“I’m sorry, we must go. Bernadette has a flight booked for Nice later today. It was good seeing you Cheryl…and you too, Jeannie,” Carry Ann said. She and Bernadette turned and walked away. Bernadette looked back at Cheryl, then reached out for Carry Ann’s hand to hold, confirming to Cheryl that they were indeed an item. A moment later, Carry Ann turned to look back at Cheryl. She looked dejected.
“Wow, she couldn’t wait to toddle off, could she,” Jeannie said, watching them both disappear around the corner.
“I should’ve known, Jeannie. Maybe I’m a bit touched in the head for thinking that there could ‘ave been anything between us.”
•••
Cheryl and Jeannie walked into the pub and the first thing they both noticed was Harry’s unoccupied stool at the bar. It was a sad reality that seemed to linger on as they ordered their drinks. Behind them, the sound of a sixpence dropping into the jukebox and the vinyl record, ‘You’re a Devil in Disguise,’ began to play.
“Oi, Jeannie, you comin’ to sit with us?” Iris called out over the music.
“Yeah, Iris, we’ll be over in a sec,” she said, picking up her glass.
Shirley kicked out a chair on the opposite side of the table. “She didn’t ask if Cheryl was comin’ over,” she said with an almost hateful tone.
“You what?” Cheryl asked, reeling her head back.
“The likes of you, ain’t welcome round ‘ere, ain’t that right, Iris,” Shirley said, pulling the other chair closer towards her.
“What the bleedin’ hell is wrong with you two?” Cheryl snapped.
“Been hearing things about you, things that ain’t natural,” Iris quickly butted in.
Jeannie remained halfway between the bar and their table, not daring to take another step towards them, she looked at Cheryl for answers.
Cheryl took a large swig of her Cider and said, “And what bleedin’ things ya been hearing about me, then?”
“My brother’s mate Clive said he saw you and that new tarty friend of yours. He said you two was kissing and touching places ya never should. Like lesbians or summat,” Shirley said loud enough for everyone in the pub to hear.
“What the hell is this? ‘Ave you lost ya marbles?” Cheryl said, trying to not show her annoyance.
“Oi, leave it out, girls. This ain’t fair one bit,” Jeannie told them.
“What ya mean, leave it out? You like going with gals too, do ya? Well ya can kiss goodbye to ‘aving that cot an’ all,” Iris informed her.
“Yeah and any stuff from me an’ all,” Shirley joined in. She stood up and encouraging Iris to do the same, they both shoved their chairs away and began to leave the pub. Shirley wasn’t leaving quietly though. She glared at a couple of older gentlemen who were seated by the door and said, “You wanna watch her, keep ya daughters locked up if she’s about, ya never know, she might make ‘em lesbian or summat.” She then looked back at Cheryl with her arms crossed over her chest. “You better not ‘ave been thinking any funny thoughts about me or Iris, neither.”
They both left the pub with everyone watching them in silence.
Cheryl looked around at everyone wondering if they were going to shun her now that they knew she was different from them. Jeannie held tightly on to her Vimto, her eyes were wide as she too was looking for everyone’s reaction.
Reggie was standing behind the bar cleaning some glasses with a tea towel. “Sit down ladies. I ain’t bothered what ya do as long as ya don’t bring any trouble in ‘ere. I never liked those two anyway, they was always talking about the pair of ya, sayin’ things about how ya fancied yourselves and think you was better than anyone else. I heard it all. Not a nice pair, them two.”
“Thank you, Reggie,” Cheryl said respectfully.
They sat at the table farthest away from everyone and remained silent for a while. Cheryl knew that it wouldn’t be too long before everyone was talking about her and then her mum and dad would here all about it. She didn’t even want to think about what it would do to them. She remembered Michael Greene and how quickly the gossip spread around about him and the hate that went with it.
“Ya just gotta hold ya head up high, Cheryl,” Jeannie told her, patting her hand as a comforting gesture.
“Oh, Jeannie, they’re gonna tell everyone, ain’t they.”
With Cheryl feeling dejected and Jeannie silently sitting at her side, neither girl had seen Jimmy enter the pub. He was looking marginally puzzled looking back at the doorway and then at the girls.
