Stop! In the Name of Love

by Shiralyn J. Lee

  “Cheryl, Jeannie’s ‘ere ta see ya,” her mother called from the front room.

  “I’m in my bedroom, Jeannie, come on through,” she yelled. She turned her record player off and sat back down on her bed.

  “Alright, then,” Jeannie said entering the room.

  “High, Jeannie,” Cheryl said back.

  “So I ‘aven’t seen ya for a couple of days, I wondered if ya was all right an’ all.” She sat down next to Cheryl on the bed. The mattress was overly soft and the two girls bounced a little.

  “Yeah, I know, been a bit busy an’ all, ya know.”

  “Yeah.”

  “D’ya wanna listen to any of me records?” Cheryl asked her.

  “Yeah sure, why not.”

  Cheryl put on another record and then sat back next to Jeannie. “Can I ask ya summat, summat personal, like, about that night with Tommy Perkins?”

  “Depends.”

  “Did it hurt when he, ya know, did it?”

  “I don’t really remember too much about it. I’d had a few ciders down at the pub already when Tommy came in. He came over to me and whispered in me ear that he liked me. He took me for a walk down to the park when it got dark and we did it behind a large tree. The bleedin’ grass was damp an’ all, stained me nice white dress green.

  “But can ya remember anything about how it was, did ya like it?”

  “I think so. Yeah, I think I did. He wasn’t really on top of me for too long but I felt his you know what go inside me”

  Cheryl smiled and said, “I have a secret. Can you keep a secret if I tell ya?”

  “I kept this a secret, didn’t I?” she said, looking down at her bulging belly.

  “I done it. I done it with a gal,” she said smugly.

  “What ya mean, ya done it an’ with a gal an’ all?”

  “I done it with Carry Ann. We was at her pad an’ we stripped off our clobber, ‘ere she pulled me draws off an’ all, then we got into her bed and well, we did it. My tummy got all tingly afterwards.”

  “But how can two gals do it? She doesn’t ‘ave anything to do it with.”

  Cheryl whispered into Jeannie’s ear, giving great description about her sexual activities with Carry Ann and just exactly how they did it.

  Jeannie’s eyes almost popped out of her head when she heard it all. “Blimey, well I never,” she said.

  “Ya can’t tell anyone about it though. If this gets out, I’ll know who told on me. Now cross ya heart and hope to die.”

  “Cross my heart and hope to die,” she said, crossing her fingers over her chest.

  “You? With a gal? I can’t believe it,” she giggled. “My mate likes gals, ya ain’t gonna try any funny business with me, are ya? ‘Ere I got some bubble-gum, want some?”

  They spent the afternoon laying on the bed blowing bubbles and listening to records with Jeannie thinking about the baby and Cheryl thinking about Carry Ann naked.

  “‘Ere ya go, you two, nice cuppa tea for ya both,” Cheryl’s mum said carrying in a tray. She placed it on the old dresser, then fumbling around in her dress pocket she pulled out a pair of yellow knitted baby booties. “For you, Jeannie, dear. I made ‘em the other day for the baby. I ‘aven’t done any knitting since Cheryl was a little baby, brought back lots of memories, it did.” She sniffed and pulled out a tissue from her other pocket and dabbed her eyes. “Look at me being an old softie like this, heaven knows what I’ll be like when Cheryl has babies.”

  “Don’t be daft, mum. I told ya, I ain’t getting’ myself into no trouble and I ain’t getting’ bleedin’ married neither!” She looked directly at Jeannie and rolled her eyes.

  Jeannie looked down at the booties she was holding. “They’re really beautiful Mrs. Carter, I don’t know what to say.”

  “That’s all right, dear. Times are hard for us all,” she said, picking up Cheryl’s makeup and looking it over. “Good god, how much stuff d’ya need to paint ya face with?”

  “It’s a gal’s prerogative to ‘ave as much makeup as she likes, ya know,” Cheryl said smugly.

  Her mum passed the girls their cups of tea and said, “Don’t spill any, this carpets already in a bad way due to Cheryl’s carelessness.” She walked out of the room, once again leaving the door wide open.

  “Soppy cow, your mum, ain’t she?” Jeannie said.

  “Yeah, she gets on me nerves but she does ‘ave her good moments. Bleedin’ crying over a pair of knitted booties, I tell ya.”

