A Christmas to Remember by Katie Flynn

Author:Katie Flynn [Katie Flynn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House
Published: 2013-07-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

RATHER TO HIS surprise Jonty had an enjoyable and instructive morning. Snowy had said that he knew the city like the back of his hand and he soon proved that this was true. The two boys whizzed from one place to the next, leaving the Anglican cathedral until last, since it was a standing joke amongst local people. It had been started nearly fifty years ago and was still unfinished. ‘Of course, there was bomb damage in the May blitz,’ Snowy told his companion. ‘But you know what they say about Scousers: they’ll argue about the number of angels who can dance on a pinhead just for the pleasure of disagreeing, and the cathedral’s a case in point. I reckon Albert told you to go there as a joke, so we won’t bother with that but go straight on to the school where I’m just finishing and Tess will be starting in the sixth form in September, since I know she got her School Cert and will be heading for her Higher.’ The two boys had been walking towards the art gallery but suddenly, as though struck by his own words, Snowy halted and put out a hand to get his companion to stop too. ‘I say, if her gran can’t work for weeks, what’ll Tess do about that? Will she be able to stay on at school?’

‘I’ve no idea; she doesn’t talk much about her academic hopes because she knows I was never any good at schoolwork, though I did manage to get my School Cert,’ Jonty told his companion. ‘But why should her gran’s accident stop Tess from getting her Higher? I don’t understand.’

Snowy snorted. ‘It’s pretty plain you’re one of the landed gentry who don’t need to struggle,’ he said rather contemptuously. ‘Don’t you know that Tess delivers newspapers, sells fruit on a stall in St John’s market, acts as a part-time waitress at weekends, and anything else which will pay her enough money to help her gran out? Surely you, a close friend, must have been told such things?’

Once more Jonty stiffened, about to tell Snowy that of course he understood, but then he realised that this was not strictly true. Tess had told him all right, but he had not yet seen for himself how hard it was for people who could not grow their own food, keep a few poultry, or have a share in a pig, so the glance that he turned on Snowy was apologetic. ‘I’m afraid you’re right about one thing: until I came here and saw the queues for anything off ration, and the tiny amounts of food you get in exchange for your coupons, I couldn’t understand why Tess had to work . . . well, I suppose I thought it was for pocket money. But we Bells aren’t landed gentry, honest to God we’re not; we farm our land and we work bloody hard. In summer we do a twelve- or fourteen-hour day, longer when beasts are giving birth, or we’re getting the harvest in, and the rewards aren’t all that brilliant either.

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