‘If you don’t mind me saying this, Mrs Boyd, I’m sure you can find a better job elsewhere because of your qualifications in office work.’ He pointed to her letter in which she had written down what job she had before her marriage, which had been a good position.
Sadie hadn’t wanted to mention her estrangement from Ed so she just said, ‘I’m married to an American man and I’ve come back to look after my mother who is ill but I need to earn some money as well. You did say in your advert that this might be a temporary job so I thought it would suit me.’
Hal nodded. ‘Yes, my wife normally does the bookkeeping and also serves in the bar but she’s had a major operation and won’t be able to work for some time.’
Sadie said she was sorry to hear that and told him a temporary job was what she was looking for.
Hal made up his mind. ‘Well then, I think that suits both of us so can you start work tomorrow at ten o’clock and finish at six o’clock?’
Sadie said that suited her and she would see him then. As she caught a tramcar home, the thought of this job filled her with horror but she had no intention of staying for long and this would be a stopgap until she found something more suitable. Perhaps if the pub had been more upmarket and pleasant she might have felt differently but it looked like a working man’s pub and although quite clean, it still held that stale beer and smoky atmosphere. One good thing about it was that starting at ten meant she would be able to intercept any letters from Ed.
When she reached the lane she saw Martha and Eliza sitting at their door in the sun. She couldn’t recall a better summer than this and she felt this was a good omen for her new life. The two women were chatting to a man and didn’t notice her as she opened the door. Lying on the floor was the dreaded blue airmail letter addressed to Eddie. Without opening it she lit a match to one end and burnt it. She wasn’t having this nonsense from Ed and she would write and tell him that.
Eliza knew her face was flushed when Murdo MacCallum stopped on his way to see Morag and Catriona.
‘Hello, Mrs Potter and Eliza, are you enjoying the sunshine?’
Martha gave him one of her rare smiles. ‘I’m Martha, that’s what all my friends call me.’
Eliza couldn’t think of any friends but she was so engrossed in looking at Murdo. Up close he didn’t look like Michael, it was more his way of walking and his manner, but she could see her lost love in this man. She caught a whiff of his aftershave and was suddenly taken back years. My God, she thought silently, he’s wearing Old Spice, just like Michael. She stood up quickly. Martha and Murdo looked at her and he asked her, ‘Are you feeling all right, Eliza?’
She tried to smile but it was more of a grimace. ‘I need to get a glass of water, it’s this sun, we’re not used to it.’
Murdo said that was true but it was good for his joinery business as he could get all the outside work done. He laughed. ‘I must be getting old as I hate working outside in the rain.’
As he left, Eliza reached the coolness of the kitchen and she splashed some cold water on her face. She couldn’t help thinking how her life had turned out. It was all ifs or buts. If her father hadn’t died so young at fifty years old, she wouldn’t have had to stay to look after her mother who couldn’t accept his death and was ill with grief for a long time. But Michael became frustrated with all her apologies for postponing the wedding and one day he simply said he had decided to move away to another job he had been offered.
‘I’ll write to you, Eliza, and we can plan the wedding later.’ Six months later he had disappeared and that was the last time she heard from him. He could be living on the moon as far as she knew but she still loved him and although she had stopped thinking about him every day, along came Murdo to rekindle all the past bittersweet moments.
Martha called out, ‘While you’re in the kitchen, bring me out a glass of lemonade and put the kettle on for some tea. Also bring out that tin of biscuits we got as a present from Bella on your birthday.’
Eliza sighed, she wished her mother hadn’t mentioned her birthday which had been in May.
‘Sixty-one years old and still living like a dried up old spinster with my mother,’ she muttered.
Five minutes later she went outside carrying the tray with the lemonade, pot of tea and the birthday tin of biscuits.
29
Sadie decided she wouldn’t tell anyone where her new job was. It wasn’t as upmarket as she had hoped and she made up her mind as she walked back from Hal’s Bar that she wouldn’t be staying there for very long. She hoped to look for a better job but in the meantime it meant she would have a wage coming in until she moved on.
