Walking Back to Happiness

by June Francis

  Lucia could only stare at Nellie, her breath completely taken away.

  ‘Well, what do you think?’

  ‘I … I don’t know. It’s so unexpected and we’re a family. I don’t think Mam would approve of them living with Aunt Babs.’

  ‘They’d have a good life and it would take some pressure off you,’ said Nellie.

  ‘I’m sure you’re right,’ Lucia murmured. ‘But it’s a big decision to make, splitting up the family – I couldn’t possibly give you an answer right away. It would take a lot of consideration – not least, which two children?’

  ‘I was thinking James and Gabrielle,’ said Nellie.

  Lucia gazed wide-eyed at Nellie. ‘They’re close and I can only see there being ructions if I tried to take Joseph away from Jerry. As for Theresa, I don’t think she’d want to go.’

  ‘You don’t have to decide anything right now,’ said Nellie. ‘Speak to Babs and the children and see what they have to say.’

  Lucia thought she really didn’t need to be told that, as she wouldn’t make a decision without consulting Babs and her brothers and sisters anyway. She was appreciative of Babs’s offer, although Lucia had no illusions about how painful it would be being parted from Gabrielle and James. But most likely they would enjoy the benefits of living with Babs and her family in America. She had noticed already how well Gabrielle seemed to be getting on with Babs’s mother-in-law. Even so, she decided that she would visit Michael to get his opinion before speaking with anyone else.

  It had been almost a fortnight since Lucia had seen her brother, so she wasted no time arranging to meet him and Marjorie at the coffee bar, not wanting to make the journey all the way to the other side of Liverpool. Besides, they needed to make arrangements, too, for them to see Babs while she was over here.

  So, two days later, Michael and Marjorie turned up at the coffee bar just after two o’clock. Lucia had spoken to Maggie about it, and she had told her that – as long as the lunchtime rush was pretty well over – she could eat with them. Maggie had expressed the opinion that she thought it was an extremely generous offer from Babs, and that families more often than not went their own separate ways once they were free to do their own thing.

  Lucia could not argue with that, as she only had to think of Babs having married and gone to live in America. Then Inspector Walker’s sister had emigrated to Canada with her husband in search of a better life. Of course, the situation Lucia had to make a decision about was a bit different, but it was not as if Gabrielle and James were going to live with strangers as so many children had done during the Blitz; and what about the orphans who had been shipped off to different parts of the Empire in the belief they would have a better life; they had been sent to strangers. No, Babs was their aunt and was warm-hearted and generous.

  Michael was not as flabbergasted as Lucia had thought he might be when she told him of their aunt’s plan; he thought Lucia should jump at the offer as soon as Babs mentioned it to her. He also agreed with her that Gabrielle and James were the two who would benefit most from living with Babs. So, with that subject out of the way, Lucia felt free to ask him and Marjorie how they were doing.

  ‘I’m starting another job next week,’ said Michael. ‘Mr Murphy gave me the names of a few garages I should apply to that might agree to accept me as an apprentice. One tried me out and has said they’ll take me on. The money isn’t as good as what Mr Murphy paid me, but he’s given me a leaving bonus which will tide me over for a while.’

  ‘That’s decent of him, considering all he’s lost.’

  ‘He sold the firm’s car and the insurance also paid out some money, but he’s not sure about the viability of starting up in business again. He’d want to find somewhere else but at the moment he doesn’t have enough money. He can’t even sell the plot because he didn’t own the land; he’d been paying ground rent and the bloke who owns it expects him to clear up the site, which still looks a mess and stinks of oil despite all the firemen did.’

  ‘So what’s he doing now for a living?’

  ‘He’s gone back to writing.’

  ‘And in the meantime, what’s he and Jerry to live on?’

  ‘I don’t know why you’re worrying about him. He’s a resourceful bloke and, besides, he’ll still have some money left over from the insurance. He has tools he can sell, and if the worst comes to worst, he can sell the van, although I’ve a feeling he wants to hang on to it.’

  ‘What on earth for?’

  ‘To get about easier now he’s got his confidence back and is driving again.’

