Meadow Lane

by Maureen Reynolds

  Then the teacher came in. ‘Good morning, Eddie, it’s lovely to see you.’ She pointed to an empty seat beside the boy who had befriended him. ‘Please sit down beside David.’

  As he made his way to the empty seat he said, ‘Thank you, ma’am.’

  The teacher blushed slightly and a couple of the girls covered their mouths as they tried to stifle giggles.

  ‘You can call me Miss Malcolm, Eddie.’

  The first lesson was arithmetic which pleased him as it was one of his best subjects.

  ‘We’ll begin with ten questions on mental arithmetic. Write down your answers.’ There were groans from some of the boys at the back of the class.

  Eddie made short work of his answers and when the papers were all gathered in they were asked to take out their reading books. As Eddie had no book, David kindly shared his and the pupils all bent their heads to read while the teacher marked the mental arithmetic answers. Eddie was aware of her looking at him before speaking.

  ‘There are two pupils with full marks, Evie and Eddie, while Bruce only got one answer right.’ Bruce was a stocky boy with a scowling face which was made worse by some of the girls gazing at him. He had no interest in doing sums which three of his uncles, who were all amateur boxers, said were unnecessary if boxing was going to be his job after leaving school.

  At playtime, back in the dreary playground, Eddie once again stood by the door. Bruce wandered over and spoke in a sarcastic manner. ‘Edwayne. Are you related to John Wayne, the cowboy?’

  Some of his pals sniggered but Eddie ignored him which seemed to infuriate the boy. ‘I asked you if you got that funny name because you’re related to a cowboy?’

  Eddie walked away but Bruce rushed after him and grabbed his windcheater, tearing the pocket as he did so. When he saw the damage he had caused, Bruce strode away with a swagger as if he had won a boxing match while Eddie tried hard to contain his anger.

  David came up to him and looked at the torn jacket. ‘Will your mum be angry at that?’

  Eddie said she would probably be furious and as he joined the queue when the bell went he knew once again he would never fit in this environment, even if he lived to be a hundred. A feeling of desolation washed over him and he longed to be back with his father, Grandad and Esther with her lovely pecan pies and maple syrup pancakes. He had known for ages that his mother had been unhappy at home but he couldn’t understand why she preferred this life to her old one and why, oh why did it have to include him?

  Meanwhile back in Meadow Lane, Grace asked Sadie round to her house for a cup of tea. By now, Sadie was upset after the argument with her son and Grace tried to calm her down but as she was busy with the teapot and cups, Sadie seemed to get angrier.

  ‘I can’t believe he wants to go back to America to live on a corn farm. When he comes home from school he has hardly any friends who live near us. It’s just Ed and his grandad Joel and I’m angry he mentioned Esther.’

  Grace didn’t want to pry but she had been surprised by this new name being tossed into the conversation this morning.

  However, Sadie, in her anger, was past being discreet. ‘Esther was Ed’s sweetheart. They were at school together and he was engaged to be married to her when he left to come to Britain with his navy unit. Then he met me and we fell in love and were married within months of meeting one another. She’s the daughter from the farm a mile or two from us. She’s such a pudding faced young woman and no wonder Ed ditched her to marry me. She’s Joel’s housekeeper and all her time is spent making jam and baking pies and she’s forever in an apron with flour on her hands.’

  Grace, who was in the process of opening two of her home baking tins and bringing out the homemade jam, suddenly stopped and looked at Sadie who was now sitting by the window. The sun was shining and it made her look golden as it glinted off her long blonde ponytail. She was a beautiful woman and it seemed a shame that she could be so scornful of another woman who didn’t have her good looks but who seemed to be a genuinely lovely person.

  She thought ruefully that Esther was someone who resembled herself with her baking and jam making and ordinary domestic pleasures. Grace placed the jam and baking tins back in the cupboard and gave Sadie her cup of tea with a small plate of custard cream biscuits.

  ‘I hope your mum doesn’t get too tired on her first day back at work, Sadie,’ said Grace who was keen to get the subject changed from Esther.

