‘Joe said a lot of people are sympathetic but you get things done and very efficiently too,’ said Sarah.
John shrugged. ‘It was the others really.’
Rosa was loud in praise of John and Laura said grudgingly, ‘I suppose he’s got good points but I still think charity begins at home. He doesn’t look after Mum properly.’
‘But your mum’s able to look after herself,’ Rosa protested.
‘But he doesn’t cherish her,’ said Laura stubbornly. ‘Like that woman at your party said. Like your dad with your mum.’
‘Oh, them,’ Rosa exclaimed. ‘You wouldn’t want them as soppy as that. I suppose they’ll be even worse now. No fools like old fools.’ They giggled together.
With both invalids out of danger and improving fast, Laura and Rosa felt free to go out again and enjoy themselves, encouraged by Anne and Joe. ‘We’ve missed a whole month,’ Rosa mourned, and they decided to play truant on 4 February to go to what they later found was the Beatles’ last lunchtime session at the Cavern.
A bitter wind whistled down the narrow canyon of Mathew Street and the girls huddled together for warmth as they queued but felt that it was well worth it when they were finally admitted.
They could scarcely speak when it was over. They tottered out, their throats sore from screaming, exhausted by emotion and excitement but huge-eyed with bliss.
‘If I died now I’d die happy,’ Rosa croaked and Laura nodded in agreement. They stumbled towards the bus stop, still carrying their coats and oblivious of the cold.
Suddenly their arms were gripped. Laura’s father was staring at them in horror and anger. ‘What the hell?’ he began. Laura tried to pull her arm away but she was gripped too hard.
John signalled to a passing cab and pushed both girls into it, then followed, giving his own address. ‘You’re coming to our house to clean yourself up before your father sees you,’ he told Rosa grimly. ‘He’s got enough to worry about without this.’ He glared at Laura. ‘And you! What the hell are you doing parading through town got up like a clown or a streetwalker? Why aren’t you at school? And those dresses! Are you mad?’
Both girls were too stunned by the suddenness of the confrontation to speak and John’s eyes raked them. ‘That muck on your faces,’ he said angrily. ‘Do you realise what you look like? A pair of tarts and dirty scruffy ones at that. Just asking for trouble. By God, there are going to be some changes made, I can tell you.’
Laura found her voice. ‘We only went to the Cavern,’ she said sullenly. ‘Everyone goes. There’s no need for such a fuss.’
‘Isn’t there?’ John shouted. The taxi driver looked round and he said more quietly, ‘You’re just children and you’ve got yourselves up like this.’ He shook his head. ‘Sagging school too. I tell you, things are going to change. You’ve had too much of your own way.’
Rosa smiled at him and said coaxingly, ‘We only went because we thought we mightn’t have another chance, Uncle John,’ but he refused to be mollified.
‘I’m surprised at you, Rosa. You know how ill your mum’s been and how worried your dad’s been about her. I thought you had more feeling for them.’
The taxi stopped and John thrust the fare and a tip at the driver and marched the two girls into his house. There was no one in the kitchen and he went into the hall and listened then came back to the girls who were standing together, looking mutinous.
‘Go upstairs quietly,’ he hissed, ‘and get that muck off your faces before anyone sees you. You look grotesque.’
The girls slipped quietly upstairs. They heard Anne’s voice from Julie’s bedroom. They looked at each other for the first time and Rosa began to giggle.
‘Gosh,’ Laura exclaimed, looking in the bathroom mirror, ‘I didn’t realise our mascara had run like that.’
‘No wonder he said we looked like clowns,’ Rosa said as they surveyed their streaked faces. ‘We’ll never hear the end of this.’
‘I won’t, anyway,’ Laura said grimly. ‘But I don’t care. We got there anyway. He can’t take that away from us.’
‘No,’ Rosa sighed sentimentally. ‘I’ll remember it all my life.’
They kept their voices low as they smeared cream on their faces then wiped it off and washed thoroughly. Then Rosa whispered, ‘I’ll have to go and change before my dad gets in. Are you ready? I’m not going downstairs by myself.’ Laura slipped into her bedroom and changed rapidly then they crept downstairs.
