It was mid-October and Ruth was glad to get home from work. There was no sign of Arthur before Sally went to the spiritualist hall and with Angel tucked up in bed she faced a quiet evening with her mother. However it was interrupted when there was a knock on the door.
It was Elsie, and Ruth’s eyes widened. ‘Well, this is a nice surprise. Is everything all right?’
‘Yes, fine. I just want to talk something over with all of you.’
‘Come on in, love,’ Ruth urged. ‘Watcha,’ Sadie said, looking pleased to see Elsie as they walked into the kitchen.
‘Hello, Sadie, and how are you?’
‘I’m as fit as a fiddle.’
‘Good, but where is everyone?’
‘Sally’s doing a healing service at the hall and I’ve no idea where Arthur is,’ Ruth told her.
‘That’s odd. Bert said he only did a local job today and I expected him to be home by now.’
Ruth glanced at the clock, frowning. It was eight o’clock. What was keeping him?
‘Perhaps there have been a few problems, or the van broke down.’
‘If that was the case, I’m sure Bert would have mentioned it when he came home. I should have rung first to check that you were all in, but with Bert hovering, it was impossible. He has no idea I was coming here. I just hope Arthur arrives home soon.’
‘What’s this all about, Elsie?’
‘Its Bert’s birthday in January and I thought we could arrange a surprise party.’
‘Blimey, Elsie, ain’t you being a bit premature?’
‘Not really. There’s a lot to sort out and I’ll need to rope Arthur and Sally in with the planning. Fifty, Ruth, my Bert’s going to be fifty. Where has all the time gone?’
‘He’s just a whippersnapper,’ Sadie commented. ‘Where are you thinking of holding this party?’
‘I thought I’d book the hall. I know we don’t live around here now, but most of our friends are still in this area.’
‘Right then,’ Ruth said. ‘Arthur may not be here, but we can make a start. Let’s draw up a list of what’s needed.’
‘Yes, all right. I know Ann would have wanted to help, but it’s impossible with her living in Milton Keynes.’
‘With three kids and two of those twins, your daughter certainly has her hands full.’
‘She does, and living so far away I can’t do much to help her. Still, she’s arriving on Friday night to stay for the weekend and it’ll be lovely to see her.’
‘I hear you’re having Angel over for the night too. Talk about a glutton for punishment,’ Ruth said, smiling wryly.
‘It’ll be lovely, and to be honest one more won’t make a lot of difference.’
‘Rather you than me.’
‘Have you heard about my Mary?’ Sadie asked. ‘Yes, Arthur told me.’
‘I’m not gonna stand for it. She’ll marry that black man over my dead body.’
‘Arthur said you’re against it, but would it be so bad? Mary has been alone since her husband died, and after what she went through she deserves a bit of happiness.’
Ruth saw her mother’s eyes darken and quickly changed the subject. ‘Come on, we’re supposed to be planning a party.’
Sadie ignored the comment, livid as she shouted, ‘Elsie Jones, if you’re going to take Mary’s side you can get out of my house!’
‘Now there’s no need for that,’ Elsie protested. ‘I’m not taking sides.’
‘It sounds to me like you are.’
Elsie moved across to Sadie and bending over she took the old woman’s hand, saying softly, ‘Come on, love, I don’t want to fall out with you. Let’s forget I said anything and start again.’
‘Yeah well . . . just don’t mention Mary’s name.’
‘I won’t,’ Elsie said, her eyes full of sympathy as they met Ruth’s.
Things were a little subdued at first as they sat down to make plans, but the tension soon eased. Food was the first thing they discussed, then drink, music, and a second list was drawn for guests. ‘It’s funny,’ Ruth commented. ‘I seem to remember helping you out with another party some years ago. The one you threw for Arthur before he left for Australia.’
‘Our first grandchild must have been conceived that night. Maybe lightning will strike again at Bert’s party,’ Elsie said, chuckling.
Ruth smiled and soon they were reminiscing, until at nine- thirty, Elsie said she had to leave.
‘I’ll ring for a cab, but while I’m waiting can I pop upstairs for a peek at Angel?’
‘Of course you can, but for Gawd’s sake don’t wake her up.’
