knew that Will was stuck on Lizzie-Ann, but, good-natured as ever, Will nodded, picked up the old sheet and ripped a piece off. He touched Mike’s back, which was raw from rubbing against the coal surface, and noticed that his elbows were bleeding and there were lumps on each side of his head.
‘You did well, our Mike, now get yerself clean. Do it this way.’
He twisted the piece of sheet into a point, dipped it in the water.
‘We do our faces first, mind, roll the corner into a point, wet it, and stuff it into yer eyes, then yer nose and ears … always do this first, while the sheet’s clean.’
Mike prodded and sneezed and coughed, his skin felt as if it was crawling.
‘Aw, put yer back into it, lad, or you’ll not get the muck off … Evie, give him a hand, he’s so tired out he’s lost his strength.’
When she had helped Mike get clean, Evelyne rushed out to refill the buckets. The kitchen was steaming and five times she went to the tap. She never blushed to see her naked brothers, nor were they shy at her scrubbing their backs with a pumice stone. They bawled at her for being too rough, splashed her when she was too gentle. She had seen her Ma bathe her Da since she was able to toddle, and had shared bath-time duties since she was strong enough to carry a bucket of water.
Mike stood up, dripping, and held out his arms for the sheet that served as a towel. She wrapped it around him and held his warm body for a moment. He was much younger than her other brothers, and his face puckered as he stepped out of the tub. Blood was running down his legs in rivulets from his knobbly knees, and Evelyne looked up into his face.
‘You all right, Mike? Shall I get the disinfectant?’
‘No, I can’t stand the stinging.’
Sighing, Will eased his body into the water.
‘My God it feels good, don’t it, Mike? Ahhh, this makes it all worthwhile, will you soap me back, gel?’
As she rubbed his back, she could feel the scars under her fingers. Mike sat huddled by the fire and watched her, and she gave him one of their secret, intimate smiles. He looked down, his long eyelashes looked as if they were resting on his cheeks.
‘Did Lizzie-Ann ask about me?’
Evelyne scrubbed and soaped, her skirt sopping.
‘She did mention that she couldn’t sleep for thinking about a certain person with no front tooth. Could that be you, our Will?’
‘Is that the truth, gel? Aw, yer having me on, but if you get the chance tell her what a fine-looking man I am naked.’
With a mock gasp of shock, Evelyne slapped him. He stood up and took the towel from her, wrapping it around his waist. He was indeed a fine-looking boy, even with the tooth missing.
Evelyne busied herself setting the table and pouring away the dirty bath water. Will brushed his hair, saying he would just parade on the front doorstep for a while.
‘Will you get dressed, Mike, lovey, you don’t want to catch cold now?’
Mike looked furtively around to see if Will had left the room then turned back to the fire. His voice was soft, lilting.
‘It’s so black, Evie, it’s indescribable. You push your hand out to feel it, and it goes right through the solid blackness. There is no gleam of light, no shadow. It is so black - like a massive weight on you, all around you as hard on the eyes as bright light.’
He was worn out, and afraid, she could feel it, but it was unspoken. He did not look at her, knowing that she knew. He was only three years older than Evelyne.
‘Will, Will, supper’s on the table now, come on.’
Evelyne set down the steaming bowls of stew, the big chunks of fresh bread. The two boys ate hungrily, washing the food down with gulps of scalding tea. There was a jug of ale, too, and that went down fast, but the dust stayed deep in their lungs. They were still eating when there was a rap on the back door.
‘I were just passin’ an’ wondered how yer Mike got along on his first day?’
Old Peg-Leg Thomas hobbled in, grinning a
‘You did well, our Mike, now get yerself clean. Do it this way.’
He twisted the piece of sheet into a point, dipped it in the water.
‘We do our faces first, mind, roll the corner into a point, wet it, and stuff it into yer eyes, then yer nose and ears … always do this first, while the sheet’s clean.’
Mike prodded and sneezed and coughed, his skin felt as if it was crawling.
‘Aw, put yer back into it, lad, or you’ll not get the muck off … Evie, give him a hand, he’s so tired out he’s lost his strength.’
When she had helped Mike get clean, Evelyne rushed out to refill the buckets. The kitchen was steaming and five times she went to the tap. She never blushed to see her naked brothers, nor were they shy at her scrubbing their backs with a pumice stone. They bawled at her for being too rough, splashed her when she was too gentle. She had seen her Ma bathe her Da since she was able to toddle, and had shared bath-time duties since she was strong enough to carry a bucket of water.
Mike stood up, dripping, and held out his arms for the sheet that served as a towel. She wrapped it around him and held his warm body for a moment. He was much younger than her other brothers, and his face puckered as he stepped out of the tub. Blood was running down his legs in rivulets from his knobbly knees, and Evelyne looked up into his face.
‘You all right, Mike? Shall I get the disinfectant?’
‘No, I can’t stand the stinging.’
Sighing, Will eased his body into the water.
‘My God it feels good, don’t it, Mike? Ahhh, this makes it all worthwhile, will you soap me back, gel?’
As she rubbed his back, she could feel the scars under her fingers. Mike sat huddled by the fire and watched her, and she gave him one of their secret, intimate smiles. He looked down, his long eyelashes looked as if they were resting on his cheeks.
‘Did Lizzie-Ann ask about me?’
Evelyne scrubbed and soaped, her skirt sopping.
‘She did mention that she couldn’t sleep for thinking about a certain person with no front tooth. Could that be you, our Will?’
‘Is that the truth, gel? Aw, yer having me on, but if you get the chance tell her what a fine-looking man I am naked.’
With a mock gasp of shock, Evelyne slapped him. He stood up and took the towel from her, wrapping it around his waist. He was indeed a fine-looking boy, even with the tooth missing.
Evelyne busied herself setting the table and pouring away the dirty bath water. Will brushed his hair, saying he would just parade on the front doorstep for a while.
‘Will you get dressed, Mike, lovey, you don’t want to catch cold now?’
Mike looked furtively around to see if Will had left the room then turned back to the fire. His voice was soft, lilting.
‘It’s so black, Evie, it’s indescribable. You push your hand out to feel it, and it goes right through the solid blackness. There is no gleam of light, no shadow. It is so black - like a massive weight on you, all around you as hard on the eyes as bright light.’
He was worn out, and afraid, she could feel it, but it was unspoken. He did not look at her, knowing that she knew. He was only three years older than Evelyne.
‘Will, Will, supper’s on the table now, come on.’
Evelyne set down the steaming bowls of stew, the big chunks of fresh bread. The two boys ate hungrily, washing the food down with gulps of scalding tea. There was a jug of ale, too, and that went down fast, but the dust stayed deep in their lungs. They were still eating when there was a rap on the back door.
‘I were just passin’ an’ wondered how yer Mike got along on his first day?’
Old Peg-Leg Thomas hobbled in, grinning a
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