by Joan Jonker
Without any instruction from its master, the horse came to a stop within a yard of the group. It jerked its head back and whinnied as though welcoming them. And after jumping down from his seat, the driver patted the horse affectionately before smiling at the family. ‘Good afternoon. My name’s Tom, and this beauty here is Goldie. Now, where would you like me to take you?’
As there wasn’t another train due either side of the station for an hour, the porter stayed with them. It was partly for company, but if the truth were known, it was mostly because he didn’t want to miss anything. Very little of interest happened in the village and he wasn’t going to let a chance slip by of having some news to tell his wife over the dinner table. ‘They’re going to Rose Cottage. Staying with Gwen for a holiday, they are. The young lass isn’t feeling too grand after the long journey, but I’ve told her Gwen will soon put things right.’
‘She will indeed! She has a cure for everything, has Gwen.’ Tom reached for the case. ‘I’ll take that for you.’
George relinquished the case with relief. It hadn’t felt so heavy when they’d left home, but it had grown heavier each time he’d had to heave it down from the overhead racks on the trains. Now it seemed to weigh a ton, and he’d swear his arms had been stretched a couple of inches. ‘Thank you.’ George flexed his right arm a few times to get some feeling back in it, then smiled at the porter. ‘And thank you, you’ve been very helpful.’
‘Mr Tom?’ Maddy knew she wouldn’t sleep tonight if she didn’t ask. ‘Would it be all right if I stroked Goldie, please?’
‘Of course you can! She loves children and likes nothing better than to have her nose rubbed.’ He noticed Tess hanging back. ‘You don’t have to be afraid of her, she’s as gentle as a lamb.’
‘Here, I’ll show you.’ George led his daughter forward and took her hand. ‘Do it slowly, like this, so we don’t frighten her.’
Tess thought her heart was going to burst. ‘Wouldn’t it be lovely if we had a horse, Maddy?’
‘Yes, it would, Tess, but where would we keep it? We couldn’t keep it in our yard ’cos horses need plenty of grass to eat. And they need a big field to run around in.’
The case and bags were loaded into the trap by now, and although Tom didn’t seem to be in any hurry, George felt uncomfortable keeping him waiting. ‘Come on, girls, we really must go now or we’ll be late for dinner.’
Ann climbed in first and turned to help Tess up. ‘Sit by me, love, and Madelaine can sit opposite with your father.’
When they were settled, and Ann had made sure the small door was safely closed, Tom gave the signal for Goldie to move off. And the whole family turned to wave to the porter until the trap rounded a bend in the lane and he disappeared from view. ‘He was a nice man, wasn’t he, Mam?’
‘Yes, he was very kind, dear.’ Ann found the clip-clop of the horse and the gentle swaying of the trap very calming. And all around them was greenery. Hedges with colourful wild flowers growing in abundance, tall stately trees heavy with the leaves of summer, and fields stretching as far as the eye could see. She gave a sigh of contentment. ‘It’s so peaceful.’
George was also beginning to relax. ‘Not a sound nor a house in sight. I could do with five weeks of this, not just five days.’
Tom turned his head. ‘The first house we come to is Rose Cottage. Then a bit further on the village starts. It’s very pretty, with some really old cottages dating back hundreds of years. And it’s colourful at the moment, with flowers everywhere. There’s a couple of shops if you run out of anything, a church and a public house.’
‘Ooh, look, Mam, there’s lambs in that field.’ Tess had jumped to her feet, only to be pulled down again by her mother. ‘There’s baby ones and mother ones.’