Eddie was getting ready for school when she came through from the bedroom. ‘I’ve got a new job, Eddie, it’s in a big office in the town and I’ve been taken on as a secretary.’
Eddie was busy tying his shoelaces. He looked up and nodded. ‘Has Dad sent a letter to me? He said he would.’
Sadie put on an innocent face. ‘No, I haven’t heard anything from him either. Maybe he’s forgotten all about us.’
Eddie was furious. ‘Dad would never forget us.’ He stopped to get a breath. ‘At least he’ll never forget me.’
With that statement he walked out to meet Evie and Tommy who were waiting in the lane for him.
It was Sadie’s turn to feel upset. How dare her son suggest his father wanted to forget her. She glanced at the clock and made up her mind to forgo breakfast and head for the pub. Hal had said it was a ten o’clock start but she had to make her way to Lochee and she didn’t want to be late on her first day.
As she made her way along the lane she met Eliza who had rushed out for Martha’s paper and the People’s Friend magazine. ‘Mum likes to read her paper with her breakfast,’ she said in passing.
Sadie thought that Martha should be in some home for old folk but she said brightly, ‘I hope she enjoys them. I’m off to my new job in an office in town where I’m the new secretary.’
Eliza felt a pang of jealousy. Sadie seemed to have it all. Good looks, a wonderful son, and now a prestigious job. Eliza had also been in a good job as a typist in a solicitor’s office before she retired. But now her life revolved around her mother. Looking after her and rushing around getting all her wants and listening to her moans and aches.
Sadie felt quite depressed as she sat on the tramcar and when she reached her stop her mood didn’t improve. The pub had a downbeat look and her impression was the same as yesterday when she had her interview.
The early morning sunshine shone through the small window which made the tables and chairs look scratched and shabby. There was a smell of stale beer and she noticed the glasses that were stacked behind the bar were smeary as if they had been washed but left to dry on the wooden shelf.
Hal came through a door at the back of the bar carrying a wooden crate with bottles of beer which he proceeded to stack beside the glasses. He saw Sadie.
‘There’s another crate, can you bring it through?’
Sadie made her way to the back and brought the crate through. ‘Where will I put these?’
He pointed to an empty shelf further along the bar. ‘Put them there.’
When they were stacked up she picked up a grubby looking tea towel and gazed at it in dismay. ‘Have you got any clean towels, Hal?’
He fished about behind the counter and brought forth a small pile of grayish towels and placed them on the bar. Sadie began to polish the glasses but Hal said there were invoices to sort out and could she do it?
The office was more like a cupboard but it did have a small desk and chair plus a grey metal filing cabinet. A black telephone with a badly twisted cord sat next to an ancient typewriter with a sheet of paper inserted in it.
She made her way around the desk and noticed another door in the wall. On opening it she discovered a tiny toilet with an even tinier washbasin and a rough green towel hanging from a large nail on the door.
Her mood deepened by the minute and it was made worse when the pub op
ened its door to admit a small clutch of elderly men with wrinkled trousers, unmatched jackets and flat caps. Hal dispensed pints of beer which the men carried over to the tables before settling down to play games of dominoes.
The customers’ eyes had opened wide when faced with the newcomer but now they were engrossed in their beers and games. She was glad to escape to the office where she sorted out the bills and invoices before filing them in the cabinet.
At lunchtime, Hal asked her to serve behind the bar as he had to go home to see to his infirm wife.
‘I won’t be long, Sadie, and I’ve left the price list by the till.’ Hal’s house was above the pub so he didn’t have far to go.
Sadie was pleased to see some young workmen come in and they were a cheery bunch.
‘Lord, we’ve never seen you before, what’s your name?’
Sadie decided to be coy and didn’t answer this question. ‘What do you want to drink?’
