The Clarks Factory Girls at War by May Ellis

Author:May Ellis [Ellis, May]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Published: 2024-03-09T00:00:00+00:00

20

Kate didn’t see Ted until they went back to work in January after the Christmas break. She hadn’t expected to, but she missed him and thought about him a lot. She hoped he was alright.

Her own life continued in the same vein as before – lying in the dark, listening to her ma’s laboured breathing, then trying to persuade her to at least drink some weak tea or broth when she awoke. She would make Pa’s breakfast then rush to work, anxious to get through enough pieces to meet her quotas, rushing home at dinner time to see Ma and Peg – who would force her to eat something – before running back to work before the factory hooter went. The afternoons were the worst. She was exhausted and had trouble concentrating, but she managed to plough through. Mr Briars kept a close eye on her, but, thanks to her friends, she never let him down. Louisa and Jeannie had decided to help her, slipping some of their finished pieces into her basket through the day. When she caught them doing it, she’d protested, but they told her they knew she would do the same for them if they needed it, so she should be quiet and let them get on with it. She’d been too tired and grateful to argue.

As soon as the hooter sounded the end of the shift, she would shed her apron, pull on her coat and run all the way home. Every time she approached the cottage, she was afraid that Ma had died while she was at work. That fear almost crippled her, causing her to sag with relief the moment she saw her Ma’s dear face and realised she’d been spared for another day.

Christmas had passed with Kate barely noticing, other than having some days off when the factory closed. Pa was nowhere to be found. Someone said he was spending the holiday with a pal in Glastonbury. No doubt it was someone with a good supply of cider. Kate didn’t care. It meant she could devote her time to Ma, storing up precious memories to sustain her when Ma finally lost her fight. It wouldn’t be long now. She knew it and denied it at the same time.

It was a Saturday in January when she saw Ted. He was waiting for her at the factory gate. It struck her that his brother’s death had changed him. Gone was the easy smile and relaxed stance. In their place was a tense, unhappy young man whose eyes were clouded with grief.

‘Ted. How are you?’ she asked, wanting to stop and talk to him, to ease his suffering, while every cell in her body urged her to run home to Ma.

He shrugged and turned in the direction of Silver Road, clearly intending to walk Kate home. ‘Not good,’ he said. ‘Ma’s taken it badly. Christmas was terrible. I suppose it was for a lot of people. We all thought this damned war would be over, didn’t we? But all we’re getting are higher casualty rates.

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