by Joan Jonker
Such a fuss was made of Winnie her mind was in a whirl. But she remembered to speak slowly so she would have time to stop herself from swearing. ‘Oh, yer’ve all grown up on me! Now, let me see if I remember who is who.’ She pointed to the eldest who was very like his father in looks. ‘You are Thomas, and yer used to pull my leg something rotten. Then there’s Neil, who I remember as being the quiet one. Rosemary, you used to help me with the baking, getting more flour on yerself than went in the cakes. And little Charlotte, you used to pinch the cakes when they’d cooled down enough to eat.’
Thomas cupped the elbow of a pretty, very well-dressed young woman standing by his side. ‘And this is my wife, Bernice.’
Winnie smiled as she shook hands. ‘That’s a pretty name, queen.’
She received a smile in return. ‘I’ve heard so much about you, I feel I know you already.’
‘Me, too!’ A young woman standing next to Neil introduced herself. ‘I’m Lorna, Neil’s better half. He’s done nothing but talk about you all week.’
‘That only leaves me and mine,’ Rosemary said. ‘This is my husband, Edward, who you’ll love because he is so lovable no one can resist.’
Charles’s youngest daughter, Charlotte, touched Winnie’s arm. ‘I’m still on the shelf, Mrs Cartwright, but there’s a young man reaching up for me. If he succeeds, then you will meet him next time you come.’
‘Ooh, that’s a lot of names to remember, I’ll have to write them down. Charlie, you can write them down some time so I can reel them off by heart.’
He reached for her coat. ‘Will you let my friend in now, please? We can’t keep her in the hall for the whole day.’
The big square hall had a huge Christmas tree in one corner with colourful lights, baubles and wrapped presents hanging from its branches, and in every room there were coloured fairy lights. ‘It looks lovely, Charlie, very warm and cosy.’
He didn’t get a look in with Winnie after that. His children were so happy to see her, they wouldn’t leave her side. They wanted her to know how they’d cried for weeks when she left, and asked why hadn’t she been to see them since? And their spouses were just as eager for her news. They really did make a fuss of her, and it pulled on her heartstrings. How she would have loved to have had children of her own!
‘You have monopolized my guest for long enough,’ Charles finally said. ‘Now give her breathing space when we go in for dinner.’
There were name cards by each plate, and Winnie wasn’t surprised to find herself next to Charles. She congratulated herself on not having sworn once. But the congratulations were a little premature because as she was spreading the table napkin over her knees, she knocked one of the knives on to the floor. As she bent to pick it up, she said, ‘Trust me, Charlie, I’ve only gone and dropped me bleeding knife.’
The loudest laugh came from Thomas. ‘Now that’s the Winnie we remember! I thought you’d gone all straitlaced on us.’ He turned to his father to comment on the way she’d always been able to make them laugh, but closed his mouth when he saw the look on Charles’s face. So it was this little lady who had brought some happiness into his dad’s life. All the children had commented on how he’d changed in the last few months, becoming more easy-going, quick to smile and laugh. What a pity they’d lost contact with each other for so long, so many wasted years. Mind you, he could have it entirely wrong, they could be just good friends. But Thomas hoped not. His dad deserved someone to hug him and comfort him. Someone to be there for him, and make him laugh. And the little woman facing him across the table certainly fitted the bill.
The dinner was delicious and very filling. Afterwards Winnie went along to the kitchen to thank the cook, finding her red in the face with rushing about. ‘You make yerself a cup of tea, queen, and I’ll get stuck into this washing up,’ Winnie told her.
And that’s what she was doing when Charles came looking for her. Without making a sound he crept away, back to the drawing room, and beckoned his family to follow him. They were stunned at the sight for a few seconds, then the four women rushed to help. It was something new to them, they all had housekeepers to do the work, but this little woman was so much fun, they’d fallen under her spell. ‘You wash, Mrs Cartwright, and we’ll dry.’
Mary the cook made to get to her feet, thinking she’d be in trouble, but Charles waved her down. ‘You’ve been on your feet long enough, Mary, have a rest.’
His two sons thought it was hilarious. ‘We’ll put the dishes away after you’ve dried them, ladies.’
Winnie, up to her elbows in soapy suds, turned her head. ‘I remember your tricks, Tom and Neil, yer used to put dishes away so I wouldn’t find them. Well, just make sure yer put them in the right bleeding place this time, or yer’ll find ye’re not too old to have yer backsides smacked.’
