Just Around the Corner

by Gilda O'Neill

  ‘Right.’ Katie licked her pencil and ticked that off her list – again. The list had, over the last few weeks, become the bane of the Mehans’ mealtimes, there being no escape from it when they were all trapped around the table.

  Pat winked at Danny and got on with finishing the full breakfast that Katie had insisted they should all eat, it being such an important day.

  ‘Mum,’ said Timmy thoughtfully, his mouth full of fried eggy-bread, ‘d’yer know Mary Gibson?’

  ‘Yeah,’ said Katie absent-mindedly, still concentrating on her list.

  ‘Well, she said that Liz is having a baby. Is she, Mum? Is she having a baby? ’Cos I’d be its uncle, wouldn’t I?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘She said that Liz must be having a baby ’cos her and Danny’re getting married. And she said Liz must’ve sat on the lavvy seat while it was still warm after our Danny’d been using it, ’cos that’s what yer do, see, when yer wanna have a baby.’

  Katie slammed her pencil down on the table, and glared at Timmy.

  Danny and Pat were finding it hard not to burst out laughing, but they weren’t stupid, so they both did their best to keep their amusement to themselves.

  ‘I can’t believe I’m hearing this,’ Katie fumed. ‘Can yer just imagine what Father Hopkins’d have to say if he heard yer talking such filth? I’ve a good mind to get that bar o’ soap and wash your mouth out for you, Timothy Mehan.’

  Timmy, his top lip curled and his eyes wide in wonder at such injustice – he had after all only been repeating what Mary Gibson had told him – opened his mouth to make his appeal. But Pat, his composure almost restored, knew when the line had been crossed and a full-flight row was not what was needed on the morning of the wedding.

  He waved his fork towards the kitchen door. ‘Go on, Tim, off yer go. And you, Michael. Leave yer plates there, I’ll see to ’em when I’ve finished. Just go next door to Nanna’s and get yerselves washed and ready.’

  Michael, in the role of sensible older brother for once, grabbed Timmy by the arm, deliberately pinching his flesh. ‘Come on, yer great daft baby,’ he mocked, ‘before yer get us all in trouble.’

  As his brother dragged him away from the table, Timmy was going to sneak on Michael to his mum for hurting him, but she was looking a bit fierce, so he contented himself with the thought that he’d be able to tell his nanna of him in a minute, and she’d soon sort Michael out. She was always saying how Michael should look after his baby brother. And thinking about babies, maybe Nanna would know if Liz was having one. She always told him any secrets if she knew any.

  ‘Leave it on the latch,’ Katie hollered. She screwed her eyes tight as the street door was slammed to with a loud crash. ‘I don’t know why I stand for all the old nonsense I get from them two boys. They’ll turn out wrong ’uns the way they’re carrying on, you just see if they don’t.’

  ‘Course they won’t, Kate.’

  ‘But how can yer tell, Pat? Who can tell anything nowadays? Look at that Mr Milton. Who’d ever have thought he could have done an armed robbery?’ Katie went to rake her fingers through her hair, then remembering she had her curlers in she rubbed her face instead. ‘Perhaps if we’d all done a bit more to help ’em. The thought of that poor Ellen and them kids . . .’

  ‘Look, love, today ain’t the day to start going over all that again, now is it?’

  There was a knock at the street door, making Katie jump in her seat.

  ‘Now who can that be? Everyone knows how busy I am.’

  ‘All right, Kate, leave off,’ he said, holding up his hand to calm her. Then he called out, ‘Come in. It’s on the latch.’

  Even Pat looked surprised when Irene Lane appeared in the kitchen doorway. As usual, she was all dressed up. She had on a scarlet coat in the latest monkey jacket style with black frogging and brass buttons, and a natty little matching hat pulled down over one eye.

  But there was something different about her today. She looked less hard somehow. Then Katie realised what it was: Irene had hardly any make-up on, just a touch of lipstick and a bit of eye black. She looked smashing.

  ‘Sorry to bother yer on a busy morning like this,’ Irene began in her tiny little voice, smiling apologetically. ‘Eleven o’clock’ll be here before yer know it, eh?’

  ‘Yer right there,’ said Katie looking around at the chaos that had taken over her usually pristine kitchen. As her glance passed over Sean, Katie stored away the fact that he had hurriedly bent his head down and was making an animated show of using his bread to mop up every last bit of his fried tomatoes – the tomatoes he had earlier said he wouldn’t eat even if she forced them down his throat. And he was blushing to the roots of his hair.

