Loving, Living, Party Going (31 page)

Joe Gates stood by tap in factory, drinking water, and Mr Tupe came by wheeling barrow of coke. 'What'll you 'ave' Tupe cried and Mr Gates answered him 'a pint of mild.' 'It's strange to see you drinkin' water' and Gates said he could hardly believe it of himself but they had been casting in their shop and running metal made their shop warm in such weather. Maybe Aaron Connolly had the only cool job, he said, up on travelling crane in the machine shop among draughts; but it was cold up there in winter. Tupe said perhaps that was why he was so mingy, not a penny coming from his pocket without his making a groan. But he had been paid out for it. Had Joe Gates heard, he asked, about the other night, and reason for Aaron Connolly's black eye next morning. He had told his son it wasn't right him paying so little in at end of the week at home, 'not as if Aaron drew more'n labourer's wages though he be on the crane,' Tupe said. 'But 'is son up and knocked him spark out, and he done a good job that night.' Mr Gates laughed and said that would teach him. 'Ah and his missus' said Tupe 'dropped the chamber pot on his head not so long ago when 'e was at her for buying a 'aporth of salt, her being on the landing as he were coming upstairs.' They walked through machine shop, Joe Gates laughing with Mr Tupe when five-eighth spanner fell from above close to them. They looked up and saw the crane but they could see no one on the crane. 'Hi Aaron' bawled Mr Tupe and Mr Connolly's face came out over side of it, 'Hi Aaron you'll be killin' people next dropping things, bein' like palsied from 'oldin' too tight on to yer money.' 'In 'ell they will stoke the coke on your tongue babble baby' he answered and several men laughing at Tupe, Gates also, he went off with his barrow load. Mr Gates went to the stores.

Just then in iron foundry shop Craigan look up from big cylinder he was making and beckoned to boy who was one of the boys making cores. This one came up. Craigan said how would he like piece of cake and while boy ate piece of cake he said it was easier for boys in foundries now than when he started. Boy said it may have been but all the same wouldn't have been a misery like Craigan in any iron foundry, not to touch him, not since they
started. Mr Craigan said in his young days you could never have said that to a moulder when you were core boy. 'You would say worse' boy said and Craigan said this one would never make a moulder. 'And your mate' boy said ' 'as been laughin' with old Tupey this last 'alf 'our, I seen 'em' boy said earnestly. Craigan answered him 'Clear off my lad and don't tell tales.'

Mr Milligan who was storekeeper told Joe Gates about his health. But soon he came back to iron foundry and Dale told him to look out against Mr Craigan.

'What will we do with him? Beauty, when you grow to be a man, eh, what will we do with you?'

Waking, Mr Eames turned over. Rain came down outside.

'When you grows to be a man, a man.' She put her face up against his. 'Maybe like your dad you'll be a turner when you're a man. Beauty!' She sighed. She fed him. She felt cold, and he was warm.

His father said: 'a turner like his dad?' and she answered for him saying: 'Yes and so long as 'is lathe goes round he'll be there, earning 'is money like 'is dad.'

Mr Eames said it always did rain in this town though garden would benefit.

'When you're grown you'll be a turner, lovely, when you're grown up. We shan't be up to much work not when you've been a man for long so you'll look to our comfort when we'll have worked to see you come to strength. Beauty, ma's cold but if she draws up the clothes you'll stifle seeing you're still at me.'

Mr Eames sneezed again.

'And when you're grown you'll marry and we shall lose you and you'll 'ave kiddies of your own and a 'ouse of your own, love, we'll be out in the cold. (Ain't it chill this morning?) Why do we bring kids into the world, they leave you so soon as they're grown, eh? But you don't know one of these things yet. But sure as anything you'll leave us when you're a man, and who'll we 'ave then, eh cruel? Sons and daughters why do we bring them into the world?'
She was laughing. 'Because, because' she said laughing and then lay smiling and then yawned.

' "Yes I'm goin' to Orstrylia" 'e said' said Aaron Connolly to Mr Eames, ' "I'm goin' to Orstrylia, don't care what no one says but I'm goin'," 'e said. And I told 'im not to be 'asty but to bide 'is time, that's what I told 'im – "it am a grand country for one that 'as some money," I said, "but it am a 'ard bleeder for one that ain't."'

'That's right,' said Mr Eames.

