by June Francis
‘God only knows,’ snapped Marty. ‘He went off because Dougal decided to go to the police station and report him for taking his motorbike without permission.’
‘How did he come to be with Bernie? I haven’t got to the root of that.’
‘He popped up at Dad’s funeral,’ said Marty. ‘Not that he came and joined the family but later he turned up at the house in Litherland. You know what they say about Greeks?’
‘What?’ asked Peggy, puzzled.
‘Beware of Greeks bringing gifts,’ murmured Pete.
‘Exactly. He brought presents for the kids and Bernie. She’s always had a soft spot for him,’ said Marty.
‘Her mother never had a good word to say about him,’ said Peggy. ‘It makes you think, doesn’t it?’
‘She’s got plenty of nous, has Bernie’s mother,’ said Marty.
‘I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you, Lil and Mam when Dad died,’ said Peggy, imagining their mother’s reaction to the news that Tommy had gone off again. Somehow Peggy knew that her own reappearance would not mean so much to her mother as Tommy’s, the apple of Mary McGrath’s eye. She asked no more questions and the rest of the journey passed in silence.
When they arrived at the house, Pete said that he would not come in but head off home.
‘Are you all right to drive?’ asked Peggy, watching him ease himself into the driving seat.
He nodded. ‘I’ve rested all the way back.’
‘Thanks for your help, Pete,’ said Marty, shaking his hand. ‘I’ll never forget it.’
‘That’s all right! I’ll be thinking of you all.’
Marty thanked him again and went to open the front door.
‘See you, Peggy,’ said Pete, gazing up at her. ‘Don’t be a stranger again.’
‘I won’t! But I don’t know how things are going to go in the next few weeks.’ Her bottom lip trembled.
‘I can wait,’ he said, driving off.
She waved, wondering when she would see him again. Only a couple of days ago she had believed she had managed to put Pete out of her life. And now here they were again, wondering what the future would hold for them. But for now she had to put such thoughts aside. The children had to come first and she had to face her mother. She was not going to think about what she might have to cope with when Bernie was able to leave hospital. What if the brain injury meant she wasn’t safe to be left alone with her children?
Suddenly she remembered that she must telephone Mrs Henderson and apologize for going off the way she had done. She would also need to ask her to pack her belongings and send them to her and that meant sending a postal order to cover the cost.
Marty had left the front door open, so Peggy went right in. She could hear her brother’s voice and then several others all talking at once, so there was a hell of a din. She took a deep breath as she paused in the kitchen doorway, her gaze sweeping over Bernie’s mother’s ravaged face, three of Bernie’s sisters, as well as Peggy’s own mother and sister. Monica was also there and she was nursing Jerry who was crying. As for Marty, who had his back to Peggy, he held his daughter in his arms.
Then he suddenly yelled, ‘Be quiet!’
Jerry’s sobs shuddered to a halt and the voices petered off.
Suddenly Mary McGrath caught sight of her daughter. ‘It’s our Peggy!’ she cried.
‘I told you so,’ said Bernie’s mother, glaring at Peggy. ‘I told yer it was her who phoned.’
‘I didn’t know then that Marty wasn’t living with you,’ said Peggy.
‘Never you mind that,’ said Bernie’s mother, shaking a finger at her. ‘If you hadn’t gone off, our Bernie would still be here. If yer Tommy weren’t such a thief, she wouldn’t have gone to Blackpool.’
‘Don’t you call my son a thief!’ cried Mary, bridling.
‘If there were any justice he’d go to prison for what he’s done to my daughter!’ Bernie’s mother’s voice cracked on the words.
Peggy said hesitantly, ‘But it was an accident and she didn’t have a crash helmet on. She’s lucky to be alive!’
Bernie’s mother took a deep, shuddering breath. ‘Y-y-you mean she’s not dead?’
‘Yes, she’s regained consciousness and has spoken,’ said Marty, wondering if Dougal had phoned ahead and told her that Bernie was at death’s door. ‘They’re going to transfer her to the Royal Infirmary in Liverpool.’