  ‘I just wanted to pop in to give this to Danny for him and Liz,’ Irene explained, walking over to where Danny was still standing at the overmantel.

  Danny wiped his hands on the towel he had draped round his neck, and took the brown-paper-covered box that Irene was holding out to him. He looked bewildered. Lots of people had been really generous to him and Liz, giving them all sorts of things for their new home, but they hardly knew the Lanes. ‘That’s really nice of yer. Ta, Mrs Lane.’

  ‘It’s Irene,’ she said with a tinkling little laugh.

  ‘Thanks, Irene.’

  ‘My pleasure, Danny.’ She put her head on one side. ‘I hear yer setting up a little haulage business of yer own.’

  Now Danny was really confused. ‘How d’you know that?’

  ‘Danny,’ Katie said sternly.

  ‘Sorry. Yeah, I am,’ he said, remembering his manners. He held up the parcel, smiled, nodded his thanks and stuck it on the overmantel next to his shaving water. ‘And ta, it was kind of yer to think of us. Me and Liz appreciate it.’

  ‘So, this business of your’n,’ she squeaked. ‘Exciting, is it?’

  ‘Well, I’m gonna try and start up on me own. Yer’ve gotta give it a try, ain’t yer?’

  ‘Good for you.’ Irene smiled at him for a moment longer than Danny would have expected before she turned back to face Katie, surprising her again with how much younger and prettier she was looking without all her usual powder and paint.

  ‘I’m leaving Plumley Street, Kate,’ she said abruptly.

  ‘You’re what?’

  ‘I’m off. Right now. Me bag’s outside on the step.’ She opened her eyes wide and pulled her lips tight across her teeth. ‘What a lark, eh?’

  ‘So yer got a job then?’

  ‘No.’ She was suddenly serious, speaking slowly, more cautiously. ‘There’s this friend o’ mine. He owns a couple of pubs over South London way. I’m gonna be sort of living with him.’ She couldn’t remain serious for long, she was all smiles again. ‘I’m gonna be living abroad, if yer don’t mind. In Bermondsey!’

  Katie had to ask. ‘How about Arthur?’

  ‘Him?’ Irene giggled and crossed her eyes. ‘In bed snoring still, with a bit o’ luck.’ She took her gloves from her coat pocket and carefully pulled them on over her long, manicured fingers. ‘I mustn’t keep yer, and I’d better be getting a move on anyway. But I just wanted to say thanks, Kate. A lot round here never bothered with me, especially once they found out that it was my cowson of an old man . . .’ She looked around at Pat, Danny and Sean. ‘Excuse a lady’s French, won’t yer?’ Then she thought about it and shrugged. ‘Well, he is a cowson, ain’t he? Getting that Milton bloke involved in that robbery like that. Poor feller, he would never have done it, yer know, if he hadn’t have been so desperate. I just thank Gawd that no one was hurt.’

  Katie wasn’t sure what to say. She and Pat had guessed that Laney was involved somehow, but here was his wife telling them outright. ‘Do the coppers know, Irene?’

  ‘They will do, believe me, ’cos I’m gonna tell ’em. And I’ve made sure that that poor Ellen and her kids have got a nice few bob out of it.’ She sighed, her pretty face clouding over. ‘That bastard thinks he can control anyone and everyone. And he certainly c
ontrolled me these past four years. But that’s all over. Sod him. I’m off. Anyway, I ain’t wasting me breath talking about him. I just wanna say thanks again Kate, you was kind to me, right kind.’ She looked over her shoulder and winked at Danny. ‘If yer anything like me, yer won’t be able to wait to see what’s in that box. Open it as soon as yer like.’

  Then she turned to Sean. ‘Sorry I won’t be around no more, love.’ She reached out and touched his face. Then, she kissed Katie and ran out of the kitchen.

  ‘And don’t worry, Dan, what’s in that box ain’t no ill-gotten gains,’ they heard her call along the passage. ‘I sold the engagement ring the old bugger give me! Wish me luck, all of yer!’ She giggled again and they heard the street door click on to the latch.

  Katie plonked herself down at the table. ‘I was never nice to her. Not really,’ she said, shamefaced.

  ‘Well, she thought yer was.’ Danny took down the package and unwrapped the brown paper. ‘Blimey!’

