Endless Sea

Chapter 7: First Year

July 10th, 1852

It had been a long year, filled with work and sadness. Howard expected a better life in England, but he missed the Ottoman Empire, more than anything. It was a Saturday, Howard went to work as usual. The workdays went by quicker every day as he became more and more used to it.

"Time to close!" Shouted Kabble, the fat of his neck jiggled whenever he yelled. "All of you out in ten minutes,"

Howard cleaned his loom up, watching the other men and women leaving. He was the youngest worker there still, ever since the Factory Act in 1833 was put in place there were fewer children working in textile factories. But, there were still coal mines, chimney sweeps, match factories, and many other places where children were heavily employed since they could be paid less without issue. It made Howard so miserable and sad when he heard his grandfather reading about dying children at factories, Howard worried if he would be the next. Would his hand get crushed in the loom? Would a machine break and crush him to death if it fell over? The fear was overwhelming.

Foreman Burley Conray had been hired a few weeks before, he was a stout man with big brown eyes and black hair. Grains and Kabble didn't like him much, but he had become the superior foreman to Grains and Kabble, Mrs. Horona Sherris, and her husband Ole Sherris liked Foreman Conray.

"Mr. Finnerty?" Conray said as Howard stayed behind to clean up the looms like Grains always made him do, Howard glanced at the man. "What are you doing?"

"Cleaning," Howard replied.

Conray sat in the chair closest to Howard as he wiped down the wooden loom with a wet rag, watching the boy. "Why?"

"Foreman Grains says I have too." He muttered.

"I see," Conray stated, putting his hand on his chin thoughtfully. "Well, you ought to go home now boy. It is late, I don't want you out at night."

Howard stopped, feeling confused. "What?"

Conray smiled. "Off you go." he patted Howard on the back. "Go home now,"

"But the looms?" Howard said, confused. Grains would be absolutely furious if he didn't clean!

The foreman stood up, taking Howard's hand and walking him to the door. "What's your accent from?"

Howard had quite the Turkish accent, no matter how hard he tried he couldn't change it and most people who mentioned it, only mentioned it because they didn't like it. "I'm from the Ottoman Empire."

"Oh, interesting." Said Conray. "Why did you move here?"

"my mother is sick, she's been sick as long as I have been alive." Howard explained, "We moved here for her health to hopefully be fixed by doctors here."

Conray glanced at the boy with pity, "And how is that going for your family?'

Howard shook his head, "Not well, my grandfather always spends our money to fix up his boat and buy alcohol. Then the rest we spend on food, and then we're out. No money for medicine."

Conray frowned, he took a few shillings from his pocket and set them into Howard's hands. "here." he said. "Don't tell anyone."

"I won't... Thank you, sir." He replied thankfully, holding the coins in his small hands.

The man smiled, it was the first time Howard had felt such kindness from a stranger in a long, long time. He was so very happy, despite not understanding what he did to deserve it. As Howard walked home, he had a realization. He usually came home two hours later than this, he could rush home and do chores, or he could have two hours to himself.