Nothing is Forever

by Grace Thompson

  She went back to her attractively furnished flat and picked up the post. There was a letter, so beautifully timed, she thought sadly, reminding her of her arrears on the rent. If only Jack were here, she thought as panic rose. Why couldn’t he forget the doubtful claim in some treasure his father had told him about and stay with her, help her?

  She wasn’t sure where to find him but perhaps she should try before the car was taken away, she had known for weeks that payments on that were overdue but had ignored the letters, convinced that she would be able to clear them, when she set her mind on it.

  She talked to her mother, but kept from her the truth about their situation, only stating that as she and Jack were seriously planning to marry and settle down, they needed to move to somewhere cheaper, just until Jack got on his feet and found a proper career. They spent a miserable afternoon listing some of the best items in the flat and preparing them for sale. When they had sorted out their debts, there would be very little left to pay rent; they would be in a very lowly situation, unless Jack came home and stayed to help. The first thing she must do was to find a job, any job that would bring enough to feed them. How could she have allowed this to happen? And where was Jack?

  Jack was in the busy market in Cardiff. Twice he managed to lift a purse from the top of a shopping basket. Fools, to make it so easy for people like me, he thought, as he threw the purses away and pocketed the money. Not much, only a little over two pounds, but enough to keep him going for a day or so.

  He walked past Ty Gwyn late that evening and saw Tabs sitting at her bedroom window looking out. She waved and he waved back, pointing to the corner and beckoning her. Making the excuse of needing a walk, she quickly joined him.

  ‘Martha found this.’ She waved a handwritten note in front of him. ‘Martha told me she’d found a letter written by Ruth’s grandmother and I made some silly excuse about Ruth valuing everything to do with her family and she got it back out of the ash bin.’

  He read it and frowned. ‘What’s the use of this, love? There’s no name on it.’

  ‘She said the name Tyler, and that she was related to Ruth and her brothers. Her grandmother on her mother’s side. Could she be one of the family you’re searching for?’

  ‘You, Miss Tabitha Bishop, are a very clever girl.’ He put it in his pocket and hugged her. ‘Come on, we’ll go for a walk and I can show you just how much you mean to me.’

  Martha and George called at Ty Gwyn and were pleased to learn that Tabs was out. They discussed what had happened during that night, George almost accusing Ruth of running a house that was far from respectable. Martha was tearful, insisting she was deeply concerned about Tabitha, her dear stepdaughter. Henry was saying little, being cautious and avoiding an accusation about Tabs. Ruth was angry and determined to get the facts clear.

  They left before Tabs had returned from her walk and Henry waited with Ruth, reminding her that so far all they had was supposition, guess work. And a theory that didn’t match Tabs’s character.

  When Tabs went back to Ty Gwyn a couple of hours later, Ruth and Henry were sitting beside the fire, Henry had his arm around Ruth’s shoulder. Tabs felt her cheeks reddening as she saw them there. Ruth stared at her, disapproval and disappointment in her eyes.

  Tabs knew her loving moments with Jack showed on her face. Besides her eyes, which she was sure would be shining and full of happiness, she had been wearing make-up and, if there was any left it would be smudged and telling a tale of love.

  ‘Ruth and I have been talking to your father and stepmother,’ Henry said. ‘They are worried about you.’

  ‘They want me to go back home, but only to be an unpaid servant,’ Tabs said sadly.

  ‘They saw someone coming from this house very late at night and thought it was Ruth and a mysterious man.’

  ‘And was it?’ Tabs’s face was even redder and slick with perspiration.

  ‘You know it wasn’t,’ Ruth said. ‘You were the one wearing outdoor clothes in bed.’

  ‘I wasn’t … it wasn’t … Please, Ruth. It wasn’t what you’re thinking.’

  ‘I’m sorry, but I hate lies. And I hate being taken for a fool.’

  ‘All right, I met someone. He came in but he didn’t stay for long.’

  ‘Who was he? What did he want in my house? What were you doing in my shed?’

  Tabs looked down, her fingers fidgeting as though they too were involved in the fight with her conscience. ‘I can’t tell you. I promised.’

