by Kitty Neale
He lifted his head as the plaster was removed, and gagged. God, the stench! What had been a flesh wound now resembled a huge hole, one that he could fit his fist into. Arthur grew more anxious. He’d seen other patients in the ward with broken legs, many of whom had recovered enough to go home, and until this moment he’d expected to do the same. ‘Doctor, just what sort of infection is this?’
‘Don’t worry, Mr Jones,’ he replied without really answering the question. ‘We’ll soon sort you out.’
Arthur was given a local anaesthetic, and soon they began to tend the wound. The process took a long time and after they’d finally finished, the doctor said, ‘Right, young man. We’ll put a new plaster on now, this time with a lift-up flap over the wound.’
Instead of being wheeled back to the ward, Arthur was put in a side room. He wanted to know what was going on and was determined to ask questions, but then his usual doctor came in with a new nurse and Arthur noted that both were wearing masks.
‘Mr Jones, this is Nurse Trimble and she’ll be looking after you.’
‘Why are you wearing masks?’
‘You have gangrene in your wound, Mr Jones. It’s been caught early and should respond to treatment. However, until then you have to be kept in sterile conditions. Now your wife is waiting outside to see you, but for the time being you won’t be allowed to see any other visitors.’
Arthur had more questions, but then the nurse opened the door to beckon Sally in, saying as she appeared, ‘I’m sorry, Mrs Jones, but I’m afraid you can only stay for five minutes.’
Though wearing a mask too, Arthur could see the anxiety in his wife’s eyes as she approached the bed, her voice sounding muffled as she said, ‘Oh, Arthur, are you all right?’
He made a supreme effort, saying, ‘Yes, I’m fine, but get that mask off so I can give you a kiss.’
‘Now then, Mr Jones, you know that isn’t allowed,’ Nurse Trimble said. ‘In fact, no contact at all please.’
‘It was worth a try,’ he replied, forcing a grin.
As the doctor left the room Arthur was struck by a thought. ‘Sally, where’s Angel?’
‘She’s outside with your mother and as you can imagine, playing up because she can’t see you. Your mother sends her love.’
‘I’m sorry, Mrs Jones, but I must ask you to leave now,’ Nurse Trimble said, ‘and for the time being, would you please restrict your visits to one a day for half an hour.’
Blimey, Arthur thought, thinking that Nurse Trimble reminded him of one of his old school teachers. He half-expected Sally to reply with a ‘Yes, Miss’ but instead she just nodded, her eyes clouded with worry.
‘I’ll leave you to say your goodbyes,’ the nurse said brusquely, at last leaving the room.
‘Sally, don’t worry, I’ll be fine,’ Arthur said, once again forcing a cheery note into his voice.
Sally reached out to touch him, but then remembering that she wasn’t allowed, snatched her hand back. ‘Oh, Arthur.’
‘I know, love, but just make sure that when I get out of here you’ve found us a flat to move into,’ he said with a cheeky wink, ‘we’ve got a lot of time to make up for.’
‘Yes, we have and I’ve started looking already.’
The door opened, Nurse Trimble back again. ‘Bye, Sally, see you tomorrow,’ Arthur said, trying not to sound too despondent.
‘Bye, darling,’ she whispered, and then with a small wave she was gone.
It hadn’t been easy to keep up the pretence and a wave of exhaustion washed over Arthur. Gangrene! He had gangrene, and in truth he was quaking with fear.
Sally found herself shaking on the journey home, thankful that Elsie was there to give them a lift. The dreaded word gangrene kept going around in her mind, and it was all she could do to placate Angela. The child was still upset and she had now become petulant. ‘Angela, that’s enough. You can’t see him for a while and there’s nothing I can do about it.’
‘Sally, I can understand how she feels,’ Elsie said. ‘I’m his mother and I wasn’t allowed to see him either.’
‘I know, and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at her, but I’m worried sick about Arthur.’
‘Why, Mummy?’
Sally felt a wave of despair as she struggled to find the right words. ‘He’s got a bad headache, darling, and he needs quiet until it gets better.’
