by Joan Jonker
‘Just hold your horses, Mrs Woman! Aren’t you curious as to what is in the bags?’ asked Robert.
‘Of course I am, but I wasn’t going to say owt in case yer reminded me it was curiosity what killed the ruddy cat. But seeing as it was you what brought the subject up, what is in the flaming bags, anyway?’
Robert put his two hands in one of the bags and pulled out a bottle of whisky and a bottle of port wine. Then he ripped the other bag to reveal six bottles of milk stout. ‘I want us all to have a celebration drink. Then what’s left I’ll leave for you and Joe to finish off.’
‘My God, son, there’s enough there to keep us drunk for a month!’ Joe was staring at the whisky. ‘I’ve only ever seen a bottle of whisky that size in a shop window or behind the bar in a pub.’
‘Only the best for my favourite people,’ Robert said. ‘And who else would I celebrate with but those I love so much? While we are all together, I thought it would be nice to have a drink to celebrate the children’s birthdays.’
Ada rolled her eyes. ‘We haven’t got no glasses, Bob.’
Robert bent his head to smile into her face. ‘We are not Dorothea, Penelope or the very charming Guy, my dear. Whisky is whisky whether it’s in a glass or a cup. Believe me, it tastes just the same.’
‘I’ll get the cups.’ Ada jerked her head at her granddaughter. ‘Give us a hand, will yer, sweetheart?’
While Robert and Joe opted for the hard stuff, Ada, Abbie and Nigel chose the port wine. And they lifted their cups in a toast. ‘Many of them,’ Joe said, before spluttering when the strong liquor hit the back of his throat. He patted his chest and croaked, ‘By, it’s strong stuff, that is.’
‘Then sip it, yer silly bugger!’ Ada tutted before turning on her sweetest smile. ‘Me and Joe wish yer good health, happiness and a long life.’
Nigel and Abbie weren’t to know it, but they were thinking exactly the same thing. If their mother could see them drinking port out of a cup she’d look down her nose in disgust. Their dinner wine was drunk from long-stemmed pure crystal glasses that sparkled and changed colour in the light. But the atmosphere around the dining table at home was never as sparkling as the glasses. Nor was it as warm as that in the living room of the small terraced house.
‘Now a drink to wish them well in their careers. Abbie was determined to do something useful with her life, and I’m happy to say she starts at commercial college this coming week. And Nigel, my son and heir, is now on the staff at Dennison’s, which is what I have always wanted. Very soon the name will be changed to Dennison and Son.’
‘Uh, uh!’ Abbie shook her head and sent her dark hair swirling. ‘You’re not leaving me out of it. I intend to learn all about your business, Dad, and then it’ll have to be Dennison, Son and Daughter.’
Robert chuckled. ‘If you say so, my dear. I’m beginning to realise that what you want in life you will go after and get. And for that I take my hat off to you.’
Ada was so excited she was hopping from one foot to the other. ‘Oh, I’m so happy for all of you. And for me and Joe, too!’ Then a serious note crept into her voice. ‘Yer dad has worked very hard all of his life, and he’s been very good to a number of people who were down on their luck. Nobody knows that better than me and my Joe. But there are some who don’t appreciate what he’s done, or how kind he is.’
‘Hear, hear!’ Joe said. ‘He’s one in a million, is your dad. And it does my old heart good to know he’s got you two behind him.’
‘Me and Abbie are not behind him, Granda, we’re standing by his side.’ Nigel drained his cup in the hope the port wine would swill away the lump in his throat. ‘If I turn out to be half the man my dad is, I’ll consider myself lucky.’
‘Hey, come on.’ Robert held out his empty cup. ‘Do the honours, Nigel, and pour another drink before we start getting maudlin.’
‘I don’t want no more to drink.’ Ada fastened her eyes on Joe, as though daring him to object to what she was about to say. ‘And neither does my husband. We’ll have a quiet one tonight when we’re on our own. I’ll get cracking and make some sandwiches, otherwise it’ll be time for the young ones to leave before they’ve had a bite to eat. And we don’t want their friends to hear their tummies rumbling, do we?’ She began to chuckle at a thought. ‘Yer’ve heard them say someone’s all fur coat and no knickers, well they’d be saying about you that yer had a big flash car and empty bellies.’
