New York Storm

by Rachel Wesson

  “Do you mean tomorrow night?” Sadie asked.

  “No, the week after. Father Devine said he needed to be sure there would be enough people there to support his new cause.”

  “What cause?” Lizzie asked.

  “I have no idea, but he’s invited lots of people. Might be some new lads to dance with. I’m tired of meeting the same faces at mass,” Sharon pouted.

  Lizzie and Sadie burst out laughing causing the girl to throw her eyes up to heaven. “Well you didn’t think I was going just to hear Father Devine’s sermons did ye?”

  “I want to go but I have to catch da in a good mood. He’ll probably say I have to go with Stan,” Sadie replied.

  “Your brother Stan is a good looking lad. Is he walking out with anyone?”

  Sadie stared at Sharon in shock. How could anyone think Stan was good looking?

  “No, he isn’t. Why, are you interested?” Lizzie answered.

  Sadie sent her a look of thanks. She wasn’t getting involved in Stan’s love life. The less she had to do with her brother the better. Only this morning he had taken her lunch again and threatened her if she didn’t meet him at six to hand over her wages. He said Ma told him to but Sadie didn’t believe that. It didn’t matter. Her wages were gone. If she were lucky she’d get the bonus Mrs. Reynolds had promised at the start of the week.

  “Maybe. It depends on what other lads turn up. Jamie Headford is cute but your brother is hands down the best looking lad for miles. Is he going?” Sharon asked, looking at Lizzie.

  Sadie’s heart was in her mouth. She stared at the girl. She had a lovely figure with nice hair and big brown eyes. She seemed very confident she could land any lad she wanted. Maybe she was Tommy’s type. Sadie couldn’t say anything, but she wanted to scream that Tommy Carpenter was her man.

  “My brother? You need to set your sights on someone else. His heart is well and truly taken,” Lizzie replied firmly.

  “Oh really? That sounds like a challenge. I have yet to meet a man who can say no to me.” The girl gave them a knowing look and then walked away. Sadie stared after her glumly.

  “Ignore her, Sadie. She’s all mouth, as my ma would say. Tommy is only interested in you, you know that.” Lizzie’s voice sounded sincere but then she was her friend so she wasn’t likely to hurt her feelings.

  “Why?” Sadie hated sounding so doubtful but she couldn’t understand what a gorgeous, kind man like Tommy would want with someone with her family’s reputation.

  “Why not? You’re pretty on the outside and beautiful on the inside.” Lizzie gave her a look suggesting she thought she being silly. “Let’s get back to work and see if we can get Mrs. Reynolds to give us our bonuses.”

  Sadie trailed after Lizzie back to their machines. Suddenly the bonus didn’t seem so attractive. She’d heard what Lizzie had said but she was her friend and wouldn’t hurt her feelings. The reality was Sharon was everything a man could want and, with her curves, she may very well turn Tommy’s head.

  Finally the whistle for the end of shift rang out. Everyone stopped working and trudged out of the factory gates. Tommy held back, waiting for his sister and Sadie.

  “Are you going to the pub tonight Jamie?”

  “No. Da took Paul over to Brooklyn so me ma is on her own. I told her I’d bring home some fried fish for a treat.”

  “Lucky Paul, your uncle Michael is good craic,” Tommy said.

  “Paul is going to stay him for a few days. Me ma is worried he’s getting himself in with bad company,” Jamie confided.

  Tommy didn’t comment. It was none of his business, although he had noticed Paul Headford talking with Ned Duffy more than once.

  “Are you waiting for the girls?” Jamie asked.

  “Yes, Lizzie asked me to. Seems Stan is trying to get friendly,” Tommy said.

  “With Lizzie? I won’t stand for that,” Jamie replied looking around him.

  Tommy hid his smile. His friend was mad about Lizzie but he was too scared to tell her to her face. If the little hints he kept dropping made Jamie act faster, there was no harm in it was there?

  “You need to tell her how you feel, Jamie lad.”

  “I will. I’m just waiting for the right time.” Jamie shifted from one foot to the other. “I best get on.”

  “See you Sunday at Mass,” Tommy said as Jamie was lucky to have tomorrow off work.

