A Million Tears (20 page)

‘Evan,’ he gasped.

Evan leaned down took hold of Uncle James’ coat collar and with a swift prayer it would hold lifted at the moment Uncle James slipped, his strength giving out. Years of work in the mines had made Evan enormously strong in spite of his loss of blood, and years of eating frugally, barely having more than a starvation diet, had left Uncle James’ big frame little more than skin and bones. Evan plucked him up, pulled him half into the truck and then dragged him in. They lay gasping, unable to move.

‘Are you all right?’ Evan managed to whisper after a few minutes. He watched Llanbeddas pass behind for a second time and shuddered at the thought of how close he had been to capture.

‘I’m all right, Evan, just cold, that’s all.’ Uncle James paused. ‘I’ve an idea. Push some of the coal to one side and let’s try and burrow under. We need to hide in case we’re seen and it might give us some warmth.’

‘Let me just fix this bandage and we’ll do that,’ Evan said.

‘Let me do that, boyo.’ Uncle James crawled over to Evan. Deftly he rebandaged the wound, now bleeding again as much as ever. ‘How’s that?’

‘Thanks.’ Evan shivered. ‘Christ, I’m cold.’

‘Don’t move and I’ll shift this coal.’ Uncle James scrambled onto the centre of the pile and pushed the coal to one side. Evan crawled after him and tried to help.

They lay down in a shallow hole in the coal and covered themselves with the small lumps. From time to time one or other of them shivered, but at least the interval between spasms lengthened. Evan fell into an uneasy sleep, completely exhausted. Uncle James tried to keep awake but finally the rocking motion, the soothing noise of the wheels on the tracks and his own tiredness was too much.

He jerked awake to silence and wondered where he was. When memory of the night flooded back he groaned and sat up. He ached all over and a lump of coal stuck in his back was agonising. He shook Evan awake.

‘What time is it and where are we?’ Evan groaned.

‘Ten past seven and I guess in Cardiff.’

‘Hell,’ Evan sat up suddenly and groaned. ‘We must have been here over half an hour. We’re lucky we haven’t been found. We’ve got to hurry, Uncle James, the ship leaves at eight o’clock.’

‘This morning?’

Evan nodded. ‘I planned to return ages ago. David was to meet me near the ship with clean clothes and I was going straight on board.’

‘Your brother knew what you were going to do?’ Surprise showed in Uncle James’ voice.

‘No, I wouldn’t tell him. I just told him to meet me. I hadn’t expected to be in this state, though I’d expected to be dirty. He was a bit upset about my secrecy but I knew he would have tried to stop me if he had known. Between him and Meg I doubt I would have had the determination to go. Come on, let’s get away from here before it gets much lighter and somebody sees us.’ It was well past dawn and daylight was increasing rapidly.

Painfully, they crawled out of the coal and climbed over the side onto the ground. Evan staggered and fell. His leg hurt with a stabbing pain and he felt dizzy. Uncle James helped him to his feet.

The guard was shocked at the venom in the old man’s voice. ‘I’m only doing my job. You got to show your passes in and out now, you know that. It’s the new rules, see.’

‘Stuff it – just give me a hand with my friend. Isn’t it enough he’s been injured by one of the trucks hitting him without you wanting to see passes as well?’ He changed his tone from disgust to a plea. ‘Please friend. I’m all shook up by the accident. Just give me a hand through the gate, will you?’

The guard responded to the change of tone and helped to carry Evan a few hundred yards up the road. ‘I must go back now. I’m sorry about your leg mate. I hope it’s better soon.’

Evan and Uncle James nodded their thanks and the guard hurried away.

‘That was close,’ said Evan. ‘But I don’t think we’ll make it.’

They had a mile to travel to the other side of the docks and not enough time to walk it even if they were fit. The gods were still on their side: a moment later a hansom cab came along the street and Uncle James flagged it down.

‘I’ll pay you double fare if you get us to the ship for America in ten minutes or less,’ Uncle James said, helping Evan in.

The driver eyed their dirty, ragged clothes dubiously but before he could say anything Uncle James reached into his picket and held two shillings in front of the man. ‘Five minutes and this is yours.’

