The Woman on the Rocks

Britain, 1923 Adella Deering stood outside a hotel with hands on hips and a scowl on her face. She thought "come back girl, before you succeed in wrecking your reputation." Morning sun felt warm on her skin. Behind her the building rose three stories. Glass and timber doors stood at her back. A black car drove past. It wasn't the one she was looking for. She could see a forest of masts on a nearby harbour.

Another car appeared. It had an open top. It was painted the colour of an Indian garnet. A young woman occupied the driver's seat. She parked outside the hotel. She waved to Adella but the latter was unmoved.

"Virginia, where were you last night?"

"I told you Aunt Adella, I stayed with girl friends."

"You weren't with Allergy by any chance?"

"His name is Algie. No I wasn't."

"Will that boy ever get a job?"

"He says there'd be a horrible period of interviews and formalities. It wouldn't be easy."

"Oh really."

The girl called Virginia Foxton got out of her car. They had travelled to their hotel in it. Virginia had enjoyed the journey. Adella had spent half of it with her eyes closed, gripping the seat as though her life depended on it, acid churning in her stomach. Cries of "slow down Virginia!" had been ignored. The headlights were circular. It looked as if they were wide with excitement.

In the present both women entered the hotel. They stepped into the dining room and sat at a circular table near a bay window. Sweet smelling flowers decorated it. They were served breakfast by a young waiter. Virginia noticed thick skin on his palms, as if he did a lot of physical work. She wondered how he'd acquired that feature.

They finished eating and got up. There was an upright piano in the lobby. Virginia said "oh, isn't it marvellous. Do you think they'd let me play it?"

Before Aunt Adella could reply, the young waiter ran up to them. "Is it true you're a doctor ma'am?" he asked Adella.

"Yes I am."

"Can you come to the kitchen? Our trainee chef has scalded his left arm."

"Oh the poor boy. Of course I'll come. Virginia, stay here."

Adella and the waiter hurried towards the kitchen, past paintings of ships. Virginia spent a few moments wondering what to do. Then she remembered something and decided to disobey her aunt. The older woman meant well, but to her niece she was boredom itself. Virginia hurried out of the hotel, like a duckling to a river.

Once outside she passed a Punch and Judy show and a crowd of children watching it. She broke into a run, dodging around families snacking on ice cream and candy floss. Dogs ran on the waterfront. Her shadow raced alongside her, a drawing traced by the sun.

She left the town and slowed her pace. There were pebbles under her feet as she crossed the beach. White chalk sea cliffs rose ahead. A rocky reef sat at their base. Vriginia had heard that an old shipwreck lay on those rocks. Rumour had it that, if you were lucky, you could find gold coins among rotting timbers, and also rings set with emeralds and earrings made with garnets. The girl took little interest in history but treasure was another matter.

Virginia left greyish brown shingle and scrambled onto slippery rocks. No one else was around now. She removed her shoes as they didn't grip boulders worn smooth by pounding waves. Up ahead, timbers from the shipwreck protruded from rounded rocks, like whale bones. She had expected more to be left and so was disappointed. Then she lowered her eyes and scanned the reef for coins or gems. Seeing none at first she bent low. Perhaps some were wedged between boulders. Virginia made a long and thorough search but found nothing but barnacles, starfish and seaweed.

Waves slapped rocks like abusive spouses. Disappointed, Virginia decided to leave. She turned round, intending to retrace her steps, then realised that she was cut off by the tide. Her mind went into denial. She scrambled around looking for another way out. There wasn't one. White cliffs were too steep to climb.

Fear triggered a horrible feeling in the girl's chest, as if something was pressing hard on it. Breathing grew difficult. She realised that she might die here. Tears flowed down her cheeks. A vivid memory crashed into her brain. She recalled being little, lying in bed while Mum read a bedtime story to her. Scents of her mother's perfume returned to Virginia's nose. A goodnight kiss felt fresh on her cheek. So did the caress of her mother's fingers. There would be no help from her parents today for they were holidaying in France.

Virginia saw a fishing boat out at sea. She cupped both hands around her mouth and shouted "help! Help!" She repeated this but the boat sailed on and disappeared from view. She screamed with frustration. How would her family cope if she drowned? She felt guilty as never before. What would the next life be like? Would there be a next life? She didn't know. Ahead of her, waves were the colour of a peacock's neck. Sunlight gleamed on sheer cliffs behind her. That summer day was totally at odds with her plight.

Virginia never knew how long she was marooned for. It was certainly too long. Both feet got soaked by white spray. Then, as she put up a hand to keep the sun from her eyes, she noticed something. At first she didn't dare to hope. Even if it was a boat it might leave her like the first one. The vessel came closer. She dared to think it was heading her way. Now it was clear this was a long, open boat powered by oarsmen. Her timber hull was racing every wave. The girl shouted and waved long arms to get their attention. The boat came closer but treacberous rocks lay between her and the girl. A man called out, telling her to wait. Then one of the crew stood up, stepped off the vessel and into knee high water. He waded through white foam, then stepped onto sun warmed rocks. He walked up to Virginia, only just missing a starfish.

