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Back A Terrible Kindness
Chapters (77)
  1. Landing Page
  2. A TERRIBLE KINDNESS
  3. Dedication
  4. Contents
  5. ABERFAN
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. CAMBRIDGE CHOIR
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. FAMILY BUSINESS
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. MIDNIGHT CHOIR
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. 58
  67. ABERFAN
  68. 59
  69. 60
  70. 61
  71. 62
  72. 63
  73. 64
  74. 65
  75. Acknowledgements
  76. About the Author
  77. Copyright

‘You work on the arms, I’ll do the legs.’ He hands her a sponge and she immediately plunges it into the water. William has never seen anyone concentrate so hard on anything as Betty does on that slender limb. After her initial words to Helen, she is now silent, focusing on nothing but the inches of flesh beneath the grimy rectangle of sponge.

He suddenly feels the need to fill the silence. ‘What was she like?’ William says as he positions himself near the damaged leg.

She pauses, looks up at him. ‘I’d best not.’ She starts to rub again.

‘Of course, sorry,’ says William, embarrassed at himself, cradling the shattered foot as he starts to clean the shin.

The cold swill of air and the sudden blare of a lorry make him look up. It’s the navy blue coat and the tall figure of the Salvation Army man who served him, striding in with a black box in both hands.

‘Thought you might like a bit of background something,’ he says. ‘Batteries are fresh in and I’ve got more if they run out.’

‘That’s very thoughtful.’ Jimmy stops work and points to a window ledge at William’s back. ‘Could you put it there and tune it in to something? That would be grand.’

‘You’re welcome.’ The man walks to the window, holding the radio out slightly before him. ‘There we are.’

His deep voice and roly-poly vowels remind William again of Tom Jones and, as the radio static fills the air, knobs are twisted and voices swoop in and out of clarity, William half hopes to hear ‘What’s New Pussycat?’, or ‘It’s Not Unusual’.

‘I’m guessing music would be the thing,’ the man says, peering at the dial.

Orchestral music snaps into focus, purer and louder than William would have expected from a small transistor.

‘Marvellous, thank you,’ says Jimmy.

‘Anything we can do to help. Anything at all,’ the man says on his way out.

They finish cleaning the body in half the time it had been taking William. When Helen’s parents walk in, the mother clutching the piece of skirt fabric, and see their girl, Betty is there with her strong arms. Over the next two and a half hours, they clean the bodies of two more girls and a boy.

8

‘The two of you go and get a bite to eat and a well-deserved cuppa now,’ Harry says, once William returns from walking another set of parents back onto the street. ‘I’ll deal with this one.’