‘You know there’s a spare key for the front door?’ Joe whispered. ‘Old Reedy keeps it hanging off the side of the fireplace in the hall.’
‘Joe you are a wonder to me! I don’t know how you get to know all these things!’
‘I keep my eyes and ears open and it’s time you did the same, especially now you’re gonna do this fighting lark,’ Joe said quietly across the darkness of their room.
‘Thanks, Joe, I will.’ Adam watched the shadows move across the wall as he contemplated what his friend had said.
Tomorrow night would see Adam Fitch learning to box. He smiled to himself as he thought, then no-one will ever pick on Polly or me again!
6
The house was quiet and in darkness; everyone was in their bed – except Adam Fitch. By the light of the moon coming through the windows, he crept downstairs in his socks to ensure he made no sound.
Carrying his boots, he tiptoed to the fireplace in the hall hardly daring to breathe. His heart hammered in his chest as he felt for the key, his eyes darting this way and that on the lookout for anyone who might still be up. His hand closed around the key and he lifted it from its hook. Moving silently to the front door he gently slid it into the lock and turned it. The click sounded loud in the hall and Adam froze. After a moment, assured he was still alone, he opened the door and slipped out into the cold night. Closing the door behind him he put the key in his trouser pocket and shoved his feet into his boots. Once the laces were tied, Adam ran across the garden and pushed through the hole in the hedge.
Making his way to the meeting point, he kept to the shadows. He did not want to be collared by a policeman and taken back to the orphanage where he would have to explain his night-time escapade.
As he arrived behind the old building, he saw Billy Marshall waiting for him.
‘You know, lad, I didn’t expect to see you. I thought you’d be tucked up in bed fast asleep,’ Billy said with a smile which was lit up by the small lantern sitting on the patch of dirt.
‘I said I would come, Mr Marshall, and I never go back on my word if I can help it,’ Adam answered.
‘Good on yer. Now, get that jacket off and we’ll get started,’ Billy said as he stripped away his own coat.
‘Fighting ain’t just about knocking the other fella out; it’s about protecting yourself first. You can’t win if you can’t see, so make sure your opponent doesn’t hit yer eyes.’
Adam nodded as he stood one foot behind the other and raised his fists.
Billy placed the boy’s hands in the correct position. ‘This one is yer guard then you can jab with the other. Keep moving about, bounce on yer feet lightly. This is called bob and weave; bend yer knees on the bob and weave to the side so yer don’t get hit.’
The two shadow boxed for a while until Billy was sure his student felt confident.
Adam listened intently and did everything he was instructed to do. After an exhaustive hour, Billy called a halt.
‘Right, that’s enough for your first time. You’ve done really well, Adam, you’re a natural,’ Billy said as he patted the boy’s shoulder.
Jackets donned, the two parted company with a hand shake agreeing to meet again the following night.
Adam sped home as if on winged feet so great was his pleasure at having experienced his first bare-knuckle fighting lesson.
Slipping off his boots on the doorstep, Adam opened the door and peeped in. Quiet as the grave he relocked the door, replaced the key and crept quietly back to his room.
As he undressed, he heard Joe’s whisper, ‘How did it go?’
‘It was amazing!’ Adam returned just as quietly.
Joe turned over with a mumble as Adam climbed into his own bed.
Excitement coursed through Adam’s veins as he lay in the darkness, his mind going over all that he had been taught. He had enjoyed his tuition but he was wise enough to realise that no punches had actually landed as yet. He didn’t relish the thought of being smacked in the face by someone’s fist; the trick however was to get his punch in first.
Adam settled to getting some sleep for he knew he would be tired in the morning. The smile on his face stayed in place as he slipped into a dream filled slumber.
*
After breakfast the following morning, the children went outside for a breath of air before morning lessons in the school room. The boys gathered, all wanting to know about Adam’s late-night excursion.
‘What you lot talkin’ about?’ Rodney said as he waddled up to the little group of boys.
