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| Photo courtesy of Debby H. |
A Story of the Life of Debbie H.
Ghostwritten by: Hannah H.
Studying Abroad
When I received a scholarship to study at the American College in London a thousand questions ran through my mind; what is it going to be like, how will I fit in, what is life like there? Even Though I was nervous I was so grateful to have this immense opportunity.
I was afraid that I would hate it in London but I had a momentary self assurance that everything would be okay and didn’t freak out.
One of the first things I noticed was an unexpected high rate of unemployment shortly after arrival. I noticed this because as I walked down the streets of London one of the first things I saw was what seemed to be workers on strike, chanting outside the management building of the docks.
There were tons of men, I noticed two in the front holding a sign that said “Pull together for the unity of the national union of sea men” followed by a long train of other angry dock workers. I was on the rusty, old dock surrounded by the shops and apartments of the locals. The men were on strike against the abolition of the Dock Labour Scheme. Unemployment in London was continuing to rise and many people were on the streets.
The dock workers were on strike for a pay raise. I was walking parallel to the dock on the sidewalk watching as the workers chanted and marched. I didn’t know exactly where I was because I was still new to the city. While I was walking I heard the man on my right who was holding the sign scream,
“I won’t work until we get a raise. We have a family to support too!”
I got caught up in the crowd on the sidewalk. The people to my right were inching closer and closer until I was pushed into the people on my left. I was squashed between the crowd unable to find any way out. I was starting to become claustrophobic and I needed to get out. I couldn’t feel the crowd moving. I felt myself about to pass out, when finally the people to my right moved out to listen to what seemed to be the manager.
The manager was standing on the broken platform near the main building. He was dressed nicer than the rest of the dock workers, he wore nice slacks and a white button down shirt. He didn’t acknowledge or seem to care about the screaming workers he walked back into the office passive aggressively.
As the people to my right inched out leaving me space so I could see the manager I noticed a mournful looking women standing next to the dock. I hadn’t seen her in the crowd of strikers, but she stood out because the crowd was mostly men. She appeared homeless, her skirt was torn and dirty and she had a basket that seemed to consist of a few belongings.
I walked over to her introduced myself and asked her,
“What is your name?” She didn’t respond so I continued and asked why she was standing on the docks
“My son was just in an accident,” she said, “He broke his arm on the dock when he tripped over some of the ship's cargo and he can no longer work.”
She told me how her husband had died years before and how her son had always helped provide for her other child and herself.
She continued to tell me about her son’s time working on the docks,
“The water is disgusting and almost everyone who accidentally swallows it get’s very ill.”
I looked over the rusty wooden edge of the dock to see the murky brownish green water filled with algae below. I couldn’t see how anyone could work there in good health, it was disgusting. It smelled like dead fish and rotting food I couldn’t stand it any longer. The strikers were still chanting and marching. Still being new to the life in London I didn’t know how it would end. It was late and I felt like I should be starting to find my way home so I made my way out of the crowd and walked back to the sidewalk across the street .
As I approached the sidewalk I saw the manager, who walked back out with a megaphone and took a firm and demanding stance on the platform. He said, “If you do not get back to work I will have replacements here in an hour.” I turned and watched as some men moved back towards their designated jobs others like the men in the front carrying the sign stayed put and didn’t move continuing to chant and march.
The manager said,
“Find somewhere else to chant your nonsense! Everyone who doesn’t get back to work right now is fired.” he walked back inside. The men looked around seeing who would be the first to either speak or go back to work. Most of the men who stayed kept the chant going
“I won’t work until we get a raise. We have a family to support too!”.
I turned my back to them starting my walk back to the apartment knowing that I should get out of there before I got caught up in the crowd again. I heard them chant for as long as I walked until I reached my apartment. I could only think about how grateful I was to get out of the crowd. I was so thankful that the manager came out so that the people moved and let me break free from the madness. The trip had just begun and I was already getting the first taste of what the experience would be like in London. I felt terrible for the people affected by the Dock Labourer Scheme but I was glad I wasn’t a part of it and made it out to continue my journey throughout London.
