Liverpool
by Peter Clarke
He woke to the sound of, “You! Boy! Are you listening?” The voice sounded like the viscount’s wife back home, but it wasn’t Irish. A lovely, soft voice. His ma sometimes sounded like that singing to him when he was much younger. It reminded William she didn’t sing anymore. Worse, it reminded him of home and how much he loved and missed his ma.
He opened his eyes, blinking against the light and trying to remember where he was. He shook his head to clear his vision and saw a well-dressed lady standing in front of him and hitting him on the leg with an umbrella. He’d seen ladies in the town using them but never as a weapon. He stared at her. She was young and very pretty, wearing a dress that was more colourful than anything he had seen, with frills at her neck and wrists. There were splashes of red and green and other colours he didn’t know. The dress flowed out from her waist and was so wide at the ground that he couldn’t see her feet. There was rarely anything like her in the town and never in the village.
Her blonde hair was pulled into a tight bun at the back of her head, but some tendrils had fallen loose at the front, and she tried to blow them off her face. She had a faint line of perspiration on her upper lip, and her mouth was set in a straight, severe line as though she was angry.
There were two children holding onto her skirts, peeking around the side as though frightened of what William might do when he woke. She had a baby under one of her arms, held against her hip. Her pretty face was framed by tiny ears and a pert nose that were perfectly in place. The colour, the clothes, the small, rounded body and the perfect face helped William to decide she was the most beautiful lady he had ever seen.
“Well, are you listening?”
“Aye.”
“I need some help. That fool of a coach driver has dumped me and the little ones here, and I need help to carry my bags to that ship.” She pointed with her umbrella at a ship moored to the wharf. “Well?” she asked. “Will you help?”
William said nothing, still absorbing the sight of her, her children and for the first time, he noticed a smell coming from her. He’d never known anything to smell so nice and didn’t know if it was her, or something she put on. It reminded him of the flowers in the garden in the town square back home.
“All right,” the lady said. “I’ll pay you. I’ll pay you sixpence. How does that sound? I won’t pay you any more than sixpence and don’t expect that I will. It’s probably too much, but I can’t stand here waiting, and if I don’t get aboard soon, the ship will leave without me. So, make up your mind. I don’t have all day, and I’ll get someone else, if you don’t help.”
William looked around. There was no one else. The only people he could see were the ones getting ready to board, and no one paid the lady any mind. He’d worked all day for sixpence, and he was about to get another one for a few minutes work helping the lady with her bags. “Of course, I’ll help,” he said, holding out his hand.
“I’ll give it to you when we get on board. I know what you urchins are like. I’ll give you the sixpence and off you’ll go!”
William decided to trust her in spite of his recent experiences and his da’s advice. She looked like a nice person, and she was definitely in need of some help. “Are these your bags?” he asked, pointing to three bags nearby.
“Yes, and you’ll have to carry them all at once. I’m not leaving anything on the dock to be stolen the minute my back is turned.”
William shrugged, put one bag under his arm, took a bag in either hand, and nodded to the lady.
They set off, the lady leading. She had a great deal of difficulty walking with the babe under one arm, the umbrella under the other, and the two little ones refusing to let go of her skirts. Eventually, they reached a type of bridge leading up to the ship.
William put the bags down.
“What do you think you’re doing?” asked the lady. “I’m paying you to help me onto the ship, not to bring the bags halfway.” “Do we walk up this thing?” asked William.
“It’s a gangplank, and yes, we walk up it.”
The gangplank was a rickety affair, and it didn’t seem right to call it a plank as it had five or six planks laid side by side. It didn’t look safe. There were gaps between the planks, and one or two of them looked loose. To William, it had already seen too much use.
It was wide enough to accommodate the lady and her children, and there was a rail to hold on one side only. Part of the ship’s railing had been removed, and the gangplank was the only obvious way to get on the ship. William was nervous that it might break, or he might fall off.
The lady transferred the babe and the umbrella to the side away from the rail, got her children to hold her dress front and back on the same side and started up the incline, gripping the rail as she went.
It wasn’t easy going, trying to make sure none of her little ones fell over the side, every now and then checking William followed and hadn’t disappeared with her bags.
William picked up the bags again, but was glad of the short rest and started up the incline too. His heart pounded with fear. He had no free hand to hold the rail, and he would need to maintain his balance all the way up. Still, if she could do it, then so could he, but what if he fell, bags and all, over the side?
