The Birthday Card

by Pauline Barclay

  Doreen looked on and could not believe her daughter had taken it upon herself to go out and get her a packet of ciggies. She ignored the reference to her slate being paid, it would happen sooner than later. ‘Thanks, love, I’ve just two left and as for Jan, not sure what she has, if any. ‘I owe you,’ Doreen said gathering herself at the kindness of her daughter.

  ‘Right, just let’s get ourselves down that road to those shops,’ Trisha said, high fiving the air as she left the room.

  Doreen watched in fascination. Oh, to be seventeen again and have the confidence of her daughter, she mused. Hearing Jan cough, she rounded on her friend. ‘Get up, Jan, now!’ Not waiting for her friend to move, she strode to the kitchen and busied herself making strong black coffee for her friend. She did not have the time to mess around and needed to sort Jan out before she left the flat.

  With a steaming mug of coffee, Doreen stood over Jan, ‘Here, drink this,’ she said pushing the mug over to Jan who was shuffling to sit up. Taking the mug, Jan stared bleary eyed at her surroundings. ‘Gordon Bennet, I should be at work not kipping on your sofa with a hangover,’ Jan said sniffing the strong coffee and grimacing.

  Seeing her friend in such a state, unable to go to work, pity flowed over Doreen. It was down to her that Jan had a hangover. She should have brought an end to their shenanigans, but bolstered with having someone to share her celebration with, it was too much to stop.

  ‘Do you want me to get Trish to call in?’ Doreen asked, trying not to think about what Mr Drew would be thinking let alone his family; she had let everyone down these last few days. If she was honest, she had not given work a second thought. Looking back maybe she should have told the Drew family more, but what could she have told them? Even Simon Gilder had been taken in with her woeful story of having the trots. They didn’t deserve to be deceived, but right now she had to keep her secret just a few more days. After that she would go and see them and put a smile on their faces. These thoughts bolstered her spirits with what she would do to help the people who had made sure she had a wage each week.

  ‘No, I’ll sort it once I’m up,’ Jan said, ‘I’ll have to come up with something that makes sure no one asks about you. I’ve never been a good liar, but I guess there’s always a first time.’ Reaching over, Jan placed her hand on Doreen’s arm, ‘You know I am so pleased for you, seriously happy it has happened to you. You deserve a good life and now you’ll have one.’

  Doreen didn’t know what to say. Would she have been so kind with her words had Jan won millions? Yes, she would, envious of course, but she would have been over the moon for her. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll see you OK, Jan, I promise.’

  ‘You don’t need to do anything, but if you did, I would be eternally grateful.’

  Doreen felt tears prick at the back of her eyes; everything was about to change and would never be the same again. Hearing her friend say such lovely things brought into stark focus how they lived. She would not be able to change everything, but for one or two she would be able to make a little difference.

  ‘You’d do the same for me, Jan, if it was the other way round.’

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Wearing the same outfit she had worn on her visit to Watford a few days earlier, Doreen, with Trisha at her side, strode into the office of Stephanie Rawlinson. It was a smaller room than she had expected, though she did not miss the stylish furniture and wondered what it was about glass and marble that appeared so fashionable. Forcing a smile as Stephanie Rawlinson approached her, Doreen knew this was the last place she wanted to be and having to talk to another stranger about her personal life.

  In a matter of a few days her life had turned into a whirlwind of entering offices, sitting on expensive furniture, sipping tea from delicate cups and nibbling at food she had never heard of whilst strangers asked personal questions. She’d had to prove who she was and listen to people telling her what she needed to do. Already she’d had enough. What she and her daughter really wanted to do was to hit the shops and go crazy treating themselves. Scooping the jackpot was about having fun, not all of this malarkey.

  As if reading her mind, Trisha tugged at her arm, ‘Don’t worry, Mama, we are going to have such a monumental day with emphasis on the mental,’ Trisha whispered with a roguish smile that stretched from ear to ear.

