by Joan Jonker
‘But you miss him, sweetheart?’
‘Yes, I do miss him, Mam. I’ve only ever wanted Steve for me boyfriend, you know that. But if I start giving in to him now, I’ll be giving in to him for the rest of me life. And I’m not having that ’cos I’ve got a mind of me own and I’ve got me pride. I’m not turning me back on all me friends, so as Mr John said, it’s up to Steve to stop being jealous. If he really wants me to be his girlfriend, then he’s got to take me friends along with me.’
‘So you won’t be coming back home to live?’
‘Of course I’ll be coming back – it’s my home, isn’t it? And I don’t half miss you and our Joey. But I won’t come back just because Steve wants me to.’
‘That’s the spirit, Polly,’ John said, smiling. ‘But don’t be too hard on the boy, because if you were my girlfriend I’d be jealous of every young lad that looked sideways at you.’
‘I won’t be hard on him, Mr John. I just want him to know he can’t always have his own way, there are other people to consider.’ Polly’s familiar bright smile showed. ‘Aren’t I lucky having three dads? I’ve got me real dad, who I love to pieces, and I’ve got Mr Charles and Mr John! Not many girls can boast that, can they?’
Her words brought a lump to Ada’s throat and tears to John’s eyes. ‘You have bestowed a great honour on me, Polly, my dear, by making me an adopted father. May I remain so for ever more.’
‘Oh, you will, Mr John! You and the Denholmes will always be part of my life.’ She tossed her hair back and chuckled. ‘Whether yer like it or not, you’re all stuck with me.’
‘What are you going to do about Steve, sunshine?’ Ada asked. ‘You’ve got to go and see Sarah Jane and Irish Mary. You can’t stop seeing them because you and Steve have fallen out, it wouldn’t be fair.’
‘I’ll think of something, Mam, don’t worry. Mr Charles said there’s always a solution if you look hard enough.’ Polly’s heart was singing now she was back on good terms with her mother. Never again would she doubt her.
‘I’d better get going or Mrs Nightingale will be having me guts for garters.’ She kissed her mother and John. ‘I’ll see yer tomorrow.’
Polly was skipping lightly down the stairs when John called out: ‘When you see your friends, tell them there’s a party here the Sunday after next and they are all invited.’
Polly turned, her face aglow. ‘Is it someone’s birthday?’
‘I shouldn’t need to tell you, my dear, that it’s your mother’s birthday next Friday. But with most people working, it would be more appropriate to have the celebration on the Sunday.’
Ada gasped. ‘How did you know it was my birthday? I’ve never mentioned it to you.’
‘Ada, you are one of my employees. There is very little I don’t know about you.’
‘But I don’t want a party, John, I’m too old for that sort of thing!’
‘Nonsense. It will do you good to have all your friends around for a drink and something to eat. We’ll ask Dolly and Les, Sarah Jane and Mary, and of course, Aggie and Fanny. It goes without saying that the Denholmes will also be invited.’
‘But I don’t —’
Ada’s words were cut off as John put a finger to her lips. ‘Ada, we are definitely going to celebrate your birthday.’
Polly, her hand on the bannister, tutted, ‘Will you two make up yer minds whether we’re having a party or not?’
‘We most definitely are.’ John winked down at her. ‘You can do the inviting, my dear, and I leave it to you whether Steve is a guest.’
‘Yippee!’ Polly clapped her hands in glee. ‘I’ll invite the Denholmes as soon as I get in … I think Rebecca will come this time. And on Saturday I’ll go and see me mates in Bold Street. Oh Mam, it’ll be a lovely party for yer birthday, the best yer’ve ever had.’
‘It’ll be the only one I’ve ever had, sunshine,’ Ada said, happy to see her daughter looking so bright and cheerful. ‘Give my regards to everyone and tell them I’ll look forward to seeing them.’
With a wave of her hand, and humming loudly, Polly ran lightly down the stairs and disappeared from view.
Ada faced John. ‘Haven’t you done enough for me without this? I’ll be forever in your debt.’
‘Poppycock!’ John held her two arms and gazed into her melting brown eyes. ‘Anyway, as your daughter’s adopted father, I’m entitled to be part of family events, don’t you think?’
Ada smiled. ‘It was nice of Polly to say that. She’s a very thoughtful girl and I’m proud of her. And she means what she says; she will never forget you or Mr Charles, you’ll always be a part of her life.’
