A Sister's War by Molly Green (the reading strategies book txt) 📕

a strong wind and yer need ter watch out for any overhangin’ branches. They can be boogers.’

Dora seemed to be in all places at all times, shouting orders to Ronnie and the others. Ronnie could see they had as little idea as she did about what was supposed to happen next.

‘I need one of yous ter help me get the engine started,’ Dora said. She raised her voice. ‘Sally?’

‘I’m not sure how—’

‘Oh, for heaven’s sake,’ Dora growled. ‘I haven’t time ter go through it all again.’

Ronnie hesitated. At least if she could do what had looked like a straightforward manoeuvre yesterday when Dora was showing them, the woman might give her a bit of credit. Besides, she was fed-up hanging around outside trying to understand the workings of the locks. It made no difference if the rain stopped; the air was so damp and the cold so raw, it found its way deep into her bones. She was already down to her last socks and even they felt damp still. She must remember to dry them on the stove tonight.

All this whirled through her brain as Dora looked round for a volunteer.

It would be warm inside the engine room.

Before Ronnie could change her mind, she said, ‘I’ll come with you.’

Dora threw her a sharp, sceptical look. ‘All right. But mind yer pay attention. And watch where yer step. Yer don’t want another bath before time.’ There was a muffled giggle from Sally which Dora ignored. ‘Jess, you come, too. Angela, Sally, May—’ She broke off. ‘Where’s May?’

‘I hope she’s lighting the stove,’ Jessica said. ‘It’s freezing in the butty and we all need a wash.’

‘There’s no time for no wash,’ Dora said. ‘Maybe later this afternoon. We need ter get ter the first lock.’ She paused and looked at the group. ‘We’ve got quite a few ter get through,’ she added with a smirk.

‘When yer on yer own with two others you’ll need ter work in pairs ter start the engine,’ Dora was saying without looking round as Ronnie stepped into the engine room. ‘It’s easy when yer know how.’

Ronnie was struck by how unfamiliar all the levers and brass rods looked today. She couldn’t remember any of them, only that the flywheel was the most important piece of machinery that kept the engine running smoothly.

‘I’ll do the starting handle if yer pull over the compression lever,’ Dora said to Ronnie.

‘What can I do?’

Dora twisted her neck round as Jessica stepped forward.

‘I’ll do the startin’ handle. Here. Slowly does it. Careful. Hold it like this. Then turn it and you’ll see the flywheel rotate. When I count to three, Ver-ron-eek—’ She paused to let the mocking pronunciation of Ronnie’s full name sink in, ‘push this lever over. Right. One, two, three!’

Ronnie pushed the lever and like magic the engine began to thrum. Dora pulled a cable.

‘This’ – she tapped it, her voice rising above the thundering of the engine – ‘is the governor rod. Makes it go faster, but we’re not allowed ter go more ’an four miles an hour – tops. So bear that in mind. It’s a safety rule. Yer can be sacked if yer caught speedin’. Another thing ter watch out for is the other boaters. They don’t allus take too kindly to the trainees.’

‘We can’t go all day like this without a proper wash,’ Jessica grumbled as Dora disappeared. ‘I shall stink.’

‘I’ll be sure not to stand too close to you.’ Ronnie kept her face straight and Jessica raised her eyebrows as though wondering whether or not to take her seriously, which made Ronnie burst into giggles.

Jessica sniffed. ‘I’m not sure personal hygiene is exactly foremost on Dora’s mind, so I suppose we’ll just have to get on with it.’

‘Margaret, yer our hobbler this time,’ Dora shouted at the short, thin girl when the six trainees had squeezed into the engine room. Ronnie couldn’t see at all what was going on. ‘You remember what to do?’

‘Um, isn’t it to do with the locks?’ Margaret’s fair skin reddened.

‘Yes, but what exactly?’ Dora barked.

‘I have to get off the boat and go ahead of you,’ Margaret said, obviously embarrassed that all eyes were on her.

‘And then what?’ Dora demanded. She glared at Margaret, who lowered her eyes. ‘And then what, Margaret?’

Margaret pressed her lips together and shook her head.

‘Ter get the lock ready for the boat ter go in,’ Dora said, in an irritable tone. ‘And how do yer do that?’

Margaret screwed up her face. ‘I can’t remember exactly … something to do with the paddles.’

Dora clicked her tongue. ‘Lucky Percy’ll be around and he’ll show yer. But what must yer allus remember to take with yous?’

Margaret stood there shaking her head.

Dora looked at the small group, her mouth turned down at the edges. ‘Sally?’

‘The windlass, Miss Dummitt.’

‘Correct.’

Margaret turned bright red and immediately scuttled off, returning with a two-foot iron rod in the shape of an ‘L’.

‘Now yer equipped to do the job, Margaret, we’ll see yer at the lock which yous’ll have prepared. It’s quite aways so you’ll have ter get a move on – unless yer ride that fancy bike of yours.’

‘It’s difficult to ride in the mud, Miss Dummitt,’ Margaret said, ‘so I think I’d better walk.’

‘I s’pose yer don’t want to get no mud splashes on it.’ Dora turned to the others, a smirk on her face. ‘While Margaret’s doin’ that, I’ll show yer how ter tie the boats tergether – side by side. It’s called “breastin’ up”. Then when we’re travellin’ with empty boats it’ll only take one wench to steer.’

Dora mentioned such items as the snubber, a very long rope if the next distance between locks – that they were to call the pound – was flat for a decent period of time, the checking strap, which Ronnie immediately forgot the purpose of when Dora went on to explain about shaft poles, which apparently had all kinds of uses such as pushing the boats away from the bank and clearing rubbish in