E G French
It's getting
dark now and me dad will comin' home soon. It’s Friday. I love
Fridays. Me dad brings us sweets home on Fridays. Gets them from
the corner shop e' does, Mr Jollys. Mr Jollys stays open late on
Friday 'cause we all get sweets on Friday night. Even little
Joey Smallwood gets sweets on Friday night and his dad is just
the cocky watchman down at the docks. It's 'alf
seven already. He'll be out the gates
by now!
Our street looks great now when it goes dark, we've got them
new lights stuck on the outside of the houses. There's one over
our front door. They’re electric they are. All the kids in the
street say our house is the best in the street because we’ve
got a light. Tannery Street has still got gas poles, just like
Stanley Street. It’s really great having a light by the door.
You can see everything, even at eight o’clock at night at
Christmas time. I was reading me comics on the step last night
an’ even Tommy McQuire hung around for a bit. It was great
until me mum made me come in, she said it was cold enough to
freeze the balls off of a brass monkey. I thought about that
for a bit.
Funny things mums!
I've got to go down to
Jollys' for a new gas mantle for the kitchen, 'ave to be careful with it, or
it'll bust. Me dad says we're getting' lecky in the 'ouse soon. If it stays
up that long. Hee hee
Thing is, it’s a bit
early just now to be getting’ off to Jollys' for a new mantle,
mum will be too busy with the baby to notice, and even if the
gas goes I’ll be back before she gets too mad.
I know what I'll do.
I’ll take me time getting to the end of the street, then I
might get to Jollys' just before me dad gets there, an' he can
give me me sweets before we get home and then our Billy wont
be able to pinch mine off me an’ eat them all like he did
last Friday, hee hee!
I’ll have to run past
the old witches' house though, or she'll turn me into a black
cat and kick me every day for a year. That’s what Billy Morgan
says anyways, an’ he should Know, livin’ where he does. ‘Ere we
go, one more step and then the next one’s hers.
Oooooh!, that’s her
window, I’m not lookin’. She can’t see me if I duck.
Phew! made it!
I'm going to open Jolly's door three times in one go and make that bell go wild.
Old Jollys’ face goes a sort of purple when you do that!
'Get away from that
bloody door Jack Dooley!'
'Sorry Mr Jolly, me
leg got stuck in the door, hee hee’
‘If you say so young
‘un, What can I get you now Master Dooley?’
'Can I have a tuppeny
gas mantle and a silver shillin’ for the gas.'
‘Gas mantles are
fourpence each and your mother knows it too!’
‘But she only give me
this…..’
‘You tell her this is
the last time’
‘Ok Mr Jolly, I’ll
tell her soon as I get home’
'Here, hold it
tightly, and don't run with that mantle or it'll be in bits by
the time you get home, then you'll really be for
it.'
'Ok, bye.'
'Get off that bloody
door!!'
‘Sorry Mr Jolly, me
leg..’
Me dad should be comin soon now. I'll just take me time going down the street,
except for by the witches house. I'll have to run past there.
'Oye, Jack!'
'Dad'
'Come 'ere you little
scamp, not so fast, watch out for those wet cobbles....ooomph,
up y'go.'
I love sittin on me
dads' shoulders, I can see all of the world from here. I can
see into his overcoat pocket, I can see me sweets.
'What 'ave you got
for me, dad.'
'Never you mind what’s
in there, you'll be getting’ your tea first or your mum will
skin me alive.'
‘Ok dad.’
From here I can smell the vinegar
coming up from the huge package that
I can see that he's carrying under
his arm. It’s a hot, tangy smell
which gets right up your nose and
makes your eyes itch. It's all mixed
in with the smell of the docks.
It’s the smell of cotton and soap
and peanuts, bananas and hemp, the smell
of home.
There's huge spiders
come off the banana boats and bite the dockers
if they’re not careful where they put
their hands.
Not me dad though,
he's too tough for that.
It's Friday and me
dads' just been paid. We're 'avin fish and chips for tea. It's
all wrapped up in those newspapers under his arm. We're going to
eat them out of the paper, no plates tonight.
Hold on tight, it's a
long way down.