The driver turned on his seat and whipped the horse into a trot. His passengers leaned back with a sigh. It was a quarter to eight. Neither dared tempt the fates by asking whether they would make it or not.

The cabbie turned through a gate a few hundred yards along, ignored the guards and took a short cut across the docks. He knew the place well and within minutes they turned the corner of a large warehouse and saw the ship, only a short distance away.

The place was teeming with people laughing, crying, waving. A band played and streamers were thrown down from the ship by the hundreds lining the rails of the decks. The route to the ship was blocked by a high fence and the way in was through a low building. The hansom drew up at the door, Uncle James jumped down, threw the cabbie his fare and helped Evan. David rushed over to them.

‘Where on earth have you been? We’ve been going frantic. Meg’s about to come ashore again because they want to remove the gangway. Good God, you’re hurt. And what a state. What have you been doing?’ For the first time he recognised Uncle James. ‘Good God,’ was all he found to say.

‘Give me a hand, David. I’ll write you one day and tell you all about it, look you.’ Evan grinned through his pain and exhaustion, elated they had arrived in time. ‘Come on Uncle James, the ship won’t wait.’

He hobbled between them into the building. As they passed the ticket collector David waved his hand. ‘The passenger we were waiting for, my brother. He was . . . er . . . involved in an accident, that’s why he’s late and in such a state.’

They were beckoned through. The ticket collector assumed Uncle James was only helping. At the bottom of the gangway Evan looked up to see Meg. She had not noticed their arrival, staring fixedly at the main gate where she expected to see Evan arrive. The ship’s whistle sounded and Meg made up her mind to disembark.

‘Mam, it’s Da,’ yelled Dai, pointing down the gangway. ‘And look . . . look . . .’

Meg turned, the relief that surged through her changing to anxiety when she saw him.

Evan grinned at her, all his love welling up within him as their eyes met. Never again, he said to himself, never again. The risk was too great. The captain on the bridge leaned down and shouted. All eyes followed as Evan pulled his way up the gangway with Uncle James to one side and David behind him. So much for my inconspicuous arrival, thought Evan. Still, David’s idea about an accident was a good one and I’ll stick to it. Near the top Evan stopped and turned to his brother.

‘Thanks for everything, Dave. I’ll write, like I said, but I suspect you’ll hear soon enough.’ He held out his hand. ‘Good luck with the business and all.’

‘Here’s your parcel before I forget,’ David handed it to Evan. They shook hands.

‘Where’s Maud?’ Evan asked.

‘At home with a cab ready in case you turned up there, somehow. Take care, Evan and I hope all goes well in America. Come home and see us sometime.’

They smiled at each other, aware of the inadequacy of saying goodbye. The captain’s yells jerked them apart and David turned back down the gangway while Evan and Uncle James staggered onto the deck of the ship. Immediately the gangway was taken away and the seamen began casting off the berthing hawsers. None of the Griffiths’ saw any of this, because they were all talking at once, Meg in Evan’s arms crying, coal dust spoiling her new coat.

‘Evan . . . Evan . . . we were so worried. What happened? Uncle James, what are you doing here?’ She asked over Evan’s shoulder. Dai and Sion were trying to hug Evan and Uncle James at the same time.

The stir their arrival had caused was lost in the greater excitement of the ship’s departure. There were louder shouts and screams from the passengers, and everyone was frantically waving at relations and friends. Dai and Sion stood at the rails to wave goodbye to their Uncle David while the other three made their way down to the cabin.

It was tiny, with just enough room for four bunks and their hand luggage. Wearily the two men sank onto the lower bunks. Meg sat next to Evan, holding his hand tightly.

‘I was so worried, Evan, I didn’t know what to do. I had just made up my mind to leave when Dai saw you. What’s wrong with your leg? Uncle James . . . one of you tell me. Damn it I don’t know whether to cry or laugh now that you’re here.’ She smiled and at the same time wiped away her tears. ‘And just look at my coat. Oh, Evan,’ she put her arms around his neck, her face smudged with coal dust.