‘Hospital! I hate hospitals,’ said Bernie’s mother, shivering. ‘They should send her home to her mother and I’ll look after her.’
‘Marty’s her husband,’ said Mary firmly. ‘She belongs with him and the children.’
‘They can all come back and live with me,’ said Bernie’s mother.
Marty turned to Monica. ‘Will you go with Peggy and take the children to the park?’
Monica looked at Peggy and, nodding, lowered Jerry to the floor. For a moment Josie clung to her father and then he whispered to her and she slid down out of her arms and put one hand in Monica’s and the other in Peggy’s.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Marty turned and faced those remaining. ‘Peggy’s coming to live here and she’ll help me look after the kids.’
Immediately one of her sisters said, ‘Our Bernie’s not going to like that.’
‘No, she won’t,’ said her mother.
Marty stared at them. ‘You haven’t got it, have you? She’s going to be flat on her back in hospital for several weeks until her spinal injury heals. And aside from that she is suffering memory loss; she had no idea who I was!’
‘Holy Mary, mother of God!’ gasped Bernie’s mother, crossing herself. ‘Oh, my poor daughter! She needs me at a time like this! I have to go to her.’
‘Take a hold of yourself, woman!’ said Mary in a severe voice. ‘I understand how you feel because I’m a mother, too, but there’s nothing you can do but pray. Besides, Bernie’s Marty’s wife and my son has never been one to shirk his responsibilities. He’ll take care of her when the time comes for her to leave hospital.’
Marty wished his mother had not spoken those words. He had to go out to work to provide for his family and unless Bernie was completely fit and well, he could not see himself managing without extra help. He could not put the whole load on Peggy but neither did he want Bernie’s family taking over.
‘How will he manage?’ asked one of the sisters. ‘Won’t your Peggy need to get another job eventually?’
Marty said, ‘Listen, what’s happened has come as a shock to all of us. I feel we’ve discussed it enough for now. If you all don’t mind going home, I’ll be glad of some peace. I’ve been up all night and I’ve work in the morning and I can’t afford to take time off. You’ll be able to take turns to see Bernie in hospital during the week.’
‘Yes, none of you are thinking of my poor son. It’s not so long since we lost his father,’ said Mary. ‘This has all been a terrible shock to him.’
‘He should have put his foot down and stopped his bloody brother taking our Bernie to Blackpool,’ muttered one of the sisters. ‘It seems odd to me that she went with Tommy.’
‘Enough of that,’ said Bernie’s mother sharply. She glanced at the partly redecorated walls. ‘Anyway, I hope yer get this finished before yer bring her here, lad.’
Marty hung on to his patience. ‘I’ll see you out,’ he said, expecting to have to hustle them out of the front door but they wasted no time leaving. He returned to the kitchen and was glad when Lil told him that she had put the kettle on.
‘So where’s our Tommy?’ asked his mother, gripping her hands tightly together in her lap.
Marty sat down in an armchair and closed his eyes. ‘He’s done what he generally does, Mam, when he doesn’t want to face up to things. He’s run away.’
Mary took a deep breath. ‘Good! And this time you don’t go looking for him. I don’t trust that family, saying he should be put in prison. As it was, if Peter’s mother hadn’t got in touch, I wouldn’t have known Peggy was in Black
pool and you and Peter had gone haring off there! I think if Lil and I hadn’t come here today, then Bernie’s family would have taken the children. I must admit you surprised me by saying our Peggy is coming to live here with you. After all, what does she know about children? I brought up four of you.’
‘Let him be, Mam,’ said Lil. ‘He knows what he’s doing. Anyway, we’ve the wedding to think about and I might just have a baby straight off and I’ll need your help to look after it. Besides it sounds to me like Bernie could be more of a problem.’ She paused, tapping her brother on the shoulder. ‘Marty, if you want something stronger than tea, I can always go to the off licence.’
