couldn’t believe it of him. ‘Arthur … why?’ was all she could manage.
‘I just miss everything, Mum. My mates, playing on Wimbledon Common, climbing trees, fishing in the ponds – and how can I play football on my own?’
‘But why haven’t you made friends at your new school?’
‘Oh Mum, the other boys have always lived around here. They all know each other and don’t want me muscling in on their gangs.’ He stuck out his lower lip, adding despondently, ‘I’m just the new boy, the odd one out, and they’re always picking on me.’
Her heart swelled when she saw his unhappiness. He stood before her, socks bunched round his ankles, knees dirty and grazed, grey eyes shadowed. His thick, dark hair, so like his father’s, was sticking up like a brush and she felt a surge of maternal affection. She just wanted to grab him, to hold him in her arms and protect him. ‘Come here, son,’ she appealed, but as her arms reached out, he backed away.
‘Get off, don’t be daft, Mum,’ he protested indignantly. ‘I’m not a baby, you know. I’m nearly eleven and a half.’
‘I don’t know what to say,’ she floundered, her empty arms falling back to her sides. ‘We can’t go back to Wimbledon and you’ve just got to accept that. We have to make the best of it here.’
‘I know, Mum, but I still hate it.’
‘What about the stealing, Arthur, how could you do that? I thought we had taught you right from wrong.’
‘I’m sorry, but I spent all my school dinner-money on the bus fare and I was starving,’ he wailed.
Elsie just couldn’t bring herself to punish him; he looked so miserable and somehow she couldn’t blame him – she missed her old home too. This was such a heavily industrialised area with huge factory chimneys etching the skyline, belching out thick smoke that tainted the air. If she hadn’t met Ruth and some of the other women in the Lane, she would have gone mad in this dismal area. Surely Arthur would settle down too if he could make some new friends.
It was then that a thought struck her and she lifted her head in silent thanks. The Boy Scouts! She had seen a lad further up the road in uniform so there must be a local troop nearby.
‘I think I’ve got the answer, son,’ she said, jumping up with excitement and chuckling at his bemused expression. ‘You could join the Boy Scouts.’
Arthur frowned, staring at his mum doubtfully.
‘Think of all the things the Scouts do, love,’ she urged, ‘and you know you’ve always wanted to go camping.’
His face lit up at that. ‘Yeah, you’re right, Mum. How do I find out about joining?’
‘We can sort that out later, but first you must promise me that you’ll stop bunking off school and that you will never, ever steal anything again.’
After gaining his promise, Elsie sent him to his room. What a strange day, she thought. There she was worrying about Ruth’s problems, when trouble had come to her own door.
Yet later as she stood at the sink peeling the potatoes, her hands immersed in cold water, she again felt a shiver of intuition. A picture of Sally flooded her mind, and somehow she felt that it wasn’t just Ken that Ruth had to worry about – it was her daughter too.
Chapter Seven
S ally was pulling on her mum’s hand, urging her along and skipping beside her with excitement.
‘Slow down, love, I’m going as fast as I can,’ Ruth complained.
‘I can’t wait to see me Uncle Harry. He’s lovely. Do you remember the last time he was home? It was ever so funny when I sat on his back and he pretended to be a horse.’ She frowned suddenly, peering up at her mum. ‘Why don’t me dad play with me?’
Her mother’s face tightened with annoyance. ‘Will you stop asking questions, I’m fed up with it! Now move yourself, there’s a bus coming and if we run we may be able to catch it.’
Sally sat beside her mum on the bus, looking disconsolately out of the window, wondering why she would never
‘I just miss everything, Mum. My mates, playing on Wimbledon Common, climbing trees, fishing in the ponds – and how can I play football on my own?’
‘But why haven’t you made friends at your new school?’
‘Oh Mum, the other boys have always lived around here. They all know each other and don’t want me muscling in on their gangs.’ He stuck out his lower lip, adding despondently, ‘I’m just the new boy, the odd one out, and they’re always picking on me.’
Her heart swelled when she saw his unhappiness. He stood before her, socks bunched round his ankles, knees dirty and grazed, grey eyes shadowed. His thick, dark hair, so like his father’s, was sticking up like a brush and she felt a surge of maternal affection. She just wanted to grab him, to hold him in her arms and protect him. ‘Come here, son,’ she appealed, but as her arms reached out, he backed away.
‘Get off, don’t be daft, Mum,’ he protested indignantly. ‘I’m not a baby, you know. I’m nearly eleven and a half.’
‘I don’t know what to say,’ she floundered, her empty arms falling back to her sides. ‘We can’t go back to Wimbledon and you’ve just got to accept that. We have to make the best of it here.’
‘I know, Mum, but I still hate it.’
‘What about the stealing, Arthur, how could you do that? I thought we had taught you right from wrong.’
‘I’m sorry, but I spent all my school dinner-money on the bus fare and I was starving,’ he wailed.
Elsie just couldn’t bring herself to punish him; he looked so miserable and somehow she couldn’t blame him – she missed her old home too. This was such a heavily industrialised area with huge factory chimneys etching the skyline, belching out thick smoke that tainted the air. If she hadn’t met Ruth and some of the other women in the Lane, she would have gone mad in this dismal area. Surely Arthur would settle down too if he could make some new friends.
It was then that a thought struck her and she lifted her head in silent thanks. The Boy Scouts! She had seen a lad further up the road in uniform so there must be a local troop nearby.
‘I think I’ve got the answer, son,’ she said, jumping up with excitement and chuckling at his bemused expression. ‘You could join the Boy Scouts.’
Arthur frowned, staring at his mum doubtfully.
‘Think of all the things the Scouts do, love,’ she urged, ‘and you know you’ve always wanted to go camping.’
His face lit up at that. ‘Yeah, you’re right, Mum. How do I find out about joining?’
‘We can sort that out later, but first you must promise me that you’ll stop bunking off school and that you will never, ever steal anything again.’
After gaining his promise, Elsie sent him to his room. What a strange day, she thought. There she was worrying about Ruth’s problems, when trouble had come to her own door.
Yet later as she stood at the sink peeling the potatoes, her hands immersed in cold water, she again felt a shiver of intuition. A picture of Sally flooded her mind, and somehow she felt that it wasn’t just Ken that Ruth had to worry about – it was her daughter too.
Chapter Seven
S ally was pulling on her mum’s hand, urging her along and skipping beside her with excitement.
‘Slow down, love, I’m going as fast as I can,’ Ruth complained.
‘I can’t wait to see me Uncle Harry. He’s lovely. Do you remember the last time he was home? It was ever so funny when I sat on his back and he pretended to be a horse.’ She frowned suddenly, peering up at her mum. ‘Why don’t me dad play with me?’
Her mother’s face tightened with annoyance. ‘Will you stop asking questions, I’m fed up with it! Now move yourself, there’s a bus coming and if we run we may be able to catch it.’
Sally sat beside her mum on the bus, looking disconsolately out of the window, wondering why she would never
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