She bustled out to the kitchen with Abbie, laughing her head off, following her. ‘Tell me what you want me to do, Grandma, and we’ll be finished in no time.’
The three men in the living room were chuckling when Joe caught Robert’s eye. ‘She’s got a saying for everything, has my Ada.’ He spoke with pride in his voice. ‘I’d be lost without her.’
Robert said he would stay on for a while to keep Ada and Joe company, so after loving farewells Abbie walked with Nigel to pick up his car which had been left parked on the main road. ‘It’s been a great day, hasn’t it?’
Abbie skipped a few steps to keep up with her brother’s long legs. ‘Wonderful! I enjoyed it far more with Grandma and Granda than I would have done with anyone else. They were so delighted with everything they saw, it was a pleasure just to be with them.’
‘That’s the way I felt, and we’ll have to take them out again soon.’ They reached the car and Nigel opened the passenger door for Abbie, then he walked round to the driver’s side and slid in behind the wheel. ‘I’ll park the car in Knowsley Road and we’ll walk to Milly’s.’
‘Why would you do that?’ Abbie asked, her voice high with surprise.
‘I don’t want Bobby to see it in case he thinks I’m a big-head. I’ll tell him in a week or so, when our friendship is on a firm footing.’
‘But that’s ridiculous! A car isn’t going to come between friends. If it did, then he wouldn’t be worth having as a friend. He won’t think much of you if he finds out from someone else, and I wouldn’t blame him. Anyway, if I know Bobby Neary, he wouldn’t turn a hair if you appeared driving a blinking horse and carriage.’
‘I wouldn’t like him to think I’m a snob, Abbie, or that I’ve only got in touch with him after all these years just to show off.’
‘Nigel, we might be better off than his family, but that’s all. We’re just the same as we’ve always been, we haven’t changed.’ She put a hand on his arm. ‘A true friend won’t care whether you’re rich or poor. But he will care if he finds out you haven’t been honest with him.’
They were nearly at Balfour Road now and Nigel slowed down. ‘You really think I should tell him?’
‘Ye gods, Nigel, it’s not a sin to have a car! I bet Bobby will be made up and ask you to take him for a run.’
His sister seemed so sure, Nigel turned into Balfour Road and stopped outside the Jamiesons’ house. ‘What time shall I pick you up?’
‘Not too late. It’s my first day at the college tomorrow and I want to have a good night’s sleep and wake with a clear head. Shall we say ten o’clock, ’cos it’s a fair run from here to Mossley Hill?’
‘I’ll say hello to the Jamiesons later, then.’ Nigel got out of the car and locked the doors. ‘I’ll walk over to Bobby’s.’
‘Bring him with you when you call so me and Milly can say hello.’ Abbie lifted the knocker and rapped twice. ‘Good luck.’
As Nigel crossed to the opposite side of the road he slipped the car keys into his pocket. The Nearys lived about ten houses up and the short walk was one he’d made hundreds of times when he was a young boy.
The door opened before he had time to knock. ‘I’ve been watching out for yer,’ Bobby said, pulling the door to behind him. ‘I forgot to tell yer me dad died two years ago and I didn’t want yer asking after him and upsetting me mam.’
‘Oh, I am sorry, Bobby. I’ll be careful what I say.’
‘Come on in, me mam’s dying to see yer.’ He pushed the door wide open and called, ‘He’s here, Mam – late as usual! He al
ways was too ruddy slow to catch cold.’
‘That’s a nice way to greet an old mate.’ Rose Neary drew Nigel to her. ‘It’s nice to see yer, lad, and ye’re very welcome.’ She was a small, thin woman, her hair more white than the blonde Nigel remembered. But her blue eyes still held the old twinkle and hint of mischief. ‘Sit down and I’ll put the kettle on.’
Nigel lifted a hand. ‘No, thanks, Mrs Neary, me and Abbie have just come from my grandma’s and she made tea for us.’
‘Where’s Abbie now?’
‘At the Jamiesons’, probably talking fifteen to the dozen with Milly. Like me and Bobby, they’ve got a lot of catching up to do.’
‘Ah, I’d love to see her,’ Rose said. ‘She was a right happy, bonny lass was your Abbie. Next time ye’re down, fetch her to see me.’
