by Joan Jonker
‘Me grandma would never hit yer, would she?’
‘Of course not, soft girl! Yer grandma was like all mothers, worried that their daughters would get in with the wrong type of man. She was strict with me, but I probably asked for it as I was like you, wanting all me own way. And wanting to be old before me time. It’s only when ye’re older that yer look back and think how stupid it was to be wishing yer life away.’ Molly leaned across and patted her daughter’s hand. ‘It’s nice to be young, sunshine, and I want yer to enjoy life. But don’t grow old too soon. Enjoy the teenage years and yer’ll have them to look back on in later life.’
Ruthie tilted her head. ‘Mam, d’yer want me to tell Gordon that me and Bella can go to the pictures with him, but it’ll have to be in a year’s time?’
‘I doubt if that’s quite what he wants to hear, sunshine. But there’s nothing to stop yer asking the lads to come for a game of cards one night. It’s better than hanging around the streets. Then perhaps I can get to meet this Johnny Stewart and form me own opinion of him.’
Ruthie shuffled her bottom to the edge of her chair. ‘That would be great, Mam, but how many can I ask?’
‘We’ve only got four chairs, sunshine, but as a treat I’ll let yer use Auntie Nellie’s. And there’s one in the bedroom, so that makes six.’
‘Ooh, thanks, Mam, that would be great. And Auntie Mary can’t object to Bella coming over here, can she?’ The legs were swinging and hitting the bottom of the chair, as Ruthie thought of the fun they would have with the lads playing cards. Bella’s mam was very good with them and they had a laugh. But it would be better with her mates. ‘Mam, would I be able to give them a drink of tea? Or even lemonade, that would be better.’
‘Ruthie, if yer give me advance warning when ye’re inviting yer friends, me and yer dad will be making ourselves scarce. We wouldn’t be going far away, only to Doreen’s or Jill’s for an hour. But you would have to act as hostess and see to yer mates. I think that’s only fair, don’t you?’
Her daughter thought it was more than fair. ‘Oh, yeah, that’s fine. Me and Bella will make the tea, and we’ll make sure nothing gets broken, and no one makes too much noise.’
‘They better hadn’t, sunshine, because if there’s any complaints from the neighbours, then that will be your lot. Your days as a hostess would be short and sweet.’
While she was on a winning streak, Ruthie thought she might as well go the whole hog. ‘And me and Bella can go to the flicks with Gordon?’
Molly nodded. ‘As long as it is only with Gordon. And I think it would be nice on his part if he came and asked me and yer dad if it’s all right.’ She saw a look of rebellion on Ruthie’s face and hurried to put a halt to it. ‘Yer dad had to do it, and Tommy had to ask yer grandma before Rosie would go out with him, so I don’t think it’s asking too much of Gordon. God knows, he’s known me and yer dad since he was born, he knows we won’t bite his head off. I just think it would be a nice touch. A little touch of class, eh? I’m sure Corker would expect that of any son of his.’
‘Ah, ay, Mam, we’re not going to mention it to Uncle Corker, are yer? And if yer tell Auntie Nellie the whole street will know inside half an hour. They’ll know before I’ve had a chance to speak to Gordon.’
‘Yer can see Gordon tonight, sunshine, and I won’t be seeing Nellie until tomorrow. So help me with the dishes, and then get yer skates on.’
Molly told Jack later that she’d never known the dishes be dried and put away so quickly. ‘I hope I haven’t been too lenient with her, love. I should have told her how many kids she can invite.’
‘Oh, I think I can tell yer that, love.’ Jack nodded. ‘There’ll be Bella, Gordon Corkhill, Jeff Mowbray and Johnny Stewart. So five chairs will be enough.’
Molly gasped. ‘How d’yer know that?’
‘Nellie is your mate,’ Jack said, chortling, ‘but she keeps me up to date with what’s going on in the street as well. Sometimes I get more news from Nellie than I do from the Echo.’
Chapter Fourteen
‘Hurry up, Ruthie, or yer’ll be late clocking in.’ Molly pulled out a chair from the table and faced her daughter. ‘Yer usually go out the same time as yer dad, and he went out ten minutes ago.’
Ruthie swallowed a piece of toast before saying, ‘It’s only five minutes since me dad went out, Mam. Yer don’t half exaggerate. I’ll just drink me tea and then be off.’
