by Linda Calvey
No one came to the door. Ruby pushed it; it was usually open, as were all their doors. Today it was shut. She knocked again, this time harder. Still no reply.
The next day she did the same. Each time her mum and dad were out Ruby tried to see Sarah.
It was over a week later that Ruby saw Sarah coming out of the local supermarket. She ran over, filled with relief at seeing her, but when Sarah turned to her, her expression was hostile. Her friend usually wore pink lip gloss and make-up, but today her face was bare. She looked like she hadn’t eaten a decent meal in days and her face looked different, harder. Sarah was the first to speak.
‘Dad’s goin’ away . . . for a long time . . .’
Ruby stepped towards her, desperate to comfort her but not sure what to say all of a sudden. This wasn’t the reunion she’d expected.
Sarah took a step back. Before Ruby could say anything, Sarah blurted out, ‘Mum says I can’t speak to no one about it.’
Tears were now pouring down the girl’s face, and she wiped them away roughly. Ruby stepped towards her friend again, wanting to hug her, but Sarah put her arms out to stop her and shouted, ‘Don’t touch me you dirty pikey.’
For a second, Ruby thought she’d misheard. ‘Sarah . . . ?’
Her friend’s tear-streaked face turned into an ugly scowl. ‘Mum says we don’t want no more to do with ya. Don’t come to my ’ouse again, d’you ’ear me?’
Ruby nodded, unable to speak, so shocked was she by her friend’s unkind words. Sarah stalked off leaving Ruby standing alone in the street. Even though it was a sunny spring afternoon, Ruby pulled her second-hand cardigan around her tightly, as if to protect herself from her friend’s cruel words.
CHAPTER 4
Ruby was devastated by her friend’s rejection of her. For the next few days, she contrived to hide away in her room, trying to think why Sarah had spoken to her so harshly. She wasn’t just upset, she was puzzled. Why on earth would her best friend ditch her like that? What had she done wrong? Ruby racked her brains and could think of nothing. Obviously, her Romany roots had upset her friend but why would that suddenly be an issue? The Murphy family was descended from Gypsies, and she had grown up being taught to be proud of her family’s past. Louie said people could be judgemental about Travellers, but Ruby had never experienced anyone using it against her – until now.
She was still puzzling over Sarah’s words on her way to Rathbone Market a week later.
‘Come and get yer apples. Lovely, juicy apples. Oi, darlin’, come an’ taste one of these beauties,’ hollered the fruit and veg man, giving the teenager a wink. It was Saturday morning, the sun was out, and Ruby did what she’d done every weekend for the past couple of years and had taken herself off to the thriving marketplace off Barking Road, only a short walk from Star Lane. She tried not to think about the fact that she usually went with Sarah.
There were stalls of all descriptions running the length of the road, selling second-hand clothes, soft furnishings, fabrics, toys and bric-a-brac, as well as spicy Jamaican food, and fresh fruit and veg. Crammed next to the veg man’s stall, filled to bursting with potatoes, carrots, cabbages, oranges, bananas and apples, was a woman selling oversized underwear. Huge pink bras and large lacy knickers wafted in the breeze. Ruby caught herself smiling as she walked past, through the crowds of people, remembering how she and her brother would scream with laughter as children at the sight of ladies rifling through the knickers, looking for a bargain. Cathy would always hurry past, her cheeks red with shame, dragging the two siblings with her as they pointed and giggled loudly. They’d always laughed about it as a family later, even Ruby’s mum enjoyed the joke once they were out of earshot of those poor women.
‘. . . I’ve got hairdryers, I’ve got toasters, I’ve even got hair curlers. Now come on, ladies, what’ll it be today? Yes, you, come and ’ave a go on my curlers . . .’
Ruby moved past the electrical man’s stall, wondering where he’d nicked the goods from this time. He was a hoister. Every week he had a different display of nicked goods at knock-down prices. She gave him a smile, which made him doff his cap to her as if she was a proper lady, and Ruby couldn’t help but laugh. She loved the sights and sounds of the market – the bustle of the women as they elbowed each other out of the way, haggling over camisoles and bags of peaches, the sound of the stallholders hawking their wares, the passers-by and the smell of Caribbean spices mingling with it all. It was like a hive and the stallholders and customers were like the bees, buzzing around a flower, all looking for the same bit of nectar.