‘I’ll do that, Mrs Neary, I promise.’ Nigel noticed the worry lines and his heart went out to her. She used to yell at him and Bobby if they did anything naughty, and would think nothing of giving them a clout around the ears or chasing them down the road waving a sweeping brush in her hand. But she’d been generous with her affection, giving him hugs and kisses that he didn’t get off his own mother. He couldn’t not mention her husband, the man she’d idolised. ‘I was very shocked, and sorry to hear about your husband. It must have been terrible for you.’
Her blue eyes clouded over for a second. ‘I still haven’t got over it, lad, there’s not an hour goes by I don’t think of him. And I’d never have got through it without Bobby here, he’s been a pillar of strength.’
‘Ah, go on, Mam!’ Bobby looked bashful. ‘I did what I could, and that wasn’t much. To hear you talk anyone would think I was Hercules.’
‘Take no notice of him, Nigel, he’s a real good son to his mam. We had a struggle at first trying to make ends meet, with Bobby on lousy wages and me doing a couple of cleaning jobs. We managed, though, and now he’s turned twenty-one and gone on a man’s wage, things are a lot easier.’
‘Ay, you must be nearly twenty-one, Nige.’ Bobby wanted to change the subject before his mam got too upset. ‘I think your birthday was a few weeks after mine?’
‘Two days ago, actually.’
Bobby’s cheeky grin appeared. ‘Me mam bought me a pair of shoes for mine, and I got a shirt off me nan. What did you get?’
Nigel sighed inwardly, wishing he was as outgoing as his sister. She would handle this with a smile on her face and a joke on her lips. ‘I told our Abbie I wasn’t going to tell you and I got a right tongue-lashing. She said if you were a true friend you wouldn’t worry whether I was rich or poor. So if you laugh or take the mickey out of me, I’ll set her on to you.’
‘Holy suffering ducks, Nige, what’s the big mystery? What the heck did yer get for yer birthday? That’s all I asked, just a simple question.’
‘I got a car.’
For about ten seconds Bobby and his mother didn’t move or speak, they were like statues. Then laughter erupted and Bobby held his tummy as he rocked. ‘Ooh, yer mean one of those things with four wheels? Ay, yer’d better send your Abbie down to batter me ’cos I can’t help laughing at your face!’
‘What’s wrong with my face?’
‘Well, I’ll tell yer what, mate, if I’d got a car for me birthday I wouldn’t be looking as miserable as a wet week. I’d be out there polishing it up and swanking in front of the neighbours. So where is this car yer seem to be ashamed of ?’
‘It’s parked outside the Jamiesons’, and I am not ashamed of it. It’s just that I was worried you’d think I’d turned up out of the blue just to show off.’
It was Rose who answered. ‘No, lad, he would never think that. He came home from Balfour Hall the other night and not once did he mention the word dance. He was so full of seeing you again he could talk of nothing else. He won’t be envious of your car, he’ll be made up for yer.’
‘What d’yer mean, Mam, I won’t be envious?’ Her son’s face was deadpan except for his eyes which were alive with humour. ‘Of course I’ll be flippin’ envious! Unless, that is, he takes me for a ride in it.’
Nigel smiled. Abbie had been right, a friend is a friend no matter what. ‘I’d love to take you for a spin, Mr Neary.’
With a howl of joy, Bobby slipped into his jacket. ‘Come on, then, what are yer waiting for?’
‘I’m sorry my visit is so short, Mrs Neary, but your son is very impatient.’ Nigel bent to kiss her cheek. ‘I’ll see you again soon.’ Then he hurried after his friend who was running as though he had wings on his heels.
‘Oh boy, it’s a beauty.’ Bobby ran a hand over the bonnet. ‘Smooth as silk and I can see me face in it. Not that anyone would buy a car just to see their face in when they can get a mirror for tuppence. Unless they were as good-looking as me, then they might think it was worth buying one.’
Nigel unlocked the passenger door and held it open. ‘At your service.’ And the happy smile he got in return heartened him. As he walked around the car he remembered Abbie’s words. ‘We’re just the same as we’ve always been, we haven’t changed.’ And neither had Bobby Neary.
Chapter Twelve
Bobby was like a young boy in his enthusiasm. ‘Ay, this is the gear, Nige! Who taught yer how to drive?’
