Read Online My Secret Sister: Jenny Lucas and Helen Edwards' Family Story by Helen Edwards, Jenny Lee Smith - Free Book Online
Authors: Helen Edwards, Jenny Lee Smith
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out’. It always made me think of that phrase. Scuffles broke out in the kitchen . . . in the living room . . . On this day the scuffle started with our big old Hoover. My father would not allow the vacuum cleaner or the washing machine to be used when he was in the house. On this particular day, Mercia turned on the Hoover and started to swish it to and fro across the living-room floor.
Without a word, Tommy got up and switched it off, then sat down again.
My mother turned it back on.
He turned it off.
I could see the daring look on Mercia’s face as she turned it on again.
This time, Tommy stomped over to the electric point and, with a triumphant glare, pulled the plug out, then backhanded my mother round the face, knocking her to the floor. He picked up the vacuum cleaner, marched it out of the door, lifted it to shoulder height and hurled it into the garden. I was amazed at his strength. But I was also frozen with fear. What would happen now?
When Tommy came back into the room, my mother had picked herself up. Now she faced up to him.
‘That was clever, wasn’t it?’ she taunted. ‘Now you’ll have to buy me another vacuum cleaner.’
‘I will not. I don’t want that noisy thing in the house. It’s my house. What I say, goes.’
‘It’s not your house. It’s Minnie’s.’
Even at my age, I had the feeling this wasn’t a good thing to say to my father. I wondered if I could get out of the room without them noticing, but I was too far from the door. I made myself as small as I could and waited in stunned silence to see what would happen next.
I was surprised that my father, fuming inwardly, didn’t answer immediately. Meanwhile, my mother calmly went to retrieve the Hoover from the garden, trundled it back into the living room and plugged it back in. She stood up with a smug expression on her face.
This was the moment Tommy erupted into one of his blind furies. His face turned first red, then white. He clenched and unclenched his fists several times and his eyes began to bulge. He pulled the vacuum cleaner away from her and away from the wall so violently that the plug flew through the air and caught me a stinging blow on the forehead. Then he stormed over to the door and smashed the Hoover with his full force into the concrete path, causing bits to come off it in all directions.
‘ What do you think you’re doing? ’ screamed my mother.
‘I told you, I will not have that thing on while I’m in the house, you stupid woman!’ shouted Tommy. ‘Did you not hear me?’
‘Go on then, see what other insults you can think of. See if I care.’ She picked up an ashtray and threw it at him.
He took hold of her wrists and shook her with great force, so that she lost her footing again. ‘You’re just a stupid and ignorant pit-yacker!’ He paused. ‘Remember who’s boss around here. You will do as I tell you.’
‘Oh aye, there you go again. You reckon you’re so scary? I’m terrified!’ she taunted him, then pulled one hand free and lashed out at his face with her fingernails, drawing blood.
My father grabbed Mercia’s arm, marched her into the hall, pulled her coat off the hook, then pushed her and the coat out of the front door, which sent her sprawling across the path. As she lay there moaning, he slammed the door and turned the key.
Now he switched his attention to me. At first I thought he would attack me in his rage, but he seemed to hesitate for a moment. Perhaps he saw the blood trickling down my face from the wound on my forehead. I don’t know.
‘Get out of here!’ he roared. ‘Get upstairs before I give you a hiding.’
I ran up as fast as I could, faster than my feet could keep up with, stumbling on the upper steps and nearly falling backwards. I had to get away before he attacked me. I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong that day, but that wouldn’t save me.
I was lucky on this particular day – Tommy stomped out of the chaos and left. I heard his car roar away
Without a word, Tommy got up and switched it off, then sat down again.
My mother turned it back on.
He turned it off.
I could see the daring look on Mercia’s face as she turned it on again.
This time, Tommy stomped over to the electric point and, with a triumphant glare, pulled the plug out, then backhanded my mother round the face, knocking her to the floor. He picked up the vacuum cleaner, marched it out of the door, lifted it to shoulder height and hurled it into the garden. I was amazed at his strength. But I was also frozen with fear. What would happen now?
When Tommy came back into the room, my mother had picked herself up. Now she faced up to him.
‘That was clever, wasn’t it?’ she taunted. ‘Now you’ll have to buy me another vacuum cleaner.’
‘I will not. I don’t want that noisy thing in the house. It’s my house. What I say, goes.’
‘It’s not your house. It’s Minnie’s.’
Even at my age, I had the feeling this wasn’t a good thing to say to my father. I wondered if I could get out of the room without them noticing, but I was too far from the door. I made myself as small as I could and waited in stunned silence to see what would happen next.
I was surprised that my father, fuming inwardly, didn’t answer immediately. Meanwhile, my mother calmly went to retrieve the Hoover from the garden, trundled it back into the living room and plugged it back in. She stood up with a smug expression on her face.
This was the moment Tommy erupted into one of his blind furies. His face turned first red, then white. He clenched and unclenched his fists several times and his eyes began to bulge. He pulled the vacuum cleaner away from her and away from the wall so violently that the plug flew through the air and caught me a stinging blow on the forehead. Then he stormed over to the door and smashed the Hoover with his full force into the concrete path, causing bits to come off it in all directions.
‘ What do you think you’re doing? ’ screamed my mother.
‘I told you, I will not have that thing on while I’m in the house, you stupid woman!’ shouted Tommy. ‘Did you not hear me?’
‘Go on then, see what other insults you can think of. See if I care.’ She picked up an ashtray and threw it at him.
He took hold of her wrists and shook her with great force, so that she lost her footing again. ‘You’re just a stupid and ignorant pit-yacker!’ He paused. ‘Remember who’s boss around here. You will do as I tell you.’
‘Oh aye, there you go again. You reckon you’re so scary? I’m terrified!’ she taunted him, then pulled one hand free and lashed out at his face with her fingernails, drawing blood.
My father grabbed Mercia’s arm, marched her into the hall, pulled her coat off the hook, then pushed her and the coat out of the front door, which sent her sprawling across the path. As she lay there moaning, he slammed the door and turned the key.
Now he switched his attention to me. At first I thought he would attack me in his rage, but he seemed to hesitate for a moment. Perhaps he saw the blood trickling down my face from the wound on my forehead. I don’t know.
‘Get out of here!’ he roared. ‘Get upstairs before I give you a hiding.’
I ran up as fast as I could, faster than my feet could keep up with, stumbling on the upper steps and nearly falling backwards. I had to get away before he attacked me. I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong that day, but that wouldn’t save me.
I was lucky on this particular day – Tommy stomped out of the chaos and left. I heard his car roar away
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