Just a Job
"You're late. Hold out your hand." Basher Brown flexed the cane between his boney hands.
Billy obeyed, better take it on the hands than have basher Brown lay about your legs. Any road he'd rubbed raw potato on, so it wouldn't hurt that much. It were a good wheeze that. About the only useful bit of advice his dad ever gave him.
No wonder he was late. Old toffee nose Marvin kept him waiting while she examined every piece of laundry his mam had done. Then he'd to run home with the money. Only today he hadn't run-not all the way. After he'd nicked the potato from outside Nobby's greengrocery he'd walked casual like so know one would guess.
He rubbed the potato clean on his trouser leg and then chewed it down to the last inch. He'd eat that just before going in to school-after he'd done his hands with it.
"Get to your seat!"
Fifty pair of eyes stared at him waiting , watching, but he'd not blort. He'd something worse to think about than stinging palms.
The squeaking chalk did not penetrate his reverie that is, not until the the chalk struck him in the eye.
Hate welled up inside his puny frame. One day he'd get even. He'd burn the rotten place down, see if he didn't!
The morning seemed never ending. Rain spattered on the high windows above the dark green painted walls of the school room. The raw potato had given him wind and toady Miller had been quick to let on who was responsible for the stench. It wasn't fair. He wasn't the only one but he got the cod again.
At break Miller fled down the stone staircase into the school yard. Billy let him go. He'd pay Miller back later.
"You want to pee on them," Ginger Thomas advised as they ran into the lavs at the bottom of the school yard.
"It alus makes my chaps better."
Ginger was a big gawky lad. Every winter his hands and heels became red raw. Billy's mam reckoned it was through using wash house soap. "God punishes in mysterious ways," she said with a thrust of her chin.
Billy wasn't sure what she meant but then he didn't understand half of Mam's sores. She was always on about ,'the Lord providing." And,'God not paying with money.'
"You great nerk," he screamed dancing about waving his hands in the air.
The bell rang for the end of break as he gently wiped his hands on his shirt tail. That was the last time he'd take notice of Ginger Thomas.
He reached the line just in time to escape another thrashing.
The whole class was restless now. The morning never ending.
Basher's face got redder and redder as he laid about him. Ginger got him in the back of the neck with a wodge of chewed paper. Crikey, if he was caught-
"Turn out your pockets," Basher yelled bringing the cane down on his desk with a resounding wack.
Billy almost forgot his misery in the excitement. A piece of bloomer elastic was surreptitiously kicked from boot to boot. And the last ten minutes of the morning was spent in the line up for the "cod".
Miller was blorting before his turn came. Mardy bum!
The dinner bell rang as Billy reached nemesis. Basher threw down the cane. "Get out,the lot of you," he said.
As he ran down Brushfield St. Billy's breath formed little white clouds.
Fat pinafored women cluttered the doorsteps. Her at number sixty-two, arms folded mouth drawn tight, stood like a sentinel. "It's a crying shame," she said. "Turned out on the street and her with six youngsters. It's that drunken sot of a husband-."
His stomach lurched. He lobbed a huge gob towards her, and ran. It wasn't Dad's fault. Mam said he'd be all right if he could get a job.
Billy stared at the two large black waistcoated men. Their shirt stripes swam to a blur as he watched them grasp the ends of the red plush sofa that had pride of place in the parlour. Even as he gaped they tipped it sideways and carried it out of the door, leaving Dad on the floor.
Mam appeared, "Take baby Vi round to Aunt Edie's. And then get back to school." She hustled him through the door.
As he neared their back door, he heard Aunt Edie and Uncle Joe in the scullery .
"She should leave him?"
"She'll never do that," Edie answered quietly.
"They'll take the kids though?" Uncle Joe suggested.
It was like a belly punch. He lifted the latch and hurled himself between them, thrusting Vi into Aunt Edie's arms. "What have you been up to?" she cried. "Have you peed your sen? You stink like a closet"
Aunt Edie laughed, holding her sides her huge bosom bouncing beneath her pinny. "Wash your hands now and I'll leave the water in the copper. You can have a wash down tonight after school".
If he was going to be sent away at least it wouldn't be tonight, he reasoned. You didn't go out after a wash down-you'd catch your death.
Praps Dad would get a job today and then everything would be all right. He bit deeply into the thick slice of bread and lard Aunt Edie gave him. There were lumps of soft brown jelly in it. He sucked it against the roof of his mouth reluctant to swallow and lose its savour. If I were rich I'd eat bread and lard every day. One day I will be rich.
They all slept on the floor in Aunt Edie's parlour but they had to hide when the rent man came or Aunt Edie would get into trouble.
Dad didn't come home. "I've taken the King's shilling," He wrote.
Billy began to cry for surely his Dad would be caught and they'd chop off his head or summat.
Aunt Edie laughed at him. Your Dad's gone for a soldier," she said.
Dad had been killed and times had been hard. Billy promised he would never be out of work. Never! He'd take any job!
But that it should come to this!
Billy hammered on the door.
"Sorry Mrs. I've got my job to do!"
A child stood watching, finger in mouth.
Billy picked up the television and walked out of the front door a pair of brown eyes in a child's wan face stabbing his memory.
Bloody Poll Tax! But it weren't his fault. It were a job. Just a job!
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