A Billy or a Dan, or an Old Tin Can

by Paul Kelly

  He lay back in the sun and took his share of it’s beautifying rays and his body became more attractive by the moment, but he had only been at the Clarkston Site for a week before he had cross swords with the Foreman.

  “Hi there ... You wi’ the black hair. I’m talking to you. Can you hear me or are you bloody deaf?”

  Willie looked around for a few seconds, accidentally and on purpose, before he allowed the Foreman to realise that he knew whom he meant when he called for the bloke wi’ the black hair.

  “Do you want me?” he called out and the Foreman snorted.

  “Well, I’m not shouting for the good of my bloody ‘ealth, am I ... and don’t leave these bloody shovels lyin’ around.. Don’t you know the Safety Regulations?”

  Willie collected the shovels ... the bloody shovels and placed them against the bloody wall, which he was sure would please the bloody Foreman ... but it didn’t ...

  “Where the ‘ell ‘ave you come from, laddie? Have you worked on a Building Site afore?” he shouted, “You young lads know nothing about Building Site laws. I wish they’d bleedin’ train you afore they let you bloody loose on us.”

  The Foreman’s neck was redder than usual that morning and his face had a distinctive purple hew. He dabbed his forehead with the edge of his red and white striped neckerchief as he continued to bellow into the wind.

  “School days again,” muttered Willie under his breath to his work mate, as they cleaned the dried mud and red brick dust from the hods and the ‘Sergeant Major’ looked on with an eagle eye. “What’s his name?” Willie enquired as he shook the hods clear of the residue dust, but his companion only laughed.

  “What’s wrong? Why are you laughing? Don’t tell me his name is Pansy or Daisy it just couldn’t be,” he quizzed, but his fellow labourer fell about with more laughter, much to the confusion and annoyance of the Foreman.

  “Get them bloody shovels into that bloody shed and do it NOW,” the Foreman screamed his command and the young builders obeyed, closing the shed door behind them when they went in.

  “His name isn’t anything like Pansy or any other flower,” said Willie’s mate with a broad grin across his bronzed and rugged face. “It’s BANGS Charlie Bangs ... That’s what it is, mate.”

  “Does he now,” added Willie mischievously, “I hope he’s bloody good at it ...”

  The builders closed the shed and headed for the scaffolding near the end of the toilet section of the Site.

  “Don’t think I’m gonna get much sun bathin’ done here, Willie moaned and rubbed the back of his hand under his armpit as he spoke, just as Charlie Bangs began to shout again at the top of his voice.

  “I’ll have less of that mutterin’ here, if you please and a bit more of the bloody elbow grease. I’ll have you bloody layabouts mobilized afore long and I’ll get your young arses moving in step you see if I bloody don’t ... and you, Blair You can be hod carrier tomorrow. Bring a pad for your delicate bloody shoulders or yer Mammy will be up here complainin’”

  Charlie Bangs loved the authority of his position. He loved to play the heavy hand and was convinced that his promotion to Foreman was due to the merits of this act that he had perfected over the years, but how the hell he expected a young arse to move in step ... Willie couldn’t even hazard a guess ... Willie was sure he’d never know how to do it and he wasn’t particularly anxious to find out. Bangs would grunt and sniff and look fiercer than a bulldog in heat, despite his height of five foot, three and a half inches and his fourteen and a half stone in weight.

  Willie left the Site that evening, just as it was getting dark and he was beginning to understand what Charlie meant when he groaned about not getting enough sleep, when a certain younger brother wanted to talk through the evenings into the wee sma’ oors.

  Now that they each had a bed of their own, they didn’t have that problem, but Willie missed Charlie’s groaning. He missed his grunts and the other rude noises that Charlie could orchestrate in harmony in bed.

  ***

  Charlie held Rachael close as she sobbed over her grandmother’s death.

  “I would tell you not to cry, Love, but I think it’s best if you let it all out. Here, put your head on my shoulder.”

  He smoothed her silken hair and she snuggled up closer to him

  “I wish it was a long time from now Charlie. It hurts so much,” she sighed as she took the handkerchief he offered her and blew her nose.

  “I know, Sweetheart I know, but you can talk to me about how you feel. I’ll always be near you, whenever you need me. You know that.”

  “I need you every moment of every day, Charlie Blair and you know that.” she said softly and Charlie hugged her.

  “You certainly know how to get a guy excited, Rachael Harris did you know that ...?”

  Rachael did not move. She could feel Charlie’s desire for her but she could not resist kissing him as they stood together in the cool of the evening.

  “I love you Rachael. I want to love you to possess you to give myself to you entirely. You must know how I feel ... I get ... I get sore, thinkin’ about you.” It was the best word he could think to use “My body screams for you, from morning till night. I love to be near you.” He went on.

  “Hush Charlie Someone will hear you.”

  “Let them hear me ... Screw the world I JUST LOVE YOU, RACHAEL HARRIS,” he shouted and swung her round in the air.

  “Charlie ...Charlie.”

  He set her down again and took her face in his hands. It was cold and he pressed her hair back from her forehead as he kissed her hairline.

