The Grind

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Book excerpt

Prologue - The Human Condition

London, December 1889

London’s population was exploding. Humanity had never witnessed anything like it. The endless fields and orchards of twenty years before were no longer green, they were grey. Paved walkways and magnificent buildings stretched from St. Paul’s Cathedral west as far as Chelsea and Paddington. Mile after mile of solid stone structures had been skilfully erected by master craftsmen. Beautifully decorated homes, offices, shops and theatres.

The advent of public transport had given birth to the commuter. These residents of the newly created outer suburbs took it all in their stride. They thought their surroundings befitted the worthy occupants of the world’s most important city.

London was awash with shiny new centres specifically designed for entertainment, amusement, business, and above all, money. The citizens had never had it so good and they thanked God and Queen for their fortune.

But on the city’s eastern side, once past the surviving remnants of the Roman wall, respectable civilisation was conspicuous by its absence. Progress had yet to march east of the Aldgate pump. If you found yourself this far east of St. Paul’s, it paid to know where you stood.

A lot depended on one’s precise location.

From Aldgate to Hoxton Square, makeshift hovels waited to be replaced by stone structures. Sunlight had difficulty penetrating the dark shadows. Not even weeds grew amongst the filth and squalor. People spent their entire existence in the few streets surrounding where they were born. Not through lack of curiosity about the outside world, but because every waking moment was consumed by the fight for survival.

Those East Enders who did roam were viewed with suspicion, bordering on hostility. Any journey beyond what you knew had to show potential profit to be worth the risk. It was far safer to stay put and let the good citizens come to your natural habitat.

If asked, the God-fearing citizens of London might acknowledge the vastly differing existences in their city. They didn’t care to discuss or analyse too carefully, though. They preferred to suppress the feelings that arose when thoughts turned east. Far better to mistrust one’s own eyes and concede that the Almighty knows what he is doing.

It was a mystery to all why East Enders insisted on living like savage beasts. Why they made no attempts to conform. To take the path of the righteous. To accept the role society had allocated them.

Decent folk denigrated the misfits. They justified segregation, ignored awkward truths, accepted official announcements that teetered between misleading and outrageous. Did whatever it took to ensure they could justify standing idly by while fellow humans were ruthlessly crushed for the good of the Empire.

No stock was given to the notion that these people were the victims of terrible circumstance. There was very little understanding that the exodus from rural to urban living was creating casualties, ghettos.

The very first modern metropolis produced the very first urban slum.

Nowadays, this story could happen anywhere to anyone. But in 1889, it could only have taken place in the disorganised chaos of London’s East End.

The decades – nay, the centuries – go by, but when all is said and done, people are still people. Sometimes we make wrong decisions, get caught up with a bad crowd. Circumstances can lead us into the most unusual situations.

Those who benefit from the misery of others rarely seek change. The human condition can justify many outrageous notions in the name of self-gratification.

However, by 1889, the voice of reason could no longer be ignored. The Whitechapel murders of the previous year had sent local church leaders and conscience-stricken philanthropists rushing to the area. They had worked doggedly, ensuring most of the ramshackle structures were finally fixed with demolition orders.

In the meantime, as a temporary measure, the dwellings were filled to bursting. Every last penny of rent was to be extracted from the cash cow before the taps were turned off. In bureaucratic circles, nothing happened straight away. Demolition could not commence until the owners of these multi-occupancy slums had been traced.

This was proving not to be easy. It required patient trawling through complex legal departments, often in more than one language. Paper trails involving multiple properties travelled around the globe via lawyers and shell companies.

It was slightly odd that the agents should feel comfortable using business practices designed to stretch the letter of the law to breaking point. But there it was; eventually, they were all traced to the owners. Not real companies, just shells. Nondescript addresses in godforsaken corners of the Empire. Coincidentally, most of the title deeds to these putrid slum dwellings rested in the asset lists of the Holy Church. God’s messengers were prepared to take in the weak and needy. As long as they could charge an extortionate fee and pay no tax.

This world, rarely mentioned in polite society, was known as the East End. It consisted of uninviting alleys and badly signposted narrow streets. Lamps were few and far between and gave off little illumination. Conditions were unkind to the inhabitants, perilous to the visitor and unlikely to change any time soon.

Squeezed halfway down the busy main thoroughfare of Commercial Street was a little cobbled cut-through that you could walk from end to end in two minutes. It led to the night refuge on Crispin Street. It was 130 paces in length.

At first glance, it was no different from many other filthy, insignificant stretches of land this side of the money-crazed city. It was different, though, very different and everybody who lived nearby knew it.

Dangerous currents emanated from the blackened walls, from the grimy cobbles underfoot. High, intimidating lodging houses were perfect for criminals wishing to hide in plain sight. Transients guaranteed a constant stream of new faces.

