The Cobbler's Kids by Rosie Harris Page A

little. He used to carry me on his shoulders when he took me to the shore with Charlie and Eddy.
    ‘Charlie!’ Annie sighed. ‘He was such a lovely boy. Perhaps everything would have been different if he hadn’t died. He had it quite easy when he was alive, compared to poor Eddy.’
    ‘Eddy seems to have made a good life for himself since he left school, though.’
    ‘Mmm! I suppose you could say that. He certainly doesn’t have much time for us nowadays,’ Annie admitted.
    ‘I blame Dad,’ Vera said bitterly. ‘He’s so harsh with us all, even with you, Mam!’
    ‘Shush!’ Annie gave her a warning look. ‘Little ears hear a lot, you know.’
    As the ferry boat grated against the side of the landing stage back at the Pier Head, and the gangplank was lowered, Annie suddenly seemed to realise that evening was drawing in.
    ‘We’re terribly late,’ she said worriedly. ‘Your dad will be waiting for his cooked meal. Benny has to be up for school in the morning and you have to get your things ready for work.’

Chapter Eleven
    It was almost dark by the time they reached home from New Brighton.
    ‘Mind you both go indoors as quietly as you can so as not to disturb your father,’ Annie warned them as they walked down the back jigger. ‘Benny, you go straight upstairs and get ready for bed. Then come back down in your pyjamas for some supper.’
    ‘Perhaps you’d better take him up and help him, Mam,’ Vera suggested, ‘he looks tired out. I’ll start laying the table and getting things ready for our meal.’
    ‘All right,’ her mother agreed, ‘but I’ll be back down as soon as I can to help you.’
    Michael Quinn was in the living room reading the Liverpool Echo . He lowered the paper, rustling it angrily as Vera walked in.
    ‘Where do you lot think you’ve been until now?’ he snapped as she started clearing the table and then relaying the white cloth and setting out fresh cutlery.
    ‘We went to New Brighton, like we told you. We asked you to come with us.’
    ‘I told you not to go! Waste of bloody money going over there!’ he grunted.
    ‘Well, we enjoyed it. We took Benny to Wallasey on the way home to show him our old house and where Gran and Granddad Simmonds used to live.’
    ‘And left me here on my own with nothing but a plate of cold meat.’ He scowled.
    ‘And a tasty salad. You must have enjoyed it because it’s all gone!’
    ‘Bloody rabbit food!’ he glowered. ‘Where’s your mother?’
    ‘Upstairs taking her hat and coat off and …’
    With an oath, Michael threw down his newspaper and made for the stairs.
    Alarmed by the look of fury on his face Vera grabbed at his arm. ‘She’ll be down in a minute, Dad!’
    Angrily he shook her off and bounded upstairs, taking them two at a time. Annie was on the point of coming down, but hesitated on the landing
    ‘What the hell do you think you are playing at, buggering off without a word, leaving me to fend for myself all day,’ he exploded, pushing her savagely against the wall.
    ‘We went to New Brighton … I told you we were going … and I did leave something ready for you to eat.’
    ‘Don’t bloody well answer me back!’ He lashed out and caught her a back-hander across the mouth.
    Taken by surprise she staggered, and her foot slipped over the edge of the top stair. She swayed then lost her balance, and, with a frightened scream, hurtled forwards.
    ‘Mam! Are you all right?’ Hearing the commotion, Vera rushed to where her mother lay in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the stairs. She dropped to her knees, feeling for her mother’s pulse, trying desperately to rouse her.
    She looked up at her father, who was standing at the top of the stairs, staring down at her poker-faced.
    ‘She’s not moving,’ she said in a frightened whisper.
    Benny came running out of his bedroom and peered through the banisters. When he saw his mother lying prone at the foot of the stairs he ran to his father, clinging on to him, begging