It was cold tonight and to some extent Peter was glad he would only be out for a few hours instead of all night even if it was in the more select end of the East End as it were. Night shifts in the middle of winter always wore upon him, but tonight there was a particular chill in the air. He breathed out whilst he waited, a plume of air forming a brief patch of condensation in the night. Behind him he heard a voice from inside; but not the one he was waiting for.
He recognised Barbara on the telephone immediately. How he had missed it ringing he would never know; so used now to it going off all hours. It sounded as though she was going out and any other night he might have found himself on the receiving end of a telephone call to escort one or two midwives to the more salubrious parts of town. Still though, with the Sister's ideas at hand, it seemed he was going there anyway.
Peter took a step back to let Barbara out, bedecked from head to foot in a heavy winter coat and hat. "Be careful Nurse" he said as she trotted down the steps. It didn't seem right calling her by her first name, but her smile and wave 'goodbye' told him that next time it might be alright.
He rubbed his arms and took a step back inside the door. He'd only thought she'd be a minute but it was clearly not the case so he sought what little warmth he could muster up. Peter stood there for at least another ten before Sister Winifred appeared by his side with a smile and an apology on her lips.
"I am so sorry Sergeant" she said gently, waving a small box as they both heard something clunk about inside. "I did want to make absolutely sure I had all I needed". She had checked and checked again; wondered if she might need more of them, but the box would have to suffice for now. She had Sister Julienne's support and, knowing she was not going alone, she had sent Sister Winifred on her way into the night.
"That's quite alright" Peter replied, gesturing with his left hand for her to walk out of the door first. Judging by the name embossed in red on that box, he knew what was inside and decided not to say a word. It wasn't really a thing that you talked to a Nun about really. Maybe that was going to be the problem, but he would do his very best and see how the night unfolded.
Her request had struck him as rather strange at first, but was really rather pleased she had asked him to go with her. It was that or wandering the streets alone and where she wanted to go was not safe. Everyone at Nonnatus knew that, but Sister Winifred was new to this place and might just have underestimated Poplar's darker side.
It was all around them day in, night out and trudging around its streets; the Sergeant knew there were sights that might just shock her to her core. Still though, he had to give her credit for her intentions at least and the good heart underneath.
Education. That was Sister Winifred's bag. A School teacher with a thirst for sharing knowledge and now her sights had widened to Cable Street and its environs. She had told him exactly what she wanted to do when he was poring over the kettle without a flicker of embarrassment as to when she was telling a man as they stood in the kitchen that night. She was almost too innocent with her plans and he didn't really want to dampen her enthusiasm too much as it might put her off completely. Occasionally the world could do with a little wide eyed innocence amongst the squalor but Peter still wondered if it might put her off forever.
"So where do you want to go first?" Peter asked as they reached the bottom of Lodore Street.
Sister Winifred paused, a few people wandering by not taking any notice of the Nun. "I will have to ask you that question first Sergeant" she admitted with a sigh. The peace of the countryside had been her home for years and whilst she was developing a liking for the East End, it was still such a world away. Whilst the idea- the concept – was there, she needed help on the practicalities.
"Well", Peter began, thinking his words through. "The first place you could try is probably the Blue Angel". Sister Winifred nodded enthusiastically as they crossed the road. "It's only small and the girls are a bit friendlier… not friendlier in that sense!" he added, utterly mortified. "Maggie who runs it…she doesn't like us hanging around so she keeps the place as clean as she can otherwise we'll be in and out of the place like a yo-yo".
"Then the Blue Angel it is" Sister Winifred smiled, still clutching the box of condoms she had taken from the store room. Peter could still see the name emblazoned in red on top and his reservations rose a level or two. "So do you know the names of everyone who runs these places?" she asked.
Peter let out a short laugh. "Near enough", he replied. "I'd admit you start to recognise the girls, keep an eye out for any new faces. We'll never stamp it out so we just have to…" He was stuck for a word.
"Co-exist?" the Sister offered him with eyebrows raised.
"Yes" he responded. "Co-exist. They keep their heads down as much as possible and in exchange they don't find us on their doorsteps every night!"
"Are there raids often?" she asked.