‘Tea would be fine,’ he said, thinking he couldn’t afford to buy drink. He thought about Pete’s mother not wasting time letting Marty’s mother know that Peggy had been in touch and that he and Pete were on their way to Blackpool. Could it be that she still had hopes that Pete and Peggy might get together? His spirits plummeted even further, knowing that it would put him in a quandary if Bernie wasn’t fit to look after the kids. How could he possibly stand in the way of Pete and Peggy’s happiness if they did decide to marry?
Twenty-Four
Even before Pete could get his key in the lock, the front door opened and his mother stood there. ‘About time, too,’ said Gertie, her eyes bright. ‘Did you find her?’
‘Yes,’ said Pete, stepping over the threshold as his mother moved out of the way.
‘Good! So, how is Bernie?’ asked Gertie, bustling back into the kitchen after putting on the kettle.
‘She has memory loss and a spinal injury,’ said Pete, lowering himself on to the sofa. ‘She didn’t recognize Marty.’
Gertie stuck her head around the door jamb. ‘Not so good.’
‘She’s going to be in the Royal Infirmary for weeks, flat on her back.’
‘Oh, my goodness,’ said Gertie. ‘Who’s going to look after the children?’
Pete sighed. ‘Peggy! She’s going to be living with Marty.’
‘Oh dear,’ said Gertie, coming slowly back into the kitchen. ‘That’s a blow! I was preparing myself for a wedding. Were you glad to see each other?’
‘Yes. She’s been working in a hotel as a general dogsbody,’ said Pete, beginning to unfasten his shoelaces and easing off his shoes with a sigh of relief. ‘Anyway, she’s back and I know she’s safe. I’m thinking no further than that at the moment, Ma, so don’t be going on about it. She’ll have a lot on her plate with having a couple of little ones to look after. You know what that’s like. As for Bernie, only God knows how Peggy will cope with her, or what’ll happen if she never completely recovers. On top of that, her brother’s injured and could soon have the police on his tail.’
‘It doesn’t rain but it pours,’ said Gertie sadly, leaving her son alone.
Pete leaned back on the sofa, closed his eyes and was asleep in minutes.
Twenty-Five
Peggy pressed her lips tightly together as she lifted the dripping nappy from the enamel bucket and squeezed out the excess water before dropping the nappy into the steaming water in the washing machine. It was one of those that boiled water and had an agitator and a hinged lid with a mangle on the top. There was a knot of resentment and rebellion inside her chest. She did not want to feel such emotions but she could not help it.
It was only three weeks since the accident, but she was already feeling the strain of taking care of the kids all day, doing the housework, shopping and cooking. She had only seen Bernie once as Marty, Bernie’s mother and sisters had priority when it came to taking turns during visiting times. Even then, Peggy had been stumped when it came to talking to her sister-in-law. She appeared to be able to read magazines with the help of an overhead mirror that reflected the pages so she could see them whilst lying flat on her back. But she was unable to remember rightly whom she had married, getting the names of the brothers mixed up and asking for Tommy and apparently not recognizing Marty. This seemed very odd to Peggy, especially when she would have sworn that Bernie knew who she was and Monica had told her that Bernie’s mother swore that she knew her all right, having talked about when Bernie was a little girl to her daughter.
Peggy sighed, deciding she did not want to think about when her sister-in-law came out of hospital, which wouldn’t be long now. Instead she thought of her mother and all the other women who had kept house and reared children, admiring them for being so capable and seemingly enjoying the unpaid work.
She supposed it was different when the children were your own or you were getting paid for caring for them, as Irene did. At least she hoped so, because what joy would there be in it if it was just hard graft? There had been a postcard of San Francisco which Irene praised to the skies as being really picturesque, agreeing with Betty that it was difficult to believe that so much of the city had been destroyed by fire during the earthquake of 1906. Marty had read the postcard and then gone and stood outside in the yard, gazing at nothing in particular. Peggy had realized then, if she had not done so earlier in the year, that her brother had strong feelings for Irene.
She dropped another nappy and four cot sheets into the machine and switched it to wash before washing her hands under the cold tap. She dried them on a tea towel and smoothed hand cream into her skin. Then she went into the kitchen where she had left her niece and nephew playing, relieved to remind herself that at least Josie was dry during the day, although she still wore a nappy at night, as did Jerry despite him being older.
