LIFE IN THE 1800's: Chapter one & two (draft)

Tuesday May 7th, 1868

Being a mortician was nothing to complain about.

Being Irish was nothing to complain about.

But living in Essex, Henry Worsfold had decided, was definitely something to complain about.

He was standing in the window of the family’s run-down, ramshackle office they called the Worsfold and Co. - General Mortician Services, when he decided this. It was merely frosted glass panes that separated a crowded street from the—somewhat cold—interior that was the Worsfold family’s mortician business. Yet no one hadn’t so much as glanced at the office all afternoon.
“Ach, Da, I really don’t think there’s a point in keeping the shop open,” Aunt Mary cooed, taking a drag from her pipe. “There’s much too many people out there to let this day go to waste, you blimy church bell,” Grandfather Neil said harshly in his thick Irish accent. “Christ, you should know this by now.” “Jesus wept,” Aunt Mary sighed.

Father emerged from the back office soon after: under a white apron that still had ashes on it — God bless Alice Withers heart — he wore a starched black suit. ‘I am the face of this company, after all,’ Henry could almost hear his Father remind him. If you were the face of a company that was any better than mediocre, Father, you would not require a year’s worth of family savings to buy a £25 suit, Henry thought, before he decided against saying this aloud.
“Hello all,” Father greeted the family. He stripped himself of his white rubber gloves, power flickering off momentarily—this did not phase a single one of the Worsfold, mind you— before Uncle Joe trailed out behind him.

“Ah, hello,” Uncle smiled warmly, extending a gloved hand towards Henry, before deciding against it, and nodding at his young nephew instead. “Henry, come help me close up shop,” Father barked. In his hand he held the keys to the doors. The three Worsfold swiftly locked up the shop, locking the door to where one body—embalmed in a thick layer of honey— lay. Henry had remembered the body coming in just a few days ago. Uncle Joe and Father, having had no customers for hours, had gotten Henry to work quickly.

Whilst Henry prepared the honey solution, he’d heard Father give him condolences to the family member who’d brought the young corpse in. From Colchester, they were, a rather wealthy family staying in Essex temporarily before they travelled to Liverpool. From Liverpool they would migrate— a word Henry did not understand—to Canada. Henry didn’t know where Canada was, and the location of this foreign country became a growing suspicion as he worked with Uncle to lather the body in thick honey. Henry had decided against asking. If Father found out, he might lose his assistant’s position, and there were hardly any jobs in Essex anymore. All had been taken by the older men and boys, as there were simply too many people in London, at least where Henry lived. As the family made their way home that evening, Henry couldn’t help thinking of Canada. Wherever it was in the world.

CHAPTER 2

“My deepest condolences to you and your own family, Miss Worsfold.

On Wednesday May 1st, Orla passed away. I imagine this must come as such a shock, however her health has significantly deteriorated since you departed Ireland. This envelope contains a sum of money, enough to suit you and your fami-”

“Henry!”
Panicked, Henry silently tucked the letter back into it’s envelope. “Yes, Mother?” he called, as nonchalantly yet politely as possible. Yet of course, his mother did not reply, and so Henry bounded down the crumbling spiral staircase leading from the attic to the kitchen.

“Yes?”

He found his mother precariously placing slabs of wood in the small fireplace. “Hurry up and fetch me that matchbox, Henry, make it quick.”  Henry mumbled, “Yes, mother,” quietly before doing what had been asked. Momentarily, he pondered whether or not to discuss the letter he’d found in the attic. Henry didn’t mean to find it, after all - on the other hand, Great Grandmother Orla had passed, and his Mother had to be grieving, over such a horrific thing-

“Evening, ‘enry!” a voice suddenly called from behind him. Henry snapped out of this thoughts, shifting his attention to the familiar voice belonging to none other than his Da.

“Hello, Father,” Henry replied. Behind his Da trailed Uncle Joe, holding a broom over his shoulder, white gloves ashy and dirty. It was the exasperated sigh that Mother and Father both shared that alerted Henry to the arising situation.

“Right, sit down, Henry,” his mother sighed, throwing her tea towel down.

Henry looked at his feet as he shuffled towards the couch: this had to be about Orla. Had they known about him snooping in the attic? Was he in trouble?

“We’re moving.” Father began to explain.

“Now, Da, no need to scare him. Yes, we are moving, Henry, but we’re all going together.” Mother continued. Henry was speechless. Is that what the letter had said?

“Wh-why?” was all Henry could manage to utter. “I mean, we have a good life here-”

“No, Henry, no we don’t.” said Uncle Joe, stepping forward solemnly. “The business is falling to pieces, Orla-”
“We don’t talk about Orla in this family, Joe,” hissed Mother, whipping a hand out to silence him, Uncle Joe’s face whitening beneath the soot.

“Where are we moving?” Henry squeaked.

“New Zealand.” Father admitted, earning a confused look from his son. “New Zealand? Where is that, father?”

“It’s on the other side of the world, Henry, but you mustn’t fear, for we will start a new business there. New Zealand is beautiful, they tell me, a beauty she is.”

Henry couldn’t help but feel distraught. Moving to New Zealand, across the world - how would he learn to cope? What about Alice from where he used to go to school? Before these questions could be answered, Uncle Joe spoke up.

“Yes, Mary, very beautiful indeed. You’ll love it there, ‘enry - so many mountains and beaches for you to play on-”

“When you aren’t working, of course-”

“New people, new friends, a proper school-”

“A proper school?”

“Yes, ‘enry. We’re enrolling you at a school there.”

After a long discussion that excited the entire family, Henry couldn’t wait to leave for New Zealand.