Christmas on Coronation Street

by Maggie Sullivan

  Elsie looked down at herself. He was right. She felt deflated.

  ‘When’s your birthday?’ he asked, more kindly now.

  ‘It’s coming up soon – in March.’

  ‘Good, an early birthday present then,’ he said.

  ‘But you can’t do that for me,’ Elsie protested, momentarily overwhelmed by the gesture.

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Because it’s too much. It’s …’ She thought she was going to cry.

  ‘Let me worry about that. She’s my mother.’ He laughed. ‘She won’t overcharge me. She wouldn’t dare.’

  Elsie didn’t know what to say, so she asked, ‘What does she know about me?’

  ‘She knows that you’ve got hair and that it’s red – what else does she need to know, for crying out loud?’

  Elsie wanted to know how he had referred to her. As his girlfriend? Or what? But she decided it was better not to ask.

  ‘So what will she do to it?’ she asked.

  ‘I never hang around long enough to find out. All I know is, it’s not like going to the barber.’

  Elsie was learning that looking a gift horse in the mouth got you nowhere. An early birthday present sounded like just the thing she needed, so she laughed out loud and said, ‘I should hope so.’

  When they arrived, Arnold introduced her simply as ‘Elsie’. Mrs Tanner smiled at her but eyed her curiously. ‘I’ll leave you two to it,’ Arnold said, and he disappeared into the front room with the evening paper while Mrs Tanner directed Elsie to the upstairs bathroom.

  She settled into the chair and tipped her head forward. It felt strange having someone she didn’t know wash her hair. She couldn’t remember anyone else, other than her mother, touching it until Fay was old enough to join her at the pump. She closed her eyes against the soap as instructed and tried to imagine what it might look like when it was all finished. She thought she could smell paraffin at one point, but Mrs Tanner didn’t speak much and Elsie didn’t ask. She felt her hair being wrapped in a towel and she followed Mrs Tanner back to the bedroom that served as the salon, feeling strangely vulnerable with her wet hair clinging to her head.

  Elsie asked her tentatively, ‘What exactly do you plan to do?’

  ‘No need to look so worried, my love,’ Mrs Tanner assured her. ‘Now that I’ve washed it and got it really clean I’ll cut and style it properly and maybe put in some marcel waves. I’ll need to see how it falls naturally. Then once it’s set, I’ll pop you under the dryer for a bit. That sound all right?’

  Elsie nodded.

  As Amy Tanner worked on her hair, she asked Elsie lots of questions. Elsie, despite her natural defensiveness, found herself opening up to Mrs Tanner, telling her all about Back Gas Street and her big, chaotic family. She told her all about Stan and about losing her job at the pub. She wouldn’t have believed she had so much to say.

  All the while, Mrs Tanner listened patiently, gently encouraging Elsie to reveal more about herself than she was used to doing, making encouraging noises and looking at her now and again with kind and curious eyes.

  There was no mirror on any of the walls so she had nothing to look at while her hair was being ‘done’. Elsie closed her eyes tightly as she saw the sharp scissors coming her way and could only feel the cold metal against her forehead as Mrs Tanner began to tackle her fringe. Then she sat as calmly as she could, listening to the snip, snip as the scissors roamed her head, feeling the tug of a complete stranger trying to disentangle her curls. She had no idea what the woman was doing, she could only hope that she wouldn’t turn her into a freak.

  Afterwards, when she saw the great chunks of hair on the sheet that had been spread under her chair, she gulped nervously. Mrs Tanner was busy brushing and running her fingers through whatever was left. Then Elsie felt the clamp of the metal teeth of the marcel wave clips. She had seen these fierce-looking tools at Aggie’s, but had never used them on her own head. She couldn’t wait to tell her friend about this, and the girls she worked with at the factory. But what if she didn’t like the end result? She might end up having to cover her head with a headscarf until it grew back into its familiar tangled mess.

  She didn’t enjoy sitting under the dryer with the metal clips burning hot against her scalp, but she didn’t feel she was in a position to complain when the woman was doing her a favour. At least, she hoped that was the case. Elsie wouldn’t know whether it was a favour or not until she saw the end result.

