The Thursday Friend

by Catherine Cookson

When Winnie began to snivel Maggie said, ‘That’s it, Dad, set a match to oily waters. If she starts blubbering you know what happens, she never stops, and then we’ll be having Mam crawling downstairs. Likely she’s heard the banging on the table and is wondering what’s happening down here.’

  ‘And you, miss! when I want your advice I’ll ask for it. Now get on with your meal and thank God you’ve got a meal to eat. That’s what the lot of you should do.’

  When Hannah said in a prim voice, ‘Me included, Daddy?’ there was a splutter from all those at the table. Even John recognised there was something to laugh about, so he laughed and beat his fork in the middle of his gravy, so causing more consternation now as Claire shouted at him, ‘Look what you’ve done to my clean dress! You’re a dirty so-and-so! John Harper.’

  When Eddie did nothing now, only placed his elbow on the table and put his hand to his brow, a warning signal seemed to cover them all and, quite surprisingly, they all got on with their meal, even John.

  It was just on three o’clock. The dishes had been washed and put away, the dining room tidied, the sitting room likewise. John, replete after a cleaned plate and a bowl of fruit salad and cream, was sleeping peacefully now by the side of his mother. Claire was watching television, and in their bedroom six-year-old Winnie was watching Maggie get ready for the party at the big house. In the hall Eddie was saying to Hannah, ‘What are you going to do with yourself now until teatime? One thing I would do is put your feet up.’

  ‘And what are you going to do?’

  ‘Tell you what I’m going to do, Hannah, I’m going to soak in a bath in a quiet house. I’ve never heard it so quiet. You’d think it was empty.’

  ‘Well, in that case I’m going upstairs to sit by your wife and have a natter.’

  ‘She’ll like that, Hannah. Oh, she will.’ He was nodding at her. ‘I’m going to tell you something on the quiet, Hannah. I’ve never voiced it before, but I know it’s true. She misses out here. She’s a good mother and you couldn’t get a better wife, but she misses out. She misses you. She misses her own kind. The only ones she comes in contact with are my sort.’

  At this Hannah put in quickly, ‘Well, she could do a lot worse, let me tell you, Eddie. A damn sight worse.’

  He laughed. ‘It’s funny to hear you swear, Hannah. Better not let the kids hear else that’ll be a signed licence for them. Yet it’s nice of you, all the same; but I know what I’m talking about: she wasn’t brought up among my sort; she fell into it, and let herself down a rung or two, I know, when she did it, and I shall never forget it. I love her and care for her and always shall; and you know something? Although she would never admit to it, she would like the kids, the girls anyway, to go to a convent school somewhere.’

  ‘Well, that’s easy, there’re plenty about.’

  ‘Oh, I think our Miss Maggie is past that now.’

  ‘Don’t you believe it! Maggie would jump at the chance to improve herself; she’s made that way. Why is she dying to go to this house today? Because it’s a big one and the young daughter has swanked about it. Now, as I see it, you can help in that way. You’ve been talking about getting a bigger house – you’ve got the money – oh yes, you have, I know you have. You needn’t move to a different area; there are bigger houses around here. Buy one, don’t rent it, and get a decent garden. And you know something, Eddie? Janie was pretty artistic in her early days, and she would be again if she had the space and time. And time will come. But what she’d like now is for her children to be given a sound education, like she herself had and does her best to hide.’

  ‘Aye, you’re right there, she does her best to hide it. Needs thinking about. Not that I haven’t thought about it, but in a different way. However, thanks, Hannah; you’ve set my mind working. You see, it’s a funny thing you came today and we had this bit of talk, because between you and me I’ve got the chance of a house up Grange Avenue – there’s some lovely places up there – but being me I thought we’d stick out like sore thumbs, and I hate to be patronised. My God! I do; I can’t stand it. But seeing how you’ve put it today, well, I know this house is on the market and it’s sticking, ’cos they want too much for it, but by the next time you come she’ll probably have some news for you.’

  Pushing out her lips and wagging her head now, Hannah took her fist and knocked it against his chest saying, ‘Good for you, Eddie, good for you,’ and they smiled at one another.