Just then, as Ruby started to feel at peace for the first time since losing her friend, the local troublemaker Freddie Harris stepped out in front of her, blocking her way. Freddie was a mate of Bobby’s, though Ruby could never work out why her brother spent any time with him. He was a wide boy, a Jack the Lad who boasted about doing jobs for the blaggers and crime bosses. He thought he was sharp, but Ruby thought he was a loser, doing other peoples’ crooked jobs and thinking he was something special as a result. He even looked like a weasel, with greasy brown hair permanently slicked back, a neck-full of gold chains and expensive trainers. Ruby was not impressed.
‘What d’ya want?’ she said impatiently. ‘I’ve got things to do and I don’t want to be bothered by the likes of you.’ Ruby could never bring herself to be nice to Freddie. She saw him as a snake, ready to strike. He was always on the take, borrowing money from good-hearted Bobby and ‘forgetting’ to pay him back.
‘That’s not very friendly. Ain’t no way to say ’ello, eh, Ruby Green Eyes,’ he said, his voice oily, his manner reptilian. He always stood too close, and Ruby had to fight the urge to push him away.
‘Don’t call me that!’ Ruby hit out at him, a course of action that only made him grin. She couldn’t let him see he’d riled her. He loved the conflict, loved winding people up, especially her, and Ruby didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. She sighed to herself. She knew the only way to get rid of him was to listen to whatever he had to say. She could tell by looking at him that he wanted to deliver some news, something unpleasant, most likely. She just had to wait it out then get on with her day.
‘Tell me, then,’ Ruby said, smiling at him through gritted teeth.
‘Tell ya what?’ Freddie looked over his shoulder a few times, always wondering who might be coming up behind him.
‘Tell me whatever it is you’re so desperate to tell me.’ Ruby tried to keep the smile on her face but it was hard. Freddie was enough to provoke anyone.
‘All right, then, I’ll let you into a little secret . . .’ He leaned even closer. She could smell the beer on his breath and it revolted her but she stood her ground, waiting for the bombshell to land. Freddie was loving this. He was all smiles as he said, ‘People round ’ere are sayin’ a few things . . .’
‘Oh, and what might those things be, Freddie?’ Ruby replied with wide eyes, looking as innocent of the murderous thoughts in her head as she possibly could.
‘Oh, it’s good, believe me, Ruby Green Eyes, it’s really good – though not for you and your pikey family,’ he leered. His eyes flicked away, always just avoiding her gaze. Oh yes, Freddie was really enjoying his moment of power.
‘What are people sayin’? Spit it out, Freddie, I haven’t got all day. And I’d prefer it if you didn’t call my family pikeys.’ Ruby was rapidly becoming weary of this game. She didn’t care to spend any more time talking to this weasel than she really needed to, especially if he was going to insult her and her family.
Freddie stepped back as if in shock, though it was clearly part of his twisted performance. ‘Don’t ya know what everyone’s sayin’, Ruby Green Eyes?’ he said with exaggerated concern.
‘No, I don’t, Freddie. Why don’t you be the one to tell me. I can see you’re dyin’ to.’ This time Ruby stared at him until his eyes were forced to meet her gaze. She knew this always rattled him. She wasn’t scared of this loser. Ruby coul
d handle herself where Freddie was concerned.
Now she’d stolen his thunder, Freddie almost reluctantly imparted his information. ‘They’re sayin’ it was either someone who was jealous of them, or it was Gypsies who dobbed in a friend of ours, a friend of ours who is looking at doing ten years for blagging . . .’
Ruby instantly realised Bobby’s repellent mate was talking about Sarah’s dad. ‘What are ya on about? I don’t ’ave time for this,’ Ruby cut him off. She tried to push past him but he grabbed her arm, stopping her from leaving. Freddie sensed his target had hit home.
‘Oh yeah, people are sayin’ it was pikeys who done for Mike. Now, d’you know any pikeys who might be jealous of all their pretty things?’ Freddie stared straight at her.