  ‘Loyalty is a good thing,’ Henry said, ‘but you owe that to Ruth, don’t you? She has given you a home where you can relax, be yourself, live your life the way you want to live, but in return you at least owe her honesty. You risked her reputation by what you and this boyfriend did. Rumours have grown from a lot less. Ruth doesn’t deserve that.’

  ‘I can’t tell you,’ Tabs whispered. ‘I’ll pack my things and tomorrow I’ll go back home.’ She ran from the room and up the stairs and they heard sobs before her bedroom door closed and shut off the sound.

  ‘Ruth, we can’t send her back to her father, we can’t.’

  ‘I’ll talk to her tomorrow.’

  When Ruth went downstairs at five the following morning, Tabs was already in the kitchen, her small suitcase near the door. She was nursing a cup of tea, the fire was laid and ready to light.

  ‘If you’ll be straight with me you can stay.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Tabs stuttered. ‘I can’t …’

  ‘You have to promise not to invite strangers here.’

  ‘That won’t happen again. I can promise that but I won’t talk about him.’

  ‘Tabs, if you have a boyfriend, I’m delighted. Henry and I would love to meet him. Will you arrange for us to meet? Here would be fine, or a place where we can talk or have a meal. Just a brief chat so we know something about him, make sure he’s a decent person.’

  ‘It isn’t your business,’ Tabs whispered. ‘I’m not a child who needs parental guidance. Certainly not from someone younger than myself.’

  Angry, Ruth stood up and poured herself a cup of tea. ‘Best you go then.’

  ‘Can I stay for a few hours? Martha won’t be awake and I can’t go to the shop.’

  Ruth threw the tea into the sink, muttering that it was cold and set the kettle ready to make a fresh one. When she turned around, to tell her she could stay, the suitcase was still there but Tabs had gone. She heard muffled sobs coming from her room when she went up to get dressed.

  Following the sound she went to Tabs’s room and went in without knocking. She didn’t demand answers, Tabs had been right about it not being her business. Instead, she assured the unhappy woman that she was still her friend and would be there when she needed one.

  Instead of setting off on her insurance collections, Ruth went with Tabs to her old home where Martha and George were just finishing breakfast. Without giving anyone a chance to explain, Martha urged them to go up and see the room she had prepared for Tabs. ‘I knew you’d come back to us,’ she said happily. ‘Look, I’ve done this room ready for you.’

  ‘I thought I’d have my old room,’ Tabs said. ‘This one is very small.’

  ‘Come and see what we’ve done in your old room, dear.’ There she proudly explained about her plans for accommodating summer visitors. ‘Crying out for decent places to stay, they are. So I thought – your father and I thought – we could make ourselves a little extra money. Doesn’t it look lovely? All new and so pretty and soon it will have new curtains and a fitted carpet.’

  Ruth saw the stricken look on Tabs’s face. A face that had changed back to how she used to look before leaving this house where she was treated so badly; a frightened, brow-beaten child. She knew she wouldn’t have a moment free from guilt if she left her there ‘Come on, Tabs,’ she said briskly. ‘We’ve seen all we need to see. Now we’re going home.’

  ‘But I thought you were coming back,’ Martha wailed. ‘We’ve done your room out special.’

>   ‘No, she isn’t staying.’ Ruth didn’t listen to any arguments, just pulled Tabs back to the front door, picked up her suitcase and marched her off.

  ‘I won’t talk about him, so please don’t ask me.’ Tabs looked defiant and Ruth nodded. ‘I want to stay with you more than anything, but you must stay out of my private life.’

  ‘All right. But if you’re to stay in my house, there’ll be no more midnight visits, right? Bring him home and introduce us when you feel ready to do so, but you have to promise never to bring him to Ty Gwyn without telling me and certainly not when I’m not there.’

  Tabs tearfully agreed. ‘Thank you.’ Drying her eyes she went on, ‘I’m sorry, but he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s here. He’s searching for someone and that’s all I can tell you.’

  ‘Well he won’t find them hiding in a shed!’ Ruth said, and succeeded in making the tearful girl smile. She had agreed to forget the frightening incident but it was far from satisfactory.