  Jamie waved as he walked away leaving Tommy to wait for the girls. Finally they arrived, but the look on Sadie’s face suggested there was something wrong. He didn’t get a chance to ask her as Lizzie kept chatting about this and that the entire way home.

  That night at home, Tommy finally got Lizzie on her own. “What was up with Sadie this afternoon? She looked upset.”

  “Sharon was teasing her,” Lizzie said.

  “Who?” he asked.

  “Come on Tommy, you have to know who Sharon is. New girl? She’s got all the lads after her.”

  Tommy shook his head, he couldn’t remember any Sharon.

  “What’s that got to do with Sadie?” he asked.

  “Sharon told Sadie she’d have you eating out of her hand at the social next Saturday. Sadie got jealous I suppose.”

  Tommy was so pleased he could have burst, but then he realized Sadie must have been feeling bad if a stranger could make her jealous.

  “Did you tell Sadie she had nothing to worry about?” he asked.

  “’Course I did, but I don’t think she believed me. You haven’t really given her any reason to think otherwise have you? You haven’t even spoken to her da about courting her.”

  Tommy stared at his younger sister. He thought the whole world knew how he felt about Sadie. He needed to do something, starting with talking to Sadie. He didn’t know if she was in work the next day, but he would at least see her at Mass on Sunday.

  Chapter 12

  Sunday morning, Jamie arrived at church shivering. He spotted Tommy Carpenter hanging around at the door.

  “Are you not cold?” he asked his friend. Stupid question really, given the weather.

  “I was just waiting to see someone,” Tommy said.

  “Her name wouldn’t be O’Riordan would it?” Jamie said teasingly. Tommy gave him a look that told him to shut up. Before he could respond his father came outside.

  “Come on lads, you best get inside. Father Donnolly isn’t in a good mood.”

  “Just coming Mr. Headford,” Tommy replied.

  “When is he ever, Da?” Jamie asked his father, but followed Tommy quickly into the church. He didn’t want another lecture from Father Donnolly, the younger priest was nearly worse than Father Devine.

  He followed his da to his seat and sat beside him. He had struck gold with his parents, especially when he compared them to those of his friends. Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter were all right, they just had more children than they could afford. The O’Riordans were another story altogether. Mrs. O’Riordan was an invalid, her injuries caused by her husband if the story going around was true. Whatever had caused her illness, poor young Sadie took the brunt of it. She wasn’t at church this morning. Lizzie was sitting with his cousin Nora.

  The priest caught his attention. Oh he was a horrible man altogether. The poor girl. He listened as Father Donnolly denounced Catherine Donovan from the altar. The girl’s only crime was to marry a protestant. She was living in sin in the eyes of the church, as her man hadn’t converted. Seriously, in a world where people were being murdered, dying of starvation and other horrible things, was picking on one girl who had fallen in love with someone different really the best use of the priest’s time? He exchanged a look with Nora, who was obviously furious.

  But then she had reason to be. His ma had said something yesterday about Aunty Ruth being worried that Nora may have had her head turned by a non-Catholic. Jamie didn’t envy his cousin if that rumor was true but she would find a way to make it work. Nothing stopped Nora Doherty when she had a mind to do something. It was one of the reasons he admire
d her so much.

  His thoughts shifted to the girl sitting to Nora’s left. Lizzie Carpenter hadn’t even glanced in his direction all week. He had tried a couple of times to speak to her but nothing came of it. Should he wait outside church and offer to walk her home?

  His ma and da were expecting him home for dinner. Paul was still over in Brooklyn most likely having the time of his life. Jamie looked out the window, the rain from this morning was still falling and it looked like it would get heavier. It was an afternoon for staying indoors around the fire. Lizzie would be in a hurry home too. He decided to speak to her at work the next day and ask her to the social on Saturday. Feeling happier, he tried to listen to Father Donnelly’s mass.

  Lizzie and her brother Tommy walked home as quickly as they could.

  “That rain is getting down the back of me neck. We should have stayed at home,” Lizzie said grumbling. “Looks like Sadie had the right idea.”