Ruby didn’t back off though. She squared up to Freddie, anger building up inside her. ‘What’s that got to do with me?’ she said, but she already knew. Even though her family had nothing to do with the arrest, suspicion would fall on anyone with her background. ‘My family might not be crooks, but they’re not grasses either. Now you know as well as I do, Freddie Harris, that my family don’t ’ave a jealous bone in their bodies, and, yes, we are Gypsies, so bloody what? We’re proud of our roots, and we don’t care what people say around ’ere because we done nuthin’ wrong.’
‘That’s not what people are sayin’. Everyone round ’ere thinks your family are the grasses, so you’d better watch out. I’m doin’ ya a favour warnin’ ya.’
Freddie was now smiling widely, like the Cheshire cat. He licked his lips as if he could taste her words. With a small shrug of his bony shoulders, Freddie swaggered off, pausing to glance back at her before starting to whistle. Ruby’s blood was boiling. Her morning, which had been strange anyway without Sarah, was now completely ruined. It didn’t bother her what Freddie thought, but if everyone thought that, then the Murphys were in for a tough time. Her family would be shunned by the community and goodness knows what would happen as a result. The unwritten code of the East End was known by all: no one grassed to the coppers. Breaching the code meant there’d be consequences, and the thought chilled Ruby to the bone.
Suddenly, she lost interest in buying the clothes she’d set out to find today. Her excitement at being able to buy things to wear to her new job in an office up the West End had disappeared. She was due to start in a couple of weeks, but with a sinking heart, she decided to head home. She felt tired and had a desperate urge to get back home to the people she loved.
When she got home Ruby couldn’t hide her feelings from her mum. Cathy took one look at her daughter, dragging her feet on the floor, and without a word, pulled her aside. ‘Sit with me, love. Now, I know somethin’s botherin’ ya. Tell me what it is, perhaps I can help.’ Ruby looked at her mum’s still-pretty face, her fair hair still worn long, her blue eyes full of concern.
‘What’s wrong, darlin’? You’ve been so sad about Sarah. Is that what’s botherin’ you?’ Cathy leaned forward, putting her arm around her daughter.
‘Mum, I bumped into Bobby’s mate Freddie Harris at the market . . .’
‘Oh yes,’ frowned Cathy. She disliked the weasel even more than Ruby did, if that was possible.
Ruby came straight out with it.
‘Everyone’s sayin’ we grassed up Sarah’s dad, and that’s why he’s gone to prison.’ Ruby started to cry. Her mum held her tighter, rocking her gently in her arms. ‘What’s goin’ to happen to us, Mum? What will people do? Are we in danger?’
Cathy took a moment to reply and when she spoke, she was careful with her words. ‘That isn’t good, Rube. We might ’ave to be a bit careful, but we’ll keep tellin’ people it weren’t us. It weren’t us, was it, Ruby?’
‘Course it wasn’t! I’d never grass on my best friend!’ Ruby was stung into defending herself.
‘That’s all right, then. Listen, I’ll speak to your dad. He’ll know what to do. If there’s any comeback it’ll be him and Bobby who’ll get it, so they need to be prepared,’ Cathy said.
‘Comeback?’ Ruby asked, wiping away her tears.
‘You’re not a child any more so I won’t lie to you. Perhaps it’s best if all of us keep a low profile for a while, for a week or two. I’ll tell your dad and Bobby they can’t go down the pub on a Friday for a while. People round ’ere don’t take kindly to grasses. I’m not sayin’ we’re not safe, but we need to be careful.’
Ruby shuddered.
Just then, Ruby caught sight of the old black-and-white photo sitting on the kitchen mantelpiece. It showed a beautiful woman, long dead, to whom Ruby bore a striking resemblance. The picture was of her granny, a Traveller who fell in love with her beloved Grandad Jim.
Cathy turned to look at the photograph. ‘D’you remember the day that Grandad Jim told you about your Granny Ruby? You never met her, of course, as she died givin’ birth to your dad, but by all accounts you’re so like her.’
Ruby nodded, tears filling her eyes again. This time she wouldn’t cry, though. She was done shedding tears over anything Freddie Harris said.
Ruby spoke in a whisper, smiling sadly at the image. ‘She wasn’t meant to marry Grandad but her brothers worked with him, so when they fell in love, the Travellers let them get married. Grandad told me about her when he was ill himself. He still spoke so lovingly about her. He told me that my eyes were the exact same shade of emerald green as Granny Ruby’s and that’s why I was his favourite.’ Cathy squeezed her daughter’s hand as if to say, ‘Go on’.
