Walking My Baby Back Home

by Joan Jonker

  ‘We’ve come about the advert you put in the sweetshop,’ Dot said, thinking there must be some mistake. Why would a woman expecting a baby sell a pram?

  ‘Ah, yes,’ the door was opened wider, ‘come in, please.’

  Betty gazed at the beautifully decorated walls and then at the deep red carpet that was fitted from skirting board to skirting board, covering every inch of the large hall. She’d never seen anything like it in her life and she didn’t think John should miss it. She waved her hand to where he was standing. ‘Can my, er, can he come in, too?’

  ‘Yes, of course he can. It’s only natural the father would like to see it.’

  ‘I’ll go and give him a hand with the bags.’ Betty fled before her face gave her away, leaving Dot looking everywhere but at the woman. ‘Come on, John, but for heaven’s sake keep yer trap shut or yer’ll make a liar out of me.’ She picked one of the bags up from the ground and smiled at him with mischief in her eyes. ‘Just look at me with love in yer eyes and call me sweetheart.’ She walked a few steps, then turned. ‘Oh, by the way, we’re hoping for a boy.’

  John followed her up the path in a trance. What on earth was she up to? Surely she hadn’t told the woman they were man and wife? He enjoyed a joke as well as the next man, but that would be going beyond a joke.

  The woman welcomed him with a smile. ‘You can leave the bags here, Mr . . .?’

  ‘Kershaw – John Kershaw.’

  ‘I’m Joyce Sinclair. If you and your wife and friend will follow me, the pram is in the front parlour.’ As she led the way, Joyce Sinclair was thinking of the old adage that says opposites attract. It was certainly true in the case of this couple; they didn’t seem at all suited. ‘This is the pram I advertised.’

  Three faces lit up at the sight of the small, navy-blue carriage. The chrome was gleaming, the bodywork didn’t have a scratch or a mark on it, the hood and apron were perfect and the inside looked as though it had never been used. It seemed almost too good to be true. ‘It’s just what we’ve been looking for,’ Dot said, before catching Mrs Sinclair eyeing her with a strange look on her face. ‘Isn’t it just what you want, Betty?’

  ‘It’s better than I expected to get, girl.’ Then Betty got them out of an awkward situation with her usual bluntness. ‘If yer don’t mind me asking, Mrs Sinclair, why are yer selling it when yer’ll soon be needing one yerself?’

  Dot gasped. ‘Betty, don’t be so personal!’

  ‘That’s all right, it’s a perfectly reasonable question.’ Joyce showed a set of strong white teeth when she smiled. ‘You see, I’ve got a ten-month-old baby who will only be twelve months when the new addition arrives. So my husband and I decided to go in for a bigger pram, one that will hold both children.’

  ‘Ye’re going to have yer hands full, girl,’ Betty said, ‘I had two . . .’ Her words petered out when John touched her arm. ‘What’s up?’ she asked.

  ‘I think it’s time we made our way home, sweetheart.’ He slipped his hand in his trouser pocket and brought out his wallet. He took out three one-pound notes and offered them to Joyce. ‘We’ll take the pram if we may, Mrs Sinclair?’

  She took the money and thanked him. ‘Are you taking it now?’

  ‘Yes, we’ll take it with us. It will save me carrying all these bags – they can go inside.’

  ‘Ah, ay, I thought yer could push me home in the pram,’ Betty said, pulling a baby face. ‘Me feet are dropping off.’

  ‘I’m sure they’ll last out until we get home, sweetheart.’ John was already wheeling the pram towards the door. ‘Thank you, Mrs Sinclair, we’re very grateful to you.’

  ‘You’re welcome.’ Joyce watched as they walked down the path and turned out of the gate and out of sight. Closing the door, she murmured, ‘What an odd couple. I would never in a month of Sundays have taken them for man and wife. Still, it takes all sorts to make a world and it wouldn’t do for us all to like the same thing.’

  The trio waited until they were at the corner of Hornby Road before stopping to give vent to their feelings. Dot doubled up with laughter. ‘John, in the last half-hour yer have committed bigamy with my mate here. Oh, if yer could have seen yer face,’ she cried, ‘it was a picture.’

  ‘No, he wasn’t very loving, was he, girl?’ Betty was really enjoying herself. Her tummy was shaking, her bosom bouncing and her face creased with laughter. ‘Did yer notice when he called me “sweetheart” how he gritted his teeth? I bet that woman thinks we’d had a lover’s tiff ’cos we were barely on speaking terms.’

