There is a Season

by There is a Season (retail) (epu

  Cathy had rubbed her mother’s home-made liniment into her shoulder and neck and made a red flannel undervest to keep Sally’s neck and shoulder and arm warm, but she still suffered in cold, foggy weather.

  The bad weather had caused Josh to have a severe bout of pleurisy and Cathy was kept busy helping her mother to nurse him. They put kaolin poultices on his chest, and dosed him with Sally’s remedies, and he recovered quite quickly. Cathy was surprised to find that he was a peevish, demanding patient, but her mother was as calm and unruffled as ever in her manner towards the old man.

  The short spell of bad weather soon passed and now with Easter approaching and longer days Josh became more cheerful and less concerned about his health.

  Greg and John welcomed the longer days for the work on the allotment, although it was easier now because they had divided it between themselves and Michael Burns and his nephew, who had been christened Hector but was always known as Sonny.

  ‘They did most of the work while you were away and I was working long hours,’ Greg said to John. ‘It’s only fair that they should have a share.’

  John agreed and they helped Michael and Sonny with seeds and cuttings. The Burns had turned their half of the allotment over exclusively to vegetables, and Greg was amazed at the size and quality and the amount that they managed to grow.

  ‘It’s Sonny,’ Michael said. ‘He’s the one who knows what to do.’

  ‘That’s a real gift,’ Greg said to the boy. ‘You should look for that sort of work when you leave school. With a market gardener or the Parks.’

  ‘I’d like market gardening,’ Sonny said. ‘I like vegetables better than flowers.’

  Peggy often came to the allotment with Meg so that she could work on her plot in the next allotment.

  ‘We should have thought of giving her a bit of ground for herself,’ Michael said to Willie Smith, the widower who worked the next allotment and had given Meg the plot. ‘But it wasn’t ours until Mr Redmond made it over to us.’

  ‘She’s welcome to the bit of ground I’ve given her,’ Willie said. ‘I’m very fond of Meg.’

  A few weeks later he nervously approached Michael and asked if he could start courting her.

  ‘You’ll have to ask my mam,’ Michael said hastily. ‘She’ll explain to you.’ He hurried away to his digging, but Willie followed him and asked for the address.

  Michael stayed as long as possible at the allotment, and when he went home found his mother very excited.

  ‘Willie Smith came to see me,’ she said as soon as he came in. ‘He said he spoke to you and you sent him here.’

  ‘I didn’t know what to say to him,’ Michael mumbled.

  ‘I was flabbergasted,’ Peggy said. ‘He came right out with it that he wanted to marry Meg. I had to explain to him the way she was, but he said he knew all about that but he still wanted to marry her and look after her.’

  ‘Was Meg here?’ Michael said.

  ‘No, she was over the road. We had a long talk. I told him it was caused by neglect at birth, Meg being a bit backward like. It wasn’t handed down in the family, and he said he could tell that because she didn’t show any signs of it really, and he thought she only needed a bit of help and watching over, like.’

  ‘So what did you say in the end?’ Michael asked.

  ‘I said yes if Meg wanted to, and you know, lad, I had my answer before ever I asked her. The minute she come in she just ran to him and he put his arms round her.’ Peggy’s eyes filled with tears, and she wiped them on the towel she was holding. ‘He’ll look after her, Mike, I’m sure he will. It’s a weight off me mind for when I’m dead and gone.’

  ‘I’d have looked after her,’ Michael said. ‘But Willie seems a good fellow.’

  ‘I’m sure I’ve done right,’ Peggy said. ‘I never thought I’d see the day, but I’m so thankful.’

  Sally knew Willie Smith and had seen him with Meg, and she was delighted at the outcome.

  ‘He’s a lad who needs someone to love and look after,’ she said. ‘He’s very patient with Meg and she’s a lovable girl. She’ll be made up to have her own house, and you’ve trained her well, Peg.’

  ‘It’ll be like playing house for her, and she won’t want to be running round,’ Peggy said. The unspoken thought was in both their minds, that Meg would be kept safe from the rough boys who encouraged her to run after them.

