by Carol Rivers
It was so dark and dreary here that even the sun seemed to prefer shining in the busier streets. One or two unsavoury characters passed them as they walked along. Babs stopped and pulled on Kay’s arm.
‘Even Dolly wouldn’t live in a place like this.’
‘It was where Dave said he saw her go.’
‘Yes,’ agreed Babs, ‘but this ain’t Dolly’s style.’
‘Let’s look at that terrace of houses,’ Kay suggested. ‘There’s a curtain in one window. Well, what’s left of it.’
They approached the block of three terraced cottages. Two of the three doors were boarded up. The windows were also shut-off, a measure that must have been taken long ago, as the boards over the windows were as black and grimy as the crumbling red-brick and mortar.
Kay craned her neck upwards. There was no roof to be seen on the third house. It only seemed to be standing by the grace of the building beside it – a warehouse of some kind, whose large wooden doors were bolted and barred.
‘Could there be someone living in there?’ Kay pointed to the window with the ragged lace curtain. They walked closer, going as near as they dared. The broken pane of glass let out a strong smell of urine. Kay and Babs stepped quickly away.
‘Lord almighty,’ gasped Babs, covering her nose with her hand. ‘It stinks to high heaven.’
Kay nodded, just managing not to gag. ‘I’m going to knock at the door.’
‘Don’t,’ begged Babs, clutching her arm. ‘Nothing . . . nothing human can come out of there.’
‘I’ve got to try.’
Kay walked cautiously up to the door and knocked. Seeing no movement at the window, she knocked again, calling out, ‘Dolly! Dolly! It’s me, Kay. I’ve got your money.’
Babs hurried beside her. ‘What did you say that for?’
‘If Dolly’s in there, she’d come out at the mention of money.’
They waited. Kay thought she heard something, but then decided it could be a rat. She’d seen one or two scampering across the road. Then there was a creak and a shuffling noise.
Babs clutched her arm as they waited. Kay felt her knees knock as the door slowly opened.
‘Whatdywant?’ The hiss came from inside the dark hovel. Kay and Babs stepped back again. ‘I . . . I’m looking for Dolly, Dolly Lewis,’ Kay spluttered.
‘Yer out of luck. She ain’t here.’ The woman’s face was old and haggard. Too old for Kay to put an age to. A long nose and shifty eyes took in their presence and a filthy, bony hand came round the rotten wood of the door. ‘Anythin’ else yer want to know, yer’ll ’ave ter pay for.’ The hand opened to reveal a dirty palm, encrusted with what looked like oil and grease. The smell was so overpowering that Kay tried to hold her breath. Forcing down her heaving stomach, she took a shilling from her bag. It wasn’t much, but it was all she had. Slowly she stepped forward and placed the money on the woman’s palm. It disappeared in a second.
‘Don’t! Don’t shut the door!’ Kay stuck her foot in the gap. The smell made her eyes water. ‘Have you a boy in there, a young boy of about six? His name is Sean.’
‘Get away or I’ll ’ave the dogs on yer!’
‘And I’ll come back with the bobbies,’ replied Kay in desperation. ‘Just tell me if he’s there.’
‘Course he ain’t, yer silly moo,’ came the reply. ‘A kid can’t pay me the rent. Nor would that mean sod wot gave an eye to ’im. I booted ’em both out.’
‘Where did they go?’
‘How should I know?’ spat the woman. ‘Now bugger off.’ She pressed the door hard against Kay’s foot. Kay yelped with pain and fell back. The door slammed.
Babs put her arm around Kay. ‘The old witch. Did she hurt you?’
‘No, but what if she’s lying and Sean’s in there?’ Kay bent and rubbed her foot.
‘Why would she lie?’
‘To get rid of us.’
‘Dolly can’t be there. Sean was her way of getting her money.’
Kay nodded. ‘I think Dolly died that night.’ Kay looked up at the building. She turned to Babs. ‘I’m going to get help.’
‘Who?’ Babs asked in surprise.
‘Jean Pearson.’
Babs looked around and shuddered. ‘Can’t see Jean coming to a dump like this.’
‘She will if I ask her.’
Babs looked at Kay and grinned. ‘We’d better get going then.’