‘My dad taught me in his car a couple of years ago. Mind you, for the first month he wouldn’t let me off the path. While I wanted to get out on the roads, he made me learn how to change gear, all the hand signals and what happens when you press the clutch. He bought me several books with illustrations on all parts of the engine, and after giving me a few days to study them, he would sit me down and ask me questions. I thought it was a waste of time, and that I’d learn as I went on, but I’m glad now he was quite strict about it. While I won’t say I know a car inside out, I think if it ever broke down I’d be able to find the fault.’
‘Well, I’ll say this much, ye’re a good driver.’ Bobby was watching every move with interest. ‘One of these days I’ll learn to drive. That’s when me boat comes in of course, and I’ve got a few bob in me pocket.’
‘I’ll teach you if you like. Down the country lanes where there’s no traffic.’
‘Go way! Yer wouldn’t, would yer?’
‘If you’d like me to, yes, of course I will. But none of your mad capers, though, that’s something you’ve got to understand. Driving is a serious business because you could kill someone by taking your eyes off the road and acting daft. And don’t expect to be able to drive overnight, either, because that won’t happen.’
‘I might act daft and I might look daft, but I promise yer Nige,’ Bobby tapped the side of his head, ‘I’m not daft up here. Since my dad died I’ve had to grow up quick. I never thought about how me mam managed for money before because with me dad’s wages coming in, and my few bob, we seemed to be having things easy. I didn’t care how much the rent was, what a loaf or pound of sugar cost, or how often the gas-meter needed a penny. Then in the space of a week all that changed.’
Nigel checked in his rearview and side mirror before pulling into the kerb. He was too interested in what his friend was saying to concentrate on driving. ‘Go on, tell me about it.’
‘Well, the money me dad was due from work all went on the funeral. And the week after, me mam was at her wit’s end trying to scrape the rent money together. That’s all she could think of, paying the rent to keep a roof over our heads. I suggested moving to a smaller, cheaper house, but she was crying that all her memories were in that house and while she was there me dad would always be with her. It was a terrible time. We went hungry most days, and couldn’t afford to have a fire in the grate. That’s when I grew up, Nige, when I could see me mam fading before me eyes. I didn’t mind going to work on an empty tummy, or being cold, but I did worry about me mam. My boss was good, he gave me a few hours’ overtime every week, and then me mam got a cleaning job. We were still living from hand to mouth, but we were paying the rent and we weren’t starving. New clothes were a thing of the past,
like, and many a time I’ve had holes in me socks and shoes. Then me mam got a bit stronger and took on another cleaning job and that extra money kept the wolf from the door.’ Bobby pulled a sorrowful face. ‘I’m a cheerful sod, aren’t I? Yer take me for a ride in yer new car and all I do is moan.’
‘I want to hear what your life’s been like, Bobby, and I don’t think you’re moaning, you’re just telling the truth. We were best mates when we were kids, and I hope we still are. And if you can’t talk to your best mate, who can you talk to?’
‘Ye’re the first one I’ve ever talked to about the rough time we had. In fact, the neighbours probably thought I didn’t give a damn about me dad dying and me mam out of her mind with worry. Yer see, I went around with a smile on me face because it’s the only way I could cope. But I was crying inside, believe me, my heart was raw with grief.’ Bobby shook his head at the memories. ‘It’s funny how life can be a bed of roses one minute, then hell the next. I had to grow up so quick it was a shock to me system. No more tanners for the pictures or to go dancing, no more pennies for the tram, it was shanks’s pony everywhere. And worst of all, no father to laugh and joke with, and talk about work. I didn’t appreciate it at the time, but my dad was a ruddy good mate to me.’
There was a crack in Bobby’s voice and Nigel realised what an effort it was for his friend to relive those hard times. Perhaps a cigarette would help calm his nerves. ‘Do you smoke, Bobby?’
‘Not heavy, like, but I do smoke. Why?’
Nigel reached into his pocket and brought out his packet of Turkish cigarettes. ‘Would you like one of these?’
‘Oh God, aren’t they the ones that stink?’
‘They’re all I’ve got, so it’s Hobson’s choice. Once you get used to them they’re not so bad.’ Nigel held his lighter to the flat cigarette in Bobby’s mouth and grinned when he saw the nose wrinkle in disgust. ‘Throw it away if you don’t like it. The smell does take some getting used to, I admit. My dad’s face has the same expression on it when I light up.’