The Night He Left: Episode 34

Ann took a deep breath, grabbed the rail of the outside stair and started to climb, the smell of pipe smoke strengthening with each step

The carriage turned a corner and trundled along West Henderson Wynd. On the right was a jute mill, then another, and then Ann could see her husband’s mill. Built in creamy grey stone from the Angus quarries, there was a hint of red in it when the sun shone. The snow-capped roofs were peaked and the windows long and rectangular.

She shivered as she passed it, thinking of the last time she had been up this road, only a couple of months ago, when that poor mill worker was killed.

Robert had insisted she accompany him to inform the girl’s parents. When she protested, he had told her that his manager, Alfred Johnston, was off that day burying his mother and that he expected her, as his wife, to attend to her charitable duties.

The girl had been one of the many Irish workers in the mill and their home was even more of a hovel than those of the locals.

On entering the room, Ann had noticed, apart from the odour of bodies, that there were at least eight people there.

They all looked at Robert, standing incongruously in his frock coat and top hat at his side.

He explained that the girl, who was only 14 years old, had become entangled in a carding machine and sustained such terrible injuries that she had died.

He was socially ill at ease at the best of times but this had tested him.

Comfort

Ann had tried to comfort the mother while he watched from the door.

What a terrible death the girl had suffered, but of course life for most of the workers was short.

Living in overcrowded squalor, disease was still rife, even though the council had tried to improve the health of the community by introducing cleaner water.

She recalled Archibald say that the life expectancy of a Dundee worker was just 24 years. Ann shuddered as she thought of the dire poverty all around.

Thank the Lord her own children would never know such deprivation. Of that she was sure.

“Where are you wanting to go now?” the driver shouted to her as he turned out of Smellies Lane on to Lochee Road.

“Go up to the Market Cross and stop when you see someone on the street for me to ask.”

“Whoah!” he called and drew the horse to a halt. She leant forward and saw a couple standing by the road, both dressed in black.

The man whipped off his cloth cap when he saw the carriage stop.

“Excuse me,” Ann said, leaning out. “Can you tell me where Blind Mattie is today?”

They stared at her then the woman spoke. “Who’s wanting her? No trouble, is there?”

“No, there’s no trouble, just someone who seeks her company for a moment.”

They looked at each other then the man said: “She’s not out on the streets the day, she’ll be at home.

“She bides in the next close from us. Round the corner at Logie Street then up to Paddy’s Brae. Ask there.”

Ann gave the driver instructions and, once the carriage had halted at the close, she alighted.

“Wait here. I shall not be long.”

Rubbish

The driver took some feed from his pocket and gave it to his horse.

As she started to walk off, she saw two small boys, bare foot, running towards the horse.

She heard the driver tell them to hold their hands out flat so they could help feed the animal.

She stood at the entrance to the close and removed her handkerchief from her pocket. The offensive stench all around was strong.

She lifted her skirts a little so that they did not touch the rubbish at her feet.

When she emerged at the other end of the close she looked up at the greenie, the wooden pole from which a multitude of washing lines was strung.

Today being the Sabbath, the lines were bare. Ann took a deep breath, grabbed the rail of the outside stair and started to climb, the smell of pipe smoke strengthening with each step.

2015

Fiona glanced in her rear-view mirror to see the janitor locking the gate to the playground.

The first morning at school had gone much better than she’d expected.

Jamie had bumped into two of the boys from his football club in the playground as they went towards the school entrance.

Once he had found his classroom and the teacher had welcomed him as the new boy, Fiona had slipped out the door, looking over her shoulder at him.

He was setting out the pencils from his pencil case on the desk.

She was sure he would settle well; he was a robust boy, even after losing both his dad and Pete within a few years.

Thank God for the stability of Granny and Pa, Fiona thought, as she drove on to the ring road and headed north.

She had texted Mrs C and Doug to say she’d pop up for coffee.

Although they were disappointed Jamie wouldn’t be with her, they were looking forward to seeing her again after two months.

Fiona turned left for Alyth and thought about all the threads she still hadn’t tied up.

She was keen to continue the research into her dad’s family but thus far had found nothing in the archives room.

And since she didn’t have specific dates, it was taking too long.

She had to concentrate on her research for the Tay Bridge project.

No idea

She thought again of the photograph of the grave. She didn’t like to email the Swansea librarian again, but the gravestone inscription had freaked her out, even though her mum had said there might be a plausible reason.

And she still had no idea how she could find out more about the photo, and whether the boy on it was actually Pete’s son.

He looked so like him, she felt sure it was. Did he have another family at the other side of the world?

She parked the car in Alyth and went into the florist to get flowers for Mrs C.

She had been emailing Fiona every now and then with news of kitchen calamities since Pete had left, telling her how much she missed Jamie and his drawings.

Fiona put the flowers in the car, checked her watch and saw she had some time to kill.

She knew that there was no point getting up to the hotel before 10 when they’d still be in the middle of breakfasts and check-outs.

More tomorrow.