  “No two people could love like this, Rachael, could they?” he asked and his eyes were wide with excitement. “I mean, how could such happiness exist for two people as it does for us? I want it to last, my Darling. I want it to go on forever and yet, I am afraid afraid that I might lose you, somehow.”

  She put her finger to his lips and her eyes gave him the answer he required before he closed them with a kiss and caressed her face, giving it warmth in the cooling air. Suddenly he moved away from her and turned quickly to face the wall. His face was distorted for a moment in an ecstasy of pain before he relaxed with a deep sensual sigh.

  “What is it Charlie? What’s wrong Darling?”

  Charlie breathed deeply and swallowed hard with his eyes tightly closed.

  “It’s nothing, my Love Perhaps the cold air. We should be getting home now.”

  He walked Rachael to her home and kissed her as he left her on the doorstep.

  “Ring the bell and I’ll go when I see you safely indoors,” he said, “Goodnight my Darling.”

  “Goodnight Charlie ... Gorgeous boy.”

  ***

  “I could, Rachael Harris just lookin’ at you ...” Charlie called out as he left Rachael standing on her doorstep ... “Yes, I could ... you know ... You make me sore you do.” He called out loud into the crisp night air as he ran all the way home.

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Meggie’s letter arrived in answer to one that Aggie had written to her almost six weeks before.

  Dear Aggie and All at home,

  This is just a wee letter to let you know that I am still alive and kicking and I hope everyone is well. Aggie your letter arrived this morning ... Doesn’t it take a long time to get here. That must be nearly three weeks since you wrote it, but I was delighted to hear from you and to hear your news so graphically described. Thank you again, Aggie. I am delighted that you are now able to follow your vocation and enter the Carmelites, as you have so long wished to do. I used to hear you talking about becoming a Nun and I will admit now, I didn’t want you to do it then and I hoped you might change your mind. I realised that we might never see you again, once you took the step, but I hope we will be able to visit you from time to time. Everyone is going to miss you at ho
me. I have so many questions I want to ask you, but I guess its better that I wait and HOPE that they will let us see you sometimes. Will you take a new name?

  Charlie and Rachael will soon be getting married from the sound of things. Aren’t they a pair of love birds?

  Sadie’s news is good too. I don’t know Robert Wells, but he sounds nice and if he is good to Fiona, well that’s everything, isn’t it? I send all my fondest love to you and everyone at home, not forgetting of course, the handsome William Has he broken any hearts lately?

  George sends his love to you all, with this little letter. It’s all fits and starts but I’m trying to write in the Wireless Room and it’s difficult, with messages coming through all the time. I hope you understand. By the way and a big, by-the-way .George has asked me to marry him when we next come home on leave. Plenty of time, I know, but I’m terribly excited. I do love him.

  Will keep you posted, but have some heavy exams in Morse etc, at the moment.

  With my fondest love, always ... Meggie. X X X

  Sadie came into the living room as Mary was about to drop off to sleep on the large armchair by the fire and Fiona was tucked away comfortably on the settee, with two chairs propped against it to stop her falling off. Sadie lifted the baby quietly and hummed a little tune softly in her ear.

  Mary woke up with a start.

  “Hello, Love. I didn’t hear you coming in. Did you have a nice time? Would you like a cup of tea?”

  “Yes, Mammy, I’d love a cup of tea and I did have a very nice time. Thanks for looking after Fiona. I hope she wasn’t too much trouble.”

  “Not in the least, Sadie. That little one is never any trouble.”

  Sadie patted her baby as Mary went into the kitchen, taking her knitting bag with her. She looked into the little girl’s eyes sadly for she could see something there that no-one else ever did, before she called out to her mother in the kitchen.

  “Mammy”

  “Yes Darling. What is it?”

  Sadie lingered between the living room door and the kitchen and the baby started to cry ...

  “Mammy I may be leaving home soon,” she said with a finality that seemed to silence even the air around her, although her voice was hardly audible as she spoke, but Mary heard what she said and rubbed her eyes with her closed fists as she watched the steam rage from the kettle spout and pondered quietly on her daughter’s bolt from the blue

  “Where will you go, Love?

  Sadie continued to nurse Fiona until she stopped crying.

  “Robert wants me to go and live with him,” she said and puckered her lips to make a funny face and to amuse the child.

  Mary was unsure of the statement she had heard as the steam continued to rise to the ceiling and she could do nothing about it. It screamed its tormented venom into the air. Her hands were numb and her brain was fuddled. She paused discreetly before she asked her next question.

  “Are you going to get married then, Sadie?”

  “No Mammy ... well not yet ... I want to be sure of what I’m doing.”

  Tom had come into the room as she was speaking and greeted Mary as she came from the kitchen

  “Tom I was going to make a cup of tea, but I want to talk to Sadie. Would you mind doing it for me, Love?”

  Tom nodded and went into the kitchen.

  “Has Robert got a place of his own ... I mean ...”

  “He has a two-roomed flat. We will be O.K.”

  Mary looked sadly at Fiona and a nervous smile appeared across her face as she realized that nothing she could say or do would make her daughter change her mind. It was settled as far as Sadie was concerned and Mary knew that wild horses would not make her daughter think any differently.