  When the drying ordeal was over and she had suffered more brushing and more tugging, her head certainly felt lighter and she shook it from side to side, amazed at how her hair sprang back and forth with every twist. Mrs Tanner had been watching her, but now she busied herself rolling up the cut hair into the sheet. When Elsie stood up, she stared admiringly at her new creation, touching it lightly, letting the straightened edges bounce against her hands.

  ‘A lot of the women I serve would give their eye teeth to have hair like yours. And they spend good money getting a colour as rich as this,’ Mrs Tanner said. It was the first time anyone had complimented Elsie on something she was born with.

  Finally, she brought Elsie a small hand mirror so that she might see for herself. Almost afraid to look, she took a moment before she opened her eyes. But what she saw was truly amazing and she looked round, wondering where the old Elsie had gone.

  ‘Is that really me?’ She touched the image. ‘Arnold said I’d look different, and I really do, don’t I?’ Now she really did look like Maureen O’Hara.

  ‘Aye, you do, lass – and a whole lot better, if you don’t mind my saying. What do you think to it, love? Do you like it?’

  ‘I think it’s … it’s lovely,’ Elsie said.

  ‘Then no doubt his nibs will think so too.’

  ‘Do you really think Arnold will like it.’

  ‘He bloody well will. And with good reason, too. He’s very particular about the girls he steps out with,’ Amy said.

  Elsie was startled. ‘Stepping out with’; was that what he had told his mother?

  ‘You know,’ Mrs Tanner said, ‘you’ve got really nice skin, considering …’ She didn’t finish the sentence as she hurried away to the room next door. She came back with a little white pot of Pond’s cold cream. ‘Here, why don’t you finish this out. It’ll make your skin feel nice. And I’ve got an old lipstick somewhere.’ She rummaged on the table in the corner and produced a couple of red lipsticks in metal cases. ‘You can have these. They were odd samples. There’s not a lot left in them, but they’ll help to brighten up your face a bit. There’s a spot of rouge in that little pot as well. Happen you could rub some into your cheeks. Give them a touch of colour too. It’ll help to show off your best bits. You’ve got very pretty eyes, I’m sorry I don’t have any kohl.’

  Elsie couldn’t believe the woman’s generosity and friendliness. When she thought of all the fuss she’d had, trying to get some make-up from Woolworth’s. No one had ever been this nice to Elsie in her entire life and she couldn’t work out why. She said as much to Mrs Tanner.

  ‘I can’t thank you enough, but why would you do all this for me?’

  ‘You know, Elsie, my life wasn’t always as it looks now. I come from a place just like Back Gas Street – not very far from it, in fact. It was a slum then, just like yours is a slum now, and I was lucky to meet a good fella, my husband Wally.’ Amy Tanner’s eyes flitted to a photograph on the dresser. Elsie saw a younger version of Amy linking arms with a man. She presumed it was Arnold’s parents on their wedding day. In the photograph, Wally had a look of Arnold about him, but he was thinner with kindly eyes and was smiling fit to burst. Amy followed Elsie’s eyes and smiled tenderly at the picture. ‘He looks right proud, doesn’t he! Always says I made him the happiest fella in the world that day. My Wally is a chimney sweep, like his own father — that’s where is is now and he’ll come back covered in soot as always, but he’ll come into the house through the back door, wash himself at the sink and won’t st
ep over the threshold of the parlour until he’s scrubbed clean. That’s the sort of man he is. His mother was a hairdresser and she taught me. Since then, even when things have been tight, we’ve done all right, the three of us.’

  Elsie found it hard to believe Amy Tanner could ever have come from somewhere like Back Gas Street, she seemed so refined and elegant.

  ‘Everyone needs a bit of help in life and if I can help someone, then I will. I like you, Elsie. Arnold is a handful and he can wrap me around his little finger, like most sons can their mothers and his father thinks he’s the bee’s knees too, but there’s something about you, love. You might just have what it takes to make a real man of him – if anyone can.’

  Elsie was touched by the woman’s generosity. When she was finished, she found Arnold downstairs waiting to take her home. His face lit up when she entered the room.

  ‘What do you think, son?’ Mrs Tanner was close behind. ‘Isn’t she lovely?’