  ‘Oh yes, we most certainly are,’ Doreen whispered back and at the same time breathed in the excitement of her daughter. They were going to have a blast as soon as they could get out of here. No one was going to spoil today, no one. She patted her daughter’s hand.

  ‘Welcome,’ Stephanie said greeting Doreen and Trisha, a beaming smile making her sapphire blue eyes sparkle. A tall woman, dressed in a light coloured and well-tailored trouser suit, she had strawberry blonde hair that appeared to have a mind of its own. Doreen could imagine no matter how much Stephanie Rawlinson styled her locks, the curls would always have their own way. The wild look gave Stephanie a soft and friendly appearance. She guessed she was around late thirties, not much different to her own age, she thought, and instantly Doreen warmed to the other woman despite her annoyance at having to be here. There was something that made her feel at ease. Looking past Stephanie, and like all the other office visits, there was tea and cake sitting on a table. She had never eaten so much cake.

  ‘I am delighted to meet you both,’ Stephanie said, leading them to a table with four chairs where the tea and cake waited. ‘Please, sit down and then we can have a chat.’

  Have a chat, Doreen silently giggled, her spirits perking up. She never dreamt she would have something as casual as a chat about money, even Mr Greedy could be brusque when he got his knickers in a twist when she hadn’t been able to pay. He was another kind soul she would be treating, she thought, as Stephanie reached over to the tray and poured the tea.

  ‘Help yourself to cake,’ Stephanie added placing cups and saucers in front of Doreen and Trisha. Doreen did not miss her daughter eyeing up the cake and smiled at the extravaganza of it all.

  ‘Thank you again for coming, I am here to help you make the very most of your winnings. You have won a huge amount of money and I am certain you have many things in mind to spend it on.’

  ‘We’ve a few ideas,’ Doreen chirped, ‘but first, we’re going out after seeing you on a spending spree.’

  ‘Of course,’ Stephanie said, cutting into the cake before laying a large slice on a plate and handing over to Doreen. Doreen waved her hand in a gesture to say no. The last thing she could face right now was creamy cake. Noting Doreen’s refusal, Stephanie handed the plate to Trisha. ‘And I’m sure you two are going to have a whale of a time. However, my job is to advise you on the best way to invest the bulk of your winnings to ensure your money grows and keeps you in a lifestyle you are about to become accustomed to.’

  ‘Blimey, I think there’s enough to see me out,’ Doreen said and giggled. Crikey, how on earth does she think I’m going to spend all that money? Already she could see this meeting was going to be a waste of time. She picked up the milk jug and poured a drop into her cup.

  ‘The only people that have shown any interest in my money are those who want it. The likes of Mr Greedy at the corner shop and the housing people after their rent. Believe you me, keeping them happy along with everything else I’ve needed to juggle, meant quick thinking and being a bit devious.’

  Stephanie chuckled at the forthrightness of Doreen Wilkinson. ‘The difference from now on in managing your daily finances and the interest of those keen to share your fortune will change dramatically. Mrs Wilkinson, you now have a huge amount of money, you are an incredibly wealthy lady.’ Stephanie said her tone serious. To soften her words, she smiled at Doreen.

  For a moment Doreen thought she was laughing at her. What was it with people who thought they were so much better? Maybe after all she had misjudged Stephanie and she was just like all the others, full of their own importance.

  ‘I can handle it,’ Doreen said knowing she had no idea wh
at she was talking about, but felt the need to appear assertive and in control. The last few days she had lost control of everything. She was not a fool and accepted she needed advice, but she didn’t need to be talked down to. She sipped at her tea to try and calm herself.

  Hearing Doreen’s words, Stephanie reached over and placed her hand on Doreen’s. ‘I just want to talk about how to make your money work to ensure you have a good life and your money is well invested.’ She pulled her hand away. Doreen nodded. Maybe she needed to listen, what she did with the advice was her decision in the end. ‘Sorry, I understand where you’re coming from. It’s not easy getting my head around it all. To be honest, right now all we want is to do is go on a shopping bonanza.’