As they hurried out of the slum Kay glanced behind her. Was Sean inside that terrible place? Or were they too late?
Alfie burst in the back door, Tim beside him, their faces so filthy the rims of their eyes stood out in gleaming white circles. Vi took in a sharp breath. Neither boys wore their shirts. As for sandals, they were barefoot, pushing out their dirty chests and beating them as they ran in the kitchen.
Vi looked at Lil, who was seated on one of the kitchen chairs drinking her tea. Lil’s tea splashed into the saucer. ‘Alfie, is that you?’ demanded Lil. ‘Where have you been?’
‘’ello, Gran.’ Alfie smiled widely. His teeth shone white under the dirt.
‘Young man,’ said Bob, getting up from his chair, ‘what do you think you’re playing at?’
‘We live in the zoo,’ said Alfie, proudly beating his chest again. ‘Me an’ Tim are monkeys.’
‘You look like ones an’ all,’ laughed Bob. ‘But you can’t bring all that dirt in your mother’s kitchen.’
‘Me mum won’t mind.’
Tim nodded. ‘We can sound like monkeys too.’ They both beat their chests and howled.
Was it not for the fact that Lil was speechless, staring at the small heaps of dried mud falling on the floor as they yelled and began to prance around, Vi would have joined in their laughter. They were little monkeys indeed.
Lil’s head snapped round. ‘Has Alfie been running the streets?’
Vi was about to declare they hadn’t, but Alfie answered first.
‘We been in a ’ole the men dug.’
Lil clattered her cup in the saucer. ‘Have you been playing on bomb sites?’
‘We’re not allowed on them,’ Vi was relieved to hear them say.
‘Well, at least you’re not likely to get blown to bits,’ Lil said, scowling at Bob. ‘Bob, bring in the tin bath. We’ll soon have these two sorted out.’
‘But we’re playin’ a good game, Gran.’
‘You were, love, and it was nice while it lasted, but now you’ve got us to talk to. We’re only down for the day and half of it has gone already.’ Lil rolled up the sleeves of her cardigan. ‘Now, take off them dirty shorts, both of you.’ She marched them out into the yard, calling over her shoulder, ‘Start boiling some water, will you, Vi?’
Bob glanced at Vi. ‘Lil ain’t one for messes.’
‘It’s only a bit of fun,’ said Vi, rising to her feet. She felt giddy again and Bob reached out.
‘Leave this to me, darlin’. Go and have forty winks.’
Vi nodded. ‘Don’t mind if I do.’
He grinned. ‘We’ve got a nice surprise for Kay. A train ticket for her and the boy to come up to us in September. Should be nice weather then. And it will give her a break from the Smoke.’
Vi nodded. ‘Very nice an’ all. Well, I’ll leave you to it.’
Vi made her way upstairs and, after closing the door to the bedroom, hurried over to the window.
‘Hurry up, Kay,’ she whispered to the empty street. ‘There’ll be trouble in paradise if you don’t arrive home and explain to your mum that Alfie ain’t a street urchin.’
Sitting on the bus to Slater Street, Kay and Babs were discussing their visit to Jean Pearson. Hampered by the traffic from Bethnal Green to Poplar, they hadn’t arrived at the council offices until late that afternoon. Then they’d had to wait until Jean arrived back from business elsewhere.
‘Do you think Jean will go to Stock’s Lane as she promised?’ asked Babs reflectively.
‘She said she would put it to her superior.’
‘Don�
�t think she’d want to go there on her own.’
Kay frowned. ‘Nor would I if I was her.’
Babs sighed, pushing her damp hair away from her face. ‘Let’s hope this time, they’ll get their act together.’
By the time they arrived at Slater Street it was almost half past six. There were no children in the street and Vi’s chair, positioned by the front door, was empty.
‘Bit quiet round here,’ said Babs, frowning.
‘P’raps they’re in the Anderson,’ said Kay. ‘Let’s go round to the Cut and surprise them.’ But when Kay and Babs arrived in the lane and looked across the wall, both yards were empty.
‘Look, the boys cleared all them weeds,’ said Babs, delighted. ‘And all the dirt too.’
