloke.’
‘Are you sure you’ll be all right, Dad, walking home on your own?’
‘I ain’t a kid.’
‘I know, but you ain’t used to walking about in the dark.’
His voice rose. ‘Stop fussing. I’ll be fine.’
But would he? Ruby knew that was the worst time to be round that way.
Friday was his first night, and he had left by the time Ruby got home from work.
‘Dad said to make sure you wash up the pot when you finish that bit of stew. Look at me hands. I’ve got blisters from chopping up all that wood. Mr Cox gave me tuppence for a bundle.’
‘Did he now?’
‘I should have pulled a few sticks out, but I didn’t have time.’
Ruby tutted as she took her dirty plate into the washhouse. ‘I hope I’ll be able to get more boxes. Some of the other kids do it as well.’
‘Well, just make sure you keep out of trouble,’ said Ruby over her shoulder. ‘I don’t want you coming home with a busted nose.’
Tom laughed. ‘I ain’t that daft.’
After Ruby had finished the washing up she set about doing the bit of ironing that had been hanging around all week. She looked at the pile on the chair and knew there would certainly be some sewing in that lot. Tom was very good at losing buttons. Her mother had taught her well; Ruby had been sewing and knitting for years.
‘Tom, can you take this upstairs when I’ve finished his bits?’
‘I don’t like going up there.’
‘Why not? You just said he gave you tuppence.’
‘That was in the yard.’
‘I heard him go out a while ago.’
‘I don’t care. I don’t like going up there.’
Ruby finished the ironing and took it up herself. She pushed open the door and put his ironing on the table. She looked around. Every Saturday afternoon after she had been to the market, she had to come up here and clean this place. She was pleased he didn’t have a lot of furniture to polish and was out of there as quick as she could be. She was also on her guard every time she went up. She told her father to ask him down for a chat. Her excuse was that she didn’t want him getting in her way, and so far it had worked.
Ruby couldn’t rest all evening and
kept looking at the clock. She knew the pub closed at eleven and it should take him about twenty minutes to walk home. She knew if she went to bed she wouldn’t be able to sleep, so she decided to go and meet him. As she was putting on her hat and coat, Tom asked, ‘You going out?’
‘I’m just going to meet Dad. I’m not happy about him walking home on his own.’
‘He ain’t gonner thank you. He reckons all his demons have gone now.’
Ruby looked shocked. ‘Is that what he told you?’
Tom nodded. ‘We was sitting here one day after Mum died and he blamed the Kaiser for Mum and he reckoned he shouldn’t let him stop him any more.’
‘Well, I must admit he has changed. I only wish he’d helped Mum out.’
‘He said he’d never forgive himself.’
Ruby was overjoyed that her mother’s death hadn’t had the opposite reaction that she had been dreading, and he had not gone deeper into his shell. ‘I’m glad you and Dad can sit and talk.’
‘He had a terrible time in that war, you know.’
‘I gathered that.’ She looked at the clock. She wanted to hear more, but she had to go. ‘You must tell me about it sometime.’
‘He don’t say much, but some of the things he saw must have been nasty.’ Tom stopped.
Ruby hoped her father hadn’t been too graphic; Tom was young and at an impressionable age. ‘Now off to bed.’
‘You still going out?’
‘Yes.’
‘Dad won’t like it.’
‘He don’t know what it’s really like down there now. I’ll just tell him I fancied a stroll.’
Tom laughed. ‘What, at this time of night?’
She kissed the top of his head. ‘Off to bed. Now.’
Ruby left the house at once. She was truly concerned. Everybody - except probably Thomas - knew it was very rough round that way, especially when some of the foreign ships were in dock. And just what had the previous pot man died of? She pulled her coat round her and hurried along just as a spring shower started.
Chapter 17
By the time Ruby arrived at the Green Man the rain was falling steadily and men were spilling out of the door. She stood on the far side of the road and well back in the shadows; she didn’t want to be seen. The laughter and shouting was very loud and filled the air. She saw some enormous men with bushy beards wearing navy blue jackets. A couple of men were holding up another, very drunk, whose boots dragged along the ground as they moved on. When he started to be sick they let him go and he fell to his knees. Ruby realised that the shouting was in a foreign language and it was getting louder and more aggressive. One man pushed the other and suddenly they were fighting and rolling on the ground. Ruby squeezed herself into a dark doorway. She was very frightened. She hoped her father was busy and wouldn’t come out till this was all over. As more men spilt out of the pub they formed a jeering crowd round the men who were fighting, egging them on. Suddenly, in the light from the pub, Ruby saw the flash of a knife. A man slipped to the ground holding his stomach. The crowd disappeared at once, leaving the man groaning in the wet gutter.
She put her hand to her mouth to suppress her scream. What should she do? Why had she let her father come and work here? For a few moments she stood and watched the man writhing on the ground. Should she help him? Had his attacker gone? The rain was coming down more heavily now, she could feel it trickling down her neck then on down inside her coat. She heard the bolts going on the door of the pub and realised she had to go in there. She had to get help. She ran across the road and banged hard on the door.
‘Bugger off, we’re closed,’ came a voice from inside.
She banged harder this time, hurting her hands. ‘Dad. Dad. It’s me, Ruby. Please open up.’
The bolts were pulled and the door was swiftly opened and Ruby fell in. She looked up at the man who was holding onto the door. He was a tall, thickset man with wild salt-and-pepper-coloured hair and a bushy moustache to match.
