The Haunting of Henry Twist by Rebecca F. John

Author:Rebecca F. John
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Profile

A BIRTH and a STRIKE

In the very first minutes of May the 4th, 1926, Britain’s blood stops flowing. The Tubes stop rattling, trams stop screeching, bus wheels stop turning, cars crowd themselves into stillness, and with a creak and a splutter, every man and woman in London is stranded. The Trades Union Congress demands strike action and its members take to the streets, determined, in not doing their jobs, to save them. The country, without its transport, regresses to a time when nights were silent and the sky was black. And Henry and Jack lie shoulder to shoulder in bed, enjoying a morning which they have begun, not separated by crowded city miles, but together.

Just that. Together.

Ida left for Wales the same day King George welcomed his granddaughter, Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth of York, into the world, and, though they knew this child would never rule their great country, the nation was briefly buoyed on the 21st of April. It was, for millions, a happy day. For Henry, it was a day of pure relief.

At Paddington, Ida, pushed up onto her tiptoes, had kissed first Henry and then Jack on their cheeks before boarding her train. Then, hanging from the window, she’d grinned and instructed them to ‘be good daddies’. Since, they have received a letter. Dear H and J, it reads. An interesting trip which I hope to soon repeat. I could not be more convinced of the health and happiness of my niece – though I have been forced to promise my parents that you, H, will bring her to visit us soon, which may not do much for your health or happiness. What if I baked you a pineapple upside-down cake, J? Could you help persuade him then? With affection.

Despite the easy tone of her correspondence, she still could not resist the formal, Sincerely, Ida Fairclough to end. This had amused Henry.

Now, he is composing a letter of his own, scratching his awkward hand into Ruby’s fine writing paper.

It is time, he informs his sister-in-law, for them to give up the flat. The money is running out. He and Jack have spoken to Monty and the old man has agreed to put them up, temporarily at least. Henry relays his news this simply, painting an easy picture for Ida. He does not mention that he doesn’t even know where Monty’s home is exactly, or that Monty made his offer drunkenly and may have forgotten it yet, or that he is fairly sure Matilda has lost her mind. He writes only cheerful words. Then he folds the page into an envelope and throws it onto Ruby’s dressing table.

He does not imagine for a moment, as it glides away from him, that he will never post it. Or that he will have to rewrite it, two full weeks from now, and that the words will have distorted in the interim from happy, not only to sad, but also to desperate. That by that point, Jack will have very nearly lost his life.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.