A Ship's Tale (12 page)

Before I knew it, I'd come in sight of the ships where a flurry of activity was under way by lantern-light. All three vessels appeared to be involved. I stood on the bank at the bottom of the gangway, uncertain as to whether I should make my presence known. A light bobbed above on deck, and revealed a familiar face. “Robert!” I cried, “I thought you were back at the circus.”

He peered at me and shone the lantern onto the gangway. “Hello there, Flynn, what brings you down here again? Word had it that you were completely knackered and couldn't lift a finger.”

“Oh, I am,” I assured him, “Don't expect any more work out of me tonight.”

He laughed, “After the lorry was filled with boys, I put in my bicycle and hopped in with them. There was nothing left for me at the circus. I got my last wage and one for each of us for today. After
borrowing
those tents, I figured I had a vested interest in clearing out and coming aboard with your mates.”

“True enough,” I said. “I wouldn't care to be around in the spring when they open the store and find that the big top is the big open sky.”

“Flynn, those tents have seen a good deal of wear. I caught a rumour that there might be new ones in the making.”

This made me feel better about the whole enterprise. Now I was concerned the canvas might be too worn to take the winds. I joined Robert on the deck. “Does this mean that you're along for the voyage?”

“Well, I always did want to have a look at the shipyards of Dumbarton!” he said. “The circus work wasn't bad, but Scotland is beginning to sound more interesting all the time.”

“That's great,” I responded, with an involuntary yawn.

He looked at me reproachfully. “Try to sound a little more enthusiastic, can't you?”

Boris appeared and waved a brief greeting, then got into a bo'sun's chair with his lantern and drew himself up the mainmast. I watched in awe as he swung from mast to yardarm. He was amazingly agile. At one point, he made a flawless trade-off in order to swing directly to the foremast without descending. “Just look at him,” I exclaimed in admiration.

“Aye,” mused Robert, “I used to watch monkeys do the same thing.”

“Here, if I were you, I wouldn't speak that way in Boris's hearing,” I said warningly.

He looked abashed. “Oh, I didn't mean it the way it came out. I promise I'll not wave any bananas at him,” and we both laughed.

Above in the dark, the rigging issued a jovial carolling in Russian as Boris went about his work. He clearly knew what he was doing up there and was enjoying himself into the bargain. I felt heavy footsteps approaching and looked round to see Harris's great face beaming in the lamplight.

“So, you've come back to us,” he said genially. “Good. I've plenty of work to keep you occupied.”

“No, no,” I protested, “I was just on my way back to the Inn.”

Harris said, “Speaking of the Inn, there was a young lady here not long ago, enquiring as to your whereabouts.”

My heart skipped a beat. “How long ago?” I asked urgently.

He shook his head. “After I told her you weren't about, I had to finish hoisting some gear with Boris.”

“Are you certain that you didn't see which way she went?” I said.

Harris sighed. “I told you, when I looked she was
gone
.”

I made my way back to the Inn, with the moon helping to light my way.

When I reached the Inn, the pub was about to close. I looked in at the window, but Katherine was nowhere in sight. Glancing in the kitchen window, I saw only Mrs. Beasley, grumbling over a massive washing-up with the wireless blaring cheerful music. I carried on round to the cottages. Martin's cottage had a light showing, but I saw, with a sinking of the heart, that Katherine's was dark. I was at a loss as to where I should look next.

Suddenly, from the garden I heard a faint cry. It was a voice calling my name. I looked up, but could see no one. Then the voice called again.

“Flynn, Flynn,” came the call. “Here.”

I turned back and peered up into the darkness, wishing that I'd brought my torch. I still couldn't see anyone, until I raised my eyes to the top of the rock. Silhouetted dimly against the stars stood a dark, hooded figure. I knew at once it was Katherine, and an instant later I was dashing up the slope. Never mind that I'd only known her a week. Once I stepped on the rock, I held out my arms and she came straight into them. We clung to each other wordlessly, wrapped in a moment perfect with relief and joy.

