Divide

Chapter 11

I was issued an apron to wear. It was covered in food stains and vomit and...blood. My stomach churned as I placed it over my head. I was led through damp, cramped hallways. Gut-wrenching sounds surrounded me, as I was  pulled deeper into this new Hell. I was so, so lucky to live out the famine in the fresh, free air. Even if I did not die in here, I was sure my spirit would crumble.

"This is where you'll sleep tonight. You'll start work tomorrow" I was left then, amongst the masses of wailing grandmothers and screeching children. Hysteria was the master here, chaos his Sergent. I was overwhelmed. I sat down on my worn out bed. There was a shifting noise from the top bunk, and a face appeared in front of mine "New, are ye?" I nodded, trying not to giggle at this woman's manor. She hopped down from the top bunk, looked me up and down and smiled "You're quite pretty the right way up" I guessed that she was perhaps in her late 20's. She had short, mousy brown hair that hung in greasy clumps around her face. She had quite sharp features, but was extremely pretty. She saw me looking at her and nervously patted her hair "I've been here too long. They're not big hygiene enthusiasts when it means less works bein done" I nodded, and she smiled. "I'm Norah"She looked dead tired.Completely worn down. She sat next to me on the bed . "I'm Sinéad" "Well, don't worry pet. I'll look after you."

"Get up you lot! time to work!" My head was pounding. My bones ached. I pulled myself out of bed, and fell into step beside Norah "So what sort of work are we doin? And for what?" "Well we're working for our food. The work's a bit pointless really. We clean and sew and cook, and the men build and use their crafts like carpentry to make things. Though barely any of it is for us. My husband Michael is a carpenter" she added proudly "He's in England. He's sendin me the money I need to get out of here" We passed a bed with a small girl lying in it, maybe 6 years old. Her skin was a pale green hue, and it barely covered her bones. A man draped a sheet over her and muttered to someone "We have one vacancy in room 3. Bring someone in" The girl's mother was roaring, trying to get close to her daughter, put she was pushed back into the crowd. We walked on, horrified. "Do you have any children?" I asked Norah. she didn't reply.

I winced and examined my red raw hands. My knuckles were bleeding with the effort of scrubbing the corridor. We were all given a bucket of water, a bar of soap and a coarse haired brush. Many women were crying with pain as the soap sank into their cuts. I could not imagine how they must have been feeling. I had only been here 3 days. I had seen John, once. I saw him walk past a window while I washed plates. He looked miserable and pale, his feet dragged along behind him. I knocked quietly on the window. He looked around, then grinned when he caught sight of me. But he was quickly told to move along.

I learned a lot about Norah in those few days. She was from west Cork, and lived with her mom and dad and family up until a few years back when the blight hit. With their crop gone, she and her husband and her young son (whom she did not name) traveled around finding odd jobs and getting handouts from the soup kitchens. She ended up here after her husband left. She did not mention her son again.

I remember when the blight hit like it was yesterday. There is no way of forgetting such events. That hot spring day was the day my world turned upside-down.

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"Hurry up Sin!!! We'll be late for supper!" "I'm coming hold on!" I waved goodbye to John McCurtin from down the road, and raced after Gráine and Aoife "You could've waited! I was only talkin to John" Gráine glanced at Aoife and laughed. I scowled "What?" Aoife giggled with delight "I'd bet you fancy him!" I was appaled, disgusted. "No I don't! I'm only 9!" Gráine laughed and put her arm around me "Ya Aoife, she's the baby remember?" I shoved her and ran ahead of them, though they soon caught up. We traipsed along the river bank and up the hill to the house, where Mam was waiting for us, smiling "Ye're late!" She crossed her arms, trying to hide the smile on her face. We looked at the ground full of mock shame. She laughed at our expresions "Go help your Da round the back!" We dumped our books on the rocking chair and went around the back, where we were met by a terrible sight.

Da stood dejectedly in the middle of the field, shovel in hand. A foul stench filled the air. A rotten smell. Gráine walked over to Da, and gasped. I looked at Aoife, who stared blankly back at me. She took me by the hand and led me over to them. The potatoes were all mushed, covered in festering black spots. Completely destroyed. Gráine looked up at Da "Is it the same everywhere Da?" He nodded. "We've dug up every field around. It's all the same. Your Ma doesn't know yet girls.I don't know how to tell her" We stood and gazed around us. All of our land had been dug up, and every single field was the same. Aoife hugged Dad "What are we goin to do?" He looked at each of us in turn, his eyes resting on me. I looked away, unable to look at his pained expression anymore "I don't know pets. I just don't know."

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I stayed up late with Norah that night, talking. Words were all we had anymore. We told true stories, and tales of old. Stories of faeries and druids, banshees and ghosts. Stories of true love and rebellion, of how the Irish will rise up once more and defeat our opressors.We laughed and joked and cried all night long. Norah grinned at me fiendeshly "So, do you have a special lad?" I rolled onto my back and smiled, thinkin of him "Yeah, I do" She laughed out loud, causing the guards to give out. "Shhhhh you git!" I hissed. She mouthed her apologise and whispered "What's his name then?" I grinned "John. John McCurtin" There was a silence. I sat up and frowned. I had expected Norah to come up with some chiding comment. Her jaw had stiffened, her back straight. "What's wrong?" She looked up at me, her eyes full of tears. "John McCurtin. John McCurtin is everything wrong with this life. I will never forgive him for what he has done"

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Hi!!! hope you like it! so what do you think of Norah?? and life in the workhouse? and what has John done to upset Norah so much??? 

 ps pic up there is Norah played by Kiera Knightley :)