The Havards Part Two

George was taken care of by a well organised underground.  He was hidden at the colliery in a loft above the maintenance shop.  Gil Merrick explained, 'There's a quarry in the north of England.  A gang of men are working up there.  They are mostly men on the run for fighting on demonstrations or who are blacklisted.  The pay is rubbish but they are paid cash in hand, no questions asked.  They have no living costs as they live in hen huts on the job.  One of our lads is driving a wagon load of equipment up to a colliery at Wigan tonight.  You will be on it.  At Wigan you will be taken on by motorbike.'

And so it happened.  The wagon driver was a short, stocky, tow headed twenty year old called Bobby Farr.  George noted, with some concern that, despite a permanent grin Tommy's face bore marks of a recent fight.  His nose was swollen as was his cheekbone.  He wore a cloth cap at a rakish angle and there was a trickle of blood from under it.  He drove hunched forward in the driving seat, focused intently on the road ahead and it was a good job he was focused as he was driving much too fast.  George watched in alarm as the gable ends of buildings or parked vehicles, reared up before them out of the darkness and then vanished.  He asked, 'Do we have to go this fast son?'

'I just want to get you clear away, then I'll slow down a bit.'  Bobby went on, 'You are a real fighting man George.  It's an honour to be doing this. That Spiby lived you know, all he's got is a fractured skull.  Still you did your best.  God I can't wait for the real fighting to start.'

George was puzzled, 'Fighting?'

Bobby pushed his cap back on his head, 'See that.'  George looked and saw a nasty scalp wound.

'God that's a bad one.' George said.  'How did it happen?'

Bobby's grin widened, 'I was up in London with Gil Merrick on that unemployed workers demonstration at Hyde Park.  The police set about us.  Baton charge after baton charge, bodies everywhere.  We fought them all day right across London.  We all got hit but the word went out, don't go to hospital, you will get arrested.  I was in a house getting my head seen to when the police burst in.  They said they were looking for looters.  They were foaming at the mouth.  They smashed everything up including the windows.  The women were holding up framed photographs, of men in uniform. Would you believe it they even smashed them.  One tried to arrest me but I smacked him with a bottle of milk and dived out through the broken window.  Bobby laughed, 'They were as mad as hell.  Mind you we had given them a hell of a fight but what we want is guns George and blokes like you to show us how to use them.  We are wasting our time with placards.'

George shook his head, 'Guns are no use to us.  The British Establishment has millions of guns Bobby and they wouldn't hesitate to use them on you.  What we need is our own people in parliament.'

Bobby struck the steering wheel in frustration, 'We' have just been through that in the last election and got totally betrayed.  You're on the run because of the means test they introduced.  Stone the crows George, I thought I was travelling with a real fighting man.'

When they parted company at Wigan, George said, 'Don't give up on reason Bobby.  It will prevail one day....and get that head wound seen to.'

Bobby gave him the thumbs up, 'Good luck George.  You old boys have had your shot.  It's our turn now.  Bobby Farr was killed in 1936, Fighting with the International Brigade at the siege of Madrid.

 

The family heard nothing from George.  It was too dangerous to get in touch.  He faced serious charges.  The good news was of Mel.  He had been taken on by a good football club in Lancashire and his career had started to take off.  Some of his exploits had made the local and then national press.  He had filled out physically and was scoring some fantastic goals.

 

Sian finished her days work and put on her coat to go home.  She put her hand in her coat pocket and pulled out an envelope.  She opened it and read that her father was in a hospital near Oldham.  He was close to death.  They must go quickly if they wanted to see him.

At home they sat in silence, Sian crying softly, Alan moist eyed, Gwen sat impassive. She was past crying  'Where is Oldham?' Sian asked.

'Near Manchester,' Alan replied.

'God all that way.'

Gwen left the room.  They heard her upstairs.  She returned with a match box and set it on the table, opened it and produced a ring.  'It was your Grandma's, all my rings have gone.  I was saving it for you when you married Sian.  The pawn shop will still be open.  Take it round, pawn it and get the train straight up there.'

