The Quality of Love (37 page)

‘Yes, but so many things have happened and in recent years our life has changed a great deal,' Owen reminded her.

‘Yes,' Sarah sighed. ‘I miss my mam and I was sorry that Bryn died when he did but in some ways we are so very much better off that we should be grateful that things have turned out so well.'

‘Very true, cariad. What we have to do now is make sure that we plan things so that we don't get into the rut of putting work before our own interests. This break has done us good in more ways than one. It's shown us how much more there is to life than merely earning money.'

‘If we weren't earning the money, though, we wouldn't have been able to afford to come on holiday,' Sarah laughed. ‘We certainly wouldn't be sitting here drinking wine! I can't remember Mam and Dad ever having any wine in the house except at Christmas time and that was usually a bottle of home made parsnip wine or something like that. Mind you, it was pretty potent!'

She held up her glass and clinked it against his, ‘I still like this better and we didn't have to go to all the trouble of making it, which can take weeks and weeks if I remember rightly.'

‘Perhaps you should start making wine at home, it would be a nice little hobby for you,' Owen teased. ‘You'll have quite a lot of spare time on your hands when Rhoslyn starts school.'

‘Yes, and we should talk about it and decide which school would be best for her.'

Owen looked puzzled. ‘What do you mean?
She'll go to whichever one is nearest to Cyfartha Street, surely.'

‘That is certainly what I'd always intended,' Sarah agreed, ‘but the other day Celina was talking about Rhoslyn starting school and she was saying that the schools in Roath are very much better than those in Cathays. She seemed to think that perhaps we ought to be sending her to one of them.'

‘I see!' He looked perplexed. ‘Perhaps we should make some enquiries after we get back and see what we can find out. We certainly want to give her the best start in life that we possibly can.'

‘No harm in finding out whatever we can, I suppose,' Sarah agreed. ‘I went to school near Cyfartha Street and I seemed to have got on all right, though.'

‘You were probably one of the exceptions,' Owen teased.

‘No, I was the one who was nagged silly by my father. I struggled hard in order to please him. I lost most of my friends and almost my way because I was so immersed in learning and education,' she said rather sadly.

‘We certainly don't want that to happen to Rhoslyn,' he agreed seriously. ‘Let's make some enquiries. There's plenty of time before we have to make up our minds. Has Rhoslyn said anything about going to school?'

‘Not really; I must talk to her about it. She is going to find it a bit of a shock having to
mix in with other children because she hardly knows any.'

Owen frowned. ‘I hadn't thought about it until now but I suppose you're right. She is constantly in the company of grown-ups. While you are at work she is with Lloyd and Celina and when you are at home she's in the house or else out shopping with you.'

‘That's right. We never let her go out in the street to play with other children and I haven't any friends who bring their children round. In fact, our only visitors seem to be Alvia and Marie and you can hardly count them because they're as old as my dad.'

Although it was quite a while before Rhoslyn would start school Sarah gave some serious thought to the fact that Rhoslyn didn't have any little friends. It worried her because she was well aware that her daughter would find it hard to adjust to the cut and thrust of school life unless she was used to mixing with other children.

‘You ought to let her go out and play in the street; that's what all the other children around here do,' both Alvia and Marie advised when she mentioned it to them.

‘Yes, I know that, but it's difficult because she's not here all the time. When I go to work I leave her with Celina.'

‘What difference does that make? She can play out around there, can't she?' Alvia asked.

‘I'm not sure. I don't think I have ever seen any children playing out in the street when I've been there,' Sarah admitted.

As she spoke she remembered the children she'd seen at all hours of the day and evening in Tiger Bay; most of them ragged and without shoes. There had been little tots who could barely walk sitting in the gutter playing with
the debris that had accumulated there. Often these toddlers were knocked over if they got in the way of bigger children who were playing hopscotch, swinging from ropes tied to the lamp-posts, playing hide and seek or chasing after each other in a game of tag.

