Sadie unrolled the ball to find it was an old pair of men’s combinations with an opening flap at the back. She tried hard to keep the laughter back but it rang out loud and clear, causing heads to turn. Feeling mischievous, she held the combinations against herself and asked, ‘Do they suit me?’
Mary Ann had turned from the customer she was serving and joined in the laughter. ‘Ay, girl, yer wouldn’t half get a click if yer went out wearing them.’
Even the old woman was laughing. ‘I’ll tell yer what, girl, if they looked as good on my feller as they do on you, I’d marry him again temorrer. The trouble is, he’s as thin as a ruddy drainpipe an’ if he wasn’t wearing clothes, yer wouldn’t be able to see him! He’s got legs on him like knots in cotton and he daren’t walk over a grid in case he falls down it. In fact, he’s that thin he hasn’t even got a shadow.’
Five minutes later the woman walked away with the combinations tucked under her arm and her purse lighter by fourpence. She turned to wave to Sadie. ‘Wait till I get home an’ tell my feller. He’ll laugh his bleedin’ head off.’
‘Tell him to mind he doesn’t catch cold from that flap in the back.’ Sadie called after her. ‘One strong gust of wind an’ he could be blown sky-high.’
Mary Ann came to stand beside her. ‘Yer’ve taken to this job like a duck to water, haven’t yer, girl? I’ll have to watch I don’t get me nose pushed out.’
‘I love it, Mary Ann. I feel as free as a bird when I’m here – all me troubles are forgotten.’ Sadie tucked her arm into the stall-holder’s. ‘Wasn’t that old lady a little love? I felt like giving her a big hug and a kiss.’
‘Yeah, she’s a character, is old Sarah. She’s been around for donkey’s years, as long as I can remember, so she must be knockin’ on eighty if she’s a day.’ Mary Ann removed Sadie’s arm and bent down to her special box. ‘I picked a dress out for yer.’
‘No!’ Sadie put a hand out to stop her. ‘I can’t buy anythin’ off yer today. I’ve got to have a pair of shoes – these I’ve got on are fallin’ to pieces.’ She lowered her eyes, shame flooding her body. ‘And me two brothers are goin’ around barefoot.’
Mary Ann was aghast. ‘They shouldn’t be your worry, girl. It’s yer mam’s place to see to them.’
‘I know it should be, Mary Ann, but if she doesn’t do it then someone else has to see to them. They look like ragamuffins all the time, clothes fallin’ off them and filthy dirty, but I can’t let them run around with no shoes on. All the kids must be laughing at them.’ There was fire in Sadie’s voice as memories came flooding back. ‘I know what it’s like to be laughed at. I had me bellyful of that all the time I was at school.’
Mary Ann opened her mouth then closed it again quickly. It was no good pouring oil on troubled waters. The girl was distressed enough without her adding her tuppennyworth. So when she spoke, her voice was gentle. ‘That stall over there sells shoes, and he’s a decent bloke, he’ll do yer a good deal. But yer’ll have to haggle with him over the price, same as the people do with me.’
‘I’m having an argument with meself inside,’ Sadie told her. ‘I’m desperate for shoes, and like yer said, the boys are not my worry. But I’d feel dead selfish if I saw to meself and left them running around barefoot.’
‘How much have yer got, girl?’
‘One and sixpence.’ Once again Sadie hung her head in shame. ‘I know it’s not enough for three pairs of shoes, but I thought if I could get meself seen to, and one of the boys, I could fix the other one up next week.’ She raised her eyes. ‘I’ve got a date to go to a dance on Friday and I couldn’t get on a dance floor in these, I’d be a laughing stock. If it weren’t for that, I’d leave meself until next Saturday.’
‘Look, let me go an’ haggle for yer, eh? You can mind the stall for me
Mary Ann had turned from the customer she was serving and joined in the laughter. ‘Ay, girl, yer wouldn’t half get a click if yer went out wearing them.’
Even the old woman was laughing. ‘I’ll tell yer what, girl, if they looked as good on my feller as they do on you, I’d marry him again temorrer. The trouble is, he’s as thin as a ruddy drainpipe an’ if he wasn’t wearing clothes, yer wouldn’t be able to see him! He’s got legs on him like knots in cotton and he daren’t walk over a grid in case he falls down it. In fact, he’s that thin he hasn’t even got a shadow.’
Five minutes later the woman walked away with the combinations tucked under her arm and her purse lighter by fourpence. She turned to wave to Sadie. ‘Wait till I get home an’ tell my feller. He’ll laugh his bleedin’ head off.’
‘Tell him to mind he doesn’t catch cold from that flap in the back.’ Sadie called after her. ‘One strong gust of wind an’ he could be blown sky-high.’
Mary Ann came to stand beside her. ‘Yer’ve taken to this job like a duck to water, haven’t yer, girl? I’ll have to watch I don’t get me nose pushed out.’
‘I love it, Mary Ann. I feel as free as a bird when I’m here – all me troubles are forgotten.’ Sadie tucked her arm into the stall-holder’s. ‘Wasn’t that old lady a little love? I felt like giving her a big hug and a kiss.’
‘Yeah, she’s a character, is old Sarah. She’s been around for donkey’s years, as long as I can remember, so she must be knockin’ on eighty if she’s a day.’ Mary Ann removed Sadie’s arm and bent down to her special box. ‘I picked a dress out for yer.’
‘No!’ Sadie put a hand out to stop her. ‘I can’t buy anythin’ off yer today. I’ve got to have a pair of shoes – these I’ve got on are fallin’ to pieces.’ She lowered her eyes, shame flooding her body. ‘And me two brothers are goin’ around barefoot.’
Mary Ann was aghast. ‘They shouldn’t be your worry, girl. It’s yer mam’s place to see to them.’
‘I know it should be, Mary Ann, but if she doesn’t do it then someone else has to see to them. They look like ragamuffins all the time, clothes fallin’ off them and filthy dirty, but I can’t let them run around with no shoes on. All the kids must be laughing at them.’ There was fire in Sadie’s voice as memories came flooding back. ‘I know what it’s like to be laughed at. I had me bellyful of that all the time I was at school.’
Mary Ann opened her mouth then closed it again quickly. It was no good pouring oil on troubled waters. The girl was distressed enough without her adding her tuppennyworth. So when she spoke, her voice was gentle. ‘That stall over there sells shoes, and he’s a decent bloke, he’ll do yer a good deal. But yer’ll have to haggle with him over the price, same as the people do with me.’
‘I’m having an argument with meself inside,’ Sadie told her. ‘I’m desperate for shoes, and like yer said, the boys are not my worry. But I’d feel dead selfish if I saw to meself and left them running around barefoot.’
‘How much have yer got, girl?’
‘One and sixpence.’ Once again Sadie hung her head in shame. ‘I know it’s not enough for three pairs of shoes, but I thought if I could get meself seen to, and one of the boys, I could fix the other one up next week.’ She raised her eyes. ‘I’ve got a date to go to a dance on Friday and I couldn’t get on a dance floor in these, I’d be a laughing stock. If it weren’t for that, I’d leave meself until next Saturday.’
‘Look, let me go an’ haggle for yer, eh? You can mind the stall for me
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