The doss-houses were flea-infested from one end of the street all the way to the other. These squalid hovels swallowed 1,200 anonymous lost souls every single night. Here, anyone with fourpence could claim temporary use of filthy, crowded bed space, whilst for tuppence a man could sleep upright, shoulder to shoulder against his fellow human beings, a rope holding them all in place.

This was Dorset Street and it came with a fearsome reputation that was entirely deserved.

Chapter One - Semi-Criminal And Illiterate 

Outsiders with a critical eye judged residents of Dorset Street down to the very last soul. Registered on the only official map in existence as semi-criminal and illiterate, they were at an immediate disadvantage. Sandwiched behind Spitalfields Market, Dorset Street was a place best avoided. Everybody said so. This, of course, only made it more attractive to those of a certain disposition.

Although there really was no need to take the risk. It was a simple matter to position yourself on the corner with Commercial Street. From there, you could see it all, without getting involved.

First glance would take in the towering, soot-blackened, cash-generating doss-houses - intimidating places that were easy to get lost in because the owners asked very few questions. Whenever darkness fell, they were havens catering to the transient flotsam and jetsam that working ports specialised in.

At first glance, Dorset Street always looked frantic, chaotic. It needed a second look to see that there was room for a little humanity.

Relief existed in the form of public houses both ends of the street. A keen eye would also notice, midway down on the north side, a third drinking establishment. Its sign declared it to be The Blue Coat Boy.

Towards the far end of the street, at Number 7, there was a general store. Now, this place did stand out. It was freshly painted, with polished windows and crates of goods stacked up outside. Its inviting appearance was in stark contrast to the soot-caked filthy buildings either side of it.

One man owned both The Blue Coat Boy and the store. He also had control of two of the largest doss-houses. Old Thomas was a natural entrepreneur. He had built up his little empire in the toughest street in the metropolis, and kept hold of the reins. An achievement that can only be marvelled at.

Thomas had fingers in many pies, friends in many places and an assortment of criminals he could call on when the legal route seemed pointless. He belonged to the alternative community within the community. Long-term residents who played to their own rules. Who felt at home, who liked it here.

If anything, Thomas was pleased by the reputation thrust on Dorset Street. It made it easier for him to conduct his more delicate business dealings, though he wasn’t so thrilled that it was the first port of call when the police were hunting villains or stolen goods. However, he adapted as each situation demanded. You had to round here. Every evening, as dusk fell across the grimy cobbles, those who had scraped together lodging money headed for the sleeping quarters where Thomas’s minions awaited them, prepared to cater for an impossible number of men, women and children.

The long-term residents had endured the conditions for so long, they barely noticed the stench, the fleas, the constant state of high tension. Some had been born here; they actually felt more comfortable the worse things became. Newcomers to the fold were often prepared to accept intolerable conditions when they realised it came with the lifestyle.

Dorset Street never really slept, and many thought Thomas never slept, either. He was always there, from 5am for the first trade, until 2am for the last. He grabbed sleep if it presented itself, which was usually where he sat. He was a permanent fixture at the counter of the store. He watched the crowds stream past the window and seemed able to tell who was going where, no matter how busy it got. The more superstitious among them believed he knew where they all were at all times. 

Thomas knew his success depended on putting in the hours. Before dawn, he liked to observe the able-bodied men walking downhill to the dockyard gates. They hoped to be offered a twelve-hour shift in back-breaking conditions, for which they were paid just enough to repeat the whole sorry process for one more day.

By contrast, the long-term residents did not rise particularly early. They had no desire to seek work on the dock. Many spent the whole day in the street, under the permanent shadow of high, dirty, black walls. They liked being hemmed in on the east side by the endless traffic bustling along Commercial Street and to the west by the newly constructed, red brick night refuge.

These anonymous souls drank and gambled, or dozed and rested. They watched each other and waited for darkness. They were visible if anyone cared to look. But with so many rumours abroad, few showed any desire to look closely. Hordes of men could stay here and be effectively invisible to the real world, just staying put until night fell. Then they could disperse, creating mayhem, the ripples of which affected many people right across London. Plotting was how most in Dorset Street filled their days.

The bell of the store rang satisfyingly every time the door was pushed open. It had done so for years. Ever since the Polish man had owned it before Thomas. He had been a lovely old boy, everybody said so. Now he was dead and Thomas had taken his place.

The little shop, with its crates of fresh produce stacked high on the pavement, seemed to do a roaring trade. There was a steady stream of what could be described as customers, coming and going at all hours. Some, dressed in rags, invariably crossed the threshold barefoot, while others arrived by horse-drawn carriage and took an age making their purchases whilst waiting valets guarded the horses. Thus the high-born mixed with the low-born, taking care not to actually rub shoulders. And Thomas watched. Always watched.

