A Moment to Remember (19 page)

‘What’s it like in church?’ asked Rosie one Sunday morning as she watched Milly getting ready.

‘Very serene.’

‘What’s that?’

‘Calm and tranquil.’

Bert laughed. ‘I bet yer go there ter confess yer sins.’

‘You use such lovely long words,’ said Rosie.

Milly smiled at her.

‘I’d like ter go ter church,’ Rosie said.

‘I’ll take you one Sunday if you like.’

‘I’d like that, but I ain’t got nice clothes like you.’

Although Milly was determined to save some of her wages, as she knew that one day she would move on, she said, ‘Look, when I go to the market on Saturday, I’ll see if I can get you a coat.’

Rosie came up to Milly and hugged her.

 

The following Saturday Milly went to the market and bought Rosie a second-hand coat and shoes.

‘Here’s a present for you,’ she said when she got home.

‘A present for me?’ Rosie’s eyes were shining.

‘Well if I’m going to take you to church one Sunday, you need something decent to wear.’

Rosie held up the green coat with a black velvet collar. ‘Cor, Mil, this is smashing.’ She quickly put it on. ‘And look, it fits.’

‘The sleeves are a bit long. I’ll turn them up for you. What about the shoes?’

‘I’ll grow inter’em. I can put some paper in them fer now.’ She walked proudly round the kitchen. ‘It’ll be nice not ter have wet feet when it rains.’

Milly could remember the days when she had to put cardboard in her own boots to help keep her feet dry; not that it ever did, for once the cardboard got wet, it disintegrated, making a soggy, uncomfortable mess inside her boots. She sighed and watched Rosie parading around in her new coat and shoes. She held her young sister’s shoulders and looked at her. ‘Now, Rosie. I don’t want you wearing this coat or these shoes to go street-raking. These are for when I take you out. And don’t let Bert take them to the pawn shop. Understand?’ Rosie nodded her head vigorously.

Looking down at the little girl’s head, Milly knew that a nit comb was the next thing she had to get her.

On Sunday morning as they walked to church, Milly smiled at Rosie to see how excited she was as she skipped along. At the door the vicar gave Milly a nod, and once they were inside, Rosie’s large brown eyes were full of wonder as she clutched Milly’s hand very tight, looking all around her. Milly remembered the thrill she’d got the first time she went to church herself. She would be forever grateful to Jane for showing her another life; a life she’d loved but one that would never come again. She choked back a sob, and Rosie looked up at her and smiled.

When they got home, Rosie couldn’t stop telling everyone about her morning, but nobody was interested.

 

Life for Milly was the same day after day. Her father only spoke when necessary, and she didn’t go out of her way to make conversation, not after the time she had asked him why he had Pammy in with him at night. Milly still shivered when she remembered his rage.

‘Dad, don’t you think it’s wrong to have Pammy sleeping in your bed?’

He put down his paper and looked at her. ‘Wot did yer say?’

Bert was out, and Pammy had taken Freddie into the bedroom to get him to sleep. Rosie and Iris scampered to their room.

‘Just you remember this is my house,’ her father said, jumping up and pounding his chest with his fist. ‘And wot I do in it is my business, d’yer hear? I like Pammy, she’s a good kid and she looks after Freddie. She won’t bugger orf like you did. So keep yer nose out, and if yer don’t like it, you can always bugger orf again. We managed wivout yer before and we can do it again.’

‘But it’s wrong.’ The anger in his eyes worried Milly, though she knew he wouldn’t hit her, but this needed to be said.

He came up close to her. ‘What you did when you buggered orf, I don’t care, but I can tell yer, keep yer nose outa my business, ovverwise you’ll feel this.’ He started to undo his wide leather belt.

‘Wot’s going on in ’ere?’ said Pammy, bursting into the kitchen. ‘Yer gorn and frightened the life out o’ the kids.’

‘Ask ’er.’ He sat in his chair and picked up the paper.

‘All I said was that I don’t think it’s right you sleeping with him.’

‘I told yer before, Mil. I like it. I like being cuddled and warm in a proper bed, so mind yer own bloody business.’

Milly could see that Pammy was also very angry. One day she would tell her sister to take care, but would she listen to her? She didn’t think so, but she had to try; she was concerned about Pammy and worried at what could happen to her. But for now she just had to wait.

 

Milly was reasonably happy at work, and for the past month had been walking home with Rita. At first she had been wary when Rita asked about where she’d worked before coming to the factory.

‘I went away to work with my aunt, who was a domestic in a big house.’

‘That must ’ave been interesting.’

‘Yes, it was.’

‘What made you leave?’

‘The family went abroad.’

As time went on, Milly found that she was laughing again and enjoying Rita’s company. Rita, who was the same age as Milly, told her all about her own family. Her mum stayed at home as her father did shift work; he worked the machines in a newspaper printer’s. He had managed to get her older brother John in there as well. The print union was very strong and you had to have connections.

‘You’ll like John, he’s good-looking and a real laugh.’

Milly only smiled. She didn’t want any man in her life; she was still in love with Richard. As Rita was always nicely dressed, Milly could tell that the family were quite comfortably off.

One miserable evening the rain was a fine mist and everywhere looked damp and dreary. The hissing streetlights were giving out a dull glow, and as they were walking home Milly said, ‘I hate days like this. It seems to stay dark and gloomy all day.’

‘I know what you mean,’ said Rita. ‘Say, how d’you fancy coming to the music hall with me on Saturday?’

‘I’d love to. I’ve never been to one of those.’

‘They’re lovely. I went once with me mum. I’ll call on you and we can go together if you like.’

Milly panicked. She didn’t want Rita to see her house or meet any of the family. ‘No, that’s all right, I can meet you outside.’