They chose their drinks and as one guy paid for his he said, ‘Have a drink on me.’ Hal had said if this happened she could say she would have it later while putting the money into a cup under the counter. ‘That’s for your tips, Sadie,’ he had said. ‘I would advise you to keep the money instead of taking the drink as it’s a great perk to your wages.’
This had pleased her and by the time the pub closed she had a few shillings in her cup. Before leaving in the early evening she decided to use some of the money and she poured herself a drink. As usual she felt more relaxed afterwards and as she made her way home she thought this job was going to suit her which came as a big surprise to her.
If she kept her drinking down to one drink at finishing time it meant she wouldn’t have to go to the off-licence shop and it would all be funded by other people’s money.
30
Morag loved this time of the day. It was seven-thirty and Rory had left for work with his piece bag containing his sandwiches, a thermos flask and an apple, and she was now sitting down at the table with her tea and toast. She looked around the room at the well-polished furniture, feeling a glow of pleasure. They had been lucky to get this lovely terraced house in a quiet lane and as an added bonus the neighbours were all friendly.
Then the quiet and peace of the morning was broken by Catriona crying to get up and Morag went through to the bedroom where her lovely child was kicking her pink chubby legs in the air and making a noise that would waken the dead. Picking up her daughter stopped the noise which changed to a wide- eyed look and Morag was immediately overcome with a feeling of joy.
After feeding the baby she got the pink bath from the cupboard and they both had a great time with Catriona splashing water all over the floor and then Morag choosing which dress to put on her. They had been so lucky with baby gifts and her daughter had a wardrobe that any child would envy.
The sun was shining and Morag couldn’t remember such a summer as this. By nine-thirty she was ready to push the pram for their daily outing. Coming out into the lane she met Grace, who was hurrying past but she stopped when she saw Morag.
She peered into the pram. ‘Who’s a lovely wee lass,’ she said to the baby who gave her a wide-eyed stare. ‘She’s getting bigger every day, Morag.’
They walked down the street together. ‘I’m off to see my mother,’ said Grace. ‘She can’t seem to get rid of her cold so I go to see her every morning to make sure she’s okay.’
Morag said it was lucky that her mother had someone to look after her.
Grace laughed. ‘Try telling her that. She’s so picky and fussy that I could honestly scream at her but I don’t mind getting the flak.’
Morag laughed and after they parted company at Ann Street, Morag carried on into the town. She wanted to go to Phin’s hardware shop in the Nethergate to buy a new teapot as their old one had got a bit bashed when they moved into the house.
She was crossing Reform Street when she spotted Sadie hurrying up to the Lochee tram stop. Morag paused for a moment. Sadie didn’t see her but Morag was puzzled. Bella had told her yesterday that Sadie was now working in the town as a secretary in an office so Morag wondered why she was going to Lochee. As she made her way to the shop she decided it was none of her business and that maybe Sadie was also going on an errand.
Meanwhile Grace was trying to keep calm as Evelyn kept changing her mind over the shopping list.
‘That lettuce you got the other day was limp and I couldn’t perk it up no matter how much water and vinegar I used. Tell that young lassie in the fruit shop that I want a crisp lettuce and firm tomatoes.’
Grace sighed. Her mother seemed to have firm tomatoes on her brain as no matter how many she bought for her, none of them passed the firm test. However she felt guilty about her mother as she knew she didn’t manage to see her as much as wanted and the woman was lonely. Normally Evelyn would be out and about with her friend Elsie and although Elsie came up to see her most nights it wasn’t the same as being out in the fresh air.
Thinking of Elsie seemed to transfer to Evelyn and she said, ‘Elsie’s son is coming next week to take her out for the day but I don’t think I’ll be well enough to go.’ She sounded so sad.
Grace felt sorry for being annoyed by her mother’s moans and she said, ‘You’ll be fine by next week, Mum, but if you can’t go with Elsie then I’ll come and take you out when you’re feeling better.’
