by Joan Jonker
Molly nodded. ‘He’s got a point.’
‘Ah, but I was ready for him, girl! I said if me backside was on fire it wouldn’t be no good turning a hair, I’d be better turning a cheek!’
‘I give up. I don’t know how the poor man puts up with yer!’ This was Molly’s opinion. ‘I think he deserves a medal.’
Victoria said, ‘Either that, or he has a very good sense of humour and saw the funny side, as we do.’
‘Ah, ay, Victoria, have a heart! One egg a week and I burn the bloody thing! My George can take a joke with the best, but I’m afraid he didn’t see the funny side at all.’ Nellie wagged her head. ‘In fact, I’d go as far as to say he was very ratty about it!’
‘Well, it didn’t seem to have bothered you, yer were all right when yer came down to ours,’ Molly said. ‘And what did the poor man have to eat after all that?’
‘I wasn’t bothered, girl, ’cos we made it up before I left the house. I made a pan of chips and he had chips with a slice of the brawn I got for their carry-out. He was over the moon and tucked in like a man who hadn’t seen food for a month.’
‘Didn’t that leave yer short for their carry-out?’
‘Yeah, I had to cut corners, didn’t I?’
‘How d’yer mean, cut corners?’
Nellie’s eyes were dancing with mischief. ‘I only had enough meat for two, so I had to make it stretch to three. So half of their sandwiches have brawn in, and half are filled with fresh air.’
‘The kids might let yer get away with that, but George won’t,’ Molly warned. ‘Not after last night. There’ll be no sweet talking him round when he gets in from work tonight, Nellie McDonough, you mark my words.’
‘Have no fear, oh ye of little faith. George might come home in a bad temper, but when he sees me all bandaged up he’ll be full of sympathy. I’ll get waited on hand and foot, just you wait and see.’
Molly shook her head in exasperation. ‘But yer hand isn’t bandaged up!’
‘It will be when we get back from the shops. I went to the corner shop, but Maisie didn’t have any bandages, so I’ll get one from the chemist’s. That’s if we ever get to the shops! If you don’t stop talking so much, we’ll get there just as they’re closing.’
‘I don’t believe I’m hearing this! The older yer get, the worse yer get, Nellie McDonough. And I don’t hold with yer telling George a barefaced lie.’
‘It’s not a lie, girl, I have got a sore hand.’
‘Let’s see it, then.’
When Nellie held out her right hand, palm upwards, Molly’s hand went to her mouth. The flesh on the chubby palm was bright red, and there were at least six blisters. It really looked very sore. ‘Oh, sunshine, I’m sorry! Why the heck didn’t yer tell me? Just look at this, Victoria, and she never even mentioned it! Yer must have been in agony last night – why didn’t yer say something?’
‘Oh, aye! The kids were all happy and excited, making plans for their wedding, and yer expect me to hold me hand out and say, “Look what I’ve got!” No, girl, I wasn’t going to spoil things for them. Me hand is sore, it’s giving me gyp, but there’s no point in making a song and dance about it.’
Victoria had left her chair and was holding Nellie’s hand. ‘A bandage on its own is no good. What yer want is some ointment on to soothe the pain, a piece of lint to cover it, and then a bandage. And don’t leave it uncovered, because those blisters will burst soon and yer’ll have to watch yer don’t get dirt in.’
‘I can’t leave a bandage on all the time. How can I do me work and wash dishes with it on? But I will be careful, don’t worry.’
‘I’ll make sure ye’re ruddywell careful, sunshine, ’cos I don’t trust yer! I’ll wash up for yer during the day, then yer family can do it at night. And to hell with the housework, it’ll be there when ye’re dead and gone. Use yer good hand to give the place a quick dusting and let the rest go to pot.’ Molly could see Nellie’s brain was working and knew what she was thinking. ‘I know what’s going through that head of yours. Ye’re thinking that when I’m not there yer’ll please yerself. But yer can forget that, sunshine, ’cos I’m going to have a word with George and the kids. And I’m going to mark the bandage so I’ll know if yer’ve taken it off. How about that, then?’