Angel settled down at last and soothed by the motion of the car she was fast asleep by the time they arrived in Candle Lane. Sally lifted her daughter gently from the car, and with Elsie’s help she managed to put Angel onto Gran’s bed downstairs. When they walked into the kitchen, their faces must have said it all.
‘Sally, Elsie, what’s the matter?’ Ruth cried. ‘Your faces are like lint!’
Sally broke, all her pent-up fears and anxieties rising to the surface and tears spurting from her eyes. ‘Oh, Mum, Arthur’s got gangrene.’
‘No!’ Ruth gasped.
‘Stone the crows!’ Sadie said. ‘They’ll have to take his leg off.’
‘Don’t say that!’ Elsie begged. ‘Well, you might as well face it now as later. Lots of blokes lost their limbs to gangrene during the war. It’s inevitable.’
‘No, it isn’t,’ Sally protested. ‘The ward sister said that Arthur should respond to treatment.’
‘Huh, who’s she kidding?’
‘She may be right, Mum,’ Ruth said.
‘Poppycock! I’ve told you once you get gangrene they take your leg off. It’s the only way to stop it spreading.’
Sally couldn’t bear it. Her gran had to be wrong . . . she just had to. ‘Stop it, Gran! Stop talking as though it’s a foregone conclusion. The doctor didn’t mention amputation. Medical science has come a long way since the war, and Arthur is going to get better. I just know he is.’
‘All right, love, I’m sorry and now calm down. Ruth, make a pot of tea. Elsie looks like she could do with a cuppa too.’
Sally laughed then, but it was hysterical laughter. Tea! Her mum and gran’s cure all for everything. Oh, if only life was as simple as that.
Chapter Fifteen
Ruth made a decision on Monday and was relieved when her boss agreed to her request. If he hadn’t she may have had to pack the job in, but it seemed he was happy to employ a Saturday girl to take her place. She’d miss the day’s pay, but with Arthur in danger of losing his leg, Sally would have the weekend free to spend more time with him.
It came as no surprise to see that Tommy was hanging around outside when she arrived home from work. At least he looked a little more nourished now and uncaring of what his mother might say, Ruth would continue to feed him up. As usual Tommy was inadequately dressed, but during her lunch break she had been on a little shopping trip.
‘Hello, missus,’ he said, his nose blue with the cold.
As always Ruth’s heart went out to him. ‘Hello, love. I’ve got something for you,’ she said, pulling the grey, hooded, duffel coat from the bag. ‘Here, this will keep you nice and warm.’
‘For me? It’s for me?’
‘Yes, love, and though it isn’t brand new there’s hardly a mark on it.’
‘Cor, fanks!’ he cried, hurriedly putting it on and then flinging his arms around Ruth.
She held him for a moment, fighting tears. It was just a coat and hadn’t cost much from the second-hand shop, but Tommy was acting as if she’d given him a pot of gold. The difference between Tommy and Angel was marked. Angel had always been able to take it for granted that she would be fed and kept warm, whereas Tommy had to learn to survive with barely any parental care. Not that Ruth begrudged Angel her comforts, and though spoiled, her granddaughter had a sensitive side to her. Gently, Ruth pushed Tommy back. ‘Sorry, love, I’ve got to go in, but come back around seven and I’ll give you a bite to eat.’
He nodded, looking up at her for a moment before running off. ‘I’m gonna show me mates me coat.’
Ruth was still smiling as she went indoors, and said str
aightaway, ‘I’ve had a word with my boss, Sally, and from now on I’ll be home on Saturdays. It’ll give you more time with Arthur.’
‘Mum, I’m only allowed to visit him for half an hour.’
‘You didn’t tell me that.’
‘Didn’t I? I’m sorry, Mum, with all the worry I didn’t realise.’
‘Never mind, love, it’ll be nice to have my weekends off, so no harm done.’
‘Nanny, have you got any sweets for me?’ Angel said, running up to her.
‘Not tonight, pet.’
‘Blimey, that makes a change,’ Sadie commented.
Ruth saw that Angel looked disappointed, but the child didn’t go short, which was more than you could say for Tommy. ‘I’ll buy you some tomorrow,’ she said.