Chapter Two - It’s Not That Bad, It’s Worse 

In an attic room above the store, a young girl sighed despondently and gave up brushing her hair. She looked at herself in the cracked mirror. Long auburn hair curled around her slender neck. Despite the dim light, her green eyes sparkled. She flicked her head proudly then tucked a stray ringlet behind her delicate ear.

I’m still young, she thought. Still pretty.

Green eyes stared back at her.

It is so, she thought.

She took a deep breath, leant in slightly closer to the glass, and exhaled. Half-heartedly, she smeared rouge across her lips.

I’m starting to look a little bit older, though, she admitted to herself. Colder, she suggested cruelly.

She wiped carefully at the corner of her eye, and her mind raced away with the idea, deriving a little harmless pleasure through portraying herself as the cold bitch in some epic struggle.

My heart don’t care like it used to, she admitted to herself. I’m ready for change.

She often had internal disagreements. She really could start a row in an empty room. Perhaps a fiery temper was the price to be paid for her Irish beauty. She tried to keep her emotions in check but it was hard.

She smiled sweetly at her reflection, a picture of feminine subservience that completely disguised what she really felt.

You’re tired of pretendin’. That’s it, ain’t it? her inner demon taunted.

She ignored that train of thought and instead applied eyeliner with greater concentration, trying to focus on the night’s work ahead.

Moonlight brings out the best in me, she told herself, not quite believing it.

She tried not to think about the past, as she knew that dwelling on such thoughts had a detrimental effect on the way she looked towards her future. But it was all wound up into one jumbled mass. The past would not go away so easily. It refused to be conveniently unravelled from the here and now. From what might be. So she gave up trying and reminisced, allowed past regrets to enter the fray.

I never got a chance, she thought darkly.

As it so often did, her mind drifted straight back to her childhood, to the very day she’d realised she would not be returning to the family home ever again. She couldn’t. She had no choice. She was no longer welcome.

How could he? Such a cruel thing to do. To your own child, your own flesh and blood! At the worst possible time of year! Wouldn’t even let me say goodbye!

She stopped applying make-up. She glanced at herself. Her lips had tightened, the green in her eyes had turned almost black. Her jaw was jutting forward. Anger raced through her veins. She looked away again, took a deep breath, then looked back. She smiled professionally at her reflection, radiating innocence and light as she picked up the little bottle beside her and took a hefty swig of laudanum.

She smiled again. She was always practising her false smile and her misleading remarks.

Think about the future, she told herself.

Her forays into the adult world had started so suddenly, she’d had no time to prepare. So she’d developed a shield to keep people at bay. It had seemed her best option. Then, after a while, she was lonely, desperate for a friend.

A man? her inner voice suggested.

She stopped applying eyeliner again as she paused to consider the possibility.

My lips have forgotten the feel of a true kiss, she decided, returning to her make-up. They’re all the bleedin’ same in the end, anyhow, she reminded herself.

Another summer was over now. Last week’s soldier had turned out to be the latest in a long line of broken promises. He wasn’t coming back, it was obvious. Mary avoided making eye contact with herself again. She applied make-up in the dusty, cracked mirror. Deep down, she knew time was running out. That destiny was closing in. She resumed brushing her hair, pretending it wasn’t so. Pretending she had other options.

But she knew it was pretence. The terrible things her eyes had seen no longer affected her as they should. Nowadays, a callous, cold girl stared back at her in the mirror. She had nothing to lose, something had to give.

So, she privately admitted, so it’s time.  She looked up again, smiling now and raising an eyebrow.

Everything changes from here on in! She tried to stop the train of thought, but it was impossible. It was exciting. I’m ready! she silently vowed.

In the deepest depths of her heart, she felt cold. Even Jack the Ripper didn’t concern her, barely merited a moment’s thought. She had bigger concerns, life-changing matters on her mind.

God, I could do with a drink, she thought, but for now, the show must go on.

She smiled and no one would have ever known it was forced. She stood up and stretched before smoothing down the folds of her long, ruched skirt. She exhaled deeply, glanced at her reflection once more, and turned away.

It’s not so bad, she told herself, remembering the days that had led her to Dorset Street. So I run with the devil now, she conceded. So what? God abandoned me, I had no choice. Anyway, it’s not so bad; I’m alive, I’m surviving.

Yes, Mary, Yes you are! She smiled slightly, knowingly.

Mary Mullen was of Irish descent but she’d been born in Pratt Street, Camden Town. Her father’s self-importance was pacified by being head teacher of the local primary school.

Mary’s mother had found time to raise seven children, keep their little house spotless and make sure no shame ever landed on her husband.

