The Kellys of Kelvingrove

by Margaret Thomson-Davis

  ‘I just thought,’ Mae explained to Doris, ‘that it would do both of you good to get out for a wee turn and some fresh air. Then after we’ve walked round to the Art Galleries, we can have a cup of tea in the café. It would be good for you and interesting if we could walk round and see some of the exhibits but maybe your mother wouldn’t have enough energy for that.’

  ‘What?’ Doris rolled her eyes. ‘She’s got more energy than both of us put together. It’s only her mind that’s gone, poor thing.’

  There was no problem walking round to the Art Galleries. Indeed, the old woman, to all appearances, seemed to enjoy the experience and gazed happily around at the trees in the park and up at the beautiful architecture of the building.

  Mae didn’t like the look of some of the youths hanging about in the park, however, and it was then that she remembered Jack saying something about the police trying to crack down on the under-age drinking and drug abuse in the parks. She told Doris about what she’d learned as they strolled away.

  ‘Gosh,’ Doris said. ‘It’s obviously fascinating being married to a police officer. You hear everything that’s going on.’ Her eyes twinkled mischievously. ‘And particularly fascinating when he’s such a handsome police officer.’

  Mae managed a laugh. ‘Yes, I can’t deny he’s a handsome police officer. I’m very lucky.’

  Although she felt anything but lucky at that moment. Reaching the Art Galleries, she said, ‘Do you want a cup of tea now or a look around the gift shop first?’

  ‘Let’s look at the gift shop. We’ve plenty of time for the tea. It’s ages since Mother and I have been in the gift shop. It’s a bit much for me to manage her outside on my own.’

  ‘Well, I can have a walk round to the Art Galleries with you any day. Your mother seems to be enjoying it as well. So it’ll do us all good.’

  ‘Wonderful!’

  In the gift shop, Mae looked over at the pay counter and wondered where the robbers had got the money. The robbery couldn’t have happened during the day. There had been no reports in the newspapers of an armed hold-up and Jack would have mentioned it if there had been anything dramatic like that. So it must have been under cover of darkness and probably from a safe somewhere nearby. Or under the counter? She sidled round to one side in an effort to look behind it but wasn’t successful. The place was busy and there were several assistants crushed together, serving a queue of customers.

  Doris, still clinging on to her mother, was happily admiring all sorts of articles on display. Suddenly, Mae felt guilty and hurried over to take Mrs McIvor’s other arm.

  Doris said, ‘This is great. Even Mother is interested and enjoying looking at all the lovely gifts. She’s never been so quiet and well-behaved for ages.’

  ‘It’s the colours and sparkle of everything. There are so many gorgeous things. Copies of paintings, and exhibits, and look at that jewelry.’

  Doris said, ‘It’s so wonderful to have Mother quiet like this. I confess I often feel like murdering her when she keeps repeating things over and over again at me. It drives me absolutely frantic at times.’

  ‘It’s understandable, Doris. But it shows you that you need to get out and about more.’

  ‘I do too,’ Mae thought. She was afraid to be in the house, that was her problem. What would the robbers do if they found the money had gone? She was going to save up as hard as she could and as fast as she could, to replace all the five pound notes.

  But that had not happened yet and so she believed she had good reason to be afraid. Very afraid indeed.

  17

  ‘It did your mother and you so much good to get out and have a bit of fresh air and exercise,’ Mae told Doris later that week. ‘So let’s do it again another day. We can take an arm each and have a walk around the park, then go to the Art Galleries as we did before. You must get bored stuck in the house so much.’

  ‘Gosh, I do. That would be wonderful, Mae.’

  ‘Well, come on. No time like the present.’

  So after Doris had smoothed her mother’s glossy white hair with a brush and secured it with a couple of kirby grips, they set off.

  Mae was afraid to be in the house by herself in case the robbers broke in. At the same time, she was glad to be able to help Doris and her mother.

  Once more, Doris and Mae were pleased and relieved at how well-behaved the old woman was during their walk. Mrs McIvor gazed at everything with obvious interest and pleasure. There were no violent struggles.