"Are you all right?" he asked in a Welsh accent.

"I-I think so," she answered.

"Take my hand and we'll get you back home."

She did as he asked. He led her to the boat. Edges of lapping waves were coloured brown by the stone below. His crewmates helped her aboard and he climbed in after her. Someone wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. Then skilled crewmen pulled back from submerged rocks and set off for home. Only now did the girl notice, one of these men was familiar.

"You - you work at my hotel," she gasped.

"Yes I do ma'am. I served you at breakfast. My name is Millward, James Millward. A fisherman saw you and alerted us. He'd have picked you up himself, only his keel's too deep. It would've been holed on the reef."

So that was why he had thick skin, from frequent rowing. "Oh, I see. Thank you, all of you. I'd like to thank that fisherman too."

The man with a Welsh accent said "that was me ma'am. My name's Morgan, Nye ap Morgan."

They fell silent after that. The crew needed their energy to row and Virginia was in shock. Gentle swells rocked the boat. A plank seat felt hard on her bottom. At last they came in sight of the lifeboat station. Soon afterwards the hull touched land, the pebbly beach she had walked on earlier. Pebbles rattled under the keel. Aunt Adella stood waiting on grey shingle. For once she was a welcome sight.

Adella lifted her skirts and ran to the lifeboat shouting her neice's name. Virginia stood up and called to her aunt. The girl swayed and a crewman steadied her. Then Adella threw both arms around her. Those limbs felt strong and warm. Virginia raised her's and embraced the older woman. The girl laid her head on Adella's shoulder, like a child following a bad dream. Both women quaked as tears welled in their eyes. Their hearts pounded until they thought their chests might burst. A white bellied gull circled above them like a guardian angel.

Virginia left the lifeboat, supported by her aunt. They walked up the beach, followed by Nye and James. Exhausted feet left the shingle and felt smooth tarmac. An ambulance waited on the sea front. Both women got into it and were driven away. They glimpsed people sitting in deckchairs, then a juggler and his audience. Guilt clutched at Virginia.

Virginia and her aunt arrived at the local hospital. A doctor examined the girl. He declared that she had no physical injuries but was emotionally shaken. He recommended two days of complete rest. Adella ordered a black and yellow taxi for the journey back to their hotel. As they rode Virginia asked "Auntie, how is that man who got scalded?"

"He'll recover, I got to him in time."

"Auntie, why did you become a doctor? You never really told me."

On hearing that the woman was a doctor, their driver raised his eyebrows. Adella closed her eyes, swallowed hard, then opened her eyes again. Then she explained.

"I didn't always plan on being a doctor, that was my brother Alfred. Even as a child he devoured books on medicine and biology. He was just a bundle of raw material, but we all thought he would turn out well. His teachers felt sure of it.

"Then dear Albert developed a cough. At first we thought it was just a cold. We should've known better but none of us wanted to believe it."

"Was it consumption?" Virginia asked. She had never met her Uncle Albert. It didn't take a genius to work out why not.

Adella nodded. Her gaze was far away,in a nursery that no longer existed. Tears threatened to come but she supressed them. She forced herself to continue.

"After he passed away I wanted something good, something meaningful to come out of his life. I often read his books when he was at school, so I knew something about medicene. I saw myself as assisting his talent. It was after his death that I grew bolder. My parents said 'you're asking for the moon and you won't get it.' Some of my teachers said 'send her to finishing school' but others were more supportive. I may have started out doing it for my brother, but then I realised I had a talent for it anyway. I couldn't have gone on living my brother's wishes forever."

Their taxi stopped as people crossed the road. It started again. Adella went on.

"At medical school, the tutors condescended to me. After I qualified twenty practices rejected me before one accepted me. I kept on going through it all. What does that say to you? Then I see you leave school at fifteen, going to parties where savage music keeps the neighbours awake, making no attempt to find gainful employment. It's enough to drive me mad. You great goose, you've no idea what my generation went through so that you might work."

The driver looked astonished. Then he said "good for you ma'am."

Virginia lowered blue eyes. "No Aunt Adella, I don't know what you went through, but I feel your passion now."

The taxi's engine hummed like a strong baritone. Adella remembered something and spoke again.

"You're not bad on the piano Virginia, I've heard you play. Have you thought about doing it professionally? I'm not a musician but surely we could find someone who knows more than we do. We could ask them about proper training for you."

"Yes Aunt Adella, we must do that."

Her aunt looked surprised as she had expected more resistance. Then Adella said "bravo my girl, bravo."

Virginia's brush with death had made her re-think her priorities. Adella reached over and gripped her neice's right hand. Virginia smiled and laid her other hand over her aunt's. They hadn't done this for some time, but both women enjoyed it now.

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