  “I’m going to miss looking after this little lady, I can tell you,” she said as Tom came back with the tea tray. She took her glasses from the mantelpiece and returned them to their case, tapping the end as if to secure them in place.

  “I won’t have any tea, Tom but you and Sadie should have one. I have a bit of a headache coming on and I think I’ll go and lie down for a little while upstairs, if you don’t mind.”

  Tom looked worried as he poured the tea for Sadie.

  “Are you alright, Mary? Can I get you an aspirin?”

  “No ... no, I’ll be alright in a wee while, Tom.” She turned to Sadie as she spoke, “Can we talk more about this matter later, Darling, or tomorrow perhaps, eh?”

  Sadie dallied with the baby in her arms and Tom looked about him in confusion.

  “Mammy, I have thought this matter through entirely and my mind is made up, but of course, we can talk about it whenever you like. I hope your headache gets better soon.”

  She kissed Mary and watched her go upstairs.

  “Are you O.K. Sadie?” asked Tom as he knew that something was brewing and that it had upset Mary.

  “Yes. I’m fine Tom. Just wish me luck, will you?”

  Tom studied Sadie’s face carefully and wished there was more he could say to help, but he had only a rough guess of what was going on ...not that it was totally unexpected.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Willie received his letter from the Army to report for a medical examination at the Barracks in Dennistoun and he was allowed time off from the Site. He arrived at the barrack gates at the appointed time.

  “Hello there, Willie.”

  Willie turned to see Wattie standing beside him and behind him, in the queue was none other than James Blackwood the notorious ‘Blackie’ and ‘infamous’ leader of the ‘Billys’

  “What are you two doing here? Are you waiting for a medical too?” Willie asked and the boys confirmed that they were. They had all turned eighteen in the past few weeks.

  Wattie was called in first and seemed to be only in there a short time, when Blackie was asked to follow.

  “What did they say to you, Wattie? What questions did they ask?” Willie was apprehensive and a little nervous as he asked his questions of his friend.

  “No’ much ... No’ much at awe ... He just grunted and got the wee nurse to weigh me.”

  “Was that all?”

  “Well yes, except that he put a tube of some kind all over my chest and felt my balls.”

  Willie looked pale. He could feel his throat going dry.

  “Was she ... the nurse ... was she there all the time, Wattie?”

  Wattie looked quite unperturbed.

  “Yes, Willie,” he answered with a look of angelic innocence. After all, she wasn’t a woman ...She was a nurse...

  “Wattie I mean, even when he you know ...

  “Know what Willie?”

  Willie’s face was strained and his face took on a scarlet hue.

  “Oh never mind ...You’re having me on, Wattie aren’t you?”

  “No I’m not Willie. Honest to God that’s what happened.”

  At that moment, Blackie re-appeared.

  “Gawd ... his bloody hands were cold,” he said and screwed up his face in disgust. Willie felt faint hearted and wanted to get out of the room as soon as he could, but before he could make another move he heard the voice calling him.

  “Next please ...” and he could see the nurse staring at him.

  She looks pretty enough, he thought ... wonder if she has cold hands too

  “Have you ever had rheumatic fever when you were a child, Mr. Blair?”

  The medical officer was examining Willie’s chest when he asked his question and Willie thought for a moment as the pretty nurse smiled at him. He wanted to put his shirt back on, but it lay across a chair behind her desk and he couldn’t reach it.

  “No Sir ... Not that I know of,” he answered.

  “Right ...”

  Willie was about to reach across the nurse’s
desk to retrieve his shirt, when the doctor spoke to him again.

  “Just drop your trousers, please Mr. Blair.”

  He stared at the nurse and she was still smiling ... He coughed and she moved behind the chair, disturbing his shirt which fell to the floor, but as she bent to pick it up, Willie grabbed the opportunity to drop his pants and stood with his bits and pieces cupped in his hands ... All cleverly done and very quickly too, before she could raise her head again ....

  ***

  Wattie and Blackie were waiting for him when he came out again and he was arranging his shirt into his trousers, with a massive scowl on his face.

  “Her hands were quite warm actually,” he said and walked past his friends, but they caught up with him and ragged him mercilessly all the way home, where they talked of joining the navy in the very near future.

  “It takes about six weeks before they tell you anything,” said Blackie, whose older brother had already been through the experience of being recruited, but he went into the Royal Air Force ...

  “Wouldn’t it be great if we all get on the same ship,” added Wattie and it suddenly came home to them as they walked along in harmony that the Billys and the Dans had formed a truce ....

  Willie arrived home and Mary was excited to hear his news.

  “How did you get on? Did they tell you which Unit you will be sent to?” she enquired, but she didn’t fully understand the system of recruitment in the armed forces.

  “It takes a while before they let you know, Mammy. I think about six weeks ... Mammy, have I ever had rheumatic fever when I was wee, I mean?”

  “Why? What makes you ask me that, Willie?”

  “Well, the doctor asked me if I ever had it and I said I didn’t but I wasn’t sure.”