The Girl From Number 22

by Joan Jonker

  ‘Don’t be daft, girl, yer didn’t call me all the names under the sun. At least yer might have done under yer breath, but yer didn’t to me face. And anyway, the only reason I did knock that day was because I was nosy. So let’s call it quits, eh? And if yer want to go out early I’ve only got the dishes to wash, then I’ll be ready. So give me ten minutes to make meself look presentable.’

  When Hetty stepped down on to the pavement, she heard the sound of a car coming up the street. It was an unusual sight and sound, for cars were seldom seen in those narrow streets. So after pulling the door closed, Hetty stood and watched as the car drew nearer, and when she recognised the driver, she quickly covered the few steps to Ada’s. ‘Look who’s in Eliza’s house,’ she said as soon as she was standing in the tiny hall. ‘It’s Mr Stone. I saw the car coming up the street, but I didn’t know it was his until he got close.’

  Ada was looking through the living room window before Hetty had finished speaking. ‘He hasn’t wasted any time, has he? I bet he’s checking to make sure everything’s been left as it should be. Well, he won’t see many houses left as clean as Eliza’s.’ She turned to face her friend. ‘I think I’ll go over and see if I can get anything out of him.’

  ‘Ooh, d’yer think yer should?’ A million pounds wouldn’t have tempted Hetty to walk across and speak to her landlord. She wouldn’t know what to say to him. ‘You can go if yer want to, but I’m not.’

  ‘I’ll put me coat on, and we can go out together. But you needn’t come in Eliza’s with me if yer don’t want to. Yer can wait outside.’

  ‘It’s cold out there, girl, and I’ll look a right lemon standing doing nothing.’

  ‘Yer would only be there for a few minutes, sunshine. Mr Stone isn’t likely to stand gassing to me for any length of time. I’ll just pretend to be passing the time of day with him, he wouldn’t see anything strange in that.’

  ‘If that’s what yer want to do, girl, then do it. Yer’ll only moan all day if I talk yer out of it. But don’t bring me in, I’m not as forward as you.’

  Ada chuckled. ‘In a nice way, sunshine, ye’re trying to say ye’re not as brazen as me, aren’t yer?’

  ‘If you say so.’ Hetty waved a hand. ‘Go on, get it over with so we can go about our business. But don’t take it out on me if he sends yer away with a flea in yer ear.’

  Ada knocked on the door, which had been left ajar by the landlord. ‘Mr Stone, it’s only Ada Fenwick from thirty-five.’

  ‘Come in, Mrs Fenwick. It’s a long time since we met.’

  Ada found him standing in the middle of the living room, which looked stark without the furnture and Eliza sitting in her rocking chair. She shook her head. ‘I’m sorry I came in now, ’cos seeing it like this makes me feel sad. Her close neighbours are going to miss Eliza, Mr Stone. We all loved the bones of her.’

  ‘That wouldn’t be hard to do, Mrs Fenwick, for she was a lovely person. One of a dying breed, unfortunately. I’ve just come to look round, see if any work is needed on the house before it’s let again.’

  ‘Yer’ll not find anything needs doing here, Mr Stone,’ Ada said, her hackles rising at the very thought. ‘Eliza kept this house spotless all the years I’ve known her. The day she left she was worried in case the removal men left any rubbish around. So me and the neighbours either side, we all got stuck in and cleaned it from top to bottom.’

  Vincent Stone grinned. ‘I thought it must have been something like that, for you can smell the cleanliness as soon as you open the door. You were lucky to have known Mrs Porter for so long, but she in turn was lucky with her neighbours. I keep tabs on all my tenants, and I know she was well looked after in the last few years. You are all to be admired for that. Please pass on my gratitude to all her friends. I was sorry when I heard she was leaving, but understand her son’s reasons for wanting her with them.’

  Ada thought, here goes, it’s now or never. ‘I hope the tenants yer put in will be as good to have as neighbours as Eliza was, Mr Stone. All the near neighbours are hoping the new tenants will be clean, respectable and friendly.’

  Once again Vincent Stone grinned. ‘Are you the messenger for your neighbours, Mrs Fenwick?’

