Sister's Trio Squad

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Upstairs Nancy threw her hat on the chest of drawers and plumped herself down wearily on the bed. "This is a fine state of affairs. Matty should have listened to me - you all should have listened to me - we couldn't be worse off in America!"

Don't you start again, Nancy, I've had enough for one day. First I had Mr Vannin on the doorstep, then I almost had to get down and beg for that job at Dunlop's, and then when I got home I had those two to confront. Anyway, how did you get on?' 'Oh, wonderful! I wouldn't perform there if they paid

me a hundred pounds a week.' "They turned you down.' "They didn't get the chance,' she retorted, but she knew

Margaret saw through her blustering pretence. What about you, Lisa?' "They did turn me down. I've never been so humiliated... so hurt. The woman I saw said that with my accent no

decent shop would employ me. Did you ever hear the like? No one has ever said anything so nasty before.' Oh, take no notice. Half the population of this city are

Irish,' Margaret soothed. And half the population of Liverpool don't have careers either!'

Margaret sat down beside Lisa and took the lid off the biscuit tin and dropped Uncle Bart's coins in it. 'I gave Mr. Vannin a pound and promised he'd have the rest by the end of next week. I have to work a week "in hand" and so we've got less than two shillings left of the money Ma gave us. So, with the six shillings and twopence from Uncle Bart we've only got about eight shillings, and that won't go far.'

There's a Talent Contest at the Hippodrome Theatre

on Friday and I'm entering it,' Nancy offered.

'Good Luck, but even if you win that won't pay the rent.' Did I say it would? Uncle Bart can earn something. I

meant what I said, if he doesn't go out and get a job - any job - I'm off to the police.' Lisa sniffed then dashed away the tears on her

cheeks with the back of her hand. Things just seemed to be getting worse. 'Oh, don't you start weeping and wailing, Nancy snapped.

'Can we all just quieten down, this is getting us nowhere. We've all had a rotten day, but flying at each other isn't going to help at all. You'll both have to get jobs soon. I made some enquiries and there are jobs available at Dunlop's. They're in the factory, but the pay is good, much higher than in many shops."

Nancy jumped up from the bed. 'In a factory! A factory! You expect us to work in a place like that?" You've got a choice, Nancy, Walton Hospital or Dunlop's. And so have you Lisa, the factory or slicing bacon at

the co-operative store on the corner of Long Lane. Look, it probably won't be for long, there won't be any travelling expenses and we can come home for lunch. You can still both make plans for the future, but in the meantime we have to eat and I gave my promise that the rent would be paid.'

'Oh, it's grand for you, isn't it? You'll be sitting in a nice, clean office all day while we're sweating in a smelly, dirty rubber factory making wellington boots or whatever they make there! And what's Ma going to say when she hears? We'd have been better off staying at home.'

'She won't say anything because we're not going to tell her. For one thing just think how Michael Feehey and his cronies would laugh if it ever got out, and for another Ma has enough to worry about. There's real trouble in Dublin."

Still smarting from the humiliation of having to choose between hospital drudgery and factory drudgery, Nancy couldn't have cared less what was going on in Dublin. 'When hasn't there been trouble in Dublin? Isn't that why we came here in the first place?'

'Have we had a letter?' Lisa asked, still tearful. Margaret drew the envelope from her bag and pulled out a sheet of writing paper and read aloud:

'My Dear Girls,

Everyone here is fine. Matty is enjoying working with your Uncle Richard, who is glad of the help and I am grateful that it keeps Matty busy from morning to night, so he's no energy to go to any Political Meetings. The news from Dublin is bad, but you've probably heard that already. The Republicans have taken over the Four Courts and are refusing to give up. Sure, Father Maguire says it can only end in disaster for them, but enough of that.

Mrs Feehey asks to be remembered to you all, es pecially Nancy, and she wishes you hadn't gone as you were a "steadying influence" on Michael (although I would have thought it the other way around), for he's done nothing but argue with his father and uncles. He says that Michael Collins and de Valera have "sold out" and she can see nothing but trouble ahead.

Mrs O'Leary has a new assistant, a nice young thing, but she's come all the way from Cahir. Herself wishes you had stayed, Lisa, and hopes you are doing well and if you have the time, would you write and let her know all the latest fashions in the grand shop you work in, so she can keep up with the times here. She always had a good head for business.

Give my love to your Aunt Maura and Uncle Bart and I hope you're not causing them any worry. Don't forget to say your Rosary every night that it might not be too late to stop any more trouble over here. God Bless you all and may the Holy Virgin watch over you. Your loving mother, Sarah'

At the part dealing with Mrs O'Leary and her requests, Lisa had started crying again. Oh, why had she ever left? Surely if her Ma and all the other women she knew could face the future, she could have done, too. She was just a coward. She'd always shut up or given in for the sake of peace, even as a child. 'Oh, be quiet, Lisa. Every time something goes

wrong you start wailing like the Banshee. Will you grow up!' 'Will you stop yelling at her, Nancy. What good is it

doing? We've got to be practical about things. 'Practical! Practical! Practical! That's all I hear from you. I've never been so sick of a word in my life, Margaret O'Maxwell! It's no wonder you never had the boys lining up to take you out, you're too much of a kill-joy

with your damned "Practical" ways.' 'Don't swear! And I have no intention of getting drawn into a screaming match with you. Now what are the pair of you going to do?'

Inwardly, Margaret was seething, stung by Nancy's barbs. She wasn't a kill-joy and she couldn't help her serious nature. Where would they all be now if it hadn't been for her common sense? Out on the street, hungry and completely penniless, most likely.