  ‘And why not?’ Stephanie said, ‘but, before we talk about your shopping spree, which I promise we will straight after I’ve asked another question. The question does not need an answer straight away, but I would like you to think about it whilst you are enjoying the shops.’

  If it would get them to the shops sooner, Doreen agreed. ‘OK, fire away.’

  ‘Thank you. The other subject I would like to bring up and that is I am sure you would want a nice big house and a holiday to exotic, sunny climes.’

  Doreen nodded her head, this was more like it, she had always wanted a lovely house, one like the Drews’ lived in. ‘I’ve always dreamed of having a nice house,’ she found herself saying, picturing a neat front garden with weed-free flower beds, a sunny lounge, a modern kitchen, a warm bathroom that when you turned the hot tap on lashings of steaming water gushed out and, central heating that worked.

  ‘I see you are going to have publicity,’ Stephanie said interrupting Doreen’s dreaming.

  With her thoughts about a house and life away from the estate, Doreen was startled at the change of subject. ‘That’s right,’ she answered, ‘we’re gonna meet a celebrity too and we’ve been trying to work out who it will be,’ Doreen said, turning to Trisha. ‘We’re hoping it will be Beckham, aren’t we Trish?’

  Trisha rolled her eyes, ‘We can dream, Mama,’ and reached over to help herself to another slice of cake.

  Doreen’s mind swiftly moved on to the prestigious event that would be taking place in two days’ time at the Savoy. She shivered involuntarily at the very thought of entering such a famous building. She was convinced her legs would give way and she would end up on her backside showing off her knickers instead of her winning smile. What a headline that would make, she thought, stifling a giggle.

  ‘Beckham,’ Stephanie said with an amused look, startling Doreen.

  With the headlines of her showing off her underwear melting away, Doreen added, ‘We can hope, can’t we?’

  ‘Whoever is your celebrity, it will be a day never to forget,’ Stephanie said. ‘However, it is the publicity that concerns me a little,’ she added.

  ‘There’s no need, it’s all sorted,’ Doreen interjected wondering what it had to do with her. Surely she was helping with her savings? Having money was already very complicated and she had not yet seen a penny of it. This was not going well. About to say more, Stephanie cut in.

  ‘My concern is not the publicity itself, but the aftermath... The reason, I mention this is …’

  It clicked, like Big Ben chiming Doreen could see exactly where Stephanie was coming from with her talk about wanting a big house. ‘You mean I live on a council estate,’ she said defensively.

  ‘Mrs Wilkinson, I am here to help and by doing this, I need to point out areas I feel will leave you vulnerable. Once the newspapers splash the headlines about your lottery win, it will undoubtedly encourage many of your neighbours to suddenly find you are their best friend.’ Stephanie looked down at her papers, ‘My instructions are to make sure you and your money is safe.’

  Doreen was not fooled by Stephanie’s words about best friends and being safe, she might not be saying what she really meant, but Doreen knew exactly what she was implying. Living on the estate was not always as comfortable as she would like it to be. She worried endlessly about her daughter, there were some undesirable families living in the flats with different values to others. There had been problems from time to time, but on the whole everyone rubbed along. Of course she understood how her publicity would create envy and possibly worse. She was sure she could manage living there until they bought a house of their own. She was a lot tougher than this Stephanie thought.

  ‘You don’t need to worry about them, none of them give us the time of day, but you’re right, they’ll be banging on my door once they see our faces in the papers and all those noughts at the end of the pound sign.’

  Stephanie smiled, we were getting somewhere. In the short time she had known Doreen Wilkinson she saw there was an endearing quality about her. Rough around the edges, a propensity to giggle too much and an accent that would have her standing out in any crowd, but she detected there was a kind heart inside. She knew a little about Doreen and her daughter and she would do whatever she could to meet what she had been directed to do. ‘No doubt you have in mind what kind of property you would like.’

  Doreen certainly did and was about to share the ideas of her dream home, when Stephanie added, ‘Unfortunately purchasing a property will take time. Sometimes a ridiculous amount of time as all the legal aspects must be sorted before you are able to take possession. And because of the time it takes, I would like to suggest whilst you look for something that will meet your wish list, you consider renting.’