  Doris said, ‘Poor old thing. She must get bored as well.’

  ‘Would you look at that.’ Mae indicated a crowd of youngsters hunkered down and passing a bottle of wine from one mouth to another. ‘They can’t even have reached their teens.’

  ‘Surely their mothers don’t know what they’re up to.’

  ‘Jack says most of the mothers are either alkies or drug addicts.’

  ‘Alkies?’

  ‘Alcoholics.’

  Doris sighed. ‘My mother was always so good to me. She just lived for me and Alec, when we needed her. That’s why I try to be as good to her now that she needs me.’

  ‘You keep saying that, Doris, but you’re going to ruin your health and be of no use to your mother or to anyone soon. You wrote to him again, didn’t you? A pleading letter?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Well, once your brother arrives, he’ll see for himself what’s needed. He’ll get your mother into a good nursing home. She won’t be bored there, Doris. She’ll be happy and well-cared for, as I’ve already told you several times.’

  ‘You’re right, Mae. My health’s cracking up with the strain of never being able to relax and even get a decent sleep at night. Goodness, look over there.’

  Several youths had begun to fight and Mae saw the flash of razors.

  ‘Let’s get out of here. And as quick as we can.’

  They hurried away in the direction of the Art Galleries. Once they had safely arrived there, Doris said, ‘I remember that park being so peaceful and respectable. What a difference now.’

  ‘Jack says it’s going to be sorted out soon. He says a clear message is going to be sent to gang members or anybody misbehaving in Kelvingrove Park – we’ll come after you.’

  ‘Well, I hope they do. One thing’s for sure, Mae. You’re never likely to be bored, married to a police officer. And he’s so handsome too. I’ve never seen such a handsome man.’

  ‘So you keep telling me.’

  ‘Oh dear, am I getting as bad as my mother and repeating myself all the time? I’m sorry, Mae.’

  ‘It’s all right. I was just joking.’

  She was wondering what else Jack would tell her about the men who’d robbed the Art Galleries.

  18

  They were waiting for him at the beginning of Waterside Way, blocking his path to the house. They were a group of white youths in expensive school uniforms. They were the sons of wealthy businessmen – owners of supermarkets and wholesale warehouses, company directors, doctors, professionals and consultants. Mirza was returning from school with Zaida, Sandra, Maq and Ali. He’d invited his pals Maq and Ali home for a meal.

  ‘Get lost,’ one of the youths said to the girls and to Maq and Ali. ‘It’s him we want,’ indicating Mirza.

  ‘You get lost,’ Mirza said, ‘you bunch of pathetic cowards. I’ll take on every one of you in a fair one-to-one fight.’

  Sandra said, ‘What’s the big idea? What do you expect to gain by picking on Mirza?’

  ‘We’re here to warn this fuckin’ bastard to keep clear of a white girl like you.’

  Sandra’s voice loudened indignantly. ‘I choose to be with whoever I like. And I choose to be with Mirza. You can all beat it and mind your own business.’

  Zaida said, ‘Sandra, you just go home. I’ll stay with Mirza. Maq and Ali, you go and wait at our house.’

  ‘No way,’ Maq and Ali said. ‘We’re staying with you and Mirza.’ And then to the tight mob barring their way, ‘You’re a b
unch of cowards, the lot of you. You haven’t the nerve to have a one-to-one fight with Mirza. He’d flatten any of you.’

  ‘What’s going on here?’ a voice called out behind the youths. They turned and saw two policemen coming towards Waterside Way. Mirza recognised them as friends of Jack Kelly at house number one.

  Sandra called back, ‘They’re stopping us getting into Waterside Way and our houses. They don’t belong here.’

  One of the youths said, ‘We were just having a laugh.’

  ‘Well,’ one of the policemen told him, ‘away and have a laugh somewhere else. You’re blocking the way.’

  ‘Sure, no problem.’

  They all began to swagger off but one of them called back to Mirza, ‘See you again soon.’

  Once in Waterside Way, Maq said to Mirza, ‘Maybe you should cool it and not be seen so much with Sandra. They’re obviously determined to get you if you carry on like this – always being with her.’

