Try a Little Tenderness

by Joan Jonker

  It was anger and curiosity that had her reaching for the letter. ‘He’s not likely to tell me,’ she muttered, her finger slitting the top of the envelope, ‘so I’ll find out for meself.’

  As the words on the paper sunk in, Doreen began to sway and held on to the table for support. Her face drained of colour, she read the letter again to make sure her eyes weren’t deceiving her. Then, her voice choked, she cried, ‘My God, they could go to prison for this! The bastards! The no-good bleedin’ bastards!’ Her mind whirled as she gazed around the room. Perhaps it wasn’t true. It was someone’s idea of a joke. But even as she thought it, she knew it was no joke. Her husband and his mate were selfish swines, they thought only of themselves. Her and Iris, Jeff’s wife, could be skint through the week, with no money for food, but the two men made sure they had their beer and ciggie money, and a few bob for the gee-gees.

  Doreen looked down at the sheet of paper in her hand. Her husband had pulled some stunts in their married life, but nothing had prepared her for this. If the police found out, he and his mate would spend the rest of their lives in prison. And what shame that would bring on the family. She wouldn’t be able to look anyone in the face. The best thing she could do would be to go over and show the letter to Iris before anyone else told her what their husbands got up to.

  Iris had a smile on her face when she opened the door. ‘This is a surprise, I wasn’t expecting yer.’

  ‘I’ve got a bigger surprise for yer, kid, and it’s not a pleasant one.’ Doreen brushed past her and walked into the living room. ‘Are the kids home yet?’

  Iris shook her head. ‘Another ten minutes or so.’

  There was no time to spare, so Doreen just handed the letter over. ‘Take a grip of yerself and read that.’

  The silence lasted just a few seconds, then all hell broke loose. ‘I’ll break his bleedin’ neck for him.’ Iris was beside herself. ‘I won’t even bother to ask him if it’s true because I know it is. The number of times I’ve smelt powder or scent on him, and he’s always laughed it off. Well he’ll not laugh this off, ’cos I’ll bleedin’ kill the swine.’

  ‘Calm down, Iris, and let’s talk before the kids come in. We don’t want them to know about things like this.’ Doreen put her arm across her friend’s shoulder. ‘What I’m worried about is that whoever wrote that letter might not be the only one who knows what they get up to. It might only be a matter of time before the police find out. And I’m not staying around to be shamed in front of all the neighbours. So first thing tomorrow I’ll be looking for somewhere else to live, well away from here.’

  ‘And what are yer going to do about Larry?’ Iris had a quick temper at the best of times and right now it was ready to boil over. ‘I’ll kill my feller when he gets in.’

  ‘I won’t do anything until the kids are in bed. Then I’ll give him the hiding of his life to get this hurt and anger out of me system, and to pay him back for what he did to those girls. After that, if he’s capable of listening, then I’m going to lay the law down. The Tuesday and Thursday nights out are a thing of the past. I want extra housekeeping money off him. I will not sleep in the same bed as him, I’ll sleep with the kids. And if he doesn’t want to move to another area, I’ll go on me own with the kids. I can get a full-time job to keep us.’ Doreen waved the letter under Iris’s nose. ‘And all the time this letter will be in me hand. I’ll put the fear of God into him by saying I’m so disgusted it wouldn’t take much for me to go to the police and turn him in.’

  They heard children’s voices and Doreen quickly folded the piece of paper. ‘Keep yer temper in check until the kids are in bed. It wouldn’t be fair on them to hear you and Jeff having a slanging match.’

  Iris nodded. ‘I’ll come down with yer tomorrow to the landlord’s office and we can ask for a transfer. We shouldn’t have any trouble because we’ve always paid our rent on time. We’ve been good tenants.’

  Three weeks later the two families moved out. And they didn’t leave a forwarding address.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  ‘Spring is in the air, girl,’ Amy said cheerfully as she linked Mary’s arm. ‘The first day of April, the sky is blue and the sun is doing its best to come out.’

  ‘I’m not sorry to see the back of the bad weather, it’s been a hard winter. We needn’t light the fire first thing in the morning soon, so we’ll save a few bob on coal.’

  Amy pretended to smooth down the front of her coat before pulling Mary to a halt. ‘Ay, girl, has the elastic gone in yer knickers? They’re hanging down.’

  Mary’s mouth dropped open in horror. She looked down at her legs, front and side, and frowned. ‘I can’t see nothing.’

