Twisted Virtue - Jack Dawkins

unfamiliar faces

The town was bustling . Food being sold. Goods being transported. People everywhere. Faces blurred as feet quickly sped across cobbled pavestones ,bottoms of skirts were becoming dusted, shoes were becoming scuffed. People of all ages, babies screaming, toddlers playing hopscotch , teenage girls admiring a handsome face through shop windows and gossiping behind their shawls, mothers tending to their permanently famished babies, fathers bargaining with market owners to include more food for a sixpence. The city of London grew busier , the rich got richer and the poor became poorer. Lives were being lived. One face , that had become unnoticed by the rest belonged to a girl. No older than 9 with brown curls, and doe eyes resting on a pale , malnourished , freckled complexion, wearing a tattered beige dress and frayed petticoat with shoes that had missing buttons and socks with holes in the toes. She was clearly alone, observing these families who travelled as one, regardless of their lack of expenses , they were rich in company. This girl was not rich in expenses nor company. She had a hunger for food , and a hunger to create a better life for herself. And her name was Nancy.

Her mother died when she was a baby so she never remembered much of her, only that she looked just like her , with those rich natural curls, and scattered brown freckles that fell down her cheeks. So she grew up with her Father and her aunt , they owned a laundry service . Instead of Nancy living a life similar to the other children near her area, she was forced to work by her nasty aunt who didn't believe in children not working. She would spend dawn to dusk stirring dirty camisoles, corsets, skirts and bloomers in a steaming pot a murky water, hanging them to dry and then pressing and folding them until her fingers were sore, her head ached and her eyes became heavy. Her household was harsh and she would regularly get beaten by her aunt and father if they thought that she was off task. She would finish the weeks work black and blue and aching all over. She would watch all the children playing outside her window in harmony no matter the weather, and she ached to be part of that fun . But she knew that she never could, not here. One evening when her Aunt and Father were dosing in the lounge after drinking far too much gin , loud snores echoed into the laundry room. This was her opportunity , so Nancy stuffed a pair of socks, a slice of bread and 2 sixpences in a pillowcase and slipped out the door . She ran and never looked back. She wasn't entirely sure where she was running, but she could always see the bustling silhouette of London's city on her horizon and she knew that THAT was going to be where her new life would take place.

On this particularly misty day, her luck had failed her, as she had spent all of her money for food, and eaten her slice of bread. Quickly growing frail and shaky, reluctantly Nancy knew that she would have to turn to a life of crime and steal from the market stalls just to stay alive . She snuck through clusters of people and families and ducked underneath of the bread stand. The aroma of warm , baked bread flew up her nose and made her stomach rumble , hands shake and mouth water all the more. She knew that this was against her morals but at the moment it was the only option. When the shop owner had turned her back to bag up a loaf for a gentleman, she swiftly ran her hand across the counter and grabbed a small loaf of floured brown bread. She turned to run when a bony hand wrapped around her wrist , it was the shop owner. She eyebrows were burrowed and her eyes were full of rage , a shrill voice shouted, alerting all those around the situation unfolding " And what exactly do you think you're doing ?!". Nancy had no defences so innocently replied in her feeble cockney voice " Nuffin missus." Hand still on the bread and the woman's hand wrapped around her wrist , the woman's voice heckled " Now you're gunner pay for that aren't you , you little urchin?" The poor girl knew she had nothing on her, not a farthing . So she had to bite the bullet and try to run.

As she turned to run , she got about 3 steps before she ran straight into a man. Without hesitation he grabbed her shoulders and turned her back to face the market stall, she thought that the game was up and this would be the day that would land her in prison until she was an adult. Only it wasn't. A croaky, wheezy voice full of excitement and mischief spoke up above her head, it was the man. " There you are you little rascal, apologies ma'am this one belongs to me." before turning her away by the shoulders, through the crowd and down an alley way until they were out of sight. He finally let go of her and this was the first time she got a good look at him . He was tall and lanky , with a few emerging wrinkles, clearly over the age of 60. A long , frazzled ginger beard and the last few thinning strands of ginger hair left on the top of his balding head that he kept concealed under a black hat, he was donning a emerald green tattered coat, with a multitude of pockets and black gloves with finger holes in them. He was staring down at her with a quizzical smirk and he had a certain sparkle in his eyes that she couldn't quite understand but was very enticed by.

"Wasn't very slick was it my dear ?" He asked amusedly picking at his fingers through his open gloves. She looked to her feet with shame." I've never done it before mister, I only did it cause I'm goin' ungry . Honest." Nancy pleaded. He let out a fake tut and then a laugh. " Don't bother about me telling anyone my Dear , I ain't no toff. So lets get you back to your family then eh' ?" She looked at him with her dark doe eyes of innocence and replied " I ain't got no family mister , I'm on my own." There was a long pause before the man sucked on his teeth which created a funny whistling noise, he knew he couldn't leave this poor lamb out on the harsh London streets to either freeze to death or die of hunger . Then he had an epiphany, he could make use of her, finally start the business he always dreamed about. " Well then my Dear , how's about you come back home with me." She looked shocked at the man's gesture and then hesitated. " I'd love to mister but I ain't got anything to pay you with for lodgings." The man sneakily smiled and told her , " not a bother my deary, all you'd have to do is help me with my business and in return ill give you clothes , food and lodgings and ill take you in as my own. " She beamed at the man and immediately felt a sense of warmth and comfort with him that she hadn't felt since the passing of her mother.

As they walked back to the mans house, which was hidden away in the depths of alleyways and was suspended over stepping stones that sat in a murky low canal of the River Thames , by large oak pillars. It was lopsided and had a few holes but this was where Nancy would call home for the next 6 years. " You can't be much older than 10, what your name my Deary ?" the man asked her as a way to spark conversation. " I'm Nine mister, and me names Nancy." She replied graciously . " Norbert Fagin's mine but everyone round here just calls me Fagin , and you can too Nancy , My Dear." When they arrived back to his house, Fagin cooked up some sausages in a tin dish and a tankard of gin for the young girl as she sat by his small fire to warm up ." It ain't much, but it's home "Fagin expressed to her. " I couldn't be more grateful Fagin." He smiled at her with a paternal grin before leading her to an elevated hammock with a discoloured pillow and tattered blanket " come now my dear, best be getting some shut eye . There'll be a lot to do tomorrow, We start business." Within minutes of her closing her eyes, and Fagin lowling singing a lullaby, and the effect of the gin and full belly, Nancy was asleep , dreaming about her new life ahead of her.