By the time Rosie got to the house, Ned had already answered the door. ‘By! I thought you were gonna knock the blessed thing down,’ he chuckled, stooping to swing the child into his arms. Smiling at Rosie, he added, ‘It’s a mercy he didn’t wake Martha or I’d have got the length of her tongue and no mistake!’ It was obvious she had been difficult again.
As he led the way into the back parlour, Rosie sensed there was something very wrong. Usually proud of his appearance, Ned was wearing a grubby shirt which was haphazardly rolled up at the sleeves and hung open to the waist. He was unshaven and red-eyed, looking much like Doug when he’d been on one of his drinking binges. ‘Is everything all right?’ she asked, taking off her coat and eyeing him with concern.
He didn’t answer straightaway, obviously aware that the boy was paying attention to all that was being said. ‘Let’s get your coat off, young ’un,’ he said, undoing the buttons on little Danny’s jacket. ‘Then, if you’re quiet, you can play with your grandad’s lead soldiers.’ No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the boy was off. He knew the soldiers were kept in a tin box beneath the sideboard, and would play contentedly for hours if let be.
‘What’s brought you and the young ’un here so early?’ Conscious that he must look a sight, Ned hastily rolled down his sleeves and did up the top buttons of his shirt. His self-conscious action only heightened his unkempt appearance.
Standing by the table, Rosie leaned forward, her hands supporting her weight, and her dark eyes worried as she remarked pointedly, ‘Ned! You didn’t answer my question.’
‘What was that?’
‘I asked if anything was wrong?’ When he hesitated to answer, she came round the table and looked fondly up at him. ‘There is something, Ned. I could tell the minute I walked in. For a start you’re not shaved or dressed properly, and normally you’d be ready to leave for work.’
‘I’m not going to work today, lass.’
‘That’s not like you, Ned.’ A thought struck her then. ‘It’s Doug, isn’t it?’ If so, it wouldn’t be the first time he had caused trouble in this household. Many was the time he had taken his mother’s side, even when he knew his father to be in the right.
Ned was surprised she should ask such a question. ‘You must know I haven’t clapped eyes on Doug for weeks. He’s never forgiven me for sacking him, and only visits when I’m out. Even then he manages to upset his mother so she’s difficult to handle for days after.’ He raised his eyes to Heaven. ‘Though, God knows, it wasn’t him this time.’
Rosie had her answer as far as Doug was concerned. He hadn’t been here last night, and he wasn’t here now. But Ned was upset, and for the minute her concern over Doug took a back seat. ‘Is Martha being difficult? Is that why you’re not going to work?’
He sighed and closed his eyes. ‘You could say that. She’s been impossible these past few days. Last night when I got home the nurse met me at the door. Her face was bleeding where Martha had thrown a cup at her. So now she’s gone and she’s not coming back.’ He dropped his head and stared at the floor. ‘I’ve failed her, but as God’s my judge, I can’t think where I’m going wrong.’
‘Oh, Ned!’ This new nurse had been with Martha for even less time than the last one. ‘You’ve done more than any man could be expected to do, and still she won’t help herself. Why can’t she see what she’s doing to you?’
Seeming not to have heard, he went on, ‘I can’t blame the nurse. Poor thing, she were only a young lass, and Martha’s enough to try the patience of a saint. Honest to God, I don’t know what to do next.’ He sounded desperate. ‘Sometimes, I’m tempted to take off and leave her to her own devices, then she’d be put in a place where they’d know how to deal with her.’ His eyes were moist with threatened tears as he looked up for reassurance. ‘I know it sounds heartless, lass, but what am I to do, eh? Tell me that.’
‘You say she’s in a sulk?’ To tell the truth, Rosie was tempted to go up there and give her a piece of her mind. But she knew from past experience that it would go in one ear and straight out the other.
‘She’s sleeping now, and she bloody well ought to be ’cause she’s kept me awake all night with her bawling and shouting. When the lad knocked on the door just now, I half expected it to be the neighbours come to complain.’
‘They’re good folk, Ned. I’m sure they understand.’
‘Mebbe, but I’d like to bet they’ll not put up with it for much longer.’ He glanced up at the ceiling. ‘She can be a wicked bugger when she sets her mind to it. I’ve told her I can’t afford to lose my work… that we have to have someone in to take care of her, but she won’t listen.’
