The Girl by the Thames

by Peter Boland

  “Oh, wow. Thanks, Lena. Er, that’s great.”

  Lena stopped dancing. “Well show some emotion then.” Lena flopped on the bed. “Don’t you know what that means? You and me are in the coolest, hardest gang in the neighbourhood. That means no more scrounging for drinks, no more begging to get into clubs, no-one looking down on us and no-one getting in our way.”

  “Listen, that’s great and I’ll come along and hang out with the gang, but I’ve just got some stuff to do.”

  “What stuff?”

  “You know, stuff.”

  “What’s more important than being in the Niners? Come on, get dressed, we’re going to party.”

  Lena stood over Tanya and grabbed her hand to drag her out of bed but Tanya snatched it away.

  “What is wrong with you? Come on, girl. What’s the matter?” Lena said, sitting back down on the bed.

  “I just, kinda got involved with helping that whale that was stuck.”

  Lena laughed snapping her head back. They were big sarcastic belly laughs designed to humiliate rather than share. “You and Free Willy? What is all this girl-guide shit?”

  “It’s not,” Tanya replied. “You’ve got to see it. He’s amazing, like the most amazing thing you’ve ever seen.”

  “He? You’ll be shagging it next.”

  “Why don’t you come along? I’ve got a pass now. I could get you past the security. It’s mental, I’m telling you.”

  “A pass? You’ve got it bad. Why would I want to see some stinky old fish. Anyway, I hate fish, it tastes rank.”

  “Lena, we’re not going to eat it and anyway whales aren’t …”

  “…Fish, yeah, I know, I’m not stupid. They’re mammals like us, so what? Who cares? Just forget about it, it’ll be dead soon.”

  “No it won’t, we’re going to attempt a rescue on the hide tide.”

  “We’re going to attempt a rescue on the high tide,” Lena said in a mocking voice. “Listen to yourself. You’re turning into a geek.”

  “I’m not. I just want to help it get back into the sea is all. Come on, come and see him. It’s like seeing a dinosaur or something.”

  “No way.” Lena got off the bed and picked up her plastic bag of booze. “Do you know what I had to do to get you in the Niners?”

  Tanya didn’t say anything.

  “I had a fight.”

  “With one of the girls?”

  “Nope, with one of the boys. And I won. That’s what I did for you. Because you’re my best mate. Then I come over here to give you the good news and all I get is a load of Finding Nemo bollocks.”

  “Oh, Lena, I didn’t know. You didn’t have to do that.”

  “Well, I did. That’s the last time I do anything for you.” Lena opened the door and was gone.

  Tanya lay back down again. Normally, if they’d argued like that, neither of them would’ve backed down. Tanya would have been after her and out on the walkway screaming at Lena and calling her a bitch, and vice versa. Then they’d have a scrap, a proper one with fists and kicking. Then the tears would follow and they’d make up, telling each other they were sorry and would be best mates forever. It would all be very dramatic and intense. But all the fight had gone out of Tanya. None of that other stuff seemed so important anymore.

  Tanya climbed out of bed and got dressed into some fresh new clothes. She knew they’d be caked in mud in seconds once she got down on the riverbank, but that didn’t matter. At least she wouldn’t need to wear that ridiculous hi-vis jacket, not now she had the pass. Her trainers were a different matter; they were the only shoes she had. The mud from this morning had set like concrete, but she had no choice but to wear them. Tanya groaned as she pulled them on. They were still damp and smelt of the Thames. They were ruined. Never mind, she could just swipe another pair after this was all over. She smiled; it was reassuring to know that the old Tanya hadn’t been completely swallowed up by the whale.

  Back at the river, the crowds had returned. It was evening and everyone stood around looking at each other, waiting for something to happen. Tonight, Tanya wouldn’t be a bystander like they were. She was there to make a difference. The lovely warm feeling of satisfaction rose up through her torso sending a buzz through her spine and into her head, reaching to the ends of her fingers. It was like being drunk but much more enjoyable.