“Where have you been?” I said finally, not loosening my hold. “People are asking for you at the Inn. I was beginning to worry. And Mrs. Beasley…”

“Oh hang Mrs. Beasley!” she burst out, pulling away a little. “I'm sorry if you've been concerned about me. I've just been walking about, watching people come and go at the Inn and watching the men at the ships. I've been thinking about life, and what's come and gone…just generally feeling rather down in the dumps.” She sighed bitterly.

I felt helpless in the face of her sadness. “Is life really so bad here?” I asked gently.

She sighed again. “Oh, it's a reliable enough situation. I've no real expenses. I've a roof over my head and regular meals. Compared to the past few years, it's been a real change. Mrs. Beasley would be quite happy to see me continue till I'm grey. It's not someplace I can stay, Flynn. I'm thinking I'll give my notice tomorrow. After today, she may want to sack me anyway. If I don't take the money I've set aside now, and try to make a better start somewhere else, I'll be living out life as a maid-of-all-work, waitress, and barmaid, with the occasional thrill of some drunken lout pinching my behind while my back's turned.”

I took hold of her shoulders. “You're not serious, Katherine? It's not the right thing to do.”

“How do
you
know it's not the right thing?” she said, meeting my eyes defiantly in the dim moonlight. “I've bloody well put in my time in plenty of places, and still have
some
dreams. I do have relatives up in Scotland, and some back home in Ireland. There's got to be a better life for me
somewhere
. There are too many memories for me here in the south—mostly bad. I have to do something better than this. I don't mind being a drudge, if it's in the right place. I just know it's time to leave.” Her voice was trembling.

We stood there for a time. After I'd helped her down from the rock, I could think of nothing else to say that seemed appropriate, so I linked my arm in hers and was relieved to find that she made no objection. All too soon we came up to her door.

She turned the key and then faced me, her hand on the latch. “You've been a real friend, Mr. Flynn,” she said.

“Oh? I hope you can call me more than a friend now,” I protested. “And see here, it's just Flynn, and you can drop that Mr. permanently. We're not exactly strangers.”

She took hold of my hands, then looked at me and smiled wanly. “I could call you something else, if you'd rather.”

This was taking a better turn. “Katherine, you can call me whatever you like, so long as you didn't hear it from a sailor,” I smiled.

“Oh, I'd never use that sort of language, sir,” she said, playing the wide-eyed colleen. We both laughed. She surprised me with a hug, which I returned with interest.

“Look,” I said earnestly, “if you really need to be moving along, would you…well, might you consider coming with me?”

She gazed at me, her face a pale oval question mark. “Go with you? But Flynn, I hardly know you…! And where is it you'll be going?”

“Blast! I'm not at liberty to discuss things at the moment,” I said reluctantly, looking down and scuffing my foot on the doorstep. I looked up. “Have you seen all the work that's going on at the ships?”

“Yes, and I've heard that those ships are to be towed out and scuttled.”

I adopted a serious tone, “Well, that's true for one, but not the other.”

She gazed at me perplexed. “There was a good deal of work going on there tonight when I came by,” she said thoughtfully.

“I'd like to tell you all about it, but somehow this doesn't seem the best place.”

“Well then, come inside.” She opened the door and stepped in.

I glanced back at the pub. “What if Beasley catches me in here? There'd be hell to pay!”

“Then let
her
pay it. I don't care a fig for what she thinks. As far as I'm concerned, she can take her nasty old boyfriend and her nasty old cat and go jump in the river!”

“All right,” I laughed, “You needn't preach to the converted!” I went off a few steps and peered over the kitchen garden at the window. I could see the landlady still washing up within, and I could hear faint music playing. I returned feeling slightly reassured. “Well, I don't think she knows we're out here.”

Katherine seemed amused. “If you're so worried, I'll go in now, and you come back and hoot like an owl. I'll let you in at the window.”

I chuckled, “Get on with you, girl, I've come calling.” I followed her into the tiny cottage. Once the door was shut and the curtains drawn, she lit a candle on the bedside table. It was just a one-room cottage that had been converted from various outbuildings and hers was the smallest. A bed, a wardrobe, a worn armchair, the table, and a small pot-bellied iron stove made up its modest furnishings. It was certainly humble, but very tidy, and exuded a general air of comfort. Perhaps it was only her presence that made it seem cosy.

