him. He’d half kill you.’
‘Would he, though? He’d be afraid of what his mates down the pub would say if I turned up for work covered in bruises.’
Vera shook her head. ‘He’d tell some cock and bull story about what you’d done so that you’d end up being the one in the wrong. If that happened your boss might sack you and then Mam would be worse off for money than ever.’
‘I sometimes wonder if we ought to go to the police and report him,’ Eddy said gloomily.
‘It wouldn’t do any good if we did, because Mam would deny it,’ Vera pointed out. ‘You know what she’s like about keeping things like that secret.’
‘Yes, but she couldn’t, could she. They’d see the bruises!’
Vera shook her head emphatically. ‘No they wouldn’t. He never hits her where it shows.’
‘Her arms are covered in bruises.’
‘Yes, and she keeps them hidden. She always wears her sleeves down to cover them.’
‘I bet she’s got bruises all over her body as well. I know for a fact that he punches her in the ribs because I’ve seen him do it.’
‘You are probably right, but no one can see the marks, can they, and the last thing she is going to do is show them to anyone.’
‘I’ll tell you something else, Vee,’ Eddy said worriedly. ‘He’s started betting, on the dogs.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes, and he’s had some good wins. I heard some of the chaps at Sunbury’s talking about it. One of them uses the same runner as him. Do you think we ought to tell Mam?’
‘What good would that do? Only give her more to worry about, since it’s illegal.’
Two weeks before Christmas 1922, Michael Quinn broke his silence and spoke to his eldest son. It was the first time he’d done so since Eddy had started work eighteen months earlier.
‘I got something for you today,’ he told Eddy as they were sitting having their evening meal.
Eddy looked at him startled, wondering if he really was speaking to him.
‘I’ve bought you a chicken. A big black and white one. It’s outside in the backyard inside a wooden crate.’
Vera watched Eddy’s reaction nervously. She was so afraid that he was going to refuse the gift and upset their dad that she felt sick.
‘You can feed it on some of the bread scraps you bring home from Sunbury’s or we can buy it some corn,’ she said quickly. ‘You never know, it may lay some eggs for us.’
Their father laughed snidely. ‘So he hasn’t told you that he’s handed in his notice at Sunbury’s.’
Annie looked shocked. ‘Eddy is leaving Sunbury’s?’
‘Probably just as well before they sacked him. The boss there thinks he’s too puny for a job like that.’
‘Oh Eddy! If you’ve handed in your notice then you won’t get any dole money!’ Annie said, dismayed.
‘Don’t worry, Mam, I’ve got another job. Apprentice engineer at Cammell Laird’s, the same as Charlie had.’
‘You won’t hold that down for long,’ his father sneered. ‘That’s man’s work.’
Again he laughed loudly. Vera kicked Eddy under the table, and signalled to him with her eyes, not to answer back as it would only rile their dad even more.
She exchanged looks with her mam and saw that she, too, was bemused by what was happening.
‘Go on then, take young Benny out to see the bloody chicken and mind you don’t let it peck him.’
The chicken was plump, with glossy feathers and sharp beady eyes. It cocked its head on one side as Eddy held out a handful of crumbs, but kept its distance.
Benny was enchanted. He crouched down at the side of the crate, poking his little fingers through the slats, trying to touch the hen and chattering to it excitedly.
Eddy dropped the crumbs he was holding onto the floor of the crate and Benny clapped his hands in delight when the hen quickly, and hungrily, pecked them up.
‘It may be your pet, but I think Benny’s going to be the one who gets the most fun out of it,’ Vera smiled. ‘We must stop him putting his hand inside
‘Would he, though? He’d be afraid of what his mates down the pub would say if I turned up for work covered in bruises.’
Vera shook her head. ‘He’d tell some cock and bull story about what you’d done so that you’d end up being the one in the wrong. If that happened your boss might sack you and then Mam would be worse off for money than ever.’
‘I sometimes wonder if we ought to go to the police and report him,’ Eddy said gloomily.
‘It wouldn’t do any good if we did, because Mam would deny it,’ Vera pointed out. ‘You know what she’s like about keeping things like that secret.’
‘Yes, but she couldn’t, could she. They’d see the bruises!’
Vera shook her head emphatically. ‘No they wouldn’t. He never hits her where it shows.’
‘Her arms are covered in bruises.’
‘Yes, and she keeps them hidden. She always wears her sleeves down to cover them.’
‘I bet she’s got bruises all over her body as well. I know for a fact that he punches her in the ribs because I’ve seen him do it.’
‘You are probably right, but no one can see the marks, can they, and the last thing she is going to do is show them to anyone.’
‘I’ll tell you something else, Vee,’ Eddy said worriedly. ‘He’s started betting, on the dogs.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes, and he’s had some good wins. I heard some of the chaps at Sunbury’s talking about it. One of them uses the same runner as him. Do you think we ought to tell Mam?’
‘What good would that do? Only give her more to worry about, since it’s illegal.’
Two weeks before Christmas 1922, Michael Quinn broke his silence and spoke to his eldest son. It was the first time he’d done so since Eddy had started work eighteen months earlier.
‘I got something for you today,’ he told Eddy as they were sitting having their evening meal.
Eddy looked at him startled, wondering if he really was speaking to him.
‘I’ve bought you a chicken. A big black and white one. It’s outside in the backyard inside a wooden crate.’
Vera watched Eddy’s reaction nervously. She was so afraid that he was going to refuse the gift and upset their dad that she felt sick.
‘You can feed it on some of the bread scraps you bring home from Sunbury’s or we can buy it some corn,’ she said quickly. ‘You never know, it may lay some eggs for us.’
Their father laughed snidely. ‘So he hasn’t told you that he’s handed in his notice at Sunbury’s.’
Annie looked shocked. ‘Eddy is leaving Sunbury’s?’
‘Probably just as well before they sacked him. The boss there thinks he’s too puny for a job like that.’
‘Oh Eddy! If you’ve handed in your notice then you won’t get any dole money!’ Annie said, dismayed.
‘Don’t worry, Mam, I’ve got another job. Apprentice engineer at Cammell Laird’s, the same as Charlie had.’
‘You won’t hold that down for long,’ his father sneered. ‘That’s man’s work.’
Again he laughed loudly. Vera kicked Eddy under the table, and signalled to him with her eyes, not to answer back as it would only rile their dad even more.
She exchanged looks with her mam and saw that she, too, was bemused by what was happening.
‘Go on then, take young Benny out to see the bloody chicken and mind you don’t let it peck him.’
The chicken was plump, with glossy feathers and sharp beady eyes. It cocked its head on one side as Eddy held out a handful of crumbs, but kept its distance.
Benny was enchanted. He crouched down at the side of the crate, poking his little fingers through the slats, trying to touch the hen and chattering to it excitedly.
Eddy dropped the crumbs he was holding onto the floor of the crate and Benny clapped his hands in delight when the hen quickly, and hungrily, pecked them up.
‘It may be your pet, but I think Benny’s going to be the one who gets the most fun out of it,’ Vera smiled. ‘We must stop him putting his hand inside
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