‘When I held Grandad’s hand it was so frail and papery. He was dyin’ then and I was too young to really understand. He told me that I reminded him of Granny, and that every time he looked into my eyes he saw hers starin’ back.’
It was Cathy’s turn to look sad. She nodded silently.
‘He told me to always be proud of my roots, to be proud of comin’ from Gypsy blood.’ Ruby managed a smile as she recalled the conversation. Jim had died only a few short weeks afterwards, and it was the last real conversation they’d had together.
‘Yes,’ Cathy said, after a moment’s silence as they both remembered the man who’d given them so much love and happiness, ‘he loved Granny Ruby fiercely. He took Louie to Appleby Fair every year to show him what bein’ a Traveller meant. He wanted him to know his heritage – your heritage.’
Ruby smiled again as she recalled his obvious pride, his love for the woman who refused to go to hospital and died in childbirth as a result. His love for her had been undimmed by time.
When Cathy finally left, Ruby sat down heavily in front of the small mirror in her bedroom. A beautiful young woman with jet-black hair, creamy skin and those brilliant green eyes that had come down to her through the generations stared back. A thought was forming in her mind, a decision she was in the process of making. Eventually she spoke out loud, not taking her eyes off her face. ‘From now on, it’s family and only family,’ she vowed.
CHAPTER 5
‘You ready to go, love?’ Cathy smiled at her daughter. She almost couldn’t believe Ruby was starting her first job, and as a trainee admin girl in a large, busy office in the West End. No newsagents for Ruby.
‘Ready. How do I look?’ Ruby said as she descended the stairs. She was dressed in the best she could afford, a pencil skirt from Rathbone Market, a pretty pale pink blouse patterned with tiny flowers, and a pink headband to keep back her shining hair. She had even applied a small amount of make-up, blush for her cheeks and a touch of red lipstick. Cathy felt a sudden urge to cry as she looked at her beautiful daughter; a woman stepping out into the wider world.
Ruby sensed the conflicting emotions her mum was feeling; the strange pull of wanting Ruby to stay a child for ever, and the opposite urge to send her out into the world to find her place in it. She gave her mum a sweet smile and before they could say anything else, she nodded. Cathy nodded back, there was no need for words. They understood each other completely.
‘Don’t worry, Mum, I’ll be back about 6 p.m. for dinner,�
� Ruby said eventually. ‘You OK?’ Cathy, who was usually ready with a smile, looked tired. Ruby had noticed dark rings under her eyes lately and she looked a bit paler.
‘Course I am, love. Don’t worry about me. Off you go and good luck, darlin’,’ Cathy answered. Satisfied, Ruby picked up the handbag Cathy had treated her to especially for work. It was from the market, and her mum didn’t usually approve, knowing they were forgeries or nicked, but she realised Ruby had to look the part so this time she gave way.
Ruby caught the bus, feeling utterly exhilarated, and more than a little nervous. She knew she was lucky to have landed the role. She was given the nod by a friend of a friend whose aunt worked in the administration department. Ruby knew there were many more capable girls, as she hadn’t passed her Pitman typing test yet, but she’d somehow impressed her future employers at the interview.
It was Ruby’s first big break, and she’d grabbed it with both hands. That day, her future seemed to shine a path in front of her. At the office, the women all looked up as she walked the length of the room, the clicking on the computer keyboards almost universally stopped. Ruby managed a smile, hoping she looked more confident than she felt. An older woman wearing large glasses and with permed hair showed her to her desk.
‘You’ll be sitting here. Don’t worry, it’s all quite simple. Once you’ve mastered the computer you’ll be typing out letters to some of the companies we import goods from,’ the woman said.
‘Thank you, I’m sure I’ll be fine,’ murmured Ruby, hoping her hands wouldn’t shake as she tried her first faltering movements on the great big machine sitting on her desk. It all looked so high-tech, so complicated.
‘Yes, we import luxury products from all over the world, and supply places like Harrods and Liberty. I expect you’ve heard of those.’ It was a statement rather than a question.