MY JOB AT THE FORGE

Chapter-3

As I was growing, working at Miss Havisham’s place, my perspective, and more so the perspective of Miss Havisham, was changing. We were more into talking with each other. We discussed all sorts of things—my house, friends, studies and schooling. But the things were always limited to talking. She did not help me with anything except for giving me the food.
Now, I was a changed person. Value of the thing that mattered earlier had now changed. Now the most important person in my life was Estella. I started to look at a thing the way Estella did. I had started examining her rough hands and large boots but I never stopped loving her.
I wanted to be a fine gentleman, not a common working boy.
Miss Havisham was happy to see me grow but also had a feeling of detachment in her heart which made her sad. One day, while talking, she asked, “Who your blacksmith is?”
“Joe Gargery,” I replied.
“Is he the person you always want to work with,” she asked again.
“Yes, Miss Havisham,” I replied.
She continued, “You should better start learning the art of your work with him at the forge.”
She asked me whether or not Joe would come there and do a bit of formalities in her presence.
I agreed to call Joe and fix up a meeting with her.
Joe dressed himself up the best he could, with the costliest pair of clothes. Then, he came over to Miss Havisham’s house. As usual, Estella opened the door and gave an austere look at his rough hands and thick shoes. I felt bad, but kept quiet.
Miss Havisham was sitting at her dressing table. The conversation began and she asked Joe whether or not he wanted to take me with him.
Joe was feeling uncomfortable. Instead of replying to her he started talking to me and said, “Pip, we have always been good friends and I have always wanted that we should work together.”
“Have you brought the agreement papers?” asked Miss Havisham.
“Pip, you asked me to bring them. So, how could I forget?” said Joe facing towards me.
Then, he handed the papers over to Miss Havisham.
“And regarding money?” she asked.
“What about it?” replied Joe.
“Do you need any money for making him work with you?” she answered.
“No,” he said proudly.
Listening to his words, she handed over 30 pounds to Joe as the reward of my work at her place.
Joe shyly accepted it and said that he didn’t expect the money, but would welcome it.
Bidding adieu to Miss Havisham, I left the place with Joe.
Estella came to let us out.
Moving out, I suddenly turned and impatiently asked Miss Havisham if she wished me to visit her again.
But she was different this time.
She refused and said, “Joe is your master now.”
Saying this, she stopped Joe, and asked me and Estella to leave.

