MB02 - Last Tram To Lime Street

by Joan Jonker

  ‘You’re right there!’ Nellie said. ‘You were brought up with them, but yer haven’t turned out like them.’

  ‘Life might have been easier if I had.’ The despair in Phil’s voice wasn’t lost on his audience. ‘Many’s the hiding I’ve had when I was a kid because I wouldn’t steal from the local shops.’ He shook his head to dispel the memories. ‘Yer’ve been very kind to me, considerin’ what happened. Most people would have sent me packing.’

  ‘Never mind sending you packing, I’m grateful to yer!’ Miss Clegg nodded her head to emphasise how she felt. ‘If it hadn’t been for you, heaven only knows what that … er … yer brother might have got up to.’

  ‘I’m just glad I was there.’ For the first time, Phil noticed the limp arm hanging down by the old lady’s side. Oh my God, he knew his brother was bad, but he never dreamed he’d stoop so low as to rob from someone like her. She was a lovely old lady, too! Look how kind she was being to him … a complete stranger and an unknown quantity at that.

  The mixture of tiredness, shame, humiliation and anger, followed by more kindness than he deserved, suddenly became too much for Phil to bear. He could feel tears welling up behind his eyes and knew if he didn’t move he’d end up making a fool of himself. ‘I’d better be on me way.’ He pushed his chair back and stood up. ‘You’ve all been very kind and I want yez to know I appreciate it.’

  ‘But you haven’t eaten anything,’ Miss Clegg cried, looking to Molly and Nellie for support. ‘Have another sandwich and a fresh cup of tea.’

  He shook his head. ‘Honestly, I’m not hungry.’

  Miss Clegg clutched his arm. ‘But where will you go?’

  ‘I’ll be all right, I’ll go to me mate’s. But I’ll have to put a move on or he’ll be in bed before I get there.’

  ‘And if he is in bed, it means you walking the streets! Oh, no, we can’t have that. You can stay here for tonight.’ When she heard the gasps from Molly and Nellie, Miss Clegg’s face took on a determined look. She had taken a liking to the boy and she wasn’t having him walking the streets with nowhere to go. After all, it was through helping her that he’d been put in this position. ‘I’ve got a spare bed upstairs, and I’ve always kept it aired.’

  Molly opened her mouth to object but Phil cut in before she could speak. ‘No, but thanks all the same, Miss … er … Mrs … ?’

  ‘Miss Victoria Clegg, dear.’

  There came a knock on the front door and Molly dashed to open it. She was frightened by the turn of events. The lad seemed nice enough, but you could never be sure.

  ‘How did yez get on?’ Molly closed the door and followed the three men down the hall. ‘Was there any trouble?’

  ‘None to speak of.’ Corker raised his bushy eyebrows at the sight of Phil. ‘Still here, lad? I thought yer’d be on yer way to yer mate’s house by now.’

  ‘I’m just going.’ Phil didn’t want to leave without knowing how his family had reacted but didn’t think he had the right to ask. It was the old lady who solved the problem for him.

  ‘I’ve said he can stay here for the night, save traipsing around at this late hour.’ Miss Clegg, usually so meek and mild, stuck to her guns. ‘I’ve got a perfectly good bed upstairs, he’s more than welcome to it.’

  ‘But yer not used to having anyone in the house, Victoria, yer set in yer ways.’ Molly tried to talk her out of it. ‘Phil’s got to get up early for work an’ he’ll need somethin’ to eat before he goes out. You don’t get up until nine o’clock … who’s goin’ to see to him?’

  ‘There’s something else to consider,’ Nellie said, ‘what about if the Bradleys find out he’s here an’ come down makin’ trouble? Yer wouldn’t like that, would yer?’

  Corker cleared his throat. ‘Ladies, can I butt in? I think Miss Clegg’s offer is a sensible one. It’s too late now for the lad to be lookin’ for somewhere to kip. An’ yer don’t have to worry about the family, they’re not likely to find out he’s here.’

  ‘Even if they did, they wouldn’t dare show their faces.’ Jack chuckled. ‘Corker put the fear of God into them.’

  Molly could feel herself relaxing. If Corker could see no harm in the lad staying, then it must be all right. He was a good judge of character, was Corker. ‘What happened?’

  This time the chuckle came from George. ‘Yer’d better ask Corker. Me an’ Jack never opened our mouths. We were dumbstruck.’