  “Can’t imagine that sitting too well with Father Donnelly can you? Did you hear him talking about Catherine Donovan like that?” Tommy said.

  “We live in a funny world, don’t we? What harm is she doing if she marries a good man?”

  Tommy agreed with his sister. “Can’t imagine ma and da feeling too kindly to you if you brought home someone who wasn’t a catholic like us, though.”

  “Can’t imagine da accepting anyone I brought home can you?” she asked.

  Tommy didn’t argue with that. Their father was protective, no doubt about that.

  “Oh Tommy, would you look at them. They must have nowhere else to go,” Lizzie said, pointing to a group of street boys standing over one of the restaurant grates obviously trying to get warm.

  Tommy reached into his pocket and threw them a few coins. “Use it for food mind you.”

  “Thanks mister.”

  Lizzie tucked her arm into her brother’s “You’re such a nice man, Tommy Carpenter. Even if you are my big brother.”

  Tommy felt his face warm up as his sister dragged him home. There was ice in the wind now and he blamed that for the redness in his cheeks.

  Chapter 13

  Sadie shivered in her bed as the wind howled outside. The snow was falling hard now. Her da and brothers hadn’t come home yet despite it being Sunday. There was always an illegal boozer open somewhere if you knew where to find it. She’d left their dinner beside the fire but at this rate it would be bone dry. Still, it was their problem if they preferred staying in the boozer rather than coming home for dinner.

  Her ma had fretted all evening as the weather worsened and the temperature dropped. Sadie wished she had more coal to build up a higher fire, but she did the best with what she had. She stripped some blankets from her brother’s beds to put them around her ma. Hopefully her brothers would be so full of the drink, they wouldn’t notice. She only had the one blanket on her bed near the cooker and she knew her ma wouldn’t take that from her. She was under that blanket now, fully dressed and still freezing. She was almost looking forward to going to work in the morning. At least the factory was dry and warm. At work there were no buckets in the corners of the room to collect rainwater leaking from the roof. Being at the top of the tenements was the worst place to be as the rain came through the roof. She had asked her da again and again to repair the holes but he complained he was too busy. Doing what, she didn’t know.

  She lay on the bed, her mind going as it always did to Tommy Carpenter. He was so special. So tall and strong and loyal. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for his sister Lizzie. Could she really believe that a man like that would be interested in her? Yet it seemed as if he was, he had walked her home, kissed her forehead and told her he liked her. Her ma said men were only interested in one thing and once they got it, they lost interest in you. But Tommy wasn’t like that. He hadn’t done anything to make her feel uncomfortable. If anything, he was too much of a gentleman. She wondered what it would be like if he were to really kiss her?

  If she closed her eyes, she could still feel the fleeting press of his lips on her forehead. What if he had kissed her lips? Did your toes actually curl when someone kissed you? She wouldn’t know. Nobody had ever noticed her in that way before. Stan told her they never would, as she was ugly as sin. But maybe, just this once, Stan was wrong. She could feel her eyes getting heavier. She hoped the boys didn’t wake her up when they came but she knew they would. They would insist on her dishing up their dinner. She’d be lucky to get away without a kick or punch tonight once they saw the state of the stew. Good job she had hidden some bread earlier. At least she might be able to keep them happy with some toast and dripping. Her head fell forward as sleep overcame her.

  The door banged but she wasn’t up fast enough. The toe of Stan’s boot caught her on the ankle. Limping slightly, she rushed to the cooker to put the dinner on the plates.

  “What do you call this muck?”

  “Sorry da but you were gone so long, I…”

  “Shut up girl. You’re useless. Can’t eat this.”

  Sadie ducked as the plate went flying in her direction. She rushed to toast some bread. Without saying anything she put a plate of the toast and some dripping in front of her da. He caught her hand. She shut her eyes, willing him not to hurt her. She wouldn’t be able to sew properly if he injured her wrist.

  “You’re a good lass really, you know.”

  She didn’t know how to answer. Was it a test? She just kept quiet, waiting.

  “Get us some tea girl, me throat is parched.”

  “Yes Da,” she replied as he released the hold on her wrist. She hadn’t seen her brothers go into their room.

