A Lesson To Learn.

Day was hardly waking

slithers of light

pierced through

the dark black canvas.

Father and son

awakening to another

hard working day

with the son

only a few days

away from his

twelfth

birthday.

They pick up

two red neckerchiefs

inside which was their

meagre lunch

which consisted

of bread and cheese!!.

Mother’s silent prayer

she partakes

every single day.

“Oh please dear God

make sure you

look after my man

and my poor young son .”

She watched them

walk further

until now out of sight

They both

ventured

carrying on

with their journey

into the

mine below!!

Candles lit the way

an essential

but not

very helpful

aid !!

In this pitch black

canvas of their daily

employment!!

The

Pick!! Pick!!!

Pick!! Pick!!

was soon to be heard.

Great heavy tools

almost bigger

and

heavier

than the boys

who used them.

Their young puny bodies

strengthening

each muscle

taut and stretched

to their limit.

Picking away

at the shiny

damp surface

of each wall!!

Coals from all

shapes and sizes

were then loaded

into carts

which would then

be

pulled

by the Pit Ponies

whose eyes

were now as

accustomed

to the dim light

as they ever

would be.

Not an age

for sentimentality

or emotional

outbursts.

An age of

‘Put up

or

shut up’.

That age old

‘Stiff upper lip era’

The gentry

would benefit

freely

and

selfishly

from the poor

miners at work!!

Their grates

almost overflowing

with gleaming black

coal

around which

flames

proudly play

and warm each limb!!!!

While for the

hard working

miners

and their

families,

To live on

they were given

a meagre amount

mainly coal dust;

hardly enough to warm

their frozen

and so

tired bodies.

Hardly a warmth

as they bathed

from those old tin baths

in front of the meagre

flames that came

from a fire

consisting of coal

and

wet coal dust!!:

Every minute of every day the

‘Pick !!!Pick!!!

‘Pick! Pick !!

Pick! Pick !!

could be heard.

Toby awoke

and

stretched each limb

which

so strangely

were aching!!!

Those

echoing sounds

still in his ears!!

Pick! Pick!!

Pick Pick!!

He then slowly

forced himself

to get up from

his warm

and

cosy bed!!

How vivid

was

the dream!!

He still

remembered

his dream!!

A dream so real

a dream so sad !!

How very surreal

his aching limbs!!

These were as

prominent

and painful

as

they had been

in that

very strange dream!

He then felt his

inner being

tell him;

“Listen ,

remember

and

feel

that pain

which seeps

into your being and

you will learn!"

The voice carries on

in

hushed tones:

“I hope you

have learnt

Toby

my son, that

you have

nothing to moan

or

groan about!!"

“No reason to

treat your mother

as you do!”

Very guilty was Toby’s look as he replied;

“I have learnt my lesson

you need not worry!”

He pushed his

aching feet

into his

comfy warm

slippers

and took a look

around his

cosy bedroom

So warm and so bright!!

Toby instinctively knew

what his first

and most important task

was .

Without

a single doubt

it

was to apologise

to his Mam

for

shouting

and

screaming

because she did not

have enough money

to buy him

the

latest football kit!!

And this was

not the only

time he had been so rude to her either!!

His limbs still ached

and he instinctively knew

that they would

only disappear

when he

could show

that he

was no longer

the spoilt brat

that he had

today

become!!

“So sorry Mam!!!”

"What can I do to help today?"