“Hey, darlin’, what’s got up Shirley and Iris’s noses? They’re slagging you off left right and centre,” he said, pulling up a chair.
Cheryl let out a loud sigh, then raising her head, she informed him what had just occurred.
“It wouldn’t have taken ‘em long before they sussed it out anyway. Come ‘ere, ya daft bat,” he said. He reached out for her head and cupping the back of it with his hand, he pulled her in close to him, hugging her like an older brother would do for his younger sibling. He kissed her forehead, then got up and walked over to the jukebox. Finding a sixpence in his pocket, he popped it into the coin slot and chose a song that Cheryl liked. ‘Stop! In the Name of Love.’ He held out his hand to her and encouraged her to get up and dance with him. “Come on, Cheryl luv, as a friend, nothing more.”
Jeannie tapped Cheryl’s hand and nodded her head for her to get up. Cheryl let out a laugh and swiftly joined him. Resting her head into his shoulder, she muttered, “You’d make a lovely husband if I wasn’t into girls.” They began to dance slowly even though it didn’t match the music.
Unbeknown to anyone, Gloria had walked into the pub and witnessed Jimmy and Cheryl snuggled up dancing closely together. She was enraged with jealousy and knowing how Jimmy had always felt towards Cheryl, she promptly sought to take matters into her own hands.
Yanking Cheryl from the comfort of Jimmy’s arms, she swung her round by her hair. Cheryl, not understanding what was happening as she spun, screamed. Twisting and landing on the floor at Gloria’s 6inch stiletto heels, she looked up at the long slender legs clad in blue gingham Capri pants. Quickly coming to her senses, she got up on her feet and slapped Gloria across her face.
“Cheryl!” Jeannie cried out.
“Stay out of it, Jeannie!” Cheryl yelled back.
“Gloria, are you off your trolley?” Jimmy asked.
But it was too late for any small talk. Gloria grabbed a handful of Cheryl’s hair and yanked hard, pulling her in towards her. Cheryl, her head down, tried to release Gloria’s grip but it was too difficult for her.
“You slag!” Gloria sneered at her victim.
“Me, a slag? I ain’t done nothing!”
“You just couldn’t keep ya hands off my Jimmy, could ya?” she screamed at Cheryl.
Jimmy tried to intervene and rescue Cheryl from his girlfriend’s grasp but the two women were deeply involved in their combat. Cheryl managed to stamp on Gloria’s toes, then she reached up and grabbed one of her breasts, squeezing it hard.
“Awe, you cow!” Gloria yelped. She released Cheryl’s hair from her grip and took a step back.
Jimmy jumped in the middle of them and with his arms stretched out, he told them to pack it in. “Gloria, are you off your trolley? Just what the hell do you think is going on here? Cheryl isn’t…”
“Isn’t what, Jimmy?” Gloria asked, tapping her foot and crossing her arms.
“I’m not into blokes, Gloria, I don’t like blokes that way. Jimmy is my friend and nothing more. If you must know, you nosey cow, I like girls. Is that clear enough for ya?”
Gloria reeled back and huffed. “Do you really think I’m that stupid?”
“No, no I don’t. Remember that girl I was with at the workman’s dance? Well she likes me an’ we kissed and it would ‘ave been more if I didn’t like someone else,” Cheryl urged.
“Someone else? You mean my Jimmy?” Gloria quizzed her.
“No! Oh, Jimmy, help me out will ya,” Cheryl
pleaded with him.
“Gloria, luv. She likes another girl, can’t you see that? Just look at her face, look at those eyes. She doesn’t want me.”
Jeannie got up from the safety of the table and defending her friend, she said, “She likes Carry Ann and if I ‘ave anything to do with it, Carry Ann will like her back!”
“Carry Ann? I don’t know Carry Ann. Are you just making her up to cover up the fact that you like my Jimmy?”
“Gloria, please believe me. I… LIKE… GIRLS!”
“You lot! Out!” Reggie ordered, pointing at Cheryl, Jeannie, Gloria and Jimmy. “I told ya not less than ten minutes ago, no bringing trouble in ‘ere.”
“All right, Reggie, no need for the collywobbles.” Cheryl retorted.
All four of them sauntered out of the pub with their audience silently watching them.