  ‘Sit down, lad.’ Corker waited until Phil was seated. ‘Do yer mind us discussing yer family? I might as well warn yer, we’ve nothin’ good to say about them.’

  ‘Nothin’ yer say about me family can hurt me. And there’s nothin’ yer can say that I haven’t said meself a thousand times over.’

  ‘Well, after the screaming and shoutin’ when they saw the mess yer’d made of yer brother’s face, I gave them an ultimatum. They’re to be out of that house, lock, stock and barrel, within a week. If they’re not, I go to the police and report Brian for attempted burglary.’

  ‘Good for you!’ Nellie’s push would have felled a lesser man than Corker. ‘The whole street will put the flags out when they go. In fact, we’ll have a party to celebrate.’

  ‘But will they go?’ Molly asked. ‘Once they know you’re away, Corker, they’ll get cocky an’ stay put.’

  ‘But they don’t know I’m goin’ away, Molly, me darlin’. I told them a little white lie. Said the ship’s in dry dock for repairs and I’ll be working aboard for a week, then coming home on leave.’

  Phil, a frown on his handsome face, asked shyly, ‘Did yer manage to speak to me mam?’

  Corker nodded. ‘She ran down the street after us, askin’ where yer were. She seemed quite concerned, so I gave her yer message.’

  ‘She’s not all bad, me mam. It’s that husband of hers that’s made her what she is.’

  When Corker stretched his arms he seemed to fill the entire room. ‘It’s gettin’ late, time to turn in. I’ll nip over an’ make sure Ellen’s all right, then I’m off home to put me head down. I’ve got to catch an early train, so I’ll have to be up bright an’ early.’ He held out a hand to Phil. ‘Get a good night’s sleep, son, things will look better in the morning. And I wish yer well for the future.’

  Phil shook the huge hand. ‘Thank you.’ His eyes took in those looking on with interest. ‘All of you. You don’t know me from Adam, but yer’ve been good to me and I won’t forget it in a hurry.’

  Chapter Twenty

  ‘What on earth’s goin’ on here?’ Molly shook her head in despair as she took in the scene. As though there hadn’t been enough upset for one night without coming home to find Doreen with her head in her hands, sobbing her heart out. Her eyes accusing, Molly demanded, ‘Have you been upsettin’ her, Tommy?’

  ‘Mam, I haven’t done nothin’!’ Tommy huffed in disgust. Why was he always the first one to get the blame? ‘She came in cryin’ about half an hour ago an’ she hasn’t stopped since. We’ve asked her what’s wrong but she won’t tell us.’

  ‘Tommy’s right, Mam.’ Jill was sitting opposite her sister, looking concerned. ‘We’ve asked and asked, but she just tells us to leave her alone.’

  Jack stood beside his daughter, stroking her hair, ‘What’s wrong, love? Come on, tell yer dad.’ But the only response he got was a sniff, a sob and a shake of the head.

  ‘It’s all right,’ Molly said wearily, slipping her coat off. ‘I’ll see to her.’ She patted Tommy’s head. ‘Off to bed, son, or yer’ll never get up in the mornin’.’

  ‘But what’s up with her?’ Tommy and Doreen were often at each other’s throats, fighting like cat and dog, but when one of them was in trouble the other would rush to their defence. ‘Is she sick or summat?’

  ‘No, of course she’s not! Now poppy off, there’s a good boy.’

  Reluctantly, Tommy stood up. ‘Good night and God bless.’ He lowered his head to whisper in his sister’s ear. ‘Good night, sis.’

  A muffled ‘Good night’ satisf
ied him and he made his way upstairs, wondering what made girls tick. He was blowed if he could understand them.

  Molly waited until the sound of his footsteps had faded before closing the door. ‘Come on, Doreen, let’s be having yer.’ She put her hands on her daughter’s shoulders and pulled her into a sitting position. ‘There’s no need to carry on like this, it’s not the end of the world.’

  ‘But you don’t understand,’ Doreen sobbed as tears ran down her cheeks.

  ‘Yes, I think I do, sunshine.’ Molly turned to her husband and indicated the chair Tommy had vacated. ‘Sit down, Jack.’ She gathered her daughter to her and hugged her tight. ‘I was young meself once, remember?’

  ‘Will someone tell me what’s going on?’ Jack asked, looking bewildered. ‘Or is it a secret?’

  ‘Mam?’ Jill asked softly. ‘Do you want me to go to bed?’