It was now September and the weather had been cloudy and dull with the odd smattering of rain. For once the children were playing quietly and not squabbling. Jerry was making engine noises as he ran his Dinky cars over the linoleum. Josie was undressing her doll. Peggy decided it was time for a cup of tea and a biscuit and to listen to some music on the wireless. The children had been difficult with her at first, no doubt because she had been away for months and she was unfamiliar to them. Still, they were getting used to each other now, although they still asked for their mother, especially Jerry.
She wished she was still earning a wage. Marty handed over housekeeping money and said he’d like to give her more but that money was extremely tight at the moment. She could understand that and supposed she should be thankful for being housed and fed.
Before she settled herself in the armchair, she gave the children a dose of free cod liver oil in a spoonful of free National Health orange juice, followed by a Nice biscuit, then she switched on the wireless. She gazed out of the window on to the yard as she sipped her tea, thinking about Blackpool and how lively it had been once the holiday crowds began arriving. She’d made a friend of Gwen who had worked at the hotel and they’d gone out together a few times. How much her life had changed in the past year.
She was brought back to the present by the sound of Pat Boone singing ‘Love Letters in the Sand’, which had been way up there in the hit parade last year. She began to sing softly along with the music, thinking of Pete and the day when they had written love you forever in the sand. They had been completely oblivious to everyone else on the beach and the drama taking place in the sea. Irene had been fortunate but it was sad that her stepfather had died the way he did.
She thought of her own father, wishing she had happier memories of him and that he could have been honest with his children about his own youth. At least her mother seemed to be coping well without him and his death did mean that Peggy no longer had to worry about having his approval. She wondered, not for the first time, why Pete had not been in touch with her since her return. Perhaps he had realized that he no longer loved her after all. It would be her own fault if he didn’t. She experienced an aching regret and wanted to weep.
She felt a tug at her skirt and looked down to see Josie holding the potty. ‘Good girl,’ she said.
Peggy could not help laughing. ‘You are a good girl,’ she said, taking the potty from her. ‘And because you are, as soon as the washing stops and is on the drying rack, we’ll go for a walk and yo
u can have a treat.’
‘Can I have a treat, too?’ asked Jerry.
Peggy nodded and went to empty the potty.
She decided to take the pushchair and visit the shops on the other side of the canal. They could go to the post office and then to the park on Hatton Hill Road.
It was as she was waiting in the queue at the post office that someone tapped her on the shoulder. Peggy turned and her face lit up. ‘Mrs Gianelli, I haven’t seen you for ages.’
‘I heard you were back and living with Marty,’ said Nellie, smiling. ‘My brother told me. He’s seen your mother and been to visit your sister-in-law in hospital.’
Peggy hesitated. ‘How did he find her?’
Nellie did not immediately answer but then said, ‘He felt that he wasn’t welcome. She seemed on edge as if she couldn’t wait for him to leave.’
‘Did she mention my brother, Tommy, to him?’
‘No.’ Nellie grimaced. ‘Francis wondered where he is.’
‘Bernie gets their names mixed up and thinks she’s married to Tommy.’
The queue shifted up and they moved with it.
‘It’s very odd. If you feel you need someone to talk to or a break from looking after the children, pop in and see me,’ said Nellie. ‘I’m around most of the time. Mine are at school now.’
Peggy felt a rush of gratitude. ‘I am finding it hard work, so I might just do that. Mam’s all wrapped up in the arrangements for my sister’s wedding this month. To be honest, I’m missing having a job and mixing with people.’
‘No doubt you’re missing having a proper wage, too,’ said Nellie.
‘You can say that again,’ sighed Peggy. ‘I can hardly ask my brother to pay me when he’s family and money’s tight.’
Nellie stared at her. ‘If you’re not too busy, why don’t you come back to the house with me now? The children can play in the garden if the rain holds off. We can have a bit of lunch and a chat.’
