The Liverpool Rose (11 page)

Lizzie and Geoff listened, fascinated, as Clem told them with great relish of Jake’s offer of the job and his acceptance, and then went on to tell them of the life he had lived over the past weeks. He made it sound exciting and adventurous and when at last he’d finished, Lizzie and Geoff stared at him with envious eyes. ‘I wish I were in your shoes,’ Geoff said. He took a long draught of tea then stood down his empty mug. ‘That were great, Clem, you make a fine cup o’ tea.’ Suddenly, something seemed to strike him; he looked round at the other two, a slow smile spreading across his face. ‘I’ve just realised something – you talk about coincidence!’ He addressed Lizzie. ‘D’you realise, queen, that we’re all three of us orphans? Oh, we have very different lives but we’ve got that in common. When you think it’s just like a story book how we come to meet, with Clem saving my life an’ all. I reckon we ought to keep in touch, the three of us.’ He turned to Clem. ‘Are you in Liverpool regular, Clem? I mean, every two or three weeks or so? ’Cos if so, we could arrange to come down to the canal whenever we know you’re docking here.’

‘That’d be grand,’ Clem said eagerly. ‘It ain’t easy to make pals on the canal ’cos most of the fellers were born and bred to it and they’ve known each other all their lives, just about. On the short runs, some of ’em get dropped off at a local school, so’s at least they learn to read and write. Then they make friends with the local kids, so all along the canal they’ve got pals. It’s different for me, being a stranger, like, so I’d be glad to meet up wi’ the pair of you whenever we’re docked in Liverpool.’

‘The only snag is, Geoff ain’t his own master. He lives at the Father Brannigan Orphan Asylum,’ Lizzie said blithely, then clapped a hand to her mouth. ‘Oh! Sorry, Geoff, I forgot you might not like . . .’

‘S’all right,’ Geoff told her, ‘I don’t mind me pals knowing – it’s just strangers, like. When
The Liverpool Rose
docks, you can find a way to let me know without landing the brothers on me neck, I daresay. Mind,’ he added, ‘we’re going to be down at the Scaldy most Saturday afternoons for a few weeks yet.’

‘You won’t want to risk going there again,’ Lizzie said, scandalised. ‘You were very nearly drowned, chuck! That horrible Sid will be watching the Scaldy now, and Clem here isn’t always going to be around to gerrus out of trouble. I think we ought to steer clear of it for a bit.’

Geoff, however, shook his head obstinately. ‘No, you couldn’t be more wrong,’ he declared. ‘What happened today means I gorra learn to swim, and the sooner the better. As for perishin’ Sid, he won’t expect me to come back here. He thinks because I have me hair cut regular and wear the Branny uniform that I’m scared of me own shadow – but I’m not, you know. I’m going to come back here every Saturday I can get
away, until I can swim really well, and next time it’ll be me what does the ducking!’

‘You’re really brave, Geoff. And sensible as well, ’cos you’re dead right about Sid,’ Lizzie said. ‘I don’t say he thinks you’re yaller, but I’m sure you’re right and he won’t expect to find you at the Scaldy again. If you ask me, he ain’t the sort to go swimming without a very good reason, so we aren’t likely to run into him again, particularly with autumn coming on. The Scaldy’s always lovely and warm, but I suppose it’s colder coming out, which puts the other kids off swimming once September starts.’

‘Aye, you’re both right,’ Clem said, getting to his feet. ‘As for meeting up again, you’ll have to keep a look out for me, ’cos my time’s not my own when we’re loading and unloading.’

‘Righty-ho,’ Lizzie said. ‘Me home’s near enough to the canal so I can keep an eye out for you most weekends. I live wi’ me Aunt Annie and Uncle Perce and me cousins; their name is Grey but mine’s Devlin, ’cos my mam and Aunt Annie were sisters, so if you want to find me, just ask for Lizzie Devlin, anywhere on Burlington Street.’

‘Her Aunt Annie’s real nice,’ Geoff volunteered. ‘She lets me have me tea wi’ the family sometimes, and I’m always welcome to stay in the house if young Lizzie here’s busy doing chores. But her cousins aren’t too friendly, and her Uncle Perce is a bit gruff, like.’

‘Me Uncle Perce’s a beast and a bully,’ Lizzie said frankly. ‘He don’t touch the boys, ’cos they’re all near as big as he is, but he gives Aunt Annie a clout whenever he’s had a drop too much and he’d hit me an’ all if he could. Only I take care to keep out of his way,’ she finished.

