‘I’m sorry?’
‘Don’t you remember?’
‘Remember what?’
‘You and me have met before. Years ago. By rights, you should be as old as me now, but you ain’t.’ She shakes her head. ‘You told me this would happen again, but I didn’t believe you.’
‘I’m sorry, Mrs McAllister – er, Lil, I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘That’s right. Let me think. You said you wouldn’t know about it because everything was out of order. How old are you, Rosie?’
‘I’m fifteen.’
‘Well I never … You came here first, didn’t you? First time I saw you, you was about sixteen, and I was a nipper.’’
‘That’s not possible.’
‘Nor is you being here, eh? But you are,’ she said, patting my cheeks and letting me go. ‘It’s all right. I won’t tell no one. It’ll be our secret, just like it was back then. Now our Billy will be back in a minute, so you get yourself in that bath and soak off that mud and dust. I’ll help you with your hair. And I’ve got some nice lavender soap you can use. You don’t want to use the usual stuff on that lovely skin. You ain’t used to roughing it, are you?’
So here I am, sitting in a tin bath in Lil’s kitchen, in total shock. It’s not possible. Is it? But it shouldn’t be possible for me to be here now. I mean, what if she did meet me years ago? Does that mean I’m not going to get home, but will be stumbling around in time for the rest of my life? Oh God, I can’t cope with this!
‘How you getting on, dear?’ asks Lil from the other side of the screen. ‘You ain’t fallen asleep?’
I nearly jump out of my skin, and some water slops over the side of the bath. ‘Er, no. I’m all right.’ I splash water over my face, wishing I could relax and enjoy the hot water after days of cold washes. But I’m so wound up I feel like I’m going to have a complete breakdown or something. Why is this happening to me?
‘Ready to do your hair?’
‘I can probably do it.’
‘Don’t be daft.’ She appears round the edge of the screen. ‘I’ve got a couple of jugs of clean water ready for rinsing. Now,’ she puffs as she kneels down next to the bath. I hope she hasn’t knelt on the wet patch. I should be dead embarrassed, but I’m too tired and confused to care. ‘You haven’t even taken out your hairpins. Here, let me.’ She does it quickly and I feel the relief as my hair floats around my face and shoulders. ‘That’s better, now dunk yourself in and get it wet, dear.’ I do as I’m told and she starts to massage soap into my hair with strong, sure fingers. Oooh, it feels lovely, until some soap gets into the cut on my forehead and I hiss with pain. ‘Sorry, dear. Here, let’s rinse that with the fresh water.’ It feels better straight away, and I sigh with pleasure again. ‘Right, now lean your head back, that’s it.’
Lil finishes cleaning my hair, taking care not to go near my forehead again. She works in silence and I begin to relax. The front door slams again. Bill’s back. I hear him come into the kitchen.
‘You stay right there, Billy,’ calls Lil.
‘I ain’t coming in,’ he says. ‘I’m just putting her clothes on the chair. I’ll get that fire going and wait in the front room.’
‘Good boy. There should be some tea left in the pot.’
‘Righto.’ He pours himself a cup. I can hear the teaspoon tinkle against the china as he stirs the milk in. ‘I’m off into the front room then.’
He closes the door behind him as Lil starts to rinse my hair. ‘There you go. I’ll bet that feels better, don’t it? Now, what about the rest of you?’ She picks up my hand. There’s loads of little cuts and dirt, and my nails are wrecked. What I wouldn’t give for a proper manicure right now. Jess does them for me sometimes; she wants to be a beautician when we leave school. Lil tuts and gently washes my hands and arms, then my feet and lower legs, which are beyond filthy from crawling through the rubble in that basement. ‘Blimey, you have been in the wars, haven’t you?’
‘I was the only one small enough to get through.’ I say, feeling a bit tearful.
‘Well, you’re a brave one, that’s for sure. I suppose it comes from being a time traveller.’
I stare at her, and she looks back at me, calm as anything. ‘What makes you say that?’ I ask, hoping I’m so zoned out that I’ve misunderstood what she’s saying.
‘Because you told me. It was a long time ago, and I never believed you back then. But you are, ain’t you, seeing as how you’re here, and now you’re cleaned up I can see you look just the same.’ She frowns and picks up my right hand and traces along the back of my thumb. ‘Only you ain’t got a scar here. Not yet.’
‘What?’ I pull my hand back.
She frowns. ‘Oh cripes, I shouldn’t have said nothing. I’d better not say any more.’
‘Why not?’
‘Well, you can’t go round telling people what’s going to happen, can you? Spoilers, you called it. Said it wasn’t a good idea.’
Oh. My. God. That’s something I would say. But if I did, that means …
‘When did we meet, Lil?’
‘Let’s see, I’m sixty-three now, and I was just a girl when I first met you.’
‘First?’ I ask, not sure if I heard her right.
‘That’s right. You was the teacher at the Board School while old Miss Pritchard was ill.’’
I sit up, sploshing water everywhere. ‘You’re kidding me, right? Tell me this is a joke.’
‘No. Us kiddies loved you.’ You was a lot more fun than that old battle-axe. A really good teacher.’
‘At sixteen?’
‘Well, you told everyone you was older. We didn’t know no different, what with you having such a good education.’
This is crazy. I just want to get back to my own time, where I’m just an ordinary schoolgirl. Why is this happening to me?
I cover my face, trying not to cry. Will I ever get home? I don’t want to be Lil’s teacher. I just want to get back to Gran and Great-aunt Eleanor!
