Touched by Angels Read Online Free Page A

it would take him a while to get round here, he put his mouth to the wood, cupped his hands around his lips to amplify his voice, and called, “Mum, let me in. Mum!”
    He kept calling, listening all the time, in between shouts, for his father’s approach, knowing he could be as quiet as a mouse when he wanted to be. It seemed to take forever for her to respond and he wondered how badly hurt she was. He felt the sting of fresh tears and he wished he were bigger. He’d had a few clouts himself.
    He could see a faint glow through the kitchen window and knew that at least she’d lit the two oil lamps that stood one at each end of the mantelpiece in the parlour.
    He heard a commotion from behind him and knew Bob had finally got wise. He had been sneaking round to surprise him, but in his drunkenness, had blundered into something, as a howl of pain and a clatter of metal came through the darkness.
    “ Mum, quick! He’s comin’.”
    He heard the bolt sliding back and the moment he was inside, she shot it once more, before sweeping him into her arms.
    Within seconds, both were in tears, though it was only in the light of the parlour that he saw her shredded ear, surrounded by redness and bruising. In that moment he hated his father more than ever.
    The night wore on, though there was no more commotion from outside.
    Maybe Sharp had arrested him after all, though they both knew from past experience it was more likely he had found a niche somewhere to sleep it off.
    They were cold and hungry, but Lil grabbed him by both arms and said, as tears streamed down her face, “I want you to promise me you will grow up to be a good, decent man.”
    “ You mean, not like ’im?”
    She shook him.
    “ He’s your father. Show more respect.”
    He looked at her bewildered. Grown ups. He never would understand them.
    “ Promise me!”
    She stared deep into his eyes and he replied quietly, “All right, I promise.”
    “ And it doesn’t just mean talking, or dressing nicely, or sitting in church pretending you’re good. It means a whole lot more besides. It should come from your heart.”
    “ All right,” he said, with more conviction. “I promise.”
    He felt the tears drip from her chin onto his head and knew it wouldn’t be long before she would start talking again about how she wanted him to grow up in a world away from the opium and the grape. That she wanted him to be a success, a winner, a strong, tall man.
    But instead s he embraced him in silence and held him for a long, long time.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Five
     
    The next day, Robert didn’t want to go to school; not for any reasons of laziness or neglect, but for genuine ones of worry. His father hadn’t come home, but it wouldn’t be long before he did, and there was no telling what he might do.
    Sergeant Sharp’s threats were only any good in the very short term. As soon as his dad’s fear of him wore off, his old habits would be back.
    “ What did I say last night?” Lil asked him, as they heard the work whistles piping shrilly through the cold morning air.
    “ That you want me to be good. That’s what I’m tryin’ to be, by protectin’ you.”
    “ You have goodness in you already,” she assured him, as she stood at the sink washing the breakfast dishes, “but it will find better expression through your schooling. And in view of that, why did I see Mrs O’Brien taking you away last night?”
    She continued scrubbing, not looking at him, her equivalent of an angry dog’s bark. Robert looked at the side of her face, shocked. He’d been certain she couldn’t have seen anything, or cared less, such was the state she had been in.
    “ Er… well, she was tryin’ to get me away before I got hurt.”
    “ Don’t give me that. She had a face like thunder.”
    She turned suddenly and grabbed his shoulders with soapy hands, making him jump.
    “ You’ve been teasing Molly again, haven’t you? You and those little hooligans you hang around