And that was why those fellows were saying things to Sam. Because of some trouble at sea. They’re like spiteful old women, she thought.
When she heard someone say, ‘Hello, Nell,’ she was so preoccupied that she smiled automatically until she realised it was Charlie West.
She dived into the nearest shop, which was a greengrocer’s, and waited until he grew tired of hanging about before she emerged. I’ll clout him with me cauliflower if he’s still there, she vowed, but he had gone.
Later she told Maggie about it. ‘And I would have done it and all,’ she declared. ‘Clouted him, I mean.’
Maggie laughed. ‘I think you would too,’ she said. ‘I’ll tell you what, Nell, you’re not half different to the quiet little girl you used to be. Remember when you used to run home away from him crying?’
‘Yes, I’m a real hard knock now,’ Nellie said, and was amazed when Maggie laughed until she cried.
Chapter Eleven
Tommy was five years old in November and started school in January 1926. Nellie took him to school and went to bring him home for the first few days then he went with Katy’s eldest girl, Amy.
He was still shy and timid and Nellie worried that he would be bullied but Katy reassured her.
‘Our Amy’ll look after him,’ she said. ‘And with all me brothers and sisters living round here there’s plenty of their kids to stick up for him.’
The first few days were foggy and cold and Nellie dressed Tom in his best jersey and trousers with warm socks and new boots on his feet. He wore a thick coat and a woollen scarf which Nellie wrapped round his neck, crossed on his chest and under his armpits, then fastened at the back with a large safety pin.
He stood out among the children in the playground, most of whom were poorly dressed in hand-me-down jerseys and coats with broken or patched boots or plimsolls or in police clothes.
It might have gone hard for Tom at first, without the protection of Bella’s grandchildren, but soon he disarmed some of those who resented him by his innocent friendliness and his willingness to share the bread and jam his mother gave him for playtime.
On the days that Nellie worked Tommy had his dinner with Katy’s children and the money that Nellie paid her was a help to Katy.
Her husband Peter had broken his leg in a fall down a ship’s hold so times were hard for Katy. She was lucky in that she had her mother Bella living across the street and numerous members of her own family and Peter’s living near by, all of whom helped her.
‘I don’t like taking it though,’ she confided to Nellie. ‘It’s all right with me own family but Peter’s Aunt Mary Anne makes it sound like charity. She takes all the good out of anything she gives me. Always a speech with it or making out it was Peter’s own fault.’
‘But everyone takes turns with the bad times and the good times,’ Nellie said. ‘Look at the Nolans. Maggie was out of her mind a few years ago trying to keep them all fed and worrying about Richie’s legs and look at them now. Times will come good again for you too, Katy.’
It was true that life was good for the Nolans now. Maggie still had three mornings a week cleaning and Johnny had held on to his job in spite of bouts of bronchitis in bad weather. The eldest girl Susan was now working in Carroll’s tobacco works and earning seven shillings and sixpence a week and Josie was due to leave school at midsummer. Years of good food had cured Richie’s rickets and now his legs were only slightly bowed.
Not all of Nellie’s neighbours were so fortunate. A family named Doyle lived in the bottom half of the house next to Bella’s – father, mother and six children. The father worked for one of the many local firms who employed and fired men on a daily basis and as there were always more men than jobs it was an even more precarious life than that of a dock worker.
The mother was a bedraggled woman with a bad squint and the children sickly so Nellie was not surprised to hear that the youngest child had died. She met Mrs Doyle and sympathised with her and asked when the funeral would be, thinking that she could offer to mind the other children if she was not working.
‘Not till Monday,’ Mrs Doyle said, wiping her eyes. ‘His suit’s in. I can’t redeem it, like, till Saturday.’
Nellie was lost for words but later she wondered whether she should have offered to lend the money to get the suit out of pawn.
Maggie advised against it. ‘You’d only hurt her feelings,’ she said. ‘And the funeral’s fixed up now anyhow.’
Nellie lay awake for some time that night, counting her blessings, and the following day she prepared Janey’s favourite meal of tripe and onions.
‘Me favourite,’ Janey exclaimed as Nellie heaped the food on her plate.