‘It’s a wonder Bella hasn’t been over for yer. She must wonder what’s keeping yer.’
Her daughter gulped her tea down, then scraped her chair back. ‘Me and Bella can make the time up by running. But I’d have given anything to have stayed in bed, Mam. I felt like turning over and pulling the sheet over me head.’
‘That’s because I was daft enough to let yer stay up late,’ Molly told her. ‘I should have put me foot down and made yer go earlier. The trouble was, I couldn’t stop yer talking. Yer went on and on without stopping to take a breath. The only way I could have got yer upstairs was by carrying yer.’
‘That’s because I was excited.’ Ruthie slipped her coat on and picked her handbag up from the couch. ‘I’ll run now, Mam, ’cos I can see Bella standing outside.’ She gave Molly a quick kiss. ‘See yer tonight. Ta-ra.’
But Molly had never missed a morning seeing any of her children off to school or work, and as she didn’t intend to change the habits of a lifetime, she followed her daughter to the front door.
Bella was waiting. ‘Why are yer so late, Ruthie? We’ll never be in time for our usual tram.’
Ruthie linked her arm through her mate’s. ‘We’ll get that tram, so don’t be worrying. I bet me dad will still be at the tram stop when we get there. We’re younger than him, we can run faster.’
‘A few seconds won’t make any difference, sunshine,’ Molly said. ‘So tell me if I’ve got things right. Ye’re not going to the pictures with Gordon until next week, and yer’ve invited yer mates here on Friday night for a game of cards. Right?’
Bella was pulling on her friend’s arm, and soon the pair were hurrying down the street, with Ruthie’s voice calling, ‘That’s right, Mam! Oh, and will yer tell Auntie Mary for us, ’cos I bet Bella hasn’t mentioned it to her.’
Molly shook her head as she watched them take flight as though they had wings on their heels. Then aloud she said, ‘That daughter of mine isn’t soft, leaving me to get round Mary.’ She closed the door and walked inside, still talking aloud. ‘I’ll nip over after, when me and Nellie are on our way to the shops. I’m sure Mary won’t mind. Bella can’t come to any harm having a game of cards here.’ Blowing out her breath, Molly gazed at the breakfast dishes cluttering the table. Then she asked herself a question. ‘Shall I get stuck in now and clear the table and wash the dishes? Or shall I sit meself down for a quiet ten minutes with a nice cup of tea?’ The tea in the pot was still hot, so as she told the tea cosy when she took it off, ‘No contest, really. The tea wins hands down.’
Nellie brushed past Molly and swayed her way into the living room. ‘What was the commotion this morning, girl, when Ruthie was going to work?’
Molly’s face was blank. ‘What are yer talking about, sunshine? There was no commotion. Yer must have been hearing things.’
Nellie pushed one of the dining chairs along the table, then slowly walked to where her special chair stood by the sideboard. Without a word, or a by your leave, she picked it up and placed it in her special spot by the table. When she was seated, like a queen on her throne, she said, ‘I heard Ruthie shouting to yer, girl, so don’t be trying to fob me off.’
‘If yer heard, sunshine, then why are yer bothering to ask me? I’m sure yer’ve got ears like a ruddy hawk, ’cos yer don’t miss a trick.’ Molly walked through to the kitchen to put a light under the kettle. ‘If yer must know, and I know that yer won’t rest until yer know every word that was spoken, our Ruthie was asking me to do a favour for her.’
‘Oh, aye, girl, and what’s the favour?�
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A smile played around Molly’s mouth as she said, ‘I’m afraid that’s my daughter’s secret, sunshine, and she’s not very happy with you right now.’
Nellie gawped. It had never been known for any of Molly’s children to find fault with her. ‘Ye’re making that up, girl, and I don’t think it’s the least bit funny. There’s no reason for Ruthie to fall out with me. I haven’t done nothing to upset her.’
‘She hasn’t fallen out with yer, Nellie, and I suppose it was my fault for snitching on yer. But I happened to let it slip that yer said Johnny Stewart had taken a fancy to her and followed her around. She wasn’t best pleased about that.’
‘I don’t know about her being not best pleased with me, girl, but I do know if she said it wasn’t true, then she’s telling fibs. Why, I saw her talking to him just last night, and with Gordon Corkhill and Jeff Mowbray. And I still say she takes after you for liking the men. I bet yer were just the same at her age.’