Evelyn immediately perked up and Grace left to go to the shop with the shopping list, determined to tackle the young assistant in the fruit shop over the lack of crispy lettuce and firm tomatoes.
Later that afternoon, as she sat down in her own house with a welcome cup of tea, she couldn’t help but worry about Eddie. He seemed to spend all his time in the house and was now eating all his meals with them. She didn’t begrudge feeding him or looking after him when he came home with Evie and Tommy but she was really annoyed by Sadie’s indifference to her son’s needs. She also knew that Maryanne was worried and Grace didn’t want her to become unwell again.
Bill was an easy-going man but he was beginning to question the amount of shopping she was doing every day as it was hard work feeding an extra mouth, especially when it was a young lad with a big appetite. Eddie was always grateful and polite, saying thank you after his meal, and it wasn’t his fault that he had landed in Dundee very much against his will.
As she finished her tea she suddenly thought she would like to have it out with Sadie and she made a mental note to tackle this feckless mother who swanned off every morning looking like she stepped out of Vogue magazine but never offered a penny towards her son’s wellbeing.
She was busy setting the table later when the door opened and the three kids came in. Evie put on the television and they all sat on the settee. Evie and Tommy were chatting but Eddie sat looking at the screen before suddenly getting up and walking over to Grace.
‘Can I ask you a favour, Grace?’ he said quietly, glancing over his shoulder at the two girls who were still engrossed in some story from school.
Grace nodded and he continued, ‘Can I have my letters sent to your house, the ones I get from my dad?’
Grace didn’t know what to say but she was worried. ‘Does your mum know about this, Eddie, or your granny?’
He looked miserable and said no, they didn’t. ‘I keep writing to him and I’m sure he answers my letters but Mum says he hasn’t been in touch.’
Grace was sorry for him as he looked so helpless at this lack of communication so she said he could send his father her address but she added, ‘I think you must tell your mother, Eddie, as I don’t want her to think I’m interfering.’
He looked relieved and said he would, then went back to the couch where the two girls were still discussing some story about a classmate and they didn’t stop talking when he rejoined them.
Later that night, after Evie was in bed and Bill was drinking his cocoa, she mentioned the subject to Bill.
‘I’m not sure I’ve done the right thing by agreeing to this.’ She sounded unhappy a
nd Bill was annoyed.
‘What will happen if his father isn’t writing back, has Eddie thought of that? I’m sure Sadie would let him have a letter if it had been sent to him.’
Grace wasn’t so sure. ‘I think Sadie is capable of anything, Bill. I know you think she’s wonderful but I have my doubts about her.’
It was Bill’s turn to look amazed. ‘I don’t think she’s wonderful. Where did you get that idea from?’
‘Well, you are always saying what a beautiful woman she is. It’s like you admire her.’
Bill burst out laughing. ‘I might say she is a good looker but that doesn’t mean I like her or think she’s wonderful.’ He stopped and reached for another biscuit and waited until it was finished before adding, ‘In fact I don’t really like her at all. I think she is selfish and she should be back with her husband. She’s not a patch on you as you look after everyone and you care about people. I don’t think Sadie has cared for anyone but herself all her life.’
Grace felt a warm glow of happiness flood over her at this compliment and she sat back in the chair with her cup of tea. She didn’t like cocoa, not like Bill and Evie or for that matter like her mother Evelyn.
As she got ready for bed, she decided that if a letter did arrive for Eddie then she would tell Maryanne and let her deal with it, and if no letter arrived then she would also tell her. She had seen Sadie come home and she hoped that all was well in the house. Maybe a letter would come tomorrow and Eddie would get it from her and be reassured his father was in touch with him.
31
Sadie had arrived home in a bad mood. She hadn’t got any tips today and it meant she had to put her own money in the till to cover the two drinks she had poured for herself. She had to be careful to drink when Hal was upstairs so she pretended she needed to go through to the back and quickly finished her gin there so the customers in the bar were also unaware of it.
Meadow Lane Page 16