by Joan Jonker
‘What are yer looking so pleased about, girl?’ Nellie asked. ‘Don’t keep it to yerself, share the joke with me, yer best mate.’
‘It was nothing, really, sunshine, more hope than anything. Now we’ve mentioned getting something to wear for our night out, it’s bucked me up no end. So let’s not dilly-dally, let’s get down to Mary Ann’s stall, and see what there is on offer.’
‘I’m with yer, girl, whatever yer say. Best mates always have to stick together, through good times and bad.’ Her brow furrowed for a few seconds, then she said, ‘Mind you, that doesn’t mean we can’t go off the rails now and then.’
‘What d’yer mean by that, sunshine? Why would either of us go off the rails?’
‘I’ll give yer one example, girl, to show yer what I mean. Say, like, Sadie has a nice dress put away that you like enough to buy. But she hasn’t got one in my size, and I’m left high and dry, with nothing new to wear on our night out. That’s when yer’d see what I mean by going off the rails. I’d be so bleeding mad, I’d rip the dress Sadie was giving yer into little pieces. And then I’d push the stall over, and all the dresses and jumpers would be lying on the ground.’
‘Mmm,’ Molly put on a thoughtful expression. ‘So that’s what going off the rails means. I’ve often wondered.’
‘I’m not kidding, yer know, girl. If I can’t have a new dress, then neither can you. So there!’
‘Ooh, yer can be a real baddie sometimes,’ Molly told her. ‘I wonder what Sadie and Mary Ann would say if they’d heard that?’ She brushed an invisible crumb off her coat. ‘Mind you, Nellie McDonough, it’s all talk with you. A lot of hot air. If it came to the push, yer wouldn’t say a dickie bird to Sadie or Mary Ann. As I said, ye’re all talk.’
‘Well, if I went round singing all day, people would think I was off me head and they’d have me put away. Which means if I can’t talk or sing, I might as well stay in me house all day and twiddle me thumbs. So how would yer like that, Molly Bennett? No one to go to the shops with yer, or keep yer up to date with all the gossip in the neighbourhood? Oh, yer’ve got a smile on yer face now, but it wouldn’t last long if yer were left on yer own day in and day out. No one to tease, or baffle with those bleeding big long words of yours. I’d give yer two days, and I’d bet any money yer’d be knocking on me door, pleading with me to be yer mate again.’
Molly stepped back a pace in mock horror. ‘Oh, sunshine, I didn’t know we weren’t friends. You do surprise and shock me. When did this all happen?’
‘Five minutes ago, girl, and don’t pretend yer don’t know what I’m talking about. What sort of a friend would go for a night out in a new dress, when her best friend didn’t have one, and everyone in the pub was talking about her behind her back ’cos she looked so dowdy.’ Nellie gave a quick nod of her head. ‘Go on, see if yer can answer that without feeling ashamed of yerself. Selfish to the core, yer are, Molly Bennett, and I don’t know how yer can look me in the eye without blushing.’
‘I can’t look yer in the eye, sunshine, and that’s a fact. And would yer like to know why? Because looking over yer head, I can see Mary Ann’s stall, and I can see Sadie’s blonde head. So shall we drop what we were talking about, and make our way over there? There seems to be plenty of people at the stalls, so business must be brisk, as usual.’
As though all that had been said was brushed under the carpet now, Nellie’s face beamed as she linked arms. ‘I’ve got me mind set on a navy blue, or a brown, with white dots or flowers on. And if I go into town tomorrow, to buy the necklaces for Ruthie and Bella, I can get one for meself what will go with the dress.’
‘Don’t count yer chickens before they’re hatched, sunshine, then yer won’t be disappointed. But we’ve never been disappointed before, have we? Mary Ann and Sadie have always come up trumps. So keep yer fingers crossed while yer wave to Sadie. She’s just spotted us.’
Sadie Wilson was a favourite of the two mates, and was very popular with all the regular customers. She was very pretty, with a slim figure, lovely blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Life hadn’t always been good for Sadie, but it changed from the day she’d first come to Mary Ann’s stall with a sixpence in her hand. The stallholder, who had, of necessity, eyes in the back of her head, had spotted the girl who was too shy to push in between the women, who all seemed to have more than two hands, and very loud voices, and gone to help her. And that was the start of a friendship that would last a lifetime.