Kay smiled at the sight of the scraped-clean Anderson roofs. Just then the back door of Kay’s house opened and the two boys ran out. They were dressed in clean clothes with their hair parted on the side and shiny fresh faces to go with their smiles.
‘Gran’s been here,’ shouted Alfie as he ran towards them. ‘She says we’re goin’ to stay with her for an ’oliday. What’s an ’oliday?’
Kay caught Alfie as he clambered up the wall and jumped into her arms. She smelled Lifebuoy in big wafts as she hugged him against her. Then Gill ran out of the house, eager to see Babs.
‘Alfie’s gran washed the boys in the bath,’ she giggled. ‘Everyone saw their willies.’
Tim spun round and pushed his sister over. Soon the children were shouting and laughing, returning the yard to its normal mayhem. Above the racket, Vi appeared at the kitchen door, rolling her eyes heavenward.
Chapter Thirty-Six
‘Sorry, love,’ Vi apologized that evening, as she sat with Kay in the front room after Alfie was in bed. ‘I’m afraid your mum didn’t take kindly to the fact Alfie was playing in the street and in a bit of a state. I think you’re gonna get it in the ear when you see her next.’
‘It can’t be helped,’ Kay replied as she placed a mug of hot tea beside Vi. ‘Just the day I needed to be here and I wasn’t.’
‘At least you spoke to Jean Pearson about that dump.’
Kay nodded. ‘She tried to be helpful.’
‘When’s she going to this Stock’s Lane?’
‘She has to get permission first.’
‘Do you reckon they’ll find the lad?’
Kay had been convinced the old woman was hiding something or someone. ‘I can’t be sure,’ she admitted. ‘I can’t bear to think of him living in a slum like that. But at the same time, if the chips were down, I’d rather him be there, where they’ll find him, instead of disappearing again.’ Kay looked at Vi and smiled. ‘Thanks for what you did today, Vi.’
‘I didn’t do nothing.’
‘You didn’t land me in it with Mum.’
Vi laughed. ‘Alfie did that all by himself.’
‘Mum will have to take us as she finds us. Anyway, she might have forgotten all about it by the time we go to Berkshire.’
‘You’re going, then?’
‘It’s not on the top of me “to-do” list, but I can’t disappoint them again. Especially as they paid the fare. And anyway, Alfie was excited when I explained what a holiday was. He hasn’t had one before.’
‘Like your dad, I think a change of scenery will do you both good,’ Vi agreed.
‘We’ll have to be back for the fifteenth when Alfie starts school.’
‘September will be a busy month.’
Kay smiled ruefully. ‘Would you like to come with us? I know Mum would make you welcome.’
But Vi began to shake her head even before Kay had finished speaking. ‘No, flower, not me! As nice as the country sounds, I’d prefer to be here where I can wander down to the shops if I want. Or go to the market. Or just sit outside the front door and watch the world go by.’
‘I don’t like leaving you on your own.’
‘Babs is next door.’
‘Vi, if a letter from Alan arrives—’
‘I could post it on to you.’
‘Thanks.’
‘Leave it ter me.’
‘I hope I hear from Jean soon,’ Kay murmured, her thoughts on Sean. ‘Because if she doesn’t go to Stock’s Lane, then I’ll have to.’
‘But the old lady won’t let you in.’
‘She will if I give her some money.’ Kay was thinking of the Post Office account.
It was early in August when Jean appeared at the door again. Kay could tell by the look on her face that it was not good news.
‘We were too late,’ Jean told Kay regretfully as they went into the kitchen and sat down. ‘The place had been abandoned.’
Kay swallowed down her bitter disappointment. She had been telling herself that by some miracle, Sean would be found. Tears filled her eyes. She seemed destined never to find Sean, no matter how hard she tried.
‘I’m so sorry, Kay.’
‘You didn’t find anything – anything at all – to prove Sean had been there?’
‘Only this. Can you identify it?’ Jean took an envelope from her bag and drew out a scrap of dirty paper. Under the muck smeared over it there was a child’s drawing. Kay recognized the shape: a blue train carriage.
‘Yes,’ Kay gasped. ‘It’s the carriage from Alfie’s train set.’
‘Are you sure it’s Sean’s drawing?’