  Bryn and Brenda came that evening, invited for a meal. They arrived at the same time as Tommy and Toni, who was finding it difficult to sit on the couch on which the others sprawled, but instead sat on the carving chair near the table.

  ‘We’ve got news for you,’ Bryn said, when they began to eat.

  Ruth looked, not at Bryn, but at Brenda.

  ‘We’re going to have a baby,’ Brenda said. ‘Some time in March we think.’

  ‘What kept you?’ Tommy demanded, ‘ours is due in October!’

  ‘We didn’t want to spoil your moment in the spotlight,’ Bryn retorted. ‘Ours will put yours in the shade soon enough.’ The banter went on for most of the evening between the twins while the sisters-in-law chatted more calmly and shared information, promising support for each other.

  Henry congratulated them and Tabs was so embarrassed she spent the rest of the evening hiding in the kitchen.

  ‘Have you told Emrys and Susan, and Geraint and Hazel?’ Ruth asked. ‘We see so little of Geraint and Hazel I wonder if they’ve forgotten all about us.’

  ‘London’s a long way off, so we wrote to them with the news,’ Brenda said. ‘We haven’t heard from them yet but I expect they’ll be pleased that the family is growing. Emrys and Susan know; we went to Bridgend yesterday and told them. They were pleased at the thought of being aunt and uncle, twice.’

  Hiding her surprise at being the last person to be told, Ruth asked, ‘How are Geraint and Hazel? Their business keeps them in London working all hours but it’s a shame they can’t get down sometimes. We don’t see much of Emrys and Susan either, and they’re only in Bridgend. It’s a long time since we were all together. I think I’ll phone them tomorrow and suggest a family weekend.’

  ‘What if we have twins?’ Bryn said, so quickly that Henry wondered if he were forcing a change of subject.

  Tommy stood up and glared at his twin. ‘You wouldn’t dare upstage me like that!’

  The others laughed and the banter went on. But Ruth hadn’t been distracted from the idea of a weekend with all the family.

  The next morning she telephoned the office of the postal sales company in London, owned by her elder brother, and a secretary answered. Ruth asked the girl, Miss Collins, to leave a message for her brother and his wife inviting them to come to Ty Gwyn the following weekend for a family gathering. Miss Collins seemed a bit vague but promised to do what she could.

  ‘Are they away?’ Ruth asked. ‘They didn’t tell me anything about a holiday.’

  ‘Leave it with me, and I’ll make sure the message is passed on.’ It wasn’t a satisfactory reply but the pips were going again and she had no more change.

  The bus took her to Bridgend and at the office of the building firm for whom both Susan and Emrys worked, she left a message for them. Putting aside the vagueness of the responses, she happily made lists, ordered food and prepared the rooms ready for the family to come home.

  There was no acknowledgement from London or Bridgend but all eight of them arrived on Friday evening and the occasion began well. Emrys and Susan announced that they were buying a house. Geraint seemed rather off-hand but Hazel reacted with pleasure and promised them a few items of furniture they no longer needed. The two women discussed what Hazel had that was surplus and what Susan would be pleased to accept. The two men sat in silence half listening, Emrys smiling happily and his brother Geraint staring into space as though none of it concerned him. Henry studied the faces of Geraint and Susan and suspected there was another announcement to come.

  On Saturday Ruth was up early and Tabs joined her to get the food preparations underway. The four brothers went into the garden and did a few jobs with which Ruth needed some help, cutting back dead flowers, trimming bushes and piling them in the garden ready for burning. In the evening they went for a walk by the sea, chattering and laughing, couples, including Ruth and Henry, strolling arm in arm, all except Geraint and Hazel, who kept changing places to talk to one or other of the family.

  ‘They ought to come more often,’ Ruth said. ‘Look at the way they’re going from one to the other, trying to catch up with all the news.’ Henry said nothing but he wasn’t convinced.

  They stayed up beyond midnight, and on Sunday morning they slept late. As usual it was Ruth who went down first and set everything out ready for breakfast, so she was surprised when the back door opened and Geraint walked in. ‘Good heavens, Geraint, Where have you been so early?’