Elsie was soon back downstairs again, smiling softly. ‘Angela looks so sweet, but don’t worry, she’s out for the count. I’m surprised that Arthur still isn’t home. I can’t imagine where he is.’
Ruth managed a nonchalant shrug. ‘He knew Sally would be at the hall this evening so perhaps he went to a pub for a drink.’
‘Yes, that’s probably it,’ Elsie agreed, and then they heard the toot of a horn.
‘That’s the cab,’ Ruth said, and though she went with Elsie to the front door, then waved as the taxi drove off, her mind was churning. She’d been sure for a while now that Arthur was up to something, and though hiding her concern from Elsie, she was swamped with suspicion.
Sadie was dozing, but Ruth kept glancing at the clock, until at last, half an hour later, Arthur came home. ‘Hello there,’ she said, doing her best to act normally. ‘You’re late. Have you had a busy day?’
‘Yes, a delivery to Devon. A big load too and I’m bushed.’
As she lit a cigarette, Ruth looked at Arthur from under her lashes. He was lying of course, but why? All these late nights, and the lame excuses pointed to one thing. Arthur was being unfaithful to Sally. He was having an affair. Should she say something? Confront him? Ruth opened her mouth, about to have it out with him, but then the door flew open and Sally entered the room with a flurry.
‘Hello, darling,’ she said, her eyes on Arthur before anyone else.
Ruth watched her son-in-law’s reaction, saw the fondness in his eyes as he wrapped his arms around Sally and berated herself. No, Arthur would never be unfaithful. He obviously loved Sally, but Ruth was still sure he was up to something, though what it was remained a mystery.
When everyone had gone to bed, Ruth sat alone in the kitchen, her face set in sadness. When her sister had turned up with a bloke, albeit a black man, she had felt her own loneliness. There were times when Ruth craved to feel a man’s arms around her again and lighting yet another cigarette, she wondered if she dare take the chance. Yet what hope did she have of meeting anyone? Her life revolved around work and home. Not only that, women just didn’t go into places like pubs on their own.
Taking a final drag on her cigarette, her shoulders slumped, Ruth at last went upstairs to her lonely bed.
On Saturday morning Sally was humming as she absent- mindedly flicked a duster over the furniture. Angel had stayed overnight with Elsie and alone at last, she and Arthur had spent most of the night making love. It had been wonderful, Arthur’s eagerness matching hers and after waiting so long, the first time had been over quickly, so much so that it had proved to Sally that she had been silly to suspect Arthur of having an affair.
‘What’s that bleedin’ racket?’ Sadie complained.
Sally moved across to the window, her lips set in a grim line when she saw Tommy Walters being thrashed by his mother. Angel was close by, watching the scene and obviously distressed as the boy screamed out in agony. Sally had no time for the lad, but no matter what he’d done, there was no need for Laura Walters to lay into him with a belt.
‘I won’t be a minute, Gran,’ Sally said before rushing outside.
A few neighbours were on their steps, all looking uncomfortable, but none intervening. Sally rushed up to Laura to grab her arm and the woman turned, spitting abuse.
‘Get your hands off of me!’
Sally was sickened by the stench of alcohol on the woman’s breath. She’d heard rumours that Laura Walters was a drinker, but this was the first time she’d seen it for herself. ‘Let Tommy go,’ she demanded.
‘Mind your own business. He deserves a good hiding and that’s what I’m giving him.’
‘Why? What had he done?’ Sally asked, relieved that at last the woman was distracted enough to stop laying the belt across Tommy’s legs.
‘He defied me, that’s what,’ Laura spat, but in the process she had let go of Tommy’s ear and in a flash the boy was gone, his little legs pumping like pistons as he fled.
‘You won’t get away from me. I’ll get you later, you little bugger,’ Laura screeched.
‘It’s disgraceful, that’s what it is,’ Mrs Stone commented after Laura had staggered back indoors. ‘It’s only one o’clock on a Saturday afternoon and the woman’s as drunk as a skunk.’
Other women nodded, joining in the gossip, but Sally took her daughter’s hand. ‘Come inside now.’