  She chuckled. ‘No, they’re not as cheeky as me. They’d die if they knew I was mentioning them, even if what I’m saying is true. All the neighbours on both sides of this end of the street get on fine. There’s never any trouble.’ She couldn’t keep back another chuckle. ‘Unless Ivy Thompson decides to pay one of us a visit. That doesn’t happen very often, though, and there’s enough of us to deal with her. In fact, she breaks the monotony ’cos she’s so over the top yer can’t help laughing at her.’

  ‘I take it you’re not afraid of the Ivy Thompsons of this world?’

  ‘Certainly not! She’s a bully, and if yer don’t show that ye’re not frightened of her, she’d make yer life a misery. My mate, who’s standing outside in the cold because she’s too shy to come in, well, she’s terrified of Ivy. Unless she’s with me, when she puts on a brave face ’cos she knows Ivy won’t tangle with me.’

  ‘I understand that your best friends are Mrs Watson, Mrs Bowers and Mrs Benson? Am I correct?’

  ‘Good grief, Mr Stone, yer are well informed. We used to be five good mates, but with Eliza leaving us, we’re down to four. We look out for each other, always have done since the day we became neighbours. But how did you know? Does Bob keep yer informed?’

  ‘He does. And he passed the message on about you hoping for decent neighbours in this house. Well, I do have a family at the top of my list who appear to be what you’re hoping for. I have never seen the husband, but the wife, Mrs Phillips, is a very quietly spoken woman who I’m sure you would get on with. The reason I have never met the husband is because he’s at work every day, but I know they have two children, a girl and a boy, both working. That is as much as I can tell you, Mrs Fenwick, but it may be enough to put your fears to rest.’

  ‘Did yer say their name’s Phillips, Mr Stone? I only want to know so I can say hello to them when they move in. Make them feel welcome, like.’ Ada turned towards the door. ‘It’s been nice talking to yer, it’s not very often we see yer. Now I better get out to my mate, she’ll be calling me fit to burn.’

  Hetty was indeed calling her mate names, for her feet were getting cold standing in the one spot. And when Ada came out of the house, Hetty had her mouth ready to tell her off. But the conspiratorial wink that came her way changed her annoyance to anticipation. ‘Well, how did yer get on? Yer’ve been in there long enough to get his life story.’

  Ada linked her arm and they walked quickly down the street. ‘I wasn’t after his life story, sunshine, but I did get what I was after. Our new neighbours are the Phillips family. Mother, father, and two children who are both working.’

  Hetty was flabbergasted, and only managed, ‘Ooh, er, go ’way!’

  Chapter Nine

  ‘Is that you, Ada?’ Hetty kept her voice low, for what she had to say was for her friend’s ears only. ‘Ada, are yer there?’

  Ada took the two wooden pegs from her mouth and pegged a towel on the line. ‘If I’m not here, sunshine, ye’re going to feel daft when yer find out yer’ve been talking to yerself. Of course I’m here, I’m pegging me washing out. There’s not much chance of it drying, but at least it’ll get the wet out.’ She suddenly remembered it was Hetty who had called to her. ‘Did yer want something, sunshine?’

  ‘I wouldn’t have called yer if I didn’t want yer for something, would I?’

  ‘What the heck are yer whispering for? I can barely hear yer.’

  ‘Because I don’t want the whole neighbourhood hearing what I’ve got to say. Open yer entry door and I’ll come round.’

  ‘I’ve got me dolly tub out, sunshine, yer can’t move in me kitchen. Whatever it is, can’t it wait for an hour, until I’ve got meself sorted out?’

  ‘If I waited that long, it wouldn’t be worth telling yer, ’cos it would be over. The
re’d be nothing to see, and yer’d have a cob on with me for not telling yer.’

  Ada scurried down the yard to draw the bolt back on the door. If it was a choice between getting her washing done or hearing a bit of news, then the washing would lose every time.

  Hetty slipped through the half-open door. ‘Hurry up, girl, put a move on if yer don’t want to miss anything.’

  ‘Hold yer horses, sunshine, give me a chance to bolt me door. I don’t want to look out of the window later to find some kind person has waltzed off with me washing.’

  ‘I’m sorry I bothered to call yer,’ Hetty said, her feet moving quickly over the uneven tiles on the ground. ‘I thought I was doing you a favour, and now I’ve probably missed all the excitement meself.’