'It am right' said Mr Connolly. 'I told 'im right but 'e wouldn't listen. "It am a grand country" 'e said to me, "this be a poor sodding place for a poor bleeder," 'e said. "I'm for going'." I said "don't be a fool 'erbert, sure as your name's Tomson you'll be back within the year without you go Christmas time and where'll you be then?" I said. 'E laughed and made out 'e'd 'ave this trip any road and I told 'im 'e'd be laffing tother side of 'is mug when 'e got back, "for what d'you get for nothin' not since the war?" I said. "Time was they'd give pint and a 'alf measure when you asked for the usual, but now they put publicans in jug if so 'appen they give yer a smell over the pint."'

These two were in lavatory. Mr Eames went so soon as he was done but Connolly waited there. He smoked pipe against the rules. Mr Bert Jones came in.

Aaron told him how Mr Tomson said he was going to Australia and Bert Jones said he had been the one to tell Aaron himself. 'Well now' said Aaron Connolly 'but 'e told me I'll be positive.' It seemed crazy notion anyway you looked at it said Mr Jones, why not go to Canada he said, though it was fool's game to go at all. Tupe looked in then. At once he went away. After Aaron Connolly said how he was glad always to see backside of that man's head he said Eames was poor sort of a chap, most likely ginger pop was all he could stomach, and Bert Jones lit cigarette. They gossiped. Mr Bridges came in then. He caught them smoking, both of them. He was very angry. 'Discipline,' he shouted, 'keep the shops going, I got to do it. When I come in, here I find you smoking. It's our bread burning away. I got to stop smoking. I don't come in 'ere once but I find someone miking. Firm'll be ruined. Debtor prison. Siam. Bankrupt.' He gave each fortnight's holiday after shouting much more.

When he was gone Bert Jones said Father had not been in for over twelve month. Aaron Connolly spat and said, 'It am Tupe done it. It am Tupe. Nor it won't be spanners I'll drop next time.'

They were in cinema. Band played tune tum tum did dee dee. She hugged Dale's arm. She jumped her knees to the time.

Couple on screen danced in ballroom there. She did not see them. Dee dee did da.

Tum tum tum tum tum. Dale did not budge. Dee dee de did dee. She hummed now. She rolled his arm between her palms. Da da did dee – did dee dee turn, ta.

'I do love this tune' she said.

'Ah' he said.

Did dee dee turn ta. Tune was over. She clapped hands and clapped. Applause was general. But film did not stop oh no heroine's knickers slipped down slinky legs in full floor.

eeeee Lily Gates screamed.

OOEEE the audience.

And band took encore then. Tum tum ti tumpy tum.

Lily arranged her hair. Dum dum di dumpy dum.

She hummed then. She moved her knees in time. Heroine's father struggled with policeman now in full ballroom. She did not watch but jumped her knees now. Da da did DEE – (what a pause!) – did dee dee turn ta. Great clapping of hands. Attendant moved up gangway and shouted 'Order please.' He moved down. Lily Gates said to young Mr Dale he didn't take much interest in nothing did he? 'Why not take a bit of fun Jim when it comes your way?' she softly said. He said 'I can't enjoy the music when I'm not in the mood.' 'Why you funny' she said' 'ave a mood then.' He said 'Don't call me your names Lil when there's so many can 'ear you.'

'Why they're all listenin' to the music.' She was whispering 'Jim!'

She hummed tune band was now playing whey widdle o.

'It's 'ot in 'ere' he said.

'H.O.T. warm' she said.

'Why they're playin' it again' she said. She looked at screen. She saw heroine's knickers again were coming down, now in young man's bedroom.

ooeee she screamed.

EEEEE the audience.

The band played that tune. Turn turn ti tumpy turn. Dum dum di dumpy dum. She jumped her knees to time. Da da DID DEE – (it wasn't her knickers after all) – did dee dee turn ta.

In Dupret factory man had now been put on guard over the lavatory door. He had to clock men in and out

'Seein' we're animals 'e's got to treat us as animals' Mr Bentley cried very much excited. 'Put a man on at the lavatory door, it ain't decent, seven minutes every day ain't long enough for a man to do what nature demands of 'is time, stop 'im a quarter 'our of 'is pay if 'e's a minute over why 'e ain't allowed to do it by law, I'm raisin' the question in the Club tonight, and if I was out o' work for three years I wouldn't take on a job of that description. It's plum against the laws of this land, checking men in and out o' lavatories and only seven minutes for each man. Why in kennels even they don't do it.'