‘Ruby?’ said her father.
She looked over at her father, he was standing next to the bar. He put the glass he was wiping on the bar and hurried over to his daughter. ‘What’re you doing here?’ he asked, helping her to her feet. ‘You’re soaking wet.’
‘Dad. Dad.’ She held on to her father.
‘What’s happened? You all right?’
She shook her head. ‘I come to see if you was all right,’ she sobbed, brushing sawdust from her coat. ‘There’s a man out there.’
‘I’ll kill him. What’s he done?’
She pointed to the door. ‘The man out there. Someone’s stuck a knife in him. He’s lying in the gutter.’
‘Is he dead?’ asked the man who had opened the door.
Ruby shook her head. ‘No, he’s groaning.’
‘Get this wet thing off,’ said her father as he helped her remove her coat. ‘This is George, my boss.’ He nodded towards the big man.
Ruby brushed her tears from her eyes and gave him a weak smile. She could see that he wouldn’t stand any nonsense from his customers.
George went outside and half carried, half dragged the man back inside the pub. He sat him on a seat then quickly locked and bolted the door. ‘I’ll see how bad he is.’
‘Do you want a doctor?’ asked Thomas.
‘No. If he ain’t too bad I’ll get someone to take him back to his ship.’
Ruby sat on the rough wooden bench that ran round the wall of the bar and looked about her. She was shaking with cold and shock. The pub was very stark. The air was smoky and the smell of tobacco very strong. The long wooden bar had a brass rail running round the bottom; it hadn’t been polished in years and was black with scuffmarks. The wooden floor was wet with beer and the tables covered with burn marks and beer stains.
‘Give your daughter a drink,’ said the owner over his shoulder as he removed the man’s jacket.
‘She’s under age, George.’
‘That don’t matter. The poor girl’s in shock.’
‘What are you doing here anyway? You should be at home, not running after me,’ said her father in a loud angry whisper.
‘I was worried about you.’
‘I ain’t a child,’ he said, giving her a withering look. He went behind the bar and poured out a drink and with a steady hand silently held out the glass.
Ruby looked up at her father. ‘Thanks.’ She knew now that he was in control.
Ruby sat watching George remove the sailor’s jacket. His shirt was covered with blood. Thomas gave out a gasp.
George looked up. ‘Don’t just stand there looking, give us a hand - get some water, then I can see how bad he is. You, girl, go through his coat pockets and see what ship he’s on.’ He threw the coat to Ruby.
She looked at the blood then looked at her father. He had turned very pale.
The man was still groaning.
Ruby frantically went through the pockets. She brought out a pipe, a tobacco pouch. And a wallet. ‘Shall I look in his wallet?’
‘That’s the way to find out the name of his ship. This ain’t too bad. Just a flesh wound.’
‘I am from Russia,’ said the man in very broken English. He tried to struggle to his feet.
‘Thought as much,’ said George, looking down on him. ‘He’s on one of the ships that brings in timber. That’s one of the Surrey’s main cargoes. Is there any English money in that wallet?’
Ruby gasped. ‘A ten-bob note.’
Thomas was holding on to the bar. His head hurt. The noise in his head was pounding. Blood was all around him. He couldn’t see.
‘Dad. Dad.’ His daughter’s voice was coming through the mist. ‘Are you all right?’
‘Yes, love.’ He gave her a smile.
‘You’ve gone ever so white.’
‘I’ll be all right.’
‘Thomas, give this bloke a drink and take the money for it and for your daughter’s out of that ten bob - oh, and get me and yourself one while you’re at it. I’ll put t
he change back in his pocket.’
Ruby was amazed that this man would take money for a drink that could be called medicinal. There was a photo of a very young man and a woman; was this the man in the photo? The woman was pretty and laughing.
George washed and tied a cloth from behind the bar around the man’s wound. The cloth didn’t look very clean. ‘That’ll do you for now. It ain’t deep, and you won’t bleed to death. D’yer think you’ll be all right to get back to yer ship?’
The man nodded. ‘Thank you so much.’
‘Don’t thank me, thank this girl here. If she hadn’t seen you, you would have stayed there all night.’
The sailor gave Ruby a beaming smile.
‘Right, on your feet.’ George put his arm under the man and helped him to his feet. He got him to the door and after removing all the bolts sent him on his way.
‘Does that sort of thing happen very often?’ asked Thomas.
‘Yer, at least once a month. It’s mostly the toms they fight over. You get used to it. He’s a lot luckier than some. I’ve come out on a couple of Sunday mornings to find a stiff in the gutter. But that’s mostly in winter,’ he said, completely unruffled.
Ruby sat with her eyes wide open. Did she want her father working in such a place?
George must have sensed her anxiety. ‘You don’t have to worry about your dad, you know. By the time he’s finished they’ve long gone.’
Thomas Jenkins put his arm round Ruby. ‘This is my little Ruby. She’s a rare little gem and can’t help looking after her dad, can you, love?’
Ruby shook her head. What could she say?
As they walked home it pleased Ruby to see her father was more like the man she remembered before that terrible war. She wanted to know what had happened to him. She had so many questions to ask him, but knew she had to take it one step at a time.
‘Do you think you’ll be happy working there, Dad?’
‘Yes. That George seems a decent enough bloke.’
‘Pity you couldn’t work in the day.’
‘His wife gives him a hand then.’
‘Where was she tonight?’
‘She sits with her mother. Her mother don’t like to be on her own at night.’