Nellie grinned. ‘My old ma used to say that good often comes from bad, but I never believed her. I do now, though. I’m glad I burned that ruddy egg, it did me a favour. I’ll have you looking after me during the day, and me family waiting on me at night. What more could anyone ask for? I’ll be able to sit on me backside all day and get away with it. Oh, lucky, lucky old me.’
‘Don’t push yer luck, sunshine, and we’ll get along fine. But right now we’d better get off to the shops. Which brings us to why we came over here in the first place. Our Doreen said yer were short on bread, Victoria, so would yer like us to get yer a loaf?’
‘Yes, please, Molly. A large tin if yer can.’
‘I’ll do me best, sunshine, but these days yer’ve got to take what they’ve got. We’ll make the home-made shop our first stop, their bread’s the best. And with a bit of luck they might just have some meat pies left. If they have, I’ll get as many as I can wheedle out of them, and we’ll share.’
Nellie licked her lips. ‘Ooh, I don’t half love their meat pies. Me mouth’s watering at the thought of the gravy oozing out of the slits on the top. I could eat three of those meself.’
‘Some hope you’ve got, sunshine! Yer know there’s a long queue there every day, and they ration each customer to one small loaf and two pies. But if they know yer’ve got a big family, they give yer a bit extra if they can.’ Molly kissed Miss Clegg’s cheek. ‘We’ll be back with the spoils as quick as possible. This is one day we won’t spend time jangling in every shop, ’cos I want to get me mate’s hand cleaned and bandaged before she gets dirt in and it turns septic.’
Nellie followed her friend to the living-room door, and then she turned. Giving a wink that creased her whole face, she said, ‘Oh, I’m not half going to enjoy this, Victoria! I’ve never had servants before, but I’ve seen them on the pictures. They wear a little white lace thing on their heads and a lace pinny that’s not even big enough to wipe yer nose on. If my mate turns up tomorrow not wearing the proper outfit, I’ll have to have words with her.’
Victoria’s smile turned to a chuckle when Nellie suddenly disappeared from view and Molly could be heard saying, ‘I’ve told yer, sunshine, just don’t push yer luck.’
Vera Patterson turned her head and waved when she saw Molly and Nellie joining the end of the queue. ‘I’ll wait for yer! There’s something I want to tell yer.’
Molly nodded before bending down to whisper in Nellie’s ear. ‘You keep me place, sunshine, while I have a quick word with Vera.’
‘What d’yer want to do that for? She said she’ll wait for us.’
‘Yeah, but she’ll be out of the shop by then and it’ll be too late. I need to catch her before she gets served.’ Molly kept her voice low. ‘There’s only Vera and her husband, so I’m going to ask if she can get a bit extra for us.’
‘Ooh, nice thinking, girl! Yer’ve got a head on yer shoulders all right!’
If the people thought she was trying to jump the queue, there’d be murder. You took your turn, as they had done during the long years of the war, or it was woe-betide you. So for the benefit of those in front of her, Molly raised her voice. ‘Keep me place, Nellie, while I have a quick word with Vera.’
She was only gone about half a minute, and when she came back she nodded to her mate. ‘Keep yer fingers crossed.’
Vera passed them without a glance, a loaf of bread tucked under her arm and a cake bag in each hand. Molly didn’t want to get her hopes up, but unless she was mistaken there were two pies in each of those bags. And with a bit of luck Vera wouldn’t be wanting all four pies.
It was a family confectioners, very popular in the district for the high standard of their bread, pies and c
akes. Tom Hanley worked in the bakery with son, Stan, while his wife Edna served in the shop with daughter Emily. It had been a thriving business before the war, but with the food shortages the Hanleys had had to cut right down. They were as fair as they could be with their customers, but as Tom said, he could only make as much as he had the ingredients to work with. So to be fair to each of their customers, they had started their own system of rationing. The shop only opened for half a day because they were always sold out by one o’clock.
