by D J Birkin
Chapter
9
Life at Mawpin cottage was busy every day.
Jenny went to school and helped Ma as much as she could with the baking and the scarecrows. Most days after school she went with Sid, Billy and the twins to their camp club for an hour or two. Then after tea Jenny and Ma delivered all the suppers. Now Jenny had an extra thing to do every day for a month. Every morning and evening she nipped across to Angela's new florist shop to make sure Pinny Pipit was happy in her new job. She needn't have worried. Pinny was loving it. Customers stopped and pointed at her in the window all the time, saying 'Oh look at that little sweetie' and 'Oh isn't that little scarecrow gorgeous.' Miss Flowerdew had to tell people time after time that Pinny Pipit wasn't for sale. Jenny would wave to Pinny as she sat proudly smiling in the centre of the popular hedgerow display wearing her tiny straw hat with her patchwork dress neatly spread out around her with her hands folded together in her lap...very lady like.
One Saturday morning Jenny came downstairs and saw Ma talking to the kitchen table cloth. As Jenny watched she realised that Ma was actually whispering to a small robin sitting next to the teapot. The little robin looked really sad and had it's head cocked to one side. When it flew away through the open back door Ma gave a big sad sigh. She looked up to see that Jenny was watching her.
'Morning my little wren, what's it to be this morning, egg and porkies or probs or just a big kiss, or all the food and a basket of kisses.'
'Can I have a porky sandwich and the kisses please Ma. What's the matter? You look really sad.'
Ma planted a big kiss on Jenny's lips and another on her nose and then fetched the frying pan and sausages.
'Something tells me that Creamy is going to need me today.' said Ma. 'Her Dad is very poorly. Old Jack is over a hundred Jenny and I think he's nearing his time.'
'Is he going to die then?' asked Jenny. She was very fond of Creamy but had never met her Dad as he was always ill upstairs in bed.
'Yes I think so my little wren. A robin never comes into a house unless it's to break sad tidings to you gently. I think I need to go and be with Creamy very soon. Do you think you could do a few little jobs for me and occupy yourself today?'
'Of course Ma, you know I can look after myself, you go over to Creamy's and I'll do everything else.'
Ma quickly made Jenny her sausage sandwich and asked her to feed the chickens, put the seed out for the wild birds, give the hotchie's their breakfast and of course feed Ooty. Ma also gave Jenny two letters to take to the post office.
'Buy two stamps and post these to Bluebell and Primrose please. I've written telling them about the wedding we might be having, I know they'll both want to come. Plus they're dying to meet you. You and your friends help yourself to anything you want to eat and if you need me then just come round to Creamy's back door.'
As Ma opened the kitchen door to leave she bumped straight into two ladies who were just about to knock.
'Hi ya Ma, long time no see.' said one of the ladies. 'Spare a few minutes, lots in the basket.'
The two women were both fairly young and had strange hair styles. Thick and black, their hair hung down long at the front but at the back is was plaited and twisted up high on their heads with lots of clips in it. They were also both wearing open necked blouses that as Ma would say 'Showed more than they ought.'
'Well blow me down on a sunny day.' exclaimed Ma. 'If it isn't Ocean and Rainbow. Oh I am pleased to see you both, but I have a bit of an emergency on today ladies. Would you please come back tomorrow? We can have a cuppa and a good chat then.'
'Love too Ma, sees ya tomorrow then.'
And the women left, arm in arm chattering together like two happy magpies.
'Who were they Ma?' asked Jenny.
'Well that was a surprise.' replied Ma. 'I haven't seen them for a few years. Ocean is Sid Tucker's Mum and Rainbow is her younger sister. I guess the gypsies have arrived hoping for some field work. Oh I do hope there's not going to be any trouble with Sid's Dad. Well I'm off now little wren.' and Ma kissed Jenny goodbye.
Jenny usually fed all the animals at Mawpin cottage anyway so it didn't take her long to be on her way to see to Pinny Pipit. She waved through the window of Miss Flowerdew's shop. Ooty seemed to be missing Pinny too and put his paws on the window sill and mewed at her. Then Jenny and Ooty went next door to the post office. Just as they were about to go in, Sid came tearing up the road.
