Read Online A Million Tears by Paul Henke - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Paul Henke
Tags: Historical
Ads: Link
you know what you’re doing, that’s all. That’s my last words on the subject, see, but mark my words, people won’t like it. They’ll think it not nice. Fetch my coat, Dai,’ she ordered.
‘Yes, Grandmother,’ please, I said, under my breath. ‘What did you say?’ she asked sharply.
‘Nothing Grandmother,’ I rushed to get her coat. I’d heard Da say that she could hear an asthmatic flea cough at fifty paces.
As I helped her on with her coat she went on: ‘Now you mark my words Megan Griffiths . . .’ I switched off, knowing we would not hear the end of it before, during or for a long time after the event. From Mam’s sigh I guessed she realised it as well.
After Grandmother left, Mam made me get out my schoolbooks and we went through some arithmetic. I still tired quickly so after an hour I went to bed. I slept until late the next morning.
Through the curtains, partly drawn, I watched the clouds scudding past and amused myself seeing them as animals and funny faces. My Grandmother Osborne’s voice – she had come back – brought me back to earth and I tried to listen. After a few minutes I realised she was still on about the party and tried to ignore her. She saying, ‘I told you on that day you were marrying below your station’, brought me back to listening to her.
‘Now this trouble. I’ve never heard of anything like it. The men holding meetings, talking about striking and for what? Tell me that. For what? Compensation for the children? That won’t bring them back, will it? Nor will it put clothes on your backs or food on your table. I expect your Evan is mixed up in this as usual?’ Her voice had a hint of bitterness as she said Da’s name.
‘Yes, he is,’ Mam retorted, ‘but not in the way you think.’ Before she could go on Grandmother interrupted.
‘I thought so. I knew it,’ she said with a good deal of satisfaction. It was then that I realised how much she disliked Da. I had never liked her very much but knowing how she felt about Da I liked her a lot less. I poked my tongue out at her, safe in the knowledge that a door and ceiling separated us.
‘You mark my words. There’s going to be trouble unless someone persuades the men not to be so stupid.’
‘Evan is trying to,’ Mam said loudly, immediately bringing her voice back to normal. ‘Sorry, Mam but I couldn’t get a word in edgeways. If you’d listened you’d have heard me try to say that Evan is against it. He agrees with you about the food and clothes, or whatever you said. He doesn’t think any good will come of it but the men, and the women too come to that, are so angry they won’t listen to reason. It’s not as though they’re asking for much . . .’
Again Grandmother interrupted. ‘What are they asking for then? Do they even know? Or is it the usual sheep-like instinct of the herd? All following without knowing why or where they’re going?’
‘No, Mam,’ I could almost hear Mam sigh. By now, intrigued, I climbed out of bed and sat at the top of the stairs. This was all new to me and I wanted to know what was going on. ‘All they want is a new school built over this side of the river and up behind the Powis place,’ I knew where she meant. It was a stretch of waste ground near the chapel and a bit further along. ‘They also want the mine owners to admit it was their fault. I don’t know much more than you so why ask me? We won’t know any more until tomorrow’s meeting. You’ll know then, Mam.’
‘Yes, well I just thought you could enlighten me some more, seeing how Evan always knows what’s going on.’ I heard the rattle of cups. ‘Thank you.’
‘Hullo, Meg, and where’s my boy then? Oh, hullo, Mrs Osborne,’ Grandad said in a stentorian voice, breezing through the front door, as usual.
‘Upstairs, Dad,’ Mam replied.
‘I must be off, now you’ve got,’ Grandmother paused, ‘other company.’ I could imagine the loud sniff she affected when she was annoyed, and
‘Yes, Grandmother,’ please, I said, under my breath. ‘What did you say?’ she asked sharply.
‘Nothing Grandmother,’ I rushed to get her coat. I’d heard Da say that she could hear an asthmatic flea cough at fifty paces.
As I helped her on with her coat she went on: ‘Now you mark my words Megan Griffiths . . .’ I switched off, knowing we would not hear the end of it before, during or for a long time after the event. From Mam’s sigh I guessed she realised it as well.
After Grandmother left, Mam made me get out my schoolbooks and we went through some arithmetic. I still tired quickly so after an hour I went to bed. I slept until late the next morning.
Through the curtains, partly drawn, I watched the clouds scudding past and amused myself seeing them as animals and funny faces. My Grandmother Osborne’s voice – she had come back – brought me back to earth and I tried to listen. After a few minutes I realised she was still on about the party and tried to ignore her. She saying, ‘I told you on that day you were marrying below your station’, brought me back to listening to her.
‘Now this trouble. I’ve never heard of anything like it. The men holding meetings, talking about striking and for what? Tell me that. For what? Compensation for the children? That won’t bring them back, will it? Nor will it put clothes on your backs or food on your table. I expect your Evan is mixed up in this as usual?’ Her voice had a hint of bitterness as she said Da’s name.
‘Yes, he is,’ Mam retorted, ‘but not in the way you think.’ Before she could go on Grandmother interrupted.
‘I thought so. I knew it,’ she said with a good deal of satisfaction. It was then that I realised how much she disliked Da. I had never liked her very much but knowing how she felt about Da I liked her a lot less. I poked my tongue out at her, safe in the knowledge that a door and ceiling separated us.
‘You mark my words. There’s going to be trouble unless someone persuades the men not to be so stupid.’
‘Evan is trying to,’ Mam said loudly, immediately bringing her voice back to normal. ‘Sorry, Mam but I couldn’t get a word in edgeways. If you’d listened you’d have heard me try to say that Evan is against it. He agrees with you about the food and clothes, or whatever you said. He doesn’t think any good will come of it but the men, and the women too come to that, are so angry they won’t listen to reason. It’s not as though they’re asking for much . . .’
Again Grandmother interrupted. ‘What are they asking for then? Do they even know? Or is it the usual sheep-like instinct of the herd? All following without knowing why or where they’re going?’
‘No, Mam,’ I could almost hear Mam sigh. By now, intrigued, I climbed out of bed and sat at the top of the stairs. This was all new to me and I wanted to know what was going on. ‘All they want is a new school built over this side of the river and up behind the Powis place,’ I knew where she meant. It was a stretch of waste ground near the chapel and a bit further along. ‘They also want the mine owners to admit it was their fault. I don’t know much more than you so why ask me? We won’t know any more until tomorrow’s meeting. You’ll know then, Mam.’
‘Yes, well I just thought you could enlighten me some more, seeing how Evan always knows what’s going on.’ I heard the rattle of cups. ‘Thank you.’
‘Hullo, Meg, and where’s my boy then? Oh, hullo, Mrs Osborne,’ Grandad said in a stentorian voice, breezing through the front door, as usual.
‘Upstairs, Dad,’ Mam replied.
‘I must be off, now you’ve got,’ Grandmother paused, ‘other company.’ I could imagine the loud sniff she affected when she was annoyed, and
Similar Books