Sian protested, 'You should go Mum.'

Gwen shook her head, 'You go, he will enjoy seeing you.  Me and Alan will manage.'

Gwen studied her mother. It was as if she expected to be left with only her son.

Alan walked to the bus stop with his sister.  As the bus rolled into view he asked, 'Are you coming back Shandy?'

Sian smiled, 'We'll all be together again somewhere down the road.'

At the station she bought a single ticket to Manchester.

 

And now here she was, sat holding her dying father's hand.  Georges chest heaved with his effort to breathe.  He opened his eyes.  Sian said, 'Dad it's me, Sian.'  George turned his gaze to his daughter.. With a great effort he spoke, his voice soft, breathless, 'Shandy,'  He smiled briefly and she felt the slight squeeze of his hand.  She went on, 'Mam sends her love, Alan has passed to go to the technical college.  Mel is playing football again.  He's been in all the papers Dad.'  George's eyes closed and he lapsed once more into sleep.  Two nurses arrived and asked her to step outside whilst they saw to her father.  As Sian stepped out of the cubicle a man entered the ward.  She saw that it was Mel.  They embraced.  'I got a note and travelled overnight,' Sian said.

Mel nodded, 'I got a telegram at my digs.  How is he?'

'It's pneumonia, the matron says prepare for the worst, within hours I think.'

The nurses emerged from the cubicle and Sian resumed her bedside seat and took her father's hand again.  'Dad Mel's here,' she prompted.  Again George mounted a great effort to reply, 'Mel,' again the wan smile, 'Mel.'

'Hello Dad,' Mel squeezed his father's hand and felt a response.  Georges breathing became even more laboured.  He mounted one last effort, 'Just like old times eh kids,' then his eyes closed again.  An hour later he became restless. He murmured, 'Gwen have we got company.  I can hear voices downstairs.'  Mel and Sian exchanged glances.  There fathers breathing suddenly became shallower and half an hour later he was dead.  Mel called the nurse.  Sian sat holding her father's hand.  The nurse gave them time to compose themselves and then directed them to the matrons office

'I am sorry for your loss,' the matron said.

She went on, 'We must clear up your father's affairs.  Have you any money?'

Sian shook her head.

'None?'

'We had some in the Co op but the means test.'  Sian shrugged.

'I see. Then your father will be buried by the parish.'

'We would like to have a Methodist minister there,' Sian said.

'I am afraid not,' the matron said. 'Your father will be buried without ceremony, possibly in a communal grave.  Take my advice, say goodbye to him here today, in our chapel of rest.  We will give him all the dignity and respect we can before he leaves our care.  Do you agree?'

'We agree,' Mel said.  'Thank you.'

The matron pressed a bell and her maid entered.  'Tell nurses Flowers and Ditchley to attend the Chapel of Rest.'

'Yes Matron.'  The maid exited quickly.

'It will take a few minutes to get everything ready at the chapel,' Matron said.  'It would help if you could fill these forms in.  It is for our case notes, details about your father and also there is an account here of the cost of your father's care.  It is for the hospital management board.  If you could just add up the figures and put in the totals please.'

Sian dutifully completed the forms.  The matron studied them and then said, 'When you have said goodbye to your father, I would like you to come back and see me.'

The chapel was pleasant.  George had been shaved and his hair combed.  The two nurses were there in there capes and sashes.  A lay preacher said a few words of comfort.  Mel and Sian said their goodbyes to their father then returned to the matron's office. Sian was clearly distressed.  The matron invited them to sit down.  'This is a very trying time for you she said.'

Sian asked, 'Can we have my father's belongings.  It would be a comfort to just have something.'

'There is nothing.'

'Not even his clothes?'

'We destroyed them.'

'Why?'

The matron hesitated, then said, 'They were infested with lice.'

 Sian gasped in horror.  Mel placed a hand on her shoulder as she fought to hold back the tears stinging her eyes.  'Dad was such a clean man,  He would have hated being in that state,' Sian said.  'He had enough of lice in the war.  It's so unfair.'