The telephone rang and Sally went to answer it, while Ruth kicked off her shoes and rubbed her toes, hoping that a pot of tea was ready. Sally had already got the dinner on and the aroma of lamb stew filled the room, making Ruth’s mouth water. ‘That smells good.’
‘Yeah, she’s learning how to cook cheap but nourishing meals. I told her to add lots of pearl barley.’
Sally was soon back, saying as she walked in, ‘That was Joe Somerton. He wanted to visit Arthur, but I had to put him off. He was disappointed, but said he had some good news. Apparently they’ve got planning permission for the site.’
Frowning, Ruth said, ‘I can’t see Arthur up to working for some time yet, and if he loses his . . .’
‘Mum,’ Sally warned, nodding at Angela.
‘Blimey, I nearly put my foot in it,’ Ruth said, and hoping to distract the child she added, ‘Go into Gamma’s room and find the cards, Angel. After dinner I’ll give you a game of snap.’
Angel ran out of the room and at the same time there was a knock on the door. Ruth answered it and Nelly Cox said, ‘Can I have a word with Sally?’
‘Yeah, come on in.’
‘Hello, Sadie, how are you doing?’ Nelly asked as she walked ahead of Ruth into the kitchen.
‘I’m fine, Nelly. Why shouldn’t I be?’
‘I only asked,’ she said, then turning to Sally, ‘Are you still looking for a flat?’
‘Yes, but with all that’s happened to Arthur I’m afraid I’ve been too preoccupied to put much effort into it.’
‘Right then,’ Nelly said. ‘I’ve heard of a flat going in Maple Terrace. Ted Johnson, the tobacconist, bought a house there recently, one divided into maisonettes and he’s done them both up.’
Ruth bit her lip. If this flat came off, she’d miss them.
‘Mind you,’ Nelly continued. ‘I can’t see them hanging round for long so if you fancy one you’d better get yourself off to see Mr Johnson. He doesn’t usually close up until seven.’
‘Mum,’ Sally appealed as her daughter came back into the room. ‘Will you keep an eye on Angela?’
‘I suppose so.’
‘I won’t be long. Angel, be a good girl,’ Sally said as she grabbed her coat.
As the door closed, Sadie said, ‘You should have told Sally not to take the upstairs flat.’
‘Why?’
‘I can’t say it in front of you know who,’ she said, looking at Angel. ‘But what if a certain someone won’t be able to climb the stairs?’
Nelly looked puzzled, but Ruth knew what her mother was hinting at and prayed she was wrong.
Sally was breathless by the time she reached the top of Long Street and rushed into the tobacconist’s gasping for air.
‘My goodness, where’s the fire?’ Ted Johnson said, his eyebrows lifting.
Sally fought for breath. ‘Nelly Cox told me that you have some flats to let.’
‘Yes, that’s right, though there’s only the downstairs one left. Are you interested?’
‘Has it got two bedrooms?’
‘It has, and a small back garden too.’
‘How much is the rent?’
‘It’s eight pounds a week.’
‘Eight pounds!’ Sally squeaked.
‘It’s a fair rate for such a nice flat, and if you can’t afford it there are others that can. I’d want a month’s rent down as a deposit too.’
Could they afford to pay that much? Sally wondered. She had no idea how much Arthur and Joe were going to pay themselves.
‘There’s another couple interested in looking at it,’ the man warned.
Sally glanced at the clock hanging up behind the counter and saw it was six-fifteen. She could still go to the hospital afterwards, even if it meant missing dinner. ‘Can I go to see it now?’
‘Yes, but I can’t leave the shop so you’ll have to go on your own,’ he said, taking a set of keys from his pocket and handing them over. ‘It’s number seventeen, and when you’ve had a look at it, make sure you return those keys.’
Once again Sally found herself running, but unable to keep it up, she had to resort to a rapid walk until at last she turned into Maple Terrace. It was tree-lined and not only that, each house had a small front garden. Most of the properties looked well cared for, and at number seventeen, Sally was impressed by how neat the house looked. The window frames had been freshly painted, and she saw two front doors, one for the upstairs flat and the other for the down. Both were painted dark blue with brass letterboxes.
With her heart thumping in anticipation, she walked up the small path, hoping the flat would be just as nice inside. The door was a bit stiff, but when Sally pushed it open, it was love at first sight.
