She had only been here barely three weeks but this place truly felt like home already. Such a shame that in a few months she would be leaving it all behind.
Chummy felt much more a home in such that miniscule period of time than anywhere she had been before; even the family home if it were to come to that. She liked her room; basic as it was, but it was comfortable, warm and light and when it came to it too, she had everything she really needed just there. An occupation that she loved, somewhere where she felt she was making a difference and a proper plan for the future. Six months here in Poplar; checking the Church Times every week for that elusive post she so desperately desired, and then off as soon as they might accept her. Six months here and then to Sierra Leone where she would live out the rest of her days. Finally, her plans seemed to be culminating after all this time. Nothing seemed to be getting in her way for a change and it was marvellous.
Everyone had been lovely too, well, apart from Sister Evangelina that was. Everything she did just seemed to annoy the Sister and she wondered if one day she might win at all.
Chummy knew, could pick up from years of practice of encounters better best forgotten, that her background and her accent was the problem at hand. There had been occasions when she thought that the Sister thought she was lazy or useless, but how she wished she could express how hard she wanted to work, how much she wanted to be here and be successful. Sometimes, nervous hands took her over and she must, must try to gain her confidence. All she wanted was for each and everyone under the roof of Nonnatus to accept her and think she was a good nurse.
Maybe when she could prove herself, be allowed to Nurse as she wanted then maybe things would change. She couldn't help the way she spoke; quirks that she tried to keep a lid on, but why did that have to matter when all she wanted to do was help? It was not as though she did not have five years' experience behind her. She could nurse; Chummy knew that.
She took a sip of her tea as she sat at the kitchen table, hearing the doorbell ring.
"Sister Evangelina will get that" Trixie offered, sliding down into her seat opposite. She liked Trixie. So pretty, beautiful even, and delicate but so level headed that Chummy knew she could be her friend. She quite envied her if she was telling the truth with her bright eyes and easy smile and what seemed to be a steel rod running through her middle. "I think it's the Police so she can go out to Mrs Fielding" she continued.
"Police?" Chummy asked, wondering what on earth the midwives needed a Police Officer for a delivery for. She was quite shocked if it came to it.
"Yes" Jenny replied, crossing one leg over the other in her seat. "I thought it quite odd to be honest when I started, but it gets so foggy out there you really can't see more than five yards in front of your face and well, Poplar is not the safest place in the world. I got lost so many times, even in daylight!"
"Oh", Chummy responded apprehensively. "Right-o. One supposes that could happen". One thing she could do well was read maps for some reason so getting her bearings might not be too bad after all once she got out and about. Still, knowing herself as she did, that didn't mean a thing.
She wasn't disconcerted really, nor naive enough to think that this place was as refined as Highgate or Holland Park, but it still unnerved her slightly that they almost had to rely on the protection of a police officer to carry out their calls.
"We don't need to call them too often" Jenny added trying to reassure her, seeing the slight, almost indiscernible change in the other nurse's face. "Just when it's really foggy or the smog has come down. Sister Julienne insists on it when the weather's like that".
"And if we end up with a delivery around Cable Street or any of its side streets. The Police have told us not to go out alone in that area during the night" Cynthia continued, from her place at the head of the table, also nursing a welcome cup of tea. "Sister Julienne has a map in her office of where we need to be cautious of. It might be an idea if you ask to see it. Joy Fielding lives just off there".
"It's the red light area" Trixie clarified.
"Oh" Chummy replied, nodding quickly. She knew what one of those was although quite frankly she had never had contact with people who lived like that before. It must a terrible way to earn a living though.
Behind them they heard two pairs of feet walk across the wooden floor and away to somewhere she did not know.
"No that's perfectly fine Sister" Chummy heard from behind her as she digested what the girls had said. That must be the Police Officer. "It is bad out tonight so you were right to telephone us" he continued as they turned away, Chummy taking a quick glance behind her.
"So, which chap was that?" Chummy asked, only catching the back of him as he walked away, thinking she might need his help one day.