  Doreen’s face radiated shock, ‘Blimey, I live in a rented place, I don’t want to swap one landlord for another,’ Doreen cried out in indignation. What was this woman talking about? She had enough money to buy a big nice house probably a whole estate.

  ‘Mrs Wilkinson, I assure you it would not be like that. We would ensure the property you moved to would be of a similar standard to the one you would eventually buy. Surely you and your daughter want to live in something very special as soon as possible?’

  Doreen listened. She had no idea about buying a house. If she was honest, she had not much idea on how to find one. What Stephanie said she had to accept made sense because she knew diddly-squat about any of it. On the other hand, renting something special sounded like a plan. The thought that she could be leaving the estate sometime soon lifted her spirits.

  ‘I suppose I could think about it,’ she said already imagining a pretty house with a path leading to the front door, no more having to traipse up a stinking flight of steps whilst running the gauntlet of the estate’s youths.

  ‘Let me take a look at what could be available and then I can get back to you. And of course, if you don’t like what you see, there is no problem. The final decision will be yours. If you are pleased with what you see you could be moved in within days.’

  Doreen felt her headache nudge at her temples, reminding her of last night’s celebration or was it the thought of moving to a new home so soon? Raising a hand she gently rubbed the painful area.

  ‘Do you think we could call it a day now? We want to get out and have a day bagging lots of goodies.’

  Pulling a sheet of paper from the bottom of the pile, Stephanie said. ‘Yes, we have still a couple more issues we need to cover, but they can wait. I’ve also been thinking about your shopping spree and I’ve organised a personal shopper to take you wherever you want to go.’

  ‘A personal what?’ Doreen coughed. Good grief what next!

  ‘A personal shopper looks after you and will ensure you receive the very best attention in all the shops you enter. Remember, you will be spending a large sum of money,’ Stephanie said ignoring Doreen’s look of horror and picked up her phone. ‘Let me get Sally Newbury to come and introduce herself. She will accompany you and your daughter as you hit the department stores.’

  Far from amused, Doreen was tempted to get to her feet and tell Stephanie this was not on. They were more than capable of going shopping on their own and who cares whether they had the best treatment or not. Bleeding hell, she had bee
n shopping on her own all her life!

  Not for the first time since they had entered the office, Doreen was beginning to rethink her opinion of Ms Rawlinson. It was clear she wanted everything her way. Well, we would see about that. Her gander up and ignoring the pain in her head, Doreen leapt to her feet, her words of protest hovering on her lips when the door flew open and Sally Newbury bounced in. ‘Blimey!’ Doreen cried out and fell back into her seat staring at the personal shopper.

  Dazzling and sparkling, dressed in designer hug-fitting trousers, a top that screamed expensive in bright purple, a jacket that contrasted perfectly with the purple top and trainers that glittered with gold and silver sequins, Sally Newbury took Doreen’s breath away as she entered Stephanie’s office. Nothing had prepared Doreen to meet someone who, like herself, had an affinity for sparkle and colours. Her hesitation at wanting some stuffy personal shopper dragging them around shops they had never heard of let alone ever entered vanished in a flash. Sally Newbury was everything she dreamed of looking like.

  ‘Hi, I’m Sally,’ Sally trilled heading straight to Doreen. With no hint of formalities, Sally air kissed Doreen on each cheek, then turning to Trisha, ‘This must be your lovely daughter,’ Sally cooed, air kissing Trisha. Instantly Doreen knew their day was going to be a ball. She giggled and to her excitement, Sally giggled back.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  What a laugh they’d had, Doreen’s sides ached with all the giggling. Sally Newbury was the best thing that had entered her life in a very long time. Doreen couldn’t remember ever having such a fabulous fun day out. Exhausted and jubilant, Doreen stared at the mountain of bags and parcels now filling her small lounge and all she could think was that she’d had the day of a lifetime.