  Tanya proudly held up her pass to the two policeman guarding the entrance to the security barrier. As she descended the ramp the whale filled her vision, searing itself onto her retinas like a beautiful tattoo. Seeing it again made her happy and sad simultaneously. A tear formed in the corner of her eye. Tanya quickly blotted it with her cuff before anyone saw.

  People were still dousing the whale with water but now there was something covering its body. A patchwork of large towels clung to his skin, she guessed it was to keep it damp. There was something else wrapped around his body. They’d managed to loop a large plastic sling around him – one near his head, and another near his tail. Each sling was attached to a rope extending back out into the river. The two ropes were held up by a line of people whose feet were getting wet with the incoming tide. It was like they were about to have a tug of war with the whale.

  Greg saw her and came bounding up the ramp, a large grin slashed across his face. “Tanya,” he said. “Perfect timing, we need those athletic legs of yours.”

  “Greg, what’s happening?” Tanya asked.

  “Well, this is it. As the tide comes in we’re going to pull our friend into the water, and then try and encourage him back out the way he came. You up for it?”

  “Damn right.”

  “Okay, first. I need to get you some better footwear. I’ve got my wife’s wellies in the car. They might be a bit small, but they’ll do the job. Wait here a second.”

  Greg was back within a minute, clutching a pair of purple Wellingtons that were delicately patterned with tiny daisies. Tanya started laughing.

  “What?” said Greg.

  “They are so not me.”

  “Hey, street cred’s not important when you’re rescuing whales. Come on, get them on, we’ve got work to do.”

  Tanya slotted her feet into the boots. They didn’t fit quite right and nipped the end of her toes. They felt weird and it wasn’t just the poor fitting. Tanya had never worn wellies before; she’d never had any reason to. It was all strictly trainers where she came from. Wellies were for geeks and posh people. This whale was making her do some weird things, but Tanya didn’t care anymore.

  Down on the riverbank, she was glad to have the floral footwear. The water was already around her ankles. Greg showed her to a position on the ropes next to a burly-looking teenager with floppy hair who looked like he played rugby and went to a good school. Behind her stood about thirty other people all poised with the rope in their hands.

  “What do I do?” Tanya asked, gripping the rope. It was wet and slippery.

  “Two things to remember,” said Greg. “Pull when everyone else pulls and secondly, when that whale starts moving get out of the way. Got it?”

  “Got it,” Tanya said, surprised at the croak in her voice. This was exciting and scary at the same time. Her fingers trembled. In front of her she could see the massive silhouette of the whale. The towels had been removed and he looked like a black phantom. It seemed impossible what they were about to do.

  Greg ran up and down the two lines, saying roughly what he had said to Tanya. He gave everyone a smile and was generous with his encouraging words. He took his position on the other side of the whale along with Roger and a few other men. It looked like they were going to push while Tanya and the rest of them pulled.

  Blood laced with too much adrenalin whizzed around Tanya’s body making her heart thump against her chest. She swallowed hard and took several deep breaths.

  “Done this before?” she asked the boy in front of her.

  He turned and smiled. “Well, I did rescue a neighbour’s cat once. Bastard bit me.”

  They b
oth laughed nervously.

  Tanya let out a yelp. The tide was now over the top her boots and pouring onto her feet.

  “Don’t worry,” the boy said, winking. “Not long now.”

  He’d barely finished talking when Greg yelled, “Pull!”

  The rope went tight and Tanya nearly lost her balance. Everyone pulled except Tanya, who was out of time with the others. Greg repeated the command almost immediately. This time she was synchronised with everyone in her line. The line went tight but nothing moved. Her feet sank into the mud. Greg told them to pull again and again but the whale wouldn’t budge. It was like trying to move an island. Again they pulled. A collective groan went up with each tug. Tanya’s hand slipped through the slick rope several times, but she wouldn’t give up. The call went up again and again. Still nothing happened.