  ‘If she’s only two streets away, you’ll be able to help her with her housekeeping until she gets used to it, and you won’t miss her so much. She’ll make a lovely bride, with those flaxen curls and her blue eyes.’

  Willie took Meg to buy an engagement ring and she chose one with a large blue stone. ‘It was only cheap,’ he said apologetically, ‘but it was what she wanted.’ He smiled fondly at Meg as she displayed the ring to her family and Sally, and she flung her arms round his neck and kissed him. Sally thought it all augured well.

  John still seemed to be pondering his future, but in the meantime he worked hard for the firm who did Stan’s repair work, and in his spare time helped with the Goodfellow Fund. It was run by the Liverpool Echo and money was raised in various ways, through the paper, by donations from local businessmen, and also by street collections and various fund-raising activities.

  The money was used to provide Christmas hampers for needy families, often the only food they had and John worked indefatigably at the collecting, then parcelling and distributing the food.

  He had given up the practice of his religion for some time. But on the morning of Easter Sunday, when the family had gathered in the kitchen in their best clothes before setting out for Mass, John joined them wearing his best suit.

  Cathy blushed with surprise and pleasure when Mick asked John if he was coming with them and he nodded. ‘I went to Confession last night,’ he said, smiling at his mother, but then he glanced over at Greg and grinned and Cathy felt a stab of jealousy. Greg knew about this, she thought.

  As they walked down to church, she brooded on the fact that she had been excluded. How often in the past she had waited up for John when his father had gone to bed, and they had sat up talking for hours. John brought all his problems to her then, and they could talk about anything under the sun, she thought. Now she was only told his plans when he had talked them over with his father and decided what to do.

  Her anger lasted until she was kneeling in church and she remembered how often she had knelt here before and prayed for an end to the conflict between Greg and John, and that they might be a happy, united family. She looked along the bench at her family kneeling together and felt ashamed of herself. I’m never satisfied, she told herself.

  Her thoughts turned to Josie’s troubles and she prayed that her sister Mary might be cured. Josie’s worries about her seemed to have come to a head, and there seemed no solution to them.

  Cathy and Josie had been working at a dinner party when Josie’s second daughter, Sophie, had come with a message for her mother. The police at Rose Hill had Mary in the station and wanted Josie to go there immediately.

  Mrs Nuttall said she could leave and the other women told her not to worry, but Josie left in tears. Cathy would have liked to go with her but obviously they could not both be spared, and Sophie assured her that she would look after her mother.

  When they arrived at the police station Mary was sitting in a small room and a policewoman took them in to her. Mary’s dress was torn and there were long scratches down her face. She burst into tears when she saw Josie. The policewoman told Sophie to sit with her aunt and jerked her head at Josie to tell her to follow her out of the room.

  ‘She came in and made a complaint. Said the man next door had tried to rape her. She seemed quite normal but upset, so the charge seemed genuine and was investigated. The man was at home with his wife and the officers saw what was wrong right away, so your sister was cautioned and they left. After they did, your sister was attacked by the women in the street. The officers were called back, and to protect her t
hey arrested her.’

  ‘But the women in the street know her nerves have been bad,’ Josie said. ‘Why didn’t they just send for me?’

  The woman shrugged. ‘You know what a mob’s like,’ she said.

  ‘What happens now?’ Josie asked. ‘She won’t have to stay here, will she?’

  ‘No, she hasn’t been charged. You can take her home,’ the policewoman said. ‘But keep her away from that street. She’s not fit to live on her own, you know.’

  Mary was tidied up and left the police station with Josie and Sophie. ‘You’d better run on and tell your dad,’ Josie said quietly to Sophie. ‘Ask him and the lads to keep out of the way.’

  ‘Do you think it will be all right?’ she said doubtfully. ‘Will Dad let her stay at our house?’

  ‘He’ll have to,’ Josie said despairingly. ‘What else can I do with her?’

  ‘Should I go and ask Mrs Ward to take her?’ Sophie said. ‘There’s only that old man there and he’s in the parlour most of the time, isn’t he?’

  ‘That’s a good idea. Run on and ask her, love,’ Josie said thankfully.

