Karl Swindlehurst English language Coursework

Her bedroom was unattractive. The walls were bare and stained from the damp and dirt. The floor boards were also bare and her bed which was situated under the window didn't look particularly comfortable. Eveline lay on top of her bed and stared in to the moonlight, thinking about frank and Buenos Ayres. The very thought of having to stay in Dublin lay heavy on her head. The long days in which she would have to work to earn little wages that would be spent on food and family had to change. The army which was once a farfetched idea, now seemed practical as this was the only chance she had to escape the dreary tedious life of working and looking after her family.

The long dull and gloomy night passed. The sun had begun to rise, illuminating the bare walls of Eveline' s room. The birds were chattering and singing and the crowds of people going to work and the general background noise of everyday life could be heard through the thin pained glass of Eveline' s bedroom window. She woke up with a large yawn and a stretch shuddering her whole body. She had fallen asleep after hours of contemplating joining the army as a nurse which she had heard about in work one day.

Eveline, now dressed and ready and clutching her small bag of belongings left the house passing her father who had also just woken up. She opened the stiff creaky door onto the street which was still wet from the night before, and walked down her street with a sense of purpose, a goal, something to achieve and this was becoming a nurse. The fact was Eveline was to catch a boat to England, to Liverpool and enlist as a nurse.

The day passed quickly. Eveline had handed her notice in at work collected her wage packet and made her way to the dock. She walked down the grimy mud splattered tracks and the wet cobbled streets until she reached the large dock entrance. She like many, joined the kiosk queue situated at the front of the dock. The man behind the desk selling the tickets was greasy, slimy and was corpulent in appearance.

"What do you want love" Eveline replied with a soft and timid voice

" Liverpool one way please"

The large man behind the desk looked bewildered as to why a young girl of her age was buying a ticket to Liverpool. However he did not say anything and gave her the ticket, and she, made for the dock in which the boat was leaving soon.

As she approached the boat, a large group of people seemed to be creating a commotion. Eveline looked in total disbelief as one of the people in the crowd was Frank. She rushed over, pushing her way through the people congregated by the troubled dock worker trying to sort out the crowd. The dock worker who was standing on large stacked boxes to see over the crowd, seemed to be trying to explain what the problem was. The boat in which Frank had boarded the night previously had malfunctioned and had to turn back. The people in the crowd gathered round the dock worker were the passengers who were aboard the boat that night. It all made sense. Eveline' s heart seemed to beat faster with every step towards Frank that she made. Her eyes dilated, adrenaline was pumping and her legs trembled as she made an almost subliminal reaction with her hands and reached out to grab Frank by his arm. Before she could do so Frank turned around, and there to his disbelief, was Eveline rushing towards him. She stopped almost instantly as Frank pushed and squeezed past the people in the crowd to meet Eveline with a large hug.

"What are you doing here Evvy?" Eveline replied with a gasping breathe

" I am here... I am here to.... to see you" Eveline realised that Frank was really the only practical way to leave Ireland for a better life, even though she questioned his credibility.

Frank replied with a warming voice;

" Apparently the boat is leaving later on tonight. Are you coming with me" Eveline was unsure and replied with a half baked answer,

" I don't know maybe"

Frank wasn't baffled by her answer, he knew she wasn't sure the first time,

"I'm leaving tonight Evvy, I'm hoping you will come with me"

Eveline explained the real reason why she was at the dock. She told him that she wanted to leave Ireland and travel to Liverpool to become a nurse in the war. Frank was now puzzled,

"Why don't you come to Buenos Ayres with me? Don't go fighting in a war, it isn't you" Eveline wasn't persuaded by his efforts.

"I am going to Liverpool Frank. I'm adamant now this is what I want to do" Frank was confused yet somehow understood. Eveline said her goodbyes and boarded her boat which had now docked and was taking passengers. She walked up the gang plank and found a spot to stay. She turned her head slowly to see Frank with one hand gripping the iron railings and the other waving at the end of the dock. She waved back and settled down.

The boat left, sailing through the cold night across the Irish sea. Liverpool was now only a few hours away and Eveline couldn't sleep as the churning noise of the boat and the general noise of people on board made it difficult to drift off. The sun appeared on the horizon to light up the boat and the buildings on the Liverpool Waterfront. It pulled in and Eveline like the many other people, offloaded on to the dock. She had never left Ireland before, but she soon found her way around and made it to the war office in Pounall Square. She entered the building with a timorous attitude, yet she knew this is what she wanted. She approach the clerk at the enlisting desk.

"I'd like to enrol as a Voluntary Nurse, please."

" Okay, fill in your details and I'll just check through them" the clerk replied

Eveline looked at the form, filled in her details and handed it in to the man. The man looked at her form and then at Eveline, inwardly regretting what had to be said.

"I'm awful sorry, your not old enough to enrol, you have to be at least twenty three"

Eveline's response was delayed. Eveline looked at the time in the hallway, and then nodded with acknowledgement that she could not enrol and left.

The morning was considerably warmer than the night before. Eveline, removed her overthrow as she was too hot. She had to find a job. She didn't want to return to Ireland. The day passed and fortunately Eveline had found a place to live with her new employer who had given her a job as a scullery maid.

The months passed by. Eveline was now comfortable and a lot happier. She had found herself a boyfriend, a stable job, and a nice home. Ireland was now in the past and her home was to be Liverpool.