Mary’s siblings, without exception, had dutifully taken on their mother’s way of dealing with the world. She couldn’t have been prouder of any of her children. All except one; Mary. She wasn’t particularly proud of Mary.

The girl had done nothing but question and argue since anyone could remember. Mary had, predictably enough, fallen in with the wrong crowd. She’d started to brush up against the law. As a consequence, the decent, god-fearing neighbours had shunned the whole family. Something had to be done. Her father’s hard-won standing in the community could not be jeopardised by the antics of one little girl.

In his mind, he didn’t really have a choice. Reputation was everything and the girl simply would not be told. Conformity seemed beyond her capabilities.

Mary could see him now in her mind’s eye.

“If you won’t do as I say, you will pay the price, young lady,” he had threatened. The memories still hurt deeply, yet she continued to revisit them.

“God help me, girl, this is your final warning. As long as you live in my house, you will obey my rules!” he’d thundered.

She’d taken his words as little more than hot air – until she had come home late one evening to find the front door wouldn’t open. She had twisted the handle back and forth, practically on autopilot, whilst it dawned on her the door must be locked.

Her youthful bravado vanished with the realisation that she was being excluded. Deliberately barred from the family home. For the first time in her life, panic gripped her tightly. With trembling fingers, she had picked up a small stone and tossed it at the bedroom window, hoping to waken one of her sisters. There was no movement, so she had thrown a second stone. This time, the curtain had moved, the window had opened and her father’s head had appeared. He had said, and she could still recall the exact words, he had said,

“Go away, you aren’t welcome here!”

The memory of it still affected her deeply. Caused her to screw up her face, made her eyes narrow and her lips purse.

“Where should I go?” she had asked with her bottom lip trembling, but he had already shut the window.

She had banged on the door with tears rolling down her cheeks for a full five minutes. Then she’d stood on the doorstep listening, as the silence from within the house taunted her. Finally, she was forced to accept nobody was coming to let her in.

Stunned, confused, repentant and frightened, she had crept around to the back of the house and curled up with a smelly tarpaulin covering her feet and lower body. She had lain there shivering and worrying about the unknown. She almost fell asleep at one point but that was when a rat ran across her legs, after which sleep was out of the question. She worried and fretted until dawn. Then she had rolled the tarp, hidden it in case she needed it later and slunk reluctantly away.

As morning stretched further away from dawn, her hunger pains became impossible to ignore. She had decided to walk to the market, desperately hoping she’d find something to eat.

For the next few nights, she’d returned to the filthy tarpaulin at the back of the house. On the evening of the third day, as she trudged back from the market, her father had passed her in the street. He hadn’t even given her a sideways glance. She sobbed herself silently to sleep that night.

In the morning, when the chill early temperature forced her rudely awake, she was all cried out. She hated them all and the expression she wore suggested as much. Rage would become her companion in the days ahead, nullifying any need or desire to analyse her predicament in a mature fashion.

As the days turned into weeks, she drifted further and further from Camden Town, drawing away from the place she had always called home. She filled her time by moving aimlessly from Islington to Shepherd’s Bush and all points in between. She’d traipse from one market to the next. Traders would turn a blind eye as she rummaged through the empty crates and packaging.

She’d pick out the edible parts of whatever mush she found and defend it like a banshee should anyone else get too close.

Some days her feet were so sore that walking to market was out of the question and she would be forced to rummage through any bins close to hand. It was dangerous in the nicer parts of town, where the residents made sure the threat of the poorhouse was all too real. Eventually, predictably, she’d wound up in the East End.

Mary was fifteen. She’d decided she was plenty old enough to be making her own way in the world. Screw her father, screw the lot of them.

Meanwhile, back in Camden Town the prospect of being disowned in such a permanent way had put the fear of God into her remaining siblings.

Mary had always been adept at forcing her will on others. Yet those squabbles had been no more than petty, childish affairs. Now she was alone on the mean streets, her daily battles became much more serious.

She cultivated a hard shell for the world. Wore her scowl permanently. She would generate unreasonable bursts of anger at anyone who tried to get too close. Her eyes showed she was without hope. Clearly, it was wise to give her a wide berth. Hopeless people were unpredictable, best avoided and everyone in the East End knew it. So Mary managed to stay unmolested, the price for which was constant loneliness. She held her head high, oozed bravado, whilst inside she was angry all the time.

One of these days, I’m goin’ to get a life! she silently repeated as, yet again, she walked down an empty midnight road, her senses on high alert.

She repeated the phrase constantly as she wandered night after night through the darkness. Her mantra helped. It enabled her to block out the grim surroundings, the reality of her predicament. Daydreams of revenge also helped greatly.