Jay, Lizzie and the Tale of the Stairs

by G J Lee

  Chapter 17

  And the others?

  So Lizzie went to make a cup of tea and me and Albert made small talk.

  We talked about my wobbly greyness and we laughed about it. I said that I didn’t really notice it now and that I was getting used to it. Albert wanted to know about my time and I told him as much as I could. He was astounded at the motorways full of cars and computers. He wanted to know more about how there was enough to eat for everybody and that people could buy cheap clothes, wear them once then throw them away. He was curious about what we did in our spare time; that everyone had electricity and that most homes had two or more TV’s (at least he knew what a TV was). But most of all, and it seemed weird to me, he wanted to know how Great Britain had got on after the war. I really couldn’t answer that but I told him as much as I knew. He wanted to know about something called the ‘empire. I had heard Mr Butler at school mention ‘the empire’ once or twice. But I wasn’t sure what it was so I couldn’t tell him much. Albert seemed worried about this so I said I’d find out how the ‘empire’ had got on.

  I also told Albert about the farmhouse I recognised on the internet. After giving a quick explanation of what the internet actually was, I left Albert looking befuddled and told him that I was sure I’d been there. Then confused him even more when I told him I couldn’t have as I’d never been to a foreign country. Albert explained that special powers often did this. He agreed there could be a link between Ernie and the farmhouse.

  Lizzie’s tea didn’t taste very nice because it had no milk or sugar in it and there were those little bits that would cling to my tongue like little limpets. I had to pick them off. When I mentioned that I liked sugar and plenty of milk if I had tea (I preferred coke) Albert seemed embarrassed. He was also angry.

  “I know you probably have plenty where you come from,” he said strongly, “and I got to tell you that we expected a big change after six years of bloody war. I thought Atlee and Bevin would start things moving again but we’re short of everything. There’s no milk and sugar. Spuds are hard to get and the butchers have nothing in the window. It’s worse than it was during the blitz. And it’s getting worse, I tell you. A bag of coal is rarely seen and then costs an arm and a leg. I don’t know what we’re going to do when winter comes. I really don’t.”

  Lizzie gave me a little bit of what she called evaporated milk, poured from a can. It made the tea taste worse so I left my tea on the floor by my feet.

  “Yes,” said Albert, “I really thought the war would be over by now. We might have beaten the Germans and the Japs but we’re all still cold and hungry. And I can see no end. No end at all. We’re not earning much and prices are sky high.”

  He said this whilst opening his tobacco tin to fill his pipe. Lizzie noticed this.

  “Yes, but you can still afford half ounce of bacci for yourself,” she said sarcastically.

  I was surprised when Albert gave his daughter, who had returned to sit on the floor near him, a light slap on the back of the head. It wasn’t that hard but it had been hard enough for Lizzie to rub the spot where it had connected.

  “A man’s got have some pleasure in life,” Albert grumbled.

  This was quickly forgotten when there was a commotion somewhere else in the house. There was the sound of feet and voices. I suddenly became very scared. Strangers! What would they make of me? I thought of making a run for the kitchen and the stairs but then realised that the voices were coming from that direction so my only escape was blocked. Lizzie must have sensed my panic as she got to her feet.

  “It’s fine, Jay. It’s only Mum and Pauline. They won’t hurt you.” Then she walked to the kitchen door to meet them.

  “Albert! Albert!” a woman’s voice called, “Where the bleedin’ ‘ell are you?”

  “In here, dear,” shouted Albert in reply, “and stop shouting. We’ve company.”

  The shape that filled the doorway was short and stocky, a middle-aged woman who wore a kind of grey coat over a white top and brown dress. She also wore flat shoes. A round face balanced glasses on a small nose and a light patterned scarf was covering her brown hair. That face was now red and I realised Lizzie’s Mum was out of breath and flustered.

  “Albert, there’s been…” she started but then stopped and she put her hand over her mouth when she saw me sat on her couch.

  “Oh my!” she exclaimed. “Oh my!”

