Out of the Silence by Wendy James

Author:Wendy James [Wendy James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781743342039
Publisher: Momentum
Published: 2013-08-02T16:00:00+00:00

Mrs Cameron is not as I imagined her. I had thought she would be about Ma’s age, but she is probably only ten years or so older than me, if that. She is not bad-looking at all, in a prim sort of way. It’s obvious that she tries hard to appear as starchy as any of the old sisters at the Women’s: her hair is pulled back so hard that it looks painful and her dress is plain as plain, but that doesn’t disguise her big cornflower-blue eyes and pretty figure. She is slight and delicate and gentle-looking, and I can’t help but wonder how she comes to be running a place like this, and cannot imagine how she is able to keep order. I have seen some of the girls about the place, and a few of them look to be big, rough girls and not at all the respectable types I was led to believe would be my housemates.

‘You are Margaret Heffernan?’ she asks, frowning down at the letter of introduction I have handed to her.

‘Yes, ma’am.’

‘And the infant is Jack, is that right? Not John? Jack Heffernan.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’

‘He is feeding properly?’

‘Yes.’

‘And his weight – he is gaining?’

‘He lost some at first, but Matron said that’s usual, and he’s getting it back now.’

‘Good. And he has had his inoculations?’

‘He has, ma’am, yes.’

‘I suppose that’s something. Some of the girls who come here … Some of the babies are …’ she sighs, looking directly at me for the first time.

She motions for me to approach her desk. ‘Show me your hands please,’ she says. ‘Just one at a time.’

She examines my fingernails, which I am pleased to say I have cleaned and cut before leaving the hospital.

‘Now if you would stand before me for a moment.’

I do as I am bid.

She looks me up and down, as bold as you like, and all at once I can see how it is that she gets on. She has that look in her eye that Ma gets on washday, when she will be at your throat for no reason that can ever be determined and you know that to cross her would be to put yourself in considerable danger. Despite her looks and her age, I’d say Mrs Cameron is as tough as old boots.

‘Turn around, please. Right around …’

I turn around.

‘I think it would be a good idea if you were to use pins instead of combs to keep your hair in place, Margaret,’ she says. ‘I’ll give you a net to ensure that no hair escapes. Hair is a dreadful carrier of disease, and your curls are particularly unruly, I’d imagine.’

Next, she asks me to hand over Jack, who is fretful, being ready for a sleep or a feed or both, and the moment she takes him I can see it is for the babies that she is here. For, though she says nothing – she just lays down Jack on a special table set up with towels and

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