  ‘Bloody ’ell, Mam,’ he said. ‘You’ve done me proud there. Thanks.’

  Elsie couldn’t believe her ears.

  ‘You’re a right smasher,’ Arnold said. ‘Do you know that?’ He planted a wet kiss on her lips. ‘Now I’ve got to take you to meet Joe.’

  Elsie looked puzzled.

  ‘I told you I’m living in his flat near Coronation Street till the house is sorted and bloody hell I want to show him what a knockout you are.’

  ‘And you can come back here any time,’ Mrs Tanner cut in, bundling him out of the way so she could link her arm through Elsie’s. ‘If I’m not busy, I’ll see if I can squeeze you in. I’m sure Mr Tanner would love to meet you too.’ She gave Elsie a wink. ‘I can always send the bill to him,’ she added, jerking her head in Arnold’s direction.

  ‘Thanks so much.’ Elsie clasped the old woman’s hand.

  ‘My pleasure. And Arnold’s too, if the look on his face is anything to go by,’ she cackled. ‘Oh, but hang on a minute—’

  She disappeared upstairs and returned a moment later with a cotton dress over her arm. ‘I nearly forgot. I meant to give you this. It’s an old thing I don’t wear any more. But it might just do you.’ She held it up against Elsie.

  ‘I’ve no use for it no more,’ she said. The flowered print was pretty – green with lots of flowers – even if the style was a bit old-fashioned.

  ‘I don’t know how handy you are with a needle, but I thought maybe you could do something with it,’ the old woman said.

  Elsie looked at it and grinned. As it was now, the style was too old for her and the dress was far too big, but she knew Aggie could soon fix that.

  Chapter 22

  They took the same trolley bus on the way back and Elsie kept catching sight of herself in the window. Each time she saw her reflection, she couldn’t help smiling and touching her hair. She’d also given her face a bit of colour with the make-up Mrs Tanner had kindly given her, and she had to remind herself she didn’t have to keep biting her lips to turn them pink.

  ‘Feel different?’ Arnold asked her.

  She nodded. ‘Completely. I never would have thought it possible.’ And she looked down at the brown paper bag in her lap wondering how quickly Aggie might be able to get on and sort out her new dress.

  The flat where Arnold was temporarily living was in a block much taller than any Elsie had ever seen before. The building was five floors high and Joe’s flat was at the top. Arnold pressed a buzzer to warn Joe they were on their way and they walked up the stone steps to the fifth floor. Joe greeted them at the door with a beer in each hand and he thrust one at Arnold as he took a swig from the other.

  ‘Here you are, pal,’ he said. ‘I’ve been keeping it warm.’ He looked as though he had been drinking all night and the childlike chuckle and the slurred greeting confirmed that. They followed Joe into the living room where a haze of cigarette smoke seemed to hang in the air. There were several ashtrays overflowing on to a large Bakelite tray that rested on a rickety stand, but the windows were tightly shut and there was nowhere for the fug or the stale tar smell to go. Some chipped plates and cups that had obviously been there a while added to the chaos. Joe looked as though he wouldn’t be able to stand up much longer and he sat down quickly on the badly stained couch. He patted the cushion beside him for Elsie to sit down too. But it had lost most of its stuffing and didn’t look very inviting. He seemed to be having trouble focusing his eyes as he looked her up and down and he complimented her on her hair like he had been rehearsing the words all day.

  Not that it would have mattered to her if he had. She still felt a thrill. She never tired of hearing such praise. She picked up a framed photograph from where it was standing on a small cupboard and used it as a mirror. The picture was of a woman about the same age as Amy Tanner and she would have guessed it was Joe’s mother. But she didn’t look long at the photograph for it was her own reflection in the glass that smiled back at her. Elsie felt a rush of happiness and gratitude to Arnold. He might be rough and ready, but no other man had ever put this effort in on her behalf.

  Elsie wasn’t stupid, though. She knew that a man like Arnold wasn’t doing this for purely selfless reasons; no doubt she’d be expected to repay him at some point – in a way that suited him – but that thought didn’t trouble her like it would most girls of her age.