‘Well, where have you two been hiding?’ Sadie’s smile would melt the hardest of hearts. ‘Mary Ann was only saying yesterday we hadn’t seen yer for weeks. We thought yer’d fallen out with us, or come into money and were shopping now at George Henry Lee’s. Up there with the big nobs and forgetting yer old friends.’
‘Never in a million years, Sadie. If we won a million pound we’d never forget our friends. Would we, Nellie?’
‘No, we wouldn’t, girl, we’d never be snobs.’ Nellie pursed her lips while she was thinking. Then she said, ‘Ay, girl, just how much is a million pounds?’
Molly and Sadie looked at each other, and they silently agreed it would be wrong to laugh. They would do that later. ‘It’s a lot of money, sunshine, more than George and Paul earn in a month.’
‘Ooh, I wouldn’t like to win that much money.’ Nellie seemed very definite about that. ‘I’m all right adding up to a pound, but after that I’m lost.’
‘I wouldn’t worry about it, sunshine, because the chances of yer winning a million pound are a million to one.’
‘If you say I shouldn’t worry, then I won’t, girl, ’cos you know best. But is it all right if I worry about Sadie having a dress in my size, for our night out?’
‘Before we do that, Nellie, shall we first ask Sadie about her wedding? I notice she isn’t wearing a wedding ring, so we haven’t missed it.’ Molly turned to Sadie. ‘We’ve been a bit busy lately, what with one thing and another, and were afraid we’d missed the wedding. We would have been upset if we had, ’cos we’ve told yer we’d be there to see you marry this wonderful boyfriend of yours. I’d never forgive meself if I didn’t see you on the happiest day of yer life, and I know Nellie feels the same. So when is the happy day?’
‘Two weeks on Saturday, at St Anthony’s in Scotland Road, at twelve o’clock.’ The very thought of marrying her beloved Harry filled Sadie with happiness that was in her eyes for all to see. ‘I can’t wait. I’m so excited I can’t sleep. Mary Ann keeps telling me to calm down, but I can’t help it. I love Harry so much I want to spend my life with him. I’ll still work with Mary Ann, ’cos she’s been like a mother to me, but I’ll be home every night when Harry comes in from work. And with my two sisters and a brother, we’ll be like a real family.’
‘Where is Mary Ann?’ Molly asked. ‘It’s not like her not to come over and say hello.’
‘Who’s taking my name in vain?’ The stallholder came up behind them. ‘It’s not me what’s been hiding meself, it’s you and Nellie! What have yer been doing with yerselves?’
Nellie was fed up being left out. That was the worst of being small, people forgot you were there. ‘We’re grandmothers now, don’t forget, girl. And our grandson, Bobby, has got the measles and isn’t very well.’
‘I’ll forgive yer where thousands wouldn’t.’ Mary Ann glimpsed a customer lifting a jumper off a stall and holding it against herself. ‘I believe in looking on the bright side, Maggie, but if you think that jumper will fit yer, then yer really are looking on the bright side. It’ll never go near yer, queen, it would fit where it touched. I mean, be fair, Maggie, I’m losing money by telling yer this, but that jumper wasn’t made for a sixteen stone woman. Unless yer only want to wear it on one arm, ’cos that’s the only part of yer body yer’d get into it.’
This didn’t please Maggie. She knew Mary Ann was right, but she didn’t have to broadcast it to everyone in the market. ‘Am I hell sixteen stone, Mary Ann. Where did yer get that from? The last time I got weighed I was te
n stone, so there!’
‘That must have been before yer were married, Maggie, or the scale gave up when you stood on it.’
While Maggie was thinking of a suitable reply, a woman standing near her snatched the jumper out of her hands. ‘This won’t go near you, yer fat silly cow, but it’ll look good on me.’
‘Give me that back. I saw it first, yer cheeky bugger.’
The woman laughed in her face. ‘Yer’ve got no chance. I’ve got it now and I’m sticking hold of it. I don’t know why ye’re kicking up a stink, ye’re too old and too fat for it. So keep yer gob shut or I’ll shut it for yer.’
Mary Ann wasn’t going to stand by when one of her regulars was being insulted. Maggie had been a customer for years and the stallholder had a soft spot for her, and a lot of admiration. ‘I’ll be back in a minute,’ she told Sadie. ‘You see to Molly and Nellie while I sort that little lot out.’