John was smiling but his eyes were serious. ‘Will you always be part of my life too, Ada? When Tommy comes home, will there be a place in your life for me?’
‘There’ll always be a place for you in my life, John, a very special place. You’ve been there when I needed you and I’ll never forget that. You need never be lonely because my family is your family.’
‘Thank you, my darling.’ John cupped her face. ‘You see, without you I’d have no one … my life would be empty.’
Ada smiled. ‘From now on your life will be full. I’ll bring Joey with me on Saturday and you can take him for a walk in the park, get to know him. He misses his dad because there’s no one to take him to the swings or play footie in the park with him. I think you and him would get on well together. And when he knows our Polly has adopted yer, well, yer’ll find yourself with two adopted children.’
John kissed her gently before releasing her. ‘D’you know, I haven’t played footie for thirty years?’ There was a happy smile on his face. ‘I’ll go to the shops tomorrow and buy a ball. And I’ll buy a boat for him to sail on the lake in the park. Yes, I’ll enjoy that.’
Polly’s nerves were on edge as she walked down Ranelagh Street. She was remembering everything Mr Charles had told her, but it sounded much easier when you were saying it than it was in practice. She patted her coat pocket to make sure her treasured possession was still there, but even that did nothing to calm her down.
Irish Mary was the first to spot her familiar figure. ‘Polly, me darlin’, sure is it yerself I see? Haven’t we all been worried to death about yer, so we have.’
Polly saw Steve straighten up and look her way, but she quickly turned her head. ‘I’m all right, Auntie Mary. I had a cold, that’s all.’
‘Hello there, Polly,’ Florrie called in her loud voice. ‘We thought yer’d forgotten us.’
Polly smiled as she passed. ‘Now, how could I forget you, Florrie?’
Sarah Jane pulled on Aggie’s skirt. ‘Here she is. I told yer she’d come today, didn’t I? She wouldn’t forget her old grandmother.’
Polly made straight for the old lady and threw her arms around her. ‘Ooh, I haven’t half missed you, Grandma.’
The old flower-seller showed her toothless smile. ‘An’ I’ve missed you, girl. What’s the good of havin’ a bleedin’ granddaughter if yer never see her?’
Aggie finished serving a customer and came to hand over the coppers to Sarah Jane. ‘About time, Polly Perkins! We’d given you up for dead.’
‘Well, I did feel like death warmed up with the rotten cold I had.’ Polly could feel Steve’s eyes on her. ‘But I’m all right now.’
‘I’ve dropped a penny, girl, will yer pick it up for us?’ Sarah Jane pointed to the ground. ‘I think it rolled under me stool.’ Polly bent down, and as she did so, the old lady whispered, ‘Have you an’ Steve fallen out?’
‘Yes.’ Polly lifted Sarah Jane’s skirts. ‘I can’t see a penny.’
‘Well, yer won’t, will yer, ’cos I didn’t bleedin’ drop one.’
Polly tutted as she stood up. ‘You were just being nosy.’
The old lady cackled. ‘That’s one of the few advantages of old age, girl. Yer can say anythin’ yer like an’ get away with it.’
‘Don’t be makin’ yer age an excuse,’ Aggie said. ‘Yer’ve always
been a nosy old cow.’
‘Ay, Clever Drawers, you keep yer eye on the business. Look, there’s a likely customer there, an’ if yer don’t move yer bleedin’ lazy bones yer’ll lose her an’ I’ll be tuppence down the drain.’
‘Sod off, Sarah Jane! Proper ruddy slave-driver yer are.’ Aggie winked at Polly before fixing a smile on her face as she approached the woman inspecting the daffodils. ‘It’s cold today, isn’t it, missus? I expect yer frozen through to the marrow, like I am. Mind you, a bunch of them in yer room would make yer feel warm even if yer had goose-pimples on yer you-know-what.’
Sarah Jane nodded her head in appreciation of Aggie’s sales talk. ‘She’s a good ’un, girl, almost as good as you. She’s a good drinking partner, too – she can’t half shift the stout. I thought I could drink, but sod it, she can drink me under the ruddy table any day.’ Sarah Jane turned her head to where Steve was filling up the buckets. ‘Hey, tatty head, aren’t yer goin’ to say hello to me granddaughter?’
Steve flushed and dropped his eyes for a second. Then he gazed at Polly who was waiting with bated breath. ‘Hello, Polly. Have yer been sick?’