Edna Hanley found time to smile when the two friends reached the counter. ‘I could do with you two behind the counter raising a laugh. At least while they were calling me fit to burn for not giving them all they ask for, they’d have a smile on their faces.’
‘Ay, we’d do that for yer willingly, Edna,’ Nellie said. ‘And we wouldn’t want no money, for it, either. Yer could pay us in bread and pies.’
‘Trust you, Nellie McDonough.’ This came from Tilly Potter, a woman from their street who was behind them in the queue. ‘Always got yer eye to the main chance, you have.’
‘Yer know what they say about God loving a trier, Tilly. If yer don’t try, then yer don’t ruddywell deserve to get!’
Molly gave her friend a dig in the ribs to shut her up. ‘There’s a queue halfway down the road, Nellie, and this is no time for any of your shenanigans.’ She smiled at the woman behind the counter. ‘We both want a loaf and two pies, if we can, Edna. And I’m shopping for Miss Clegg, so if she can have the same I’d be grateful.’ And so no one would think she was asking for more than her ration, she added, ‘Yer know the old lady can’t come out herself.’
‘Pass yer basket over, Molly.’ As she made the order up, Edna asked, ‘How is Miss Clegg? She must be getting on now.’
‘She’ll be ninety-one in a few months. And a nicer woman never walked this earth. We all love the bones of her.’ Molly opened her purse. ‘I’ll pay for the lot and me and Nellie can sort it out later. How much does it come to, Edna?’
‘Seven and eightpence altogether.’ The basket was passed back and a ten-shilling note changed hands. ‘Tell the old lady I was asking about her and give her my love.’
‘I’ll do that, Edna. Me and Nellie could walk her down one day, slowly, like, but she’d never be able to stand in a queue.’
‘I wouldn’t let her stand outside.’ Edna passed the change over. ‘If anyone was miserable enough to complain about a ninety-year-old getting served first, they’d get short shrift from me.’ She eyed the waiting customers. ‘Aren’t I right, ladies?’
Now no one wanted to be thought miserable, so they all voiced their agreement. And as they hadn’t been served yet, they weren’t taking a chance on being told the pies had now been rationed to one per customer.
‘There’s Vera, come on.’ Molly carried the basket straight, afraid the juice from the pies would spill over. And that would be a tragedy because it was the juice that made the pies so mouthwatering. ‘I wonder what she’s got to tell us?’
Vera handed one of the bags over. ‘Put these in yer basket, Molly, they’re red hot. Edna let me have two extra because I said I was having visitors. It’s the first time I’ve asked for extra so she didn’t even pull a face. With there only being me and Bill, we don’t have the same worries as women like you who have big families to feed.’
‘Thanks very much, Vera, ye’re an angel. Nellie will pay yer for them, seeing as I’ve got me hands full.’
This was one time Nellie didn’t argue. Her mouth was already filling with saliva at the thought of sinking her teeth into one of the pies. ‘Ye’re a pal, Vera, and me and Molly will do the same for you one day.’ She grinned. ‘When you have a big family to feed.’
‘The time for me having children passed over thirty years ago, Nellie. Me and Bill would have loved to have had children, but it wasn’t to be. It was a bitter disappointment to both of us, but yer can’t alter what life has in store for yer. And I tell meself that although we’ve got none to make us laugh, we’ve got none to make us cry.’
‘That’s the best way of looking at it, sunshine,’ Molly said. ‘Now, me and me mate are going to the butcher’s – are yer walking that way?’
‘Yeah, I’ll walk that far with yer and tell yer the latest about next door as we go.’ Vera waited until they’d fallen into step, then said, ‘Mavis was sent a travel pass to go and see her husband. Apparently he’s been fretting and asking to see her. They say he’s not fit to be moved nearer home yet, but a visit from her may aid his recovery. That doesn’t sound too good to me, what d’yer think?’
‘It’s hard to say, Vera,’ Molly said, although she also thought it sounded none too good. ‘Is Mavis going to see him?’
