Meadow Lane

by Maureen Reynolds

  Grace prided herself that she knew everything about her neighbours’ lives as it was impossible to live in this small community and not know everyone’s business – but although Maryanne was friendly, it was clear that she was a very private person and kept a lot of her life to herself. Not like Martha and Eliza whose lives were an open book.

  Bill had said he would catch the coalman and put in two bags of coal but now Grace wasn’t so sure. Perhaps Maryanne might feel it was charity and Grace didn’t want to embarrass her. Standing up, she went back to bed. In the morning she would ask Bill what he thought and she would go to the infirmary to see what the diagnosis was.

  Bill was snoring when she slipped under the covers and she snuggled up against his back to keep warm. One good thing about her husband was the fact that he was always warm in bed whereas she never warmed up at all. I’m a proper old cold potato, she thought.

  It was still dark when Maryanne wakened up but she was surprised that the lights soon went on and two nurses began to take hot drinks to each of the beds. The nurse passed her bed. ‘Nothing for you, Mrs Roberts, as you’re due for surgery this morning.’

  For some reason this statement depressed her. She would have appreciated a hot drink as her mouth was dry and the pain was still rumbling away, although she was relieved it was bearable. She couldn’t remember when she had last eaten but she had a vague notion it had been on Thursday morning.

  She lay back on her pillow as the morning routine of the ward went on around her and she must have fallen asleep again because she awoke to see the doctor and ward sister at her bed. Now the pain was back with a vengeance. She tried not to think too much about what lay ahead and very soon she was being wheeled along to the theatre to have her gallbladder removed, as explained by the surgeon. Actually she was glad that something was happening; if it meant freedom from the pain she had been suffering for ages then it would be worth it.

  She was apprehensive as she was wheeled through the theatre door but she was given an injection and told to count to ten. Later she remembered that she only reached three.

  More snow had fallen through the night and the streets were white. Evie and Tommy left after breakfast to do Granny Duff and Martha and Eliza’s shopping. Bill also left to travel to the plumber’s workshop in Ann Street. His boss Charlie Baxter would no doubt be in the office and working out all the jobs that had to be done.

  Before Evie left, Grace told her to go and see her granny in case she also needed her shopping done. Later, Anna called in on her way to work and she was surprised to hear that Maryanne was in the infirmary. ‘It was very late when I found her lying on the floor,’ Grace said. ‘I didn’t want to waken you as your light was out. I was going to come and tell you but it’s been a very busy morning.’

  Anna was upset that she hadn’t been there but Grace said she had been a great help to Maryanne during the day and the early evening. ‘I thought I would go up to the infirmary in the afternoon to see what’s happening,’ said Grace. ‘Do you want to come with me after you finish work?’

  Anna was practically sitting on top of the fire as she was so cold. ‘I can’t because Thomas will be home in the afternoon and he needs his tea before he goes back to work. Tell her if you see her that I’ll visit on Sunday.’ She stood up and gave a last lingering glance at the fire. ‘Well I’d better be off although the thought of trudging through the snow makes me feel ill. God I hate the winter.’ She belted her tweed coat and tied a woollen headsquare around her head and opened the door, letting a blast of cold air into the room.

  Grace decided to finish her breakfast but Eliza opened the door and hurried in. Like Anna, she was wearing her thick winter coat and her ankle boots. She sounded out of breath as if she had travelled miles instead of the few yards along the lane.

  ‘What’s the news on Maryanne? Mum’s annoyed we haven’t heard any more.’

  Grace tried to keep her patience as she knew the Potters liked to know everything. ‘I’m hoping to go up to see her this afternoon so I’ll give you more news later.’

  Eliza said this would be fine. ‘I’ve told Albert about the ambulance so he’ll probably be in to see you as well but I don’t think Bella Duff has heard.’

  Grace said she would go in to see her later and if Albert didn’t manage to get out then she would also go in to see him. Although, she thought, Albert usually liked his pint of beer at the Windmill Bar so he would maybe drop in on his way back.