‘Whoa!’ Tom pulled on the reins and brought the horse to a halt. ‘That field, and the next, belongs to me. It’s grazing land, and I keep sheep in this one and cows in the next. You’ll see them as we go past.’ He could see the girls’ eyes opening wide in wonder and felt a pang of pity for them. Country folk like himself who’d lived with animals all their lives didn’t really appreciate how lucky they were. This family probably never saw green fields or even a clear blue sky. He’d been to Liverpool once to visit a brother who’d married a girl from the city, and he couldn’t understand how his brother could stand the smoking chimneys and the smell of factories and the gas works. And he’d been horrified at the poverty. Men, women and children looking half starved and dressed in rags. He even saw youngsters without shoes on their feet. Unemployment was rife, and any man with a job was lucky indeed. But the thing that had struck him most, and stayed in his mind, was how friendly the people were. They might not have much in life, but they had warmth and humour in abundance. Life in a city wouldn’t suit him, he preferred the fresh air and the open fields, but his brother still lived in Liverpool and wouldn’t swap it for farm life. ‘I’ve also got a few pigs and chickens at the farm, and if you’re out walking one day, you’re more than welcome to call in and see them. It’s about a twenty-minute walk from Rose Cottage, but it’s a straight road and if Mrs Owen points you in the right direction you can’t get lost. I’ve got a daughter and son about your age and they’d be tickled pink to show you around.’
‘Oh, thank you,’ Maddy said, thrilled to bits. ‘I’d love to come.’
‘You will take us, won’t you, Mam?’ Tess pulled on her mother’s arm. ‘Tell Mr Tom that you will.’ Again she pulled. ‘Go on, tell him.’
Tom turned around, his weatherbeaten face split into a wide grin. ‘If the lass didn’t have the face of an angel, I’d say she was blackmailing you.’
‘There’s no need for blackmail.’ Ann returned his grin. ‘It’s a very kind offer, and as long as you’re sure we won’t be in the way we’ll take you up on it. I would like to see the chickens and pigs myself, and I’m sure my husband would.’
George nodded enthusiastically. ‘It would be a great pleasure. And I know the girls would be over the moon. The animals in their story books would come to life for them once they’d actually seen them in the flesh.’
Before turning his head back to face the road, Tom asked, ‘How long are you here for?’
‘Only until Friday,’ George sighed. ‘I wish it was longer.’
‘Just three full days, then, that doesn’t give you much time to see all there is to see. Why don’t you come to the farm tomorrow and give yourself the other two days to see the sights? There’s a few streams nearby, and a waterfall. The children mustn’t go home without seeing them. But Gwen will set you right, she was born and bred in the village so there isn’t a blade of grass she doesn’t know. And she’s a grand lady, you’ll like her.’
Maddy knew she was going to like Mrs Owen, but right now she was more interested in the farm. ‘What time can we come tomorrow, Mr Tom?’
‘Madelaine!’ Ann shook her head. Really, the man would think her children had no manners. ‘Please don’t be so forward.’
‘Say about eleven, and I’ll tell the wife and children to expect you.’ Tom tightened the reins. ‘We’re nearly there now. Rose Cottage, Goldie.’
‘Can she understand what you say?’ Tess was goggle-eyed.
‘Every word. And she knows the name of every house in the village and beyond. She also knows every person, and she has her likes and dislikes.’ The hedgerow ended and the family got their first sight of Rose Cottage. And it was like something out of a fairy tale. It lived up to its name because there were roses of every colour in the garden and also around the door. It was seconds before anyone spoke.
‘It’s just like I dreamed it would be,’ Maddy said. ‘Isn’t it lovely, Tess?’
Her sister was too overcome to answer. Her expectations of the holiday had been dimmed by the long, tiring journey. She’d felt sick in the tummy and had a headache with the pushing and shoving to get seats on the train from Liverpool to Wrexham. And when they’d stepped off the last train she’d felt so bad she wished she was
back home. But the man at the station had been so nice and friendly, she’d begun to buck up. And when the horse came into view, and she was allowed to stroke it, well, her sick feeling and headache had just faded away. She still felt tired, but it was a happy tiredness. The invitation to visit the farm tomorrow, and the prospect of seeing animals she’d only seen in books, went way beyond her wildest dreams. And now, staring at the fairy-tale house, well, it was hard to believe it was all real.
Tom took the case and bags as George passed them to him, then he helped them down the narrow step. ‘I hope you’re all hungry, because if I know Gwen, she’ll have a feast waiting for you.’
‘Are you taking my name in vain, Farmer Thomas?’
At the sound of the voice, they turned as one. And there, plump arms leaning on the wooden gate, was a woman of ample proportions with a bonny face and cheeks like rosy red apples. Her smile was warm, friendly and motherly. Tess, who instinctively knew a kind and sympathetic person when she saw one, was the first to reach her. ‘Hello, Mrs Owen, my name’s Theresa, but my friends call me Tess.’