Sad to see him like this, she made up her mind. ‘Don’t worry, Ned. I’ll stay with her.’ Though she had always disliked Martha, Rosie had never been afraid of her. ‘You get yourself off to work.’
He was astonished. ‘I can’t let you do that. What! She’d take a deal of pleasure in making your life a misery.’
Rosie smiled craftily. ‘She’s been trying to do that for years, but so far I’ve survived. She won’t get the better of me, I can promise you that.’
His eyes lit up and a smile crept over his tired old face. ‘Are you sure, lass?’
‘I’m sure. Now be off before I change my mind.’
He gazed at her and for a minute he was too choked to speak. But then he grabbed her by the shoulders. ‘You’re a good lass,’ he muttered. ‘And though I say it as shouldn’t, our Doug doesn’t deserve you.’
She laughed wryly. ‘I’m always telling him that.’
He rushed around, getting a wash and telling Rosie how he’d already got everything prepared for Martha’s breakfast. ‘She normally wakes with the appetite of a bull elephant,’ he said. In a surprisingly few minutes he was ready for off. ‘I’ll try and be done early so you can get home,’ he promised. ‘I don’t want you getting in trouble ’cause Doug’s tea’s not ready when he gets in.’
Rosie had had no intention of telling him about Doug, but somehow it slipped out. ‘That’s if he comes home.’
‘Are you saying he’s taken to staying out?’
‘Something like that.’ When she realised it was only another worry for Ned, she quickly assured him, ‘I’m not too worried so you mustn’t be. No doubt he’ll turn up with his tail between his legs and a fine excuse to tell.’
Ned paused, ready to take off his coat again. ‘But it’s not like him to stay out, is it? It hasn’t happened before, has it?’
‘Many times,’ she lied. ‘Now get off to work. I saw a gang of big lads hanging round your wagon. If you don’t hurry, they’ll be off up the street in it.’ That did the trick. There was nothing more precious to Ned than his lovely coal-wagon. In a minute he was out of the door and away. When Rosie went into the front parlour and looked out of the window, it was to see him driving past the house, looking far more contented than when she’d arrived. ‘Now for the old battle-axe!’ she said through gritted teeth. ‘Like mother like son, and that’s a fact.’
* * *
‘I want Ned. Where’s Ned?’ Martha was shocked to open her eyes and see Rosie standing there with her breakfast tray. ‘Get out of my house. Bugger off, damn you!’ She was a terrible sight to see. Her eyes were sticking out like hatpins and her hair was a spiky mess because she had flatly refused to let the nurse comb it. Stretching her neck, she yelled at the top of her voice, ‘NED! NED, GET HER AWAY FROM ME!’
‘You can shout ’til the cows come home.’ Rosie calmly placed the tray on the bedside table. ‘But he won’t hear you because he’s gone to work.’ With her hands on her hips she stared at the other woman, a quiet test of strength going on between them.
‘You’re a bloody liar!’
‘No, I’m not.’ Rosie smiled sweetly. ‘It’s your own fault. After what you did, the nurse won’t show her face again. Ned’s gone to work, so I’ve come to look after you for the day.’
Martha’s eyes were bulbous and her face tu
rned a deep shade of red. ‘You’ll get out of my house now, or I swear to God I’ll raise holy hell.’
‘Hmh! Sounds like you’ve already been doing that. If you hadn’t attacked the nurse, she would still be here now. As it is, Ned’s running out of capable people to take care of you.’
‘None of your business what goes on in this house.’
Rosie’s face was grim. ‘I’m very fond of Ned and I don’t like to see you hurting him the way you do…’ Martha was about to interrupt, but Rosie shouted her down. ‘No, you’re going to listen to me. It’s about time somebody told you what a tiresome and selfish creature you are. All right, so you’ve had a tragic accident and I’m truly sorry that it happened to you. But there’s nothing I can do to change that, and neither can Ned. Though no man could have done more to make you comfortable.’
‘NED, YOU BASTARD… I KNOW YOU’RE HIDING DOWN THERE.’ Martha had her hands over her ears and a murderous look on her face.
‘He’s gone to work, I tell you.’ In a softer voice, she appealed to Martha’s better instincts. ‘Don’t you realise how worried he is, Martha? If he doesn’t go to work, he can’t pay the rent and you’ll be evicted.’