  ‘No, I think it’s best if it all comes out now.’ Molly pressed Doreen’s head to her breast. ‘Yer bound to find out sooner or later, so better get it over with.’

  Jack was mystified by his wife’s words. ‘Get what over with?’

  ‘Yer know this bloke our Doreen’s been seeing at the dance in Barlows Lane? The one she asked you if she could bring to her party?’

  Doreen sprang from her mother’s arms. ‘You know?’

  ‘I put two an’ two together, love, an’ came up with the answer. It didn’t take much to figure it out … tall, blond, handsome, and his name’s Phil. It was too much of a coincidence.’

  Jack was flabbergasted. ‘Yer not saying … ?’

  Molly drew her daughter close again. ‘Yes, Phil Bradley.’

  Jill had stayed in to listen for Ruthie, so she’d missed the shenanigans in the entry. Now there was surprise written on her face and sympathy in her voice, ‘Ah, you poor thing, why didn’t you tell me?’

  Doreen hid her face in her mother’s shoulder. ‘I don’t want to talk about it. He’s a liar an’ I never want to see him again.’

  ‘There now,’ Molly crooned. She could feel the dampness of her daughter’s tears through the thin material of her dress. ‘Don’t take on so. Dry yer eyes an’ we’ll talk about it.’

  ‘I don’t want to talk about it … I hate him!’

  ‘Now, now! Hate is a very strong word, love.’ Jack wished there was some way to comfort his daughter, but with the situation as it was, what could anyone say? ‘He didn’t strike me as being a lad who would lie.’

  ‘Well he did … He told me he lived down by Barlows Lane.’

  Molly’s mind was ticking over. ‘Does he know where you live?’

  ‘No … Oh, yes, he does! That makes him more of a liar! Last Tuesday he asked me where I lived.’

  ‘Was that before or after he told you he lived in Fazakerly?’ Molly asked, trying to build up a picture. Like Jack, she wouldn’t have taken Phil Bradley for a liar.

  ‘What difference does it make?’ Tears were pouring down Doreen’s face. ‘A lie is a lie, isn’t it?’

  ‘People tell lies for different reasons.’

  ‘Oh, he had a good reason,’ Doreen sniffed. ‘He’s crafty, he is. He knew I wouldn’t touch him with a bargepole if he’d said he was one of that horrible family.’

  ‘Perhaps that’s why he told a little white lie.’

  ‘I don’t care … I hate him!’

  ‘Never mind, Doreen, you’ll soon get over him.’ Jill couldn’t think of anything else to say. ‘You’ll meet someone else.’

  Doreen looked at her blankly. She doesn’t understand … none of them do! I was crazy about him! I’ve thought of nobody else since the night I clapped eyes on him, and I thought he felt the same way about me. I’d have gone to the ends of the earth for him, and this is how he pays me back. He’s humiliated me, made me look a right fool in front of my family, and I’ve got to face Maureen yet! Talk about getting my eye wiped! Deep down, though, it was the thought of never seeing Phil again, not what people might say, that was breaking Doreen’s heart. But she had too much pride to admit that to anyone. And while she’d been crying her heart out, she’d made a promise to herself. Never again would she be hurt by a boy. She’d play the field in future … love them and leave them.

  ‘Oh, I’ll get over him.’ She ran a hand across her eyes. ‘It was just the shock of seein’ him tonight, that’s what upset me.’

  Molly and Jack exchanged glances. They were brave words she’d spoken, but neither of them believed her. They remembered how alive her face had been when she spoke of him, the excitement in her eyes when Jack said she could invite him to her birthday party. These signs had told them that this boy was someone special. Now she was hurting inside and their hearts bled for her. ‘He’s not a bad lad, yer know, love,’ Jack said. ‘Me an’ yer mam took quite a liking to him.’

  ‘He’s a liar!’ The words shot from Doreen’s mouth. ‘An’ I never want to see him again.’

  ‘We’re not the only ones who took a liking,’ Molly told her. ‘Miss Clegg did too. He’s sleepin’ over there tonight.’

  ‘More fools you! He’s taken you in like he took me in.’ Doreen scraped her chair back and stood up. ‘I’m goin’ to bed, an’ I don’t want to hear Philip Bradley’s name again, ever.’

