The Street. Kay Brellend

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СКАЧАТЬ you let him touch yer?’ Tilly demanded to know. She fixed on Sophy a stare that made her daughter blush crimson and fidget on the spot.

      ‘’Course not,’ Sophy spluttered, guessing at once what was worrying her mother. She’d thought she might not have noticed. Recently their mother had been boozing most nights now they were more flush with money. Their dad was working late distempering and so on and getting more of Basher Payne’s houses ready for the sanitary inspector. But, drunk or sober, it seemed Tilly managed to keep an eagle eye on all that occurred, or didn’t occur, in the Keiver household.

      ‘I’ve not seen you take any rags out the drawer this month.’ Tilly continued cutting bread for Bethany’s breakfast but she slid Sophy another piercing look. ‘You’d better not be lying to me, my gel,’ she said in a quiet, sinister voice, so unlike her usual harsh tone. ‘I’ve told you what happens when boys take liberties with gels. The gels get in the family way ‘n’ then it’s right big trouble. So even with boys you really like you don’t ever let them take liberties like that. Right? Remember what happened to Maisie Brookes?’

      Sophy nodded, quickly edging towards the door. She remembered that alright. It’d gone round their school like wildfire that poor Maisie had almost died to get herself out of the trouble that Tommy Greenfield had got her into. But Sophy knew she wasn’t that daft. She and Danny had already worked that one out and knew what to do. ‘I’d better get going to school,’ she said. ‘I’ll be late.’ She shoved an arm into a sleeve of her coat.

      ‘Yeah . . . well, end of this month you won’t have no more school. The day you turn fourteen you’re out ‘n’ earnin’ full-time,’ Tilly called after her. ‘Christmas ain’t far off ‘n’ we need all the wages we can get to make it a good ’un fer once.’

      Sophy gave a nod. She was glad to change the subject. ‘I’m already keeping me ears ‘n’ eyes open for something.’

      ‘I’ve been looking too. Don’t yer worry about that, my gel.’ Tilly gave a rare smile. ‘I think I’ve found something for you to start off with. Rag shop in Fonthill Road needs a sorter. One of ’em’s leaving to have her baby come the end of the month. I already put your name forward fer it.’

      ‘I ain’t doing that!’ Sophy stopped her sidling towards the door. She showed her mother an expression of total disgust. ‘I ain’t coming home stinking ‘n’ dusty ‘n’ covered in fleabites for a measly seven bob a week. I’ll stick with me doorsteps if nothing else turns up.’

      ‘You’ll take whatever full-time you can get hold of. If you want to keep your doorsteps then do them Saturday morning or give ’em to Alice to take on. Doorsteps are kids’ work for weekends. You’re out of here working every day, pulling in full-time, or you’re outta here fer good. I mean it.’

      ‘I’ll sort out me own work,’ Sophy mumbled and slipped out onto the landing before adding, ‘Pam Greenfield got a job packing in the laundry in Fonthill Road. I can try there.’ She turned and was soon hurrying down the stairs.

      ‘I already tried the laundry. They don’t want no one else right now,’ her mother yelled after her.

      ‘What’s she on about?’ Alice asked Sophy as they started trudging down the road towards school.

      ‘Reckons she’s got me a job ready ‘n’ waiting in the rag shop in Fonthill Road for when I turn fourteen. Fine birthday present that’ll be! Ain’t havin’ it ‘n’ that’s that. I’ll try one of the factories for a job as a tea gel. But I ain’t workin’ in no poxy rag shop sorting stinky old clothes for a pittance.’

      Alice looked sympathetic. In just over a year’s time, it would be her turn to try and winkle out a reasonable job for herself. Searching for decent work around here – especially when employers guessed you came from the Campbell Bunk – was like finding a gold ring in the gutter.

      ‘You could go try in the factory that makes toys,’ she suggested to Sophy, but not very enthusiastically.

      ‘Connie reckons that’s what sent her sister Louisa so nutty. It were three years ago but she’s never been the same since, Connie says.’

      ‘Louisa’s always been a mad cow.’ Alice chuckled. ‘Anyhow you don’t want to go talking to Connie now she’s seeing that copper. Mum’ll go mad if she thinks you’ve been telling her anything. She calls her the copper’s nark.’

      ‘Haven’t told Connie nuthin’. Hardly ever talk to her. She thinks she’s something, she does, now she’s moved in with his family.’

      ‘They sound horrible anyhow,’ Alice said, wrinkling her nose. ‘Connie told Sarah his mum’s stuck up and calls her common as muck. His dad keeps touching Connie up.’ Alice looked thoughtful. ‘I don’t suppose she’ll decide to come back here though.’

      After they’d walked a distance in silence Alice shot a shrewd look at Sophy. ‘Is that all Mum wanted with you? To talk about getting work?’

      Sophy pursed her lips before starting to chew at the lower. ‘Wanted to know about me ‘n’ Danny being sweet on each other . . . you know . . . about us kissing ‘n’ so on. She’s guessed me monthlies are late.’

      Alice felt a hard lump jump to her throat. Sophy had already confided that to her but had said there was nothing to worry about because she’d been late before and in the end it came alright. But if Sophy had done something really silly, like dropping her drawers for Danny and going all the way, Alice didn’t even want to consider what the outcome of that might be.

      When Tommy Greenfield had got Maisie Brookes in the family way all hell had broken loose. The Brookeses and Greenfields had been fighting in the streets every other day for ages. Then Maisie’s mum got what she wanted out of the Greenfields. She got some money and took Maisie to see someone in King’s Cross and when they got back Maisie wasn’t expecting any more.

      ‘D’you ever find out what happened to Maisie when she got pregnant?’ Alice slid a fearful look at Sophy.

      ‘Her mum took her to some sort of doctor down in King’s Cross.’ Sophy pulled a face. ‘He stuck something like a skewer inside her ter get rid of the baby and it all came out in sort of big bits of liver. That’s what I heard anyhow.’

      ‘Must’ve hurt terrible,’ Alice whispered with a shudder. She’d guessed it had been something awful because Maisie had looked like death warmed up for ages afterwards.

      Sophy sensed Alice’s frightened eyes on her. ‘’S’alright,’ she reassured her but with a smile that wobbled on her lips. ‘We always do it standin’ up. Danny said you can’t ever get pregnant like that.’

      ‘You sure about it?’

      Sophy nodded miserably, her eyes darting about as though she feared they were being watched. But at the moment the Fonthill Mews, where she and Danny had stationed themselves to talk in private, seemed to be quiet enough. ‘Sure as I can be. I know me aunt Fran was being sick when she was first expecting though she’s alright now she’s big as a house. Her baby’s due in a couple of months, me mum says.’

      ‘Can’t see nuthin’.’ Danny eyed Sophy’s belly. ‘Just ’cos you’ve been sick a few times don’t mean yer in the family way.’ He sounded desperate to believe his own reassurance and he scraped the fingers of one hand agitatedly through his hair.

      ‘’S’not СКАЧАТЬ