Charles sat on the edge of the huge kitchen table and watched. And all the time he was thinking this was the first time his children had all been together in the kitchen, doing menial tasks they’d normally turn their noses up at, and it was the first time he’d heard genuine laughter ringing to the rafters as Winnie, in her own down-to-earth way, telling jokes and being just herself, had turned his house into a home. He wasn’t blaming his children, he was blaming himself. They must have missed their mother very much, but he’d been so eaten up with self-pity he hadn’t considered them.
‘Hey, Charlie, will yer be an angel?’ Winnie was drying her hands now, the dishes were washed, dried, and being carefully put away in the right places. ‘Run Mary home, will yer? There’s no trams on Christmas Day, and her feet must be giving her gyp.’
‘Of course I will, it’s only a five-minute run. But will you be all right here, my dear?’
Winnie chuckled. ‘Well, I was thinking of running off with the family silver, Charlie. Then I thought, sod it, it’s too heavy for me to carry.’
Charles’s four children looked at each other. They’d never heard their father being ordered around before and seeming not to mind. Then they grinned and nodded. This little lady was just the tonic he needed, and they’d do their best to encourage the relationship.
Winnie insisted on leaving at half-past six, even though the family begged her to stay. ‘Me and yer dad are going to a party in one of me friends’ houses. I wouldn’t want to let them down. But I’ll come and see yer again, I promise.’
Once they’d driven through the gate and the waving was over, Charles said, ‘I think you are as popular with my children today as you were all those years ago.’
‘It was good to see them, Charlie, and I have enjoyed the day.’
‘The children hope there will be more days like today. Thomas thinks you’ve put a little zest into my life, that I look happier and more content.’
‘Well, you’ve done the same for me, Charlie. It’s nice to have someone yer own age to talk to who yer feel comfortable with. And I’ve always felt comfortable with you, I think yer know that.’ When they turned into her street, she said, ‘Go to my house first, I want to have a swill and comb me hair. I’m not one for standing in front of a mirror preening meself, I’ll not keep yer waiting long.’
‘I think we’ve kept each other waiting long enough, my dear, don’t you?’
‘Now’s not the time to be getting serious, Charlie, not when we’re off to a party. Just let’s be happy in each other’s company. I won’t be long, I promise, and when I’m ready yer can leave the car outside and we’ll walk up to Kate’s.’
Winnie stood in the kitchen combing her hair and looking at her face in the mirror. All sorts of things were running through her mind. She’d really enjoyed the day, and meeting Charlie’s family. Was she being silly and stubborn for stopping him from saying what she knew he wanted to say? She was torn because she was more than fond of Charles, but she needed time to think it over very carefully because whatever she decided was for the rest of her life. She put the comb down, gave a little sigh as she patted her hair, then walked through to the living room. ‘I’m ready
now, Charlie, let’s go.’
When they knocked on Kate’s door, they could hear hearty laughter. Winnie said, ‘They’re a couple of drinks ahead of us, Charlie, we’ll have to catch up.’
Kate opened the door looking pretty enough to be the fairy on top of the Christmas tree. ‘Merry Christmas, sunshine.’ She hugged and kissed Winnie, then turned to Charles and held out her hand. ‘Compliments of the season, Mr Coburn.’
‘Oh, I think we can dispense with formalities, Kate. The name is Charles.’ He kissed her cheek. ‘A very merry Christmas to you.’
When they entered the living room the noise increased as they all exchanged seasonal greetings. Kate took their coats and gave them to Nancy to carry upstairs and lay on the bed. ‘We’ve kept the sofa for you, our two guests of honour, so make yerselves comfy and John will get yer a drink.’
‘Have yer had a nice day, Winnie?’ Monica asked. ‘Were the children glad to see yer?’
‘I’ve had a wonderful time. They’re not children any more, they’re all grown up, head and shoulders over me. But it was good to see them again, and they made me very welcome and fussed over me.’
‘And why shouldn’t they, my dear? They have very fond memories of you. You were there when they were most in need of someone to help them, love them, listen to them and make them laugh.’
Tom and John had gone halves to buy a small bottle of whisky, in case Charles didn’t drink beer. Winnie received her favourite tipple, milk stout. ‘Drink up, ye’re way behind us,’ John told them.
After three milk stouts, Winnie got into her stride. She kept them all in stitches, telling them tales of her childhood and her gem of a mother. ‘We didn’t have much money ’cos me da only got a few days’ work in at the docks, but me ma wouldn’t let on to anyone that we were skint. Too proud she was. I remember playing in the street, and me ma standing on the step shouting me in for me tea. “Come along, Winifred, yer bacon and egg is ready.” I believed her the first couple of times, and me mouth was watering by the time I got in the house. But there was no sign of bacon and egg, it was dripping butties as usual. Another time she called to me, “Winifred, d’yer want jam on yer toast or marmalade?” But it was dripping on toast, and I never believed what she said after that.’