'You go and see Tupe about it, Bob, 'e brought it on.'

'I know nowt against Tupe. There's no proof 'e went to Bridges when 'e saw Aaron here and Bert smoking. It ain't justice 'im sending Bert off for a fortnight and having Aaron stay back – no offence to you mate.'

'It am a bleeder. "Aaron" 'e says to me "Aaron I got no one but you to work that crane in your shop. But man" 'e said, "the next time and you're sacked and out you go." It am a bleeder.'

Joe Gates was saying as much to Mr Craigan in iron foundry shop. And Dale asked him why he went round with Tupe then and Mr Gates said me never and Dale said he seen him and Joe Gates answered it might have been once. (They were ramming.) Gates said Tupe should have tongue cut and why didn't some of the shop go and dig his grave in his back garden to show him. When he smiled it rained, Mr Gates said of him, and he'd be glad when he was dead: 'glad, more'n glad, I'll go straight into the boozer and 'ave one.'

'Think you'll live to see 'is 'earse?' Dale asked him.

'Me' cried Mr Gates 'with my clean life and 'is dirty living, me?' cried Mr Gates.

Mrs Dupret and her son, (who had walked round factory with Mr Bridges) these two were in drawing-room of the London house; each had engagement book, hers she had laid on her knees, he held his up close to his nose, so she would not see him picking his nose.

She said: 'Tuesday fortnight then is the first evening I've got free.'

Slowly he turned pages.

'No I can't manage Tuesday fortnight I'm dining with the Masons for their dance.'

Mr Tarver came home.

'The old man's been at it again' he said to wife. 'Been and sacked my best fitter.' 'Jim!' said Mrs Tarver. 'Yes sacked 'im, said 'e was faking his time on the outdoor jobs but it's spite, that's it go and sack the only man who can put up my work and then expect me to carry on.' 'It's low' said Mrs Tarver. 'Low' said Mr Tarver, 'low' he said 'but when Walters comes down Wednesday from the London office I'll speak straight out to him, but it's crazy, 'ow can you do your work conscientiously and be 'eld up like this and a pistol put to your heart. It is a firm. It's a policy of obstruction. Do you know what 'e did today on top of that, 'e caught two men lounging about and gave one a fortnight's holiday and let the other johnny off. Well you can't do things like that. You can't run a factory on those lines, one rule for one and none for the other. I'll go raving mad. Then my fitter.' 'It's downright low' said Mrs Tarver. 'Whitacre was the only man I could trust,' he said, 'the others would put a spanner into the job and wreck it to please 'im, or they didn't know the difference between a nut and a washer. It's no wonder we're the laughing stock of every firm in Brummagen. If I 'ad a better chance I'd go this minute. But I got nothing to show for it, 'e's seen to that, 'olding my stuff up in the shops and in the end, after you've 'owled to get it, turning out a job a dog wouldn't sniff. Then 'e says it's the design, while 'e can't read a drawing. Why if you asked 'im the principle underlying the simple bolt and nut 'e couldn't tell you. It's sickening. I'm wearing away the best years of my life. Walters's in league with him, 'e's backed 'im up all along. There's only Archer on my side. I'll write to Mr Dupret, that's what I'll do. I saw 'is son but 'e's
a schoolboy, 'e didn't take it in. That's what I'll do. I'll write to Mr Dupret.'

'You write to Mr Dupret, John, and act by what your conscience tells you and he'll see you're a honest man.'

'That's right, I'll do it. What is there for supper? I'll write after I've 'ad a feed. I'll put it to 'im this way, I'll say...'

He wrote to Mr Archer, chief accountant in London office, instead.

Mr Bridges picked up letter in his office.

'Ah these cylinders, they're a worry' he said to Miss Alexander, typist. 'In business there's always something wrong, I've had my share of it. These big cylinders, you never can depend on them. And 'ere's Simson howling for delivery and Walters been shouting for 'em from London. I said to 'im on the telephone, "What can I do?" Can never depend on a foundry, same job same men and perhaps they'll go three months without a waster and then they'll get a run of seven that are scrap and a loss to the firm. It's enough to drive you crazy, eh?'

'Yes Mr Bridges.'

'Tarver sent those drawings down?'

'Not yet Mr Bridges.'

'Then why the devil not eh? Here I am, been waiting for 'em six weeks now. What's up with the man?'