John was sitting by the kitchen table and Rosa said meekly, ‘I’ll have to go home now, Uncle John.’
‘Aye, you’d better,’ he said grimly. ‘But don’t make any plans to go out with Laura because she won’t be going out.’
‘Are you going to tell Dad?’ Rosa asked.
‘Yes, but I won’t worry him more than I have to. Something’s got to be done about you two though.’
Laura went to the door with Rosa to say goodbye. ‘I hate him,’ she whispered. ‘But don’t worry. Your dad will be all right.’
Rosa grimaced. ‘He’ll pray all over me,’ she whispered back. ‘I don’t know which is worse.’
‘Laura,’ John called and Laura shut the door as Rosa sped away.
Anne came downstairs. ‘I didn’t realise you were home,’ she said to John. ‘And Laura!’ She glanced at the clock.
‘She should be still in school,’ John said grimly. ‘I met her and Rosa in town, sagging school, so I brought them home.’
‘Oh, Laura,’ Anne said reproachfully. ‘I thought you had more sense.’
‘We went to the lunchtime session at the Cavern. It was the Beatles. Everyone else goes,’ Laura said sulkily.
‘Where’s Rosa?’ asked Anne.
‘I sent her home with a flea in her ear,’ John said. ‘I’ve told them, Anne. They’ll be better apart. They’ve had too much freedom and they’ve taken advantage while we’ve been worried about Julie and Sarah.’
‘No, we haven’t,’ Laura flashed. ‘We didn’t go out while they were very ill.’
John glared at her. ‘Don’t use that tone to me, madam. I’d expect you to show some shame after what I saw today but you’re too impudent for that.’
‘Why? What did you see?’ Anne asked in alarm.
John said dismissively, ‘Oh, muck caked on their faces like a pair of clowns or streetwalkers. They were a disgrace but don’t fuss about it.’
Anne was indignant. ‘It sounds as though there’s something to fuss about. I’m surprised at you, Laura, and Rosa, too.’
‘I told Rosa she should have had more thought for her father,’ John said. ‘Joe’s got enough on his plate but I think this one’s the ringleader. She leads Rosa astray.’
‘It’s probably six of one and half a dozen of the other,’ Anne said. ‘Perhaps they’re a bad influence on each other.’
Laura gazed at her mother, feeling betrayed. I’m sure Mum doesn’t really think that, she thought, so why is she siding with him?
‘I’ve told Rosa not to make any plans to go out with her and I mean it,’ John stated. ‘In future I’m going to keep a closer watch on her. She’ll stay in where I can see what she’s up to.’
‘That’s if you’re ever in yourself,’ Laura retorted. The words seemed to pop out of her mouth, surprising her as much as her parents, but her father reacted with a stinging slap across her face.
‘Go up to your room and stay there, you impudent faggot,’ he roared.
Laura turned and fled.
‘Oh John,’ Anne said reproachfully and started after Laura but there was a frightened wail from Julie and she turned instead into her bedroom to reassure her.
Laura rushed into her room and slammed the door behind her then flung herself on her bed and gave way to a torrent of tears. I hate him, I hate him, I hate him, she told herself, burying her face in the pillow to muffle her sobs. After a while she lifted her head and heard her mother talking to Julie.
Again Laura was overwhelmed with tears. I can’t bear it, she tho
ught. I don’t care about him but now Mum has turned against me. She thought of her mother looking reproachfully at her then siding with her father even when he struck her. She had been too shocked and upset to realise that Anne had been following her and thought she had simply come up to Julie. She wept afresh as she compared the way her mother had spoken to her and the gentle tones she used to Julie and felt herself unloved and unwanted.
When she could cry no more she went into the bathroom and sluiced her face with cold water then combed her hair. He’s not going to see me looking upset, she thought defiantly. She examined her face in the mirror and was disappointed to see no trace of John’s slap on her cheek.
The house was silent and it seemed a long time before Laura heard voices and the clatter of dishes from the kitchen. A little later there was a knock on her bedroom door and her mother came in carrying a tray with a plateful of beef casserole and a glass of milk.
Laura longed to apologise to her but could only say perversely, ‘I thought it would be bread and water.’