  Eliza left. As Grace finally started to eat her toast, which had grown cold and soggy, she was amused. Her neighbours made her sound like an oracle or town crier, the bringer of all the news to the lane.

  At eleven o’clock the girls rushed in along with another blast of frigid air. Their cheeks were red and they were laughing. Grace suddenly felt old and thought it was great to be young and carefree. Evie hung her coat on the hook at the back of the kitchen door while Tommy sat down and placed her wet coat over the back of the chair. Evie said, ‘Granny wants to see you this afternoon.’

  Grace was in the process of ladling out two bowls of soup for them. She turned round. ‘Did she say what she wanted, Evie?’

  Evie shrugged as she joined Tommy at the table. ‘No, she didn’t.’

  That meant Grace wouldn’t be able to go and see Maryanne but she always felt a wee bit guilty about her mother. Although she saw her regularly, a couple of times a week, she often thought she should maybe spend more time with her but then she remembered how independent her mother could be when it suited her.

  The girls were supping their soup and Grace was amused by the thick slice of bread that Tommy was dipping into her bowl. Evie, as usual, was eating hers so slowly that it would be cold by the time she finished it.

  Grace pulled on her new leather ankle boots with the fur trim that had been a Christmas gift from Bill, although she had chosen them and even bought them, and she was so proud of them. Seemingly Tommy also liked them. ‘I love your new boots,’ she said, in between spoonfuls of soup and helping herself to another slice of bread.

  ‘I’ll nip down and see your granny, Evie. When Dad comes in tell him there’s soup for his dinner.’

  Grace decided she could maybe phone the infirmary from the call box which was on her way to her mother’s house so she made sure she had some pennies in her purse to make the call. She had mentioned getting in touch with the infirmary to the ambulance driver and he had given her the phone number. Hurrying down the Hilltown, she was careful not to step into slushy puddles. The street was quite busy in spite of the cold, snowy weather and as she passed Burnett’s bakery she saw Anna at the counter and she gave her a wave.

  The telephone box was musty smelling and wet when she opened the door and the black phone was damp and uninviting but she stepped inside and placed her handbag on the shelf which was also damp. She followed the instructions that were printed on the wall and when she was connected she pressed button A.

  A cool, professional sounding voice answered and Grace explained that she was a close neighbour who had called the ambulance last night. After a few minutes, the voice announced that Maryanne was in surgery and wouldn’t be allowed any visitors until tomorrow. Grace thanked the nurse, if that was who the cool voice belonged to, and said she would visit on Sunday.

  Evelyn Williams lived at nineteen Ann Street so Grace hurried through the close and up the stairs to the flat. Her mother always polished her brass doorknob and nameplate every day and when she answered the door she was wearing her apron and had a duster in her hand. Grace followed her through the lobby to the tidy kitchen and she saw the table was covered with old newspapers and all the brass ornaments that were her mother’s pride and joy.

  ‘Evie said you wanted to see me, Mum.’

  Evelyn picked up an ornate looking bell and began to savagely polish it with her duster. ‘Yes, Grace, it’s just to say that I can’t have the girls for their tea tomorrow as I’m going out with my next-door neighbour, Elsie Conners.’

  Grace said,
‘You should just have told Evie and Tommy about not coming tomorrow.’

  Evelyn looked hurt. ‘I thought you would like to hear my plans.’

  Grace felt ashamed. ‘So, Mum, what are you and Elsie Conners doing on a Sunday?’ She tried to sound bright and concerned, the old feeling of guilt making its insidious intrusion inside her head.

  Evelyn was now attacking a large brass plaque but she looked excited. ‘Do you remember me telling you that Elsie Conners’ son has a good job in Edinburgh?’

  Grace nodded. ‘Yes, he’s with the Civil Service and works in the tax office.’

  ‘That’s right and now he’s bought a car and tomorrow he’s coming to take us both for a run and we’re having a high tea somewhere. Isn’t that exciting?’

