Cathy Sharp - Christmas for the Halfpenny Orphans

‘Hate pipe, hate Pa,’ Sarah cried and then turned her back on Wendy.

Samantha tried to put her arms around her, but she shrugged her off and jumped up, then ran towards the door. Samantha stood indecisively until Wendy asked if she ought to go after her sister.

‘Sarah has to learn that we can’t go back,’ Samantha said, and there were tears on her cheeks now. ‘Pa doesn’t want us, miss; he never did. When we were born it killed our mother – Sarah was the last and our mother wasn’t strong enough. My aunt says Pa will never forgive us …’

Suddenly she was in Wendy’s arms, sobbing out her story, telling her how they’d hidden from their father after he tried to kill Sarah in his fury over the broken pipe.

‘Surely he wouldn’t have meant to harm her?’ Wendy said, shocked.

Samantha drew back, looking at her with the eyes of a child that knew too much.

‘Yes, he would, Nurse. He always hated her. It wasn’t too bad when we were little; we had a lady called Melanie who came in and looked after us. She wasn’t kind to us, but we were clean and we had food – and Pa didn’t hit us. Then one day she got cross with Sarah and hit her, so I shouted at her and told her she was wicked. When Melanie slapped my face, Sarah kicked her ankles for hurting me. So Melanie left. She told Pa she wouldn’t stay in a place with evil children.’

‘Oh, Samantha, I’m so sorry.’ As the weeping girl buried her face in Wendy’s uniform, arms wrapped tightly round her waist, the nurse stroked the girl’s soft hair, encouraging her to let all the misery come pouring out of Samantha. It was as if the floodgates had opened and she couldn’t hold it inside any longer. Her eyes looked enormous in her pale face, dark with anguish and remembered pain.

‘I didn’t mind that she’d gone, but Pa was angry and gave Sarah a good hiding for upsetting her. After that, he didn’t ask anyone to come in, so I cooked what food he brought home and I did my best to look after Sarah … but she breaks things. She doesn’t mean to – they just seem to slip through her fingers. Pa said she was a Child of Satan and threatened to put her away in a place for lunatics. Aunt Jane said that was where she’d put her too, but she’d take me in. Then I woke up and Pa was kicking Sarah, and when we ran away and hid, he went off and left us.’ Samantha paused to draw breath before continuing: ‘He took all the food and money and Mum’s valuables, and there was only rubbish left and the man from the scrapyard wouldn’t even buy the pans I took him – but he gave me five shillin’s for lettin’ him touch my chest.’ Samantha looked up defiantly. ‘I took his money and then kicked his shins and ran off. I took Sarah and we hid in a bombed-out house down by the docks …’

‘Good for you,’ Wendy said, and gave her a hug. ‘In your shoes, I’d have done the same. But now you’re safe here and your aunt will visit you—’

‘Don’t want to see her!’ Samantha drew back in alarm. ‘She’ll put Sarah in one of those awful places!’

‘No, she won’t. I promise you, Sister Beatrice wouldn’t let her do that and neither would Angela or any of us. You belong to us now, Samantha. You’re safe here with us and we’ll take care of you both. Sarah may have to attend a special school – that will be for Sister to decide – but I’m sure that she will keep you both here.’

‘Sarah can do simple sums and things, if I show her,’ Samantha said. ‘She can help with cooking or laying tables, if I tell her what to do – and she can draw people’s faces really well. She isn’t daft.’

‘No, she certainly isn’t. I’m going to tell Miss Angela what you’ve told me; she will talk to Sister and decide what to do. They won’t let anyone take you from us, Samantha. When I tell Angela the whole story, she will be on your side. Now, I think you’d better see if you can find Sarah, love. It’s raining outside and, although it isn’t cold, we don’t want her getting a chill.’

Alice got the surprise of her life when she unlocked the door of her flat and went in that evening. She smelled the cigarette smoke first and her nerves prickled. Had one of the Lee gang broken into her home?

‘Is that you, Alice?’ Bob’s voice came from the bedroom and then he strolled into the hall wearing his army trousers with braces and no shirt. His hair looked wet and she thought he’d been having a shower. He’d had one put in the bath, as he preferred a shower. ‘Good, I’m glad you’re home. I hope you haven’t been working? I thought we’d agreed you were going to take care of yourself for a bit longer?’

‘Bob!’ Alice felt a surge of emotion as she saw the anxious look on his face. It was obvious how much he cared for her, and yet she’d spent the afternoon wishing she was on the train to Southend! ‘I went to help out with the teas at a charity event for the home. It was only for a couple of hours – I didn’t do too much, I promise. It was nice seeing all my friends.’ Her cheeks turned pink as she spoke, for the letter from Jack had stirred up old feelings and she still felt torn.

‘That’s all right then. How have you been?’

‘I’ve been fine.’ She rushed over to give him a hug to cover her guilt. He gave her a quick hug back and then released her. ‘I didn’t expect you back today, Bob. How long have you got?’

‘Three days. I shouldn’t have been due for leave yet, but my mate wants next weekend off and so I swapped with him at the last minute. I didn’t send a telegram because I thought it might put the wind up you.’

‘It would have,’ she admitted. ‘I’ve only got a bit of yellow fish for tea – or we could get pie and chips from the shop, if you’d rather, then have the fish in the morning with some bread.’

‘I don’t go much on that sort of stuff,’ Bob told her. ‘You have it tomorrow, Alice. I’ll take you out this evening – we’ll have steak and kidney pie at that pub we went to last time I was home. They always do a good meal there.’

‘Yes, all right,’ Alice agreed. In truth she was exhausted after helping with the teas, even though it had been fun and all the St Saviour’s girls had made a fuss of Susie, picking her up when she cried and spoiling her, but Alice wasn’t about to tell Bob that she would rather stay at home. ‘I’ll make us a cup of tea and then get changed.’

‘No, you go and put your feet up for a minute,’ Bob said. ‘I’ll make us a cuppa and then you can take your time getting ready. Mave said she’ll be over in an hour to take care of Susie for us.’

As he disappeared into the kitchen, Alice lifted Susie out of her pram and hugged the sleeping baby to her. It was a good thing that Bob had come back unexpectedly, she thought. All the way home Alice had been wondering if it was too late to catch the train to Southend – and now she was glad that she wouldn’t have to think about it any more. She’d had a timely reminder that she was married to a decent man and would be a fool to throw it all away for a rogue like Jack Shaw.

Alice was aware of being watched as she and Bob ate their meal in the pub. The atmosphere was a bit smoky but that didn’t stop her enjoying the tasty food and the glass of lemonade shandy she’d had with it. Bob had offered her the usual port and lemon, but Alice thought she might be better off sticking to a weak shandy, with more lemonade than beer.