  Amy’s cackle could be heard from one end of the street to the other. ‘Ever been had, girl? April fool!’

  ‘Oh God, I fell for it again. Every year yer do it, so wouldn’t yer think I’d have learnt by now? The best of it is, I was going to tell yer something when we left our house, but I better not say anything now because yer won’t believe me.’

  ‘Why won’t I believe yer, girl?’

  ‘Because yer’ll think I’m pulling yer leg.’

  ‘Nah, I wouldn’t, girl, ’cos ye’re not quick enough to catch me out.’

  ‘Well, yer’ve got a flaming big hole in the heel of yer stocking and it’s got about ten ladders running from it, right up yer leg.’

  Amy leaned heavily on Mary’s arm as she bent one leg backwards, then the other. ‘I’m blowed if I can see anything. Yer must be imagining things, girl.’

  ‘I’m not imagining I’ve just made an April fool of yer, sunshine.’

  ‘Well, I’ll be buggered! First time, eh, girl?’

  ‘I’m a bit slow on the uptake, sunshine, but I get there in the end.’ Mary pressed on her friend’s arm and they carried on walking. ‘I hope yer don’t start any shenanigans in the shops, with yer April fool. Not everybody appreciates your humour.’

  ‘Stop yer worrying, girl, it gives yer wrinkles and puts years on yer.’

  While Mary entered the butcher’s shop with trepidation, Amy was full of the joys of spring.

  ‘Good morning, Wilf, I hope we find yer hale and hearty on this lovely day?’

  ‘I’m fine, thank you, ladies. Whether I’ll be fine by the time you leave, well, that remains to be seen.’

  ‘Have yer got a pound of beef sausage, Wilf?’

  The butcher leaned in the window and lifted a string of sausages. He counted out how many he thought would be the right weight, cut them free from the rest and threw them on the scales.

  Mary was growing uneasy. ‘Yer told me yer were having brawn tonight,’ she whispered in Amy’s ear, ‘with egg and chips.’

  ‘That wasn’t no lie, girl, that’s what we’re having.’

  ‘Well, why have yer asked for a pound of beef sausage?’

  Wilf heard what was said and his hand hovered over the scale as he waited for the bane of his life to answer.

  ‘I didn’t say I wanted a pound of beef sausage, girl, I only asked if he had a pound of beef sausage. Just taking an interest in his business, like, yer see.’

  It was Mary who thought an apology was in order. ‘I’m sorry about that, Wilf, but if it’s any consolation she caught me out, too.’

  ‘That’s all right, Mary.’ Wilf threw the sausages back on the tray in the window. ‘I wasn’t doing anything, anyway. Before you came in I was just standing here catching fleas.’

  Amy couldn’t speak for laughing. She banged on the counter as she roared her head off. ‘Nice one, Wilf. Ooh, I like that! Just standing catching fleas. I’ll have to remember that one. Wait until I tell my Ben, he’ll laugh his little cotton socks off.’

  ‘I would prefer yer not to repeat that, Amy,’ Wilf said. ‘Some of my customers wouldn’t see the joke and it’d be around the neighbourhood in no time that I had fleas.’

  The floorboards began to shake with the weight of Amy’s heaving body. Mary and Wilf looked on with smiles on
their faces, wondering what she was going to come out with that was so funny she couldn’t stop laughing. Eventually she drew herself up to her full four feet ten and a half inches, sniffed up and wiped a hand across her eyes. ‘Ooh, it did me a power of good, that. Better than a dose of salts any day.’

  ‘Aren’t yer going to let us in on the joke?’ Mary asked. ‘It’s not like you to keep things to yerself, more’s the pity.’

  Amy looked at the smiling butcher. ‘Are yer sure yer want to know, Wilf?’

  ‘If I couldn’t take a joke, Amy, I wouldn’t last five minutes behind this counter.’

  ‘I was going to say that if yer catch a flea, put it away for us till the weekend. It would probably have more meat on it than that bleeding chicken yer sold me on Saturday. It couldn’t have less, that’s a dead cert.’

  Mary’s cheeks were stiff with laughing. ‘What would yer do with her, Wilf?’

  ‘Actually, Mary, she comes in very handy for me sometimes. Whenever me missus gets ratty and is moaning her head off, I think of Amy and realise how lucky I am.’

