THE DEPRIVED... Chapter 2...Part 17

A continuation of my book.

Both children ate hungrily with Sam wiping his fingers around the inside of the mug and sucking on them. Handing the empty mug to his mother, Sam lay down with his face to the wall. Mary lay the mug on the floor and began to cough, turning her wracked body away from the children. Walking to the widow, she spat the phlegm out onto the cobbles below.
“Come in between us.” coaxed Beth as she also stretched down into the bed and moved over so that Mary could climb in between both children. She spread her arms around each, cradling them so they gained what little warmth they could from each other.
“Are you going to leave us like our Da did?” asked Sam, suddenly turning round to stare at Mary.
“Stop it!” said Beth sharply.
Sam took no notice of his sister’s rebuke.
“Are you going to die?” he asked again.
“No, Sam. I’m not going to die or ever leave you.” promised Mary as she reached over to kiss his cheek.
Sam pulled away quickly and turned to face the wall once more. After a while the children had fallen to sleep and  Mary climbed out of the bed and sat on the wooden stool by the broken window, pulling her shawl around her. Mary coughed, holding her hands to her mouth with her eyes on the children. They slept on. Mary couched once more and bringing up the phlegm she spat out into the street below before wiping the blood from her lips and began to sob quietly, staring around the room with eyes full of despair. She wept between the coughs, staring around hopelessly and knowing she would die soon.
“My babies.” she sobbed quietly, rocking back and forth. “My poor Beth and Sam. What will happen to them?”

 

“Come on! Open up! I know you’re in there!”
It seemed as though Mary had just begun to doze when the shouting, along with a loud hammering on the door startled her into a sudden jerk, opening her eyes wide in fear.
“Who is it?” cried Beth, sitting up in the bed.
“Quick Beth, wake Sam up and both of you get under the bed.”
“Open the door or I’ll break it down!” snarled the voice, followed by a heavy boot kicking at the door.
“Hurry!” urged Mary as Beth pulled Sam from the bed and pushed him, helping to roll him under the bed and then joining him while making soft ‘Shusshing’ noises to keep him quiet.
Mary quickly pulled the blankets down over the side of the bed before hurrying to draw the bolt and open the door.
“About time you opened up! What were you doing in there?”
Silas Jenkins stood there, a large hulking brute of a man with dark eyes and hair, a whole sense of swarthiness about him which gave an unkempt appearance. He was drunk so that he swayed unsteadily while bloodshot eyes tried to peer past Mary into the room.
“Who have you got in there? Is it a man? I heard voices and where have you been all night? I came up earlier but you weren’t in. Where was you?”
His voice was raised with suspicion.
“There’s no-one here.” replied Mary, holding onto the door. “And I work late as a washing and laundry woman.” she defended herself.
“Where’s my rent?” demanded the landlord, now shoving his weight against the door so that Mary gave way and allowed him to enter the room.
He stood swaying, his eyes seeking out corners while one hand clasped a mug of Gin, the other hand outstretched.
“You owe me a bob bit for the last week and it’s due to me.”
“I will get it!” Mary cried. “I’ll have it for you tomorrow morning. I promise you that.”
“You aint got it, have you and that’s a fact!”
Silas Jenkins swallowed the last of the gin and backed a hand across his mouth.
“Well, there’s another way of showing gratitude.” he said.
“I’ll get your rent for you.” said Mary as he pushed her out of the way and began to inspect the bed. “You don’t have to pay any rent if you show me some attention. Well not for this week and it all depends on the amount of favour you show me as to how I value you each week.”
“No please!” cried Mary as the landlord reached out and gripped her arms roughly.
“Where’s me rent then? It’s either one thing or the other!”
“Give me a chance, I beg of you!”
“Then pay me the rent!”
“I haven’t got it!”