The kettle began to whistle, and Molly jerked her head. ‘If yer want to hear any more, yer can come out to the kitchen and get the cups ready. I don’t see why I should do it every morning while you sit there like Lady Muck.’
Nellie sighed, as though she had all the worries of the world on her shoulders. ‘I don’t know, it’s coming to something when yer can’t even make yer mate a cup of tea. I could understand if I was asking yer to make me a dinner with roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, or even if I was asking yer to give me a bath. But blimey, all this bleeding palaver over a lousy cup of tea. I’ve a good mind to tell yer where to stick it.’
‘All right, don’t bother getting up,’ Molly said, chuckling inwardly. ‘Yer look nice and comfortable there, and as I’m not that fussy on a drink, and you’re not, then I won’t bother. I’ll switch the kettle off and we can sit and have a nice quiet natter.’
‘Sod that for a laugh, Molly Bennett.’ The chair was pushed back and Nellie was on her feet in seconds. ‘You see to the tea, while I get the cups ready and look in the larder to see what the biscuit situation is today.’
‘My God, yer’ve soon perked up, Nellie Mac. Yer came in here with a face on yer like thunder, and now ye’re happy to go mooching in me larder for biscuits! I don’t know whether that’s a good sign or not, sunshine, ’cos they do say there’s always a change before death.’
‘Yer should have learned by now that yer can’t insult me, girl. It’s like water off a duck’s back. So get cracking with the tea, I’ll see to the cups and biscuits, and then we’ll sit and have that nice quiet chat. All about Ruthie, and what favour she’s asked yer to do for her.’
Five minutes later the friends were sitting at the table with cups of tea in front of them, and two custard creams in each saucer. Before Molly had touched the biscuits, Nellie’s had disappeared. She rubbed the back of a hand across her mouth, and sighed with pleasure. ‘I enjoyed them, girl, so now yer can tell me what the favour is.’
Molly stroked her chin as though in contemplation. ‘I find it a bit confusing, sunshine, so see if yer can put me straight. Yer heard Ruthie shouting to me, yer said. What did yer hear her say?’
Nellie’s head swung slowly from side to side, like a pendulum on a clock. Her chins found it so pleasing they went to sleep. ‘I’m beginning to worry about you, girl, ye’re not half getting forgetful. Fancy not remembering what yer daughter said to yer, when I can remember every single word.’
‘Go on, then, sunshine, remind me what she said.’
Nellie sat up straight and squared her shoulders. This movement was enough to wake her chins and set them in motion with her bosom. If Molly had had a baton to hand, she could have conducted an orchestra. ‘I might just get a word wrong, girl, but I’ll do me best. Ruthie shouted to yer, “That’s right, Mam! Oh, and will yer tell Auntie Mary for us, ’cos I bet Bella hasn’t mentioned it to her.”’
‘If me memory serves me right, sunshine, that’s exactly what she said. Word for word. But what’s puzzling me is what more d’yer want to know. Ruthie asked me to do her a favour, I heard her, and so did you! What else is there?’
‘The favour, girl, the favour! It’s no good me knowing half the tale, ’cos I won’t sleep proper tonight. What is the favour?’
Molly pretended to let out a weary sigh. ‘If I don’t tell yer, yer’ll only watch for Ruthie coming home from work, and yer’d have the nerve to ask her. So what I’ll do, I’ll let yer come with me to Mary’s. That way yer’ll find out what the favour is, and the answer at the same time.’
‘I don’t see why yer can’t tell me now what the favour is, then I can wait for the answer until we get to Mary’s.’ When she saw by her friend’s expression that she wasn’t going to give way, Nellie quickly drained her cup, and said, ‘Drink up and let’s be on our way. Yer can be a right pain in the backside when the mood takes yer, Molly Bennett. I don’t know how yer can keep things from me, yer very best mate. I don’t keep anything from you.’
‘Nellie, sunshine, that’s yer trouble. Yer don’t keep anything from anybody! After we’ve been to Mary’s, and yer have all the information ye’re so keen to have, I bet yer’ll be dying to pass it all on to every person we meet. It won’t matter if they’re strangers yer don’t know from Adam, nor will it matter if they’re cursing yer up hill and down dale ’cos they’ve got more to do than listen to a perfect stranger who they think must be barmy. Even if it’s Elsie Flanaghan, yer worst enemy, yer’ll still want to stop and gossip. But this is one time I’ll make sure yer don’t repeat one word of what yer hear. For this is my daughter’s business, not yours or mine.’