Maggie saw help arriving in the shape of the stallholder. ‘I saw it first, and this one grabbed it out of me hand, Mary Ann. I’ve a good mind to batter her.’
Mary Ann kept a straight face, but, looking at the size of Maggie’s huge bosom, she mentally agreed that it would certainly make a good battering ram. ‘What’s going on here? I don’t allow trouble on my stalls, so explain yerselves.’
The woman, a complete stranger to Mary Ann, was holding on to the jumper for dear life. ‘I’ve got it now and I’m buying it. What are yer charging?’
‘That jumper is not for sale, so put it down.’
‘What d’yer mean it’s not for sale? It’s on the stall, isn’t it?’
‘The stall is mine, and the jumper is mine.’ Mary Ann’s voice was deceptively low. ‘And I’m telling yer to put that jumper down, it’s not for sale.’
A new voice piped up. ‘Maggie should have the jumper, Mary Ann. I saw this flamer snatch it off her.’ The voice belonged to Ada, another regular of Mary Ann’s. ‘Another thing, this one what’s doing all the shouting, she’s a thief. I saw her stuffing a blouse into her basket without paying for it. She’s a bleeding robber.’
The woman was quick in moving her basket, but not quick enough to stop the stallholder from snatching it from her. And sure enough, after a quick search, a pale blue blouse was found and held aloft. ‘I won’t call the police this time,’ Mary Ann said, ‘but if I catch yer anywhere near one of my stalls again, I will call a copper. That’s after I’ve finished with yer. So if I were you I’d consider meself lucky and skedaddle.’
The woman vanished in no time, and Mary Ann passed the jumper over to Maggie. ‘Here yer are, queen, have this on the house. It’ll keep one arm warm at least.’
As the stallholder walked away, Maggie shouted after her. ‘Ye’re a smasher, Mary Ann, and I love the bones of yer.’
Mary Ann acknowledged that with a wave of her hand as she walked back to where Sadie was attending to Molly and Nellie. ‘Yer need eyes in the back of yer bleeding head with some folk. They’d steal the eye out of yer head, and have the cheek to come back the next week for the socket.’
‘But you’re up to them, Mary Ann,’ Molly said. ‘Yer handled that very well. But fancy that woman stealing the blouse. I mean, yer wouldn’t be bothered for a few coppers.’
‘Oh, we get the dregs of the earth, and the best, in here, queen. But they say variety is the spice of life, and we sure see life here. Never a dull moment, and I wouldn’t swap me job here for one in a posh shop ’cos I’d be bored to tears. The customers may be as poor as church mice, but on the whole they’re a grand lot, the salt of the earth. Am I right, Sadie?’
‘Definitely, Mary Ann. I love me job here. It’s taught me that there are more good people in the world than bad.’
Mary Ann had bright copper-coloured hair, piled up on top and kept in place by a tortoiseshell comb. She was small and wiry, always on the go, and had eyes as sharp as a hawk. She was kind and generous to the many poor people who were her bread and butter, but woe betide anyone who crossed her. She nodded now to the two dresses laid out on the trestle table. ‘Sadie fixed yer up, then, ladies? She’s had them two put away for weeks, waiting for yer to come. It’s nice to see yer again, Molly and Nellie, and I hope all the families are well. Any more grandchildren since yer were here last?’
‘Ye gods and little fishes, give us a break, Mary Ann,’ Molly said, laughing. ‘Two in one year is enough.’
‘Yeah,’ Nellie said. ‘The men are doing their best, but they’re not baby making machines.’
The stallholder grinned. ‘I’ll leave yer with Sadie, ’cos I can see a few irate women waving to me. But I’ll see yer at the church for the wedding.’
‘Wouldn’t miss it, sunshine. And don’t let on we got our dresses from your stall, either, ’cos we’ll be acting like toffs. Speaking so far back yer won’t be able to hear us.’
Nellie had to have her say. ‘Yeah, yer won’t know us when we say hello to yer. So I’ll give yer a clue. I’ll be in the navy dress, the one with white squares on, and Molly will be in the green. The only one looking better than us will be Sadie, the bride.’ Then she thought of something. ‘Oh, and I’ll have a necklace on.’
