The Dreaded Workhouse. Danny McFaul

Out’ regulations prevented the streets and shop windows from being lit up with lighted decorations and lively colours. The only concession seemed to be that the largest store in the Main Street Woolworths was permitted to stay open for an extra two hours and to play Christmas music over a Tannoy Public Address System on Christmas Eve during the War years. Typical of the town at this time of the year, it was cold and carrying a stiff breeze off the sea. As she was early, Vera decided to go up onto the balcony and sit there and wait. It would command a good view of Kirk when he arrived. She spotted him as soon as he entered the ballroom from the front foyer. Kirk wasn’t so quick to notice Vera who had taken Julie’s advice and worn black clothes that she had acquired from the second-hand Charity Shop. She was wearing a long-sleeved blouse with an embossed rose pattern with bell sleeves and a straight skirt with a side slit that fell almost to her ankles. A pair of black shoes, one of the only two pairs of shoes that she possessed, completed her outfit. Vera had to raise her hand and wave at him before Kirk raised his hand in recognition that he had seen her before making his way up the winding staircase to the balcony. He sat down on the chair opposite her; there was a short pause, not an uncomfortable silence, but one of those that inevitably occurs on first dates. Vera turned her gaze on him and a smile lurked in the corners of her mouth. ‘I am glad you came,’ she said. Then there was another pause before Vera quietly said, ‘Please don’t be offended, but I was seconds from running away and ditching you tonight. Just as well you are here to keep me from doing that. I guess it remains to be seen if it is a good thing or not.’’ ‘Good from your perspective or mine?’ Kirk asked. ‘I have never been this scared before on my previous dates, and would it make you feel better if I tell you that I didn’t want to run from you, but it was the idea of ‘us’ that scared me?’ Kirk looked puzzled. ‘Now you have completely confused me,’ he said. Vera laughed nervously. ‘I am being much more direct with you than I have ever been with any other man. I don’t know why and I don’t know enough about you, where you live, where you work and those things,’ she said. ‘Let’s dance, and we can talk at the same time,’ Kirk suggested. They got on to the dance floor for a Waltz. This was the first for some time that Vera had been so close to a man. She could feel the warmth of his body as they danced close to each other. Suddenly, she was aware of one of those tensed nervous spells that also crops up on first dates. ‘Can we please sit down?’ she said.

      The piping hot water mingled with his tears as Kirk reached for the tap to turn it on some more. His skin was red from the steaming hot water. He didn’t care, his life was over with. What did he care if he burnt himself? He heard his Brother Alan pounding on the washroom door, calling to him, but he ignored him. The pounding on the door stopped but not the pounding in his head that was aching with agonizing pain.

      CHAPTER 5

      Kirk is missing

      ‘Where you really out till 2 am I don’t think that you were ever out that late on a date before Vera?’ Vera sat up and adjusted her pillow. ‘Yes it was odd it didn’t seem that long really. We danced a few times and then we left the Dance Hall and walked around the shore for a bit. It was cold, oh yes and we strolled in the old school playground for a bit. We looked in the windows at the old classrooms.’ Vera said. ‘You obviously never felt the cold then,’ said Nellie, her house companion. ‘He apologized and said that he needed to go to college today. We both were shocked when we discovered that it was almost half past two in the morning.’ She paused for a few moments. ‘Don’t give me that look.’ she said. ‘What look?’ asked Nellie. ‘That knowing look, I have never been more terrified in my life if you want the truth.’ So are you going to tell me his name?’ ‘No, because I am afraid of this relationship actually working, when two nights ago I was afraid that it would not.’ ‘What did you talk about during all that time?’ ‘The usual things jobs, family, brothers and sisters’ names, ages, hobbies, favourite music, and books.’ ‘And what exactly is his job?’ Nellie inquired. ‘He told me that he is a student at a college in Belfast. He sometimes stays with his brother Alan who is a scientist at the University in the City.’ Well are you going to run from this one, Vera?’ Nellie sighed. ‘He said that he was studying quite hard just now and that he may not be around for a few weeks as he has exams coming up,’ replied Vera. ‘I must be off now. I am going to watch rugby this afternoon with my new boyfriend,’ Nellie informed her. ‘OK, I will see you later. Have a nice time,’ said Vera. Kirk had assured her that he was not leading her ‘up the garden path’ and was not playing games. He said that he was born in Larne, but after his father had died, he went to live with his father’s sister. As a rule, he usually came to Larne at weekends to see some friends and occasionally, he got the odd job of work here on the days that he had no college work. Kirk started regularly leaving Vera notes through the door and he would also ring her at the bank. He always indicated the time that he had stopped by. It was usually in the very early morning or when she was at work. She smiled to herself every time she saw a note. He was trying to prove to her that he was very busy and not just giving her excuses. Vera thought that it was all very romantic. She had never known anyone do this type of thing before, and it was therefore very special to her. But on Wednesday morning, a couple of weeks after their first date, the notes were absent from her doormat and had been for almost a week now. Kirk had not called her at the bank either nor had he offered her an explanation. She was aware that he explained that he would be busy, but Vera’s internal alarm sounded, and even though it was late in the evening and with a busy work day expected the next day, she went over to her work colleague Julie’s flat.