“You really do like girls and not my Jimmy?” Gloria asked Cheryl as she leaned up against the lamppost.
“Cross my heart and hope to die,” Cheryl answered.
Chapter Eight
Cheryl was working in the café clearing tables and happily humming to herself. Mr. Glenn had taken himself to the back room where he was spending his time reading the newspaper and studying the horses in the sports section.
“Mr. Glenn, is it alright if I take a quick fag break? I’ve been gasping for one for the past hour?” she called out over the counter.
“Yes but stay out the front by the door just in case anyone comes in,” he called back.
She went outside and leaned up against the café window lighting a cigarette. The sun was in her direct vision so she had to hold her hand over her eyes in order to see clearly. People were nonchalantly walking past her taking care of their own business. She paid no attention to them and just drifted off into her little fantasy world thinking of how absurd the past few days had been. She was halfway through smoking the cigarette when she heard the tapping of heels approaching her. Turning to see who had just walked up to her, she took a moment to absorb the fact that standing in a union jack mini dress was Carry Ann. Flicking her cigarette to the ground and stubbing it out with her shoe, she exhaled the smoke from her mouth and wafted it away.
“Hello, Cheryl,” Carry Ann said, with her arms down in front of her and her hands clasped together.
“Bleedin’ hell, Carry Ann!” Cheryl said, almost standing to attention.
“Can we talk?”
“Mr. Glenn has given me a fag break, so I ‘ave a few minutes to spare.” She could feel her heart race faster and her hands became clammy.
“I want to apologise to you, for yesterday and for not explaining my reaction to your phone call.”
“You ‘ere just cos ya girlfriend’s gone to ‘ave her jollies somewhere else for the weekend and you’re at a loose end? Cos if that’s the case, then ya can bleedin’ well scarper. I ain’t nobody’s sloppy seconds.”
“No,” Carry Ann said quietly. “Yes, Bernadette is my girlfriend but we haven’t been together like that for months and I know that it’s just a matter of time until we split up.”
“My Aunt Fanny you are. Ya fancied ‘aving it off with me in hopes that she wouldn’t cotton on.”
“It’s true, Cheryl. Bernadette has been seeing another girl in France, I’m all too well aware of that fact. We tried to work things out a while ago but it just didn’t work. When I met you at the picture house, I saw you looking at me in the mirror and just the way that your eyes gazed at me, gave me butterflies in my belly.”
“So how come the two of you was holding hands in the street yesterday, then?” Cheryl asked, trying to act superior.
“We always hold hands. That’s how Bernadette is. I wouldn’t be here now and I certainly wouldn’t have taken things as far as they went with us if I was anything like in love with Bernadette, you have to believe me.”
Cheryl looked down at her feet, then in one direction up the street, then the other before looking back at Carry Ann. “I feel like a right berk standing ‘ere listening to this. You hungry? I’ll make ya some nosh.”
They went inside the café and while Carry Ann sat down and ate a greasy bacon butty that Cheryl had made her, Cheryl finished off her cleaning duties.
“Mr. Glenn, can I go now?” she asked him.
He looked at the clock on the wall behind him, then nodded his head yes.
“Ta Mr. Glenn,” she called back at him as she was already on her way out of the door with Carry Ann.
“Bye, Mr. Glenn,” Carry Ann added.
They walked up the street a little way and passing a secret smile between each other, Carry Ann held out her hand to take Cheryl’s.
“So what’s gonna happen between you and Bernadette?” Cheryl asked her.
“She’s thinking of moving back to France. I think she has already made up her mind about her new girlfriend.”
“So where does that leave you, with ya flat an’ all?”
“It’s my flat. Mum and dad pay for everything so I don’t have to worry about any bills but when Bernadette does leave, she’ll be taking her furniture with her. I sort of lied to you about it all being hers as I wanted you to like me for me and not for having expensive possessions.”
“I just need to be clear that you and her ain’t…”
“No we’re not, Cheryl,” Carry Ann insisted. She tugged on Cheryl’s hand and pulled her towards her. Kissing her quickly before anyone could see, she smiled, and said, “It’s you I want to be with, nobody else.”