  Amy got on her high horse. ‘Well, actually, Wilf Burnett, my Ben thinks he’s the luckiest man in the world. He wouldn’t swap me for all the gold in China.’

  ‘The tea in China, sunshine.’

  ‘What did yer say, girl?’

  ‘I said the tea in China.’

  ‘What about the tea in China, haven’t they got none?’

  Mary threw out her hands. ‘I give up! Wilf, I’ll have three-quarters of brawn, please. And when we left the house, me mate was having the same. But if I were you, I’d take her money before yer start weighing it.’

  When they got outside the greengrocer’s, Mary stood firm. ‘You can get me five pound of spuds, I’ll wait here for yer. I wouldn’t go through another performance for a big clock.’

  ‘I won’t do nothing, girl, cross my heart and hope to die.’

  ‘Then go and do nothing on yer own, sunshine, ’cos I ain’t going in with yer.’

  Amy walked away looking down in the mouth. But it didn’t last long. She’d no sooner disappeared inside the shop, when Mary heard her shout: ‘Top of the morning to yer, Billy. Have yer got a pound of those soft tomatoes?’

  Mary could feel herself cringe inside. How her friend could do it, she didn’t know. And she got away with it. Nobody ever fell out with her, only her neighbour, Annie Baxter. But Annie didn’t count, ’cos she was as miserable as sin, anyway.

  The next thing, Mary heard Billy Nelson roar his head off. ‘Yer what! I’ve a good mind to throw the bleedin’ things at yer. In fact, it would be worth losing the tuppence to pelt yer with them.’

  Then came a voice Mary didn’t recognise. ‘She’s a big enough target, Billy.’

  There was no mistaking the next voice. ‘Oh, ye’re there, are yer missus? Well, why don’t yer try minding yer own business? And when yer get home, if yer’ve got a mirror that isn’t already cracked, take a good look in it and see the gob on yerself.’

  That’s it, Mary thought, I’ll be here all day at this rate. So she marched in the shop, took the basket from Amy and plonked it on the counter. ‘We just want two lots of spuds when ye’re ready, Billy.’ She turned to say something to Amy and saw her friend and another woman eyeing each other up. Oh Lord, she groaned, these two are going to be at each other’s throats any minute now. ‘I’ll wait for the potatoes, sunshine, you go and get our bread.’

  Amy’s eyes never wavered. ‘You get the bread, girl, I’m comfortable where I am.’

  Billy weighed five pound of potatoes and threw them in the basket. He’d be best serving them first, for the sake of peace and save his shop from becoming a boxing ring. He covered the potatoes with a newspaper, and weighed out another five pound. Then he had a brainwave. ‘Ye’re the only one that caught me out today, Amy.’

  Amy pricked her ears. Praise was something she never ignored. ‘Oh, yeah?’

  ‘Yeah.’ Billy passed the basket to Mary and took her four pennies. ‘Six of them tried it on, but you were the only one I fell for.’

  The woman showed she was curious. ‘What did they try on, Billy?’

  ‘It’s April Fool’s day, Mrs Chambers.’

  ‘Oh.’ The woman looked sheepish. ‘I didn’t know.’

  ‘Well, you wouldn’t, would yer, missus? It’s just another day to you.’ Amy turned when Mary pulled on her arm. ‘What is it, girl?’

  Mary thrust the basket at her. ‘You can carry this, me arm’s dropping off.’ She waved to the shopkeeper. ‘Ta-ra, Billy.’

  ‘Ta-ra, Mary! And you, Amy, my little flower, be careful how yer go.’

  When they were outside, Amy said, ‘I could have hit that bleedin’ woman. Billy took it all in good fun and was laughing his head off until she stuck her nose in. Cheeky cow.’

  ‘All right, sunshine, let’s forget about it now, eh? We’ll get the bread and then go home for a nice cuppa. If yer can manage to keep yer trap shut in the bakers, I’ll mug yer to a cream slice. Is that a deal?’

  ‘It sure is, girl, it sure is.’

  Half an hour later the two friends sat facing each other with a cup of tea in front of them and a plate with a cream slice on. The slice had pink icing on the top and cream oozing out of the sides. Amy ran her tongue over her lips. ‘I know it’s manners to wait until ye’re asked, girl, but I haven’t got no manners so I ain’t waiting.’ She picked up the slice and ran her tongue down one side. ‘Heaven.’ Her eyes were closed as she savoured the luxury. ‘Pure, bleedin’ heaven.’