  John, who had insisted on wheeling the pram, was still trying to make up his mind whether he thought the whole thing funny or not. In the end, his sense of humour won the day. ‘If you’d given me some warning I would have been prepared and done the job properly. A hug, perhaps, and even a few kisses.’ He chuckled. ‘That would have turned the tables on you, Mrs Mason, if I’d given you a kiss. You’d have run a mile.’

  ‘Would I hell! I’d have been the dutiful wife and puckered me lips for yer. I’d even have thrown in a “darling” or two, just for good measure.’

  ‘Anyway, joking aside, we’ve done very well,’ Dot said. ‘It’s a beautiful pram, well worth the money.’

  John nodded. ‘Yes, I’m delighted with it. And I think Mary will be pleased.’

  ‘She’ll be over the moon,’ Betty said. ‘It looks brand-new. We weren’t half lucky, seeing that advert. And, ay, what about the house? There wasn’t an inch of floor that wasn’t carpeted, did yer notice? They’re not short of a penny there, that’s for sure. The wallpaper, the curtains and the furniture were all good quality, all expensive stuff. It makes yer wish, doesn’t it, girl?’

  Dot shook her head. ‘It was a lovely house, and the woman was nice, but I’m quite happy with what I’ve got, sunshine. As long as I’ve enough money to scrape by on, and me two lovely children, I’m perfectly satisfied.’

  Betty grinned. ‘And yer’ve got yer lodger, yer mustn’t forget him. He’s at your place so often yer can count him as one of the family. Mind you, ye’re not greedy with him, I’ll say that for yer. After all, yer did let me borrow him to be me husband, back there, which goes to show that ye’re very generous with him.’

  ‘Excuse me, ladies, but I wish you wouldn’t talk about me as though I’m not here,’ John said. ‘I am capable of thinking and speaking for myself.’

  ‘Well, start speaking then, and tell her ye’re not me ruddy lodger!’

  ‘Oh, I don’t mind Betty thinking I’m your lodger. In fact, I quite like it.’

  ‘You might not mind, but I ruddy-well do!’ Dot was too footsore and weary to argue further. ‘Let’s get going, we’ve wasted enough time. Our Colin will wonder where I’ve got to and our Katy will be in from work before I’ve had time to make the tea.’

  ‘You and Betty get the tram home,’ John said, seeing the tiredness in Dot’s eyes. ‘I’ll wheel the pram to the O’Connors’.’

  Both women looked at him as though he’d gone mad. Men didn’t wheel prams, it wasn’t the done thing. ‘I’m not letting yer do that, everyone will laugh at yer.’ Dot pushed him aside and took hold of the handlebar. ‘If we cut up one of these streets it’ll take us to Hawthorne Road and we’ll be home quicker than going the way we came.’

  ‘I’ll agree on one condition,’ John said. ‘That you let me buy fish and chips for the tea, save you standing on your feet cooking something.’

  Dot studied his face for a few seconds, then sighed. ‘Any other time I’d tell yer to get lost, but right now all I want to do is put me feet up. The thought of standing in the kitchen peeling spuds doesn’t appeal to me at all, so I’ll take yer up on yer offer and thank yer kindly.’

  ‘Ay, my feet are tired, too!’ Betty said. ‘Am I invited for fish and chips?’

  ‘You certainly are not! You’ve got a family to see to, so it’s straight home for you.’ Dot began to push the pram with Betty holding on to the side. ‘When we get to Monfa Road we’ll use the ent
ry and go in the O’Connors’ back door. I don’t want to bump into Tom Campbell.’

  ‘Oh, it’s beautiful.’ The pram was standing in the living room and Mary had come downstairs to see it. ‘I never expected anything as nice as this. It looks brand-new.’

  ‘We got a bargain, girl, it was only—’ Betty yelped when Dot gave her a sharp dig in the ribs. ‘What was that for?’

  ‘For not minding yer own business! When yer give anyone a present, yer don’t tell them how much it was! Honest, ye’re as bad as our Colin, yer can’t keep a thing to yerself.’

  Betty, looking suitably contrite, shrugged her shoulders at John. ‘Me and my big mouth, it’ll get me hung one of these days. I’m sorry about that, John, I wasn’t thinking.’ A grin came to her face. ‘That’s my trouble, yer know, me head and me mouth don’t work together. Me mouth gets in before me head has a chance to think.’