•••
The bedroom window was opened to its fullest, the purple curtains swaggered with the breeze coming through and the tiny pieces of glass on the chandelier tinkled above the bed. Cheryl lay on her back sleeping. Her hair shined from the sunlight that caught it through the window and with the throw kicked to the bottom of the bed, her body glistened from the exhaustive sexual play that she had recently had with Carry Ann. Carry Ann lay oh her front, her arm relaxed over Cheryl’s breasts. Her head rested to the side on her pillow, she remained awake staring at the face of the person she was in love with.
It was now 5.35pm. Cheryl stirred and opened her eyes.
“You are beautiful, you know,” Carry Ann whispered to her.
Cheryl smiled and placed her hand over Carry Ann’s cheek. She leaned over and gave her a light kiss. Seeing the alarm clock on the side table, she immediately jerked back.
“Is that the time?” she asked, sounding annoyed.
“Yes, why?” Carry Ann asked, unsure of why Cheryl was so intent on jumping out of bed.
“My mum will ‘ave my guts for garters. She ain’t happy if I don’t come home for me tea on time,” she said hopping on one foot trying to put her shoe on. She picked her dress up from the floor and noticed that it was all creased and crumpled looking. “Oh no, now I’m gonna look like I’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards,” she sulked.
Carry Ann laughed at the show that Cheryl was giving. “Oh please do take one of my dresses, I insist,” she said, getting out of bed and opening her wardrobe door.
A colourful row of neatly organised dresses hung from wooden hangers. Cheryl ran her hand through them and with a tangerine and yellow flowered dress catching her eye, she pulled it from the hanger and put it on.
“That really suits you,” Carry Ann told her as she escorted her to the mirror on the wall. Still naked, she stood behind her with her hands placed gently on Cheryl’s waist and slightly twisted her so that she could get a better look at herself. “You can keep it if you like, it looks much better on you than it ever did on me.”
“Really? Ya mean I can ‘ave it?” Cheryl asked, excited that she’d been given her first present from Carry Ann.
“Yes, and I have a matching scarf that you can use as a head band too.” She opened her dresser drawer and pulled out a tangerine and yellow scarf and placed it around Cheryl’s head, tying it in a large bow at the nape of her neck. She smiled adoringly at her. “There, now that really does complete the look.”
Carry Ann wrapped a pale pink robe around herself and kissed Cheryl goodbye at the door. One of her neighbour’s, Mrs. Clemens, was just leaving her flat at the same time and shutting her door, she showed her disapproval by shaking her head.
•••
Cheryl had just arrived home and thrown her coat over the back of one of the dining chairs when her mother came through from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. Noticing that her daughter was wearing a different dress than she had gone out in she questioned her on where she had got it from. Cheryl hadn’t bargained on her mother turning into a detective.
“A friend of mine gave it to me,” she said, brushing herself down and avoiding all eye contact.
“Gave it to ya? A dress like that? Looks like it cost a bob or two, you sure she gave it ya?” she went on.
“Yes, mum! I can ‘ave friends who ‘ave nice things, ya know,” she replied firmly.
“Well it looks a little too expensive for someone to be givin’ it away. Now ya father will be home any moment, so none of your nonsense about drinking down at the boozer. And if I find out ya been gadding about…”
“Give over, mum.”
Moments later Cheryl’s father came home. Hanging his coat up on the hook and throwing his newspaper down on the sofa, he sat at the table to join his family in eating a meal of cheese and potato flan followed by a pudding of jam roly-poly and custard. Cheryl took charge in pouring the tea from the pot.
“Did you manage to buy a dress for the funeral tomorrow, Cheryl luv?” her dad asked her as he tucked into his pudding.
“Yes, dad. Me and Jeannie went to Biba and bought a dress each. Poor old Harry. He was a good man an’ all,” she said with a sigh.
•••
Cheryl, her mum, dad and Jeannie sat in the front row of church pews. There weren’t too many mourners joining them, just Reggie from the pub and one other work friend, Bill Smith. Harry really had died a lonely old man.
Cheryl had never been to a funeral before as when her Grandmother had passed away, she was only six months old. “So is this it, when ya kick the bucket no one else can be bothered to see ya off?” she whispered to Jeannie, covering her mouth so that the vicar couldn’t see what she was saying.
Stop! In the Name of Love Page 8
