Rough Draft, climax

Lily Hoffman glanced out the smudgy yellowing window onto the sunny cobbled street outside of Bryant and May’s match factory in which she worked. Below, she saw a peddler selling baked goods to an old lady dressed in a grey tattered shawl dragging a young boy along. Behind her, a carriage passed by and some street ragamuffins threw stones at it.
As Lily’s thoughts returned to what she was currently doing she couldn’t help but look around the room. She noticed that there were at least six others packed into the small cramped room, each one sweating profusely for the dirty cracked windows didn’t allow any air into the room. Some women were inserting the matches into boxes while others were stirring the bucket of phosphorous chemicals that the matches needed to be dipped in order to light when striked against an object. “Lily? Lily? Hello anyone home?”
Lily, startled, glanced up to see her best friend Marguerite tapping her on the shoulder. “What now? She whispered for they were not allowed to talk.
“Sorry but I need help lifting up this bucket.” replied Marguerite.
As Lily helped Marguerite lift up the brassy bucket she couldn’t help but notice the puffy greenish area that engulfed the lower half of her face. Even though Lily had known for a couple weeks that Marguerite was dying of flossy jaw it was still startling to look at her. ‘If only Bryant and May didn’t use the phosphorous chemicals that were killing so many including Marguerite.’ Lily thought. Phossy jaw was a dangerous deformation and rotting of the jaw that everyone in the factory was afraid of getting. It came from the toxic white and yellow phosphorous gasses that were let out in the match making process.
After Lily was done helping Marguerite she went back to stuffing matchboxes and looking out the smudged window. When she looked out she noticed a proper looking woman getting out of a carriage. Her hat was the perfect shade of violet purple with a deep rose flower on it. “Oh my.” gasped Marguerite, who was now leaning out the window staring at the woman.
The overseer at the door coughed and everyone became engrossed on their job again. As Lily returned to her work she couldn’t help but notice the rules plastered on the front wall. They listed all of the offences they would get fined for if they stepped out of line. Some of the offences posted were talking, being late and dropping matches. All of the women who worked at the factory made sure to follow them strictly because the fines were a big slice out of their measly paychecks of five shillings a week. Lily thought about the time she had been fined one shilling for dropping a match. That week was one of the worst weeks of her life. Since her mum was the only other source of income for their house hold of five, they lived off of boiled weeds, stale bread and watery porridge. Her younger siblings always complained of being hungry. Also, seven year-old Henry hadn’t been able to go to school because he had to work as a water boy for the shoe factory that their mum worked at.
A sudden rustling and swishing of skirts awoke Lily from her thoughts. She looked up to see the woman with the purple hat standing in the doorway talking to the overseer. Lily couldn’t help but over hear their conversation.
“Hello my name is Annie Besant and I am here to interview some of the women who work in the Bryant and May factory.”
“Madame, I am afraid that this will not be possible unless you have special permission from the owners, please let me show you the way out.”
“If this is so then will you please forward my request to them? Thank you kindly and have a nice day.”
Lily was startled to see that Annie Besant left just as quickly as she came. After the surprise visit the day continued on as usual with the exception that only one person got fined for dropping a match. The person who got fined was Maude. Maude was getting on in her years and couldn’t see as good as she used to so she often got fined. Maude’s skin was turning yellow from the phosphor and she was constantly sick. Lily enjoyed the company of Maude because even though their working circumstances were horrible Maude always wore a smile on her face and was ready to help any one in need.
Finally the strenuous day was over. As Lily and Marguerite walked out into the cool summer night they saw the purple hat lady, Annie Besant. She was standing at the edge of the factory campus talking to Clarissa, one of the women that worked in the same room of the factory as them. As they walked past, Clarissa and Annie Besant grew silent but continued after they had passed.
“What are they talking about?” asked Marguerite.
“I don’t know but that Annie Besant woman seem mysterious. I can’t get my head around it.” answered Lily.
“Well here’s my turn off. See you tomorrow,” said Marguerite.
Lily went home and made dinner for her siblings then went to bed. She awoke next morning as sunbeams poured into her tiny dingy window above her mat. Lily ate a quick breakfast of watery porridge and went to the factory.
When Lily got there the place was awry. The owners of the factory William Bryant and Francis May were coming around with a pad of paper trying to get people to sign their names.
“What happened?” Lily asked in a surprised whisper.
“Well, you know that Annie Besant woman? She wrote an article on the factory and us in the Link newspaper. The title of the article was White Slavery in London and is about how we get treated poorly and everything. Can you believe it?” replied Maude, excitedly.
“Well why are Bryant and May here?” asked Lily, puzzled.
“They’re trying to get us to sign a form that says we’re perfectly happy working here.” replied a woman from a unit across the hall from Lily’s.
“Oh, are people signing?” questioned a lady with wavy blonde hair.
“Only the people who want to keep their jobs but life can’t get much worse so I’m not going to sign. Also maybe something good will come out of us fighting for our rights.” responded Maude.
“Well I have to sign because no one is hiring and I can’t afford to be out of a job! What should I do?” said Lily in a mournful tone.
“Lily, I think you shouldn’t sign because this is our chance to help ourselves and others! If we all refuse to sign then we’ll all get fired and the factory won’t have any workers or at least something good will come out of it! Please don’t sign.” asked Marguerite in a horse whisper for her mouth was almost swollen shut.