  She wondered why Tim wanted to get out and about when he needed to be writing at home. Suddenly she became aware that Marjorie was staring at her.

  ‘What is it?’ Lucia asked. ‘Did you say something, Marjorie?’

  ‘I asked whether your aunt Babs would like to come and have a meal with us and Mum in West Derby?’

  ‘I’m sure she would love to meet your mother, but she does have her mother-in-law with her – does the invitation extend to her?’

  ‘Of course. Ask them will four o’clock on Sunday be all right? You can give them instructions on how to get to ours,’ said Marjorie. ‘You know which buses they’ll have to catch.’

  ‘All right,’ said Lucia.

  But when she arrived at Nellie’s that evening, it was to discover that Babs had hired a car for the duration of her visit and she offered her a lift home.

  On drawing up outside the house, Lucia climbed out of the car first and was waiting on the pavement for Babs to lock the vehicle when Tim came out of next door. Lucia and Tim stared at each other hungrily but did not speak. She expected him to go back indoors but he stood in the doorway, watching her. As Babs caught up with Lucia, Tim nodded in her direction.

  Babs said, ‘Hello!’

  So Lucia decided there was nothing for it but to introduce her aunt to Tim. Otherwise it would seem unfriendly. Besides which, she would like to know what Babs thought of him, as Lucia had no doubts about Nellie having mentioned him to her sister.

  Soon Babs and Tim were chatting away like old friends about cars and how they were essential in big countries such as America and Australia. Lucia shouted up the lobby for Jerry as it was time for him to go home, but she stayed on the step listening to Babs and Tim’s conversation until Jerry appeared with Joseph.

  ‘Couldn’t I stay a bit longer, Dad?’ asked Jerry.

  Tim shook his head. ‘Lucia has a visitor, and besides, I’d enjoy your company before you go to bed.’

  ‘OK,’ said Jerry, glancing curiously at Babs. ‘Are you the lady from America?’

  ‘I am,’ answered Babs, smiling down at him.

  ‘Have you ever seen any Indians?’ he asked eagerly.

  ‘Yes, but they weren’t on the warpath so I didn’t lose my scalp. There’s no more fighting between cowboys and Indians because they’ve made peace.’

  ‘But we like playing cowboys and Indians,’ said Joseph.

  ‘That’s boys for you,’ said Babs, glancing at Lucia.

  ‘It’s odd that it’s popular again,’ Lucia responded. ‘A few years back it was cops and robbers and war games with pretend guns, tanks and grenades.’

  ‘Next it’ll be space games,’ said Tim. ‘Flash Gordon and aliens from outer space. It’s down to what they see at the pictures. Although I suppose now real-life spaceman Yuri Gagarin launched into space, boys will be wanting to copy him.’

  ‘Flash Gordon was before the young ones’ time – and besides they watch telly more now,’ said Babs.

  ‘Wagon Train,’ murmured Lucia. ‘We’d better get inside, the kids’ll be hungry.’

  ‘I remember your mam once giving me a Chinese burn so I bit her. Mam belted us both for whingeing.’

  ‘That seems a bit unfair,’ said Lucia.

  ‘It was stupid because it only made us whinge all the more.’

  ‘So what did she do then?’

  ‘Threatened to tell Dad on us when he came home, wh
ich again was stupid because he was away at sea. By the time his ship docked a fortnight later, we knew she’d have forgotten about it and, besides, her moaning about us would put him in a mood,’ Babs said. ‘And him in a mood was something to be avoided.’

  Lucia shivered. ‘I just about remember him. Mam used to make me hide when he was around. Fortunately that wasn’t often.’

  ‘Yes, it was our luck that he spent more time at sea than at home. So how often is the bloke next door’s son here?’

  ‘You mean Jerry!’ Lucia lifted the frying pan down from a shelf and took eggs from the old fridge and potatoes from a cardboard box on the floor. ‘He spends part of most days here. He and Joseph are best mates. Tim’s writing a book so I don’t mind Jerry being here. I bet Nellie told you that I’m in love with the unsuitable man from next door.’