  ‘Sorry,’ she said, putting the picture frame down. ‘I’m still getting used to my new hair.’ She was embarrassed and felt the need to explain, not realizing Joe was not listening and Arnold was no longer in the room.

  It was a large room with only a few pieces of furniture but they were over-sized and made of such heavy wood that the table, chairs and sideboard seemed to fill the entire space. The cabbage roses on the wallpaper made the walls look crowded too, so that the room seemed smaller than it was. There was a gas fire in the only wall that wasn’t broken up by windows, doors or furniture, but it was not lit.

  When Arnold came in from the kitchen he was carrying another bottle of beer. ‘Where’s your manners then?’ He kicked Joe’s foot hard as he spoke and handed the beer to Elsie. ‘Here, get this down you,’ he said. ‘Sorry my so-called pal there didn’t think to offer you one. But if the empties in the kitchen are owt to go by, he’s been on a bender all night.’ He made a tutting sound. ‘It’s no wonder he’s already looking the worse for wear.’

  When Joe’s bottle slipped on to the floor and the remaining beer trickled out on to the carpet, Arnold stood up. ‘Enough. Time for you to go to bed, my lad,’ and he roughly shook his friend awake. Joe came to with a start.

  ‘What’s up?’

  ‘What’s up is that it’s past your bedtime, chum,’ Arnold said.

  ‘Oh, OK. Thanks.’ Joe got up and tottered uncertainly towards what Elsie assumed was his bedroom.

  ‘That’s better,’ Arnold said, reaching his arms up to the ceiling, which he could almost touch. Then he stretched out on the couch as far as he could, though it meant that his feet hung over one end. He didn’t seem to care, for he beckoned Elsie to come and join him. There was barely enough room on the narrow cushions but he encouraged her to snuggle up as close as she could. She felt the hardness of him even before he kissed her and she allowed him to guide her hand to touch it. But then his hands began fondling her breasts with such ferocity that it quite took her breath away and left her unable to move. He was exploring her mouth with his tongue in the way that she liked when suddenly he stopped and got up. Just as suddenly he pulled Elsie to her feet.

  ‘We’d be far more comfortable in my bed,’ he said huskily. He pulled her down a short corridor past the rumbling and whistling noises coming from Joe’s room to what was obviously his bedroom and he shut the door behind them. Of course, Elsie thought as he wrapped his arms round her and then began to fumble under her skirt, this is the bit where I pay for that haircut.

  And with that thought firmly planted, even when he lay heavily on top of her and began to handle her much more roughly, she didn’t even try to resist
. Stan had always said that he’d been careful when they were making love, though Elsie wasn’t entirely sure where the careful bit came in. Arnold certainly knew how to please her in all of the right places and she realized only afterwards that he hadn’t mentioned anything about being careful at all.

  With both of them gratified, she drifted off to sleep. When she woke up, it was morning. She was struggling to remember where she was and it came as a shock to realize she had been there all night. It was the first time she had stayed away from Back Gas Street a whole night without warning Fay in advance.

  She doubted that anyone would really notice but if her father was on the warpath then he’d use any excuse to give her hell.

  Fay would have missed her if no one else did and hopefully would have covered for her, but Elsie knew she needed to get home to let her sister know she was all right.

  She had been sleeping on her side in the narrow bed. That was all there was room for as Arnold was lying flat on his back. He was still sleeping and she didn’t want to wake him, but she had to clock in at a set time at the factory in order to start work. She tried to slip out of bed unnoticed but as soon as she moved she heard him grunt.

  ‘What? Eh?’ he muttered, and she knew it was too late. She wanted to laugh at his nakedness, his willy all soft and floppy. Elsie thought he looked quite vulnerable for once and felt a surge of affection. It wasn’t like she’d felt with Stan, but it was good enough. Her neck felt bare and when she put her hand up she remembered what had happened to her hair. But the joy and excitement of yesterday seemed to have been blown away on the wind. She had told no one of her meetings with Arnold and now she was worried about how she was going to explain the sudden change in her appearance. No one would believe a hairdresser had done it for free. The first people she’d have to face would be the girls at the factory, though she could hide it from them underneath her headscarf. Then again, if she didn’t get a move on, her hair would be the least of her worries for she was going to be late.