‘None of your business,’ Adam replied quietly. He wondered if this would be challenged by Rodney. Was one night’s tuition enough to beat this big lad if it came to it?
The other boys looked from Adam to Rodney and then back again. They too wondered if another battle would ensue.
Surprisingly, Rodney shrugged his shoulders and wandered away.
‘Phew, that was a close one,’ Matt muttered.
‘Adam, watch out for that bugger,’ Arthur said with concern, don’t let him catch you sneaking out because he’ll tell Old Reedy.’
Adam nodded and, as he related his tale, he could see their excitement rising. He warned then, ‘We have to keep this a secret!’
‘Ar, and we’ll help keep an eye on fat boy over there an’ all,’ Joe added.
At the sound of the hand bell they all trooped in for their lessons.
Throughout the morning, Rodney Dukes ignored the teacher, instead keeping his piggy eyes on Adam.
Those boys had been talking together in a secretive manner earlier and they had shunned him when he approached them. Whatever it was they were plotting, for that’s how it seemed to him, Rodney would find out somehow. Then he would show them – he would tell tales and get them in trouble with Old Reedy. It would serve them all right for not including him.
Adam felt the eyes burning into him and knew Rodney would be watching him like a hawk from now on. He would have to be extra vigilant when he slipped out at night. The last thing he needed would be for Rodney to discover their secret as that would most decidedly put an end to his extra-curricular activity. He also knew that sooner or later he would have to front up to the older boy. That being the case Adam had to learn as much as he could about being a pugilist in the shortest possible time.
Lunchtime was strained as the boys were all aware of Rodney’s possible intentions; his cold hard stare was a dead giveaway. He fully intended to blow the whistle on them once he knew what they were up to. It was imperative that he should not find out.
After lunch, the boys gathered once more to discuss the problem which was Rodney Dukes.
‘The trouble is, he’s in his own room so if he should venture out no-one would hear him,’ Arthur said.
‘Well much as I like you Adam, I ain’t moving in with him!’ Joe said. The others tittered and glanced around at the boy watching them from afar.
‘I don’t know what we can do other than keep an eye and ear out,’ Adam replied.
The rest of the day and on into the evening, Rodney watched and waited. By bedtime, all the other boys were on tenterhooks.
When the time came for Adam to leave the house, he went quickly and quietly to retrieve the key. Then he hid in the dark shadows cast by the staircase where he waited. He needed to know if Rodney had heard him and intended to follow. After a few minutes, and with no sign of the boy, Adam unlocked the door and made good his escape to enjoy that one wonderful hour.
‘Sorry I’m a bit late, Mr Marshall,’ Adam panted after running his heart out, ‘but I wanted to be sure I wasn’t heard or followed.’
‘That’s all right, lad. Now, let’s get at it.’
The two sparred in the dim light of the lantern and Billy Marshall showed Adam how to do the old one-two.
‘You jab with one hand so you’re close to your opponent then you follow it with a cross punch which comes straight from the side. See?’ Billy demonstrated the move so that Adam could understand.
&nbs
p; ‘Yes, Mr Marshall, I see what you mean.’
‘Good lad. This is one of the things all boxers learn at the outset, so you remember it,’ Billy said as he patted Adam’s back. ‘Now then, you’d best tell me about who might be following you.’
Adam explained about Rodney and how he feared being found out. He said that he was loving learning from Billy and would be devastated if it should have to come to an end.
‘I see. You know Adam, if this Rodney fella should be following you out here, he won’t be sayin’ a word,’ Billy said with a grin.
‘How come?’ Adam asked.
‘Cos I’ll threaten to bash his brains out.’ Billy chuckled.
‘Thanks, Mr Marshall,’ Adam said. This time he didn’t shake hands but threw his arms around the big man’s waist.
Billy’s eyes filled with tears at the show of affection and he wrapped his muscled arms around the boy’s shoulders.