  He walked over to the table and dropped down beside Katie. ‘Look here, Mum. There’s seventy quid in here! I can’t believe it.’ He waved a wad of money under Katie’s nose. ‘Hang on, there’s a note and all. You and Liz,’ he read, ‘are going to need something to help you start your new life together. And I’d like to think you can have a better start than I did. Don’t ever forget to love each other. Your friend, Irene.’

  Sean shoved his plate away from him. ‘It ain’t fair. Some people have all the luck. He’s got his own business and he’s getting married. But look at me: no job, nothing. And now she’s gone and all, so I won’t have no money neither.’

  ‘Sean?’ Katie was having trouble understanding.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Are you saying it was Irene who’s been treating yer? When you told me yer was doing jobs down the market?’

  ‘She didn’t give it to me for nothing. I used to . . .’ Sean blushed.

  ‘What?’ Katie’s voice was rising in alarm. ‘What did yer do?

  He shrugged. ‘Nothing much.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I used to talk to her,’ he said flatly.

  ‘Talk to her?’ Danny repeated.

  ‘When Arthur was out. She used to get so lonely.’ Sean lifted his head and looked at Katie. ‘She said she didn’t have no friends but me and you, Mum.’

  Katie got up and held out her arms to him. ‘Come here and let me give yer a cuddle.’

  ‘No. And I ain’t going to no wedding neither.’ Sean got up and backed away from her towards the kitchen door. ‘And just look at this boil on me neck and all. Everyone’ll be staring at me. I ain’t going. I’ve changed me mind.’ He pointed at Danny. ‘Yer’ll have to get yerself another best man, ’cos I ain’t doing it.’

  ‘Sean,’ Katie said wearily, flopping back down on to her chair, ‘I know yer upset, but don’t start. Not today, darling.’

  Sean backed further towards the passage, but instead of escaping, he stepped straight back into his nanna’s arms as she tried to get past him into the kitchen.

  ‘Whatever’s going on in here?’ Nora asked, peering round her grandson. ‘Will yer look at the state of it. We’re all booted and suited and ready to go next door and you lot in here are dozing around as if yer’ve just got outta bed.’

  ‘I’ve got a boil and I ain’t going,’ Sean said, his jaw rigid.

  ‘A boil? Is that all? Well, don’t I know exactly what to do about that!’

  Sean turned round and was now reversing slowly away from his nanna back into the kitchen. ‘No, Nanna. I ain’t having you nowhere near me with them red-hot bottles and bread poultices.’

  ‘Nanna ain’t gonna touch yer, Sean. All right?’ Danny laid his hand on his brother’s shoulder. ‘Please, it means a lot to me you being me best man. And it won’t even show over yer shirt collar.’ He slapped Sean matily across the back. ‘Anyway, who’s gonna be looking at us two, eh? Yer know what it’ll be like. They’ll be all cooing and grizzling over the bride, won’t they?’ He leant close to Sean. ‘And Liz’s cousin Lalla’s gonna be there. She’s one o’ the bridesmaids, remember?’

  ‘Lalla?’ asked Sean carelessly.

  Danny winked conspiratorially. ‘Yer know, Lalla. That one from Grove Road. The one with the legs. And what with you being best man . . .’

  Sean shrugged, not wanting to show any interest in anything, but still not able to conceal from his brother the very obvious appeal of being close to Lalla, the little blonde girl he had been dreaming of for months now, ever since she had started coming round to Plumley Street for her dress fittings.

  Danny looked past Sean and grinned at Katie. ‘Well, ain’t yer gonna get yerself ready then, Mum? Me and Sean’re only gonna be a few more minutes, ain’t we, bruv?’ He lifted his chin and started scraping at it with his razor. ‘I’m just gonna finish having me shave.’

  Pat laughed amiably. ‘Dunno why yer bothering with a razor on a bit of bumfluff like that, son. Yer wanna smear butter on it and let the cat lick it off for yer.’

  ‘He might just have to do that if he don’t get a move on,’ said Nora bossily. She took down the apron from the hook and wrapped it over her wedding outfit. ‘Now will yer all move yerselves? It’s a quarter to ten already and if we’re gonna be ready in time, me and Katie are gonna be busier than a pair of one-armed paperhangers with itchy ars—’

  Katie glowered at her mother, and Nora corrected herself. ‘With itchy bums. Now will yer get them crackers out of yer hair?’