Anne shook her head. ‘Laura, love, why are you like this?’
Laura could only scowl and mutter, ‘Is Julie all right?’
‘Yes. I was going to go to the hospital with your dad tonight to see Auntie Sarah and leave you to mind Julie but Dad won’t hear of it now.’
‘Does he think I’ll corrupt her or something?’ Laura said angrily.
‘He doesn’t think you are responsible enough,’ her mother answered calmly. ‘And can you blame him, Laura? He says you must stay in your room and he’ll look after Julie. I’ll go to the hospital with Uncle Joe.’
‘There’s no need for that. You know there isn’t, Mum. It’s just spite,’ said Laura and Anne looked vexed.
‘Don’t speak like that about your father,’ she said. ‘Eat your meal before it gets cold,’ and went out of the room without a backward glance.
Again tears poured down Laura’s face. Why do I say things like that? she thought. I can’t help it. They just pop out. Why can’t I be like Rosa and let it all run off me like water off a duck’s back? She never bothers about answering, just says ‘Sorree’ then floats off and forgets all about it. Suddenly she thought of her and Rosa’s faces streaked with mascara running over their made-up cheeks and with a sudden swing of mood she began to laugh, then ate her meal with enjoyment.
Joe and Sarah took Rosa’s escapade more calmly than John. Joe taught fifteen-year-olds and knew about the hysteria of the girls who followed the groups and of the new mood of freedom sweeping through that generation. The sweet shop Sarah worked in was patronised by girls from a nearby school and she knew many of them. On morning duty she saw them with faces free of make-up and with neat hair on the way to school, and when she did an occasional evening duty she saw the same girls heavily made up with hair lacquered in huge beehive hairstyles, but they were the same happy, likeable girls.
John was annoyed that Sarah and Joe seemed so unconcerned. He had not intended to go into detail about the appearance of the two girls but he was unable to resist telling of the grotesque picture they had made.
‘They looked like streetwalkers,’ he said. ‘I got the shock of my life. They put themselves in danger, going round like that.’
Joe laughed. ‘They all get themselves up like that,’ he said. ‘You’re taking it too seriously, John. They’re just young and daft. They all scream when they go to watch these groups, not just on television, y’know.’
‘It’s unhealthy,’ John said with distaste.
‘You don’t say that when the girls scream at Gerry’s group,’ Sarah retorted.
‘But they don’t—’
‘Of course they do,’ Sarah interrupted him. ‘Gerry and Peter were laughing about it when they were here the other day.’
John was silenced for a moment. He was proud of Gerry’s many bookings but he saw little of his son. Gerry was often out when he came home from work and even when Gerry had a rare free evening he himself was usually out at one of his meetings.
He was shaken by jealousy at the thought that Sarah seemed to know more about Gerry than he did. He tried to conceal it but Anne glanced at his face and said soothingly, ‘It’s only a phase anyway. Look at the way Moira’s settled down at university and she was crazy about Bill Haley and people like that when she was younger.’
‘But she didn’t get up to any of these antics,’ John said, recovering.
‘Of course she did. She was at the Odeon when he appeared there and the police were called.’ Sarah laughed. ‘They thought it was a riot because so many seats were wrecked but it was only the kids going mad, screaming and carrying on, dancing in the aisles in their bare feet.’ She laughed again. ‘Ours haven’t done anything like that yet.’
Joe, Anne and Sarah were laughing but John was still annoyed and determined not to let the matter drop. ‘What about the truancy?’ he demanded. ‘I thought as a teacher you’d be concerned about that at least.’
Joe shrugged. ‘It’s not a regular thing,’ he said.
‘How do we know? I just happened to catch them this time.’
‘Rosa told me. They missed a lot of Beatles concerts in January while we were all so worried and they took the chance of going to the lunchtime session at the Cavern. You know what they’re like about that group.’
‘I thought it was the Swinging Blue Jeans they were mad about,’ said Anne. ‘Or that lad from Bootle. Billy J. Kramer. They’re the photos Laura has up in her room.’
‘I think it’s a fresh craze every week,’ said Sarah, ‘but the Beatles are the main ones. The lad on the drums, Ringo Starr, is Gerry’s idol too, isn’t he?’