  ‘Whose side are you on?’ Mirza protested indignantly.

  ‘Yours, of course. But I don’t want you beaten and kicked to a pulp and maybe even killed by a mob like that. We can’t always be here to help you and a couple of policemen aren’t likely to turn up again either.’

  Sandra said, ‘Jack Kelly’s a policeman. We could at least tell him or his wife, Mae. They know about Mirza and me and they’re all right about us. They could at least keep an eye on things, warn them off or something. I don’t know, but at least we could ask for their advice. They know for a start that we can’t make an official report to the police station. My mother would find out about Mirza and me and then all hell would be let loose.’

  ‘And my father!’ Mirza said. ‘It’s bloody damnable, isn’t it?’

  ‘How about Bashir?’ Zaida asked.

  ‘I know he would help but what can he do? That crowd are liable to turn up anywhere and any time, determined to get me. Bashir, or anyone else, can’t know where and when their next stupid attack is going to be.’

  Maq suddenly brightened. ‘We could get a gang together.’

  ‘Start a race war, you mean?’

  ‘No, I didn’t mean anything racial.’

  ‘That’s how it would look. White guys from a posh private school, sons of wealthy and influential parents, and coloured guys like us. We’d get all the blame and I can just see the newspaper headlines – “They’re not wanted in Britain. Send them back home to their own country.” etc, etc.’

  ‘Och, you don’t know that. We could just meet their mob and batter the living daylights out of them. The chances are that would finish them for good. They would never try anything again. End of story.’

  Mirza sighed.

  ‘I don’t think so, Maq, but I appreciate how you’re trying to help. You’re a real pal. But I think, first of all, we’d be better to try the talking bit. Talk to the Kellys and to Bashir and see what they say. OK?’

  Maq shrugged.

  ‘OK. It’s worth a try, I suppose. But if they don’t come up with a better idea, I can still get a gang together and we could try that.’

  Ali spoke then. ‘I’ll go along with whatever’s decided on to help you, Mirza. You know that.’

  ‘Yes. The pair of you have always been my best friends and I’m really grateful to you both.’

  They all began walking along Waterside Way. Maq, Ali and Zaida turned into number three. Mirza waited with Sandra.

  ‘In you go,’ he told the others. ‘I won’t be a minute.’

  ‘For God’s sake.’ Sandra became agitated. ‘Go in with them. Your father will see us. Or my mother might come out at any moment.’

  ‘I’m getting sick of all this. I’m not a coward. I can face my father and your mother.’

  ‘No, no,’ Sandra cried out. ‘That would be the end of us. They’d make sure of it. I couldn’t bear it.’

  Suddenly Mirza caught her in his arms and kissed her passionately. She struggled, broke away from him with a moan and raced along the Way to house number five.

  It was fortunate, as she told Mirza at school next day, that her mother had been in the kitchen and had not seen them.

  ‘But after this, I’m not going to walk home with you from school. I can’t bear the suspense of either my mother or her friend next door or that awful Reverend Denby seeing us. At least we can see each other at school.’

  ‘We’re doing this extra study course just now but what about the rest of the school holidays?’ Mirza asked. ‘Do we not see each other at all then?’

  ‘We’ll find somewhere safe to meet. There must be somewhere safe.’

  ‘Oh Sandra, I need you.’

  ‘And I need you. But we’ll have to be patient for a bit longer. Once we get to university, it should be easier. Nothing must happen to spoil your career chances, Mirza. Remember the teacher said you had a brilliant career in front of you, if you got to university and worked hard for your degree.

  Mirza sighed. ‘You need your degree too.’

  ‘Yes, and I’m going to work hard to get it. And what’ll help to keep me going is knowing that at the end of it, we’ll be able to get married. We’ll just have to be patient.’

  ‘I don’t know if I can be patient for much longer, Sandra. I’m beginning to feel like an unexploded bomb.’

  19

  It seemed incredible to Mae that Jack was able to chat away to her as if nothing had happened, as if her distress had simply melted away after he’d given her the couple of pounds raise in her housekeeping money.