  Sadie was dunking a biscuit in her tea and when she looked up, a small piece fell into the cup. As she fished it out she sounded bored. ‘Oh I expect she will be. She never seemed to have much energy, even when I was growing up. I’ve always said she doesn’t eat enough and she’s far too thin but she won’t change now. That’s why I’m hoping to get a job and look for another house for Eddie and me.’

  Grace just nodded. She thought Sadie sounded hard-hearted but maybe it was because she was young and healthy and had no experience of being middle aged and ill. She said, ‘I hear Morag is coming home with her new baby today. Bill was speaking to Rory yesterday and he’s getting time off to pick her up this afternoon.’

  Sadie didn’t seem interested in this piece of news and she finished her tea then stood up abruptly and said she had shopping to do and as she departed through the door Grace felt she had been hit by a whirlwind. She wondered how Eddie had got on at school today. Sadie hadn’t mentioned him once but Grace hoped he was all right.

  As it turned out, she was quite right to be worried about him as she found out when the three of them returned after four o’clock. Eddie had gone into his own house but Evie and Tommy were upset about the torn jacket.

  ‘I asked him if his ma would be angry and he said she would be furious and more than likely to rush off to the school tomorrow and he doesn’t want that to happen,’ Tommy said.

  Grace told Evie to go and bring him here and bring the jacket. When Eddie appeared he looked upset but Grace took the jacket and inspected the torn pocket.

  ‘I think I can stitch this so it’ll look just like new, Eddie.’ His face brightened. ‘Sit down and have some tea or milk and pancakes while I get the needle and thread.’ She turned to the girls. ‘Morag has come home with her baby. Do you want to go and ask if there is anything she needs?’ The two girls didn’t need another telling and they both hurried to the far end of the lane and knocked on the door.

  Morag didn’t need anything done but she invited the girls in to see the baby. She was about to change her nappy and they sat in amazement at the tiny pink bundle who was crying as her mother did her best to cope with the terry towelling square and the big nappy pin.

  ‘I suppose I’ll get better at this in time,’ Morag said as she held the baby in her hands before placing her in the large Silver Cross pram which stood in the corner of the kitchen.

  Tommy’s eyes were like saucers while Evie asked, ‘What are you going to call her?’

  ‘Catriona. It’s my mother’s name and Rory likes it as well.’

  Evie liked it also and said so. Morag said it would soon be time for her feed and she would tell the girls if she needed any help with shopping. On that note they made for the door with Tommy going on and on about how she once had a doll that was bigger than Morag’s baby.

  ‘If I were Morag, I would be scared in case I dropped her as she’s so small. I once dropped my doll and it had a huge crack in its head,’ she added.

  Back in the house they couldn’t stop chattering about Catriona but they were as pleased that Eddie’s jacket was now repaired as he was.

  ‘Who tore the pocket, Eddie?’ Grace asked as she handed it over.

  He didn’t want to answer but Tommy piped up. ‘It was that horrible Bruce Davidson. He’s jealous of Eddie because he’s American and good looking. Not like him who has a face like a scowling pig.’ Evie said Tommy shouldn’t say things like that about someone but Tommy was unrepentant. ‘Well, Evie, it’s true and he hates it when all the girls say they like Eddie.’

  Eddie thanked Gra
ce for the pancakes. ‘I love the ones that Esther makes but your ones taste better. Esther puts maple syrup on hers.’

  Grace said he could have had golden syrup on his if he had said so. Before he could reply Sadie swept into the house with a string shopping bag slung from her slender wrist.

  ‘I didn’t know what to have for our tea, Eddie, but I’ve got two tins of tomato soup, a tin of beans and three sausage rolls.’

  Eddie stood up and he followed his mother out of the door. Tommy called after him, ‘We’ll see you tomorrow morning.’

  He looked back but said nothing and as they passed Tommy’s house, Thomas, who was standing at the window, suddenly felt so sorry for the lad with the beautiful mother.

  22

  Sadie had a splitting headache because of the argument that morning with Eddie, who had again been adamant he wasn’t going to school. What had made it worse was the fact that it had all been in front of Grace, Anna and the two girls.