On his way back, Adam felt he had found a friend as well as a protector. Adam didn’t need to try to be a grown-up all the time; he could still be a child at times too.
Slipping quietly into the house, he locked up, replaced the key and went up the stairs to bed. He was truly happy for the first time in his ten-year-old life.
Climbing into bed he made a point of including Billy Marshall in his prayers, as well as his birth family of course, but they didn’t want him or his sister. He had his friends too, but one day they would all go their separate ways. For a reason he couldn’t fathom, Adam felt especially close to Billy Marshall.
Closing his eyes Adam went over the old one-two in his mind. He was learning fast and could hardly wait to see what came next.
7
The weather began to turn colder and rain fell in torrents. Washing the coal dust from buildings it ran through the streets like a black river.
Minnie Fitch’s jaw still ached from Gerald’s punch and she was at her wits end trying to keep John quiet. His teeth were coming through and he cried night and day with the pain of it. Her husband yelled at her to shut the babby up so he could get some sleep; without a care that she was tired to the bone too.
She had ignored him completely since the day he had taken her children to Reed’s until things had got even worse and the couple had had a massive falling out when Gerald had been sacked from his job at the brick works over in Monmore Green. Constantly late and a few times still being drunk from the previous night, the gaffer had given him his tin and had sent him packing.
Now all they had was whatever James and Peter could filch or beg. With no money coming in, Minnie was unable to buy food so she relied heavily on her two boys to feed them all.
Taking being sacked badly, Gerald had gone up to bed and stayed there, rising only to eat whatever meal Minnie could make with what she had. Gerald then went back to bed in order to stay warm.
Minnie bundled John up and tied him onto her chest with a thick woollen shawl. Grabbing a pail, she left the house slamming the door behind her. Trudging alongside the tram line she crossed the railway via Cable Street tunnel. Winding her way between filthy and run-down buildings she eventually came to an old disused coal pit. Looking at the huge mounds of waste dug from the mine, she sighed.
An eyesore on the landscape, the massive hills of earth stood before her like something from a nightmare. The rain ran down the sides in rivulets turned black by the coal dust only to pool at the foot like dark bottomless pits.
Another day picking over the pit banks searching for coal nuggets. She was greeted by other women swarming over the heaps as she began to dig through the rubble and sludge. Now and then Minnie dropped a small lump of coal into her pail. The rain had turned the ground and slag heaps into a dangerous quagmire, but she persevered. The cold bit her hands as she scraped away the mud and the hem of her skirt became caked in the stuff.
John screamed his protest at being bundled up, and the wind howled across the wasteland. After a couple of hours Minnie could stand no more and made her way home, her pail only a third full of coal bits. She was frozen and filthy dirty but at least John had at last cried himself to sleep on her chest.
As she walked Minnie thought about her two other children, Adam and Polly, as she had every day since they had been sold to the orphanage. She wondered how they were faring and whether they were being looked after. She knew in her heart they were better off there, especially now that she could barely keep body and soul together.
Minnie admitted to herself that she missed them for all she constantly shouted at them. She only yelled because she was bone weary and dog-tired having no help from the rest of the family.
James and Peter were good boys when it came to scavenging or begging a handout, but they followed their father when it came to their treatment of her. They had no respect and used her as a skivvy. She realised it was too late for them to change now, she should have rectified the problem long ago.
Her mind once again rested on Adam and Polly. Would they ever forgive her for what had been done to them? Could she explain that she’d tried to prevent it if they were to meet again? Putting herself in their shoes, she guessed she would never be forgiven and she was heart sore.
It had been Gerald’s insistence that they sell their children and Minnie had very little choice in the matter, now she was trying to persuade herself it was for their own good. As for the five shillings – Gerald had spent every penny on ale. No food or coal in the house, but her husband had come home roaring drunk.
Minnie felt the pangs of regret. She had been reduced to this because of a stupid mistake many years ago, and her guilt had weighed heavily on her every day since.