“Quite like home, don't you think?” she said. “Modernised too!” She gestured towards the single light bulb hanging by its bare wire. “Won't you sit down? I think we deserve a drink, don't you?”

“That sounds right,” I said as I sat down in the chair.

She produced a bottle and poured out a tot for each of us, then shivered. “This should warm us up. I'm chilled from prowling about in the cold. Let's have some heat.” She pulled open the door of the stove.

I started to rise, reaching towards the scuttle. “Here, let me do that.”

“Sit down,” she ordered, slapping my hands away. “I think I can light my own fire. You'd be surprised at some of the things I know how to do, Mr.
just Flynn
.”

“Fine,” I said, and settled back. I was watching as she crumpled up newspaper; then noticed a photo of the three ships on one page. “Hold on a minute. Let me have that one.” I pulled the page free and smoothed it out on the table. The story dated from a week before and detailed the impending disposal of the two vessels yet afloat. I read it to Katherine as she started the fire. It was all familiar news, and went so far as to report some local opposition to the proposed removal by “retired Sea Captain William T. Bowman.” Unsurprisingly, there were no direct quotes from him—they would have been unprintable.

She blinked at me in affected awe, “Well, aren't you lot the celebrities now.”

“Never you mind. Do you want to hear more about it?” I asked.

“Perhaps a little more, but I really ought to go over while Mrs. Beasley is still up and explain about today. If I'm still working here tomorrow, my day is going to start
very
early.”

Just then there was a loud rapping at the door. We both jumped. Then the dreaded voice called, “Katherine, Katherine!” We looked at one another in horror. Mrs. Beasley!

Quickly, Katherine opened the wardrobe door and motioned me in. I heard her go to the door, and then Mrs. Beasley's heavy tread as she entered.

“Katherine, well! So here you are. All the livelong day, and never a word. You could at least have told me you'd be away so I could get Jean from the village, but by the time I rang her she'd gone up to Stoke. No one knew if you were dead or alive. I almost had the police out after you! I hope you realise that I've had to do all your work as well as mine. I haven't had an instant's rest, and all due to you. What have you to say for yourself?”

“I'm awfully sorry about all this, Mrs. Beasley. I wasn't feeling well today. I've been quite ill. I felt I needed some air, so I walked a bit and then the sun came out, so I sat down for just a moment, and I must have dropped off. I didn't mean to let the whole day slip by and never say anything. By the time I got back, I was too exhausted to think about it.”

There was a pause. I wanted to see, but I dared not betray my presence.

“Well, if it was no more than that,” said Mrs. Beasley less sharply, “Will you be back at work in the morning?”

“Oh yes, I'll be quite myself tomorrow,” Katherine replied.

I heard movement, and the door creaking open. Please go! Good night, I pleaded silently…run along to bed now!

“You should have some hot tea or Bovril, you know,” the landlady went on. “Whisky won't put you right—corrodes the stomach.”

There was silence for some time. Why didn't she go? The whisky! Did Katherine hide the second glass? The answer was soon apparent.

“Oh, so we've been entertaining, have we? I suppose it was the doctor!”

“No, it wasn't the doctor, Mrs. Beasley,” Katherine sighed. “I must have forgotten pouring the first.”

“Don't come the innocent young thing with me my girl,” Mrs. Beasley sneered. “I've seen a bit of life in my time and I know what's what. You little trollop! I give you a good position, and then some worthless man comes along, and off you go with your skirts flying up. I know what young girls are these days! Well, if you want to play the merry widow, at least
I
won't be saddled with the consequences.”

I was seething with indignation. How dared she say such things? I was aching to jump out and take Katherine's part, but I knew that I'd only make it worse for her by doing so. I could see us being sacked on the spot, losing our free lodging and going off with no pay. It was maddening to stand idly by and hear my poor Katherine insulted by that old shrew!