Ronnie groaned inwardly. Dora might not have thought she was paying attention when she’d fallen into the canal, but she had been. She just couldn’t seem to keep all those instructions in her head.
‘Yous’ll all have yer own windlass,’ Dora was saying. She opened a canvas bag and put six windlasses on the table. ‘And woe betide anyone who loses hers because it’s the most important bit of kit you can have. Without it, you’re stumped. No one lends theirs so don’t lend yours nor ask ter borrow one. They’re as valuable as diamonds to boat folk.’ She glared round at everyone.
‘Now who’s going to be doin’ the cookin’?’ Dora went on. ‘You can take it in turns but it works better when one person is in charge as she knows what she’s goin’ ter prepare and what food ter buy.’ There was a pause. ‘Anyone like ter volunteer? If not, I’ll do the choosin’.’
Ronnie was silent. At home she did most of the cooking as Maman not only wasn’t very good but she wasn’t in the least interested, so there’d been no option when Raine and Suzy had left home. But she didn’t want to volunteer to cook in the cramped conditions of the boat. Sure that Dora was about to pick on her, Ronnie was surprised and relieved when Jessica spoke.
‘I’ll do it.’
‘Any experience cookin’ on a boat?’ Dora said, her eyes narrow with scepticism.
‘Plenty.’
‘Oh. How’s that?’ Dora’s tone had become steely.
‘I’ve done loads of sailing,’ Jessica said in just as firm a voice. ‘My father had his own boat and I often cooked. I obviously know quite a bit about boats as well.’
Ronnie glanced at Jessica with new respect.
‘Humph. Any experience on sailin’ boats you’ll soon find is no use whatsoever.’ Dora lit her pipe, the smoke mingling with the smell of fish and chips. ‘But until yer trainin’s finished, when each team of three will be in charge of a pair of boats, yous can cook for all of us.’ She threw Jessica a challenging look. ‘All right?’
‘Perfectly all right,’ Jessica answered in a cool tone.
‘Good. We stop ter buy food every three days unless there’s somethin’ really urgent – like my baccy,’ she smirked. ‘Sometimes when we tie up, the shops’re a coupla miles away, so be prepared. When we get back yer need to have unpacked and used the toilet. I’m usin’ the fancy word, but when I say “toilet” it’s not what yer used to at home. And we can’t always use a pub bog like we did earlier as there in’t allus one when you need it. So we use a bucket in the engine room for that very purpose. You go behind a curtain. Those in the butty have yer own bucket kept under the counter.’
‘Ugh.’ Jessica screwed her face horribly. ‘What do we do with the bucket afterwards?’
‘It’s the bucket-and-chuck-it method. Yer chuck it overboard – preferably when there’s no one gawpin’.’ She gave a mirthless chuckle.
There was some supressed laughter from May and Sally.
‘Then allus rinse the bucket in the cut,’ she continued. ‘Never with fresh water. And do not waste water. We carry very little and we’ve got more of yous on board than if yer trainin’ was completed so yer need ter be creative. Never chuck out water. Use it several times over. Yer want a boiled egg? Afterwards a brew? Then you use the same egg water for yer tea. It don’t hurt no one.’
Ronnie threw a glance at Jessica, who was pulling a face at such a thought. She couldn’t help grinning until Dora glared at her and carried on.
‘The fresh water can – the one with painted flowers – is in the cabin. Another on the roof. Once it’s gone, it’s gone, ’til we refill ’em. Is that clear?’
‘Yes, Miss Dummitt.’ There were a few murmurs.
Dora Dummitt set her mouth in a grim line. ‘Bein’ a boater in’t no picnic. If that’s what you thought when you decided to join, you should pack yer things immediately and leave. That’s all.’ She stood. ‘Right, if yer all finished, we need ter get crackin’. And no accidents on the way back.’
Ronnie finally crawled in over Jessica with whom she was sharing the three-foot bed, to take her place tight up against the wall of the narrowboat. She was exhausted, but Jessica never stopped tossing and turning, then throwing off the blanket and moments later suddenly pulling it off Ronnie and tucking it round herself. It was impossible to sleep. For one thing Ronnie didn’t feel warm. It was as though the freezing cold water from the canal dunking had reached right into her bones. She was just drifting off when Jessica gave a loud snore and woke herself up. A moan escaped the girl’s lips as she shot up in bed, scaring the life out of Ronnie.
‘Jessica – are you all right?’
‘Who …?’ Jessica twisted round, patting Ronnie’s face as though she had no idea who was in the bed with her.
‘It’s me … Ronnie, trying to go to sleep.’
‘Ron …?’ It was the cry of a wounded animal.
What on earth was the matter?
To Ronnie’s horror, her bedfellow burst into tears and fell back onto the pillow.
‘Jessica, what’s the matter?’
There was no answer. Ronnie lay in the dark, her eyes wide open, fully awake now, listening to Jessica’s snuffling.
‘Can I get you anything?’
‘N-no, nothing. Don’t worry about me. I must’ve been dreaming. Go back to sleep.’
If only it was a case of going back, Ronnie thought grimly. She hadn’t even begun.
Ten minutes later Ronnie was relieved when she heard Jessica’s steady breathing. May, on the other hand, was lying so quietly Ronnie couldn’t even hear her breathing.
I won’t be able