When they reached the top, he saw a man in what looked like a uniform, put out his hand and say, “Tickets!” The man was short with a belly falling out of his shirt. He’d secured a jacket at the front, with the only button William could see, above his belly. The jacket was stretched so tightly, it looked like the button wouldn’t last much longer. He had a peaked cap and smiled broadly as though such a welcome would ensure the comfort of his customers. A grubby hand hovered expectantly in front of the lady.
“Has everyone in this God forsaken country taken leave of their senses? You stupid man. How do you think I can present you with our tickets when I have a babe in arms? Do you think I can put the babe down? Or, shall I give it to you?” She clumsily tried to give the man the baby while holding the umbrella under her arm.
The smile vanished from the man’s face. At this point, the baby started screaming. The man shrank back and waved the lady on board. He then stopped William. The smile returned as though he was glad to be able to resume his job. “Yer ticket!”
The lady stopped and turned. “Do you think those bags are his? They’re my bags, you idiot, and if you let me on, you have to let him on, too!”
People started to queue, and there were shouts of, “What’s going on? Why are we stopped?”
The uniformed man decided to take the easy way out and waved William on board.
The baby still screamed as the lady, struggling with the children and the umbrella, got to a seat on the open deck and collapsed onto it. William put the bags on the deck in front of her and held out his hand.
“Yes, boy, you have earned your money, and I’ll give it to you shortly. Before I do, let me ask if you’ll come with us and help me again when we arrive at Liverpool?” “Will I get another sixpence?”
“Of course,” said the lady quickly.
“How long does it take? How will I get back?”
“Why, all night and you’ll find someone to help on the way back, so you’ll earn more money.”
William stared at her, his mind a tangle of doubts and questions. Well, he thought, I’ve worked all day… and now I have the opportunity to earn two more sixpences and the work was easy.
“I’ve got a job here, and they expect me in the morning. I’ve never been on a ship. I don’t know what to do,” he said finally.
“You’ll be with us. We’ll stay out here. The first- and second-class passengers can go inside, but that’s not us. It’s all right out here provided it doesn’t rain. They’ll give us some food once we leave the docks. The children and I will sleep in the chairs. You can sleep on the deck.”
“What’s the deck?”
“You’re standing on it.”
There were now lots of people gathered all around, most with bags, many with children. Most people were well dressed, like the lady, but there were some poorly-dressed country people like William. He was pleased to see some of his kind, and he didn’t feel so alone.
There were not enough seats, so while many people were seated, many also stood. He thought about the job he had here in Belfast where he earned sixpence for a day, compared to helping the lady where he got sixpence to carry a few bags.
As William thought on the lady’s proposition, the man in the uniform called, “All aboard!” and the gangplank was pulled away.
The lady gave a triumphant smile and said, “It looks like your mind is made up for you.”
They were about to move away from the dock. There was a swishing sound coming from both sides of the ship. Its horn blew loudly. It trembled, then shook as the men on board and those on the docks released its moorings. The ship moved slowly at first, taking its time to get away. There was little excitement from either the ship or the docks. The passengers looked bored, as though this was a familiar trip. William wasn’t sure whether he was scared or excited. Then the bow was out into the river, and she picked up speed, leaving the docks behind, the noise from the side becoming louder, and the ship moving faster.
There were no sails, and a lot of smoke came from a large pipe above them, flowing over the back, causing distress to the animals in pens and some of the passengers in its path. The animal pens were all at the rear, and there were mostly sheep and goats, although William could see a few cattle as well.
He was surprised to feel calm, even though he was leaving Ireland. He’d never been away from Ireland and never on the water before and didn’t know what to expect. He’d seen boats on the Lough Neagh and Six Mile Water but had taken only passing notice. The ship shook a lot more now, and he wondered at the cause. It picked up even more speed as it went down river. He shivered as the wind caused by the speed, freshened.
The lady noticed and speaking loudly to be heard over the noise from the sides, said, “You’ll be cold. There are blankets over there, and we are allowed to use them. Be a good boy and fetch some for us.”
William picked his way carefully through the crowd gathered on the deck, took two blankets from a pile and returned to the lady. She had her children sitting in chairs on either side of her, but both resting against her. The baby was asleep in her lap.
As William sat, a steward came around. “Biscuits! Tay!” he called, and people helped themselves. There was an immediate crush as though passengers were afraid there wouldn’t be enough.
The lady nodded at William. “Be quick, boy. We’ll all need some, or we’ll go hungry and thirsty.”
He got up, joined the throng and fetched mugs of tea and biscuits for them both. He saw the lady break hers in half and dip the halves in her tea before feeding them to the children. William did the same. The biscuits were about as big as his hand and as thick as his thumb – hard, dry and not sweet. It wasn’t much, but he was grateful for it.