  Jeannie nudged Cheryl’s arm causing her to spill some tea on the bed. They giggled quietly between themselves.

  •••

  Cheryl was cleaning the outside windows at the café whilst Mr. Glenn saw to the hot pies he’d baked in the oven. She could see the group of Mods walking down the street and assumed that they were heading for the café. Just before they reached the building, Jimmy pulled up on his shiny Vespa.

  “So this is where you’ve been hidin’ out, darlin’,” he said, happy that he’d discovered her secret place of work.

  “It ain’t nobody’s business, Jimmy Potter. Now unless ya ‘ere for a cuppa or a bite to eat, I suggest you had better move on.”

  He hopped off his moped and then leaned up against the doorway, playfully preventing Cheryl from getting inside. “Only if you make it for us, Cheryl, darlin’.”

  “Oi, you don’t want to be messing with the likes of her, she’s a dark horse, that one,” one of the lads said as they approached the café.

  “And just what is that supposed to mean?” Jimmy asked, his stance now changed to prepare himself for a fight.

  “Leave it out, Jimmy, they don’t mean anythin’ by it, do ya lads,” Cheryl said, trying to diffuse the situation and still unaware that they’d seen her kiss another girl.

  Clive stepped forward and got up close to Jimmy’s face. “She ain’t worth the bother. We seen her, seen her kissing that chick that she likes to hang round with.”

  “You better back off,” Jimmy said, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists.

  “Ain’t me who needs to back off,” he turned his face to look at Cheryl. “Is it, Cheryl, luv?”

  “I don’t want no trouble. I don’t know what he’s talkin’ about, Jimmy, I honestly don’t,” Cheryl said, her voice vexed.

  The lads began to close in on Jimmy, one of them shoved Cheryl to the side and then it began. Jimmy threw the first punch, then Clive hit Jimmy back. The other lads circled them, blocking anyone from seeing what was actually happening. Jimmy hit Clive again, this time Clive fell to the ground. The lads didn’t like that and in a split second, Jimmy was overpowered by the many. ‘Get him,’ and ‘kick it to him,’ came from within the group. Cheryl feeling useless, screamed.

  Mr. Glenn came running out of the café holding a wooden broom. He shoved it into one of the lads back and then whacked another on his head. The group disbursed leaving Jimmy on the pavement bloody and bruised.

  “Clear off, the lot of ya and don’t be coming back to this establishment,” Mr. Glenn yelled at them. “Help me get him inside, Cheryl.”

  Jimmy was dazed, his ribs hurt where they’d kicked him and he had blood dripping down his face. Mr. Glenn took hold of his arm and yanked him up. Jimmy winced in pain.

  “Oh, Jimmy, I’m so sorry, I had no idea they’d do that,” Cheryl cried.

  “It’s okay, Cheryl, luv, I gave ‘em as good as I got,” he said as they sat him down in one of the chairs.

  “Yeah, that’s right, Jimmy, ya did,” Cheryl said, wiping the blood from his face with a tissue.

  Mr. Glenn fetched Jimmy a glass of water and advised him to drink it.

  “I’d do anythin’ for you, Cheryl, luv, anythin’,” he said, now starting to feel the pain.

  “Oh, Jimmy, no. Please don’t say anythin’ else. You won’t wanna know me when I tell ya about it.”

  “I’ll leave you two love birds to sort out your affairs,” Mr. Glenn said, then disappeared out of the front door to smoke a cigarette.


  “Jimmy, oh sweet poor, Jimmy,” she said, kneeling down in front of him. “It ain’t never gonna happen, me and you, we ain’t never…”

  Jimmy reached his hand out and patted Cheryl’s head. Smiling, he said, “I know, Cheryl, darlin’. But if I hadn’t of tried for ya affections, then I wouldn’t have been half the bloke I say I am, now would I?”

  Cheryl rested her head in Jimmy’s lap. “Oh, Jimmy,” she sighed.

  The next song to come on the radio was, ‘It’s Over.’

  “Bleedin’ typical,” Jimmy chuckled. “I’m gonna have to walk back with my moped, I don’t think I can manage to ride it home.”

  “Mr. Glenn, can I leave early? I wanna make sure Jimmy makes it home safe an’ all,” Cheryl called out to him.