      ‘Something has happened to Kirk,’ Vera announced. ‘Oh, so that’s his name,’ replied Julie without looking up. Then she said, ‘Things happen to all of us Vera.’ Julie had been listening to a play on the wireless. She got up, went over, and pushed the off button. This was not uncommon. It was just another one of Vera’s mysteries which usually called for extreme measures to resolve. Vera told Julie about the notes being missing. Julie raised an eyebrow when she had finished. ‘So one or two missing notes and no phone call at the bank and you think that something terrible has happened to Mr. Wonderful?’ she said. ‘Yes, I do Julie and before you ask, I am not jumping to conclusions. This is not like him, Julie. Even though he said that he would be busy, he would still have called the bank just to say hello. He didn’t ring today, did he?’ Julie saw the worry in her eyes. ‘No he didn’t ring the bank, at least not while I was there. But have you considered the possibility that he might be backing off just a wee bit because he is afraid of being too pushy?’ replied Julie. ‘Or maybe he has done some soul searching and decided that I am not his type after all,’’ Vera said. Her friend sighed. ‘OK, what’s your plan?’ ‘Kirk told me that he has a brother who is a scientist or something like that at Queens University in Belfast and his name is Alan. We need to go there and see him.’ ‘Does he have any friends here in the town that we could try first?’ Julie suggested. ‘Yes but we never got to the point where he told me their full names or where they live. He mentioned someone called Steve and someone named Reggie who lives out near the Bank Quay. I can’t really remember. He and this Reggie have the odd pint in the Thatch pub or the Town Hall bar and that’s as much as I know. He lived in Larne until his father died’ Vera said anxiously. ‘OK, OK you win! I have no desire to look through the phone book again like the time you had me looking for that fellow called Klondyke. You know the one that I mean, the one who came in on a Coal Boat at the harbour. Does this Kirk have a second name?’ Julie asked. ‘His surname is Hansen,’ Vera answered. ‘Where in the town does he or did he live, you say he stayed with his aunt?’ inquired Julie. ‘He stays with his brother a lot, but the family used to live in one of the houses up the Mill Brae area or it might have been Meetinghouse Street. It was at the head of the town anyway,’ said Vera. Julie looked in deep thought before saying, ‘I am sorry to tell you Vera, but if it is the same boy Hansen, he is a bit strange,’ Julie informed her. ‘What do you mean strange?’ asked Vera. ‘He used to take some kind of fits when he was younger and was never known to have many friends when he was at school. The other kids used to sort of mock him and chant little tunes at him. His father was drowned in Larne Lough near to Glenarm I think it was, when he was down there gathering Dulse. His father was a bit of a beachcomber. He used to sell his Dulse in the Main Street. That would have been when the boy was in primary school at McKenna Memorial and if I remember rightly, my mammy