“Grandfather, you know it’s Ryan who got the business in this mess, and as for Islwyn, he isn’t sure of his own name these days. You can’t expect Viv to come back apologetically. You have to plead with him and be honest about us needing him.”
“What? I’d never go cap-in-hand to that traitor!”
Handing him his cigarette lighter, Jack said defiantly, “Well, in that case, you’d better burn it down again!”
“Jack! How dare you speak to me like that?”
“Someone has to if we aren’t to lose the very thing you committed arson to save.”
“You don’t mince words, boy.”
“Face it Grandfather, if you and my father are to have something to get back to when this is over, you need Viv Lewis.”
“Tell him to come and see me,” the old man said gruffly. “But don’t expect me to beg.”
“Then I won’t ask him.” Jack slapped his thighs in a gesture of impatience as he stood and prepared to leave. “If you speak to Viv you have to face facts. And the facts are, he can help, and without his help you’ve lost everything. Think of Grandmother if not yourself. And your daughters and granddaughters, and me,” he added with a grin. “I like being a part of a successful family too.” It was finally agreed that Viv should be asked to call on Arfon that evening. Jack added a proviso.
“I will be here too.”
* * *
Dora was subdued. Rhiannon thought her fiery temper was finally played out. She couldn’t even be provoked into an argument. “It’s as if she’s lost her spirit,” she told Eleri, when they met one evening.
“She’s sorting out things in her mind. D’you know, I think she blames her ill temper for Lewis behaving as he does.”
“Nonsense.” Rhiannon was bitter. “My father would behave badly without her giving him an excuse.” She told Eleri about Jimmy Herbert laughing about the exploits of the local lothario who happened to be her father. “A dirty old man they call him. Can you imagine how embarrassed I was?”
“Poor Jimmy, I bet he didn’t feel too good about it,” was Eleri’s reply. “I bet he’d have given anything to take those words back once he knew it was your father he was talking about. Have you told him you forgive him?”
“Forgive Jimmy? I didn’t blame him in the first place! But how could I go on seeing him, knowing that he knew all the details of the sordid story?”
“At least you wouldn’t have to worry about how you were going to tell him!” Eleri smiled.
Dora came in then, and she threw down her books and collection satchel and startled them by announcing, “I’ve given in my notice. I’m giving up the round.”
“Why?” was the inevitable question and Dora knew she had to lie. How could she explain to her daughter that she couldn’t bear passing Nia’s house and wondering if they were inside, making love, being happy? Or how she hated being the subject of the gossip, the snide remarks about Lewis and Nia. Everyone thinking; ‘How could she let a man treat her like that?’ and, ‘It’s usually down to the wife being unable to satisfy her man that causes him look elsewhere.’ Both of which were frequently said in her presence.
“I need a change,” she told Rhiannon. “I don’t want to go cycling around in all weathers any more. I intend to spoil myself a bit.”
“Mam, is that wise?” Rhiannon said. “What will you do with yourself? Sitting around here isn’t a good idea.”
“As if I’d sit around idle, Rhiannon! What do you think of me?”
“Sorry Mam. Going to get another job, are you?”
“No. I’m going to do some voluntary work for a while. And, I’m going to sort out that lot.” She gestured through the kitchen window to the wilderness of a garden.
“Muscles instead of mind is it?” Eleri smiled.
“Something like that.”
Rhiannon shared a smile with Eleri. “We’ll give you a hand.”
“Don’t need it. This is something I want to do.”
For the next few weeks, whenever the weather allowed, Dora worked on taming the garden. Since Lewis had moved out nothing had been done and for four days and nights, while she raked and dug, a bonfire burned.
Beside garden debris, it consumed books, programmes, holiday snaps, clothes, all the memories of her life with Lewis, its thin column of smoke rising up into the sky as witness to the pyre of Dora’s marriage.
When gardening was not possible, she scraped wallpaper off the walls and painted the skirting boards ready to give a fresh look to the rooms.
All the time she worked she was thinking about Lewis and why it had all gone so wrong. She fell into bed each night too weary to lie awake and think about the loss of Lewis. Exhausted sleep gave her respite from that.
Something she didn’t tell her daughter was that she had decided to try and find her first child.
* * *
Viv accepted the job of manager of Weston’s Wallpaper and Paint. He made the old man grovel a bit for the sake of his pride and it was only Jack being there, frowning warningly at his grandfather, that prevented Arfon from throwing Viv out.
He eagerly worked out his week’s notice at the warehouse and on the following Monday morning at seven he opened the doors of the shop with barely suppressed excitement. The excitement rapidly faded when he saw the state of the place.
None of the shelves were properly stocked and the stock that was on show was carelessly displayed, with broken rolls and battered tins among the new. Dirt had been brushed into corners and been left there half hidden by the brush. The storeroom was worse, with unsaleable stock thrown untidily aside, packets of paste split and leaking their contents, abandoned in untidy heaps.
When the staff arrived in dribs and drabs between nine and nine-thirty, he sacked two of the five and warned the others that if they stayed he expected a full day’s work for a full day’s pay.