‘Fold those dresses up, sunshine, and put them in the basket while I pay Sadie.’ Molly handed over three shillings to the girl, who was radiant with happiness. ‘Two dresses for three bob, yer can’t beat it. Thank you, sunshine, and I hope everything runs smoothly for yer. I won’t say we’ll see yer at the church, ’cos we’ll see yer before then. Are yer ready, Nellie?’
‘Ready, willing and able, girl! Can’t wait to get home and try me dress on. Ta-ra, Sadie, girl, me and Molly love yer to bits.’
Chapter Eighteen
‘We were lucky getting two dresses that fit us, weren’t we, girl?’ Nellie and Molly were waiting at the tram stop for a number twenty-two to take them home. ‘But then we’re always lucky when we go to Mary Ann’s stall.’
‘It’s not luck that gets us the dresses, sunshine, it’s Sadie. As Mary Ann said, as soon as they get a new batch of clothes in, Sadie puts to one side any she thinks will suit us. And at one and six each, they’re a bargain,’ Molly said as she opened her purse and took out the fourpence for the tram fare. ‘You take this, Nellie, ’cos you’ll be sitting on the end seat. Put it in yer pocket so it’ll be handy.’
‘I’m looking forward to trying the dress on, girl. I think it’ll look nice on me.’
‘I’m going to wash mine as soon as I get home,’ Molly said. ‘I’ll iron it tomorrow and put it away until our night out. Then it’ll be one less thing to worry about. If yer like, sunshine, I’ll rinse yours through as well. While I’ve got nice soapy water in the sink, I may as well kill two birds with the one stone. Waste not, want not, as me ma would say.’
‘Ooh, that’s good of yer, girl, ’cos yer know I can’t stand long on me feet ironing. The veins in me legs start to stand out and I get tired.’
‘Ay, don’t be jumping ahead of yerself with the old sob story, Nellie. I never said I’d iron it as well as wash it.’
Nellie put on her most appealing face. ‘Well, I just thought, girl, like anyone would, that if yer had a hot iron in yer hand it would be just as easy to iron two dresses as it would be to iron only one.’ The chubby hands were spread out. ‘It wouldn’t cost anything, so can’t yer see the sense in it?’
‘I can see the sense of it from where you’re standing, sunshine, but I don’t think I’ll see the sense of it when I’m standing with a hot iron in me hand, and me feet are talking to me ’cos they’re tired and sore.’
Thinking she’d get on the right side of her mate if she showed some sympathy, Nellie said, ‘Ah, I’m sorry about that, girl. What are yer feet saying to yer?’
‘Now as you are well aware, Nellie, I do not use really bad language. So ye’re going to get a very watered down version of what me feet are saying. The right one is the more bad-tempered because it’s got a corn on the little toe. That one said, “Why don’t yer tell her to ruddy well sod
off and do her own work?” And the left one, “She’s got yer for a right sucker. Tell her to get lost.”’
Nellie glared. ‘I’ll get them for that. When they’re least expecting it, I’ll jump on them.’
‘You do that, sunshine, and yer won’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell of me washing and ironing yer ruddy dress.’
The smile was back on the little woman’s chubby face. ‘So yer are going to do me dress? I knew yer’d come round in the end, yer always do.’
‘Our tram is here now, so I’ll see if the rocking from side to side puts me in a good mood. If it’s smooth and soothing, I’ll do what yer want. But if it’s rough and jars on me nerves, then ye’re not on.’
Nellie always made a big show of climbing on to the platform of a tram or bus. The step was too high, and whoever put it there needed their bumps feeling. But today there was no complaint or commotion, she hopped on the tram like a young and sprightly girl. And Molly, walking down the aisle behind her friend, was filled with wonder that a one and sixpenny dress could bring about this transformation.
They were nearly at their stop, and Nellie had been as good as gold all the way. No chattering or cheeky exchanges with the conductor, and giving Molly as much space as was possible without her falling off and landing in the aisle on her backside. She even swung off the platform with the aid of the bar, and landed on the pavement before Molly. ‘Ye’re getting slow in yer old age, girl. I beat yer to it.’ She waited until her mate was standing beside her, then, with a cheeky grin, she asked, ‘Well, was the tram all right for yer? Do I get me dress washed and ironed, or not?’