"Constable Noakes" Cynthia replied, taking up a coconut biscuit from the plate stationed in the middle of the table. Mrs B's biscuits were heaven. "His name's Peter isn't it?" she directed to the rest of the group, thinking she had heard him called that by one of his other officers a long time ago.
"It is" Trixie responded. "Never says much to you though on the ride. It's always 'you alright Nurse?' 'Still there Nurse?' all the time".
"I like him" Cynthia chipped in as the telephone began to ring. "We have quite the conversations".
"Well hark at you!" Trixie replied, albeit smiling as she got up, rather elegantly Chummy noted, to answer it. Trixie was next up and wondered if she might tag onto the Sister and Constable Noakes if it was another call.
"Ignore her" Jenny said when Trixie was out of the way. "She likes to tease people, but she doesn't mean any harm by it" she clarified. She had only been there a month more than Chummy but it was clear she had worked that one out already. "He talks to me too. I think she likes to flirt and well….he's quite the quiet one. Gets his words knotted up. It's quite refreshing really".
Chummy nodded. That was fine. She couldn't flirt with a man even if she was paid for it anyway. Probably wouldn't be able to hold a conversation with him either so to all intents and purposes it didn't matter regardless, but it was polite to know his name as she might bump into him one day.
Trixie returned moments later. "Well that's me out too" she said, taking a last mouthful of tea as the Sister and the Officer walked back again and towards the front door. "Sister?" she asked, raising her voice to make sure she heard. "Mrs White's gone into labour".
"Well come along then!" Sister Evangelina barked from away down the corridor, not bothering to turn around for her Nurse. "Constable Noakes doesn't have all night to be running around after you!"
"You get use to it in the end!" Cynthia whispered squeezing Chummy's arm seeing the new nurse flinch at the tone of the Sister's voice. "She does care about us underneath it all". Chummy smiled, thinking she could learn from her too. Cynthia seemed so level headed and calm.
The three cautiously cycled through the dark streets, bicycle lights blaring as the Constable led the way as they juddered along cobbles and out towards their destinations. It would seem that the Constable had been quite correct and the visibility was terrible; so much that it was only the swirl of his cape that allowed Trixie to continue to see him, following Sister Evangelina, almost having to put her faith in the Sister that she might not veer off as frankly, Trixie could not see very much at all.
Mrs White's tenement happened to be first and they left Trixie there. She was hoping, to be frank, that this wasn't a false start or a short labour and the fog will have cleared by the time she was ready to return.
"Ready Sister?" Peter asked, as they prepared to speed off into the night again. The fog seemed to be getting denser as they made it further towards Cable Street.
"As ever!" she replied, as he checked back every few yards to see she was still there; the journey in somewhat silence. Peter never quite knew what mood Sister Evangelina would be in and he was always, perhaps, over cautious of what came out of his mouth whilst he was around her.
"Was that someone new I saw in the kitchen before?" Peter asked. He had seen a dark haired woman in a grey cardigan, only the back of her though and he was sure she was a new face. Or new back as it quite happened to be at the moment.
"Nurse Browne" Sister Evangelina replied, raising her voice slightly. She was not going to mention the girl's full name for anyone. It was too much of a blessed mouthful to have to repeat it to all and sundry and the girl was trying her temper as it was.
"For what she's worth" she continued muttering, wondering if the Constable would consider just cycling faster than he already was. There were people in labour to see to!
"Not seen her before" Peter offered as they turned down Cable Street. Even with the thick fog, there were still girls on the street corners; lights blaring from the brothels as they sped past.
"No" the Sister replied. "She's been here three weeks. Feels like three years…."
Peter heard the tone of her voice and decided not to ask any more for fear of incurring the Sister's wrath. He'd been on leave these past two and a half weeks so he wasn't surprised he hadn't seen her before if she was that new.
They always kept an eye out for the Nuns and Nurses from Nonnatus and it would seem that this new Nurse would be no exception.
It was his business to know who might be traversing his beat.