  Ada hastened after her. ‘What’s all the fuss about, sunshine, have the King and Queen come to visit us?’ She reached the living room to find Hetty moving the aspidistra plant from the little table under the window to the dining table. ‘What are yer doing, missus? Talk about making yerself at home isn’t in it. I know ye’re me best mate, but aren’t yer carrying things a bit too far?’

  Hetty beckoned her over to the window. ‘Will yer shut up, girl, and take a look. Our new neighbours are moving in.’

  ‘Oh, yeah! Move over, sunshine, and give someone else a look in. Don’t be hogging the whole window for yerself.’ The two mates jostled for the best speck. ‘Have yer forgotten yer live next door, Hetty Watson, and this is my house? Now shove over, or go home and have yer own window all to yerself.’

  ‘I don’t want to watch on me own, it wouldn’t be the same. Besides, Ada Fenwick, have yer forgotten that yer wouldn’t even know this was going on if I hadn’t told yer? Yer’d still be hanging yer washing out, with yer mouth full of pegs.’

  The net curtain was moved slightly, to give Ada a clearer view. ‘Come this side, sunshine, and if yer sit on the arm of the chair, I’ll be able to see over yer head. Pretend ye’re sitting in the stalls at the Atlas, and I’m in the dress circle.’

  ‘I haven’t seen anyone that looks as though they belong to the family yet,’ Hetty said. ‘There’s only the two removal men so far.’

  ‘The family are probably inside, directing the men where to put the furniture. If the men were left to themselves they’d plonk it anywhere for the easiest.’

  ‘The husband will be at work, and yer can’t blame him. He’d lose a day’s pay, and that would put a dinge in his wage packet.’ Hetty took her eyes from the house opposite to ask, ‘Didn’t yer say Mr Stone told yer the two children work as well?’

  As Ada nodded, she gave her friend a nudge. ‘Ay, look over to Jean’s house, and yer’ll see her curtain twitch. And I bet Edith’s watching, too. They’ve got more interest in what the new family are like than we have. They’re the ones who have to live next door to them.’

  ‘I hope we can be friends with them, like we were with Eliza.’ Hetty turned her head to add, ‘It makes life worth living when yer’ve got friendly neighbours. A smiling face never fails to cheer me up.’

  ‘I must be a godsend to yer, then, sunshine,’ Ada chuckled, ‘’cos I’ve always got a smile on me face.’ She saw a movement opposite and moved forward quickly, knocking Hetty’s head sideways, ‘Look, there’s a young girl come to the door to talk to one of the removal men. Mr Stone said there was a daughter, but he didn’t mention her age. I’d say she was about seventeen, what d’yer think?’

  ‘I think that if yer knock me head sideways again, like yer just did, yer could end up breaking me flipping neck.’

  ‘Ah, yer poor thing,’ Ada said, giving Hetty’s neck a quick rub. ‘There now, I’ve made it better. Can yer move it?’

  Hetty’s nostrils flared. ‘Of course I can move it, yer daft thing. But if yer decide to lunge forward again, without any warning, I might not be so lucky. And I’ll tell yer now, girl, that if yer break me neck I’ll never speak to yer again.’

  Ada screwed up her eyes, wondering whether she should leave well alone. But no, she couldn’t resist a joke. ‘Yer do realise that if yer were to break yer neck, it would bring an end to our friendship, don’t yer? For yer’d have to spend the rest of yer life in bed, lying flat on yer back. And me being the good mate I am, I’d feel obligated to visit yer every day. But I couldn’t cope with that, and I’d have to put sentiment behind me, ’cos if I had to stand looking down at yer, hour after hour, day after day, then I’d be doing me own ruddy neck in. And much as I love yer, sunshine, I don’t fancy spending the rest of me life lying next to yer in bed.’

  But Hetty missed half of what was said, for she was too busy watching the goings-on in the house opposite. ‘Ay, girl, that must be the mother. She’s got the same colour hair as the girl, except she’s going grey.’

  ‘She’s not half thin,’ Ada said, fingering the curtain. ‘There’s nothing of her, she’s as thin as a rake.’

  ‘Some people are naturally thin, girl, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t eat enough.’

