it was wonderful. He would give her a bear hug and kiss her roughly on the forehead, in the same way he kissedMay, and then he would grab her hands and they would dance around the kitchen, laughing and crying at the same time.
A gull landed a few feet in front of her and regarded her with its cold eye. That’s when Ruby came down to earth. Her father wouldn’t be pleased about the money, would he? He’d probably stare at her like that gull, with its cold and untrusting eye, and question her honesty. And, even if he did believe her story, it wouldn’t occur to him that she might want to do something with the money herself. She could just hear him making his own plans for a new bit of fishing gear or a couple of new lobster pots.
‘Well, you’re not having it,’ she said crossly. ‘It’s my money.’
Until she was sure what she wanted to do, she wouldn’t tell anyone about the five pounds. She would put the money somewhere safe – somewhere nobody could touch it – and then make up her mind. The sun came out from under a cloud and warmed her face. Ruby stood up and brushed the back of her dress down. She would go straight into town and open a Post Office savings account.
Back home, Ruby pulled the suitcase out of the scullery, where she’d left it the night before. It felt quite heavy; she was disappointed. Obviously not much had been taken out yet, and she’d thought it would be really helpful. She’d been reading an article in one of the magazines left behind by a guest. In America, the Depression hadbitten deep. Years of drought and deep ploughing had created ‘black blizzards’ as the soil, now with the consistency of dust, was carried away by the wind. The people were starving, and yet the article spoke of their resilience and how they helped each other by sharing their skills instead of paying money for services. The idea had created a strong sense of community, and it struck a chord with Ruby. The people in her own street were all going through some sort of hardship, to a lesser or greater degree. She knew, for instance, that Tilly Morgan’s girls – a couple of years younger than May – wore dresses that were far too small, and yet when her mother had offered Tilly a couple of May’s old dresses that were in perfectly good nick, Mrs Morgan had refused them. ‘Thank you very much, but I don’t take charity,’ Tilly had said stiffly.
At the time Ruby had thought it just plain stupid but, on reflection, perhaps her stubborn pride was all Tilly Morgan had left. There had to be a way of sharing things that didn’t allow pride to get in the way. It was when she saw her mother and Aunt Vinny swapping a couple of cardigans that she had the idea.
Bea gave her the old suitcase from under the bed, and Ruby put some of May’s old dresses inside. She herself had bought a frock from the second-hand shop, but when she’d got it home, she didn’t like it. That went in too; and Aunt Vinny contributed a few things, including some of Cousin Lily’s casts-offs. With a little room left in the suitcase, Ruby set out for her neighbour’s house.
‘We’ve been passing this suitcase around the neighbours,’ she’d told Thelma Brown, her first choice to try out the new scheme. ‘The idea is that you see if you’d like something from it, and put something that you don’t want in the suitcase, to replace it.’
Thelma had looked a little sceptical until she opened the case.
‘Of course, it goes without saying that whatever you put in,’ Ruby went on, as Thelma held up one of Aunt Vinny’s blouses to the light, ‘should be clean and usable, but it doesn’t matter how many things you take out, so long as you put something back in.’
Thelma looked up. ‘I’m not sure if this will fit.’
‘Try it on,’ said Ruby. ‘In fact,’ she added, as if she’d only just thought of the idea, ‘why don’t you keep the case for a day or two, and then pass it on to someone else. Tilly Morgan
A gull landed a few feet in front of her and regarded her with its cold eye. That’s when Ruby came down to earth. Her father wouldn’t be pleased about the money, would he? He’d probably stare at her like that gull, with its cold and untrusting eye, and question her honesty. And, even if he did believe her story, it wouldn’t occur to him that she might want to do something with the money herself. She could just hear him making his own plans for a new bit of fishing gear or a couple of new lobster pots.
‘Well, you’re not having it,’ she said crossly. ‘It’s my money.’
Until she was sure what she wanted to do, she wouldn’t tell anyone about the five pounds. She would put the money somewhere safe – somewhere nobody could touch it – and then make up her mind. The sun came out from under a cloud and warmed her face. Ruby stood up and brushed the back of her dress down. She would go straight into town and open a Post Office savings account.
Back home, Ruby pulled the suitcase out of the scullery, where she’d left it the night before. It felt quite heavy; she was disappointed. Obviously not much had been taken out yet, and she’d thought it would be really helpful. She’d been reading an article in one of the magazines left behind by a guest. In America, the Depression hadbitten deep. Years of drought and deep ploughing had created ‘black blizzards’ as the soil, now with the consistency of dust, was carried away by the wind. The people were starving, and yet the article spoke of their resilience and how they helped each other by sharing their skills instead of paying money for services. The idea had created a strong sense of community, and it struck a chord with Ruby. The people in her own street were all going through some sort of hardship, to a lesser or greater degree. She knew, for instance, that Tilly Morgan’s girls – a couple of years younger than May – wore dresses that were far too small, and yet when her mother had offered Tilly a couple of May’s old dresses that were in perfectly good nick, Mrs Morgan had refused them. ‘Thank you very much, but I don’t take charity,’ Tilly had said stiffly.
At the time Ruby had thought it just plain stupid but, on reflection, perhaps her stubborn pride was all Tilly Morgan had left. There had to be a way of sharing things that didn’t allow pride to get in the way. It was when she saw her mother and Aunt Vinny swapping a couple of cardigans that she had the idea.
Bea gave her the old suitcase from under the bed, and Ruby put some of May’s old dresses inside. She herself had bought a frock from the second-hand shop, but when she’d got it home, she didn’t like it. That went in too; and Aunt Vinny contributed a few things, including some of Cousin Lily’s casts-offs. With a little room left in the suitcase, Ruby set out for her neighbour’s house.
‘We’ve been passing this suitcase around the neighbours,’ she’d told Thelma Brown, her first choice to try out the new scheme. ‘The idea is that you see if you’d like something from it, and put something that you don’t want in the suitcase, to replace it.’
Thelma had looked a little sceptical until she opened the case.
‘Of course, it goes without saying that whatever you put in,’ Ruby went on, as Thelma held up one of Aunt Vinny’s blouses to the light, ‘should be clean and usable, but it doesn’t matter how many things you take out, so long as you put something back in.’
Thelma looked up. ‘I’m not sure if this will fit.’
‘Try it on,’ said Ruby. ‘In fact,’ she added, as if she’d only just thought of the idea, ‘why don’t you keep the case for a day or two, and then pass it on to someone else. Tilly Morgan
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