THE DEPRIVED... Chapter 3...Part 38.

A continuation of my book.

Georgina walked up and down the work-line, her large frame shadowing the girls as she bent over to inspect their work. Beth continued to carry out her work while her mind stayed on the boy they had left asleep on the floor. At times, she nearly went to leave her station, quite prepared to give up work for the day and rush home to see to the child. But each time the urge came she forced herself to stay, knowing that time off would lose her a lot of money in fines. In this way Beth stayed through the day, silent and into her own worried mind till the hooter blared a call to leave work and hurry down the stairs in the rush of girls, to meet Nat and to hurry home.

The boy sat on the blanket, a look of alarm darkening his eyes as Beth and Nat came hurrying into the room. Quickly Nat set about cleaning the grate and setting the fire while Beth carried the boy, calming him with shushing sounds to set him down on the bed. A meal was prepared and Beth fed the boy before eating her own food. She spoke to him as she fed him but apart from looking at her with those large dark and haunting eyes, no sound came from his mouth. After eating Nat sat with the boy. He gently asked questions, asking him what his name was. In return and now more lively the boy grunted and opening his mouth he pointed inwards. Nat took the boy’s finger down and looked intently into the boy’s open mouth.
“Good God!” he said, turning to Beth. “He aint into talking ‘cause the roof of his mouth has been burned away. Look! You see there, Beth. It’s burned green with phosphorous. That’s why he aint into talking!”
It was often the case in the factory. The use of small children to clean out the dips and being so close to the fumes and the chemicals that the children suffered from horrendous burns and were then discarded when they got too weak, with the parents often putting them out onto the streets once the child could not earn money. It was the way of poverty, a style which had parents breeding children to be workers, like ants.
“We shall name him William!” declared Beth, taking up the child and cuddling him.
“Do you like the name, William?” asked Beth, putting the boy down.
William stood staring up at Beth’s face, his own a mask of fear and bemusement.
“He don’t appear used to loving.” said Nat. “And I reckon we ought to call him Billy. That’s better aint it, a proper boy’s name? You’re to be called Billy.” said Nat to the boy.

The evening was spent with Beth trying to patch up the clothing Billy had been wearing and giving up when they simply fell to pieces as she scrubbed at them in a bowl of warm water. Billy stood quietly as Beth washed him, gently dabbing at the bruises and trying so hard not to let him see her tears. Nat cut some figures out of paper, holding them up in the candlelight but Billy seemed to show no emotion as he stared at the figures then at Nat with the same haunted look. He seemed afraid to show anything and Beth sat him on her lap while Nat made up his bed.
“It’s to taking time.” whispered Nat as they lay in bed. “The larking is, supposing he’s a runaway from a workhouse or some prison for boys. He might have been bought by the factory and run away from the bondage. I aint in to caring for a young ‘un whose to bring bad luck.”
“I don’t care who or what he came from!” whispered Beth fiercely. “No-one has a right to own another, whether it’s an adult or child and especially when it’s a little boy!”
Nat said nothing knowing that Beth had made her mind up to keep Billy as their own child.

On the Sunday morning Beth and Nat took Billy with them up to the big market in Mile End. Billy held tight to Nat’s hand as they walked through the market, stopping at the various stalls which sold second-hand clothes and shoes and fitting them up against Billy, which began to bring a sparkle to eyes which had not seen happiness since life entered his soul. Nat had bartered for and got a small wooden soldier and gave it to Billy who held it to him tightly.
“Look, he’s smiling.” whispered Beth.
Nat nodded, smiling himself at the change which was taking place.
However his brows knitted as he looked at Beth, seeing her more lined and with a loosening of her jaw. The flesh seemed to hang more loosely and though they did not discuss it both knew that the fumes from her work were causing her some pain. Nat was determined to speak to Beth about it when they were at home and Billy was asleep. But at this time he smiled along with Beth as she leaned over to sing a song to Billy and playfully tickle him so that his lips widened to a smile and small grunts of happiness escaped him. Making their way home Nat lifted Billy high on his shoulders and carried him with the boy still hugging the toy soldier to him.

That night as planned Nat waited till Billy was asleep near the fire and Beth lay in bed beside him when he began to whisper what was on his mind.
“Beth, I needs to talk.”
Beth looked at him with questioning eyes. He looked so serious.
“I want for you to stop working at the factory. It’s ill that the work is making you and you will end up losing your will to live. It’s…”
He went no further, leaving his thoughts to hang and knowing Beth would understand what he meant, that the phosphorus would eat away her flesh and poison her inside. Beth did not answer at first. She knew that the chemicals were slowly poisoning her but without both their wages they would not be able to afford the rent, even when it had been lowered by Annie renting the rear room and especially now they had Billy to care for.
“Aint it in you to be asking for work in the dispatch depot and carrying the boxes?” whispered Nat.
Beth shook her head.
“I don’t have the strength to lift those heavy boxes, Nat. I have to keep working, there’s nothing else I can do.”
“We can always move to a smaller and single room.” suggested Nat. “Somewhere with a lower rent which I can manage and then you can stay at home and look after Billy.”
“No, Nat.” asserted Beth. “I cannot give up what we have. We are building up a good life, a happy life and I have not had that for so long now. I cannot give that up!”
Nat said no more.

The strange thing about life is that nothing is as one expects and just as things appear to be on a settled footing then along comes the unexpected which causes upsets and changes. And in this case the enforced changes caused Nat and Beth the move which Nat had suggested.

The upset came when Mr. Yates niece, Annie Sommerby knocked politely on the door and was admitted by Nat into the front room.
“I have come to tell you both that I have now finished my studies and will be returning home to my mother’s house at the end of the week.” she said.
Nat nodded while Beth said how sorry she was to see the young lady go. This was followed by a civil handshake all round and the door closing as the young lady left.
“Now if that aint how things are allowed to happen and we has to go about and do something, Beth.” announced Nat. “We aint affording to pay for both rooms and I aint happy at having a stranger move in with us even if it is to the back room. Miss Sommerby was a lady to be trusted and kept very much to herself, but come next time we might not have the fancy of luck.”

Beth knew that it was futile to argue. It was a fact that even with both their wages they could not afford to live as they had and it was true that they already lived in one room so to move to a smaller room would not be a hardship.
“Can I leave it up to you to find new living quarters?” she asked Nat.
Nat nodded and spoke quietly.
“I aint into having you work, as you know, Beth. I aint afraid of hard graft and can work and earn what we need. It’s as long as we are in a happy state then that’s all that matters.”
“I must admit to you I don’t feel too good of late, what with being sick during the night and such bad stomach cramps. I will do as you say and stop working till I get a bit better then I can return to work.”