‘No, I don’t want to. I want to wait for Tommy to come back.’
‘He won’t show his face for a good while,’ Sally told Angela, unable to help feeling sorry for the boy again.
‘What was all that about?’ Sadie asked as soon as she saw them.
‘Laura Walters was giving Tommy a hiding.’
‘Yeah, well, no doubt he deserved it.’
‘No child deserves to be thrashed with a belt, Gran. I think the woman was drunk.’
‘Yes, as a skunk,’ Angel said. ‘What’s a skunk, Gamma?’
‘It’s an animal,’ Sadie said and on an aside to Sally asked, ‘Where did she pick that saying up from?
‘Jessie Stone.’
‘I might have guessed, but I’m not surprised. Nelly told me that Laura likes the booze, her old man too, and from what she said it sounds like they’re both alcoholics.’
‘What’s an al . . . alco . . .?’ Angel asked, struggling with the word.
Sally didn’t want her daughter to hear any more of this kind of conversation. ‘It’s nothing important, darling. Now run upstairs to fetch a jigsaw puzzle or another toy to play with.’
Thankfully Angel did her bidding and when she was out of earshot Sally said, ‘If Tommy’s parents are both alcoholics, no wonder the boy runs wild. It also explains why his clothes are like rags.’
‘Yeah, well, if his mother’s on the booze she won’t live to see old bones.’
‘Dreadful though that sounds, I’m more concerned about Tommy. Maybe I should report this to someone in authority that can help.’
‘Keep your nose out of it, Sally. It’s none of our business and do you really think the boy would be better off in care, in some sort of kids’ home, ’cos that’s where he’d end up.’
‘If getting beaten by his mother is a common occurrence, then yes.’
‘What makes you think it’s common? Have you ever seen her beating him before?’
‘Well no.’
‘There you are then, and it’s probably something the boy did that drove Laura over the limit. There’s no getting away from the fact that he’s a naughty little tyke. One thrashing isn’t enough to stick your oar in.’
Sally was still unsure. She just hoped that Tommy stayed away until Laura calmed down and now understood why the lad was allowed to roam the streets at all hours. His parents were probably too drunk to care. It was little wonder that Tommy had learned to be streetwise, but at only seven years old it wasn’t safe to be out so late at night.
As Sally sat down she felt a flush of guilt. There had been so many occasions when she had chased the boy off, yet what choice had she had? Tommy’s language was dreadful and only recently he’d been caught trying to pinch apples from a market stall. He was a bad influence, and she still didn’t want her daughter mixing with him.
* * *
At three o’clock Mary came to see them, but as she walked in, Sadie said, ‘You ain’t bringing that black geezer in here again. If he’s with you, bugger off.’
There was no curt response, no argument and instead Mary looked at them with pain-filled eyes. It was Ruth who spoke now, asking worriedly, ‘Mary, what’s wrong?’
She just continued to stand there, trembling, and worried too, Sally focused on her aunt. There were no dark patches in her aura, no signs of illness.
‘Mary, what’s wrong?’ Ruth asked.
‘I . . . I’m not pregnant.’
‘I told you that,’ Ruth said smugly.
Sadie pursed her lips. ‘Does this mean you won’t be marrying that nigger?’
‘Please, Mother, please don’t call him that, but yes, it’s over and Leroy has gone.’
With a smile of satisfaction Sadie said, ‘Good riddance to bad rubbish.’
At last Mary reacted as she’d have done in the past, fire in her eyes as she glared at her mother. ‘Leroy is a wonderful man and I won’t have you calling him rubbish.’
‘If he’s so wonderful, how come he’s buggered off ?’
‘Because I told him to.’
‘But why?’ Sally blurted out.
Mary crumbled again, her eyes flooding with tears, and jumping up she fled the room. Ruth was about to follow her, but Sally quickly said, ‘I’ll go, Mum.’
‘Yes, all right. You two were always as thick as thieves and no doubt she’d prefer to talk to you.’
Sally found her aunt in the bathroom, perched on the edge of the bath, leaning forward with her arms wrapped around her waist and rocking as though in pain. She looked up at Sally, crying in anguish, ‘Oh, I’ve been such a fool.’
