The Woman Who Lived On The Docks

The Woman Who Lived On The Docks

By Paul McCann

Barbara lived down by the markets inside an empty shipping container that had been left opened for her by a kind docker who saw her sleeping out at night . During the day she begged for food and at night she returned to the shelter of her home inside the  container in an alley way by the low dock . Inside the steel walls was a drab picture of the old woman’s life .A wedding dress hung on a coat hanger from a protruding bolt in the wall , an steel table sat on the floor with trophies she had won from her dancing days  . A photo of her and man in a frame sat with plastic flowers in a jar .  There were some small bottles of  perfume and model of a jet fighter on a stand.

The old woman had little comforts but was happy to have shelter from the wind and rain inside the steel container . At night she often dreamt of having hew own little home with a fireplace to keep her warm and a kitchen where she could cook .

Barbara often imagined what her home would look like and how she could make some  renovations around her little home with curtains on the windows and rugs on the floor . The picture of her own little home were almost living images in her mind but then other images of other times remined her of the past when she was a bank teller with a busy life with a promising future as a dancer on a Broadway show that was going to launch her name up in lights with all of the stars in Hollywood .

Her dreams of stardom faded away the day when Danny was killed , Danny was her fiancé and his plane was shot down in the war . They had set a date to be married after his last flight before the war came to an end but his untimely death put an end to everything .  Barbara stopped communicating with people after Danny died .

She left her job and just disappeared . Her family had no idea where she was and the police were never able to find her . Babara had become another missing person in the world .

With no attachments to anything or anybody Barbara lived alone inside a shipping container . She begged for food and kept out of sight at night . It was almost like she died as well after Dannys death , She was so madly in love with him and couldn’t live without him . Barbara never moved on .

One night while Barbara was sleeping inside the container she heard a knock on the front steel door  She mumbling and grumbled for a little while to herself ..

“Who’s knocking out there at this of the night . leave me alone all right . “

The knocking persisted .until eventually Barbara said ,

“ Wait a minute , I’m coming .“

When she opened the door , there was no one there . So she went back to lay down on the ground until there was another knock on the door .

“It’s Danny “

A voice said .

Barbra sat up and ran to open the door but once again there was no one there .

She went outside to have a look around and then she said ,

“Who ever you are , you better stop this carrying on . Don’t be messing me about with your knocking . Go away and leave me in peace . “

Then She went back inside and lay down  .

The next morning when she woke up she saw that the front door of the container had been opened . Then she noticed that the photo of Danny on the table was missing .

She looked around everywhere wondering where the photo had gone and then she remembered the knocking om the door and the voice that spoke .

She thought maybe she had dreamt it all but then she thought how did the front door get opened because she had a latch on the inside  and she remembered she had locked it before going to sleep . She went out early to catch the first of the merchants who would arrive with their carts to the market . They knew her and always gave her some hot mutton pies and warm soup . Then as she sat in her usual spot in the morning sun of the steps of the sea mans mission she saw something that unsettled her , a man who looked like Danny, approached her with a photograph in his hand and he reached down and placed it at her feet and said ,

“I’ve come back to tell you its time to let me go . I can’t rest in peace Barbara . “

He left the photograph with her and just disappeared right there in front of her eyes.

Barbara took the photograph and stood there in shock for a while . Then she began to walk around the streets looking for Danny but she wasn’t able to find him anywhere . Then she returned at the end of the day to the steel container . She checked the latch twice on the inside of the door to make sure it was locked then she went to lie down .  She fell asleep and in her dreams she sat in front of the fireplace in her little home and with the mantle clock ticking away she heard someone knock on the window .When she turned to look and saw Danny looked at her through the front parlour window of her little  house . She jumped up  from the chair and opened the window and Danny said , :”Barbara please , you have to let me go . I can’t rest at peace .“

At that very moment Barbara woke up from her sleep . She sat there for a minute before screaming out a couple of times ,

“Danny , why did you have to leave ?”
“There was a knock at the front door of the container .

“I know you’re in there so open up before I have to drag you out by your feet into the street “

Then all of a sudden it went silent . Barbara sat there and thought she must have just imagined it all and went to check that the latch behind the door was locked  . She lit a candle and put in on the table beside Dannys photograph . She couldn’t sleep and sat there until morning came when she left to catch the market men on their way to set up their stalls . Barbara approached the first of the  men who was putting up a stall with some potatoes and onions .  

“Good morning sir , could you spare a coin or two lease “

Barbara asked , The man turned around and Barbara froze ,

“Good morning Barbara . Its time to let me go now . Can’t you see , I can’t be at rest with your grieving . See what I’m trying to tell you . If you have love for me them please let me be at peace . “

“Danny, it’s really you , I can’t live without you . Can’t you see , none of this should have happened . Our future , our wee dream house “

Danny looked at her and said .

“ Barbara . What happened to me had to be , but you have chosen to live the way you do . You have a life to live.”

 

Barbara looked away nervously  .

“ Don’t talk that way to me Danny . You are everything I ever had “

 

“I’ve got to be on my way now .“ and he disappeared out of sight .

 Barbara walked around all day talking to herself trying to come to terms with everything ,. Then she noticed a poster advertising for some dancers in a new show being produced called  :Danny Boy .

She started laughing with a crazy sound in her voice . A man came out from a shop opposite and walked over to her saying

 

“ Don’t mind me but I’m told you once used to dance , maybe you should have another go ?’

The man walked away as quick as he had come . Later that night Barbar returned to the steel container and tried on her old dancing shoes before lying down on the ground . She fell asleep and in her dreams she was back in a place where Danny and her used to go dancing . She twirling and swirled with him the way they use to and Danny looked at her and smiled and said ,

‘Dance for me always where ever you go “

In her dream they danced all through the night and in the morning Barbara walked out of the steel container with her dancing shoes in her hand . After having some bread and butter scones from a market man and a cup of warm tea , Barbara made her way over to the theatre who had an advertisement for some dancers.

She was given an audition and those who watched her dance were speechless.

The producer said under his breath to some of the people there ,

“ We have a star folks  . Sign her up and don’t let her go .“

Yes it was true , Barbara had found her dream and she was offered the starring role in  “:Danny Boy “ which soon became a blockbuster on Broadway .

From that moment Barbara never say Danny again and in her heart now she knew that he was a peace .In her eyes she danced with her Danny boy and that gave her a reason to change her life and make things happen they way they did .

The show ran for many years on Broadway and Barbara had now got her own little home in Hollywood where she loved to sit in a rocking chair at night by the hearth looking into the glowing embers with memories  of the man who came from beyond to help her through the darkest time of her life .

 

The End