She knew quite well that that sort of thing didn't go on in the streets in Cathays. Little girls pushed their dolls in prams which had been handed down by their older siblings or cousins who no longer wanted them. Some of the boys played football, or bounced balls against the wall and caught them; the girls would have skipping ropes and both boys and girls played with a top or marbles from time to time.

It had never entered her head to let Rhoslyn go out and join in their games; in fact, she didn't even know the names of any of the children who lived nearby.

She could see now that she had been rather remiss; when they'd been talking about a party for Rhoslyn's fourth birthday she realised that there was no one of her age they could invite. Just as for Rhoslyn's previous birthdays, Marie and Alvia would plan a special tea for her and make her a birthday cake with candles on it. Apart from them, though, no one outside the family would be there to join in the celebrations.

Sarah knew that it was too late now to rectify matters – for this year, at any rate. But before Rhoslyn went to school in a year's time, she
certainly intended to invite other children to their home so that Rhoslyn could get used to mixing and playing with them.

Even though it was rather a subdued affair Rhoslyn's fourth birthday was a tremendous milestone, not only for her but also for the rest of the family as well.

After they'd all sung ‘Happy Birthday' Rhoslyn had blown out her four candles and they'd all clapped and cheered, Lloyd announced that he had something important he wanted to say.

‘I've decided that next week I'm moving away from Cyfartha Street,' he announced as they all looked at him expectantly.

‘You are doing what?' Sarah and Owen spoke in unison and stared at him in disbelief.

‘I feel so much fitter these days, and I am capable of doing so much more that it's time I had a proper life. It's all right for you, Sarah; you've got a family of your own now. You've got Rhoslyn and before long there'll be another baby. Soon you won't have time for an old codger like me.'

‘Oh, Dad. I think you've had too much excitement today,' Sarah told him with a little laugh, looking across at Owen to see if he was taking any notice of what her father had just said.

Owen looked at her with raised eyebrows and then shook his head in bewilderment. ‘You seem to know more than I do, Lloyd.' He smiled.

‘Rhoslyn's anything but a baby,' Sarah said
quickly. ‘Another year and she'll be off to school.'

‘I know what I know,' Lloyd told her sagely. ‘There'll be a new baby before Easter, you mark my words.'

‘This talk of another baby . . . we're not planning anything of the sort,' Owen protested mildly.

‘I think Lloyd is right; you've left it too late to change your minds. Isn't that so, Sarah?' Celina said with a smile.

‘How on earth did you know?' Sarah frowned. ‘I've not said a word, not even to Owen, because I'm not sure myself yet. It's far too early to be certain.'

‘Your dad's heard you being sick in the morning and he drew his own conclusions,' Celina said beaming.

‘You old rogue,' Sarah laughed, shaking her head in mock despair at her father, as Owen came over and hugged her, looking down at her, a big grin on his face.

‘It's impossible to keep any secrets when you're around, Dad. Even so, you don't need to move out,' she protested, pulling herself out of Owen's embrace and going over to her father's chair and kneeling down beside it. She took his hand in hers. ‘This is your home, Dad, so we won't hear of you giving it up.'

‘I've already decided,' he told her, patting her head. ‘I can't change my mind now, Celina would never forgive me.'

‘But, Dad—

‘Shush! No arguing. Everything has been arranged. I've already moved most of my belongings over to Pen-y-lan Road while you were on holiday; we were just waiting for the right time to tell you.'

‘Are you quite sure about this?' Owen asked as he looked across at Celina.

‘Yes, we are. We've been thinking about it for quite some time but ever since we realised that another baby was on the way we decided this was the time to go ahead. Lloyd hasn't told you the whole story,' Celina continued. ‘I told you to let me be the one to tell them,' she scolded, frowning at Lloyd. ‘Now you've made a right hash of things.'

Lloyd gave a resigned shrug. ‘Go on, then, tell them everything. I was trying to break it to them gradually, bit by bit, but it's probably better if they know the whole story and everything that you've planned.'