  Sally was waiting at the door as they came down the street, and she drew them into the house. Sophie was already in the kitchen setting cups out on the table, and Sally put Mary into a chair by the fire. ‘Sit down and rest yourself, girl,’ she said. ‘And we’ll have a cup of tea.’

  She talked soothingly while Mary drank the cup of tea and her nervous trembling gradually ceased. A little later Cathy came in. She smiled at Mary and greeted her, then handed Josie four shillings. ‘Mrs Nuttall sent your money,’ she said. She opened her case and divided half the food within it with Josie, ignoring her protests.

  Cathy stayed chatting to Mary while Sally went to the door with Josie and Sophie. ‘Don’t worry about her,’ said Sally. ‘She can sleep in my little bedroom for the time being, and Josh will keep out of her way.’

  ‘I don’t know what to do,’ Josie said. ‘I’d take her to our house but you know the way she is, and I couldn’t keep Walter and the lads out of the way all the time.’

  ‘Don’t worry, and don’t try to plan ahead tonight while you’re upset,’ Sally said. ‘It’ll all work out.’ She gave Josie a small bottle. ‘Take two teaspoonsful of that and have a good night’s sleep. It’ll all look different tomorrow.’

  Sally put ointment on the scratches on Mary’s face and gave her a sleeping draught before taking her up to bed and lending her a nightdress, and before long Mary was fast asleep.

  A few days later Josie and Edie went to see Mary’s neighbours. By this time most of the women were ashamed of their attack on her, even the next door neighbour.

  ‘I know you had cause to be angry,’ Josie said, ‘but you know it’s only Mary’s nerves that make her do things like that, and she’s been a good neighbour to you for years.’

  ‘I know she’s helped me out of a hole many a time,’ the woman admitted. ‘And she’s always been good to the kids. It was just – to say such a thing about Fred, and the way the coppers carried on at first till they seen she was, well – a bit doolally. Where is she now?’

  ‘She’s with Sally Ward,’ Josie said. ‘And she’s a lot better.’

  ‘She will be,’ the woman agreed, ‘if Sally Ward’s looking after her.’

  ‘Yes, but I can’t put on good nature and leave her there,’ Josie said. ‘And I’ve got no room. But if she comes back here, I don’t want people turning on her instead of sending for me.’

  ‘She’ll be all right here,’ the woman said, but she added, ‘as long as she doesn’t start trouble with the coppers for our husbands.’

  ‘One of my daughters is going to stay with her, and I’ll keep my eye on her,’ Josie said. ‘But tell the other women to leave her alone.’

  ‘And tell them if they touch her again I’ll come up and belt them, and bring my feller an’ all,’ Edie said belligerently.

  Josie’s words or Edie’s threats were effective and Mary was left in peace when she returned to her own house, with Sophie staying with her for company. For a while Josie felt that she could stop worrying about her sister.

  Josie and Walter still formed a foursome with Cathy and Greg for the dances at the Grafton, and kept up the façade of a happy marriage, but Josie privately told Cathy that she was beginning to hate her husband.

  ‘I don’t know what I’d have done if your mam hadn’t helped me out with our Mary. When I went in and told Walter that night that I’d been thinking of bringing her to our house, he hit the roof. I wouldn’t have minded so much except for what he said about her. He said: “The place for a loony is in the loony bin, not in my house.” He’d had a few drinks, but even so. A drunken mind speaks a sober truth, and he must have thought it.’

  Cathy was unable to hide her shock and revulsion at these words and Josie went on, ‘I couldn’t answer, I was that upset. I just ran upstairs crying and went in the girls’ bed. I couldn’t lie beside him, I hated him that much.’ She was weeping now and took out her handkerchief to wipe her eyes.

  ‘Our Sophie was good. She made me take some of the stuff your mam gave me and I fell asleep. I didn’t speak to him for a couple of days but you can’t keep it up, can you? Not with the kids watching you.’

  ‘I’m sure he didn’t mean it. It was said in the heat of the moment,’ said Cathy, but even to herself she sounded unconvincing.

  ‘No, Cathy, I’m finished with him. If it wasn’t for the young ones, I’d just clear out – maybe live with our Mary – but I’ll have to stay till the three young ones are grown up. I wish I’d had mine closer together so they’d all be grown up now, but I’ll make sure I don’t have any more.’