Vera nodded. ‘She was worried about the kids at first, because although her family would have them, they live the other side of Liverpool and the kids wouldn’t be able to go to school. Her nerves were shattered when she got the letter and the travel pass, and I felt sorry for her ’cos she really does want to see Frank. She’s blaming herself for what’s happened to him, says it’s God’s way of paying her back for her sins.’
‘I’m glad her conscience is pricking her,’ Nellie said. She saw the look on Molly’s face and tutted. ‘Don’t be looking at me like that, girl, ’cos what I’m saying is true. She’s been a selfish, bad bitch, and anyone who says otherwise is a hypocrite. But I agree with yer that her husband shouldn’t be made to pay for her sins. And if he does come home, I’ll help yer make sure no one digs up the past.’
‘Anyway, I’ve said I’ll have the three kids for the few days she’s away,’ Vera told them. ‘There’s only one bed in me spare room, but they can all snuggle up together, it won’t do them no harm for two or three nights. And I can see they get fed and sent to school every day.’
‘That’s good of yer, Vera,’ Molly said. ‘I’d offer to help meself, but we’re squashed in like sardines as it is.’
‘Mavis was over the moon when I offered, said it was a load off her mind. So she’s going to see about train times today. The hospital is the other side of London, so she’s got to take another train from there. It’ll mean a whole day travelling, but she said she doesn’t care as long as she sees Frank at the end of the journey. Then she can see for herself how he is, instead of worrying herself to death thinking things are worse than they are.’
‘Tell her not to be upset by what she sees, Vera,’ Molly said. ‘She’ll probably get a shock when she claps eyes on him, but she mustn’t let him see that, no matter what. A smile on her face to show how happy she is to see him, will do him more good than sympathy or tears.’
‘I’ll tell her what yer said, Molly, and I think she’s sensible enough to realise how right yer are. She’s got more brains than most people give her credit for.’
Molly glanced along the row of shops and came to a halt outside a chemist’s. ‘I need some bandages, Vera, so we’ll leave yer here. But if yer need any help with the kids, all yer’ve got to do is sing out.’
‘I’ll manage, Molly, but thanks all the same. They’re not babies any more, the oldest is ten, the youngest six. If I can’t cope with them for a few days, I’ll throw the towel in.’ She turned to walk away. ‘Ta-ra, Molly, and you, Nellie. I’ll be seeing yer.’
There was a smile on Molly’s face when she placed her basket on Victoria’s table. ‘Not a bad day, all in all, sunshine! We got eight meat pies, the bread we wanted, and I scrounged a couple of extra sausages off Tony the butcher. So you and Phil can have a pie and sausage for yer tea tonight, with mashed potato.’
Nellie was beaming. ‘That leaves six pies, so can you and me have one with a round of bread for our lunch?’
‘Nellie McDonough, you greedy so-and-so! My three pies are going to be cut in half so all the family can have a share. They’ll enjoy that with sausage and mash, it makes a change. But if you’re such a glutton yer must have one all to yerself, then yer can sod off to yer own house, ’cos ye’re not eating it in mine!’
Molly bent her head so their noses were almost touching. ‘Ah, yes, we had to stand in a queue – but whose money paid for them, eh? Not ours, because we don’t earn any money. It was Jack, George and the kids, out working all day, who paid for them’
‘Bloody hell, girl, ye’re too good to live, you are. And I wouldn’t eat one of the flaming pies now if yer offered me ten bob! The ruddy thing would stick in me throat and choke me.’
‘And that would be the price of yer, sunshine.’ Molly moved back and grinned. ‘So we’ll have toast for lunch, eh, and both families share the pies tonight?’
‘Yeah, go ’ed, girl, we’ll do that. And I’ll have all afternoon to look forward to me dinner.’
As Victoria crossed to the sideboard for her purse to pay for the messages, she was laughing softly. If a stranger had been in the room five minutes ago, they’d have thought the pair were going to knock spots off each other. But then they wouldn’t know that these two women enjoyed winding each other up, and they’d never had a real argument in all of their twenty-five years of treasured friendship.