  Nora went over to the sink to get a wet cloth, and Katie began unwinding her curlers, tossing them on to the table. Visions of all the various humiliations her younger sons were capable of inflicting upon her during the ceremony danced before her eyes. ‘If you get them boys going in church and make ’em show me up in front of the company, Mum . . .’ she warned Nora.

  ‘I nipped over to Frank Barber just now,’ said Nora briskly, ignoring her daughter. ‘I said it’d be nice if him and Edie came together, as a couple, like. What with Theresa being one of the bridesmaids, it’ll be someone for them both to sit with in the church.’ She pushed Katie’s curlers to one side while she cleared everything else from the table – including Katie’s list.

  Katie frantically snatched the list from her mother’s hand. ‘I was gonna clear that meself.’ She flapped the paper at Nora. ‘Look, it’s on me list.’

  ‘I’m back,’ a man’s voice hollered along the passage.

  Katie took a deep breath, looked around the kitchen to make sure that everything was at last as it should be, and then picked up her handbag from the dresser.

  ‘Yer ready, Kate?’ Pat asked, holding out his arm to her.

  She looped her arm through his and nodded, then she pulled away from him again so that they could walk along the narrow passageway to the street door.

  When they got outside Pat tried to guide her into the back of the taxi, but Katie resisted. ‘Yer really sure yer’ve got everyone else there already?’ she quizzed the driver.

  ‘Yes, lady,’ the cabbie assured her. His patience was beginning to wear a bit thin. He had taken this job, ferrying the wedding party round the corner to the Catholic church and back again after, thinking it would be easy money, a bit of a doddle really, but this woman was driving him bonkers. She had gone over her flaming list with him so many times he knew it off by heart. All he wanted to do was get them all round there and have time to have a cup of tea before he had to start carting them all back again to the pub for the reception. ‘Now, can yer get in, so I can get moving?’

  Katie got in, nodding haughtily at his reflection in the rear-view mirror as he released the handbrake.

  ‘Hang on!’ Katie yelled.

  ‘What now?’ The driver was definitely not a happy man.

  ‘I just wanna run over the road.’

  ‘Katie.’ Pat put his hand over hers, stopping her opening the cab door. ‘If we don’t get to the church soon, the bride’s gonna get there before us.’

  ‘But I
just wanted to make sure that Liz—’

  ‘Kate, please?’

  ‘All right.’

  ‘Go on, mate,’ Pat said to the relieved cabbie.

  ‘Thank Gawd that fog’s cleared,’ Katie said, leaning forward and dipping her chin so that she could peer out of the window up at the sky. ‘And I don’t think it looks like rain neither.’

  Pat pulled her gently back against the seat and put his arm round her. ‘And with a bit o’ luck the sun’ll be out for the photos, and everything’ll be smashing. Now will yer just calm down?’

  ‘It ain’t every day me son gets married,’ Katie sniffled, pulling away from Pat and straightening the collar of her coat.

  ‘And thank Gawd for that,’ muttered the cab driver.

  The journey to the church took less than a couple of minutes, but it still wasn’t fast enough for Katie, who had practically shredded her handkerchief by the time they arrived. In her hurry to get out and start organising, she clambered inelegantly over Pat’s lap and out on to the pavement, leaving him to sort out the pick-up time with the driver.

  It took her a moment to spot Nora and the boys as there were so many people milling around, all clapping their hands and stamping their feet to keep warm, as they waited for the bride to arrive. In many ways it was like a Sunday morning before Mass, with people standing around chatting and gossiping, but this morning there were many unfamiliar faces and everyone there was dressed up to the nines – especially a huddle of young women, all giggles and whispers and fancy hats, who Katie guessed were Liz’s and Molly’s friends from Terson’s Teas.

  ‘Mum!’ Katie called, waving frantically to Nora. ‘I’m here.’

  She nodded and smiled at all the people who greeted her as she dodged through the waiting crowd to get to Nora. She pecked her on the cheek and then gave Michael and Timmy the once-over.

  ‘Don’t you look grown up,’ she beamed at Michael, who was proudly parading the long trousers that Nora had bought him from the tally man.

  ‘I don’t think it’s fair,’ whined Timmy. ‘I should’ve had longs and all.’

  ‘I told yer, yer want to think yerself lucky, young man,’ Nora reminded him. ‘If Liz would have had her way, you’d be all dressed up in a blue satin suit to match the bridesmaids.’