Polly nodded, letting her breath out slowly. ‘I’m all right now, though.’
Sarah Jane gave her a push. ‘Go an’ talk to him while I keep me eye on Tilly Mint there. She doesn’t know her marguerites from her ruddy aspidistras.’
Polly hesitated. She’d vowed she wouldn’t be the first one to make a move, but Steve looked so sad her heart was melting. It was Aggie who solved the problem for her. Mr John’s old nanny had been watching out of the corner of her eye while at the same trying to convince the customer that a bunch of daffodils was warmer than a shovelful of coal any day. When she’d finally won the woman round to her way of thinking, she gave Sarah Jane her money, then handed a sixpence to Steve. ‘Take her to the Kardomah for a cup of tea. Warm yer both up.’
Walking down Church Street there was a yard separating the young couple. But when they reached the entrance to the Kardomah, Steve put his hand on Polly’s arm and pulled her to a halt. ‘I’m sorry, Polly, for the things I said. I didn’t mean them, but I was hurt and disappointed. I haven’t half missed yer. I haven’t had a proper night’s sleep since that evening.’
‘I’ve missed you, too, Steve.’ Polly put her hand in her pocket and brought out the marble … the bobby-dazzler. Holding it up to him in her open palm, she said, ‘I’ve slept with this under me pillow every night.’
Steve’s handsome face split into a wide grin. He fished in his inside pocket and brought out the crumpled birthday card. ‘I carry this everywhere with me.’
Laughing with excitement and happiness, the young sweethearts walked into the warmth of the café. They found a table in a secluded corner and Steve, feeling very manly, ordered a pot of tea for two and two toasted teacakes. ‘This will cost yer more than sixpence,’ Polly said in a hushed voice, ‘and I haven’t got any money on me.’
‘I’ve got enough. I haven’t been out to spend me pocket money for the last two weeks.’ Butter trickled down Steve’s chin when he took a bite of the hot teacake. ‘Don’t ever let’s fall out again, Polly. I’ve been so miserable.’
‘I didn’t fall out, Steve, it was you.’
‘I know it was my fault, and I kicked meself all the way home. And when I told me mam, she got so mad I thought she was goin’ to box me ears for me.’ He grinned at the memory of his mother standing over him with her hands on her hips. ‘She said, “Who the bleedin’ hell d’yer think you are, tellin’ Polly what to do? Serves yer right if she tells yer to go and take a running jump”.’
Polly could see Dolly Mitchell in her mind’s eye and she giggled. ‘I’m glad your mam’s on my side.’
‘She was right, though. I won’t ask yer again to do anythin’ yer don’t want to do. If you want to stay with the Denholmes, then you stay – as long as I can see yer on yer nights off, and yer promise to be me girlfriend.’
Polly’s lovely brown eyes twinkled. ‘Mr Charles told me there’s a solution to every problem if yer look for it. Well, I didn’t have to look for it, he found one for me.’
Steve gazed at her, thinking she must be the most beautiful girl in Liverpool. ‘A solution to what?’
‘To keeping us both happy. He doesn’t want me to leave them altogether, so he said I could work there during the day and go home every night. That means I’ll see me mam and our Joey every day, which is what I want, and I’ll still be with the Denholmes. I’m very happy working there, Steve, and I’ve grown fond of them.’ Polly’s eyes were questioning. ‘Does that arrangement suit you?’
‘I’ll say it does!’ Steve felt lightheaded with happiness. ‘As Sarah Jane would say, “Down to the ground, girl, down to the ground”.’ He stretched across the table and covered one of her hands with his. ‘Polly, this is one of the best days of me life.’
‘And mine.’ Polly’s rosy cheeks glowed. ‘I’ve got another bit of good news, too. It’s me mam’s birthday next week and Mr John is having a party for her. I’ve got to invite Sarah Jane and Auntie Mary, so we’d better get back so I can tell them.’ She pushed a curl out of her eyes. ‘Me mam will be asking your mam and dad, but I’m inviting you personally. Will you be my partner for the night?’
‘I’m hoping to be your partner for a lifetime, Polly, not just for one night.’
‘Oh, come on, yer soppy article! The next thing, yer’ll be kissing me in the middle of the Kardomah café.’
‘Don’t tempt me, or I will!’
Polly’s eyes rolled. ‘D’yer know, I believe yer would! But yer’ll have to wait for a dark night when we can find a shop doorway.’