  She wished they would stay out of her private life but on the other hand she would need Grace’s help with Eddie when she finally found a job. It would be handy if he could stay with her after school until she got home.

  After an age, with Grace cajoling Eddie, he had finally gone off to school in a temper with the two girls. After a glass of lemonade and an Askit headache powder, Sadie made her way to Mrs Jennings’ paper shop to buy a Courier newspaper. The front page was filled with job vacancies and as she was getting short of money, finding a job was a priority. She was busy scrutinising the paper when she met Albert.

  ‘Anything interesting in the paper, Sadie?’ he asked with a smile.

  She was annoyed at this intrusion but she tried hard to be pleasant. ‘Oh I’m just looking for a job, Albert, and I’m hoping there is something suitable today.’

  Albert nodded. ‘Come along with me and see Bella. She’s been asking about you and I know she will be pleased to see you.’

  This was the last thing she wanted but to her astonishment she found herself saying that would be fine. Albert said he would just pop into Burnett’s bakery for his loaf and they could walk back together.

  Anna was behind the counter. ‘I see you’re chatting to Sadie. Has she recovered from the fight this morning?’

  Albert said he didn’t know about that but they were both going back to Bella’s house. As he walked out of the door, Anna called after him, ‘Good luck then.’ Thankfully Sadie had walked a few steps away from the shop so she didn’t hear this remark and they walked back along the lane.

  ‘I haven’t seen your mother since she went back to work, Sadie. How is she keeping?’

  Sadie, who was too full of thinking about getting a job, was quite offhand. ‘She’s fine, Albert. Glad to be back I think.’

  When they reached Bella’s house, Albert went inside first. ‘I’ve brought a visitor to see you,’ he called out.

  Sadie, who had always known her as Granny, said, ‘I’ve been meaning to come and see you, Granny, but I’ve been busy.’

  Bella and Albert had both heard about the rows with Eddie but they both smiled. Bella brought out the best cups, saucers and plates plus the milk jug and sugar bowl and placed them on a large tray.

  ‘Do you want tea, Sadie?’ Sadie said she preferred coffee but Bella frowned. ‘I don’t have any coffee.’

  Albert said he had some Camp Coffee in his cupboards but Sadie gave a small shiver. ‘That’s all right, Arthur, I’ll give that a miss if you don’t mind and I’ll have tea. I’ve gotten used to drinking real coffee in America and not the watered down stuff they sell here.’

  Bella, who was standing behind her, gave a small shrug. ‘Well then, we’ll all have tea.’

  Sadie sat down in one of Bella’s comfy wing backed chairs which she had loved as a child. The room looked exactly like she remembered it with the lovely old-fashioned furniture, Persian carpet and nice pictures on the walls. She also remembered this tea set and she made up her mind that when she got her own place she would have nice things like this.

  ‘Mum told me your wife Jean died a couple of years ago, Albert. I mind she was always cleaning the house when you were at work. Do you still work for the Prudential Insurance?’

  Albert shook his head. ‘No, I retired a couple of years ago and I only had a few months with Jean before she passed away. Her death was sudden but peaceful, but I was glad we had that wee while together after I retired.’

  Sadie glanced at both of them and raised her eyebrows. ‘Are you and Granny…’ She stopped. ‘I better start calling you Bella as Granny was a child’s title. Are you going to get married?’

  Bella almost choked on her tea and seemed flustered. ‘Oh for heaven’s sake, where did you get that idea from, Sadie? Of course we’re not going to be married as we are just old friends.’

  Sadie didn’t seem to be embarrassed by her statement and she glanced at the photograph of Davie Bell in his Black Watch kilt and with a huge smile on his handsome face. ‘I always thought Davie was a good- looking man. What a pity he didn’t survive the war.’

  Bella said it was, but time was a great healer and it had been forty years ago. ‘When are you going back to America, Sadie, now that your mother is well and back at work?’

  It was Sadie’s turn to look flustered. ‘I thought I had made it clear that Eddie and I are back here to stay. In fact I’m looking for a job and that’s why I’ve bought this paper.’ She held out the Courier.