  ‘Well, on the face of it he doesn’t exactly sound a catch. Widowed, ex-jailbird with a young son, and he’s a decade older than you are; equally, I told her she was one to talk, as she fell in love with an escaped Italian POW during the war, who turned out to be a widower with a son.’

  ‘What did she say to that?’ Lucia’s voice ended on a squeak as she began to peel and slice potatoes.

  ‘That it was different. I told her that everyone says that when it’s their own situation. To which she replied, she’d been older, with far less responsibility than you.’ Babs paused. ‘Here, let me help you.’

  ‘OK! I’ll peel and you can slice,’ Lucia said. ‘I’m making scallops to have with egg.’

  ‘I love potato scallops with fried egg. Any vegetables?’

  ‘That old standby, baked beans.’

  ‘Delicious. Any pud?’

  ‘Josh gave me some ends of cakes that were left over from yesterday. I’ve a tin of Bird’s custard powder in the cupboard. It’ll be a treat for the kids because we hardly ever have pud on a weekday.’

  ‘Is it all right for me to talk to you now about my proposal? Nellie said that she’d mentioned it to you?’

  ‘Sure. I’ve already spoken to Michael about it and, after some intense discussion, we agreed that the two children most suitable are Gabrielle and James. I haven’t sounded them out yet because I wanted to hear your thoughts about our choice.’

  ‘I think they’d be perfect.’

  ‘So we’re agreed then,’ said Lucia. ‘Gabrielle and James are both at a sensible age and they also get on well, so shouldn’t give you much trouble when it comes to settling down. I know it’ll be a wrench for us all being parted, but I think they’ll gain so much living with you in America – and it’s not as if it’s the other side of the world.’

  ‘No, just the Pond,’ said Babs. ‘I’m so glad to have this opportunity to help you out, Lucia. I know having them living with me will also enrich my life.’

  ‘So a good decision all round,’ said Lucia. ‘After dinner you can speak to Gabrielle and James. Later no doubt they’ll come and tell me how they feel about it.’

  Babs nodded. Lucia noticed that there were tears in her aunt’s eyes and thought it was going to be good for Babs to have some of her English family living with her in America. Tears sprang to her own eyes, knowing her aunt’s gain would be her loss.

  Lucia was washing the dishes while Babs was talking to Gabrielle and James. She prayed for all involved and wondered what Tim would say when Jerry told him, as Joseph was bound to let the news slip out.

  As soon as she entered the room, Gabrielle came rushing over to Lucia. ‘Aunty Babs wants me to go to America with her. I’ll be her special little girl, she said. I can go, can’t I, Lucia?’

  ‘Of course you can if that will make you happy, and it will be lovely for Aunty Babs to have a little girl to make a fuss of and to keep her company,’ said Lucia, smiling as she thought they weren’t going to have any trouble with Gabrielle. It could be different, though, when it came to James, who was gazing about the room as if he had never seen it before. His eyes came to rest on Lucia and she gazed back at him.

  Then he stood up and came over to her. He rested his arm along the back of her chair and said, ‘Do you want me to go to America with Gabrielle and Aunty Babs?’

  ‘I want what’s best for you,’ Lucia replied. ‘Of course, I’ll miss you, but you could have an exciting, good life in America. Gabrielle wants to go. I’m sure there’ll be times when she’ll feel homesick, but you being there will mean she won’t feel as bad as she would if you weren’t there. And it doesn’t mean you have to stay there forever or can’t come and visit us.’

  ‘Or you come and visit us in America,’ said James, his face lighting up.

  ‘There is that, of course,’ Lucia said. ‘I’ll start saving my pennies straightaway. There’s lots of places we’ve seen on the films that would be good to visit. I’m sure Aunty Babs will take you to some and her sons will take you to watch baseball games and American football.’

  ‘They mightn’t want me tagging along with them.’

  ‘Why shouldn’t they? The youngest one isn’t much older than you. You just have to show enthusiasm for their sports. From what I’ve heard, Americans are friendly and welcoming, you just have to be friendly back.’

  James nodded. ‘I’m really going to miss you and the others, but perhaps they’ll envy me because it’s an adventure, isn’t it? I’ll be sailing on a big ship and Aunty Babs said she’ll take me up the Empire State Building and to Arizona to see the Grand Canyon.’