‘Don’t talk bloody stupid! Ned will provide for me. He always has.’ There was just the faintest note of concern in her voice.
‘He’s always provided for you because he’s always worked. Take away his work, and the money dries up. You know what I’m saying is the truth. Ned might have had a bit of money put by for a rainy day, but the rainy day’s come and it won’t go away. Think about it, Martha. Where do you suppose the money came from for the nurses you keep frightening off? And what about the special aids he’s got for you?’ Pointing to the strap above the bed, she explained, ‘This useful contraption for instance… the special bath, and the wheelchair… it all cost money. You know yourself the coal industry has been going through a bad patch and it’s dog eat dog. But, as you say, Ned’s always provided, and he will go on providing – if you treat him like the human being he is, and not something to be whipped and tortured, as though what happened to you was his fault.’
‘It was his fault! And yours too. I blame the lot of you.’ Turning away, she grabbed the pillow and pressed it to her ears, at the same time yelling and screaming for Ned to come and: ‘GET THIS BITCH OUT OF MY HOUSE, DAMN AND BUGGER YOU!’
Rosie sighed and shook her head. She could only imagine what Ned had been going through and her heart went out to him. As always, Martha had no intention of listening to reason. ‘All right, Martha. I’ve had my say, and I’ll leave you alone now. After you’ve had your breakfast, I’ll give you a wash.’
‘You come anywhere near me and I’ll wring your bloody neck!’ She glared at Rosie and her eyes were dark with loathing. ‘I might have lost the use of my legs, but the Devil compensates. The strength has all gone to my arms. I mean what I say, so you’d best stay away from me.’
Rosie shook her head, considering what to do. The mood she was in, Martha might work herself up to a fit. Then Rosie would never forgive herself. ‘I see. There’s no getting through to you, is there? All right then. I won’t come upstairs again, unless you want me to. But you have to eat, and you’ll need to go to the toilet.’
‘I’ll eat nothing, and Ned can take me to the toilet.’
‘You’ll be waiting a long time, Martha, because he won’t be home until this afternoon.’
‘Piss off.’
Undeterred, Rosie lifted the tea cosy from the teapot and pushed the tray closer so it was within easy reach. ‘If you need me, tap on the floor with your stick.’ Ned had given Martha a cane and with it she had driven him almost beyond endurance, banging on the floor to summon him up the stairs so he could suffer tirades of abuse. When Rosie told him he was too quick in responding, he said he was afraid to keep her waiting in case she was really in trouble. But she never was.
With as much dignity as she could muster, Rosie departed from the room, to the tune of Martha swearing and threatening. ‘You’ll be sorry, Ned Selby,’ she told the bedroom door. ‘I don’t know what game you’re playing, but you’ll be sorry!’
Closing the door, Rosie leaned against the wall outside, her eyes closed and her face raised to the ceiling. ‘God give me strength,’ she murmured. And, as the day wore on, she certainly needed it.
‘What’s the matter with Gran’ma?’ Frightened by all the noise, Danny was waiting at the foot of the stairs.
‘It’s all right, sweetheart.’ Rosie ushered him into the front room. ‘She’s in a bad mood, that’s all.’
‘She’s always in a bad mood.’ There had been a time when Martha doted on her grandson, but these days she was only interested in her son, Doug. Even though he had crippled her, he was the light in her life, and he could do no wrong.
‘I’ll tell you what, sweetheart.’ Rosie sat on the rug beside the upturned cardboard box. ‘I reckon Grandad would be thrilled if you could give all these soldiers a really good clean.’ Plucking one up between finger and thumb, she said, ‘If I give you a rag and some polish, do you think you could have them all ready for inspection?’ Her smile was bright, but she was subdued after the scene with Martha. She was also riddled with guilt. The woman was disabled after all. So had she gone too far… or been too cruel in her frankness? Should she have merely humoured her? But then the answer came back… a resounding no! Martha had punished Ned for too long, and it was time she was told a few home truths.
‘Can I wash their faces too?’
Deep in her own thoughts, Rosie’s attention had wandered. ‘What? Oh, yes, ’course you can,’ she laughed, giving him a cuddle. ‘I think that’s a marvellous idea.’