‘Yes, well, you done me a good turn getting me married to Sam,’ Nellie said. ‘We’ve never gone short.’
Janey looked at her suspiciously but said nothing.
Sam too spent many sleepless hours lying in his bunk thinking of the last few days of his leave. Of Nellie lying on the floor with blood pouring from the cut on her head and Tommy’s terror-stricken cry, ‘Is me mam dead, Janey?’
He thought of Tommy and the way the child had shrunk away from him when he put his arm round him to comfort him, while Nellie lay on the sofa. The boy had stood rigid and unyielding within his arm until Nellie had smiled at both of them and called Tommy to her.
With bitter self-disgust Sam thought of how he must appear to his son. A bully who had nearly killed his mother. No matter that Nellie’s life had never been in danger. Sam felt that Tommy would never trust him again.
He remembered the day he had left when Buck Madden had called for him. Nellie had tried to arrange her hair to cover the dressing but Buck had said right away, ‘How’s your head, Mrs M.?’ and Nellie said it was almost better.
Sam always groaned to himself when he thought of what happened next. I had to talk sense into her when she was saying about going to the chemist for them stitches, he thought. All I said was, ‘Go to the hospital and get it done proper, d’yer hear?’
It’s the way all the fellers talk to women. I couldn’t talk like when we’re on our own with Buck there. He’d think I was a right bloody cissie, but the way Tommy put his arms round her and glared at me. As if I was going to clout her or sum’p’n’ and he’d fight me – me own son! Give Ellie her due, she laughed it off, thought Sam, but it give me the shock of me life.
For once he was sorry when the ship docked, wondering what sort of welcome was waiting for him. He walked slowly up the street, his seabag on his shoulder, but Ellie must have seen him pass the window. The next minute she had the door open and she was shouting, ‘Tommy, Tommy, quick, your dad’s here.’
Relief flooded through Sam as he stepped inside the house and flung his seabag down then put his arms round Nellie.
Tommy came running downstairs and Sam raised his head. ‘Hello there, lad,’ he said and Tommy put his arms round him butting his head against Sam’s chest.
‘You’re not half growing,’ Sam said, ‘Nearly as tall as your mam.’ He looked round the room. All the usual careful preparations had been made for him, even the Woodies and the Vespas. So Ellie didn’t hold nothing against him and neither did Tommy by the looks of things.
Sam sat down in his chair and Tommy sat on the stool beside him. ‘Did you see any flying fish, Dad?’ he asked eagerly.
Sam shook his head. ‘Not this trip, lad. It was the Atlantic run this time. I’ll tell you about it after.’
Nellie bent over him to put a mug of tea beside him and he saw the scar on her head. ‘Is your head better, girl?’ he asked diffidently.
‘Yes. I went to the chemist, Sam, and he give me a note to take to the hospital to get the stitches out,’ Nellie said.
Sam shook his head. ‘So you had your own way, girl.’
‘I was that frightened of going to the hospital,’ Nellie said defensively, ‘but Mr Doyle was awful nice. He give me this note. The doctor read it out to the nurse. I wrote it down so I could tell you wh
at it said.’
She took a slip of paper from behind the clock and read aloud.
‘‘‘Mrs Meadows is nervous about returning for the removal of stitches as in her confused state she lost the slip of paper she was given on discharge. I have assured her that she will be treated with consideration.”’
She replaced the paper. ‘Wasn’t that lovely? I wish I could talk like that, but d’you know what the doctor said to the nurse? Pompous ass!’
Sam drank some tea then lit a Woodbine and lay back in the chair stretching out his long legs. ‘By God, this is the life, girl,’ he said.
The next few hours were so pleasant and happy, as Tommy told him about school and Sam talked of incidents on the voyage, that he began to feel sorry that he had worried so much while he was away.
Even when Janey came in she only said, ‘You’re back, then?’ She lingered while Nellie took her meal through to the parlour and Sam pulled out some coins from his pocket.
‘Get yourself a drink, Ma,’ he said.
Janey cast a lightning glance over the money in her hand and smiled with satisfaction before she nodded to him and stumped off into the parlour.
