i f6c06dd9cf3fe221 by Unknown (100 books to read in a lifetime .txt) 📗

Eeh! what had she said? Well, she did love him, as much as God.

Wasn't it lovely to feel like this, all shivery and jumpy inside, because he was her da? And it was her secret, just hers; she wouldn't tell anyone. But what about Rosie! Surely she could tell Rosie.

While, walking slowly down the back lane and into the next street she debated in her mind whether Rosie should be let into this secret. She couldn't quite understand why she was hesitating about telling Rosie, for Rosie was her friend, and she told her everything. But, somehow, she had the same feeling about it as she had with her grandma when they didn't talk about the things gran da did.

The sight of Rosie leaving the pram to chase Cissy Luck and thump her in the back decided her. Rosie was shouting: "Take that, you cheeky bitch ... and that! You're as soft as darts ... and your ma's as soft as darts, and your da's as soft as darts 1' Annie dashed up to her and, taking her face between her hands, a gesture which always warmed Rosie, whispered, bending a little so that their noses nearly touched, T have got a da!"

Rosie drew back: "What! Who?"

Annie pulled her forward again, "The doctor I' The doctor?"

"Mm-m."

Rosie again withdrew herself to a short distance from where she could look steadily at Annie. Annie didn't tell lies, but, the doctor her da! Well, of course . yes, that explained everything--the rides in his car, the sweets and fruit, right in the middle of the week, and then those great big presents at Christmas. Of course; he must be her da.

Why hadn't she thought of it before? But then, he wasn't married to Kate. Well, that was a thing she couldn't understand, but definitely he was Annie's da . only das brought you things.

"It's a " make-on" secret," again whispered Annie.

But Rosie didn't hear this last confidence, or else she was conveniently deaf, not meaning her next course of action to be restricted.

Turning from Annie, she advanced halfway across the road again and addressed the now snivelling Cissy and her comforter, Peggy, on the opposite pavement: "Think

yer clever, don cher she yelled.

"Well, she has got a da, see! And a better one than yours. Her da's the doctor, if you want to know ... there!" she said, jerking her head violently in their direction. Then, turning her back, she lifted up her clothes and thrust out her bottom at them, and, leaving them with this final insult, she grabbed the handle of the pram at one end, assigning the other to Annie, and led a triumphant march at a smart pace down the street.

It was just on ten-thirty, and Annie waited near the police-house, as she called the small dock police office that stood at the side of the big dock gates. She watched the men pass in and out of the docks with great interest. The policeman on duty had spoken to her, saying, "You waiting for your ma again?" She remembered now he had called Kate her ma before today . so he had known. Everybody had known, except her.

She nodded at him, shyly.

The tram from Westoe came rolling down the 'dock bank', and, when it stopped, Kate alighted and the conductor lifted her suitcase on to the pavement.

Annie paused a moment before running to her, savouring a feeling akin to that experienced earlier in the morning . this was her ma; and Annie realised for the first time that she was different from everyone around her . none of the women wore a beautiful green coat and a big green hat and a fur with a lot of tails . the fur must be new, she hadn't seen it before . and none of them stood like Kate did, or walked like her; she stood very straight and, when she walked, her skirts danced. The women she saw every day wore dark, drab clothes, and stood hunched up, like the group which was waiting for the Jarrow tram now and had turned their eyes, like the eyes of a wolf pack, on her.

As Kate looked about her, Annie ran forward, and, as she heard herself say "Hello, Kate', as Kate bent to kiss her, she knew, with great certainty, that shed never be able to call her anything else; it would always be " Kate', never 'ma'.

Kate looked her over quickly, tenderly. She touched her cheek with the back of her hand before picking up the suitcase and crossing the road to the tram terminus.

"Have you been waiting long, dear?" she asked.

"No," said Annie; 'and I've been talking to the policeman. "

"Grandma all right?" asked Kate.

Annie hesitated, thinking of the rolled-down sleeves.

"Ye... s. Yes, I think so. She's going to bake, she's making me a yule doo."

Kate glanced down at her, swiftly, and sighed. Annie thought it was because the case was so heavy: "Let me help, I'll take one side," she suggested.

"No, of course not," said Kate.

"Here we are, anyway, and there's the tram coming."

They stood for a few minutes while the tram disgorged its passengers, some giving Kate a brief nod of acknowledgement and a long stare, others calling cheerily, "Hallo there, Kate! Happy Christmas." Annie noted it was the men who were nicer.

Kate pulled Annie's arm through hers as they sat together on the long wooden seat, while opposite sat a row of women. All the women seemed to have sat on the opposite side of the tram, Annie noticed; perhaps they wanted to look at Kate's fur; yes, that was it, for they were all staring at Kate; but Kate didn't seem to notice, for she was talking about Christmas and . What was