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

them cross beams … No, don’t straighten up yet, miss!’ Dora’s voice was shrill. ‘Yous’ll do yerself an injury with them chains.’

By the time Ronnie had moved ten of the twenty-six floorboards with Jessica’s help, she was exhausted. Dora had made carrying the rest of them seem effortless.

She gave them a smile of triumph. ‘Yous’ll soon build up some muscle doin’ this work,’ she said. ‘Now get everythin’ sealed up and I’ll check on the others.’ She disappeared.

‘I’m not sure I want to have muscles,’ Jessica muttered. ‘It’s not very fetching on a woman.’

‘Now you know how I feel,’ Ronnie grinned.

The men loading the boats were a cheerful lot, calling out to one another as they deposited the coal into the chute to fall into the hold.

‘All right, love?’ one of them called to Ronnie. She held up her thumb in reply. ‘Then stand on the pile of coal and grab those girders on the chute to move yer boat along ready for the next load comin’ through.’

Thankful she was wearing thick gloves, Ronnie did as she was told, all the while terrified she wouldn’t get it right – or worse, slip on the pile of coal. But to her immense satisfaction she felt the boat glide gently along.

‘Stop!’ The man held his hand up. ‘That’s it. Here it comes again.’

Another load landed in the hold.

‘Now flatten the pile with these,’ Dora said, suddenly appearing. She handed Ronnie and Jess a shovel each and stood watching them for some time, then nodded. ‘Good. Now we need ter pull the boats back to the moorin’ rings as there’s a queue behind us gettin’ impatient.’

In all, the loading hadn’t taken longer than two hours, but Ronnie was more tired than she cared to admit with all the shovelling, then finally helping to sheet up to stop the coal getting wet.

‘Makes it look nice and tidy, too,’ Dora said. ‘Same with all the cargo.’

Every muscle in Ronnie’s body ached handling the heavy sheeting with Jessica and May. They still had to take the boats back to their moorings and thoroughly scrub the cabins which Dora had warned would be in a bad state with all the coal dust. That would probably take at least an hour to get them clean enough to pass Deadly Dora’s inspection.

As it was, with everyone, even Angela and Dora, rolling up their sleeves, getting the boats in shipshape was a major task. What dust hadn’t settled on every possible surface, even though they’d so carefully covered everything in sight, was still floating in the air. By the time they’d just about finished, two more hours had slipped away, and Ronnie’s back ached worse than when she used to spend half a day bending in the garden at home.

‘Anyone want tea? she asked, feeling she couldn’t do another stroke.

‘We all do, miss,’ Dora said. ‘Just get that kettle on.’

Ronnie picked it up. ‘Oh, it’s covered in dust.’

‘Are yer sayin’ yer not?’ Dora said with a triumphant grin.

Ronnie looked down at herself. She was filthy. Her hands were black and greasy. She supposed her face was as well, by the looks of the other black faces.

‘I don’t think it’s just me,’ she chuckled. ‘We look like a bunch of chimney sweeps.’

Dora gave a hearty laugh, and everyone except Angela joined in.

Ronnie made the tea and handed round mugs, Dora slurping hers almost in one go, then giving a loud, open-mouthed sigh of satisfaction before lighting her pipe.

‘Is anyone goin’ inter Coventry for a bath?’

‘I’d love one, but I’m too tired,’ Ronnie said.

Dora gave a few puffs of her pipe. ‘Let’s see. On the way we’ll tie up at Sutton Stop. There’s plenty o’ water taps so yer can have a good wash in the cabin. And we can check for any post. Best of all there’s a good boaters’ pub, the Greyhound. That’s where we’re headin’ tonight … in case yous’ve all forgot it’s New Year’s Eve and we’re goin’ out. No exceptions – even you, Ver-ron-eek. So yous best get washed and put yer glad rags on. We’re havin’ fish ’n’ chips, for which I’m treatin’ and then we’re off to the pub where I’m standin’ yous all a drink – just one, mind. We meet outside the boats at eight o’clock sharp.’

‘Do you know, I had forgotten about New Year’s,’ Jessica said when Dora, May and Sally had gone back to Persephone. She grinned. ‘So we’d best get crackin’, as Dora would say.’

‘I’m not going,’ Angela said. ‘I’ve had enough dust down my lungs for one day so the last place I want to be in is a smoky pub.’

Feeling guilty, Ronnie crossed her fingers hoping that Jess wouldn’t try to persuade Angela otherwise.

Although Sutton Stop was only a short journey along the canal from the collieries, once they’d tied up and filled the water cans, the girls were becoming irritable.

‘I’m washing my hair of all this filth right now,’ Angela announced when they were back in the cabin.

‘No, you’re bloody not,’ Jessica flung at her. ‘You can do it after Ronnie and I have gone. You’ll be nice and quiet on your own. But until then, Ronnie and I will be using the water.’ Taking a penny from her trouser pocket she looked at Ronnie. ‘We’ll toss who goes first. Heads or tails?’

‘Tails never fails,’ Ronnie said, laughing.

Jessica threw the coin in the air. ‘’Fraid it does, love,’ she said. ‘It’s heads.’

As soon as Ronnie had taken her turn to wash her hair and every inch of her body in the hand bowl she felt a million times better. It was as though she’d washed away her exhaustion and with the help of Jessica’s small hand mirror she hoped she’d managed to make herself look presentable for the evening. Remembering the dress May had lent her for the dance, she wished she had something nice to wear. After all, it was quite special to welcome in another year. She sighed. Maybe this would be the year the