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Authors: Yelena Kopylova
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them on your side, and my dad on my side. He thinks it's only right. Of course, my mam's up in the air.
Well, you saw what she was like. She always thought I would get to the university, but I knew I never would. I'm no flier: I only got four 0-levels and just scraped into the sixth because of art. It's odd--'
He now lifted his head and looked upwards and seemed to ponder for a moment before he added, "People like her, and Dad too, they think the world is at your feet if you get into a grammar school. I thought so too, at one time, because there weren't many round our way got there.
Joe Birkhead did. He's in the next street. Now he is a flier. He's a wizard at maths. He'll go places. "
She put in quietly now, "So could you, Andrew, if you put your mind to it. I mean, you could study at nights."
"What? Art?"
He was looking straight at her now, and she answered, "Yes; or anything else you'd like to take up."
"Huh!" He gave a shaky laugh, then shook his head, and for a moment he appeared like a grown man to her as he said, "I'm sure I'll feel like studying at night after Mr. Stanhope is finished with me,
keeping me on my back lubricating the cars' innards. Greasing their bellies, he calls it. "
When he chuckled at his own words she chuckled too, and their chuckles linked and rose until they were both laughing; and when at last their laughter hiccoughed into silence he drew in a long breath, and
presently he said softly, "It won't be too bad. I'll try to do me best in all ways. It'll be a bigger change for me you know, not so much for you. You've been used to this' he spread his hand out 'but my life and Minnie's have been rough and tumble all the way. She sounded a big mouth ... Minnie, but she's all right, really. Ma never took much notice of her, concentrated on me, so she went over to Da. She's all right underneath, though; a bit brash, but she'll grow out of it."
Of a sudden she felt drawn towards him: he was different; he seemed to have grown up all of a sudden.
When he said, "I'd better go now, hadn't I? You'll want to do things.
It's . it's eleven in the morning, isn't it? " she answered simply, "
Yes, eleven. "
He rose to his feet, saying, "I ... I wish it was over, don't you? I mean ... well ... and we were on our way. Have you ever been to
Harrogate before?"
"No, never."
"It's ... it's a nice hotel. Da went through and booked it. It's a posh place. He's paying for the week as a kind of wedding present."
"It was good of him, very good."
"Da's all right. You could get to like him."
"Yes, I think I could."
"I ... I wish I could say the same for your dad."
"Do you want to know something, Andrew?" she paused; he waited.
"I
wish I could say the same myself. "
"Is that a fact? You said something like that before, but I didn't believe it."
"Well, you can."
"He'll lead me a rough time if he can at the works."
"Well, you'll only have to stand up to him."
"Oh, I'll do that all right. Oh yes, I will. There's another side to me, you know: I won't be pushed around by nobody. I've got that from me da."
They were standing near the door now looking at each other. His voice changed, he asked quietly, "Can I kiss you?"
She made a small motion with her head, and he leaned forward, put his hands on her shoulders and his mouth on hers. His lips felt soft and hot, whereas hers remained tightly closed. After a moment he stood back, smiled at her and said, "Well, tara until tomorrow."
"Good night," she said.
When the door had closed on him she stood with a cheek pressed against it and told herself not to cry, because she was no longer sad; yet she couldn't claim to be happy.
They sat at a small table in a corner of the large dining-room, and they were almost silent through awe. The room was brilliantly lit with glass chandeliers, and the glass, cutlery, and the napery on the table seemed to reflect the light and spread it over the diners. Only half the tables were occupied: the men were in dinner suits, very
Well, you saw what she was like. She always thought I would get to the university, but I knew I never would. I'm no flier: I only got four 0-levels and just scraped into the sixth because of art. It's odd--'
He now lifted his head and looked upwards and seemed to ponder for a moment before he added, "People like her, and Dad too, they think the world is at your feet if you get into a grammar school. I thought so too, at one time, because there weren't many round our way got there.
Joe Birkhead did. He's in the next street. Now he is a flier. He's a wizard at maths. He'll go places. "
She put in quietly now, "So could you, Andrew, if you put your mind to it. I mean, you could study at nights."
"What? Art?"
He was looking straight at her now, and she answered, "Yes; or anything else you'd like to take up."
"Huh!" He gave a shaky laugh, then shook his head, and for a moment he appeared like a grown man to her as he said, "I'm sure I'll feel like studying at night after Mr. Stanhope is finished with me,
keeping me on my back lubricating the cars' innards. Greasing their bellies, he calls it. "
When he chuckled at his own words she chuckled too, and their chuckles linked and rose until they were both laughing; and when at last their laughter hiccoughed into silence he drew in a long breath, and
presently he said softly, "It won't be too bad. I'll try to do me best in all ways. It'll be a bigger change for me you know, not so much for you. You've been used to this' he spread his hand out 'but my life and Minnie's have been rough and tumble all the way. She sounded a big mouth ... Minnie, but she's all right, really. Ma never took much notice of her, concentrated on me, so she went over to Da. She's all right underneath, though; a bit brash, but she'll grow out of it."
Of a sudden she felt drawn towards him: he was different; he seemed to have grown up all of a sudden.
When he said, "I'd better go now, hadn't I? You'll want to do things.
It's . it's eleven in the morning, isn't it? " she answered simply, "
Yes, eleven. "
He rose to his feet, saying, "I ... I wish it was over, don't you? I mean ... well ... and we were on our way. Have you ever been to
Harrogate before?"
"No, never."
"It's ... it's a nice hotel. Da went through and booked it. It's a posh place. He's paying for the week as a kind of wedding present."
"It was good of him, very good."
"Da's all right. You could get to like him."
"Yes, I think I could."
"I ... I wish I could say the same for your dad."
"Do you want to know something, Andrew?" she paused; he waited.
"I
wish I could say the same myself. "
"Is that a fact? You said something like that before, but I didn't believe it."
"Well, you can."
"He'll lead me a rough time if he can at the works."
"Well, you'll only have to stand up to him."
"Oh, I'll do that all right. Oh yes, I will. There's another side to me, you know: I won't be pushed around by nobody. I've got that from me da."
They were standing near the door now looking at each other. His voice changed, he asked quietly, "Can I kiss you?"
She made a small motion with her head, and he leaned forward, put his hands on her shoulders and his mouth on hers. His lips felt soft and hot, whereas hers remained tightly closed. After a moment he stood back, smiled at her and said, "Well, tara until tomorrow."
"Good night," she said.
When the door had closed on him she stood with a cheek pressed against it and told herself not to cry, because she was no longer sad; yet she couldn't claim to be happy.
They sat at a small table in a corner of the large dining-room, and they were almost silent through awe. The room was brilliantly lit with glass chandeliers, and the glass, cutlery, and the napery on the table seemed to reflect the light and spread it over the diners. Only half the tables were occupied: the men were in dinner suits, very
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