"To keep them on their toes, yes" Peter responded. "There's always petty theft from the punters, drunk and disorderly, breaching the peace…But if we close one down, another pops up somewhere else. Some of the girls have nowhere else to go"
"So the brothel becomes the family?" Sister Winifred asked. She would admit she was curious as to how people's lives ended up like this.
"I suppose you could say that" Peter replied, not having considered that aspect of it to any great length. "They all fall into crime, fall out with family, friends, no money, no choices, really".
"Everyone can have a choice, surely?" the Sister asked. "Surely there was one day where each and every girl looked at their path and chose left or right?"
Peter paused before he answered. In theory, yes, but practically? He really wasn't so sure. Some of these girls had no say or choice in the matter anymore. Mind you, not that he or any of his colleagues had thought about it very much more than the annoyance of yet another drunken beating or streams of girls shouting and screaming in the street. It wasn't something that consumed his mind beyond arrest rates but for a moment he wondered if it should. Perhaps if they all opened their eyes a little more, things could change.
"Has anyone tried to talk to them before?" Sister Winifred asked, seeing Peter shrug his shoulders. "I mean I know Doctor Turner has his drop in clinics but all he has time to do is treat them; not counsel them into the right choices".
Peter tried not to be cynical. "I know you're thinking of a higher purpose, Sister and I think you're quite right in principle, but you'll struggle. Some of the girls are beyond caring".
"But not every one of them". If she could just persuade a handful of girls, see if they would listen to her.
"Alright" Peter conceded, "but…just be prepared".
She smiled and nodded again as they turned down towards where he knew the Blue Angel lay at the bottom of the street.
Whilst the reception may not have been warm, Sister Winifred wore a satisfied smile as she stepped out of the door. The two girls she found had listened, she hoped, and taken on board her views. "So where next?"
Peter thought for a second, trying to plan a route in his head to get them back to Nonnatus before it became like Piccadilly Circus down here. The last thing he wanted was to lose a Nun in Cable Street! "Probably down here" he said, pointing to an alleyway. "There's two down there but…"
"But Sergeant?" she asked seeing how hesitant he was.
"Well", Peter began…
Almost two hours later the pair had probably trawled the vast majority of the local brothels and some of the seedier establishments that Poplar could offer. He had deliberately avoided one or two and on the walk back to Poplar the Sister had fallen ominously silent. As they walked on and on, with the odd looks and the comments he had seen her shoulders drop as the night deteriorated from the apparent openness of the Blue Angel to slammed doors and expletives.
"We should be back soon Sister", Peter offered trying to plaster over a wound that looked like it was about to break open. "I'll even make you a cup of tea!"
"Yes, yes" she replied vaguely; the joke falling flat on its face. "Not too long…"
Peter decided to bite the bullet. He saw her good intentions and perhaps he should have tried to discourage her or at least warn her more of what might have come to pass. "Sister…" he started, stopping in the street. She turned back.
"Are you alright Sergeant?"
Peter nodded quickly. "I was more concerned about you. I know that wasn't…pleasant at times".
Sister Winifred smiled and walked back a pace or two, shoulders slumped and feeling none too clever about the whole thing. "I think Sergeant; I may have perhaps underestimated matters". He saw how defeated she looked and he quickly realised that it ought to be encouragement that he should be providing; not reluctance. They started walking again.
"Then I think, knowing what you know now, it should make you rather more determined" he responded.
"Should it?" she replied, genuinely surprised.
"Yes", he nodded. "If no-one takes that first step, where are we all going to end up?"
Sister Winifred smiled. It was just the words she needed. "I do think you are right. On reflection I learnt an enormous amount tonight Sergeant. Thank you. It seems I learnt that next time you take me around the seedier areas of Poplar…" She was interrupted by him laughing. "I think that perhaps I need to approach matters differently. I was naïve it seems". He wouldn't disagree with her. "But", she continued, "somebody has to take the first step like you said. We will get no-where if someone doesn't take that first step and I intend to do that. First, second third and fourth steps…."
Peter smiled and they continued on their journey. She was right to a point, but he was still not convinced. Still though, she had learnt a lesson tonight and perhaps so had he.
Look beyond first impressions and just keep on trying because you just might get there in the end.