  ‘You’re excused, Betty, on the grounds that we would never have got the pram without you,’ John told her. ‘Credit where it’s due.’

  ‘Credit to all of you,’ Mary said, lowering the hood to inspect the inside of the carriage more closely. ‘Especially you, John, for being so kind. I’m very grateful for me present, it’s beautiful.’ She turned to the O’Connors. ‘Aren’t I lucky?’

  ‘You certainly are, me darlin’. It’s as nice as any I’ve seen.’

  Paddy stroked his chin. ‘I’m happy to say it passes inspection, so I am. Only the best is good enough for Trudy and sure, isn’t this the best? It’s a proud man I’ll be to wheel her to the park on a Sunday afternoon if I’m given permission.’

  ‘And I’ll be walking beside you,’ John said, determined not to be left out. ‘She has two uncles, don’t forget.’

  ‘I’m afraid you two are in for a big disappointment, because there’s a long list,’ Dot laughed. ‘There’s me and me mate here, and our Katy and Billy have been talking about taking the baby for a walk. So the park is going to be quite crowded.’

  ‘Excuse me!’ Mary said, as she ran her hands along the handlebar, delighted beyond words with her present. She wanted the best for her daughter, but because of who she was married to, she never expected to be able to give it to her. Now, through these wonderful friends, at least her child was starting life with the best. ‘Don’t I get a look in? After all, she is my baby.’

  ‘We’ll let yer come to the park with us, girl,’ Betty said magnanimously. ‘You can carry the bottle of home-made lemonade.’ She gave Dot a dig. ‘Ay, doesn’t it take yer back? I remember me mam giving me a halfpenny for lemonade powder and a bottle of water, and strict instructions not to come back until tea-time.’

  Dot grinned. ‘Yer must have been as big a nuisance then as yer are now and yer mam wanted yer out from under her feet.’

  ‘That’s charming, that is. And you me best mate.’

  ‘Yer can be me best mate again when me feet are not so tired. Right now I’m going home to stretch out on the couch while the big feller here sees to the tea.’ Dot gave Mary a hug and a kiss. ‘Yer look marvellous, sunshine, the picture of health. I’ll slip in tomorrow and sit with yer for an hour. I’ve got something funny to tell yer,’ she looked across at Maggie and Paddy, ‘and you two. Yer’ll roar yer heads off when I tell yer what this mate of mine got up to this afternoon.’

  Her nostrils flared and her arms folded across her tummy, Betty gave a good imitation of being angry. ‘John, are yer going to stand there and let her insult yer wife?’

  John sat on the arm of the couch. ‘No, I’ll sit down and let her insult you.’

  Sobbing loudly, Betty cried, ‘Me husband and me best mate have turned against me. Oh, woe is me.’

  Paddy, his arm across his wife’s shoulders, grinned. ‘What has she been up to now? Is it fit for our ears?’

  ‘Oh yes, it’s hilarious,’ Dot chuckled. ‘But I’m not telling yer now because I’m too tired to do justice to the story. Yer know I like to do the actions as well, and I haven’t got the energy. So we’ll be on our way and leave you good people in peace.’

  Maggie put a hand on her arm. ‘Before yer go, me darlin’, we’ve got something to tell yer. We had a visitor this afternoon – at least, not a visitor as such, because yer usually invite a visitor into your home and this one was left on the doorstep. It was Mary’s husband, so it was.’

  Dot’s mouth gaped. ‘Go ’way! What did he have to say?’

  ‘Sure, wasn’t it a stroke of luck that Paddy was home, and he answered the door? I’d have died on the spot if it had been me and I found him standing on me doorstep. But Paddy will tell yer himself what the man had to say.’

  All eyes turned to the big Irishman. ‘It wasn’t a long conversation, I have to tell yer, because he got short shrift from me. He was arrogant at first, demanding that his wife get back home right that minute. I told him his wife would go back home when she was fit and well, and not a day before.’ When Paddy looked from Dot to John, there was a message in his eyes telling them not to question him further. ‘That was it, really – short and sweet. Except that he went away with a flea in his ear.’

  ‘There was more than that, me darlin’,’ Maggie said, ‘Sure—’

  Paddy interrupted his wife. ‘I’m not like Betty, sweetheart, I can’t think things up out of the top of me head, just to make them interesting. Mary will go home when she’s good and ready, so she will, and her husband understands that now.’