'Where you going Sid?' called Jenny. 'I thought you was coming up the camp club today. I'm just going to post some letters and call for Meg and Peg.'
'See ya up there later.' called back Sid. 'Gotta see someone and get a ruddy great pot of glue.'
As Sid ran off, Jenny noticed sadly that Sid was rubbing his leg again.
The silly triplets popped back to Mawpin cottage and made up a picnic before heading for their camp in the hedgerow. As they waded through the thick green fields, the swaying wheat brushing against their arms and legs, Jenny spotted Tattie Bogle at his post in the distance and waved to him. Tattie didn't wave back he was far too busy working.
'Who you waving to Jen ?' asked Peg.
'Oh, no one.' answered Jenny, a bit embarrassed. 'I thought I saw someone I knew, but it was just a scarecrow.'
Meg and Peg filled Jenny in on what had been happening to Sid.
'Sid's Mum's a gypsy, a Romany traveller.' they said, taking it in turn to speak.
'And Sid's dad used to chase her with his stick too. That's why she ran off when Sid was little. She's come back now and Sid's been secretly going up the gypsy camp to see her. You mustn't tell anyone Jen or Sid will get into ever such a lot of trouble.'
'I'd never tell on Sid.' said Jenny 'I like Sid. I met his Mum Ocean this morning. She came round to see Ma. She's very young for a Mum.'
'Hope Sid's Dad didn't see her.' said the twins together.
'Sid said his Dad will go nuts if he finds out she's back in Hod-me-dod-lee.'
The girls waited in their hedgerow camp for the boys to turn up and spent some time tidying it up.
'Looks like someone has been in here since yesterday.' said Peg.
'I thought that.' said Meg 'look, these are sandwich wrappers.'
Jenny thought she knew who it was, but she didn't say anything. Billy soon arrived, closely followed by Sid. Sid had brought a small scruffy looking boy with him. The little boy was about three or four and had thick black hair and dark brown eyes. He looked just like a little Sid, but with slimy snotty candles running from his nose to his mouth.
'This is me bruver Nipper.' said Sid proudly.
'E wanted to come with me. E's alright. Never talks do ya Nip boy?' Sid ruffled Nipper's already messy hair. Nipper stared in silence at the girls. Then reached up and wiped his runny nose on Sid's shirt sleeve, which was a waste of time as two minutes later he had two green nose candles again. Sid told the camp club that his Dad had locked him in his bedroom for being later home and he hadn't had any supper or breakfast and he'd had to climb out the window. He said he'd enough of the old duffer. Jenny and the twins shared out the picnic and Sid and Nipper wolfed down the cherry cakes and porky rolls. The twins had brought some bottles of blackberry squash. Peg shared Meg’s bottle and gave hers to Nipper. He guzzled it straight down and once again used Sid's shirt sleeve as a hanky.
'What you going to do now your Mum's back Sid.' asked Billy. 'Can't you live with her instead of the old duffer.'
'Going to.' said Sid. 'When she goes this time I'm going with 'er. Nip wants me too an all, don't cha Nip boy?'
Nipper nodded as he busied himself stuffing the remains of the picnic into his pockets. The twins spotted a jam jar poking out of Sid's trouser pocket.
'What's in the jar then Sid?'
Sid grinned 'What ja fink? Glue aint it.'
'Is it really strong glue?' grinned the twins.
'Only the best. It's wot ya sticks 'orses saddles with.' said Sid.
'Excellent' said Billy. 'Just tell
us when and we'll all help.'
Jenny looked puzzled. So Sid explained.
'Before I go off to live with me Mum Jen, I'm gonna stick me dad's rotten ol' walking stick to 'is 'ead. I always said I'd do it one day and now I'm really gonna do it.'
'Brilliant.' squealed the twins. 'Name the day Sid.'
'I'll letcha know when I'm ready.' said Sid. 'Mum's new 'usband 'as some business in the village first. Be about a week I reckon.'
The children carried on chatting all afternoon working out all the details of how to help Sid with his top secret plan.