Free Rainbow's End by Katie Flynn Page B

covered in goldy-brown down.’
    ‘’E’ll grow proper ‘air soon enough . . .’ the midwife began, but suddenly stopped speaking and stared at Ada’s exposed stomach as though seeing it for the first time. Ellen, staring too, saw that her mother’s stomach was moving gently, as though it had a life of its own.
    ‘’Ello,’ Mrs Bluett said slowly. ‘Wharrave you gorrin there?’
    ‘What?’ Ada said drowsily. Her eyelids were already half closed; she was plainly exhausted. ‘It’s the afterbirth, acourse.’
    Mrs Bluett shook her head and then, moving with amazing swiftness for one so large, she hooked both hands under Ada’s armpits and heaved her back into a sitting position once more. ‘I’m sorry, chuck, but there’s another kid still to come,’ she said positively. ‘You’re havin’ twins.’
    ‘Twins? I don’t believe it,’ Ada said groggily. ‘I’m too old . . . it ain’t right a woman of my age havin’ a child at all. It can’t be twins!’
    But even as she said it Ellen could tell by the expression which crossed her mother’s face that she knew it was true and sure enough, with remarkably little effort this time, presently another baby was being swung by its heels, smacked and wrapped.
    ‘An’ this ’un’s a gal, chuck,’ Mrs Bluett said triumphantly as she placed the second baby beside the first. ‘Nice to ’ave a gal, eh?’
    Ada glanced cursorily at the second baby, wrapped in sheeting and awaiting its turn in the enamel bowl. ‘It’s a judgement on me, that’s wharrit is,’ she moaned. ‘It’s God’s way of punishin’ me for marryin’ a young feller instead of strugglin’ on alone. Why, I haven’t even gorra box to put this ’un in, lerralone clothes for its back. God’s punishin’ me, that’s clear as clear.’
    ‘Oh, Mam, it isn’t a punishment, what’ve you ever done wrong?’ Ellen said at once. ‘You work hard, an’ bring us all up proper. An’ I’ve always wanted a sister.’
    Ada snorted. ‘Oh, chuck, at my age I thought I’d be able to tek things easier. Norra lot, I don’t ‘spect miracles, but a little easier,’ she said bitterly. ‘An’ what’ve I got? Twice the work, twice the dirty washin’, twice the food to find. Dear God, how am I goin’ to manage when Mick’s at sea?’
    ‘You’ll manage, queen,’ Mrs Bluett said robustly, pouring water into the basin for the second time in half an hour. ‘You’re a big, strong woman, you’ve a good daughter, a grand man, and sons bringin’ money in. You’ll manage a treat, once you get used to the idea.’
    Ada sighed but said nothing more whilst Mrs Bluett was in the room. As soon as the midwife went downstairs, however, to have her bottle of stout before getting off home, she turned to Ellen. ‘I can’t tell Mrs Bluett, queen, but I’m goin’ to tell you, so’s you understand. Mick’s a grand feller, but he’s got parents in Ireland dependent on him. He can’t let them down, see, so the money has to be split two ways. I understand, ’cos nothin’ would have made me let your gran go short. But I thought, wi’ Dick thinkin’ about movin’ out and Ozzie leavin’ school come summer, that I’d be able to manage with a new baby. But two of ’em! There’s no way I can take two of ’em round wi’ me when I’m sellin’ flowers in Clayton Square, or buyin’ them from the wholesalers.’
    ‘But I thought you wouldn’t do that no more, not now you’ve married Mick and you’ve got Dick’s money comin’ in,’ Ellen said, puzzled. ‘I know that was what you said, Mam.’
    ‘Yes, but I didn’t reckon on two of ’em, nor I din’t know me friend Peg were goin’ to offer me her pitch,’ Ada said patiently. She glanced over the side of the bed, then stiffened. ‘That last ‘un . . . look at that hair!’
    Obediently, Ellen looked. She had seen the second baby’s tight, dark curls, wet from its bath, but now that she looked closer, the hair was drying, and