  Maggie closed her mouth. How stupid she’d been not to remember that Mary had only been given the brief version of the confrontation. Sure, wasn’t her tongue as bad as Betty’s for saying the wrong thing? ‘Mary, it’s back to bed with you, me darlin’, it’s time for Trudy’s feed. I’ll come up with yer while Paddy sees our friends out.’

  ‘Yes, OK,’ Mary smiled. ‘She’ll be wondering where I’ve got to.’ She gave one last look at the pram then at the three people who had wheeled it up the yard half an hour before. ‘I can’t find the right words to tell you how I feel, how grateful I am for what yer’ve done for me, and for Trudy. And as for Maggie and Paddy, they’ve been wonderful, kindness itself. When I lie in bed thinking about having to go back to that shack next door, and to the man I was daft enough to marry, I worry about what’s going to happen to me and the baby. Then I push the bad thoughts from me head and think of all the good friends I’ve got. You, all of you, have helped me realise that life is worth living after all.’

  There was complete silence. Mary’s words had filled them all with emotion. Then Maggie cleared her throat and took her arm. ‘Before yer have us all in tears, me darlin’, I’m taking you back to bed. But I think I speak for everyone when I say we care deeply for yer, that we do. And we’ll always be there when yer need us.’

  Mary allowed herself to be led away, leaving Dot and Betty with tears streaming down their faces and John and Paddy wishing that men weren’t supposed to be too strong to cry.

  John took a hankie from his pocket and passed it to Dot. ‘Wipe your eyes and blow your nose. The hankie is clean.’

  ‘I’ll never moan again about little things that don’t really matter.’ Dot sniffed up. ‘And I’ll tell yer something else – if Tom Campbell ever hurts her or that tiny baby, I won’t wait for Betty to thump him one, I’ll do it meself.’

  ‘I didn’t want to say anything in front of Mary because I told her the same as I told you about her husband. But he came here in a terrible temper, so he did.’ Paddy shook his head at the memory. ‘Demanding, he was, that she get home right away or it would be the worse for her. I told him she’d be confined to bed for another week, and the wicked man just sneered. The words he used were, “She’s had the brat, then, has she?” Only the good Lord knows how I kept me hands off him. Sure, I may be wrong, but I’d say the man isn’t right in the head. He certainly isn’t normal, and that’s the truth of it. He didn’t show any interest in the child, didn’t even ask if it was a boy or a girl.’

  John was banging a clenched fist into the palm of his other han
d. ‘Mary’s a fool if she goes back to him. He’ll beat her up on her first day home, just for the sheer hell of it.’

  Dot picked up her basket and turned towards the door. ‘I’ll have to go. I can’t bear to listen to any more – it’s breaking my heart. All I know is, I won’t have a minute’s peace when that man is within striking distance of the baby. I hope he rots in hell.’ She jerked her head at her friend. ‘Come on, Betty, let’s go home.’

  Betty sighed. ‘All right, girl, I’m coming.’

  ‘I’ll be on my way as well, Paddy, but I’ll see you tomorrow.’ John followed the women into the street. ‘I’ll go straight to the chip shop, Dot – you get in and put your feet up. I’ll see to the tea when I get back.’ He touched her arm as she was putting the key in the lock. ‘And don’t cry, please don’t cry.’

  Betty was walking with her head bent when John caught up with her. ‘It’s only a few steps, I know, but I can’t let my wife walk home on her own, can I?’

  Chapter Twenty

  Colin came bounding into the room, his eyes bright with hope. ‘Mam, will you and Mr Kershaw take me to the first-house pictures tonight? Mutiny on the Bounty is on, with Charles Laughton and Clark Gable. Danny’s going with his mam and dad – he said his brother went to see it last night and it’s dead exciting.’

  ‘I’m sorry, sunshine, but I won’t be able to afford it. I promised our Katy faithfully that I’d get that new dress I promised her weeks ago. And I need one meself.’ Dot fingered the jumper her daughter had bought her for Christmas which was now looking so washed-out even the rag man would turn his nose up at it. ‘The sun’s cracking the flags and this is all I’ve got to me name to go out in. Perhaps I can take yer next week – how about that?’

  ‘Ah, go on, Mam,’ the boy pleaded. ‘I could pay for meself out of me pocket money when yer give it to me.’