  And then it was his turn to punch her gently on the chest, saying, ‘Yeah, I think so, you know. Anyway, here’s one off to have that cleansing bath,’ and at this he turned from her, singing softly, ‘If you wash me in the water that you wash your dirty daughter, then I shall be whiter than the whitewash on the wall.’

  He was still humming as he climbed the stairs, but when there was a ring at the doorbell he paused and looked down at her, and she up at him, and she said, ‘I’ll answer it, go on.’

  When she drew open the door her mouth opened in surprise and she said, ‘You! How did you . . . ? Oh, why did you? Oh, dear me!’

  ‘What is it?’ Eddie was at her shoulder now, to see a tall man standing on the step.

  ‘I . . . I’ve just called to pick Hannah up,’ the man said. ‘I presume you’re her brother-in-law?’ David looked from one to the other. ‘We were to meet in town, but I thought I’d save her the journey. May . . . may I come in?’

  Hannah and Eddie stood apart and David walked between them into the hall, saying, ‘I hope I’m not intruding.’

  ‘Of course you are! You should have phoned first!’

  To Eddie she said, ‘This is Mr . . . Craventon.’

  ‘Oh, yeah? Well, let’s shut the door and sit down for a minute and get to know each other. Would you like to come this way?’

  Eddie led the way into the sitting room, adding, ‘Though I don’t think there needs to be any more introduction: I’m her brother-in-law, she’s my sister-in-law.’ Eddie was grinning as he pointed to Hannah. ‘My wife’s upstairs on her back suffering from sciatica, and I was just about to go and have a bath after a hard morning’s work in the kitchen; and so I’ll leave you to fight it out. I’ll be down later, Hannah.’ Eddie left the room, leaving Hannah red in the face as she stared at David, saying, ‘I don’t think this is very clever of you.’

  ‘I wasn’t meaning to be clever, I only knew that if I’d phoned you you’d have put me off until Thursday, and quite honestly I couldn’t wait that long.’

  She swallowed deeply, then began to cough, and as he made to walk towards her she said, ‘If you pat me on the back I’ll hit you.’

  At this he let out a smothered laugh, saying, ‘I don’t doubt it. But what’s wrong in me coming here? And, by the way, I liked what I saw of your brother-in-law. May I hope to meet your sister before I leave? That’s if I’m offered a cup of tea or anything like that. If we’d been at the flat, Peter would have had the tea tray in by now.’

  ‘Oh, yes, Peter and the flat. You can joke about it, but I must tell you, if Janie’d been here to meet you, she’d have wanted things to be different. She’s like that. He might appear rough and she might talk rough, but with her it’s all on the surface, and she still feels she knows how things should be done.’

  ‘Oh! Hannah, don’t worry! I’m sure from what you’ve told me about her she’s the least prim and proper person in the world.’

  But upstairs the least prim and proper person in the world was struggling to raise herself on her elbows as, looking up at her husband, she said, ‘He’s downstairs?’

  ‘That’s what I said, and he’s a smart bloke, as smart as any I’ve met. Quite the gentleman. No wonder she’s fallen for him.’

  ‘Ssshh!’ Janie now looked at her daughter in her white blouse and short skirt, and then to the equally wide-eyed Winnie standing next to her, and when this little madam said, ‘Who’s that
man talking to Auntie Hannah? Is he her boyfriend?’ Janie almost screamed at her, only checking it in time by saying, ‘Keep your tongue quiet, miss! Auntie Hannah hasn’t got a boyfriend, he . . . he’s just an acquaintance.’

  ‘What’s he look like, Dad?’ Maggie was looking up at her father, and he said, ‘Well, what you’d likely call the tops: tall, good-looking, and talks just like me, proper, like, you know.’

  When Maggie pulled a face at him and thrust her hand into his arm, saying, ‘Your lingo suits me fine, guv’nor,’ Janie fell back on the bed saying, ‘Oh, my God! it gets worse.’

  ‘Mam . . . Mam’ – Maggie was bending over her mother – ‘if he’s nice enough for Auntie Hannah to like him – and he’d have to be nice for Auntie Hannah to prefer him to Uncle Humphrey – well, he won’t mind how we talk.’

  ‘Listen to me, girl’ – Janie was hissing into her daughter’s face now – ‘he will mind. If he’s a gentleman he’ll say nothing but he’ll take it all in, and he’ll reckon it up when he gets out of the house: Who are these people anyway? he’ll ask. Why am I mixing with them?’