“The reason,” he explained to Jack, who called at lunchtime, “was to make sure those left would work well, for fear of losing their jobs.”
His second task was to gather up all the damaged and unsaleable stock and throw it out. A man took it away for five shillings and Viv thought he might sell some of it and make himself a few shillings more.
His third task was to telephone wallpaper suppliers asking for reps to call and bring sample books, which he placed on tables with a couple of chairs nearby so people could choose in comfort.
He also bought paint in a good range of colours. “Gone are the days when people want nothing more than green or brown gloss and cream emulsion.”
Jack came after school each day and they cleaned the walls, removed a few tottery shelves; fixed new ones and repainted the shop. They divided it into sections, each section with a different colour scheme. He borrowed curtains and a few small pieces of furniture from the department store free, by adding an advertisement to say where they could be obtained and this added interest to the flat walls.
He panelled the walls to display some of the better quality wallpaper and within a month the place was completely different. Even Arfon couldn’t hide his delight.
To Viv’s surprise, Megan and Joan called twice during that first month and late one afternoon, when Jack called after school closed, the three of them helped him to carpet the shop with remnants bought cheaply.
A month after he had returned to work in the shop, Joan came in alone.
“Where’s Megan?” was Viv’s first question.
“At the shops, she’ll be here soon, don’t fret!” Joan snapped.
“I only wondered. You are always together,” Viv snapped back.
“I’m going to the Spring Supper and Dance over at the beach, and I want you to take me.”
“I’m already going with Rhiannon,” he said ungraciously.
“That’s all right, I don’t mind her coming with us.”
“She might!”
“Nonsense. I’ll go and tell her.”
“Ask her might be better,” he couldn’t resist correcting.
&nb
sp; “All right, I’ll ask her. Now, call for me at eight, we don’t want to be the first there, and in a taxi.” She walked out leaving him still fuming and wondering why he hadn’t refused.
Because they were always together, he presumed that Megan would be waiting with Joan when he and Rhiannon called the following Saturday evening, but she was alone.
“Where’s Megan?” he asked and she glared at him.
“You sound like a record stuck in a groove. “Where’s Megan, where’s Megan! She’s gone already. Meeting us there. All right?”
Almost ignoring Rhiannon, Joan went to the cloakroom as soon as they arrived and was out again in moments demanding that Viv danced with her. He insisted on waiting until he saw Rhiannon with a few friends before taking her onto the dance floor. She sulked a little but the band was a good one and soon the music took away her ill temper and she relaxed in his arms.
At first he searched the sea of faces looking for Megan but Joan was a skilful dancer, very light on her feet and he was soon as relaxed as she, unable to resist the pleasant feeling of having her in his arms. Megan didn’t appear and he wasn’t as disappointed as he expected to be.
The Saturday dances soon became a regular part of his week. Sometimes Megan came too, often Joan came alone. He began to look forward to Saturdays and with the hope that Megan would not appear.
Joan had always been prickly and so frequently rude that he had hardly considered her as anything besides unpleasant, but getting to know her, he gradually realised her rudeness covered a sensitive girl who found that rudeness was an effective way of dealing with a shyness she couldn’t admit to. As a Weston, she couldn’t show a face that was anything other than confident. Outrageous clothes and rudeness were acceptable substitutes.
* * *
Business increased at Weston’s. The new displays and the motivated assistants brought people back again and again. Viv was busy ordering fresh stock and dealing with accounts for most of the weekends.
“I need an assistant,” he told old man Arfon. “I don’t want to disappear from the shop and hide in the office. I want to be visible, so the staff know I’m there and listening to how they deal with customers. I want the customers to see me and know I’m interested in them getting what they want, not just grabbing their money.”
He prepared for a hefty argument, but to his surprise, Arfon said, “Would you consider a girl?”
“So long as she really wants the job, not as a stopgap until she gets married.”
“Well, all I can say is she doesn’t have anyone at the moment.”
“I’ll interview her then.”
Viv was sometimes startled at the way he spoke to Arfon Weston, who was, after all, his boss. But he had been so determined not to be browbeaten at that the first interview with him, his attitude of authority had become a habit.
“You already know the girl. It’s my grand-daughter, Joan,” Arfon said, smiling at the startled expression on Viv’s face. “There, that took the wind out of your sails, didn’t it?”
“You’d let her work at the shop?”
“You know Joan. What chance do I have of stopping her?”
The farcical interview with Joan left him in no doubt that working beside her was going to be a challenge. If she were to be a help, she would have to do as he said, and there didn’t seem much possibility of that. But after a few false starts and mutinous moments, she settled down to deal with the order books and the monthly invoices in a way that surprised him. She worked diligently from nine o’clock until one, and on occasions stayed and shared the sandwiches he took for his lunch.
* * *
Eleri still considered herself a part of the Lewis family. With Basil out from nine o’clock at night until seven the following morning she called at seven Sophie Street to spend part of her evening off with Rhiannon. Sometimes she would borrow a bicycle and ride home and when Viv was there he and Rhiannon walked with her.