  Albert looked unhappy. ‘What does your husband say to this? Won’t he want his wife and son back home with him?’

  Sadie was unabashed. ‘Well he can’t have us. Honestly, Albert, we live miles away from the nearest small town, Ed and his father have a farm which grows corn and all I can see from my living room window is miles and miles of fields.’

  Albert threw a glance at Bella who also looked shocked. ‘But surely it’s better there than living in these small rundown houses with no views. What does Eddie think about this?’

  Sadie recalled the angry scene this morning but said with a smile, ‘Oh, he loves it, he really does.’ She stood up. ‘Well I better be off as I want to look at the job vacancies and see if there’s anything that suits me. You’ll remember I used to work in an office before getting married but I’m willing to try anything.’

  Before she left, Albert said, ‘Martha and Eliza are hoping you’ll pop in and see them.’

  Sadie sighed. ‘Is Martha still as domineering and nosy as I remember her? I always felt sorry for her poor daughter.’ On that note she swept out of the door, leaving the two occupants bemused by this latest news. As Bella collected the cups to put them in the basin, she said, ‘The people I feel sorry for are Maryanne and Eddie.’

  Albert took down the tea towel from its hook as he usually helped Bella with the washing up. He looked really unhappy. ‘I feel the same and I can’t see a happy outcome from this news.’

  Sadie was glad to escape. She liked Albert and Bella but she hated them asking all those questions. Her headache had gone so she scrutinised the paper. There seemed to be loads of jobs for tractor drivers and orramen, whatever they were. There was one job that stood out: an office assistant with some sales experience for an electrical business. Sadie wrote down the address and noticed it said applicants could visit the shop which was situated in King Street.

  She put on her best dress and white gloves and headed off. The sun was shining which made her feel optimistic and when she reached the street she had to walk up the hill past lots of small shops until she reached the address in the paper.

  The shop, which was called D. Fleming and Son, was quite big with double fronted windows that showed a couple of television sets and a selection of radios. The inside of the shop was roomy with one large counter, which held a cash register, and some glass fronted shelves with various electric lamps and assorted goods. A tall, skinny man was behind the counter and when he looked up from his notebook he seemed surprised by this beautiful woman who approached him with a big smile. She lau
nched into the reason why she was here.

  ‘Hullo, my name is Sadie Boyd and I’ve come about your advertisement in the paper for an office assistant and saleswoman.’

  The man seemed to be tongue-tied and muttered something about getting the boss of the shop and he disappeared through a small door at the back of the counter. Sadie could hear speaking but the words weren’t clear so she put her handbag down and stood looking around her. The job didn’t seem to be to her liking but if she got it she could get some money together while she looked for something more suitable.

  Suddenly the door opened and a plump elderly man with a shock of white hair appeared. Sadie noticed his shirt buttons were straining at the seam and his jacket had an old-fashioned look.

  ‘Bert says you’ve come about the job. Have you any experience of office work and selling our stock?’

  Sadie said she had worked in an office before her marriage and moving as a GI bride to America. The man, who said his name was David, looked puzzled. ‘Why are you looking for a job if you’re on holiday, Mrs Boyd?’

  ‘I’ve come back home to be with my mother who has been ill and I won’t be going back to America so I’m looking for employment.’

  ‘I don’t suppose you’ll have an insurance number or a P45,’ he said dryly. ‘Still, you can go to the insurance office in the Overgate and explain your situation. If you get all the paperwork then I’ll consider hiring you.’

  Sadie picked up her bag. ‘Thank you, I’ll go there now and I’ll let you know how I get on.’

  After she left, Bert appeared at the counter. ‘She’ll certainly bring in the male customers if you give her the job.’

  Sadie spent half an hour looking for the insurance office and finally found it on the corner of the Overgate and Tay Street. The office was quiet at this time of day and there was a small scattering of men sitting on chairs. They were smoking and talking amongst themselves and paid no attention to her. She made her way to the desk and a young woman asked if she could help her. Sadie explained her situation while the woman wrote down all the particulars. Sadie did emphasise that she was home for good with her son and she needed to get a job.