‘Hello, sweetheart, welcome to Rose Cottage.’
Maddy was close on her sister’s heels. ‘I’m her big sister, Madelaine. But my friends call me Maddy.’
Gwen Owen liked what she saw, opened the gate and held her arms wide. ‘Come here and give me a kiss.’ The two girls were soundly kissed and gathered to a bosom that was as soft as a feather pillow and muffled their happy giggling.
Tom, the case in one hand and a bag in the other, looked on with a smile. They were a nice family and he knew they’d be well looked after by Gwen. But time was moving on and he had work to do. ‘Come on, out of the way so I can put the luggage inside. I’ve got cows to milk and pigs to feed.’
‘Listen to the man!’ Gwen shook hands with George and Ann. ‘Anyone would think he was overworked. Get yourself inside and take no notice of him.’
‘I’ll wait until he comes out,’ George told her. ‘I need to settle with him and he might find it embarrassing with others present.’
He was alone on the path when Tom came out chuckling. ‘You’ll need the appetite of a giant to eat what I’ve seen. Your daughters are standing in front of the table with their eyes popping. I’d stay myself but the wife would see it as an insult to her cooking and she’d come after me with a rolling pin.’
‘How much do I owe you, Tom?’ George pulled a handful of change from his trouser pocket. ‘We all enjoyed the ride, it was a good start to the holiday.’
The farmer held up an open hand. ‘I don’t need paying, it was a pleasure.’ He began to walk down the path, brushing aside the other man’s protests. ‘I’ll look forward to seeing you tomorrow about eleven.’
George was still standing on the path with the coins in his hand, and a look of astonishment on his face, when he saw the back end of the trap as it was turned around in the road. And then he heard the clip-clop as Goldie started back the way they had come.
‘I’m sure you can find an empty spot in your tummy for a small piece of apple pie?’ Gwen held the plate aloft. ‘Just a teeny-weeny piece?’
George groaned and shook his head. ‘I don’t remember now whether it was the porter at the station, or Tom, but one of them said that after one of your meals we’d be so full we wouldn’t be able to move from the table. And whoever it was, they never said a truer word.’
With the weather being so hot, Gwen had decided on a salad for her guests. But it was not an ordinary salad like they had at home, with a few lettuce leaves, a tomato, an egg and a slice of brawn. The Welsh woman’s idea of a salad was large meat plates piled with slices of beef, ham, pork and chicken. There were home-made meat pies, and home-baked crusty bread cut into inch-thick slices and tasting delicious spread liberally with real dairy butter from a local farm. And lettuce, tomatoes, beetroot, spring onions and radish added colour to the table.
‘Not even a tiny piece?’ Gwen asked hopefully. ‘You’ve hardly eaten anything.’
Her husband, Mered, watched as heads were shaken and tummies rubbed. ‘They’ve all had enough, pet, don’t force it on them or they’ll be sick.’ He looked at George, and by way of explanation said, ‘I work on a farm all day, out in the fresh air, and by the time I get home I’m famished and eat everything the wife puts before me. And she expects everyone to have as big an appetite as me.’
‘We’re not used to having so much food,’ Ann said, ‘because we couldn’t afford it. I have never seen a table as heavily laden with food as this one. And everything on it is delicious, Gwen, you really did us proud. Milly said you were a good cook and you fed them well, but I never imagined anything like this. The meal I’ve just eaten is the best I’ve ever had in my whole life, and I thank you.’
‘And I’ve eaten a lot, haven’t I, Mam?’ Tess really had tried to please. She’d taken everything that was offered to her, but her eyes were bigger than her tummy and much of the food was left on her plate.
‘Yes, you did very well, love.’
It had only taken one look at the young girl for Gwen to realise that here was a delicate child. And the anxious eyes of the mother and father as they kept glancing at her to see if she was eating confirmed her belief. ‘I’m going to watch you, sweetheart, ’cos I think you’re the one who’s going to eat me out of house and home.’
Tess giggled. ‘No, it’s Maddy you’ll have to watch, she eats like a horse.’
‘You cheeky thing!’ Her sister gave her a playful push. ‘Who is it that pinches chips off my plate when they think I’m not looking?’