  ‘Oh, hold your hand a minute’ – Eddie was now wagging his finger down at her – ‘if I thought he was that kind of a bloke I’d put my foot in his . . . ’ All eyes were on him while they waited for the word; and when he said, ‘bottom’ they spluttered. ‘Anyway,’ he added, ‘he’ll want to come up and see you.’

  ‘You’ll not let him in this room. Where d’you think you’re off to, Maggie?’

  ‘I’m just going downstairs, Mam.’

  ‘You are not, miss. Just you leave them alone for a time.’

  ‘Well, Mam; if they were going to have a row it’s been very quiet, and it should be over by now, anyway, and I want to see what all the fuss is about and judge if he’s the kind I should go after.’

  ‘Oh, my God! What things come into her! I’ll have to get out of this.’ Janie was pushing herself up on her elbows again when Eddie, quite unceremoniously, thrust her back, causing her to squeal; then his voice was loud with contrition, saying, ‘Oh, I’m sorry, love. I’m sorry,’ and turning on his two daughters he said, ‘Get yourselves to . . . get down those stairs before I help you down! Go on!’

  The two girls ran from the room and down the stairs, but on reaching the hall they looked at each other and Winnie whispered, ‘What shall we do? How will we go in?’

  ‘Just knock on the door,’ said Maggie pertly, ‘like this,’ and she walked towards the sitting-room door and tapped on it, saying, ‘Can we come in, Auntie Hannah?’

  When the door was opened, their Auntie Hannah glared down at them and said, ‘Have you ever before knocked on the door and asked to come into your own sitting room?’

  ‘N-n-n-no, Auntie Hannah. But we . . . we thought you might be . . . well, b-b-b-busy, like.’

  The laughter that came from behind Hannah made her turn round and say, ‘Please!’

  ‘All right. All right. But would you like to leave it to me and let me introduce myself?’

  As the tall man sidled round Hannah the two children backed away, all the time staring at him.

  ‘So you’re Maggie, the eldest?’ David was addressing the silk-bloused, bum-freezered Maggie, and she, smiling widely at him, answered, ‘Yes, sir; I’m Maggie and I’ve been in charge of the house for some days because Mam’s in bed with a bad back; but Auntie Hannah made the lunch today and said she’d stay on. That’s why I can go to the party. I was invited to a party, but I couldn’t have gone if Auntie Hannah hadn’t come.’

  ‘What kind of party is it? A birthday party?’

  ‘I’m . . . I’m not quite sure. I don’t think it’s her birthday, she just wants . . . well—’ Maggie cast a glance towards Hannah before she added, ‘I think she just wants to swank about her big house. She’s always on about it. She says it’s got a conservatory . . . I ask you! that’s posh, isn’t it?’

  ‘I’d say.’ David was nodding down at her now.

  ‘Have you got a big house?’ she went on.

  ‘Are you going to that party or are you not?’

  ‘Yes, I’m going, Auntie Hannah, but there’s plenty of time. It isn’t till four o’clock.’

  ‘Well it’s a quarter-past three now, and you’ve got to get there.’

  ‘Oh, I’ll do it.’ Quite nonchalantly now, Maggie turned her attention from Hannah back to this tall good-looking fellow who, she had decided, was the type she would go for when she grew up, and she took up the conversation where she had left it by repeating, ‘Well, have you got a big house?’

  ‘I wouldn’t call it big, but it’s not small either. It has a large sitting room, but I have to use it as a dining room, too.’ His descriptions were interrupted by Hannah almost bawling at Maggie now, saying, ‘You needn’t sit yourselves down there.’

  ‘Only for a minute, Auntie Hannah, please.’ It was such a polite appeal that Hannah closed her eyes, turned about and leant her forearm on the mantelpiece and stared down into the fireless grate.

  ‘You were saying?’

  David chortled and looked appealingly at Hannah’s back; then rubbing his hand over his mouth, said, ‘Yes, I was saying about my flat. There’s another one above it – my friend lives in that – and, below, there’s a basement flat, which is full of books. You see, the house is divided into three flats, so I suppose you could say it’s quite big.’