  Soon after this Josie and Walter stopped going to the dances, though Cathy and Greg still went. In one way it was a relief to Cathy not to have to dance with Walter, but she grieved for Josie’s unhappiness and felt almost guilty about her own happiness.

  All her family were happy. John had been offered a foreman’s job by Stan, but had refused it, saying that he liked the men he worked with and would prefer to stay as he was. ‘It’s not natural,’ Stan said to Greg. ‘A young man should want to get on.’ But Greg asked him not to press John.

  ‘John’s like his grandfather,’ he said with a smile. ‘He doesn’t take the conventional view.’

  ‘Wait until he starts courting,’ Stan said. ‘I’ll bet he’ll soon toe the line then.’

  John still paid little attention to girls although many of those he met would have been happy to be asked out by him. He was still avidly reading books and pamphlets, and going for long solitary walks, and his limp had almost disappeared.

  Joe Fitzgerald had returned and had found a job ashore as a storeman in Littlewoods Pools, where Eileen also worked. The Fitzgerald family often went out separately, but sometimes they went as a group to the ceilidhes, or cycling on Sundays, always with Sarah as one of the group.

  Terry and Stephen had become enthusiastic about ballroom dancing, and were attending Victor’s Dancing Academy in Prescot Road. Their accounts of their efforts were so hilarious that Anne and Sarah and Eileen decided to go there too.

  ‘We’re not real beginners,’ Anne said. ‘We can do the foxtrot and the waltz, but I’d like to learn to do the tango and the slow foxtrot properly.’

  The system at the Dancing Academy was that beginners were trained on the ground floor, and when proficient attended the dances held in the first-floor ballroom. Anne and Sarah soon graduated to the ballroom, quickly followed by Terry and Stephen, but Eileen lost interest when she met a young man there and began courting.

  When Joe returned home they urged him to come to the dances with them. ‘The trouble is, he hasn’t got any mates with being away so long,’ Anne said. ‘He’d have to go to the beginners’ class on his own now that we’re all upstairs, and I think he doesn’t like to. It seems daft to say a fellow of his age is shy, but he is. Our Terry would go like a shot, whether he knew anyone or not, but Joe’s not
like that.’

  ‘I wonder would our John go with him?’ said Sarah.

  ‘Do you think he would? That’d be great,’ her friend said eagerly. Sarah glanced at her doubtfully. I hope she just wants him to go for Joe’s sake, she thought. I hope she hasn’t still got a pash on him.

  Cathy urged John to go with Joe when Sarah asked him. ‘You’ll enjoy it, son,’ she said. ‘They’re such a jolly crowd and you could do with some fun.’

  He laughed. ‘D’you think I’m getting too solemn, Mum?’ he asked.

  ‘I do, as a matter of fact,’ she said, and John laughed again ruefully and agreed to go to Victor’s.

  He and Joe became good friends, and enjoyed their conversations together as much as the dances, but they both learned quickly and moved up to join the dancers in the ballroom upstairs.

  John often danced with Anne, and Joe with Sarah, but Terry claimed Sarah for most of the dances. ‘She’s the only one who can dodge his feet,’ Anne said to John. ‘He keeps counting, “one two three, one two three,” all the time he’s waltzing.’

  ‘It’s a lie,’ Terry called as he danced beside them with Sarah.

  ‘You don’t know what I’m saying,’ Anne retorted.

  Terry said, ‘Well, it’s a lie anyway.’

  John and Joe agreed that war was inevitable, but Anne and Sarah were oblivious to the preparations for it as they enjoyed life to the full. If they thought of war at all they expected that Mr Chamberlain would bring off another last-minute miracle.

  In August Sarah was very excited about an invitation to Reece’s Grill Room from a young commercial traveller who came in the shop. He was a smart young man with excellent manners. He told her that he had an appointment on Saturday afternoon, but would arrange for a cab to pick her up and bring her to meet him at Reece’s.

  Sarah was wildly excited. She wore her best dress of midnight blue taffeta, and with it silver sandals and a silver evening bag. Cathy helped her to curl her hair and lent her her marcasite clips to hold back clusters of curls above her brow.