  Albert and Lizzie were a bit embarrassed at this reaction and, after Lizzie had reassured her that I wasn’t a ghost (well, not in the normal way) and that her husband hadn’t summoned a spirit, Lizzie’s Mum returned to her news.

  “Another building’s collapsed Albert,” she said with her small brown eyes still on me. “They think there’s some people trapped.”

  “Oh no!” Albert responded shaking his head and getting to his feet. “That’s the second in a fortnight. I’d better go and help. Is it George Street again?”

  “Yes. Number 15 or 16 I think.”

  I had heard of George Street. It’s a few streets away from our house.

  Albert had gone out of the room and I felt a bit embarrassed left alone with his wife as she kept looking me up and down like I’d just been dropped from a space ship. He was back sharpish though, shrugging on a matching long brown mack and cap.

  “I’m sorry, Jay. I must go and help.”

  “What’s happened?” I asked shyly.

  “It’s the bombs,” Albert said.

  “But I thought the war was over.” And I did.

  “Silly,” interrupted Lizzie. “All the bombs have caused a lot of damage and some buildings are collapsing because of it.”

  “Yes,” said Albert, “several people have died this month.” He stood in the middle of the front room buttoning his coat. “For many the war still goes on, I’m afraid.” Then he held out his hand to me and I shook it. “You’ll need to come back. And soon.” He looked at Lizzie when he said this. “We’ve got to find Ernie. He’s alive. I know he’s alive.”

  Then he walked from the room and, somewhere near, a door slammed as he left the house.

  Then it was quiet again.

  “I…I think I’d better go,” I said to Lizzie and her Mum and I got up off the old sofa. “Nice to have met you, Mrs Raynor.”

  “Cheerio!” said Lizzie’s Mum still hypnotised by my wobbly greyness. I had found myself getting used to it but suddenly I felt really conscious again. I thought of how odd I must look to people seeing me for the first time and I remembered how frightened I’d been when I first saw Lizzie in my bedroom.

  Funny. It seemed so long ago now.

  Lizzie took my hand and led me into the kitchen. I was glad to be away from the eyes of her Mum. But my heart sank again when she said, “Before you go I want you to meet my sister.”

  Pauline was beautiful. She was sat at the kitchen table with a glass of water. She was about to take a sip when she saw me and the glass stayed at her lips in surprise. The first thing I noticed about Pauline was her big, dark, cat-like eyes and pale skin. She had short brown hair that came to her shoulders and Pauline also wore a long coat with big buttons that were done up to her neck. Unlike her Mother she didn’t stare too long. She blinked shyly down at the table after a second or two. Having a psychic for a father and a time-traveller for a sister meant Pauline was used to weird stuff. But it did seem she wasn’t the least bit surprised because, when she looked up again, she smiled showing me white teeth as bright as new paint.

  Pauline had a beautiful smile.

  “Hullo,” she said in a voice already deep even though she was only about sixteen. “What’s your name?”

  The way Pauline greeted me was perfectly natural and for a moment I forgot about my wobbly greyness.

  “Jay,” I said.

  “He’s the one I was telling you about,” interrupted Lizzie. “You know. From the future.”

  Pauline took another small sip of water and peered at me with those big eyes. “Are you going to find Ernie
for us?”

  “I hope I can,” I said. “I’m not sure how though.”

  “You must try your hardest.”

  “I will.”

  I found myself instantly obeying her, already thinking of ways to impress or please her. My promise to myself – to be stronger with girls – had been thrown right out the window.

  “I…I’ve got to go home now,” I said nervously, “but I’ll see you soon.”

  Pauline just nodded.

  Then I realised that Lizzie still held my hand and I snatched it away. Already Pauline’s impression on me was obvious to Lizzie. She folded her arms across her chest and pouted.

  “C’mon then, Jay,” she said in cross sort of way, “we haven’t got all night.”

  So I made my way out of the kitchen, back up the stairs and into my bedroom.

  But I couldn’t stop thinking of Pauline.