The Narrowboat Girl Read Online Free PDF Page B

and he was clad in thick, brown corduroy trousers and heavy boots, and a thick jumper with a worn, black worsted jacket over the top and a
muffler at the neck. As he stooped, hands pressing on his thighs, one hand also held a black cap.
    She saw that the boat by which he was standing was a horse-drawn family boat, and she noticed too that the man’s hands, clasped so tightly on his thighs, were black with coal dust. Near
him, on the ground, was a galvanized bucket.
    At last the fit passed and he stayed in the same position for a moment, seeming exhausted by it, let out a low groan and shook his head quickly from side to side as if to shake the fit off.
Then, still bent over, he raised his head and looked up along the path. Maryann felt her heart beat with panic, and she stayed quite still. For a moment the two of them looked at each other in
silence. The man had a round face, though his cheekbones jutted a little, adding a chiselled look to it. His eyes, from the distance at which Maryann stood, looked dark and his gaze was strong and
unflinching. He stared at her without hostility. Just looked, taking her in. Then slowly, he straightened up and replaced the cap on his head.
    ‘’Ow long’ve you been stood there?’ His voice was soft and quite gentle.
    Maryann swallowed. She had been ready to run if he was angry or strange, but didn’t feel the need now. The man didn’t talk like Birmingham people, she noticed.
    ‘Only a minute.’
    ‘What’re you doing out? It’s Christmas, ent it?’
    Maryann shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She felt conscious of her stockings, wrinkled round her ankles. ‘Well, you’re ’ere.’
    ‘Well – yes, that’s true.’ She thought she heard him give a wheezy chuckle.
    ‘Why?’
    He indicated the boat. ‘I live ’ere. We ent s’posed to be ’ere – brought a load of coal from Cannock to the Borax Works – before Christmas that was. And got
blooming iced in, dint we? They ent ’ad the icebreaker out to free us up. I’ve been smashing it up at the edge ’ere to give ’er a wash out.’ He indicated the bucket.
‘Got to get the coal washed out, see, before we can put a new load in.’
    Maryann nodded and moved closer. The long hold of the boat was black with coal dust and the rope fenders were grubby with it too, but apart from that she looked in good trim. She was painted red
and yellow, with castles painted in the panels of the cabin doors, roses round the edge, and on the side of the cabin was painted her name, Esther Jane . Maryann looked at her with great
curiosity, at the painted water can on the roof, the brass trimmings on her chimney, from which drifted dense yellow smoke. She looked round.
    ‘Where’s yer horse?’
    ‘Old Bessie? Stabled up. Having a rest.’
    ‘Can I see inside?’
    The man smiled. She saw he had big, square teeth. The smile creased up his face and gave him a comical, cheeky look. ‘You’ll get dirty.’
    Maryann shrugged. ‘Don’t matter.’
    ‘Come on then – just for a minute but mind where you put your ’ands.’
    She thought he seemed pleased. He climbed aboard ahead of her and when she stumbled climbing down into the boat, he gripped her arm. He felt very big and burly and strong.
    ‘Go easy!’ Another low chuckle came from him. For some reason he seemed to find her rather amusing. ‘You don’t want to hurt yourself. Look – that’s the tiller
– what we steer the boat with. Now, come on in.’
    He opened the cabin doors and Maryann found herself stepping down into a miniature house. The man, who was too tall to stand upright in the cabin, sat down on a bench along the side, and
gestured for her to sit beside him.
    ‘There you go – this is our ’ome in ’ere.’
    She gazed round, astonished. It was like being in a magic story where everything had shrunk. In front of her was a little black-leaded range, which made the cabin so stifling hot that Maryann
unbuttoned her coat and took it off.