It was only later that Sam realised that Tommy had not forgotten or forgiven. When he said easily to the boy, ‘I’ll see you into bed before I go to the Volley, lad,’ Tommy went to where Nellie sat knitting and put his arm round her shoulders.
‘I’ll stay up with me mam until you come back,’ he said defiantly.
Sam felt his face burning with anger and he opened his mouth to yell at the boy and clenched his fist but Nellie said quickly, ‘Oh no you don’t, Tommy. Don’t be trying it on just because you’re dad’s home and you’re a big school lad now.’
Sam saw the way the boy looked at his mother, his eyes wide with hurt surprise at being misunderstood, but Nellie ignored him and turned to Sam.
‘He’s getting proper independent, like, since he started school. Mind you, he needs to stand up for himself with some of them hard knocks there.’
Sam knew that she was talking to bridge the awkward moment but he was unable to speak. The lad wanted to stay up to protect his mam from him, Sam. It should have been funny – the size of the lad compared to him – but Sam could see no humour in it. Instead he was bitterly hurt at the injustice of it.
Some women round here get battered every Saturday night, he thought, and in between times too. I never meant to knock Ellie down and I done all I could, took her to the hospital an’ all and yet I’m getting treated like this.
Nellie stood up and thrust her needles into her knitting. ‘Just for that I’ll take you to bed tonight. Teach you not to try it on, m’lad.’
Sam stood up too and took his jacket and cap from behind the door. ‘I’ll gerroff,’ he muttered and went out.
Buck Madden and many of Sam’s shipmates were in the Volunteer and a pint was put into his hand as soon as he entered. ‘Get that down yer, lad,’ Buck said cheerfully. ‘Good ale this. Better than the horse’s piss we got in New York.’
Sam’s spirits rose. This was the place to be. I’m getting like a bloody old woman, he thought, worrying over moods and sulks. He drained his glass and called for a round. He thought of the days before he was married when life was simple. Anybody annoyed him he just belted them, had a good straight fight, then had a pint together when it was over.
None of this brooding over this and that. I should’ve give the lad a good hiding, he decided, and maybe give Nellie a belt now and again to show her who’s boss.
More pints had appeared before Sam and he had been drinking them rapidly as he pondered. Someone struck up a song and Sam joined in, now swaying slightly and bawling out the song with his eyes closed.
A barman appeared by their group. ‘All right, lads. Keep it down,’ he said. ‘Snowy and another copper are in the back.’
The other men stopped singing but Sam continued until Buck pulled at his arm. ‘Stow it, Sam,’ he said urgently, ‘don’t want to get us barred out the first night home.’
Other men added pleas for him to stop and Sam’s voice trailed away. ‘It’s the women,’ he confided to Buck, ‘used to be simple, like, know wharra mean.’
‘Aye, I know, Sam,’ Buck said soothingly. ‘Never mind, lad, we can gerraway from them in here.’
One of the other men joked, ‘You haven’t half got a drouth on you tonight, Sam. The way you lowered them pints. What did she give you for your tea, salt fish?’
Sam thrust his face near to the man menacingly. ‘What’s it gorra do with you?’ he said and the man looked indignant.
‘Only a bloody joke, for God’s sake. What the ’ell’s wrong with you?’
Fortunately at that moment George Adams came in. ‘Only come for the last one,’ he said. ‘Me youngest lad’s not well so I stayed in.’ A pint was pushed into his hand but as soon as possible Buck drew him aside.
‘I don’t know what the ’ell’s wrong with Sam tonight,’ he said. ‘He’s in a right funny mood. Looking for a fight.’
‘He’s been in a queer mood all the trip,’ George said. ‘Something on his mind. I’ll try and talk to him.’
‘Hope his wife hasn’t got mixed up with the old one in her parlour,’ Buck said. ‘The missus said the jacks have been sniffing round there. Might be trouble.’
George dismissed the idea. ‘No, Nellie doesn’t have nothing to do with her, only cooking her food, like,’ he said. ‘And the coppers know it. Rose was only saying tonight how happy Nellie is with her job and the lad doing well at school. Must be something else with Sam.’
The barman called time and Sam’s two friends walked home with him. He was too drunk by this time for any conversation and once indoors he slumped down on the sofa and began to snore loudly. Nellie was unable to rouse him and finally went to bed, hoping that he would wake at some time and come to bed.
