THE DEPRIVED... Chapter 2...Part 11.

A continuation of my book.

“What has happened?” cried Beth as Mary almost fell into the room.
Quickly, Beth rushed to her mother’s side and helped her to the bed.
“What has happened?” Beth cried again.
Mary sat on the bed and winced as Beth put her arms around her.
“Get some water Beth and help me get this dress off.”
Mary stood up and began to lift the dress up over her head as she cried out with the pain. Beth had poured out some water into a pan and now hurried over to help take the dress off, stumbling back with a gasp as she saw her mother’s back which was black and blue, swelling with the bruises and marks the belts had made.
“Who did this?” cried Beth, bursting into tears.
“Just dab some cold water on my back with a cloth, Beth.” begged Mary, not answering Beth’s question and wincing as Beth patted gently at the bruises.
“Those w****s! That’s who did this!” shouted Sam.
Beth had seen Sam leave the room earlier that evening, supposing that he was visiting the Cesspit but with her concern over her mother’s state had not seen him ghost his way up the stairs after his mother’s return.
He walked to the window and turned, his dark eyes blazing with spite.
“Shut up, Sam!” cried Beth. “Don’t speak like that!”
Sam turned back to the window, ripping aside the curtain to stare out into the early light. One day he thought, those Night-Girls would all pay for this.
Beth got her mother into bed, sitting with her as Mary whimpered in pain with each movement. Beth nursed her over the next two weeks, sharing her pain and crying with her until Mary gradually managed to get up and walk about with just the slightest twinges to remind her of the punishment.

 

Eli Dolsman had a nose for others who came upon unfortunate times and this nose was more keenly twitched when Mary had not knocked promptly on his door with the rent as in previous weeks. With such an intuitive sense, he knocked loudly on the door to Mary’s room.
“What about my rent?” he demanded, holding out his hand.
Mary came to the door.
“Can you just give me a bit of time?” she pleaded.
“A bit of time? A bit of time? You ask me for a bit of time last week and I, from the goodness of a kind heart,  allowed it and now I want my rent or you have to leave. It’s up to you.”
“Just a day or two.” begged Mary, the pain in her chest causing her to wheeze.
“It sounds like you are somewhat consumptive and not fit to work. That is not going to pay my rent!” stated Eli Dolsman.
Saying that plus understanding he would be wasting time with his demand he stumped back down the stairs only to stop halfway down to turn back and threaten loudly that he would be taking the family to a court of law for payment owed.
“And then I’ll take whatever is left!” he finished, having reached the ground floor.
“What are we going to do?” asked Beth when Mary had shut the door.
“I will go out and get some money. Don’t worry, Beth. There are other places where I can find work. I’ll go tonight.” replied Mary as she hugged Beth tightly.
“Let me come with you.” said Sam.
“No, Sam. You can’t come with me.” answered Mary.
“I can protect you!” cried Sam.
Mary stared at her son, seeing the slender form which was not yet fully grown and noting the fierce flames which burned in his dark eyes. He held the knife in his hand and raised it.
“I will kill them if they touch you again!”
There was something in the way he stood, the way he spoke which frightened Mary but she said nothing to him.
Turning to Beth she spoke quietly.
“I’ll go back to work tonight."

 

The night air was freezing and Mary pulled up her shawl round her shoulders. The cough had got worse now, sending pains to her chest whenever she began to cough, bringing up more phlegm and with it specks of bright red blood. She coughed now as she made her way up towards Commercial Road and through the streets where the lamps of taverns lit up the gloom. It seemed that the publicans had heard about Mary and her stealing so that wherever she went for work she was turned away.
“Why don’t you go down by the Docks!” she was told by the Night-Girls icily. “That’s the only place you might get some poor sailor to take you on, what with your coughing and consumption. At least you might earn a copper or two. Don’t come back here again or you’ll get another whipping. Go on, be off with you!”

Reviews

[J.D. Hawes]

Hey Ron. I really like the simplicity with which you craft your words. There is no pretense and no added fluff. And I really appreciate that as a reader. I am looking forward to the next chapter and really going back over the previous chapters in more depth. There was one spot where I stumbled just a bit over some wording, but honestly I've never read a single story where that wasn't the case. It's just a stylistic difference! If you wanted to know what I'm talking about, it's the line "'...go down by the Docks!' she was told by the Night-Girls icily..." The tense was a bit awkward for me (she was told...icily). But again, this is your story and your style and I absolutely love it. Looking forward to reading more!

[ron s king]

Good morning J. D. Thank you so much for reading my work and happy you found the read enjoyable. This is quite a long story and, of course, better read in its entirety. Indeed, I shall look at your critique on the wording 'Icily'. It might have sounded better as...'In a cold way'.
I shall return the favour and look to your story.
Again, my thanks to you...Ron.

[mags]

Hello Ron, I have been following your story from the beginning and find it a fascinating and interesting piece of historical fiction.
I can just imagine the hardship and deprivation that people went through in the 1850's.
Brilliant. Margaret

[ron s king]

Hallo Margaret... Thank you so much for your review and comments on the story. I am now realizing that some readers think that each part is a short story. Of interest is that I was raised in a small two-up, two-down in Whitechapel, two doors down from where Jack the Ripper committed his first murder (In Bucks Row).... Ron.