  Lucia felt almost envious of her brother for having been promised such treats, and grateful to Babs for providing him with something so special to look forward to. ‘You’ll have to make sure you ask her to take lots of photographs and send some to us.’

  He nodded and said wistfully, ‘I wish I had my own camera.’

  Lucia remained silent, but was thinking that perhaps she could have a whip round the family and collect enough to buy a Box Brownie and several rolls of film. She spoke to Michael about it and he promised five shillings, and told her that he’d write to Tony and see what he could spare, while she spoke to Nellie.

  To Lucia’s delight, her aunt and uncle were willing to chip in with two pounds and Tony with five shillings. Nellie promised to have a word with Francis, and he handed over enough money to enable her to purchase the camera and one roll of film. When Jerry heard about it from Joseph, he mentioned it to his father, so Tim gave his son a ten-shilling note to give to James to buy more film.

  Lucia was never to forget James’s expression when she presented the camera to him the evening before he, Gabrielle and Babs and her mother-in-law were due to leave for America.

  After receiving some instructions from Michael, James immediately got the family to group together and took a photo of them. Lucia did not need her brother to voice his thanks as his appreciation of the gift was plain to all. Even so, he thanked everyone effusively and she knew that the camera had eased the pain of parting for him.

  She was also grateful that Gabrielle seemed just as pleased as James with the camera, especially as he took a photo of her posing with her Barbie doll. Lucia was also delighted by Tim’s contribution. It proved to her that his heart was in the right place and she wished that they could resume the relationship they had once shared.

  Thirteen

  After Gabrielle and James had left with their aunt for America, Tim decided Lucia needed cheering up and made up his mind to take her to Llandudno for a day out. He knew she had time off work because Jerry had mentioned it. He placed the cover over his typewriter and went out to the van and set about tidying the cab.

  Lucia gazed out of the parlour window at Tim’s van. Having seen him climb into the cab about ten minutes ago, she wondered where he was going. Curiosity got the better of her and she went outside and waved to him. A moment later the cab door opened and he called to her. She approached him. ‘Hi!’ she said. ‘Are you going somewhere?’

  ‘I was thinking of going to Llandudno. D’you fancy coming?’

  ‘Just the two of us?’

&n
bsp; ‘Yeah, I think it would do us both good, and we need to have a talk. We can take the boys and Theresa out another time.’

  ‘I’ll just make sure that Theresa is OK with keeping an eye on Joseph and Jerry – and grab a jacket. Oh, do I need to make a picnic?’

  ‘No, we can grab a bite at a café.’

  Lucia wasted no time, and five minutes later they were on their way.

  ‘I suppose it was Jerry who told you I was off work?’

  ‘Yeah, but he didn’t say why.’

  ‘The cafe is being renovated so is closed until the work’s finished.’

  Tim was tempted to ask what she was doing for money. Here was one of those incidents when the unexpected happened and there was nothing she could do to prevent it. He wondered whether she had a rainy-day fund. ‘That must be inconvenient,’ he murmured.

  ‘Yes, but Josh is paying me something; and, although I miss James, Gabrielle and Michael, my household bills are less.’

  ‘I suppose there’s always a positive side to everything in life,’ Tim said.

  ‘Talking about life – how’s your book getting on now you’re no longer involved with the garage? Has Isabella called lately?’

  ‘I wondered when that would come up,’ said Tim.

  ‘Would you rather not talk about it?’

  ‘No, it’s fine and, oddly enough, she hasn’t. I thought she would have because Chris knew about the ransacking of the garage and I’m sure he would have mentioned it to her at the Echo offices.’

  ‘Definitely odd when she was forever going on at you about writing an exciting ending. Have you written about the incident and what happened to Michael and Fang?’ She choked on the words.

  ‘I’ve made a start, but it isn’t easy because I get choked up like you.’ Tim dug into a pocket and produced a handkerchief and passed it to her.

  She dabbed at her eyes. ‘You had such dreams for that garage, and Michael was so pleased about having an apprenticeship.’

  ‘I know. He’s a quick learner and worked hard. I felt terrible about what happened.’