  ‘I . . . I like to look at houses, all kinds of houses and flats, because I think I might take up designing. You can do it at the technical college here and—’

  She was hauled up from the couch by Hannah gripping her shoulder, and she cried out in her usual ordinary voice, ‘Aw, Auntie Hannah, give over! This is a new top.’

  Hannah did not reply, but, almost dragging her niece from the couch, she propelled her towards the door, calling to Winnie as she went, ‘You too! Come on.’ Once the door was open she pushed them both into the hall, from where Maggie turned on her and said, ‘You’re a spoilsport, Auntie Hannah!’

  Without answering, Hannah stepped back into the sitting room and closed the door none too gently behind her; then she stood looking up the room to where David was sitting almost doubled up with suppressed laughter.

  By now Hannah wanted to laugh too, but at the same time she was vexed that he had sought her out like this. What would happen, she thought, if for some reason Humphrey should come home and, not finding her there, take it into his head to find out if she was at Janie’s and put in an appearance?

  When the voice said, Damn Humphrey! she again chastised it and recalled that Humphrey had looked at her very strangely on Thursday night: he was no fool; he had sensed a change in her. What if he should make it his business to try to find out what had caused it? Perhaps she could put it down to writing her children’s book – he knew she had been on that for some time – but now that it had been taken seriously, would he blame that for creating a change in her so quickly?

  ‘Come on, Hannah; sit down beside me. Forgive me; but I have two excuses: I’ve already told you one, that I couldn’t bear to think I wasn’t going to see you until Thursday; the other is, I was lonely.’

  ‘Well, what have you done on other Sundays till now?’

  ‘Well, I’ve tried walking in the parks. I think I know every one. I’m suspect, I think, in one or two.’ He grinned at her now. ‘Sometimes I drop into a church. Oh, don’t look so surprised, it didn’t seem to matter what church so long as it was open. And not many of them are now, you know. I prefer them empty, although I’ve sometimes found myself in the middle of a service. I can’t remember ever feeling happy on a Sunday. D’you know, if I were in the middle of the Sahara Desert and I’d lost my memory, I’d know when it was Sunday. Sundays have a queer knack of forcing themselves upon you, no matter where you are; but I have never enjoyed one as I have today, especially dur
ing the last few minutes. She’s a bag of mischief, that one, isn’t she?’

  ‘She’s a little monkey! Very good in parts, but only in parts. She’ll take some handling in four or five years’ time.’

  ‘How old is she?’

  ‘Ten.’

  ‘No! Just ten? Well, well! I think she’ll take some handling sooner than in a few years’ time. I thought she’d be twelve or thirteen in that outfit of hers. Anyway, I hope I’ll be allowed to stay until she comes back from the party.’

  ‘Oh, I’m not sure about that.’

  ‘Well, what shall we do? I mean, what shall I do, and what will you do if I’m put out? I’ll just wander around waiting for you to leave, and you’ll just hang around in here doing your good turn for the day and likely stretching it out to annoy me. Isn’t that so?’

  ‘No, it isn’t.’ Her voice was low and tired-sounding now. ‘And you know it isn’t.’

  She lay back in the corner of the couch, and he, too, lay back and turned his head towards her, asking softly, ‘What is it about you that attracted me from the first sight of you? because you were dressed very plainly that morning; not dowdy, really, but not to your age. That long grey coat puts years on you.’

  ‘Thank you!’

  ‘Oh, you’re welcome. I can give you tips on what would suit you for different occasions: you should never wear square necks, because you have rather broad shoulders.’

  She sat up straight now, her body seeming to bristle with indignation; and she wasn’t soothed when he added, ‘But they’re beautiful shoulders. Some women have nothing with which to prop up their dresses or coats; their shoulders slope too much, and they’re often pigeon-chested with it. And you can bet your life they pad themselves out.’

  When her body began to shake he pulled her to him and for the first time she felt his arms about her, and when she started to laugh loudly he became slightly concerned, saying, ‘Shhh! Shhh! They’ll hear you upstairs.’ Then his tone changed as he said, ‘Oh, don’t! Why’re you crying? Please! What have I said? I’m a fool; I’m an idiot; I keep trying to amuse you, to make you laugh. Now this. It’s all right. Please! It’s all right.’