[The Street 01] - The Family (2011) by Kay Brellend

Author:Kay Brellend [Brellend, Kay]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2015-03-10T04:00:00+00:00

Geoff looked out of the window of Kenny’s café at the steady drizzle.

Alice shook his arm to get his attention. ‘Why don’t you try and get a job too at the new factory that’s just opened up? Me and Annie are going to be drilling and tapping. But best of all we can get night work. Good pay for night work. We heard they might pay up to sixteen shillings to start off.’ She clattered her cup to rest on its saucer. ‘Bet the pay’s better than what you get in Milligan’s. Be nice to have good money for Christmas.’

Geoff wrinkled his nose. ‘Nah, I just got a rise. Me wages ain’t far short of fifteen shillings and I’ve still got me perks to take into account on top. Anyhow, don’t fancy factory work, nor working nights. Might tell me dad though. If he can sit at a bench drillin’ it might do him. He used to do night work in a factory back in Essex.’

‘Lots of girls’ll be working there for you to chat up,’ she ribbed him.

‘Hah, hah,’ Geoff said and leaned back in his chair. ‘Like you don’t know that there’s only one girl I’m interested in.’

‘When I’m older . . . I reckon I’ll be interested in you right back,’ Alice answered with a jaunty grin that nevertheless held a hint of flirtation. ‘But for now I’ve got to get meself a good job with good pay so’s I can save up for a few nice clothes and a decent place to live. Can’t wait to be grown up enough to get out of here.’

‘How old d’you reckon you’ll be before you’re grown up enough?’ Geoff asked acidly.

‘Keep on like that, Geoff Lovat, and I’ll make sure I never grow up enough.’ Alice narrowed her eyes on him to let him know he’d annoyed her. ‘Not for you anyhow.’ She looked away, feeling a knot tightening in her guts that she sensed was guilt. Sometimes she knew she wanted nothing more than to have Geoff put his arms about her and kiss her. But . . . she’d seen where that could lead, and she wasn’t ready to give up on her dream of a decent life in a nice area. Getting yourself in the family way led to a swollen belly and a lifetime of drudgery in The Bunk.

Geoff stared back at her from beneath his lids then laughed to lighten the tension between them. ‘Coming to the flicks this afternoon?’ he asked.

‘Alright,’ Alice said immediately, glad they were again on an even keel. It was one of the things she loved about Geoff: he never stayed sulky for long or bore grudges. Whereas at home her mum had seemed to be in a vile mood since her dad had said that after Christmas, if things still looked bad, he was going to definitely join up.

Every time the German planes whined overhead in the night sky her mum and dad would wake them and get her and Beth and Lucy to huddle beneath the table.

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.