‘Come for a walk with me on yer first night home and I’ll find a shop doorway.’ Steve grinned as he stood up. ‘In fact, I’ll find two shop doorways.’
‘Go and pay the bill and let’s be going. I can’t wait to tell Sarah Jane about the party, she’ll be over the moon.’
Sarah Jane saw the young couple coming back and noticed the happiness on their faces and the joined hands swinging between them. Thank God for that, she thought, we might get a smile out of young Steve now. ‘You two look as though yer lost a tanner and found half-a-crown! It’s many a long year since a man put a smile like that on my face, girl, I can tell yer.’
‘I’ll give you something to smile about, Grandma.’ Polly passed on the invitation and Sarah Jane nearly jumped off her stool with glee. ‘Oh, that’s the bloody gear! Just what I need, that is, a bleedin’ good knees-up.’ She turned her head and yelled, ‘Ay, Irish Mary, get yer body down here for a minute. And you, Aggie, leave the customer to make up her own mind whether she wants tulips or daffs. Pin yer ears back and listen to this.’
Their arms around each other’s waists, Polly and Steve stood listening to Sarah Jane giving forth on the delights to come and announcing that they should all club together to buy Ada a present. ‘Anyone would think she’d been invited to Buckingham Palace,’ Steve whispered.
‘Ay, buggerlugs, I heard that! Me legs might be gone, but me bleedin’ hearing hasn’t. And if I was to receive two invitations, one to the Palace and one from Mr John, it would the Palace one I turned down, so there! And d’yer want to know why?’
‘Yer don’t have to tell me why, ’cos I know,’ Aggie said, nodding her head. ‘They don’t have no stout at the Palace.’
‘Right in one, girl, right in one,’ the old lady said, her wrinkles deepening when she smiled. ‘Yer can go to the top of the class.’
‘Excuse me, but is anyone serving here?’
They all spun round, and when they saw their customers, their mouths gaped. Polly was the first to recover. ‘Mr John … Mr Charles!’
Sarah Jane pushed Aggie out of the way so she could see them properly. ‘Well, that’s what I call real gentlemanly. Yer’ve come to deliver the invitations in person.’
‘Polly is in charge of the invitations,’ John laughed. ‘And from what I’ve heard you have all accepted.�
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‘Accepted?’ Aggie drew herself up to her full height. ‘Yer couldn’t keep us away.’
Irish Mary, the quietest of the group, said, ‘I thank you kindly, Mr John and it’s proud I am to accept.’
‘I’ll come on one condition … no, make that two conditions.’ Sarah Jane kept her face straight. ‘That I get me six bottles of stout and Mr John doesn’t sing Come into the Garden, Maud.’ She tutted in disgust. ‘It’s a terrible bleedin’ song, that is.’
Charles’s shoulders were shaking with laughter. ‘I would think it’s on a par with your Auntie Mary and her canary.’
People passing by were stopping to smile with amusement at the exchange between two toffs and the flower-sellers. It was a rare sight.
Sarah Jane narrowed her eyes. ‘Are you insulting me, Mr Charles? What did yer mean, it’s on a par? I don’t want to show me ignorance, but I’ve never heard nothin’ like that in all me flamin’ life!’
‘I wouldn’t dream of insulting you, Sarah Jane. On a par means equal.’
The old lady rubbed the side of her nose. ‘Yer mean both the bleedin’ songs are as bad as each other.’
It was Steve who answered. ‘Nail on the head, Sarah Jane, nail on the head.’
‘Oh God, we’ve got another comedian. He’s been as miserable as sin for the last two weeks, now he’s crackin’ jokes. At least, they would be jokes if they was funny, which they ain’t.’
‘Ay, Grandma, you leave my boyfriend alone.’ Polly wagged her finger in the old lady’s face. ‘Or yer’ll have me to answer to.’
Mary began to move away. ‘I’ve got a living to make, so I’ll be going back to me pitch. Thank you for the invitation; sure I’ll be looking forward to it, so I will.’
While both men raised their bowler hats to bid her farewell, Steve was trying to pluck up the courage to speak. He felt gawky in his working clothes, but he wanted to please Polly. ‘Thank you for askin’ me to the party, Mr John, I’d like to come.’
‘We’d love to have you, wouldn’t we, Polly?’
‘Oh yes, he’s on the top of my list.’ She gazed first at Charles, then at John. ‘Are you two off to the club?’