*
Gerald was sitting by an empty fireplace when Minnie returned from her coal picking. He was staring into space and didn’t even notice her come in.
Laying the still sleeping baby in his makeshift crib, Minnie went into the yard to wash her hands and face at the communal standpipe. The freezing water took her breath away and drying herself on an old rag she then went back indoors.
Looking at the empty cupboards whose doors had been burned as firewood long since, she sighed heavily. Please God let the boys bring something edible home!
Minnie sat on her kitchen chair at the other side of the fireplace and stared at her husband. Gerald had not always been a wastrel; when she first met him he was industrious. He saved every ha’penny so they could be married and when James and Peter came along, he worked long hours to provide for his family. They had saved every penny until they had enough to buy their little house from the council.
Gerald had loved her then and they often laughed together as they played with the boys. Life was sweet; they weren’t well off but they were happy, until Gerald had taken to the drink and become abusive; making her life hell in no more than a blink of the eye. Then she had made her mistake.
Pushing the memory away she watched her husband and wondered what he was thinking. He probably rued the day he had married Minnie and started a family with her.
Hearing John nuzzling his blanket, Minnie closed her eyes. Please don’t wake up yet. Sighing with relief as John settled back to sleep, she opened her eyes and was surprised to see Gerald looking at her.
Neither spoke, they didn’t need to. Each knew what the other was thinking at that moment. Both were blaming Minnie for their wrecked marriage and she knew Gerald despised her for it. She hated herself too – for not getting out before this.
They stared at each other for a long time and unable to bear it any longer Minnie reached into her apron pocket. Handing over the sixpence she’d found on the slag heap she said, ‘Here, it’s all I’ve got.’
Gerald didn’t need asking twice and he was up and out in a mere moment. Not having had a drink in a while, he would willingly pass that money over the nearest bar.
Minnie shook her head as her tears fell. She could not rectify her mistake but she could try to do her best to ease its burden.
John began to gurgle and Minnie stood to lift him from his cot.
Filling the boat-shaped baby bottle almost to the top with water, she poured in the teaspoon of milk that was the last and had been left on the cold shelf. Popping on the metal cap, she then pulled the teat over the other end and pushed it into her baby’s mouth as she sat down once more. The bottle would give no nourishment but it would fill John’s little belly – for a while at least.
A few hours later Gerald was back sporting a worse-for-wear look.
‘I’m clammed, what’s to eat?’ he yelled at his wife who was trying to soothe their crying baby son.
‘We ain’t got nuthin’ until the lads get back,’ Minnie answered.
‘Bloody hell, woman!’ Gerald stomped into the kitchen to see for himself. Returning to the living room he dropped into his armchair. ‘How long will them boys be?’
‘I don’t know! How long is a piece of string?’ Minnie snapped back.
Out of his chair in a second, Gerald landed a sharp slap to his wife’s cheek.
Minnie leapt to her feet and placed John in his little bed. Rounding on Gerald she yelled, ‘It ain’t my fault – you were the one who got the sack!’
Stepping towards her, Gerald raised his fist.
‘Come on then, you bugger! That’s all you’m good for – hitting women!’ Minnie challenged him, her patience all but spent. ‘I gave you my last tanner and what did you do? You spent it in the boozer and it’s my guess there’s nowt left of it!’
‘You told me to go!’ Gerald retaliated.
‘You could have said no! You could have said to buy some food with it! So, you’ve had the last, Gerald Fitch!’ Minnie was fuming, her anger now at fever pitch.
Sitting once more Gerald muttered, ‘It’s all your fault and well you know it.’
‘You ain’t never gonna let me forget it either, are you?’ Minnie said irately.
‘It was your mistake – we were happy until then, but you had to go and bugger it all up!’ Gerald glared at his wife with hate in his eyes.
‘I know that, I don’t need reminding every day of my life!’ Minnie countered.
The Five Shilling Children Page 5