‘I only pinch little ones, not big ones. So I’m only a little thief, not a big one.’
George sat back in the chair feeling bloated. It was his own fault, he shouldn’t have eaten so much. But he’d never tasted such fine fare and he couldn’t resist. ‘Would anyone object if I undid the top button of my trousers?’
Gwen’s laugh was as generous as her well-padded body. ‘Oh, Mered is going to love you! He always undoes the top button, but I warned him he hadn’t got to do it in front of guests.’
Her husband was quite tall and well built, with receding grey hair and a face tanned from hours in the sun. ‘Go on, George, let’s make ourselves comfortable.’
Taking a deep breath and holding his tummy in, George quickly undid the troublesome button. ‘Ooh, that’s better.’ He reached sideways to take his wife’s hand. ‘A month here, love, and I wouldn’t be able to get into my clothes.’
‘Oh yes you would,’ Gwen told him. ‘We’d have you out in the fields helping to gather in the hay. That’s why Mered can eat as much as he likes and doesn’t put any weight on. As fit as a fiddle and as strong as an ox, aren’t you, light of my life?’
‘If you say so, love.’ Mered spoke quietly, but his face expressed the pleasure he felt at the compliment. ‘You know I never argue with you.’
‘Only since you realised you never win. I think it was the time I hit you over the head with the frying pan that convinced you it was useless to argue.’
Maddy’s imagination took over. ‘When he saw you were going to hit him, did he run away?’
Gwen’s chubby red cheeks moved upwards to narrow her eyes. ‘Ran like a bat out of hell, he did, right through the village. Everyone came outside to see what the screaming was about. Mind you, when they saw me with the frying pan they knew better than to interfere and went quietly back indoors.’
Mered was shaking with laughter and went along with the joke. ‘Tell them the truth, why don’t you? By the time I let you catch up with me you were so out of breath you couldn’t lift the heavy frying pan. You had to give up in the end.’
Gwen’s mouth turned down at the corners and she put on a sad expression. ‘I made a fool of myself. A right laughing stock. It was the talk of the village for weeks and I had to hang my head in shame.’
The large hazel eyes of Tess had been moving from one to the other. ‘And what happened after that?’
‘Ah, well, sweethea
rt, I got wise, didn’t I? The next time we had a row I used a lighter pan and caught up with him outside the post office. He had a big lump on his head for weeks.’
Maddy was helpless with laughter until she happened to glance at her sister and saw the open mouth and rolling eyes. ‘Tess, it’s only a joke! It didn’t really happen, Mrs Gwen only made it up for a laugh.’
‘Of course I did, sweetheart! Me and my Mered seldom have a cross word and I wouldn’t hurt a hair on his head. You see, there’s only the two of us. We weren’t blessed with children, unfortunately, so we only have each other to love.’
Tess found this very sad and tears were quick to spring to her eyes. ‘You can love me and Maddy, Mrs Gwen, we’d like that. And we’d love you back, wouldn’t we, Maddy?’
Her sister put an arm across her shoulders. ‘Of course we would.’
‘You’re a pair of sweethearts,’ Gwen said, very touched. ‘Me and Mered would be the happiest people in the world if we had you for our daughters. I’d offer to buy you, but I’ve got a feeling your mam and dad wouldn’t part with you for all the money in the world. So me and my husband will have to be satisfied with our chickens. We don’t get hugs and kisses from them, but they show they love us by laying plenty of eggs.’
‘Ooh, have you got chickens?’ Maddy waited for a nod of confirmation before asking, ‘Where do you keep them?’
‘In the chicken coop at the bottom of the garden. It’s a wonder you didn’t hear them when you went to the lavatory.’
Both sisters wriggled to the edge of their chairs. ‘Would it be all right if we went to see them?’ Maddy was thinking of all the things she’d be able to tell her friends when she got home. ‘I promise we wouldn’t frighten them.’
‘It’s their feeding time, so if you ask my husband nicely, he’ll take you down and let you feed them.’
Their eyes alight with excitement, the girls rounded the table. ‘Please, please, please, Mr Mered.’ They stood each side of him and put a hand on his arms. ‘We’ll be ever so good.’