  ‘Yeah, yer could get used to being rich, couldn’t yer?’

  ‘Sure could, girl, sure could. We should have married men with money, that’s where we went wrong.’

  ‘The trouble is, if yer could have them every day, yer wouldn’t appreciate them. People who are loaded, they don’t have anything to look forward to. They’ve been everywhere, seen everything and can have anything in the world they want. I wouldn’t swap places with them because half the pleasure of getting something yer really want, is the saving up for it, the anticipation. Then yer really appreciate it.’

  Amy licked each finger in turn, not missing a speck of cream. ‘Changing the subject, girl, have yer any bright ideas on what I could buy Jenny for her birthday?’

  ‘Anything at all, sunshine. She’s not expecting anything, so whatever yer buy she’d be over the moon about it.’

  ‘How about an underskirt?’

  ‘Fantastic, she’d be delighted. It’s her birthday next Wednesday, and Janet’s is on the Friday, so we’re having one party for both of them. I’ll have to ask the Porters because they offered to have the party, but Jenny said she’d rather have it here.’

  ‘Is Bill Porter going out with that friend of Laura’s from down the street? I’ve seen them together a few times.’

  ‘I couldn’t tell yer, sunshine. I know he goes out with Cynthia, but whether they’re courting is anyone’s guess. Our Laura is not very forthcoming about her friends.’

  ‘I often wonder about your Laura. She seems to have calmed down a bit, but she’s still a mystery to me. I mean, with her looks, yer’d think she’d have boys knocking on the door every night.’

  ‘She could have a boyfriend for all we know, she never tells us anything. We don’t know where she goes, or who with. I’ve given up worrying about her, it doesn’t get me anywhere.’

  ‘Your Jenny’s a different kettle of fish. If she had a boyfriend, she’d bring him home to see yer on the first night. Mind you, she’s got two boys right on her own doorstep who are crazy about her. I think it’ll be a fight to the death with them two.’

  ‘I suppose ye’re talking about John and Mick? I’m keeping out of it, it’s up to Jenny who she chooses for a boyfriend. But I’ve got to say I’d be very happy if she chose one of them. I’m very fond of both of them.’ Mary reached for Amy’s empty cup. ‘Now, missus, will yer go home so I can get on with some work?’

  ‘I’m going round for Janet, Mam.’
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  ‘I thought yer were sitting with Lizzie tonight? Surely Janet can find her own way without you walking round there?’

  ‘I enjoy the walk, Mam, after being sat in an office all day. I enjoy stretching me legs and breathing in the fresh air.’

  ‘Are the boys going, so one of them can walk Janet home?’

  ‘We never make arrangements, Mam. They either turn up or they don’t.’

  ‘Well, it’s not as dark these nights – she’d be all right walking back on her own. Don’t stay too late at Lizzie’s or yer’ll tire her out.’ Mary walked to the door with her daughter. ‘Will Bill be coming to the party?’

  ‘I’ve invited all the family, but I’m not sure about Bill. He’s been going out with Cynthia off and on, but according to Janet they’re always falling out, so yer wouldn’t know what was going on. We’ll just have to wait and see.’

  Jenny walked with her head bent, deep in thought. Laura was still a source of worry to her. Although her sister wasn’t as hard-faced as she used to be, she remained aloof and secretive about her life outside her home. She still went out with Cynthia a few nights a week, and it wasn’t unusual now for her to have a night in to wash her hair. But there was still a big question mark about what she got up to on Thursdays. She claimed she was going to a dance with Cynthia, and her parents had no reason to doubt her. But Jenny knew it wasn’t true and had this terrible nagging feeling that one of these days Laura would be up to her neck in trouble and would bring it home with her.

  Janet was waiting for her with the door open. ‘Me mam and dad said to tell yer hello and they’re looking forward to the party.’

  Jenny waited for her friend to fall into step beside her before saying, ‘Me mam needs to know the numbers for the party so she’ll know how much to get in. So will your Bill be coming, or not? And if he is, will Cynthia be with him?’

  ‘Your guess is as good as mine, Jenny. I would say they’re not on speaking terms at the moment because he’s sitting in the house with a face on him like a wet week.’

  ‘Oh, well, if he turns up and there’s not enough to eat or drink, it’ll be his own fault. Me mam’s not a mindreader, she can’t cater if she doesn’t know how many to cater for.’