For the next few hours Rosie busied herself about the house, and her son washed and polished the lead soldiers. In between making a meat dumpling and scraping the potatoes ready for Ned’s evening meal, Rosie willed her mother-in-law to knock on the ceiling. But the silence was unnerving. Compelled to go up and check that everything was all right, she climbed halfway up the stairs but restrained herself from entering the room, especially when she could hear Martha still chuntering madly to herself. ‘I’m here if you want me,’ she called in a soft voice. ‘You’ve only to knock on the floor.’
The chuntering stopped and Martha’s voice fell quiet. ‘All right, I’ll play your little game,’ Rosie told her, going down the stairs. If that was the way Martha wanted it, there was little she could do. And anyway, it wouldn’t be too long before Ned was home. With a bit of luck, he might have managed to find someone who was prepared to look after the cantankerous old bugger.
* * *
What with the baking and clearing up after, and the games between with little Danny, Rosie was surprised at how quickly the morning sped by. But the next two hours crept along, and still Martha remained sullen and un-cooperative.
At five minutes to four Ned returned. ‘Finished early,’ he told her with a bright smile. ‘By! That does me good to get out of the house.’ His smile faded as he remembered what lay waiting for him upstairs. ‘How is she?’
‘Same as usual. She hasn’t thrown anything at me, but that’s because I was ordered out of her room and threatened with certain death if I returned.’ Rosie had to chuckle but her sympathy was with him. ‘I’m sorry, Ned. I did try but she’s been calling for you.’
His whole countenance changed. Where there had been a light in his eyes when he came in, there was now only despair. ‘It can’t go on like this,’ he murmured, sinking into the fireside chair. ‘You’d think there’d be somebody who could help, but it seems when you’re in this situation, you’re expected to cope best you can. Oh, the authorities do their bit, but it never seems to be enough. By rights she should be in a hospital of sorts.’
Before Rosie could answer, another voice intervened. ‘You’ll put her away over my dead body!’ Doug strode into the room. ‘What the hell’s going on here, eh?’ he demanded. ‘It seems I’ve arrived just in time. By the sound of things you’re all s
et to put my mam in a home.’ He stared from one to the other, condemning them with his expression.
‘Oh? So you’ve decided to show your face then?’ Rosie was astonished that he wasn’t rolling drunk.
‘I’ll deal with you later,’ he snapped. ‘Right now I’m having words with my dad here.’ Addressing Ned, he went on, ‘Well? I reckon you’ve got some explaining to do.’
At once Ned was on his feet, eyes blazing. ‘Don’t question what you don’t understand!’ He hadn’t forgotten how this man, his own son, had robbed him blind when every penny was needed for Martha. ‘You of all people should know I do my level best by your mother,’ he said, controlling his anger. ‘As for an explanation, I’d say I don’t owe you anything.’ The look on his face conveyed his meaning, and Doug was momentarily conscience-stricken. ‘Now, if you don’t mind, I think your mother needs me.’
When Ned had gone, Rosie was compelled to ask, ‘What did your father mean… “you of all people”?’ Something in Ned’s manner told her there was something very wrong between these two, something she had not seen before.
‘I think you might be forgetting your place, woman.’ Doug sauntered over to the fireplace and stood with his back to it, his odd-coloured eyes regarding her with contempt. ‘You’d do well to keep your mouth shut.’
‘Forgetting my place, eh?’ Rosie mimicked. ‘And where exactly do you think my “place” is?’
‘You should be at home. I’ll want my tea on the table when I’ve finished here.’
‘Oh? And what about you? Shouldn’t you be at home?’ Stepping closer she remarked in a low voice, ‘I don’t suppose you’ll tell me where you were last night?’
‘What’s been going on here?’ Deliberately evasive, he answered a question with a question. It wouldn’t do to let her know how he’d been subbing from work, and had spent an entire week’s wages. On top of that, he’d been late there today after spending the night with a whore. The boss had given him a final warning, and now he was in the right frame of mind to cause a heap of trouble here. ‘If he thinks he’s putting my mam in a home, he’s got another think coming.’ He would have gone on, but Martha’s call cut across his words. ‘You get home!’ he told Rosie. ‘There’s things to sort out here.’
More Than Riches Page 20