  Grace said that it was and she was pleased for her mother. Ever since her father died ten years ago, her mum’s life had centred round Evie and herself and now she was due some pleasure. Grace did what she could for her but with her own family to look after she realised her mother was lonely.

  ‘Why don’t you come to us for your tea tonight, Mum?’

  ‘Oh I don’t think I can manage tonight, love, as I’ve got the rest of my housework to finish.’

  Grace wanted to burst out laughing but she said, ‘Have a lovely time tomorrow and I’ll see you on Monday and you can tell me all about it.’ She gave her mum a hug as she left to go home.

  Evie and Tommy liked to go down the town on a Saturday afternoon. They had a shilling each that Granny Duff gave them for helping with the shopping while Eliza and Martha gave them a Rich Tea biscuit as a thank you. Tommy would scoff hers immediately but Evie kept hers in her pocket until Tommy asked for it later in the day. They liked to go to Woolworths with their shilling plus the shilling they both got from their parents. Evie always saved some of her pocket money every week but Tommy gaily spent it all.

  ‘Why do you save your money?’ she asked as they walked down the Wellgate.

  ‘Mum says it will help me when I leave school, as a little nest egg is good to have.’

  Tommy thought this was a weak excuse. ‘I hope when I grow up I’ll marry a rich man because I’m so pretty, so I don’t need a nest egg as he’ll have pots and pots of money.’ Evie knew she wasn’t as pretty as Tommy so she would no doubt need her savings as she couldn’t count on marrying a rich man. Evie didn’t have this faith in herself. She often wished she had Tommy’s confidence and cheerful outlook on life but she didn’t, so she decided to keep saving but not to say too much to her friend.

  Once inside Woolworths they soon forgot about their views on growing up as they wandered around the store where they spent ages choosing what to buy. Evie bought another colouring book but Tommy liked to look at the lovely hair slides and the sweet counter. An hour later they made their way home, linking arms and laughing at Eliza choosing the two Rich Teas from the biscuit barrel with all the seriousness of picking some expensive trinket from a treasure chest.

  9

  The day after her operation Maryanne felt as if she had gone ten rounds with some heavyweight boxer, she was so sore. Even breathing made the pain worse so she was glad when the surgeon appeared at her bedside with a clutch of students – five serious-looking, white-coated young men and two women plus the ward sister. The surgeon, whose name was Dr Norman, explained to this small group that his patient had just had her gallbladder removed as it was full of gallstones. He asked Maryanne how she was feeling.

  ‘I’m still very sore,’ she said. She wasn’t sure what else to say as she felt a little overawed by the faces that stared at her wound when the surgeon pulled the bedcover down a bit to show off his handiwork. Turning to the ward sister, he said, ‘Mrs Roberts can have painkilling tablets, Sister.’ The woman nodded and said she would do that.

  After the group moved off to the next patient, a nurse appeared with a jug of water and two tablets which Maryanne swallowed with a bit of difficulty as her mouth was still dry. The cold water was bliss as it slipped down her throat, and she prayed that the painkillers would work soon.

  Later, lying back on her pillows, she felt a peace she hadn’t had in a long time. There was something therapeutic about lying in her comfy bed watching all the comings and goings in the ward. Her bed was right beside the door which meant she only had one person on her left, an elderly woman who was sound asleep and hadn’t even wakened up when the doctor did his rounds.

  I could be happy, she thought, if it wasn’t for the worry over my job and the continuing tension from Sadie’s letters. She felt she could lie there for ever as the ward was lovely and warm, so unlike her house over the past few weeks where the kitchen was freezing due to the lack of coal. She owed the coalman for two bags he had put in one day while she was at work and she had been dodging him ever since as she didn’t have the money to pay for them.

  With all these thoughts churning around in her mind she drifted off to sleep and woke up in surprise when the nurse was pulling her table over the bed. ‘It’s time for some lunch,’ she said, as she placed a bowl of soup with a slice of bread in front of her. Maryanne had slipped down the bed while asleep and the nurse helping her up caused a sharp pain which made her cry out, but once she was sitting up the pain wasn’t as bad. Maryanne wondered how many painkillers she was allowed in a day and hoped there were more to come.

