Sally Part 4

Sally part 4 Have you read parts 1 - 2- & 3

It was only after finishing an excellent Christmas dinner, and sitting with her brother in his study that Lady Sophie was able to ask about the young girl.

“Oh you mean Mrs Black’s daughter? Shame about that young girl and her mother, it was early December last year, the first week it was. There was an accident in the old workings, twenty one died when the tunnel collapsed, took her father and brother it did.”

“You mean her father and brother were two of the men who died.”

“They were, and young Sally, well she took it very badly. For a day she said they were still alive. She knew the name of every one of them she did, and that was without being told. We tried to dig through to them but.” The squire paused and held out his hands, “We lost two more men in another collapse; so I had to make a decision, and I decided it was just too dangerous. You see it was all loose poor quality coal, and the roof of that old tunnel kept falling in on us, so we had to abandon that tunnel and brick it up.”

“You mean the men are still down there?

“Yes Sophie, there was only so long before their air ran out, so we bricked that tunnel up, and I had the church consecrate it as a grave. Then I had a cross and a brass plate engraved with all the names fastened on the stonework.”

He pulled a book from a drawer turned a few pages and then passed it to his sister. Lady Sophia ran her finger down the list; twenty one of them, name age and family details.

“You made this list?” Her brother nodded.

“I help them where I can, one way or another I make sure there is work in the family, a little money coming in. I will not see any one in the village starve. I feel responsible, so I see that they have something.” The book slid back across the desk, and for a moment there was silence as their eyes met before her brother asked.

 “Now Sophie, tell me why all this interest in this girl?”

“You know my position in the church.”

“You mean that this girl is one of you?”

“Very likely Harold, I’m almost certain she can hear the thoughts of people, and if I am right, what she was telling you about those men was true.”

“You mean that they were alive in there?”

“I think so, you remember how I was when I first started hearing people, and we all thought I was going mad. Well can you imagine what it must have been like for her to hear them, listen to them die one by one. Her father, her brother, others she knew, and to be ignored.” 

“Oh god, is that why she stopped talking?”

“Possibly, or it could be because she has no control over what she can hear. She’s frightened, that I do know. Frightened of what would happen to her if she, well if people found out she knew every thought they had, good and bad, possibly even knowing their most private thoughts and memories.”

“Could she do that?”

“I don’t know Harold, I don’t know, but before I leave here, I’m going to find out.” Sophie watched as her brother rummaged in a drawer before pulling out a book, leafing through it he said.

“Just a moment, let me see. Her mother’s Mrs Molly Black and she is on B shift, so after Christmas she will be working afternoons, and that means they start at midday.”

The knock at the door startled both of them, her mother as nobody in the village ever bothered knocking, and to Sally, it was because to her inner ear there was nobody at the door to knock. So it was as much as a surprise to her as her mother, to find the lady from the church standing there.

“Mrs Black, might I come in?” The turmoil in her mother’s mind was loud in Sally’s inner ears as she watched her mother back away from the door in panic. It wasn’t words, just panic that overwhelmed her mother.

‘My god,” the thought eventually rang through her panic. ‘A lady at my door, not just knocking at my door, but wanting to come in.’ It was too much, backing away in panic she almost bumped into a Sally who was stood unable to take her eyes off the Lady.

It took just a quick glance around the room for Lady Sophie to see just how difficult life was for Mrs Black.

The hearth was cold and empty, along with battered bucket that had once held coal. A table made of old planks and rickety wooden boxes for chairs. While through a closed door, Lady Sophie assumed was an equally poor bedroom.

“Thank you Mrs Black, my brother tells me that you and Sally work down the mine.”

Mrs Black struggling to find her voice managed a horse whisper to reply.

“Yes my lady.” The lady looked around the room once more as Mrs Black’s eyes followed, seeing how poor the room must look to a lady. The lady’s eyes returned to Molly, as she said.

 “It must be hard for you, as a woman having to work underground. Tell me are there candles for light?”

“Candles are only for the diggers your ladyship?”

“Only for the diggers?”

“Yes your ladyship, they needs the light to cut coal.” Then seeing the lady was puzzled. “They say it’s dangerous; they say it was a candle setting the gas that brought down the roof last year.”

“Oh I see the gas, yes I had forgotten about that. It is some years since I was down there, and then only to the bottom. I must admit I never left the bucket, it was the dark. You see I didn’t like the dark.” The lady turned to look down on Sally, who hidden behind her mother wanted the ground to open up and swallow her.

“It’s Sally I’ve come to see Mrs Black.” Now as the Lady moved around to see her, Sally really did want the ground to open up and swallow her. “My brother has told me that the shock of the accident last year has robbed her of her speech, is that true?” Mrs Black reached behind her to pull Sally protectively in front, as shaking her head she replied.

“She took it bad, her da meant the world to her he did, and the lad made that dolly there, not touched it she hasn’t since, since the accident.” Sally could feel the lady’s eyes on her as her mothers arm grew tighter around her.

“Mrs Black I think I know why Sally hasn’t spoken since, and I think I might be able to help her.” Sally’s mother’s arm that had been tight now became even tighter as she asked.

“My Sally, what do you mean help her? You’re not taking her away…. I’m not having her locked up.” 

“Now why would you think she should be locked up?”

“Just because she can’t speak doesn’t mean she’s daft, and I’ve heard about people like you, and what you do.”

“Mrs Black, what gives you that idea? I have no intention of taking your daughter away from you. In fact I believe I know why she stopped speaking.” Sally found her mother’s arm around her had pulled her even closer, making it hard to breathe as her mother said.

“How can you know? You’ve only just met her.” Seeing Sally’s distress the Lady suggested.

“I don’t think you should be holding Sally as tight as that, she can’t breathe.” As her mother eased her grip Lady Sophie said.

 “It’s alright Sally, I understand, I also understand about the voices in your head and I can help you, I can help you to….”

Lady Sophie seeing the effect her words were having now found herself leaning,* pushing comfort and trust at them both.

“Sally you’re not the only one.” The last words echoed in her head as she heard the woman for the first time with both her inner and outer ears.

* Leaning. The act of mentally adjusting ideas and
thought of another person