‘The one in Rotherhithe New Road starts at seven, is that all right?’

‘That’ll be lovely.’ Milly was very excited; she had a friend and for the first time ever she was going to the music hall.

When the lights went down and the orchestra started playing, Milly sat spellbound. A man came on the stage and announced that the show was starting with jugglers on one-wheeled cycles. A woman singing followed that. Then came two men doing silly things and throwing pies at each other. Milly was laughing so much that tears ran down her cheeks. The big finish was a line of girls in short skirts kicking their legs very high in the air.

When it was all over Milly sat mesmerised. She didn’t want to leave.

‘Well, what did you think?’ asked Rita as they walked home.

‘I thought it was wonderful. I couldn’t believe it. You felt you wanted to get up there and touch them. Could we go again?’

Rita smiled as she took her arm. ‘Of course. How about a bit of shopping one Saturday afternoon? We can go up West if you like and see the Christmas decorations.’

‘I’d love that. But I can’t afford to buy anything.’

‘That’s all right. Everything’s much too dear anyway, but it’s nice just looking in the windows at all the fancy clothes, and the displays look smashing. I love Christmas, don’t you?’

‘I used to when I was working away, but my family’s not got a lot and in some ways I’m the only real breadwinner.’

Rita looked shocked. ‘What about your dad?’

‘He had an accident years ago and can’t work all the time.’ Milly was surprised at what she was saying. In some ways she was sticking up for her father’s ways.

Milly was so happy with her new-found friend. But what if Rita ever discoverd what she had done; would she still want to be her friend?

 

Walking past the shops in the West End, the girls were laughing at some of the fashions and gazing in wonder at the Christmas decorations.

‘Those skirts look a bit daring,’ said Rita. ‘Don’t know if I fancy showing off me ankles like that.’

‘I don’t know,’ said Milly. ‘Could make life a lot easier if you have to run for one of these horseless carriages.’

‘S’pose so.’

The noise coming from along Oxford Street sent everyone to the edge of the kerb.

The suffragettes came marching past blowing whistles, ringing bells, waving their banners and shouting, ‘Votes for women!’

Milly felt a ripple of excitement. She did admire these women, who wanted to make a difference for all women.

But not everyone in the crowd agreed with them, and there were shouts of ‘Go home, you silly cows, and git on with yer washing’ and ‘Git back ter yer kitchen and cook yer old man’s dinner’.

The policemen who were walking beside the marchers looked very fed up.

‘I think it’s disgraceful,’ said a strident voice behind Rita and Milly. ‘What do women know about politics?’

To Milly’s surprise Rita turned round and said very loudly, ‘It would be nice if they were given half a chance.’

The bewhiskered old man looked very angry. ‘Is this the sort of thing they want to breed? Slips of girls answering back to their elders.’

Milly smiled. She hadn’t known her friend felt the same way she did.

The man raised his silver-topped cane.

‘You hit me, and I’ll scream so hard you’ll have half the police force on to you,’ yelled Rita.

By now a small crowd had gathered round them.

‘Let’s leave it, Rita,’ said Milly.

‘Come on, Harvey,’ said the old man’s companion. ‘We don’t want to start any trouble.’

As the pair walked away, Rita laughed. ‘See, he still does as he’s told by his old woman,’ she called after him.

There was a ripple of laughter in the crowd and a few women began clapping.

Milly was getting worried. She didn’t want any policemen round here asking questions. ‘Let’s go and have a cuppa,’ she said, taking her friend’s arm and moving her away.

M
ILLY AND RITA were sitting in Lyons Corner House. ‘This is the life,’ said Rita as she poured the tea. ‘I’d love to be a lady.’

‘It sounds to me like you have a good life as it is.’

Rita grinned. ‘I suppose I do.’

Milly gave her a weak smile. She had known the good times with bone-china crockery and nice cakes.

‘I forgot, you used to wait on the rich, didn’t you? Did they have a nice big house?’

‘Yes, they did,’

‘I bet you miss it.’

‘Yes, I do.’

‘Would have thought that they would have sent you to a friend’s house to work when they went off.’

‘None of their friends needed anyone.’

Rita took a cake and examined it, then said, ‘Did you do something you shouldn’t have? That why they let you go?’

Milly looked shocked and quickly crossed her fingers, as she was about to tell another lie. ‘No, I didn’t do anything. I told you, they moved abroad. Mr . . . ’ She stopped herself from naming Mr Green. ‘Sir worked in Germany and they moved there.’

‘Pity they didn’t think to take you as well.’

‘He already had staff.’

‘These cakes are smashing. Go on, take one. I think we pay for the lot, so we might as well eat ’em.’

Milly picked up a cake, and as she took a bite, she was reminded of Betty’s wonderful cooking. Would she ever get over her life in that house? ‘I loved the way you stood up to that old man,’ she said, hoping to change the subject.

‘I ain’t got any time for pompous old devils like that.’

‘What do you think about those women, the suffragettes?’ asked Milly.

‘I think it’s great that they’re standing up for themselves, but I don’t hold with all this breaking windows and going to prison.’

‘You have to admit, they are very brave.’

‘Yes. Me dad likes it, as it gives the papers plenty to write about.’

Milly sat with her elbows on the table holding her cup, something she would never have done in the Greens’ household, as she would have risked a telling-off from Betty. She had a dreamy look in her eyes as she remembered.

‘You were far away then. Thinking about something good?’

She came back quickly to the present. ‘D’you know, I wouldn’t mind going to one of their meetings, just to find out what it’s all about.’

‘You wouldn’t catch me there. Me dad would have forty fits if he thought I’d got mixed up in anything like that.’

‘I don’t know. I think it could be very interesting.’

‘Where do they hold their meetings?’