Holding her hand tightly, Cathy said, ‘I know you did, Mum. I know you did.’
Madge sniffed. ‘I got a new job last night. I’m going to work in a clip joint near Soho.’
Cathy smiled even though her heart wasn’t in it. ‘Why the long face then, Mum? After all, you’ve been promoted.’
Madge laughed harshly. ‘You’re a sarcastic little mare, ain’t ya?’
Cathy pulled a brush through her thick blonde hair and said, ‘Why don’t you get a proper job, Mum? Like everyone else.’
Madge shook her head and said hotly: ‘I should bleeding well cocoa! Let’s not start all that old fanny again. Fine mess we’d be in with about three quid a week to live on. Have you thought of that, eh?’
‘Well, other people manage.’
‘I ain’t other people. Anyway, I like me job.’
Putting on her school coat, Cathy kissed her mother and said, ‘That’s the trouble, you like it too much. See you tonight.’
Madge swung round in her chair and said, ‘Before you rush off, what do you think of Ron?’
Cathy shrugged. ‘Why?’
‘He wants to move in, I think. It’s him what got me the new job.’
Cathy’s face was a picture of terror as she said, ‘Oh, Mum! You’re not moving him in, are you? He’s horrible.’
‘No, he ain’t. He’s a man, that’s all. Surely you’re not going to hold that against him? Anyway, nothing’s final. I might change me mind.’
‘You’d better, Mum. I’m sick of people in and out of my bedroom, and you know that’ll be the upshot. It always is.’
Her mother grinned slyly. ‘You could make us a fortune, Cathy. You’re ripe for it.’
The girl’s face blanched. ‘You’re not serious, surely?’
‘’Course not, you silly mare. I’m just winding you up.’
Cathy slammed out of the flat, her heart beating a tattoo in her chest.
More and more often lately her mother made jokes that Cathy didn’t think were funny. In her heart she knew they were real threats; in the night she admitted this to herself because, as much as her mother loved her, Cathy knew Madge was a brass through and through. Like a piece of Southend rock, if you cut Madge Connor in half it would be written there in big pink letters.
As she walked to school Cathy’s mind was on what her mother had told her, and for the first time in ages, Eamonn was not in the forefront of her thoughts.
‘Hello, me little pickaheen!’ Eamonn Senior’s welcome was loud and Junie’s face pinched as they saw Cathy sitting in their neat little kitchen.
‘Hello, Junie. Eamonn.’ Cathy’s voice was civil, and against her better judgement the older woman smiled kindly at her.
‘You’ve just mashed the tea then? Good girl, we’ll both have a cup. Bring them through to the parlour, there’s a dear.’
‘I’ll have a bottle of beer meself. Now then, child, where’s the eejit?’ the big man asked her.
‘He’s popped over the road to Mr Burrows’s. He said there’s a chance of a job in the docks.’
Eamonn Senior’s eyes widened. ‘Good for him!’
Cathy nodded solemnly.
‘How’s your mother?’ Cathy knew he only asked out of politeness. She pushed her blonde hair back from her face and stared at him with an adult expression.
‘She’s fine, thanks. Got a new job in a clip joint and seems pleased enough about it. It’s a step up as far as she’s concerned.’
The man’s face was a picture as he listened to the news. ‘A clip joint, is it? Well, I hope it keeps fine for her.’ This was said in a derogatory way but Cathy was saved from answering by Eamonn Junior’s return.
‘All right, Cath? I thought you was going to work today,’ he said, looking at his father with a sneer on his face. ‘Many more days off and you’ll be out, mate.’
His father blew out his lips in derision. ‘They can’t get rid of me, I’ve told you that. They can’t get rid of any of the Irish at the moment. You’d do well to remember that.’
Young Eamonn pulled himself up to his full height and
Madge sniffed. ‘I got a new job last night. I’m going to work in a clip joint near Soho.’
Cathy smiled even though her heart wasn’t in it. ‘Why the long face then, Mum? After all, you’ve been promoted.’
Madge laughed harshly. ‘You’re a sarcastic little mare, ain’t ya?’
Cathy pulled a brush through her thick blonde hair and said, ‘Why don’t you get a proper job, Mum? Like everyone else.’
Madge shook her head and said hotly: ‘I should bleeding well cocoa! Let’s not start all that old fanny again. Fine mess we’d be in with about three quid a week to live on. Have you thought of that, eh?’
‘Well, other people manage.’
‘I ain’t other people. Anyway, I like me job.’
Putting on her school coat, Cathy kissed her mother and said, ‘That’s the trouble, you like it too much. See you tonight.’
Madge swung round in her chair and said, ‘Before you rush off, what do you think of Ron?’
Cathy shrugged. ‘Why?’
‘He wants to move in, I think. It’s him what got me the new job.’
Cathy’s face was a picture of terror as she said, ‘Oh, Mum! You’re not moving him in, are you? He’s horrible.’
‘No, he ain’t. He’s a man, that’s all. Surely you’re not going to hold that against him? Anyway, nothing’s final. I might change me mind.’
‘You’d better, Mum. I’m sick of people in and out of my bedroom, and you know that’ll be the upshot. It always is.’
Her mother grinned slyly. ‘You could make us a fortune, Cathy. You’re ripe for it.’
The girl’s face blanched. ‘You’re not serious, surely?’
‘’Course not, you silly mare. I’m just winding you up.’
Cathy slammed out of the flat, her heart beating a tattoo in her chest.
More and more often lately her mother made jokes that Cathy didn’t think were funny. In her heart she knew they were real threats; in the night she admitted this to herself because, as much as her mother loved her, Cathy knew Madge was a brass through and through. Like a piece of Southend rock, if you cut Madge Connor in half it would be written there in big pink letters.
As she walked to school Cathy’s mind was on what her mother had told her, and for the first time in ages, Eamonn was not in the forefront of her thoughts.
‘Hello, me little pickaheen!’ Eamonn Senior’s welcome was loud and Junie’s face pinched as they saw Cathy sitting in their neat little kitchen.
‘Hello, Junie. Eamonn.’ Cathy’s voice was civil, and against her better judgement the older woman smiled kindly at her.
‘You’ve just mashed the tea then? Good girl, we’ll both have a cup. Bring them through to the parlour, there’s a dear.’
‘I’ll have a bottle of beer meself. Now then, child, where’s the eejit?’ the big man asked her.
‘He’s popped over the road to Mr Burrows’s. He said there’s a chance of a job in the docks.’
Eamonn Senior’s eyes widened. ‘Good for him!’
Cathy nodded solemnly.
‘How’s your mother?’ Cathy knew he only asked out of politeness. She pushed her blonde hair back from her face and stared at him with an adult expression.
‘She’s fine, thanks. Got a new job in a clip joint and seems pleased enough about it. It’s a step up as far as she’s concerned.’
The man’s face was a picture as he listened to the news. ‘A clip joint, is it? Well, I hope it keeps fine for her.’ This was said in a derogatory way but Cathy was saved from answering by Eamonn Junior’s return.
‘All right, Cath? I thought you was going to work today,’ he said, looking at his father with a sneer on his face. ‘Many more days off and you’ll be out, mate.’
His father blew out his lips in derision. ‘They can’t get rid of me, I’ve told you that. They can’t get rid of any of the Irish at the moment. You’d do well to remember that.’
Young Eamonn pulled himself up to his full height and
Similar Books
