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"ARTHUR!" SHE REPEATED, "Arthur, are you good?" She watched the man walk around the kitchen. Everyone was out, away and it was just her by herself making herself a breakfast before being interrupted by the man as he all but ran into the house. "What's wrong."
"It's brilliant." He then answered, sitting down and running his hands through his face. "It's fucking brilliant."
"It doesn't sound brilliant.." She remarked, watching him with a confused face.
"Linda's pregnant." He then answered, looking up at his sister to see her reaction. He was the first that came to mind once telling someone and he wanted to see how she would react first.
"You're joking." She said, her mouth dropping. "It is fucking brilliant!" She then said, moving over to hug her brother tightly. "Congratulations!"
"Thanks, uh thanks Kegs." He said, smiling at the girl largely. "I need to tell everyone." He then said, "So uh, keep it quiet yeah?"
"Course." She replied, grinning at him, "You're gonna be a dad." She then sang poking him in the ribs as he swatted her away with an amused smile.
"I'm gonna be a fucking dad." He repeated breathlessly, Kegan watching with a still growing smile.
"RIGHT SO," Tommy started, pacing around the living room as he dared not to look at his two sisters. "Dad's passed away." He said, Kegan felt herself go cold at his words but felt nothing other than that.
"Oh." Ada said, leaning back in the chair. There was a pause as silence took up the room as Tommy sat down.
"On his deathbed, he asked for our forgiveness." Tommy then, "The only thing he taught us was how to grow up without a father, so we move on and forget him. Agreed?"
Kegan nodded as Ada stood up and said an ignorant "Agreed." It seemed she didn't care what had happened to their father as she had always thought of him to be dead anyways due to no known way of contacting him, not that any of them did.
"Are you good?" Tommy then asked, looking up to the girl.
"He didn't raise me. You, Arthur and Pol did." She replied. "He's been dead all those years, what's the change now?"
"IT'S NOT FAIR." Esme sighed, "They're off drinking and shooting rifles as we sit here. Listen to the mugs swearing." Kegan looked up from where she sat at her table, stopping her organising as she listened to her sister in law with a nodding head. "Spitting on the bloody floor for us to fucking wipe up! Without men here, they'd be like dogs pissing up the wall. I was just saying It's not fair." She then said, turning her head slightly to talk to Polly. "The men are down there like lords."
"Esme, just... Get on with it." The older woman replied, moving about the shop in her own pace.
"I'm bloody five months gone!" Esme replied.
"Forgot the bloody combination." Polly sighed, Kegan looking over to her in confusion as she laid her head against the metal locker. Lizzie called out the combination, everyone turning their heads slightly towards her. "How do you know the paper cash combination?" Polly spoke, asking the question on the other two's minds.
"Tommy talks in his sleep." Esme replied, Kegan let out a small sound at the sentence.
"You're joking." She said in disbelief but it seemed no one heard her.
"Shut up Esme." Lizzie had said, rolling her eyes.
"He's changed the combination." Polly then called out, looking towards the group once again. Lizzie moved to open it, giving out she had put it in wrong to which Polly had remarked she didn't which was proven wrong once Lizzie opened it. She made her way back to the table, beginning her work once again before stopping and looking up.
"And actually, I am sleeping with Tommy. Okay? Now and then. Because he wants to, now and then. When the mood takes him." She said, Kegan cringed. Not wanting to hear about her brothers sex life during work or any time at all would be great. "Except we don't sleep. It's hard to sleep bent over a fucking desk isn't it?"
"Too much information!" Kegan called out in disgust, "That's my brother." She whined.
The door opened then, the other women making their way into the place as the sounds from men outside filled in before the door was shut once again. "None of it's fucking fair." Esme then repeated.
A while later, once everyone was on to working, a loud knocking was heard when Esme gave out about the men outside. Turned out, it was Lizzie. She was let in by Polly, her face bright as she walked into the place full of dull expressions. "Arthur said you'd be short staffed today because they are on a works outing."
"Piss up actually." Esme responded.
"I brought sandwiches and this lemonade I made myself. I'll make tea and empty ash trays, but I won't handle money or slips. Arthur says what you do here is illegal, but not immoral." The other woman continued.
"Depends what time you get here Linda." Esme answered.
"And anyway, I thought I'd offer you my physical and spiritual support in your time of need." She then spoke.
"Oh Linda. If you want to be a help, run up to the shop and get me twenty senior service. Lizzie 'll give you the change." Polly then joked.
"No I won't." Lizzie chuckled, sitting down at the main front table.
"Actually I'll use my own money Polly." Linda responded. "And before you ladies decide to find me so amusing. I have a message for you."
"Oh God no Linda. I've been to church already, have you?" Polly said, rubbing her hand over her face as she took a bottle of alcohol out from the cupboard.
"It's not a message from God Polly. It's from Jessie Eden." Linda replied.
"Who's Jessie Eden?" Polly asked.
"She's the lady shop steward at the Lucas factory in Springhill." Linda replied, watching the woman take a drink.
"Lady shop steward?" Esme asked, looking on in disbelief.
"She's bringing all the female workers in the spot-welding and wire-cutting shops out on strike for the day. In protest of being made to work on a holy day. Poor conditions, lack of holidays, unsanitary lavatory provisions and lower pay for female workers. Apparently all the female factory workers in the city are joining the protest in sympathy and will walk out of their places of work at nine am to march on the bull ring. All oppressed female workers welcome."
"Them bastards down there shooting deer. Me five months gone. Sat here like a fucking pudding." Esme spat.
"Only one outside lavatory between the lot of us" Lizzie continued.
"Not consulted." Kegan piped in.
"Bent over a fucking desk."
"Ladies I honestly believe those who march on Good Friday have God on their side." Linda said just as a loud shout from men outside shouting curses to them inside. The group then turned to Polly who was smoking her cigarette.
"Fuck it." She spoke, "I'm not in the mood today. Let's go to the bull ring."
"Hallelujah." Esme shouted, her hands making a praying pose to which Kegan started pissing herself laughing at as they all got their coats on.
The group walked out, passing the groups of men who began shouting to let them in, then noticing all of them and starting to shout even louder. They all linked arms, making their way to the bull ring and not giving a shit as to what they had left behind.
