Hope on the Waterways by Milly Adams

Author:Milly Adams
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House

Chapter 16

Renewing Tyseley friendships and saying goodbye to others

They liked mooring up at Tyseley because the water was on a level with the wharf, unlike Limehouse, where you had to climb up wall ladders. Otherwise the chaos was the same, with lorries revving and taking away loads, or bringing them. Men bustled, the workshops were busy and above it all was the screech of steel being worked, or wood being hammered.

Ahead were cranes swinging loads on to queuing boats, the boaters’ wives heading off to the shops with their string bags, or perhaps washing down their cabins while the men found out the details of their new loads. The main relief was that there were no V2s, and hadn’t been since the London environs. On the quay they peered round, and up, and there was Alf Green in the cab of one of the cranes. His wife was Alice Green, an attendant at the public baths and in whose guest house they stayed if they were held overnight. Alf yelled down as they headed for the lavs, ‘The missus ’eard you was on yer way, and ’as three rooms ready for yer, and three cubicles at the public baths. We’re glad you made it through yer troubles.’

Their spirits lifted. They waved and rushed on to the lavs because using the bucket kept in the store at the back of the cabin was the worst part of their job. Afterwards they rushed back, calling in briefly for any letters. The clerk shook his head. ‘Post ain’t been yet. Try tomorrow, ’cause you’ll be off to the baths now, won’t yer?’

Sylvia pushed her hand into her trouser pocket, touching Steve’s old letters, disappointment swamping her. But at least she had these, and would post those she had written to him on the journey up. But should she? What if he had forgotten her; out of sight, out of mind?

The other two called her to hurry, and the three of them headed back to the quay. ‘Don’t be disappointed,’ Polly said. Verity added, ‘He’s busy, so let your heart cut him a bit of slack, eh? Look how he’s written up to now, and never ever forget Ma Porter’s water.’ They all three grinned, Sylvia most of all.

On the quay they found the foreman looking speculatively at Marigold and Horizon’s holds, and then at his schedule. Polly whispered, ‘Oh no, he’s not going to order it to be done now, surely? We won’t get clean, or have a night on shore.’

‘Not if I can help it, darling,’ said Verity sidling up to him. ‘Oh, Mister Roberts, we would be so very pleased if our steel isn’t offloaded until tomorrow. We’ve been injured, just look at this arm, still in a sling, and it’s our first trip back and we must bathe, we simply must. The danger of our wounds becoming infected …’ she sighed pathetically.

He tucked his clipboard beneath his arm, staring at her. ‘You can toady up and whine all you want,

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