William heard the lady’s little girl ask, “What kind of ship is this, Mummy?”
“Why, darling, it’s the same type as the one we used last time.” “I forget. Tell me again.”
“Well, it’s called a paddle steamer and that’s because it’s got paddles on each side that turn and pull the ship along.”
“How do the paddles turn?”
“There’s a big engine underneath us that turns the paddles.”
“I don’t think this ship is as big as the last one.”
“You might be right. Daddy told me this one is about twohundred feet long, twenty-five feet wide and ten feet deep.”
“The engine can’t be that big, then. You said it was big.”
“Why do you think the engine isn’t that big?”
“You said the ship is ten feet deep. If they put the engine underneath us, then they have to fit it in ten feet. Ten feet, isn’t much. Daddy is ten feet tall.”
“Why do you think Daddy is ten feet tall?”
“Grandma says he thinks he is, so I think he is, too.” “Will they use the sails?” asked her little boy.”No, darling. They only use those if the engine breaks, and it’s not going to break. Daddy said this is a new ship.”
They were leaving the river and entering the open sea. It was dark now, and William struggled to see anything in the direction of the land. There was nothing but blackness in the direction of the sea. The ship started to move up and down as well as roll. He didn’t feel at all well and wondered if the biscuits and tea had made him sick. As he thought about it, some people moved to the rails at the side and were sick into the sea. The smell came to him on the breeze. He thought he might be sick himself.
The lady noticed and said, “Lie down, boy. Flat on the deck and the feeling should pass.”
“Why?” asked William, stretching out. Others did the same and space to lie became scarce.
“It’s seasickness. Not everyone is affected, but many are. Depends on how rough the sea is. I’m told that if you are out on the sea for a few days, you get used to it. My longest trip is to cross the Irish Sea, so I don’t know the truth of it.”
William didn’t feel a lot better lying down, but in a few minutes, he was sound asleep.
He woke to daylight and the blast of a horn. He looked around in surprise, remembering where he was and was pleased to have slept through the night. It was cool, so he kept the blanket pulled around his shoulders. A beautiful blue, cloudless sky formed a cobalt canopy above him. Sunlight sparkled off the waves. Seagulls wheeled about, calling their anger and distress about the lack of something to eat, some settling on the ship and others on the waves.
The ship still bounced about, but not as much as last night. Many of the people around him were asleep. The lady and her baby were asleep, too, but her children were awake, sitting quietly, waiting for their mother. The uniformed man appeared from a room nearby.
“Liverpool!” he called out. “Make yerselves ready to get orf at Liverpool!”
The passengers started to stir. William was desperate for a piss, but had no idea where to go. He saw a man bring a bucket from a room and go to the back of the ship.
“Look out!” the man called. “Bucket man.”
The people standing nearby shrank back and moved well away from the man. He threw the contents off the back of the ship, and William could see and smell what it was. Some of it blew back on the breeze and landed on the man’s jacket. He brushed it away absently and brought the bucket back to the room. Once he had done so, William noticed some people forming a queue at the door.
“You can join them,” said the lady. He hadn’t noticed she was awake. He got up, dropped his blanket and stood in the queue. When it came to his turn, he went into the room and pulled the door shut behind him, as the others had done. There was a lamp hanging from the ceiling, so he could see, and it swung back and forth slightly as the ship moved. The no longer empty bucket was also set in something, so even though the ship was moving, the contents moved only slightly.
The room was dirty, like at Molly’s, where someone’s aim had been off. Standing carefully, he pissed as well as he could despite the ship’s movement. He finished and left the room. The queue was bigger now, and the bucket man hovered nearby, as though expecting to be of further service shortly.
He got back to the lady. She fed the children with a biscuit she had kept. Once again, she broke it in half, but not to dip into her tea as she had none. She gave them half each, and they gnawed at their pieces like a dog with a bone. Once the children were occupied, she drew her blanket about herself and breast-fed her baby. William was surprised. He’d not ever seen anyone do that in public, although he’d seen his mother feed his brother and sisters and thought nothing of it. Not that he or anyone else could see anything, so the feeding went unnoticed by the other passengers.
The Liverpool docks were very close now, and they looked like Belfast, only everything was bigger. There was frantic activity accompanied by all the noise, to which he had become accustomed. The ship slowed, and there were men on board and on the docks, standing ready. Suddenly hitting the docks, the people on deck stumbled when the ship stopped abruptly. Men on the docks threw ropes to the men on the ship, and it was tied securely.