'He's been very excited lately ay think.'

'I can't understand Tarver. What's the matter with him anyway. I can't live with that fellow about, my life's no pleasure to me. And I take him with his wife out in the car, there's nothing I don't do, keeping everyone happy.'

'Yes and grateful you'd hardly believe' said Miss Alexander, 'ay don't think he knows the meaning of a long word layke that, why he said you were crazy only yesterday Mr Bridges.'

'What? Eh? What d'you mean? How do you know about that any way?'

'He said it to my face.'

'Did 'e? In front of you. It's a comedy ain't it? What's 'e mean. Crazy am I? You see who'll be in Siam first, him or me. That's what it is, you work with a man, you make things difficult for yourself to be pleasant and easy, and then 'e rounds on you. Spits in your face.
It's dis'eartening. Walters knows how things are and 'e can't abide the man no more than me. I'll see him. I'm through. Done up. Who's manager here, perhaps 'e can tell me, Mr lord Tarver? Yes, who's boss here? Said it to your face? I'll wait till tomorrow though. I might raise my 'ands to 'im if I saw 'im now. Yes there's no knowing what I might do to him, so his mammy wouldn't know 'im.'

Four o'clock. And now men in iron foundry in Mr Dupret's factory straightened their backs for the fan had been started which gave draught in cupola in which the iron was melted. They stood by, two by two, holding ladles, or waiting. Craigan and Joe Gates and Dale stood by their box ready weighted for pouring and in which was mould of one of those cylinders. They said nothing. They had worked all day. The foreman stood near by. They waited. Gates was tired. Foreman stood near by. Mr Craigan threw spade to ground then which had been in his hand. He went up to foreman.

'I know there's been three wasters off this job better'n nobody. But man I'll tell you this'ns a good un.'

'Right you are Phil' foreman said and moved away. 'I can't sleep at night for those cylinders' he told himself again, 'I can't sleep at night. I took tablets last night' he told himself 'but did I sleep, no I did not. No I didn't sleep,' he said to himself, moving away.

'Dirty bleeder, what call 'as 'e to stand waiting for?' said Mr Gates muttering.

'You talk more'n is natural in a man' Mr Craigan said and then no word was said between them not while their eight ton of metal was carried them in a ladle by the crane or after when they fed their casting, lifting their rods up in the risers and letting them down, and again and again.

Later moulder going home, his boxes cast, called to Gates saying : 'is it a good one this time Joeie?' and Mr Gates answered him it would be if his sweat was what it used to be.

In the foundry was now sharp smell of burnt sand. Steam rose from the boxes round about. On these, in the running gates and risers, metal shone out red where it set. On Mr Craigan's huge box in which was his casting Mr Craigan and Jim Dale stood. They raised and lowered long rods into metal in the risers so as to keep the metal molten. Steam rose up round them so their legs were wet
and heat from the molten metal under them made balls of sweat roll down them. Arc lamps above threw their shadows out sprawling along over the floor and as they worked rhythmically their rods up and down so their shadows worked. Mr Craigan called to Gates to take his place. He got down off the box. He sat himself on a sieve and wiped his face. And all this time as the metal set and contracted down in casting so metal which they kept molten by disturbing it with their rods, sank in the risers down to the casting. So their strength ebbed after the hard day. Mr Craigan's face was striped with black dust which had stuck to his face and which the sweat, in running down his face, had made in stripes. He put hands up over his face and laid weight of his head on them, resting elbows on his knees.

Continuing conversation Mrs Dupret said to her son well she was sorry it could not be then, she had so wanted they should have one quiet evening together, well it would have to be another time. He said some other time. Immediately he thought: 'When I am with her I echo as a landscape by Claude echoes.' She yawned. She said it was so boring discussing engagements and he answered he thought planning the evenings most important part of the day. Immediately, as was his custom, he analysed this and thought very clever what he had said, and correct.

She yawned and said she was tired, season was so busy.

He said he was tired, last night had been late.

'Whose dance dear?'

'The White's. I was back at four. And tonight it will be late again,' he said. 'I take Mary on to Prince's after Mrs James' dance.'

They went in to dinner, Mrs Dupret and her son. Butler and footman brought soup to them.

'James' said Mrs Dupret after searching 'I left my handkerchief upstairs' and footman went to get this.

'Now this is very unexpected' she said to son, 'Emily threw me over and here you are when I thought we were never going to have our quiet evening together.'