  Greg held his hands up to signal for everyone to take a break. Tanya was glad of the rest. The palms of her hands stung like acid and she shoved them under her armpits to relieve the pain.

  “Here,” said the boy in front, holding out some fingerless leather cycling gloves. “Take mine.”

  “Really?” said Tanya.

  “Of course. I’ve got hands like a farmer, I’ll be okay.”

  “Oh, thanks, mate,” Tanya said, thinking of how none of the boys she hung around with would ever be so generous. The gloves were too big but they did the job of protecting her against the coarse fibres of the rope.

  “Okay,” said Greg holding up his hand. “We’re going to go again. This time, everyone make sure you pull at the same time. That’s the key.”

  Everyone assumed their positions and gripped the rope tightly.

  “We’ll go on one, I’ll count you in,” said Greg. “Ready, three, two, one.”

  Tanya heaved as hard as she could. Nothing. The freezing water was now swirling around her knees. She hoped she could stay upright.

  Greg shouted the command a second time. “Three, two, one.”

  Tanya felt it straight away and so did everyone else. A small shift at the front of the whale. A gasp went up as people realised the whale had moved. It was probably only a few inches, but it was all the encouragement they needed.

  “Again, people,” Greg called out. This time the whale slid closer toward the river by nearly a foot. “Don’t stop.” The team on the other rope felt movement this time as the tail shifted slightly. Both teams pulled and pulled, getting into a natural rhythm. With each pull, the whale moved a little more than last time. And it was getting easier. They were now moving backwards into the river proper. The water was up to Tanya’s waist and though the cold stiffened her muscles and made her bones ache, the feeling of moving the whale kept her going.

  Tanya was too busy concentrating on pulling in time to notice what was happening up front.

  “He’s moving,” said the boy in front.

  “Yeah,” said Tanya. “We’re really doing it.”

  “No, look, he’s moving by himself.”

  Up front, the whale that had been frozen now came to life. It writhed around and sent waves and spray skywards over the people pushing. Those giant fins and tail started to slap the water. Tanya couldn’t tell whether it was panicked or just really pissed off.

  Greg came wading towards them. “Okay, he’s ready to go. You first five better get out of the way, otherwise he might crush you.”

  Tanya and the others didn’t need any more persuading. They headed around the whale giving it plenty of room on their way back to the ramp. There were about ten people left on the ropes and they were far out into the river. Tanya noticed they were all wearing wetsuits. They continued pulling but soon they wouldn’t need to. The whale’s once heavy frame started to float and twist in the water, trying to get to where it was deeper.

  “Go on, mate,” Tanya heard herself say under her breath. “You can do it.”

  The whale looked like it was in agony as it writhed, flapping its mighty tail, neither fully in the water or out of it.

  “Come on,” she shouted again. “Come on, swim, swim, you’re nearly there.” Tanya hadn’t realised but tears were tumbling out of her eyes. She sideswiped them with her sleeve and glanced around to make sure nobody had seen her. It was then she saw that others around her were also weeping. What was it about this creature? It seemed hotwired to their emotions. Or maybe it was because it reminded Tanya of herself. Always struggling and in the wrong place at the wrong time.

  As she looked back, the whale seemed to be having spasms and its whole body shuddered and shimmied. It didn’t have enough water to swim in. It was the most tragic sight Tanya had ever seen. It was fighting for its life.

  “We should go back in and help,” Tanya said to the boy who had been in front of her on the rope.

  “I don’t think that would be a good idea, we’d probably get in the way. Anyway, that whale knows what he’s got to do. He’s getting closer every second.”

  He was right. Little by little, the whale shifted his great mass deeper into the water. Great bow waves were being sent in every direction and there were gasps from the crowd every time that mighty tail thumped the water.