  Victoria Clegg sat up in bed, putting her hairnet on. It wasn’t an easy task with just the one hand, but tonight she didn’t get impatient like she normally did. She felt happier than she’d felt since her parents died, many moons ago. It was a lovely feeling knowing there was someone sleeping in the next room, that she wasn’t all alone. Funny how things worked out. They said God moved in mysterious ways, well He certainly had tonight. Who would have thought that a common criminal – because that was what the young lout was – would have brought her a welcome visitor? Victoria smiled as she blew out the candle on the bedside cabinet and snuggled up under the bedclothes. She’d set the alarm clock for six o’clock so she would have plenty of time to cook Phil a proper breakfast. He’d get a surprise, because before he’d gone to bed he’d thanked her for her kindness and said she wasn’t to worry, he’d let himself out quietly in the morning. He’d given her a kiss on the cheek and she’d swear she’d seen tears in his eyes.

  ‘He’s a nice boy,’ Victoria muttered as she turned on her side and pulled the clothes up to her chin. ‘I don’t care what anyone says.’

  It was Molly’s turn to take Ruthie and Bella to school, and after she’d seen them safely inside the gates she hurried home. Her first port of call was to be Miss Clegg’s, but she decided to give Nellie a knock first and ask if she’d come with her.

  ‘Bloody ’ell, girl, I haven’t even washed me face yet!’ Nellie’s hair was hidden under a mob cap which had slipped to the side of her head, making her look comical. ‘I’m cleanin’ the grate out.’

  ‘Nobody will notice what yer look like … just rinse yer hands.’

  ‘I dunno,’ Nellie clicked her tongue, ‘no rest for the wicked.’

  ‘Don’t yer want to know if Miss Clegg’s all right?’ Molly stood by the kitchen door as Nellie ran water over hands covered in coal dust. ‘She’s been on my mind all night.’

  ‘Of course I want to know how things are over there! But couldn’t you ’ave called there first, save me goin’ out?’

  ‘How soft you are, Nellie McDonough! Yer want to know what’s goin’ on, but yer can’t be bothered gettin’ off yer fat backside to find out!’

  Nellie’s grin transformed her face. ‘I’ll thank you not to be so personal, an’ leave my backside out of it.’

  Molly grinned back. ‘Nellie, it would be very hard to ignore your backside. It’s like the back of a bus.’

  ‘I’ll treat that remark with the contempt it deserves.’ Nellie threw her mob cap on the draining board and ran her fingers through her fine, mousy-coloured hair. ‘Will I do like this, girl? I don’t fancy gettin’ meself all dolled up when I’ve got work to come back to.’

  ‘You’ll do.’ Molly tried to suppress a giggle. ‘Claudette Col
bert you ain’t, but I’m not too proud to be seen out with yer.’

  ‘Hark at her! Who d’yer think you are … Maureen O’Sullivan?’

  ‘Don’t be silly, my hair’s not as dark as hers.’ Molly tapped a finger on her chin. ‘I’d say I’m more a Greta Garbo.’

  Nellie slipped her arms into her loose edge-to-edge coat. ‘There’s no flies on you, is there, girl? An’ d’yer know why? They’re all buzzing around the midden outside, enjoyin’ yesterday’s leftovers.’

  Molly waited until Nellie banged the door behind her, then linked her arm. ‘One of these fine days I’ll get the last word in.’

  ‘Yer’ll have to be up early to do that, me old cock sparrer. Either that or catch me when I’m asleep.’

  A smiling Victoria opened the door to them. ‘Good morning, ladies.’

  ‘You look very happy this morning.’ Molly was surprised to see a fire roaring up the chimney. ‘It’s early for you to be up and dressed, and with the fire lit.’

  ‘I was up at six to make Phil breakfast.’ The old lady looked very pleased with herself. ‘Couldn’t have him going to work on an empty tummy, now could I?’

  ‘Keep yer eye off him, yer brazen hussy.’ Nellie chucked her under the chin. ‘He’s too young for yer. Yer’d be had up for cradle-snatchin’.’

  ‘More’s the pity! If I was seventy years younger I’d be chasing after him.’

  Molly couldn’t get over the change in Victoria. She’d never seen her so animated, happy and self-assured. She looked ten years younger, too. ‘How did yer get on with him?’

  ‘Marvellous! He’s a nice, decent, considerate boy. Before he went to work he insisted on raking the grate out, lighting the fire and filling the coal scuttle.’

  ‘It was the least he could do, seein’ as yer gave him a bed for the night.’ The words sounded churlish even to her own ears, and Molly wished she could take them back. ‘It was thoughtful of him, though, I’ll grant yer that.’