  The soup was tasty and she managed it all, realising this was the biggest meal she had eaten in a couple of days. In the next bed she noticed the old lady had also been helped up and a nurse was feeding her. Glancing away, she thought the patient looked really ill.

  Grace was getting ready to go to see Maryanne and she was waiting for Anna who wanted to go as well. As it was a Sunday, Anna had had a lie in and now she was making a meal for Thomas and Tommy. It was a combination of breakfast and dinner and afterwards she slipped on her thick coat and boots. They weren’t as fashionable as Grace’s boots and she had owned them for a few years but they were still serviceable although a bit scuffed. She glanced at the marks and went to the drawer where she kept the shoe cleaning box. She rubbed black shoe polish into the leather and buffed them up.

  Thomas was reading the Sunday paper by the fire with a cup of tea at his elbow. Tommy was planning to go to Evie’s house so he would have the house to himself to enjoy his one day off in the week. For some reason Anna disliked a Sunday even although she also had the day off. She was finding her work was getting heavier as the bakery had asked her to work extra hours when needed, which meant she sometimes went in to work in the morning as well as the afternoon. However, the extra money helped.

  The two women were pleased when they stepped out onto the lane as the snow had stopped and the pavements were clear of the slush that had been difficult to walk on. The wind was also not so cold and a weak sun tried to penetrate the cloudy sky.

  Anna said, ‘I wonder how Maryanne is today after her operation.’

  ‘We’ll soon find out but I hope she’ll be free of all that pain she’s been suffering from.’

  They were passing the Potters’ house when Eliza opened the door. ‘Are you going to visit Maryanne?’ She turned round when Martha’s voice called out loudly, ‘Are they going to the infirmary, Eliza?’

  Eliza sounded fed up. ‘I’m just asking them.’

  Anna answered that they were. ‘We’ll let you know how she is after we’ve seen her.’

  Eliza said she wished she could come with them but she couldn’t leave her mother. ‘I don’t suppose I could ask someone to come in and look after her?’ she said, hopefully. Grace said she didn’t think anyone would be available.

  ‘I wondered about Evie and Tommy, if they could come in for a couple of hours.’

  Grace said she wasn’t keen on them looking after an elderly woman. ‘What if your mother fell or took a bad turn, Eliza? The girls wouldn’t know what to do.’

  Eliza looked disappointed. ‘Oh, it was just a thought.’ She turned on her heel and closed the door.

  Anna was laughing
as they emerged into the Hilltown. ‘Honestly, that pair are like Old Mother Riley and her daughter. I enjoyed the last film they made and Old Mother Riley screeches like Martha.’

  Grace felt more sympathetic. ‘I feel sorry for Eliza as she doesn’t have much of a life. It can’t be much fun looking after her mother every day. I think I’ll offer to sit with Martha one night this week and let Eliza out to visit Maryanne although I’ll be furious if your Thomas tells me she’s been in the Windmill Bar.’

  Both women started laughing as they made their way along Constitution Road. There was a queue waiting at the main door of the infirmary as visitors gathered to see their families and friends but the queue moved quite quickly and Grace and Anna were soon sitting at the side of Maryanne’s bed. When she saw her visitors, she tried to sit up straighter but she winced in pain at the stitched wound. Grace said not to sit up and she placed next to Maryanne the bottle of orange squash and the packet of biscuits she had brought with her.

  ‘How are you feeling, Maryanne?’ asked Anna, who brought out a bar of chocolate and another bottle of squash from her message bag.

  Maryanne said she was fine but still a bit sore. ‘I’ve had my gallbladder taken out as it was so full of gallstones. One of the stones got stuck in the tube and that was the cause of my feeling ill.’

  ‘Well you should be much better now after that,’ said Grace. ‘The main thing is to rest and recover and hopefully you’ll be home soon.’

  Maryanne closed her eyes and Grace took her hand. ‘Is there anything you want Anna and me to do? Maybe write to Sadie to tell her about your operation.’