  Suddenly the people on the ropes stopped pulling and started moving to the side of the whale. They were still holding onto the ropes, and then it became clear. They were trying to get the sling off the whale. That must be a good sign. The whale was thrashing harder now. Maybe it could sense that escape wasn’t far away. Water spilled over its back as it got into deeper water.

  This is the crucial bit,” said the boy. “If he gets stuck now, the tide will cover his blowhole and he could drown.”

  The idea of a whale drowning seemed mad to Tanya. She bit down hard on her nails, not caring that they were encrusted with river mud.

  Finally, the team in the water managed to unwrap the slings from around the whale and drag them out from under him. Surely that must mean he was afloat now. Still his body convulsed like he was being electrocuted.

  Greg waded over to a boat that was moored nearby. It was the same boat she’d seen him in when she’d first spotted the whale. For a moment she thought he was going to try and nudge the whale back out into the river. Instead he took it a few metres upstream where several other boats waited in the centre of the river.

  “What’s Greg doing?” Tanya asked.

  “That’s a good sign,” said the boy. “The whale must be nearly there.”

  “How come?”

  “Once the whale is deep enough to swim, they need to make sure he swims the right way – downstream. Those boats are going to block his path so he swims towards the sea.”

  “Couldn’t he just knock them out of the way?”

  “Oh yes, but they have very sensitive hearing. The sound of the boats’ motors should be enough to make him go the other way.”

  “How come you know about all this whale stuff?” Tanya asked.

  “I’m studying them,” the boy replied, “one day I hope to work with them.”

  The whale was making good progress and the boats started their engines. They fanned across the width of the river and edged towards the whale.

  “Look, he’s swimming. He’s swimming,” Tanya shouted, bouncing up and down. The black shape of the whale was almost fully submerged and heading out into the centre of the river. As the boats came towards him, he suddenly changed course and swam downstream. A moment later he slipped under the water and was gone.

  “Where’d he go, Where’d he go?” Tanya climbed higher up the ramp to get a better view.

  “He must have gone to the bottom,” said the boy joining her, “I guess he feels safer there. He’s probably moving in the right direction. We just can’t see him.”

  She could feel those odd emotions again, pushing their way up her body and engulfing her mind. She knew she should be happy that the whale was going home and leaving this awful place, but she couldn’t help feeling sorry for herself. She would never see him again.

  “Cheer up,” said the boy.

  “P
iss off,” said Tanya. She didn’t mean to be horrible to him. He seemed like a nice guy but she couldn’t help herself.

  “Sorry,” he said. “But we should be happy, we did a good job.” He held his hand up to high-five her. Tanya ignored it and retreated further up the ramp. Maybe if she was higher she might catch one last glimpse of him; but nothing stirred in the river. She watched the last of the boats go past. They were following the whale to stop him from turning around. Then she sat down on the edge of the ramp with her feet dangling over the edge.

  She guessed that the boats would follow the whale right to the estuary, to make sure he got back out to sea. Tanya wanted to be on one of the boats too, just so she could see him again. Of course there was no guarantee of that. The poor creature was probably terrified and wouldn’t stick his head above water until it had gotten out of this filthy city with its polluted water and ugly buildings. But at least if she was in a boat she would be near him, helping him get back home.

  Tanya started crying again. The tears came thick and fast this time. She wanted to go with him, to jump in that river and dive under the surface and swim alongside him, like she’d seen in her book. There were pictures of people diving next to humpbacks. The whales didn’t mind and even let the divers stroke them and take rides on their fins. Tanya’s sobs were too loud for someone not to notice.

  “Are you okay, love?” asked one of the volunteers as he came up the ramp.

  “I’m fine.” Tanya’s words were mixed with snot and tears.

  The man put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. “You know it’s not uncommon for people who have encounters with whales to feel emotional.”

  “Leave me alone.” Tanya wasn’t in the mood to be counselled or comforted. It felt like she was talking to a social worker or something. She didn’t want anyone telling her how she was feeling – she already knew that. Why did people always state the obvious?