John was even more annoyed by Sarah’s apparent knowledge of Gerry and he said angrily, ‘You didn’t see the girls or you’d be more worried. They were just asking for trouble. I tell you, I’ll be watching Laura like a hawk from now on and I’d advise you to do the same with Rosa.’
Suddenly Joe and Sarah both became angry, Joe because Sarah was not yet fully recovered and he knew that she already worried secretly about Rosa’s combination of beauty and recklessness, and Sarah by John’s criticism of Rosa and what she saw as interference in her family affairs.
‘You’ll have to alter your own lifestyle then, won’t you?’ Joe snapped. ‘Maybe even spend some time at home,’ he added sarcastically.
Before John could speak Sarah said angrily, ‘Thanks, John, we don’t want any advice from you about our children. Rosa’s been well brought up and she knows how to behave. You look after your kids and leave us to look after ours.’
‘I think we’re all taking it too seriously,’ Anne said hastily. ‘After all, we all did daft things when we were young and look at us now.’
Sarah realised that Anne was trying to keep the peace so she laughed and agreed. ‘Yes, we’re all model citizens now, aren’t we? Mind you, it’s a different world for kids these days. Plenty of money in their pockets and jobs and no threat of call-up.’
‘That’s true,’ said Joe. ‘Well-paid jobs and plenty of them too so if they don’t like the job they’re in they can just leave and get another.’
‘When you think what we had to put up with from Miss Meers at the cake shop,’ Anne said laughing. ‘These kids don’t know they’re born.’ The conversation turned to other topics for a short time, then Anne and John left.
Joe went to the door with them but when he came back to Sarah he shook his head. ‘God, I was never so near thumping John as today. Damned stupid fuss about nothing but he goes on and on. So damned intense about everything.’
‘I know and he annoyed me trying to tell us how to bring up our kids,’ said Sarah. ‘The cheek of him.’
‘Yes, that really got under my skin,’ Joe agreed.
‘I felt tempted to tell him where he was going wrong with his own. I can understand that Anne has to give most of her attention to Julie but it’s wrong that John dotes on Gerry so much. He’s always picking on Laura.’
‘I don’t think he
picks on her so much as ignores her. But I tell you what, Sar, he doesn’t seem to know much about what Gerry’s doing these days, does he?’
‘Because he’s never in,’ Sarah said. ‘Always out saving the world. That’s why he doesn’t know what’s happening around him with the kids. I don’t know how Anne puts up with it. I’d kill him.’
‘But he’s a good fellow really,’ Joe said, belatedly remembering that John was Sarah’s brother. ‘He means well but he’s just tactless. He takes things too much to heart.’
‘I don’t suppose he’ll change now,’ Sarah sighed. ‘He’s been like that as long as I can remember but I’m glad we didn’t properly fall out today.’
‘So am I.’ Joe hugged her. ‘What we must do now is concentrate on getting you really well again.’
‘A bit of better weather and I’ll be fine,’ Sarah said. ‘We all will.’
Anne and John walked home in silence. Anne felt that they had come very close to a complete rift with Sarah and Joe and was determined to warn John to be more discreet but he seemed unusually subdued. She wondered whether some of the home truths he had heard had hit their mark and he was regretting taking the girls’ escapade so seriously, or whether he felt that Gerry had drifted away from him. When he suddenly announced that he intended to withdraw from a visit to a factory social club she felt sure that it was to see more of Gerry but she said nothing.
‘I’ll ask Bill Brewer to give the talk instead of me,’ he said. ‘Time I delegated more anyway.’
‘Yes, and Bill’s very keen, isn’t he?’ Anne agreed peaceably, reserving judgement on John’s good intentions until she saw how long they lasted.
Laura believed that her father was spending more time at home to watch her but it was the revelation that Sarah knew more about Gerry’s affairs than he did that had decided John to cut down on his evening meetings. For a while he checked Laura’s homework and questioned her about her activities but his vigilance soon relaxed and he said no more about parting her from Rosa. Anne had told him that he might offend Sarah and Joe and that anyway the girls usually went about in a group.
Honour Thy Father Page 11