"Thank you.. Thank you kind sir." bowing her head, she left hurriedly. Her eyes sparkling with true joy.
Outside, in the dimming twilight, the damp breeze smelled sour from the coal smoke, but there was enough of it, and that was what mattered.
Finally she reached a stretch of open pavement. Relief hit her, and with it, a lifting of spirits. Nice thing about working at the factory: every day had a happy ending. She found a wall to lean on and settled against it just as a hand grabbed her elbow.
She pulled the person out of instinct and her punch stopped just an inch away from the face of her friend, Callie.
"Easy there girl. Your reflexes have gone better." Abi closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She did not want to be reminded about the attacks coming from her father these days. It would be stranger if her reflexes were not better and she was still alive.
"Why are you still here? I thought you were going home early to help your mother." the woman frowned when Abi looked away guilty. She knew when her friend licked her lips and stole her gaze away, she was hiding something.
"Do not tell me that you are here finding yourself a lad to marry so that you can run away from your house when the time comes." Callie hissed with her eyes narrowed, "they are only going to have fun with you Abi. love is not found on the roads. Did you forget what happened to Hannah?" Hannah, one of their friends and colleagues. The girl fell in love with a lad pretty enough to win her heart and gave her income to him.
He promised her love, family and future and left after taking her innocence. Gone.. poof! Now the woman had to bear an unwanted pregnancy at worst. Her parents had beaten her and she would be married to an old or rich man whoever would pay enough for her.
Abi blew air on her cold hands while shaking her head.
"I am no fool to believe in a man. I have my future here." she pointed at her hands with her chin making Hannah sneer.
"Yes. yet you let your father beat you. If i would have been at your place, i would have broken his hands and legs. Or killed her in his sleep." Abi knew it was a lie. Callie was timid when it came to the other gender but her father had been kind to her. He had never raised a hand on Callie and Abi was glad for that.
"Anyways, do you need more income? I earned six shillings this week." Abi was tempted but she knew it was her friend's money. If she had enough to spare, she would not have been working so hard to earn it.
"No, I earned twelve and.." Abi looked around for eavesdroppers, "I have sealed a deal for the night shift too. As long as I make double what I had till now, I will get one pound." The ache in her knuckles would keep her awake tonight and she was going to break her record.
"You did what?" her voice rose an octave and she pulled Abi to the pavement, her head shaking from fear and concern. "What if it was a trap?"
Abi closed her eyes. The thought had spread like a curse in her body and gripped her like an iron claw. She knew it might be a trap but what if it was not? She needed the money desperately or her mother could.. No! She would find a way to save her mother and keep that father of him away from them,
"Oye, Callie. Do you underestimate my power to break his nose? If he played anything funny. I will kick the thing between his legs and complain about him." Callie did not look as convinced as her sister, "and others had worked the night shift before. We know there will be more people then." Callie sighed and nodded. Men work for late night shifts to earn extra pounds but women hardly chose it except they were the wife of one working late.
"I will ask Sam to look for you just in case." Normally, Abi would have refused her brother's help but she knew she might need it.
"Thank you. What could I have done without you, Callie. Thank you." She repeated and hugged her friend. Callie inhaled a breath. She hoped that she could do more for her friend but her own hands were tied.
She assured that Sam would be here and left when the bell rang again.
"You must have pepper with you too." she informed me, giving a knowing look and glared when her friend laughed. She knew how worried Abi was.. But.. "Everything will be fine." she pressed her hands as Abi smiled and then ran to the building again.
Men looked at her strangely as if she was a newly found species of animal thrown to them for inspection.
Abi ignored them all and walked in. a few of them elbowed each other and pointed at her. Some had a frown while others gave her a knowing smile that made her uneasy.
"Run away." her mind shouted but she ignored it and wiped her sweaty hands from her dress. It was a building full of people. What could happen to her here?
She stood in front of the door she had been standing an hour or two ago. She didn't remember the time when she knocked on the door.
"Come in, Abi. is that you?" she opened the door and nodded when the man smiled at her.
"When you did not come, I thought you had changed your mind. I was just going to offer that place to Michael. He is a good lad with fast hands." the man stood up, dusting his shirt.
"But I am glad you are here. Come."