  “What did you do with our blankets, you thieving little tyke?”

  Sadie ducked Stan’s fist and ran behind her da hoping he would provide some protection. “I gave them to ma. She was cold and she started coughing. I didn’t want her to get sicker.”

  “I’ll kill ya. You shouldn’t be anywhere near our room,” Stan yelled making a move toward her.

  Sadie stood her ground. Who’d he think did all the cleaning in his bedroom? Did he think it was some sort of magic fairy who made his bed and picked up his dirty clothes from the floor?

  “Be quiet lad. The girl did her best for her ma. Leave her alone.”

  Stan glared at his father. Sadie didn’t know who was more shocked her da had stood up for her and prevented Stan from hurting her. She quietly filled up her da’s cup.

  “Night da,” she whispered as she crept into her bed beside the fire. She could feel Stan glowering at her but she knew even he wasn’t brave enough to touch her, not with da sitting at the table. So long as da didn’t move, she was protected. She prayed he would fall asleep at the table and sure enough, soon his loud snores filled the room. Stan had left, presumably to go to bed. She was likely to feel the back of his hand tomorrow, but for now she was safe. She fell asleep dreaming of a tall, black haired lad with a beautiful smile.

  Chapter 14

  Monday Morning, 1:30 a.m.

  “Jimmy do you have to go?”

  “Nancy Headford, what sort of question is that to be asking me? I can’t let me customers down. There’s many who would love to take this milk round.”

  “Be careful, love.”

  “I always am.” Jimmy kissed his wife as she snuggled back under the covers. She used to get up to fix him a cup of tea before he went out. But he’d insisted she needed her rest. Half past one in the morning was no time for anyone to be crawling out of bed and she had Jamie to see to. He hoped his brother-in-law was sensible enough to insist Paul stayed indoors in weather like this.

  Closing the door of the room, Jimmy held his breath as he sidestepped the rubbish left in the shared hallway. If he got his hands on Stevens, he’d murder him. Why couldn’t the dirty little so and so go to the outhouse like the rest of the people living here? Jimmy might not have much, but he and Nancy tried to bring up their children properly.

  Ah well, there was no point in thinking about his
neighbors. Unlike them, he had a job to get to. The milk train wasn’t going to wait for anyone, least of all Jimmy Headford. He pulled the old sack over his head as he headed outside. The wind was vicious, biting into every exposed bit of flesh it could find, but the snow hitting his head was hard. This was some storm, not the usual ones they dealt with. For a few seconds, Jimmy wondered if Father Devine had been right. Had the Lord sent the storm to punish the sinners? Ah go way out of that you soft lad, Jimmy murmured to himself as he hitched up his horse and wagon. What type of God would do that to honest folk like himself? The priest may believe what he liked, but as far as Jimmy was concerned, God was there to protect them. Sure, hadn’t He brought the Headfords out of famine stricken Ireland safely to New York? The city might be busy, noisy, dirty, and overcrowded, but it was home. He had a lovely wife, good children, and a job. He was a lucky man.

  He spoke to Hercules, his horse, chuckling at the name his younger son, Paul, had insisted on after hearing about the Greek hero. “Come on, Hercules, we have a job on our hands today.”

  The horse snickered as if in agreement as the two headed off into the storm to meet the milk train. Usually there were quite a few milkmen driving their wagons, but this morning there were noticeably fewer.

  “That’s some weather ain’t it, Jimmy? Never seen anything like it in all my days. I knew those weathermen got it wrong, my leg was killing me all weekend,” Whitey moaned.

  Jimmy only half listened, his attention caught by the storm. Charlie White—or Whitey as he was known—had been a milkman for longer than anyone could remember. He’d almost lost his leg when his wagon had overturned some years ago. Since then, he reckoned it ached badly when there was rain on the way. Whitey insisted his leg was a better indicator of bad weather than the people over at the weather station on the Equitable Building. Jimmy liked Whitey, he worked hard and never missed a day despite his injury. He also believed, like Jimmy, their customers deserved the best milk. Too many milkmen kept their milk in dirty containers, adding chalk or ammonia to hide the smell. People died from drinking the so-called swill.