‘Why?’ Sally said softly, hoping to draw her aunt out.
Her voice cracking with emotion, Mary said, ‘Since your uncle’s death, I’ve occasionally been out with men, but I’ve never been able to – to, be, err, intimate with them. Leroy changed all that and somehow he managed to break through my barriers. He was wonderful, but now I’ve had to send him away.’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘No, of course you don’t, but you see when I thought I was having a baby, I almost burst with happiness.’
‘I’m so sorry, Auntie. It must have been awful to miscarry,’ Sally said as she sat down next to her on the edge of the bath.
‘I didn’t miscarry. Your mother was right and I’ve been a stupid, stupid woman,’ Mary cried. ‘I’m eight years older than Leroy, but it didn’t seem to matter and like me he was thrilled when he thought I was pregnant. But I’ll never be pregnant, Sally. I’ll never be able to have a baby. It . . . it’s too late.’
‘But why?’
‘Instead of confirming my pregnancy the doctor told me that I’m going through the change of life. It was only then that I realised what an idiot I’d been.’
Sally did a rapid calculation of her aunt’s age and realised that though she always took great care of her appearance, she was actually in her late forties. ‘It must have been awful for you, but I don’t understand why you sent Leroy away.’
Mary took another deep breath as she again fought for composure. ‘Leroy couldn’t wait to have a family, so when I found out I wasn’t pregnant, how could I marry him? He needs to meet a young woman, not a dried-up old prune like me, one who can give him the children he wants.’
‘Did you tell him that?’
‘No, I just told him that the pregnancy was a false alarm and then went on to say that I didn’t want to marry him after all.’
‘If you had told him the truth, it might not have mattered.’
‘He may have stayed, but eventually Leroy would have grown to resent me.’
‘Oh, Auntie, I’m so sorry,’ Sally sighed.
Visibly straightening, Mary managed a lopsided smile. ‘I was mad to come here expecting any sympathy from my mother. I’ll get over it given time, and for now it’s time to put on a brave front.’
When they went downstairs, Mary’s assessment of her mother proved to be right when after telling her what had happened, the old lady said, ‘Yeah, well I hope you’ve learned your lesson now. In future I suggest you stick to your own kind.’
‘I guessed you’d say that,’ Mary commented, ‘and it’s best I leave now.’
‘You don’t have to rush off,’ Ruth protested.
‘I think it’s better to go before I say something that I might regret.’
‘Huh, if you’ve got something to say to me, let’s hear it.’
‘No, Mother. Some things are better left unsaid and anyway, knowing how you feel it would be a waste of time.’
With that Mary marched out and Sally followed her, saying urgently, ‘She didn’t mean it, Aunt Mary. The stroke changed Gran, and she really can’t help being the way she is now.’
‘Oh Sally, I know, and I shouldn’t argue with her. It’s just that I came round hoping to see my old mum, the one who was wise and tolerant, the one I could always run to with my problems.’
‘She’s still in there somewhere.’
A loud bang made Mary jump and with her hand on her heart she said, ‘Oh goodness, I hate the run-up to fireworks night. There are children everywhere, throwing bangers or asking for a penny for the guy. I don’t know why their parents allow it, after all it’s tantamount to begging.’
Mary suddenly halted in her tirade, her face paling. ‘Listen to me, Sally. I’m complaining like an old woman, yet since finding out that I’m going through the change I feel like one. I feel as though I’ve aged overnight.’
‘You’re not old, Auntie.’
‘I’m past having children,’ she said sadly, leaning forward to give Sally a kiss on the cheek. ‘Bye, my dear.’
Sally stood on the step as her aunt walked straight-backed down the lane. She didn’t look back, but Sally remained where she was until her aunt turned the corner. She then went back to the kitchen to hear her mum and gran talking about Mary, both pleased that she had broken up with Leroy, both forgetting the pain her aunt was in.
For a moment Sally wondered if this was what her intuition had warned her about, her aunt’s unhappiness and pain. Yet even as the thought crossed her mind she dismissed it as a shiver ran down her spine.
What was coming would be worse, much worse, and Sally’s heart filled with dread.