‘Right, mates,’ Clem said cheerfully, ‘I’ll walk as far as the Houghton Bridge with you but I can’t come no further ’cos it just isn’t safe to leave the canal boat unattended. No offence but there’s kids in the ‘Pool what’d steal the socks off your feet while you were still wearing ’em – and not only kids, neither,’ he ended darkly.

Lizzie and Geoff both laughed. ‘I daresay every city is as bad,’ Geoff said. ‘I’ve never been outside Liverpool myself, but I’ve heard Leeds and Bradford can be pretty rough, and as for Wigan . . .’

‘Aye, Wigan’s got a bad reputation amongst the boat people,’ Clem agreed, ‘and truth to tell, when we’re in the country we don’t leave the boat unattended if we can possibly help it. Even high up in the Pennines, the three of us seldom go off together. We take it in turns, like.’

The three of them reached Houghton Bridge and Lizzie and Geoff climbed up to the road and leaned over the parapet to watch Clem retrace his steps and enter the barge, with a final wave in their direction. As they watched, they saw an elderly man with a sack over one shoulder coming slowly along the towpath. ‘I wonder if that’s Jake?’ Lizzie said idly. ‘Will you make me a bet, Geoff? I get a penny if I’m right and that old feller goes into
The Liverpool Rose,
and you get a penny if I’m wrong and he goes straight past.’

‘No, I will not make a bet with you,’ Geoff said roundly, just as the elderly man climbed aboard
The Liverpool Rose
and disappeared into the cabin. ‘I guessed it were Jake, same as you did. Who else could it be, after all?’ He shivered suddenly. ‘I dunno whether it was my ducking or because it’s getting late, but I’m beginning to feel chilly. Race you back to Cranberry Court!’

*

Later that night, in her own small bed in the partitioned-off piece of attic room, with the boys snoring beyond, Lizzie thought about her day. She had been delighted with
The Liverpool Rose
and thought Clem one of the nicest boys she had met. He was older than both she and Geoff, and had been working at a proper job for more than two years, but he had made no attempt to boss them around, nor had he seemed to feel himself superior.

Apart from the swimming incident, which had so nearly ended in tragedy, the day had been a great success. Lizzie was still downright proud of Geoff who had had a truly horrible experience yet had bounced back. She knew that he still intended to learn to swim, despite what had happened, and admired his courage. Bullies are always frightening and Sid, with his reckless disregard for everyone except himself, frightened her even though his venom had been mainly targeted on Geoff. She supposed, vaguely, that living in the Branny had made Geoff far more independent than living with Aunt Annie had made her.

It had been fascinating to hear about life on the canal boat, and Lizzie hoped that she and Geoff would see a great deal more of Clem. She could not help wishing that one day he might invite them to go along for a short cruise. That would be far more exciting than a ride on the ferry which crossed the Mersey and could take you over to New Brighton. This was a treat to which she had long looked forward, though without much hope of its ever happening.

Presently, still thinking about the canal boat, Lizzie drifted off to sleep, to dream of painted roses,
flourishing tomato plants and a tiny self-contained world all packed into the canal boat’s cabin.

As soon as Jake and Priddy returned to
The Liverpool Rose,
Clem told them all about his adventure and the two pals he had made. He had carefully cleared up all signs of their impromptu visit before Jake had come into the cabin, but did not intend to keep it secret. He had been sure that the old people would not mind his offering hospitality to two kids in distress, and so it proved. Priddy was horrified by the near drowning – despite having been born aboard a canal boat, she had never learned to swim – and told Clem approvingly that he had done right.

‘There’s a little flask of brandy in the cupboard above Jake’s bunk,’ she told him. ‘You could ha’ used that if the need had been there, but I daresay brandy ain’t a good thing for a young feller. Probably hot tea were best. What were he like, this Geoff?’

‘Oh, about fourteen, I suppose, short and stocky, wi’ dark hair. He were from one of the local orphan asylums, so he spoke nice and was neatly dressed.’

‘And the girl?’ Jake asked, from his seat by the fire. ‘Same age roundabout?’

Clem considered. He realised he had not looked particularly closely at Lizzie and now merely had an impression of a small pale face, dominated by huge, dark blue eyes and a mass of straggly, hay-coloured hair. ‘Lizzie? Well, she must be about eleven or twelve, I suppose. She lives with an aunt and her dress was more like a rag than anything else. She was barefoot, and scraggy, but a nice kid, nevertheless. You’d ha’ liked her, I’m sure.’

‘Are you going to meet up again?’ Priddy asked casually. She had been stirring a large blackened
stewpot on top of the stove. Now she reached three plates down from the rack above her head. ‘I know it’s been difficult for you, Clem, to make pals amongst the boat people, ’cos on the canal everyone knows everyone else. Working aboard a barge is usually something you’re born to, so it’ll be nice for you to have a couple o’ pals, even if you’re older than they.’