  ‘I’m not criticising her, sunshine, I’m just jealous ’cos I’d like to be nice and slim. I used to be, until I had our Danny. I piled the weight on when I was carrying him, and I’ve never lost it.’ Ada pointed a finger. ‘There’s the girl again. She’s very pretty, isn’t she?’

  Hetty nodded. ‘She looks it from here. And their furniture looked all right, too. It seems as though we’ve hopped in lucky with the family who have taken over Eliza’s house.’

  ‘Don’t speak too soon, sunshine, ’cos it’s bad luck. We’ll find out what they’re like when we get to know them.’

  ‘Ooh, ay, look!’ Hetty pulled on Ada’s skirt. ‘Edith’s just come out of her house and she’s walking towards them. I bet she’s asking if they’d like her to make a pot of tea for them. She’s like that, Edith, very thoughtful.’

  ‘If she was offering, sunshine, then her offer’s been turned down. Look, the woman is shaking her head.’ Ada watched Edith walk back to her own house with her head lowered and arms folded. ‘Perhaps they’d already made themselves a drink. And they wouldn’t ask Edith in, ’cos they’ll be up to their necks, trying to get the place into some sort of order. It’ll take them at least a week to know where everything is. It’s twenty years since we moved in here, and I can still remember being in a mess for weeks.’

  ‘I’d go over and ask Edith what that was about,’ Hetty said, ‘but it might look too obvious. What d’yer think?’

  ‘It would look obvious, sunshine, and it would give the new people the impression we’re nosy pokes.’ Ada grinned. ‘And we’re not, are we? I’d say we were interested, curious even, but never nosy.’

  Hetty frowned. ‘What are we sitting here for, girl, if it’s not to nose? We wanted to know what the furniture was like – whether it was in good nick or falling to pieces. And we wanted to know what the family were like.’

  Ada feigned an expression that showed both hurt and surprise. ‘Excuse me, sunshine, but if my memory serves me right, I was hanging me washing out, minding me own business, when you came on the scene. I only came along with yer because ye’re me mate and I didn’t want to hurt yer feelings, or disappoint yer. If it hadn’t been for you, I wouldn’t have wasted me time peeping through a window to spy on new neighbours moving in.’

  Ada was a very clever actress when she put her mind to it, and Hetty stared at her in amazement. ‘Well, pardon me for breathing, I’m sure.’ She got to her feet, squared her shoulders and huffed. She wasn’t in the same league as Ada when it came to acting, but right now she was putting on a very passable performance. ‘I know when I’m not wanted, Ada Fenwick, and I won’t be bothering yer again after today. If yer’ll kindly let me pass, I’ll go home and get meself ready to go to the shops. Seeing as I’ll be on me own, just getting me own shopping, then I’ll be there and back in no time.’

  ‘To show I was brought up proper, and know my manners, I’ll escort yer to the door. As it so happens, I have a very important call to make when I’ve finished my washing,
so I’ll be doing my shopping later in the day.’

  ‘Oh, ay! And may I be so bold as to ask where this important call is to?’

  ‘It’s none of your business, really, but to satisfy yer curiosity, I’ll tell yer anyway. I’m going to walk down the street, cross over to the other side, and go up the entry to Edith’s house.’

  ‘Ooh, er, shall I come with yer, girl?’

  ‘Yeah, yer can if yer like, sunshine. I don’t like going out on me lonesome. I’m always afraid some man will come along and run off with me.’

  The two friends grinned when their eyes met, and soon their laughter was so hearty, they had to cling to each other in the tiny hall. ‘That was good, wasn’t it, girl? We both played our parts very well.’

  ‘I’ll have to watch you, sunshine, ye’re getting too good.’ Ada ran the back of a hand across her eyes. ‘Pretty soon yer’ll be outshining me if I’m not careful.’

  ‘I’ve still got a long way to go before I catch up with you, girl. But I am learning, and that’s because ye’re such a good teacher. The advice yer gave me on how to go about getting me living room decorated, well it worked a treat. Arthur has promised to make a start at the weekend. Sally and Kitty are paying for the paper if they’re allowed to choose it, and I’ve offered to buy the paint. The girls are really looking forward to seeing the room as bright as I’ve told them yours is. So, all in all, being as devious as you has taught me a lesson.’

  ‘Ye’re a dark horse, Hetty Watson. When did all this happen?’