‘Without a doubt. He would have had his drawing book and crayons in his satchel.’
‘We didn’t find any of those.’
Kay fingered the piece of paper. ‘Can I keep this?’
‘If you like.’
Kay looked at the drawing. ‘So what happens now?’
‘We’ve given our findings to the police and asked them to list Sean as a missing person.’
‘Is that what Sean is – missing?’
‘His description will be circulated to all the constabularies.’
‘That’s something, I suppose.’
‘I did try to find out about Dolly,’ Jean said with a sigh, ‘but with no success.’
Kay nodded. ‘I guessed that might be the case.’
‘Don’t give up hope, Kay.’
Kay tried to smile, but after her friend had left, Kay went into the front room and took the train set from the wardrobe drawer. She placed the drawing beside it. Sean had memorized the blue train perfectly. He must have been scared and lonely when Dolly took him to that awful place. She hoped and prayed that he knew she would try to find him.
Kay held the carriage close, together with the scrap of paper. She wouldn’t lose hope, yet she knew it would be almost impossible to find Sean amidst the numbers of missing and displaced children that were a result of this terrible war.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
It was early September. Kay and Alfie arrived at Monkton Station to find Bob waiting on the platform to greet them. He shouldered his way through the crowds, eager to relieve her of her bags.
‘Good to see you at last,’ he said as he kissed them on their cheeks and ruffled Alfie’s neatly combed hair. ‘My word, son, you’ve scrubbed up well since last I saw you.’
Kay went red. ‘Sorry I wasn’t there that day, Dad.’
‘Couldn’t be helped. Now, Alfie, are you ready to have the time of your life?’ Bob grabbed Alfie’s hand and marched them through the people leaving the small station. Kay noticed the many different uniforms about, not just English, but American too.
‘We’ve got a lot of activity here,’ shouted Bob over his shoulder. ‘There’s an air force base a couple of miles away and Monkton is the closest shopping centre. So we get to see a lot of those chaps.’
Kay blushed when she received smiles from the handsome servicemen dressed in their sleek uniforms and tilted caps. Compared to the elegant women who accompanied some of them, she felt dowdy in her cheap and cheerful floral dress and market-bought sandals. Even her hair was untidy from the panic they’d had leaving early this morning in order to catch the bus. They’d made it to the sta
tion with only a few minutes to spare. She hadn’t been able to pile her hair on top of her head in attractive curls. Instead, her coppery locks were flying across her shoulders and over her forehead, straying into the long lashes that fringed her grey eyes. They passed other women too, all smiling and giving the eye to the troops. Some were from the Women’s Royal Air Force, others looked like Land Army girls in their shirts and trousers. The station was very busy for a small place like Monkton, and Kay said as much to her dad as they emerged into the sunshine outside.
‘You might have a surprise,’ continued Bob, ‘when you see how lively we country bumpkins can be. Now come on, here’s our coach. The council lays it on at midday for people who want to go straight to the town centre.’
Kay sat by the window on the coach and Alfie on his granddad’s knee. Like Hertfordshire, the farms, lanes, hundreds of trees, cows, cottages and tractors whizzed by. Kay wondered if Alfie remembered living in the country with Len and Doris. She always reminded him of his Uncle Len and Nanty in Hertfordshire; though it was years since he’d seen them, they were part of his family and she wanted him to know that. Studying his face, she was surprised to see his attention was on a young girl sitting on the opposite side of the coach. She was eating sweets from a brown paper bag and making them look very delicious.
‘Can I ’ave a big bag of sweets, Granddad?’ Alfie asked, unable to take his eyes off the sight of the sweets slowly being popped into the girl’s mouth. Kay noticed she was very well dressed with nice shoes, and her mother also looked very smart in a red two-piece suit and saucer-shaped hat to match.
‘We’ll see what we can sort out,’ said Bob, grinning and patting Alfie’s arm. ‘That’s Flora Cuthbert,’ whispered Bob to Kay. ‘She’s on the town council. Very well-to-do. Goes up to the city a lot and rubs shoulders with the top brass. Flora Junior goes to a posh boarding school. Must be the last of the wee mite’s holiday and she’s making the most of it. Your mum plays whist with Flora at the church hall.’