Earlier when she had taken Tommy to bed she had said nothing until the boy was in his nightshirt and she was tucking him into bed, although she knew that he was feeling hurt and misunderstood. She kissed him. ‘Goodnight, son,’ she said. ‘I know why you wanted to stay up but there won’t be no more accidents. Your poor dad’s still upset over the last one so we’ll have to make him happy while he’s at home, won’t we?’
Tommy flung his arms round her neck. ‘Oh, Mam,’ was all he said and Nellie hugged him silently. As she pulled the bedclothes up round him he said, ‘I’ll ask Miss if I can make a boat for me dad like the one I made for you,’ and Nellie kissed him again.
‘Go to sleep now, lad,’ she said and went downstairs.
She was not dismayed at Sam’s drunkenness when he returned, as George had said to her, ‘First night home. Strong ale in the Volley, girl. I’ve only had one because I stayed home for Timmy.’
When she woke the next morning Sam was lying beside her, deeply asleep, and she crept downstairs.
It was nearly time for Tommy to return for his midday break when Sam woke but he was up and dressed and shaved when the boy came home.
‘Tommy’s got to go back after dinner, y’know, Sam,’ Nellie said timidly, thinking that he expected to take the boy out, but Sam smiled.
‘I know, girl,’ he said. ‘Just thought I’d tidy meself up a bit before he come home, like.’
Tommy proudly announced that Miss said his work was the best and he had been given two pear drops as a reward. ‘I saved them for you,’ he announced. ‘One each.’
He pulled them from his pocket and presented one to Sam and one to Nellie. Both sweets had collected fluff from his pocket and Tommy said doubtfully, ‘I only had one suck of them.’
Nellie and Sam assured him that the fluff didn’t matter and that they would enjoy the sweets after their dinner. ‘You’re a good lad,’ Nellie said. ‘Both for getting the sweets and keeping them for us,’ and Sam heartily agreed.
‘Pity we can’t go out, lad,’ he said, ‘but I’ll take you on the Overhead again on Saturday.’
After Tommy had gone to sch
ool Buck Madden called again. ‘Didn’t think I’d see you up after the skinful you had last night,’ he said.
‘I don’t remember much about it,’ Sam said.
‘The way you lowered them first pints,’ Buck laughed. ‘One of the lads said you must have give him salt fish, Mrs M.’
‘No, spare ribs and cabbage,’ Nellie said. ‘And it wasn’t salty.’
‘You had a right cob on an’ all,’ Buck said to Sam.
Sam was surprised. ‘I don’t remember having no cob on,’ he said but Buck assured him that he had wanted to fight. ‘Good job George come in,’ he said. ‘Just for the last pint because his lad wasn’t well.’
‘I’ll have to go and see Rose. See if I can help,’ Nellie said.
‘Tell George we’re in the alehouse now,’ Buck said and as they went out she heard him telling Sam more incidents from the night before.
He’s a good mate, Nellie thought, but he’s always putting his foot in it. She wondered why Sam had had a cob on the previous night. Surely it wasn’t because of what had happened before Tommy went to bed? Sam seemed to have forgotten it now anyway.
She found Rose and George very relieved because the boy’s temperature had come down and he was sleeping peacefully.
‘Mr Doyle the chemist gave George a good bottle for him,’ Rose explained. ‘Seemed to bring the fever down right away. He’s a proper clever man. Only failed his last examination or he’d have been a doctor.’
Timmy was so much better by Saturday that Rose was able to leave him with her eldest daughter while she and George went as usual to the market. There they met Sam and Nellie with Tommy and stopped to talk.
Tommy told them excitedly that he had been on the Overhead Railway with his father and described the ships they had seen.
‘He’s coming out of his shell, isn’t he?’ Rose said, when Tommy had gone to buy candyfloss. ‘He thinks he’s the man of the house when you’re away, Sam. Ready to defend Nellie against anyone.’
‘Aye, even me,’ Sam said grimly. ‘Squared up to me when I come home.’ He wanted to recall the words as soon as they were spoken but Rose only laughed.
A Wise Child Page 16