  “You better had, and don’t be bringing any more trouble back ‘ere, I can’t afford to lose any business.” He handed Cheryl a small brown envelope.” Now go on, be done with ya,” he said, waving his tea towel at them.

  “What’s this, you ain’t firing me, are ya, Mr. Glenn?”

  He laughed. “No, it’s ya first lot of wages, now spend it wisely, is my advice.”

  “Thanks, Mr. Glenn, I intend to!”

  It was a pleasant walk home for Cheryl. She liked when the clouds would cover the sun to give her shade and when the warm breeze swept just enough to keep her cool. Jimmy on the other hand wasn’t feeling the same vibe and with every step he took, he would feel a sharp jolt of pain that reminded just how hard those Mods had kicked him. He began to sweat and his paces got slower.

  “I’ll have to take a rest for a while, Cheryl. It’s not doing me any good trying to rush back home.”

  “Why don’t ya let me take the moped from ya, I’m sure I can push it, just show me how, go on, Jimmy, I can see yer in pain,” Cheryl urged him, then she placed her hand on the handle and knocked his off. “See, Jimmy, I can do it.”

  He let go of his moped and walked alongside her. Secretly he was grateful for her tomboyish way. “So who is it then?”

  “Who’s what?” she replied but she knew what he was asking her.

  “Who’s the girl I got into a fight over?” he asked, clutching his side.

  “Jimmy, please don’t tell anyone, promise me that you won’t tell, I swore Jeannie to cross her heart and now you ‘ave to do the same. Promise me, Jimmy.”

  “All right, all right, ya don’t have to go all insane over it. I promise, Cheryl Carter, that I cross my heart and hope to die if I ever let it slip from these handsome lips, that you kissed a girl.”

  “Jimmy, shush. Ya can’t go sayin’ it out loud, what if someone would ‘ave heard ya?”

  Jimmy slapped his hand over his mouth and muffled the words again. Cheryl laughed at his attempt of comedy. “I do my best to please the ladies,” he said and took a bow, wincing as he did it.

  Cheryl stopped walking. She looked around to see if anyone was in earshot of their conversation. Two men who were leaning up against a shop window, were chatting up two women who had just walked past them. Cheryl could hear their conversation, so she decided to walk on a little way further down the street. When they reached the post box, she stopped again. Taking a second look around and seeing that the coast was clear, she reported to Jimmy about her new found fancy with Carry Ann. Jimmy scoffed at the idea at first but then he saw the look in Cheryl’s eyes. He could tell that she was smitten with this girl, he knew that look because it was the same look that he had for Cheryl.

  “Excuse me, I like to post my letter,” an elderly woman said, standing behind Cheryl.

  Cheryl moved out of the woman’s way and almost dropped Jimmy’s moped on the ground.

  “Careful!” Jimmy shouted at her.

  “Weren’t my fault. She made me get out of the way,” Cheryl protested.

  An Austin Mini pulled up alongside them and a man in his early twenties, wearing a brown turtle neck jumper and beige trousers jumped out of the driver’s seat leaving the door wide open. Cheryl had to move out of his way too. He smiled at her, posted his letter and then jumped back into his car and sped off down the street.

  “Bleedin’ hell, it’s like Piccadilly Circus down ‘ere,” Cheryl moaned.

  They walked a little further until they got to the council flats where Cheryl lived.

  “I can take it from here, Cheryl, luv. It’s just around the corner.”

  “Are ya sure, Jimmy? It’s no trouble, I can push it a bit further for ya if ya need me to.”

  “I can manage. Besides, I have a manly reputation to keep, can’t have the ladies see me at my weakest, now can I?” He took the moped from her hold and carried on walking down the street. He looked back at her and winked, then just before he was about to turn the corner, a sweet looking girl with blonde pig tails, thick blue eye shadow and wearing an orange mini dress with white stripe bands crossing the front chest area, caught his eye. He wolf whistled at her causing her to stop and turn around. Without saying a word between them, she opened her handbag, pulled out a packet of cigarettes, took two out and placed one in her mouth and one in his. Jimmy quickly fumbled in his trouser pocket for his box of matches. Not finding them, he realised that they were in his back pocket and whipped them out as fast as he could. He struck the match and cupping it with both of his hands, he lit hers first, then his. A smile crossed his face and Cheryl knew then, that he had already forgotten about her.