‘Hold it, this sounds like a very important decision so I think we all ought to have a drink or a cup of strong tea,' Owen stated. ‘Let's clear up the party first and then sit down and you can start afresh.'

While Sarah tucked a very tired Rhoslyn up in bed, Alvia and Marie cleared away and washed everything up. Tactfully, they declined to stay, saying that it seemed to be a family matter that was going to be discussed and they'd leave Sarah to tell them about it in the morning.

Sarah made some coffee and as the four of
them settled down in comfortable chairs Sarah and Owen looked at Celina enquiringly.

‘There is a lot more to it than Lloyd has said so far,' she told them. ‘We had plenty of time on our own while you were away on your holiday and we realised not only how greatly we enjoyed each other's company but how much we meant to each other.'

‘Do you mean that Dad is going to move into your place and that you will be living together?' Sarah asked in astonishment.

‘We will be, yes.' She held up her hand as Sarah was about to say something. ‘We have reached what we hope you will consider to be a sensible arrangement,' she added rather primly. She paused and took a sip of her coffee. ‘I want you to hear me out before you say anything,' she told them as she put her cup and saucer down.

Sarah and Owen looked at each other in bewilderment as they sat back to listen.

At first Celina seemed to be a little hesitant but once she got going she told them in a well-thought-out way exactly what she and Lloyd had in mind.

Halfway through Owen reached out and took Sarah's hand in his and squeezed it almost as if to signal his approval of what Celina was saying, but Sarah felt too astounded to respond.

‘Are you saying that you and my dad are planning to get married?' she gasped when Celina had finished.

‘Yes, that's right, that's exactly what Celina is saying, cariad.' Lloyd nodded.

‘Don't you approve?' Celina asked, biting down on her lower lip that was trembling so much it looked as though she was going to burst into tears at any moment.

‘And you want us all to move to Pen-y-lan Road and live with you?'

‘Yes,' Celina said and waited anxiously for a reaction.

‘I can hardly believe my ears, but I certainly approve of you and Dad getting married,' Sarah assured her warmly. ‘I know that if anyone can make him happy it is you. It's so comforting to know that he has someone who cares so much about him.'

Pulling herself up out of her chair she went over and kissed them both.

‘What about my other suggestion?' Celina asked.

‘You mean us moving in with you?' Sarah said doubtfully. ‘I'm not too sure that is such a good idea. If you are right and I am going to have another baby,' she said with a teasing smile, ‘think of all the upheaval that would cause.'

‘It wouldn't really cause any upheaval,' Celina assured her. ‘My house is over twice the size of this one. There are four large bedrooms so if you should have a little boy this time he can have a room to himself.'

Sarah turned to look at Owen. ‘What do you
think?' she asked. ‘So far you haven't said a word.'

‘It's a lot to take in,' Owen said sombrely. ‘It certainly has some good points,' he added quickly. ‘I agree with Sarah that I am very happy for you both but it's this business of us all living together that might prove to be a stumbling block.'

He stood up and placed his cup and saucer on the table. ‘You know what they say, two women in the same kitchen . . .'

Celina didn't give him a chance to finish. ‘That's all nonsense,' she said crisply. ‘For one thing, neither Sarah nor I will be spending very much time in the kitchen because we have a housekeeper to look after all that sort of thing and to do the cooking. That alone will make life so much easier for Sarah and, furthermore, there will always be someone around to keep an eye on Rhoslyn when Sarah is at the office with you, Owen.'

‘Rhoslyn will be off to school in a year's time,' Owen murmured.

‘Yes, and by then there will be another baby who has to be looked after,' Celina told him promptly.

‘You'll have to give us a while to talk all this over,' Owen said, stalling for time. ‘It's all come as rather a shock.'

‘Well, don't take too long about it. We need to start making plans and getting everything else organised for our wedding. It will be a very
quiet affair, of course, but nevertheless there will still be quite a lot to do before the big day.'

There was so much going on in their lives over the next few months that Sarah found the time was flashing past. Fortunately her morning sickness was short-lived and from then on she felt extremely fit.