Finally Bryant and May came around to the group of women. With out looking up from the long list of names that they had fooled people into signing they said gruffly, “Sign or you might be fired tomorrow!”
The group grew quiet as Lily and the blonde lady signed her name on the crisp white paper with at least a few hundred others signatures on it. After Lily signed the whole was ushered inside to start the long wretched day. As they entered the phosphorous fumes filled some nostrils with hope for a new beginning and others with the feeling of being trapped.
The next morning Lily woke to her mum’s urgent voice, “Lily…Lily? Wake up darling or you’ll be late for work.”
“Don’t worry I’m up.” replied a sleepy Lily with her eyes still closed.
When Lily opened her eyes she didn’t like the sight that greeted her. Her mother was standing over her with a quizzical and stern expression plastered on her face.
“What ever is the matter?” asked Lily, quite concerned.
“Did you sign the document that would let you keep your job? I hope you did. We need the money!” Lily’s mum whispered harshly.
“Don’t worry mum.” said Lily mournfully because this brought back the horrors of yesterday. At this Lily remembered that Maude and Marguerite would not be at work for they had not signed the document. Now that Lily realized this she dreaded going to work even more than she had before. A light tapping on her shoulder brought her back into the world, “Lily? Lily? Are you going to work? Can you stay home and play?”
As Lily turned around to face the soft voice which she recognized as Henry’s she answered, “No Henry I have to go work to day. I’ll see you when I get home. Now get back to sleep.”
When Henry’s bed head disappeared into the tiny cramped kitchen that Lily’s family shared she left for work. For a mid-June day the weather was pleasant. There was a refreshing breeze and sun was shining brightly overhead. Lily took a deep breath of the cool air as she neared the factory. As she got closer she heard chanting of thousands. She couldn’t make out the words that they were saying but it sounded angery. When she rounded the block the shouting got louder and a gigantic crowd filled her eyes. They were mostly workers from the factory but there were some other people also. At once Lily knew, they were picketing and protesting for the rights and safety for themselves and others. As Lily pushed her way through the crowd of women she spotted Maude. Maude glanced at her and waved her over but instead of going over to Maude Lily hurried inside. Once inside Lily was greeted by the familiar foul smell of phosphorous and the sound of pots and pans clanking as they moved back and forth.
The day continued on as usual with the exceptions of many being gone and the constant chanting of the crowd. When it was time to go home Lily gathered her things and prepared to push through the massive crowd which was still chanting outside. As Lily walked out of the old brick building Maude pulled her aside.
“Lily, Marguerite is very sick today, she is worse than before. You must go and be with her for I fear she has not much longer to live.” said Maude her eyes full of sadness as she continued, “Lily, I know you may be to young to understand this but this is why we must give up everything in-order to fight against the injustices that we are forced into. By fighting now we are saving many lives. Go now and visit Marguerite and think about what I said. I will see you tomorrow.”
Without answering, Lily turned and left. She tore through the crowd and ran with an energy so great that it carried her all the way to Marguerite’s front steps. Lily knocked twice and a hoarse voice yelled, “Who’s there?”
“It’s me, Lily. I have come to visit Marguerite.”
“Yes, yes, very well come in but be quiet. We have been expecting you.”
Lily walked in and was surprised at the sight that greeted her. Marguerite was on the floor wrapped with blankets shivering violently even though the night was warm. Every once in a while she would moan and cry out in pain and take a jagged breath in through her nose. Her face was swollen with deep purple and green bruises. The stench was overwhelming. As Lily drew nearer she saw that yellow puss was oozing out of Marguerite’s mouth.
“Yes dear, very shocking. I know how hard it must be for you to see your friend this way.” said Marguerite’s mother so softly that Lily could barely hear.
“I didn’t know that it would get this bad so quickly.” choked Lily.
“I’m afraid so…” gasped Marguerite’s mother, her eyes full of tears, “well I’ll leave you two to say your good byes, alone. Call me when you’re done. There’s a rag in the bucket to wipe Marguerite’s brow.”
When Marguerite’s mother left, the room was silent with the exception of Marguerite’s labored breathing. Lily didn’t know what to do so she started to talk, “Marguerite, remember when we were little how we would make mud pies out of the dirt in the street? Wow, that was fun! Then we would decorate them with little stones and grass. Sometimes we would even carve our initials into them. You were always…” Lily’s voice trailed off and was replaced by Marguerite’s feverish whisper.
“Lily, don’t remember me this way. Promise me you’ll remember me as being strong willed and healthy.”
“Oh Marguerite, I will treasure the memories of you when we ran through the grassy fields at the edge of town and picked daisies in the park.” wailed Lily overcome with grief, her eyes brimming over with tears.
“Also promise me one more thing. Promise me that you will quit your job and join Maude in the protest, this is the only way change will come.” Marguerite fell silent for her voice was cracking and with one last effort she said, “I want you to know that I’ll always be with you.”
As Lily washed Marguerite’s brow she realized Marguerite’s breathing was getting more and more jagged. “Mrs. Johns please, come quick, I think marguerite is in her last stage of life.”
Marguerite’s mother appeared and took her daughter in her arms cooing, “It’s okay, I’m here.”
Lily watched as they slowly rocked back and forth together, their eyes closed. Lily slid into darkness of the night, her heart heavy. She wept silently as she walked through the silent streets. Her sobs grew louder and louder filing the darkness. She cried for Marguerite, she cried for everyone’s suffering and she cried for herself.