  Now he was telling her about the plan for the opening of a pedestrian area in Buchanan Street. ‘Everybody will be able to walk around freely without the noise and danger of traffic,’ he explained enthusiastically. ‘I’ve read all about it. They’re going to replace the parking meters with plants and shrubs in what is now one of Glasgow’s main traffic arteries.’

  ‘Really?’ She struggled to put interest into her tone of voice.

  ‘Yes. At first it will only be enforced from eleven in the morning to four in the afternoon, but if it proves popular traffic could be banished from the entire street!’

  ‘Goodness.’

  ‘I thought you’d be more excited – you can do all your shopping with no distraction and in a much calmer environment.’

  ‘Well that’s nice.’

  Nothing on earth was further from her thoughts. All their wonderful plans could sink to the bottom of the river, for all she cared. She felt as if she was sinking herself – alone and drowning. What was she going to do? How could she go on like this?

  She only forgot at night when she was gripped in Jack’s strong arms and his lips and hands were caressing every part of her body. Her heart raced then but with pleasurable excitement, not terror. Her body pulsated with the thrill of him entering her. She wanted the forgetfulness, the pleasurable excitement, to last forever. But with the light of morning, and especially after Jack had left for work and she was alone, the terror returned.

  She didn’t know what to do. More and more, she depended on Doris for company. Doris was more than happy to have her visit or to accompany her and her mother on some outing. Doris was fascinated when she recounted all that Jack had told her about the future plans for Glasgow.

  ‘Gosh, Mae, I can hardly wait until all that happens. We could go shopping together, couldn’t we?’

  ‘Of course, if you wanted to.’

  ‘That would be wonderful, Mae. It’ll give me something else to look forward to. And if Mother lives long enough to see it, she would be fascinated too. The only time she’s quiet and well-behaved is when she’s out somewhere with you. Otherwise – well, you know yourself what she’s like in the house.’

  Indeed Mae did, and she often thought that she’d go stark raving mad if she had to put up with the old woman’s stupid repetitive talk and awful behaviour. All right, the poor soul was ill with dementia but it was terribly hard for Doris. Her mother was always running away from the house day and night and Doris had to chase after her and haul
her back from nearly falling in the river or disappearing elsewhere. Doris seldom got a night’s sleep. The old woman didn’t seem to need a whole night’s sleep and as often as not, despite her sleeping tablet, she was up in the middle of the night and away outside, wearing only her nightie.

  ‘I always worry that, apart from anything else,’ Doris said, ‘she’ll get her death of cold. But not her. It’s me that gets the cold.’

  Mae worried about Doris. She had grown painfully thin and gaunt and her grey-streaked hair stuck up like a wild neglected brush.

  ‘You need to look after yourself more, Doris.’

  ‘How can I?’ Doris looked as if she was about to break into wild sobbing and Mae realised it was a stupid thing to say. How could poor Doris ever be able to look after herself?

  ‘I’m sure your brother will soon come over and help you in every way he can. Now that you’ve written to him again.’

  Nevertheless, in comparison with Doris, she was lucky. She tried to keep telling herself that. But it didn’t work.

  20

  Another day, Mae Kelly was hurrying back from doing some urgent shopping when she saw old Mrs McIvor pulling and tugging at the handle of number one. She began to run towards the house. Obviously Mrs McIvor had got out of her own house and was too confused to get back in to the right one again.

  ‘Mrs McIvor, it’s Mae,’ she cried out as soon as she reached the house. ‘Mae Kelly. Come on, I’ll take you into your own place.’

  But Mrs McIvor pushed her away. ‘She’s locked me out.’

  ‘No dear, she hasn’t.’

  ‘Who are you? What do you know?’

  ‘I’m Mae Kelly. Your next door neighbour. You’ve met me before. Remember?’

  ‘No, I don’t. I don’t know who you are. She’s locked me out.’

  Just then, Jack’s car arrived.

  ‘Something wrong? Can I help?’ He struggled out of the car and limped towards them. He knew about Mrs McIvor. Mae had told him how poor Doris suffered because of the old woman’s dementia.