Molly’s words made no impression on Nellie. ‘Listen, girl, are yer going to drink that tea or not?’
‘Yer eyes are not as keen as yer ears, sunshine, or yer’d have noticed me cup’s been empty for a while. If yer’ll just be patient for a few minutes I’ll rinse the cups and then we’ll be on our merry way.’
‘Leave the bleeding cups.’ Nellie was huffing and puffing. ‘I’ll wash them when we get back, save having to listen to yer moaning.’
Molly looked horrified. ‘I’m not going out and leaving me place looking like a tip! What if burglars broke in! They’d think I was a lazy beggar who couldn’t keep me house clean.’
Nellie rolled her eyes to the ceiling. ‘With a bit of luck, girl, they might be houseproud burglars, and they’d tidy up for yer.’ She blew out in exasperation. ‘Oh, go on, you wash and I’ll dry. But don’t mess around. Make it snappy.’
Mary Watson was closing her front door when she heard her name called. ‘Good morning, Molly, and you, Nellie. Off to the shops, are yer?’
‘Yeah, but I was calling to see you first.’ Molly smiled at the mother of her daughter’s best friend. ‘Lucky I caught yer. Are yer going to the shops? We can walk down with yer.’
Mary shook her head. ‘No, I’m going to see me mam and dad, and I’ll be walking up the street while you’re walking down. Did yer want to see me over anything in particular?’
‘Nothing more exciting than a game of cards, I’m afraid, Mary.’ Molly could see her mate’s ears being cocked, and was amused to think Nellie would be expecting to hear something that would add a little spice to her life. How disappointed she was going to be. ‘I’ve told Ruthie she can have some of her friends in on Friday night for a game of cards. I thought it would be better than them hanging around the streets: at least we’d know where they were. Just Bella, Gordon Corkhill and Jeff Mowbray.’ Molly wasn’t going to give Mary a chance to object. ‘My mam always encouraged me to bring me friends home so she’d know who I was mixing with. And I did the same with my eldest three. At least I know Ruthie’s in good company and won’t come to any harm. And I can’t see you objecting to Bella coming, but knowing what ye’re like, I thought I’d better ask. Me and Jack will make ourselves scarce, but we’ll only be across the street in Doreen’s.’
Nellie spoke before Mary had a chance. ‘But Friday’s the day Claire comes to visit us. Couldn’t Ruthie p
ick another day?’
‘What difference does that make? Claire comes in the afternoon, sunshine; she’s on her way home at four o’clock. Anyway, that’s got nothing to do with the kids having a game of cards. It’s all right for Bella to come, isn’t it, Mary? I want to know how many, so I can get some lemonade in for them.’
‘That’s fine, Molly, as long as she’s home for ten o’clock. It’s a good idea, and nice of yer to think of it. I’m never happy when Bella’s hanging around the street. Perhaps she can ask them over here sometime, so I can get to know them. I know the Corkhills, of course, and they’re a good family.’
‘Salt of the earth, Mary,’ Nellie said. ‘Salt of the earth.’
Molly smiled. ‘That’s settled, then, Mary, so we’ll let yer get on yer way.’
‘Shall I get a bottle of lemonade for Bella to bring with her?’
It was on the tip of Molly’s tongue to say it didn’t matter, but her brain told her Mary would feel more a part of it if she got involved. ‘Yeah, I bet she’d like that, Mary. And yer can always slip over and see for yerself that they’re all right.’
Mary went on her way a happy woman. She knew she worried about her daughter too much, and was in danger of spoiling the years that should be happy ones for Bella. She often wished she was more like Molly, who loved her children dearly, but was wise enough to give them enough freedom not only to enjoy themselves, but to build up their confidence and prepare them for what the future held.
Nellie was disgusted. ‘D’yer mean yer’ve kept me waiting for hours, girl, for that? After all I’ve gone through, it was a load of nothing.’
Molly bent her elbow. ‘Stick yer leg in, sunshine, and stop yer moaning. If yer hadn’t been so nosy, it wouldn’t have been such a let-down, would it? But yer have to know every little thing what goes on, so yer deserve to get yer eye wiped occasionally.’