  ‘Ruth. There’s no easy way to tell you this, but Hazel and I have sold the business and we’re getting a divorce.’

  Ruth sat down on a chair and stared at him. ‘Come on, surely this is something you can work out? A divorce? But I thought you and Hazel were happy? Working together, a nice home, and successful business, what on earth more d’you want?’

  ‘So you think it’s my fault?’

  ‘Isn’t it?’

  ‘Hazel has met someone else.’

  ‘Never!’

  ‘We’ve been living apart for three months and now it’s in the hands of a solicitor.’

  ‘But why didn’t you tell me? There might have been something I could do?’

  ‘What could anyone do? She’s moved in with this man, Eddie Collins, and that is that. I wouldn’t have her back now whatever happened.’

  ‘Collins? Isn’t that the name of the secretary I spoke to in your office?’

  ‘It’s her brother.’ He shrugged as though to put aside the discussion and pointed to the food set out near the cooker. ‘Is that breakfast? I’m starving.’

  ‘You know you can come back here for a while, don’t you? This is still your home.’

  ‘We’ve sold our house and the business too, so I might do that when I move out. Just until I arrange my next move.’ Movements upstairs stopped the conversation and Geraint picked up the newspapers from the hall and sat in the living-room while a distracted Ruth began cooking.

  When they were all squashed around the table, Geraint told the others and when Henry arrived later he, too, was told.

  ‘It’s a lot to take in,’ Tommy said, reaching for Toni’s hand. ‘Bryn and Brenda’s baby, Emrys and Susan buying a house and now this. A divorce. Are you two sure it’s what you want?’

  Hazel was about to speak, but Geraint answered first. ‘I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life!’ Hazel jumped up and ran from the room and Geraint put his head in his hands and stared down at the floor.

  ‘You promised me,’ Hazel shouted from the hall. ‘You promised not to tell them until we got back.’

  Geraint went out to where his wife was standing, reaching for her coat. The murmur of their voices was heard by the others until the door slammed shut behind them. They sat and stared at each other in disbelief.

  ‘I thought they were happy together, building the business which is earning them enough money to enjoy themselves and have a decent home. What went wrong?’ Tommy asked.

  ‘Eddie Collins – whoever he is,’ Bryn replied.

  ‘No
wonder they offered us their unwanted furniture,’ Toni muttered.

  Unable to think of anything to add, and needing to keep busy, Ruth finished cooking the breakfast. ‘Go and see if they’re coming back to eat,’ she asked Tommy as she began putting food on plates. Henry smiled and touched her shoulder. ‘Whatever happens in your little world, your first thought it to feed people.’

  ‘Well, we still have to eat, don’t we? Pass your plate, there are some tomatoes left.’

  ‘Caring for people – that’s how you should earn your living.’ Still smiling, he offered his plate.

  Tommy came back and explained that Hazel wasn’t hungry and they were leaving as soon as they were packed.

  ‘Oh no you don’t!’ Ruth went out to where they were still arguing. The words were softly spoken, only the tension in their faces showing their anger. ‘Come on, we aren’t going to join in your argument, take sides, but I’m not wasting good food, so come on, and eat up. Then you can get packed and go.’

  The meal was eaten in silence, only the occasional word as someone asked for more bread or needed a tea cup re-filled. Still silently, Hazel nodded to excuse herself and went upstairs. The tension eased slightly as the men discussed which was the best route, Chepstow or Ross-on-Wye to get to Gloucester and on to London.

  Henry stood up and helped Ruth with the dishes. ‘I wish you hadn’t invited Geraint to come back here,’ he said. ‘You aren’t the mother, and he’s old enough to sort out his own problems. It’s time for you to make a life of your own.’

  Ruth scrubbed the saucepans a little more vigorously. ‘It will only be for a little while. He’s terribly hurt and coming home offers comfort and gives a chance to heal.’

  ‘Are you working tomorrow?’

  ‘Yes, but I should be finished by three.’

  ‘Then come to the shop. I have something to show you.’ To his disappointment she didn’t even show curiosity. ‘Don’t you want to know what it is?’

  ‘Sorry, Henry, is it a new purchase? Something beautiful?’