  As she walked away, Jimmy called out to her, “Cheryl!” She turned to see what the matter was. Jimmy, with his cigarette hanging from his lower lip, raised his hand to his chest and showed her that he was crossing his heart. Cheryl mouthed the words, ‘thank you.’

  She arrived home just in time for tea. Her mother was placing the cutlery down on the table when she walked in.

  “Smells lovely, mum, what’s for tea?”

  “Bangers ‘n mash,” she said, wiping her hands on her apron. “How comes you’re home early. Get the sack or what?”

  “No, in fact I just got my first wages,” Cheryl said proudly.

  “Ooh heavens, is it good, did ya get a good wage?” her mother asked, sitting down at the table next to her daughter.

  “I don’t know, I ‘aven’t opened it yet.”

  “Ya first wages and ya ‘aven’t even opened to take a butchers, well that’s a first,” she remarked, surprised that Cheryl hadn’t already spent it on cigarettes and bubble gum.

  Cheryl tore the packet open. Inside was a one pound note and fifty shillings. Cheryl had worked a total of 10 hours and as promised by Mr. Glenn, she had gotten top hourly pay of three shillings.

  “What’s all the excitement about, then,” Cheryl’s dad asked, walking in through the door.

  “She’s only gone and got herself a good paying job, Freddie. Three shillings an hour working for Mr. Glenn down at the café.”

  “Well done, Cheryl, luv. You’ll soon be rich enough to do whatever ya want with ya life. Now what’s for tea, Margaret?” he asked, throwing his newspaper down onto the sofa and then hanging his coat up on the hook by the front door. “It looks like those jewellery shop robbers are getting away with a lot, if you ask me. Yet again another shop was robbed in broad daylight and not a copper in sight. Thank god our Cheryl has gone and got herself an honest day’s paying job.”

  Cheryl stuffed the money into her handbag and then hung it from the back of the chair. She picked up her knife and fork and tucked into her food. Her mother poured the tea out into everyone’s cups and then looking at Cheryl, she said, “We should celebrate. Cheryl’s doin’ well for herself now. I think we should reward her, what d’ya think, Freddie?”

  “Now how are we going to celebrate?” he asked, looking at her and shaking his head.

  “I made a nice Victoria sponge cake today. I was keeping it special for after Church on Sunday, but I’m sure that we could help ourselves to a slice or two, what ya say, Cheryl? Fancy a slice of cake for ya pudding?” her mum asked, grinning with pride.

  Cheryl nodded her
head as she scooped up a forkful of mash potatoes and shovelled it into her mouth.

  “I saw that boyfriend of yours down the street,” her dad informed her.

  “Boyfriend? I ain’t got no boyfriend,” Cheryl protested, scrunching her nose up in disgust at the thought.

  “That lad, what’s his name, you know, Jimmy. That’s it, Jimmy,” he said as he remembered the name. “He was with some blonde bird, nice looking gal she was.”

  “Yeah, I was with him when they met. Looks like he’ll ‘ave his hands full for a while now,” Cheryl snickered.

  Chapter Five

  As arranged, Cheryl went down to the phone box at the end of the street and dialled Carry Ann’s phone number. It was just after mid-day and with the heat from the sun beating down, the stench of stale urine was even stronger than usual. Cheryl heard the click of the phone when it was picked up on the receiving end and someone taking a deep breath shortly before saying, hello. But this voice wasn’t Carry Ann’s as Cheryl was expecting.

  “Allo, who is this?” she asked in a very strong French accent.

  “‘Ave I just bleedin’ phoned France?” Cheryl asked herself out loud, holding the hand piece out in front of her and checking it out. She shook it vigorously and then tapped it with her long fingernails. “Hello, hello, I…AM…LOOKING…FOR…CARRY…ANN,” she spoke slow and loud to make sure the other person could understand her.

  “Carry Ann is here, I will get her for you,” the woman told her. “Mon Cheri, there’s a woman on the telephone for you.”

  Carry Ann came running to the phone, she placed her hand over the mouth piece to avoid Cheryl hearing her conversation with Bernadette. Whispering she said, “Who is it?”