Read Online The Sunday Girls by Maureen Reynolds - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Maureen Reynolds
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small teapot lay on the unlit gas ring, holding in its depths something that resembled a petrified fossil.
‘Oh, Dad, how could you end up like this?’ I thought aloud. ‘Mum kept this room like a wee palace.’
Danny appeared back and his eyes opened in amazement. I held up my hand. ‘Not a word to Granny about this but can you help me clean it up?’
He cleared the table, throwing the milk down the sink and putting the margarine in the cupboard while I stripped and remade the bed. Finally I filled a bucket with several scoops of ashes and carried it down to the midden in the courtyard.
When I got back Danny was whistling cheerfully. ‘Your dad’s going to wonder who did all this cleaning for him,’ he said, running a rag over the dusty surfaces. ‘Now I’m not leaving you here so hurry up – I’ve to get back to work.’
I was busy laying the fire, placing the kindling crosswise over screwed-up paper. I then picked up the dirty sheets and, with a quick backward glance, we left. Dad had still not returned.
I was feeling so sad as we headed back for the Overgate, retracing our steps through the shortcut because the crowds were still surging around the bottom of the Hilltown. Although the noise had subsided slightly, the racket was still going on. It was the same scene at Albert Square, which had been the venue for the start of the march. There was still a multitude of people and some of the injured were being ferried away. We saw one policeman with two young men, both of whom had blood streaming down their faces.
‘Better get them to the Dundee Royal Infirmary,’ said a voice from the crowd.
‘This was a peaceful march till you lot waded in,’ shouted another angry disembodied voice from the heaving mass.
There were groups of tearful women with distressed children. Tearful streaks running down their dirty faces gave them a two-toned striped look.
‘You would be better off taking your kids home than have them howling here,’ suggested one policeman.
This was met with enraged shouts. ‘Take the kids home, did you say? And what happens when we get there. We get cut off from the dole and maybe even the parish relief. What do we feed them on? You tell us. Aye, we’ll take them away – take them home to starve.’
The policeman retreated to the far edge of the crowd. He obviously didn’t have the answer to that tragic thorny question.
I was still agitated. ‘Danny, promise me you’ll no’ say a word about the state of the house. It’ll just worry Granny and she’s got enough of that on her plate at the moment. No, I’ll just have to look hard for a job then I’ll be able to look after Lily and Dad.’
Granny was relieved to see us – so relieved that she didn’t notice the sheets. ‘My, I’m glad to see you both. What a night it’s been. Some windows in the Westport have been broken and the rumour is that the communists are behind it. Personally I don’t believe that. The Establishment will need a scapegoat because they’ll not want the riot to be their fault. No, siree.’ She suddenly spotted the bundle. ‘What’s that?’
I looked nonchalantly at them as if seeing them for the first time. I tried to sound unruffled. ‘Oh, these? I decided to change the bed for Dad and I’ll wash the sheets along with our washing at the steamie.’
She looked disapprovingly at me. ‘Your dad will not be pleased. We’ve all tried to help him but he’s that thrawn at times and he says he wants to think things out for himself.’
‘I’m no’ working out his problems for him, granny – just changing the sheets.’
It was important to keep the secret from her. If she saw how Dad was now living, she would be round to the Hilltown in a flash, packing his things and removing him to her caring and orderly domain.
Although I didn’t say it, my plans included a quick visit every week to keep an eye on Dad and on the house.
4
Granny always said Hattie had a lucky streak. She was the kind of
‘Oh, Dad, how could you end up like this?’ I thought aloud. ‘Mum kept this room like a wee palace.’
Danny appeared back and his eyes opened in amazement. I held up my hand. ‘Not a word to Granny about this but can you help me clean it up?’
He cleared the table, throwing the milk down the sink and putting the margarine in the cupboard while I stripped and remade the bed. Finally I filled a bucket with several scoops of ashes and carried it down to the midden in the courtyard.
When I got back Danny was whistling cheerfully. ‘Your dad’s going to wonder who did all this cleaning for him,’ he said, running a rag over the dusty surfaces. ‘Now I’m not leaving you here so hurry up – I’ve to get back to work.’
I was busy laying the fire, placing the kindling crosswise over screwed-up paper. I then picked up the dirty sheets and, with a quick backward glance, we left. Dad had still not returned.
I was feeling so sad as we headed back for the Overgate, retracing our steps through the shortcut because the crowds were still surging around the bottom of the Hilltown. Although the noise had subsided slightly, the racket was still going on. It was the same scene at Albert Square, which had been the venue for the start of the march. There was still a multitude of people and some of the injured were being ferried away. We saw one policeman with two young men, both of whom had blood streaming down their faces.
‘Better get them to the Dundee Royal Infirmary,’ said a voice from the crowd.
‘This was a peaceful march till you lot waded in,’ shouted another angry disembodied voice from the heaving mass.
There were groups of tearful women with distressed children. Tearful streaks running down their dirty faces gave them a two-toned striped look.
‘You would be better off taking your kids home than have them howling here,’ suggested one policeman.
This was met with enraged shouts. ‘Take the kids home, did you say? And what happens when we get there. We get cut off from the dole and maybe even the parish relief. What do we feed them on? You tell us. Aye, we’ll take them away – take them home to starve.’
The policeman retreated to the far edge of the crowd. He obviously didn’t have the answer to that tragic thorny question.
I was still agitated. ‘Danny, promise me you’ll no’ say a word about the state of the house. It’ll just worry Granny and she’s got enough of that on her plate at the moment. No, I’ll just have to look hard for a job then I’ll be able to look after Lily and Dad.’
Granny was relieved to see us – so relieved that she didn’t notice the sheets. ‘My, I’m glad to see you both. What a night it’s been. Some windows in the Westport have been broken and the rumour is that the communists are behind it. Personally I don’t believe that. The Establishment will need a scapegoat because they’ll not want the riot to be their fault. No, siree.’ She suddenly spotted the bundle. ‘What’s that?’
I looked nonchalantly at them as if seeing them for the first time. I tried to sound unruffled. ‘Oh, these? I decided to change the bed for Dad and I’ll wash the sheets along with our washing at the steamie.’
She looked disapprovingly at me. ‘Your dad will not be pleased. We’ve all tried to help him but he’s that thrawn at times and he says he wants to think things out for himself.’
‘I’m no’ working out his problems for him, granny – just changing the sheets.’
It was important to keep the secret from her. If she saw how Dad was now living, she would be round to the Hilltown in a flash, packing his things and removing him to her caring and orderly domain.
Although I didn’t say it, my plans included a quick visit every week to keep an eye on Dad and on the house.
4
Granny always said Hattie had a lucky streak. She was the kind of
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