‘Meg, I need a bath and so does Uncle James. Then we need some sleep. Will you arrange another bunk somewhere for Uncle James? It doesn’t matter what it costs. We’ll just have to pay the price because there’s no going back for either of us now.’ Evan lay back and closed his eyes, exhaustion and pain sweeping over him. ‘Can you . . . fix it?’ he mumbled, asleep within seconds.

Meg tenderly straightened his legs out on the bunk. Uncle James also lay back but was not asleep.

‘What happened? Will you tell me? What happened to Evan’s leg?’

‘I guess I’ll have to leave the story to Evan. Where can I wash? I don’t want to dirty the sheets. Then if I could just sleep for a while here . . .’

Meg nodded. ‘If there’s a bunk available you can move later. If not, I don’t know what we’ll do. There’s a place to shower just along the corridor. I went to have a look earlier. Separate ones for men and women.’ She added as an afterthought, ‘I’ve never seen a shower before. And these electric lights,’ Meg flicked the switch on and off, ‘are truly wonderful.’

She left to find the purser’s office. When she returned half an hour later she found the boys sitting outside the door waiting for her.

‘They’re both sleeping,’ said Dai. ‘Uncle James is in bed but Da’s lying on the bed still dirty.’

Meg nodded absently. There was a bunk available in a two berth, second class cabin. The ship’s officer had rudely told her that unless they paid for the cabin the passenger would be put ashore. It was over sixty pounds. She had argued and pleaded but to no avail.

‘Dai, go and find me a bowl of warm water. Sion, come and help me undress Da. I want to wash him and put him into the bed. And listen boys,’ she lowered her voice to a whisper, ‘not a word to anyone about anything. Da’s hurt his leg. If anybody asks, say you don’t know what happened, understand? Not that you’re likely to be asked, but just in case.’

In the cabin she began to undress her husband and gasped when she saw how bad the wound was. ‘Sion put these clothes with Uncle James’ in the corner.’ She washed Evan as best she could and, using clean handkerchiefs she dressed his leg. Finally, she covered him with blankets from an upper bunk.

Meg listened to her sons talking about the ship. She was tired, not having slept all night, worrying about Evan. ‘Boys,’ she said, ‘go and wander around the ship, but take care mind and don’t go anywhere you’re not supposed to. I’m going to sleep for a few hours. If you come back and we’re still sleeping, please be quiet and don’t call us for dinner.’

‘Is Uncle James going to live with us now, Mam? I mean forever, like?’ Sion’s questions burst out of him.

‘Like he said Sion, it looks like it. That’s if you want him to, of course.’ She knew the answer and smiled at the serious manner in which her son answered.

‘I don’t know that either. He hasn’t told me yet. We’ll find out soon enough. Now off you go and remember what I told you. If anybody asks you don’t know anything.’

She climbed the ladder to the top bunk and lay down. The gentle motion of the ship and the throb from the engines lulled her and she slowly dropped off to sleep.

15

Evan slept solidly for thirty six hours. When he finally woke he lay still for a few moments to recollect his thoughts. With his returning memory, the ache in his leg seemed to get worse. When he tried to move Meg was right there beside him.

She smiled. ‘Hullo, Evan bach, how’re you feeling?’ She held his hand tightly.

With an effort he smiled back. ‘Fine,’ he croaked, his voice a whisper. He cleared his throat and tried again. ‘Fine love, but thirsty and hungry. What time is it?’

‘Just after half past eight on Tuesday. I’ll fetch some water and then go for some tea and something light to eat.’ She suggested. ‘I won’t be a minute.’

She slipped out of the cabin and Evan eased himself on the bunk. He felt light headed and weak. He tried flexing his leg but it had stiffened and hurt badly. Meg returned with a jug of water. Greedily he drank three cups and then sank back. ‘Ahhh, that’s better, thanks love. I had a mouth like a chicken coop.’ As Meg left the cabin he lay back, a sudden feeling of nausea sweeping through him. He was weaker than he had thought. He gave himself up to the gentle rolling of the ship. He dozed off. The next thing he was aware of was Meg seated on the edge of the bunk, a bowl and spoon in her hands.