“Joe, Pip is a nice boy. He has worked very well here. You are an honest and a loving person. Do take good care of Pip. Teach him every aspect of your work and make him successful.”
It was awful to be ashamed of one thing that had been yours since the beginning. The place you stayed, the locality you resided in, you tended to get punished for this. Above all, it was very mean and rude to be ashamed of yourself, your birth, your parents or guardians. I knew all this. Yet, I was ashamed.
Home had never been a good place for me, because of my strict sister. But Joe changed the things for me and made my life pleasant over there. He had filled that place with love and sweetness. In fact, I felt very happy and delighted at home.
But my experience, understanding and change in myself had differentiated my present feelings and thoughts about my home.
I would never, in the worst of my dreams, wish Miss Havisham or Estella to visit my home. However, it would seem mean and rude. But the change had been made.
I started apprenticeship with Joe at the forge. Joe had a working man Orlick who worked under Joe. He was a big and strong fellow. He seemed to hate me too.
One fine day while working, I asked Joe if I could leave early as I wanted to visit Miss Havisham and Estella. Somehow, Orlick heard this and chipped in, “If Pip will leave early then I’ll also go early.”
“But why do you want to leave early? What have you got to do the whole day?” asked Joe.
“What has Pip got to do?” he asked arrogantly.
“He has to visit town to meet his friends,” Joe said.
“So do I,” he replied rudely.
Finally, Joe agreed and announced half day holiday. To add it, there came my sister, who was standing outside the forge and listening to all this. She was shouting at Joe, for he was not strict towards his men. My sister disliked Orlick more than anybody else. She used to be rude with Orlick. But this time, she crossed all limits.
Orlick lost his temper. He was in all mood to hit my sister but Joe stopped him. But he couldn’t shut his mouth. Orlick used all the foul words and all the abuse he could imagine for my sister.
Joe became furious and smacked him for abusing my sister. After all the fight which Joe won, things became silent. Orlick, I knew, would not forget this fight. But for the time being, things were resolved and I left for Miss Havisham’s house.
Reaching there, I found that Estella was nowhere in the vicinity and the door was being opened by some relative of Miss Havisham. The relative asked rather harshly, “What have you come here for?”
“I want to see Miss Havisham. Go and tell her that I am all well and doing well at work,” I replied.
Observing me looking out for something, she asked, “Are you looking for Estella?”
“Yes,” I said and enquired whether she was fine or not.
“Very fine,” replied the lady, “She has gone abroad. She is prettier than ever before and she is admired much more now.”
I pretended to be indifferent and started to move back, when Miss Havisham called, “Come next year.”
I left the place feeling unhappy and broken. I met my friends in the town and started my journey to the village. It was late. After a few miles, I saw Orlick who said that he was waiting for a company to return back. We both were coming along when one of my friends came running and shouting, “There is something serious problem at your house.”
Listening to his words, I ran faster and faster till I reached home. There I found that the whole village had gathered around Joe and my sister. Watching me there, they all gave me the way to my sister who lay on the floor totally unconscious. Tears rolled down my cheeks and I kept watching her. Everybody gave his views on what would have happened. Somebody had knocked her on the back of her head. I never imagined my sister to be quiet and still. I couldn’t see it. So, I moved out. My sister lay on the bed the whole day. Her eyes were closed most of the time. She didn’t say anything, didn’t move even. Her life had come to a still. Joe started keeping quiet and tensed. He was missing strictness of his wife.
This was the time when, Biddy entered our life. More than help, she was blessing to all of us. She took the charge of the whole house. Soon, she became a part and parcel of our life and family. She and my sister developed a very good understanding. My sister made signs on a slate which she understood perfectly. She along with my sister managed to crack the mystery of the person who knocked my sister down. It was Orlick.
Our lives changed after that incident, mostly for my sister. She had become a lot more patient. She had improved tremendously up on her temper. Joe, on the other hand, looked happy. He began to smile and laugh. His tension was relieved after Biddy’s entry into our life. He now used to go to the bar to have beer with his friends.
I started noticing Biddy more and more. She wasn’t very beautiful but she was intelligent. She was caring. Most of all, she was very understanding.
We used to chat, work and read books together. Sometime I used to read them for her when she was busy with something. She was always enthusiastic about discussing whatever I read.
Biddy was changing. Her physical appearance was developing more like a lady. Her hair were growing, her hands were clean and beautiful.
One evening I noticed how beautiful her eyes were. They were very pretty.
One Saturday afternoon, Biddy and I went for a walk in the nearby garden. It was a bright sunny day. I was very happy and was talking to her as if we were great friends and had known each other for ages.
“Biddy, I want to be a fine gentleman,” I said.
“Why aren’t you happy the way you are right now?” she asked.
“No, I do not want to do this job for ever,” I replied.
“I think you are much happier doing it,” Biddy replied.
“No, I don’t want to be happier doing it,” I said.
“Has anybody said anything to you?” she questioned.
“Yes, I met a girl at Miss Havisham’s house. Her name is Estella. She said this to me,” I answered.
“I see. It is very rude of her to say so,” replied Biddy at once.
“She is a very beautiful and intelligent girl, Biddy,” I protested and added, “I admire her more than anyone else and I want to please her.”
“I just want you to be comfortable and happy all your life,” Biddy said after a moment.
“Well,” I said, “understand one thing that I shall never be happy but miserable, if I lead the same life as here rather than become a gentleman.”
“It’s a pity,” Biddy shook her head. “You want to be a gentleman just to please her even if she is not worth it,” she said this in an irritated tone.
“You might be right with every word of yours. But I admire her madly,” I asserted.
Biddy was the most intelligent girl I’d ever met. She did not press upon the point. Watching me upset, she lifted my hands, held them and soothed me saying, “I am glad you shared your feelings with me. You can depend upon me to keep it as well.

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