When Winnie was repeating what her mother had said, she put on a posh voice and the stance her mother used to take, and sounded so funny everyone was laughing. ‘That wasn’t so bad, but I hated it when she didn’t have the rent money and I had to tell the man she’d gone to me grandma’s funeral. Three times I had to tell him that, until the bloke asked me if me grandma had a piece of elastic tied round her waist when she got buried, ’cos she kept popping back up.’
Charles’s eyes never left Winnie’s face as he listened to the roars of laughter. What a talent this woman had for bringing happiness into people’s lives. ‘You have some happy memories to look back on, my dear.’
‘It wasn’t all bleeding milk and honey, Charlie, I can tell yer. I mean, I can laugh about it now, and I loved the bones of me ma and da, but I can remember me tummy rumbling with hunger and holes in the soles of me shoes. But we weren’t the only family who suffered. Every one of our neighbours was living in poverty. I think the only thing that kept us alive was always finding something to laugh about. Like one day, me ma didn’t have any money for the club woman and said when the woman came I had to hide behind the couch with her.’ Winnie started to shake with laughter as the scene came back to mind. ‘The only thing was, me ma’s foot was sticking out of the side, and when the woman looked through the window, she saw it and yelled, “I know ye’re in there, I can see yer leg.” Well, me ma went mad and nearly choked the woman for making a show of her in front of the neighbours. As she said, “I might not have any bloody money, but I do have me pride.” ’
Monica had been watching Charles’s face for a while now, noting its changing expressions. He was certainly taken with Winnie, no doubt about that. And without thinking, she said, ‘When are yer going to make an honest woman of her, Charles? Yer’d never have a dull moment with Winnie around.’
He took it in his stride. He didn’t care who knew about his feelings for Winnie, and her friends might even be on his side. ‘I’ll marry her as soon as she says she’ll have me.’
There was a stunned silence. Kate was mortified. Monica had certainly got more than she bargained for. The men sat forward, waiting for a reaction. Only Winnie remained as calm as ever. ‘I’ve been giving that some serious thought, Charlie, and I’d love to marry yer. But there’s a lot to think about. Yer see, all me friends are here, and I really couldn’t live without them. And now I’ve got me goddaughter to think about, I don’t want to move out of her life. But I can’t see you living in my little two-up-two-down, can you?’
‘Winnie, my dear, I could run you here every day on my way to the office. So you could still shop with your friends, have your cups of tea and cream slices, and see our goddaughter as often as we both liked. Say you will marry me, make me the happiest man in the world, and I’ll remove any obstacle in your path.’ Charles looked around at everyone in the room. ‘I’ve loved this woman for twenty years, don’t you agree I deserve to win her hand?’
Nancy and Dolly thought it was the most romantic thing they’d ever seen. Even Billy was on Charles’s side. And the rest of the crowd were noisy in their backing of this man who’d had the nerve to say what he had in front of an audience. Winnie thought if he had the guts to tell everyone how he felt, then she wasn’t going to be a coward. With an impish grin, she said, ‘Of course I’ll marry yer, Charlie, and ye’re right, we have loved each other for twenty years. We aren’t in the first flush of youth, but it’s not how old yer are, it’s how young yer feel. And right now, I feel like an eighteen year old.’ She cupped his face and kissed him firmly on the lips. ‘That’s to let everyone know how I feel. And I want yer to tell me friends that they’ll be welcome in our house any time.’
Charles felt like pinching himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. ‘A quiet wedding in four weeks’ time, my dear?’
‘Yes, Charlie, that suits me. Just my friends and your family. I’d like that.’ Winnie could see tears in Kate’s eyes and didn’t want any crying on this special day. ‘Kate and Monica, will yer be my matrons of honour? And Charlie’s two sons can be best men.’
Kate ran the back of her hand across her nose. ‘I’m sorry, Winnie, but I’m going to cry.’
‘What are yer crying for?’ Monica shook her head. ‘I’m made up!’
‘I don’t know what she’s bleeding crying for, either, she’s me best friend!’ Winnie protested. ‘You predicted this, queen, remember? Yer said someone would come into my life, and along came Charlie.’
‘This definitely calls for another drink to toast the forthcoming wedding,’ John said. ‘And I think yer make a lovely couple. I’m really chuffed for both of yer.’
Glasses were raised as two people in the autumn of their lives held hands like teenagers. And the whole street must have heard the loud rendition of ‘For They Are Jolly Good Fellows’.