The front room had a bay window, and she even liked Ted Johnson’s choice of pale blue, embossed striped wallpaper. Unlike the garish patterns that were in vogue at the moment, this décor would look lovely with the antique furniture she and Arthur loved, all of which was still in storage.
Sally hurried to the kitchen and found it modern with frosted glass wall cupboards. The kitchen window, just above the sink, had a view of a small back garden, perfect for Angel to play in. With time pressing, Sally was anxious to get back, but she gave the two bedrooms a cursory look, finding both fine. The bathroom was newly fitted, half tiled with a lovely big Ascot that would supply plenty of hot water.
With a last glance over her shoulder, Sally locked up and hurried back to see Mr Johnson. ‘I’ll take it,’ she said.
‘I thought you would,’ he said, smiling smugly. ‘As I said, I need a month’s rent in advance, along with your first weekly payment.’
Sally was glad that she had automatically picked up her handbag and now fumbled inside for her cheque book. Arthur usually saw that she got her housekeeping funds in cash so she rarely used it, but soon she was writing one out with a flourish.
‘I see you’ve given me the deposit and a month’s rent on top of that. When are you moving in?’ Ted Johnson asked.
‘I’m not sure, but until I do, I’ll see that the rent is paid on time.’
‘Good, because if you get into arrears you’re out,’ he said. ‘I’d normally ask for references, but I’ve known your family, and your husband’s, for years. I heard on the grapevine that he’s in hospital at the moment and no doubt that’s why you aren’t moving in yet. I hope he’s on the road to recovery.’
‘Yes, he is,’ Sally said dismissively, sure that she was right. ‘Now can I keep the keys?’
‘Of course, and if you have any problems with the flat, let me know and I’ll see they’re put right.’
‘Thanks, I’ll do that,’ Sally said, saying goodbye whilst thinking that Mr Johnson seemed a fair man and she hoped a good landlord.
Once again Sally found herself hurrying, this time to get home. As soon as she walked in the door her mother asked, ‘Well, how did you get on?’
Sally threw off her coat, saying with a smile, ‘It’s a smashing flat and I took it.’
‘How much is the rent?’
‘Eight pounds a week.’
‘Bloody hell,’ Sadie said. ‘It’s a flat in Maple Terrace, not Buckingham Palace.’
‘Sally, the rent does sound a bit steep,
’ said Ruth, ‘but tell me what it’s like while you get that dinner down you.’
‘I’ll eat when I get back, Mum. I’ve got to get to the hospital now. The flat is worth the rent and I can’t wait to tell Arthur. It’s bound to cheer him up,’ Sally said, bending down to kiss Angel. ‘Be a good girl for Nanny.’
As usual Angel started to protest, saying she wanted to see her daddy, but with no time to mollify her, Sally was off, leaving her mother to calm her down.
Had she looked back Sally would have seen her mother quickly ushering Tommy inside, but intent on seeing Arthur her eyes were fixed ahead. She couldn’t wait to tell him about the flat. He was going to be thrilled.
Chapter Sixteen
Though another week had passed, there was still no sign of Arthur responding to the treatment. Despite this, Sally was determined to have the flat ready for when he came home. Bert had his men deliver their furniture from storage and now Sally looked around the living room with delight, running her hand over the oak sideboard. She could remember how excited Arthur had been when they’d found it.
The second-hand shop in Northcote Road had mostly been full of junk, but they had spotted it against the back wall. It was filthy, but under the grime they could see that the doors were carved oak. After a bit of bartering they got it for a good price, and flushed with success they spent many happy hours scouring second-hand shops for other choice pieces. The brown leather three piece suite had been a good find too, the hide cracked and worn in places, but they loved it nevertheless.
There was a knock on the front door and, wondering who it was, Sally rushed to open it. On the step she saw a slim young woman, with short, straight blonde hair that framed her elfin face. She had heavily made up eyes, amazingly long eyelashes, and an almost childlike, innocent smile. My goodness, Sally thought, she looks like a porcelain doll.
‘Hello,’ she trilled, ‘I saw your furniture arriving and thought I’d better introduce myself. I’m Patsy Laurington and I live upstairs.’