'Dolly chucked me. I'm tired. It's so tiring in the train.'

'Yes trains are very uncomfortable now. You went to the works at Birmingham today didn't you? Tell me about it'

'Well there's nothing to tell really. I'd never been before you know. It was all grimy and tiring. It was so dirty there that I had to have a bath as soon as I was back before going out to tea somewhere. Where did I go for tea now? But no matter, yes, the works, yes you know there's a kind of romance about it or perhaps it's only romantic. In the iron foundry the castings, they call them, were very moving. And there was a fellow there who had a beautiful face, really beautiful, he was about my age...'

(He went on talking and she thought how true when she had told Grizel he was really so appreciative.)

'... but it was pretty boring on the whole.'

'Tell me' she said with fish before her, 'are you still happy in the London office?'

'It's all right, but of course I can't do anything. You can't shift Father, he's set in his ways and the others are like him, you've no idea of it, they've had no fresh blood in the show for years. Look at Bridges the manager at Birmingham, he's an old man, so's Walters our head man in London, they all are. A man came up to me in the works just now and said as much, he'd be Tarver I expect, he's about the only coming younger chap in the place. You see Father's all right in his way only he's slow, but he hasn't the time with all his other business.' And while he talked she thought what a success it had turned out, putting him into business.

'What we want in the place is some go and push' he said 'but it's what none of them seem to realize.'

She smiled and had occasion to sniff. 'Where can James have got to' she cried, breaking into his argument 'I sent him for a handkerchief while we were at the soup, and here we are in the middle of the fish.'

She pushed button of bell; this was in onyx. She laid hand by it on table and diamonds on her rings glittered together with white metal round onyx button under the electric light. Electric light was like stone. He was cut short by her. He was hurt at it. He kept silence then.

'Pringle,' she said to butler 'would you mind going up to see what has become of James?'

Mr Walters was saying in Mr Bridges' office at Birmingham factory if you took average profits of all engineering firms in the country
you found it was but three per cent. Mr Bridges said 'that's right, that's right.' Mr Walters went on saying were no profits anywhere, why look if they quoted for one of their big cylinders their price was double what those Belgians asked. 'It is' said Mr Bridges.

'It's wonderful isn't it?' said Mr Walters.

'You've got it' said Mr Bridges. 'Not as if' he said 'there isn't worry every minute either, it wasn't as if we sat still and did nothing. And you can't keep your men' he shouted. 'Whitacre now, one of the best fitters I've taught, what's he do? He goes and fakes his time. He's on a job outside and takes three days off and charges it on the firm. Says he was working. But I've got the letter here, from their manager, complaining 'e wouldn't stay on the job. I sacked him, had to. What can you do? Then I go into the latrines, what do I run into, more trouble two robbers sitting on the seat, without even their trousers off, smoking. I said to them 'You might as well go straight to the chief's back pocket and take the money from it.' That's right isn't it? I'm going to put a honest man on at the door to clock 'em in and out, seven minutes each man. And one of them was the crane driver in the machine shop, a key man. Then when I sack that Whitacre Tarver comes to me and says I did it to spite 'imself. To spite him! Said he was the only one could do his work. But I never get his work, that's where it is, I never get it down from the drawing office, I've been standing my thumbs tied for a drawing seven weeks now. What can you do, eh? 'E's no good.'

'I don't know Arthur, we've got to be careful. Young Mr Dupret thinks well of him, and his father does.'

'What's the young chap know of it?'

'I know but don't you forget he's the one the old man sees most often. If he was in his pram I'd still treat him like a lord. What do you know he tells the old man about us, the old man don't come into the office often now. He's getting shaky, he might be run into by a bus, with this circular traffic you're lucky if you get away with it crossing the street. He'll leave it all to his son soon.'

'And I've served 'im faithfully for fifteen years. It's a nightmare. Where am I, eh? Where do I stand then, tell me that.'

Mrs Eames put cold new potato into her mouth.

'Ain't they good' said she.

'They are' he said.

'Better'n what you could get up the road or if you took a tram up into town.'

'There's none like your own.'

So for a time they ate supper. She sat on then looking out of window. When she turned and put hands on table to get up and clear away supper she noticed those flowers.

'Why look' said she 'you brought 'em back from the garden only yesterday and I put them in that pot, and now all their faces've turned to the sun.'