Young Writers Society

Short Story

January 11, 1912

Dear diary

Today is the day I help us women get equal rights. My mother does not approve. I don’t know how many times I have told her I am a grown up, still she doesn’t listen. I have joined the local suffragette group; however, I don’t want any violence. I think all women should have the same education and opportunities as men. I daren’t ask father his opinion, as he will just shout at me for no reason. Ever since mother lost her job father has been staying up late and going to work very early in the morning.

January 17, 1912

Dear diary

Oh no, mother has been taken away by policemen this morning. When father came home from work he told me to boil some potatoes for dinner, he didn’t mention anything about mother. I found this strange as when mother is either out doing some shopping or getting my little sister from our auntie’s and father comes in from work, he always asks where she is. I thought mother would be back by now and this was all some mistake, however she wasn’t. that night I couldn’t sleep so I creeped into my parents’ room, to find father not there, I looked at the clock, it read 12.3o. I went downstairs to find father holding mother’s shawl that I knitted her when I was at our neighbour’s house.

January 20, 1913

Dear diary

It has been three days since mother was taken away, surely, she would be home by now I thought. I asked father if he knew where she was, he said that I should not know until later, so I kept on pestering him until he eventually gave in and told me. She was at the big building at the end of town. I asked him if he had been to see her yet, he said he hasn’t had the time. I asked if I could go and see her, but as usual he said that I was too young and it’s not a place for young children like me.

January 22, 1913

Dear diary

I have decided to go and visit mother, no matter what father says. When I got there, the man at the main area asked who I was, so I said my name and I would like to see my mother Rose Green. The man gave me a sour look, then led me down a long corridor full of doors leading to rooms where criminals spent their time given stayed. The doors have little square things which you could open and close. As we got near the end he pointed at one and unlocked it. Inside was mother looking very tired and miserable. When she saw me, her eyes lit up like the stars in the night sky. I asked her why she was here however she would not answer. Instead I told her about my latest suffragette meeting. By the look on her face she didn’t seem to care at all. When the man came and said it was time up I asked him why my mother was there, he said she had committed a sin against God, I asked him what he meant by that and he said whilst mother was cleaning on of the upper-class houses at the end of town she stole some things from them. I asked what she stole, and he said some food.

January 29, 1913

Dear diary

Today is the day when mother’s fate is decided. I dressed up in my finest clothes to go to court to see what would happen to her. When I got there the man at the door said I looked too young to be there, and I said that I was 18 years of age, which was lying as I am 16. When I managed to sit down in the room above the judges I wondered when mother would be. Mother was the first to be called up to the stand. The judge went through all this stuff about the law and government. Then he said out of the blue “Rose Green, I sentence you to 12 months in prison”. I rushed out of the building nearly crying, I had to be a grown up about this. I knew mother wouldn’t be there to help with any of my problems, so I had to deal with them all on my own now, as father was away at work all the time, trying to earn us money for food. I now must get a job and help father earn money for us.

February 03, 1913

Dear diary

I have finally found a job after five days trying, going around all the houses asking if they needed a babysitter or any washing, cleaned or ironed. I finally found one at the end of town, helping a women in a wheelchair clean her house. It was little pay; however, it would help us have food whilst father’s money paid most of the bills. My little sister would have to go to our aunties for the majority of the week, but she liked it because she had someone to play with.

December 25, 1913

Dear diary

It’s Christmas today however it is not the same as mother is not here. Father said he sent her a new hairbrush. I got a packet of crystallized sweets and a hair kit. I got father a new comb and my little sister a new doll. For Christmas dinner we had some chicken and potatoes.

January 28, 1913

Dear diary

It's only a day until mother comes home and I am so excited. I have decided to throw a little welcome back party however father disagrees with it as mother got sent to prison not came back from a holiday or something like that.

January 29, 1913

Dear diary

Yay, mother is home, it has a been a long while since she was in the house and in her own clothes. I baked her favourite cake Victoria sponge. I hope she likes it as I spent all my money from work on ingredients and decorations for her coming back. Father is as not as happy as me, I don't understand why, is it because he feels ashamed of mother or it he just hiding his feelings.

June 8, 1913

Dear diary

I've heard on the radio that one of our main suffragette's has died. Emily Davison was killed by the King's horse. I was saddened at this news as I looked up to Emily as a role model for women. I tried to speak to mother about this however she doesn't really talk since she came back from prison.

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