‘I daresay we’ll bump into each other around the ‘Pool when we’re in this area,’ Clem said, rather guardedly. He did not want Priddy and Jake to think that he was lonely or that he was suffering from any lack of friends. Indeed, he was so happy aboard
The Liverpool Rose
and so content with the companionship of Jake and Priddy that he could not imagine missing other friends. Even so, it would be nice to meet Lizzie and Geoff from time to time. We could go to the pictures, he told himself, or go shopping – even if it was only the window sort – in the big stores, whenever he was in the area.

And presently, when he went to the butty boat and took his place in the tiny cubbyhole, snuggling under his blankets, he went happily off to sleep and dreamed of roses and castles and scrawny little yellow-haired girls.

‘Lizzie! Are you nearly ready, queen? It’s a nice warm morning and I want to get to the shops early, to pick up any bargains a-goin’.’

Lizzie was in her room, vigorously plaiting her hair into a long braid, when Aunt Annie’s voice came floating up the stairs. She went to the door and called out that she was coming, wouldn’t be half a mo’, then returned to her room, smiling to herself. She had taken to braiding her hair regularly since her thirteenth birthday, which was now some time past. It looked very much neater and more business-like and was a good deal less costly than the bob or shingle which was fashionable and for which she had yearned. Aunt Annie, however, had pointed out that haircuts were expensive. ‘That hair of yourn is your crowning glory, queen,’ she had said reprovingly when Lizzie had suggested bobbing it. ‘Short hair may be fashionable but it ain’t what the fellers like, nor what your mam would have liked if she’d been here to see you.’

So Lizzie had taken her aunt’s advice and now was quite proud of the long, silky plait of blonde hair which hung down her back, almost to her waist. What was more, plaiting had made her hair beautifully wavy, so that when it was loose, it looked even nicer than before. Aunt Annie, Lizzie concluded now, slipping a rubber band round the end of the plait, was a knowing old bird.

Making her way down the stairs and entering the kitchen, Lizzie found that she was looking forward to the day ahead. She and her aunt were mounting an expedition to the shops for two reasons. The first was to replace the skimpy cotton dress which she had worn every summer for the past three years. It now strained so tightly across her chest and was so brief in the skirt as to be almost indecent, so Aunt Annie meant to go along to Paddy’s Market and buy a replacement. While at the shops she also hoped to beg, or even buy, oranges and lemons so that she might make her famous fruit drink.

A year had passed since Lizzie and Geoff had nearly got themselves drowned in the Scaldy. Geoff now swam as well as anyone Lizzie knew, and she herself had begun to appreciate Aunt Annie more than ever. This was, she thought, entirely due to Geoff, who had made her realise that though Aunt Annie could never take the place of her own mother, she was doing her very best to see that Lizzie was as happy as she could be.

For instance, Aunt Annie had come to school on a couple of occasions to see the teacher about her niece’s future; a good few real parents did not trouble to do as much for their offspring, but Aunt Annie told Uncle Perce, when he sneered at her for taking the trouble, that she was only doing what her sister would have done, had she been able.

At thirteen, starting work was something all the girls in Lizzie’s class discussed. There were a great many jobs to be had in Liverpool if you were content with taking on shop or factory work. Such jobs did not call for any particular degree of intelligence, far less specialised training, but Lizzie’s mother had hoped for better for her little girl and Aunt Annie,
knowing this, cross-questioned the teacher as to possible careers for her niece. Lizzie, who was bright and had always done well at school, could have set her sights on office work, but an office junior was lamentably badly paid and she wanted to make some contribution to the household and to have some money to herself when she did start work. Furthermore, she was not at all sure that she wanted to end up working in a stuffy office. There must be other jobs which would allow her to spend at least some of her time out of doors, though she could not for the life of her, think of one at the moment.

However, right now it was a hot and sunny day in August and she was still only thirteen and not expected, as yet, to earn her own living. She was looking forward to acquiring a new dress, though it would be unlikely to fit without some alteration. Aunt Annie was dreadfully bad with her needle and could not sew a straight seam to save her life, but Lizzie had long ago realised that in the courts off Burlington Street, skills could be exchanged. Aunt Annie was an excellent cook and would make a big stew or a family-sized apple pie and the recipient would respond by altering a dress, or mending shirts and darning socks. So one way or another, Lizzie would get her dress and Aunt Annie would see that it was altered to fit without a penny changing hands.