'Is it unfair Mr Havard?'  Matron Graham asked.

Mel shrugged, 'Dad brought a lot of it on himself but you wouldn't understand.'

'Oh I understand a great deal Mr Havard.  I grew up in the Lanarkshire coal fields.  My father is a doctor there.  I know a collier when I'm nursing one.'  She paused, checked the papers on her desk, and then, addressing Sian went on, 'You have a good command of English, and you are quick with figures.  Your hand writing is good.  How would you like to work at this hospital and train as a nurse?'

Sian was stunned, she glanced at Mel in wonderment before replying, 'I would like that very much matron.'

Matron Graham nodded then went on, 'You will train for three years before qualification by examination.  You will agree to work for this hospital for five years after qualification.  During that time you will live in the nurses' home.  You will refer to people by rank or surname, no Christian names on duty.  You will only be allowed to live outside the hospital when you reach the rank of staff nurse and then only with permission.  Your acceptance to study is conditional on you providing three references and passing a medical.  It is a big decision to make, would you like time to discuss it with your brother?'

'No' Sian said, 'I accept your offer Matron.  I am very grateful.  I never dreamed anything like this could happen to me.'

Matron Graham smiled briefly, 'Be warned, when you start work here you will be the first woman from your background to be given the opportunity to train as a registered nurse.  I will face criticism for employing you and you will face hostility, isolation and opposition from people at all levels from consultants to your fellow nurses, who are against employing working class women in this capacity.  Previously they have been restricted to working in mental institutions.  So do you still want to take it on?'

“Sian nodded, 'Yes matron, I won't let you down.'

'If you succeed Havard, other young women like you will get the same opportunity.  If you fail you will prove your detractors right.'

'I won't fail,' Sian said evenly.

Matron Graham smiled briefly.  She lent forward.  'Many people feel as I do. We are in a minority at the moment but that will change.  The country must change.  We face many challenges in the future, including war.'

'War!' Mel exclaimed.

Matron Graham nodded, 'Mr Hitler's thugs burnt down the German Parliament yesterday.  The Reich tag.  I am sure your country will be in need of your services and I hope you will be as willing to serve as your father was when war inevitably comes.'

'Yeah I'll give it go,' Mel said.  'Bloody Nazis I hate em.'

Sian raised her eyes to the heavens in her embarrassment.

Matron Graham was amused, 'You are not the footballer Mel Havard by any chance are you?'

'That's me,' Mel grinned.

Matron Graham returned her attention to Sian.  'I have some first class nurses but I want to create a centre of excellence here, with the best nurses drawn from all walks of life.  I have no interest in creating a sinecure for the daughters of wealthy patrons of the charity that supports the hospital or simply creating a safe pool of girls from the right background for the doctors to marry,' She smiled. 'So let's get to work Nurse Havard.'

Outside the hospital, Mel said 'Well that's a turn up for the book.'

Sian was emotional.  She started crying. 'I can't stand the thought of Dad in a communal grave and us not knowing where he is.  Have you any money Mel?'

Mel shook his head.  'I've just bought my landlady the latest washing machine and I own a greyhound now.  Queen Mab, If she's as fast as I think she is our troubles are over Sian.'

Sian groaned, 'Mel the last thing this family needs is a greyhound and why

 are you spending money on your landlady?  Why not spend it on us?'  She protested.

'I sent Mam a pound, in a letter.  She wrote back saying don't send money.  If the public assistance committee finds out we will end up in prison or lose our benefit altogether.  What can I do.' Mel shrugged.

'Nothing I guess,' Sian murmured through her tears.  Then she burst out angrily, 'Couldn't we rob a toff.  You could just bash him down!'  Mell was taken aback.

 'Whoa for Gods sake Sian.  You've just signed on to become a nurse, remember, a member of the caring profession.'  He laughed, then after a few moments he said, 'Okay I'll pay for Dad's funeral.  Here take my watch and pawn it.  I'll borrow the money somewhere.'