She and Basil were very happy. He adored her and still couldn’t believe his good fortune in making her his wife. She found her amiable husband wonderful company, whether it was during a walk in the countryside he understood and so loved, or a trip to the cinema.
There had been two further accusations of poaching – neither of which could be pinned on Basil. He was so determined to keep his job, he no longer sneaked off during the nights he was on duty. He made an exception to his new rule one night, however, when there was a fierce thunderstorm at about the time Eleri would be leaving the cinema. He ran out, locking the gates behind him and hurried through the streets to phone The Railwayman’s to ask Viv and Jack to make sure she got home safely.
When she told him she was expecting his child, he knew he was the happiest man in the town. But it made her more vulnerable in his mind and he wanted to protect her. So he worried more and more about her walking home alone after work and one evening he said as much to Viv.
“I know you help when you can, Viv, but I wish she would leave the cinema and get a daytime job.”
* * *
Viv had said nothing to his mother, but he went at least once a week to see his father. Sometimes Nia was there and although she was uneasy at first, Viv was so genuinely pleased to see them both she soon became comfortable with him. They arranged his visits so he and Nia would meet.
During these visits they often discussed business. Lewis told him he should have waited before returning to Weston’s as there was a rumour that a new firm, Waltons, would soon be opening a larger, more modern store.
“I’m doing all right, Dad, and I like a challenge. Did you know I’ve got an assistant?” He waited for them to ask who, preparing for the jeering when he explained about Joan, but Nia said something that took it out of his mind. “Rhiannon needs someone to help, just part time, Viv. If you hear of someone suitable will you tell me?” she asked.
Viv suggested Eleri, but Nia hesitated and at once Viv began to praise her abilities but Nia laughed and shook her head.
“I don’t doubt her capabilities for a moment, Viv,” she said. “I just doubt if Dora would cope with having another member of the family working for me.”
“I don’t think she cares much now.” He glanced at his father, afraid he was hurting him, even though he was sitting beside Nia with an arm around her shoulders. “She doesn’t talk about you two now, and she’s so busy decorating and refurnishing I don’t think she’d notice. She’s out a lot too,” he went on, “but doesn’t tell us where she goes. She seems all right though, much calmer these days.”
“Let’s ask Rhiannon first and then see if Eleri agrees,” Nia smiled.
Viv went straight to Rhiannon and within minutes they were on their way to see Basil and Eleri.
“How d’you feel about having Rhiannon for a boss?” Viv asked.
Eleri’s pretty face lit up – and it was settled.
* * *
Business at Temptations was good. The overflowing shop attracted people from a wide area and Rhiannon continued to stay open a bit later each evening to allow other shop girls to buy from her. So she was pleased to be told she was to have an assistant and delighted when she learned it was to be Eleri. The pregnancy meant Eleri wouldn’t be working with her for more than a few months but they would have the summer together and for Rhiannon, that was as far into the future she wanted to see.
As Basil worked at night and slept during the afternoons, the afternoon was the time that suited Eleri best. She would give Basil a meal and see him settled into bed for the six hours sleep which was all he needed and spend the afternoon serving in Temptations. She and Basil would then have the evening together before he left for work at nine.
On Wednesdays, the shop closed for half day and the girls often went on a special coach trip to Pontypridd market. The coach was filled with enthusiastic shoppers all looking for a bargain at the popular place and on their return they would share their success stories; many convinced they had cheated the stall holders, their bargains were so remarkable.
With dances at the weekend and the midweek coach trip, Rhiannon’s life seemed wonderfully full. Jimmy made the occasional date and Barry prowled around like a formidable watchdog, so her life had its hint of romance too.
It was on a date she accepted with Jimmy to the pictures, that he began to suggest it was time she visited her father.
“How can I?” she said. “What time do I knock on his door and be sure that Nia Martin isn’t there?”
“You like her don’t you?” he asked.
“Yes, but it’s my dad for heaven’s sake! It’s embarrassing.”
“She isn’t Nia Martin now,” he reminded her.
“What difference does that make? She isn’t Mrs Lewis, is she!”
“No, but he is Lewis Lewis and your father. I’ve spoken to him quite a lot lately and I like him. He misses you and I think you should go and see him. I’ll come with you if you like,” he offered. “We could meet him and Nia somewhere and have a meal together?”
“Oh, very cosy! Me and my dad and his fancy woman. Shall I bring Mam too?”
“Nia doesn’t live there you know. All right, I’ll ask him when you should go and he’ll make sure he’s alone, how about that then?”
“No!”
“Viv sees them often.”
“He’s a man. How d’you expect him to understand?”
“I’m a man and I do. I can see how your mother has to cope with being the one so badly hurt, who has to face all the humiliation, and the insult of seeing her husband with another woman, knowing she hasn’t done anything to deserve it. On top of that, there’s the suggestion among those who should know better that your father is a favoured one, a ‘Jack-the-lad’ to be admired and supported against any criticism.” He looked at her, his face serious. “I still think you should see him. You aren’t in a position to take sides. You should love and support them both.”
Corner of a Small Town Page 20
