Chapter Three

Charlie started work on the building site and although it was hard graft, he was happy. He wasn’t able to talk as much as he would have wished, but the anticipated wage packet on the following Friday compensated for everything, even if his muscles ached at the end of the first day. The weather was unusually hot for the time of year and especially in Scotland, so he stripped to the waist with the other men on the site, knowing that it wouldn’t be long before he would acquire a good tan.

“Cooooh! She’s a corker,” exclaimed one of his mates as a young girl and boy passed the site. The girl was darker skinned than was usual for a girl born in Scotland and she had an attractive air about her as she walked with her suitcase in her hand. The boy looked a little younger and he also carried a suitcase. Charlie looked down from the scaffold platform where he was standing. He looked at the girl for a long time and she stopped and looked up.

***

“Can I do your fire this morning?” Willie called out as Mrs. Harris approached him from a corner of the street, “It’s Saturday, you know.”

“Yes please Willie. I would be grateful,” she answered as she began to climb the stairs of the tenement building opposite to where Willie lived.

Mrs. Harris was a Jewish neighbour and Willie did some work for her each Saturday morning. She did as little as she could on the Sabbath and besides, Willie got tuppence for his chores. He cleaned out the fire-grate and set the new fire ready for lighting. He also did any other errands that the old lady might require and she considered him to be an honest and trustworthy young man who suited her requirements perfectly. Both were happy with the situation.

He had just finished cleaning the grate when Mrs. Harris came into the kitchen followed by two young people. Willie stood up and rubbed his hands down his trousers.

“These are my grandchildren, Willie. This is Rachael and this is Nathan.”

Everybody shook hands and Willie blushed as he looked at Rachael. He had stretched his hand out before he realized how dirty they were, but she didn’t seem to notice as she smiled at him. “They will be staying with me here for a while, until their parents can join them later. The Germans have bombed them out of their home in London and my son, Samuel and his wife Miriam had to get away quickly, so I am saddled with this pair of ruffians until they get themselves settled again. Rachael would you like to make some tea? Perhaps Willie would like a cup before he goes.”

Willie watched Rachael as she moved and he liked what he saw. He liked her a lot and she didn’t look a bit like Moira McKenzie. He drank his tea but he felt very shy and tongue-tied and could think of nothing to say. Mrs. Harris gave him his tuppence and he backed out of the kitchen, unable to take his eyes away from this young vision who had suddenly visited him from the south. Nathan looked on. He was only eleven, but Rachael must have been fourteen or fifteen, he guessed. She was beautiful he concluded ...Just BEAUTIFUL, he thought as he ran down the tenement stairs in one building and up to the first floor of the other, three steps at a time.

Charlie had spent his first week at the site and he would come home in the evenings, feeling tired beyond words. His eyes looked heavy and he always needed a bath which meant the water had to be heated in the geezer and the zinc bath filled in the kitchen. He sat down heavily on the settee and dropped off to sleep, whilst Aggie helped to get the bath water ready. Poor Aggie! Everything seemed to fall to her lot as she worked nearest the house, in the lemonade factory and could be home within a few minutes, after she had clocked out at the factory gates. Meggie was always looking for a job and Sadie never could make up her mind whether she wanted the interviews or not . in the event that she may get the opportunity of an acting career, or at least a part in the local amateur dramatics society. Her patience was infinite, if her dreams were near nigh impossible, but no-one would dare to tell her. Willie looked at his brother as he snored his way into his own dreams, whatever they were. He envied Charlie having a wage packet and not having to go to school, but he didn’t fancy a job as a hod carrier.

“I’d rather join the navy,” he muttered to himself. Yes, he fancied himself as a sailor. He liked the uniform and so did the girls.

“All the nice girls love a sailor

All the nice girls love a Tar.

All the nice girls love a sailor,

Well you know what sailors are ...

He sang quietly to himself and Charlie groaned and moved to lie on his side.

***

Craig Daniells was very quiet when Willie saw him at school the next day. He was a good friend to young Craigie and they got on very well together as he would listen patiently when the young boy spoke with his stuttering difficulty and could almost anticipate what he wanted to say. This gave Craigie confidence and he didn’t feel so embarrassed when Willie was near.

“What’s the matter Craigie?” Willie asked but his friend did not answer Instead, he pushed his toe into some sand that was stored in the playground for repairing the brickwork in the old school.

“What’s the matter, I’m askin’?” Willie said again, but he got no reply and at that moment, the bell rang for the start of class.

***

Wattie was telling everyone about the intended fight with the neighbouring Protestant school, where Blackie was the leader of the gang there. James Blackwood was a big boy for his age. He was only twelve, but looked more like a young teenager, with a heavy muscular body and a ‘blue chin’ as proof of his constant need to shave.

“Are you coming in for the fight Willie?” he asked and sniffed as he spoke.

“No I don’t think so. It’s not worth the trouble Wattie.”

Wattie sniffed again, without any effect on the jewel at the end of his nose.

“Oh! Yes, it is. It’s great ... You just whack ‘em one and then run that’s all.”

Willie smiled and looked at his friend.

“You’ll have the police up at your house and what’ll your Mammy think about that, eh?”

“Wattie rolled his eyes and thought about what Willie had said to him before he spoke again.

“The Billy’s deserve it, so they do.” he said, dismissing his fear of his Mammy ever finding out.

“Why?”

“Because they just do that’s why,” he answered and his mouth turned down at the sides.

Willie looked around for Craigie, but he was nowhere to be seen.

“I don’t think I’ll come to the fight either Wattie,” Ackie remarked with indifference as the battle instigator sneered and scratched at the seat of his pants.

“Chicken,” he called out to Ackie, but Willie intercepted.

“Leave it Wattie. You know Ackie’s dad’s a Billy.”

Wattie stopped scratching his behind and started on his nose.

“Well His Mammy’s a Dan, isn’t she ... and besides, his Daddy’s no’ his real Faither... he’s his step-faither and that makes awe the difference.”

“Leave it Wattie Leave it and wipe your bloody nose, will yuh?”