‘You weren’t there for long, mind,’ she went on. ‘Only a couple of weeks. I never knew the truth then of course. I didn’t see you again for ever such a long time.’
I take my hands away and look up. ‘Again?’
Lil is staring into space. Is she crazy or am I?
‘That’s right. I was married then and had the kids. My Ethel was in an accident and you brought her home. Gave me a terrible shock, I can tell you. You had to let me in on it then, to shut me up.’
‘An accident?’ I ask.
‘Oh it weren’t nothing serious. You was both all right.’
‘When was this?’
‘1910. I nearly fainted dead away when you appeared. You’d gone up in the world.’ She looks at me again. ‘Mind you, you looked a bit older then. Not an old married woman like me, mind. You was brave then, n’all. I couldn’t believe it when you got arrested.’
I feel the breath leave my body. Did she just say –?
‘Ooh, I shouldn’t have said that, should I? Now don’t you worry, dear. You weren’t in jail for long, your young man saw to that, then you were gone again.’
‘Gone?’
She nods and laughs. ‘Ooh, you led ’em a right dance.
They said you escaped and the coppers spent ages looking for you. Decided you’d left the country in the end, they did.’ She tapped her nose. ‘But I knew better.’
‘But where did I go?’ I ask, but I’m not sure I want to know.
‘Why, you went home, dear. Back to the future. Mr Lucas told me you had it all sorted.’
‘I don’t know a Mr Lucas.’
Lil raises her eyebrows. ‘Oh, I’d better keep schtum then, hadn’t I?’ She taps the side of her nose with her finger.
‘No! I mean, I need to know. Who is he?’
Lil looks doubtful. ‘What about spoilers?’
‘Please, Lil. I need to know if I can get home. If this Mr Lucas has anything to do with it, I need to find him.
‘Don’t you fret none, darling. You told me you always find your way back home. You don’t need to find him. You’ll be right.’
Home? ‘I definitely told you I was going home?’ I focus on that.
‘Yes. Oh, and now I think about it, you gave me a message for when I saw you again. Only I can’t remember everything after all these years. I know you said to say that you got home to your gran all right, but to be ready for it to happen again one day. Now, what else? Oh yes, that’s it, you said not to worry, ’cause you was getting used to it and if you use your head you’ll work out how to get back.’
‘Use my head?’ Oh no! I touch the cut on my head. I nearly got back last night after that plank hit me, didn’t I? And it must have been hitting my head when I tripped in Gran’s hall that got me here. I can’t go around bashing myself on my head trying to get home – I’ll end up with brain damage or something. ‘Are you sure?’
Lil laughs. ‘Oh bless your heart! You said you’d worry about being bashed on the bonce. But you didn’t mean it
like that.’
I sigh. This is not helping. Use my head? How the hell can I do that when it’s full of so much stuff? I can’t take this in.
Lil grabs the side of the bath and nearly tips me out as she struggles to her feet. ‘Oh Christ, my old bones. Come on, young Rosie, let’s get you out of there before you go all wrinkly.’
‘But what else did I say? How am I supposed to use my head? What does it mean?’
‘I’m don’t rightly know, dear. I did write it down, but I can’t for the life of me think what I did with the paper. I’ll have to have a look, but it’s probably long gone now. Or maybe Ethel’s got it. I’ll have to ask her next time I see her. If I think of anything else I’ll tell you, I promise. Now come on, out you get before you catch your death.’
I want to argue, to get her to remember. I’ve got so many questions, but she shakes her head.
‘Sorry dear. My old brain ain’t what it used to be, and you took so blooming long to come back. I just can’t remember.’
She holds out a thin towel and with a sigh I get up and wrap it round me. Another one goes round my head, and yet another round my shoulders. I step out onto the rug as Lil rummages through a drawer full of clutter in the dresser by the cooker. She brings out a hairbrush, pulls some stray hairs from it, and gives it to me. ‘Now, I’ll leave you to get dressed. Go on through to the front room when you’re ready, dear, then Billy can have his turn.’
I look at the grimy water. ‘I don’t think he’ll get very clean in that.’
‘Don’t you worry. There’s plenty more water in the copper. He’ll dump this lot in the yard and have a nice fresh one.’
She shuffles out and I dry myself. The warm water has
helped, but I’m still quite stiff and sore. But that’s the least of my worries at the moment. Can I believe what Lil has said, or did that knock on my head do more damage than I thought?
When I’m dressed I leave the towel wrapped round my hair, and go and find Bill on his own in the front room. It’s lovely and warm.
‘All right?’ he smiles. ‘You look better.’
‘Yeah, well, anything would’ve been an improvement, right?’
‘I s’pose.’
‘Where’s your nan?’
‘She’s upstairs somewhere,’ he said.
I shut the door behind me. ‘Bill, who’s Ethel?’
‘My aunt. Why?’
‘Where is she?’
‘She lives down Canvey Island.’ I must be looking blank because he goes on: ‘It’s in Essex. Why?’
I’m not likely to meet her, then. So I’ve got no way of checking Lil’s story.
Lil could be telling me the truth, or she could be as mad as everyone says she is. I’m sort of hoping she’s completely off her trolley. But then again, how on earth would she know about me being from another time? It could be one huge coincidence I suppose, and she really is completely mad, but that’s pretty unlikely, isn’t it?
‘What’s this all about, Rosie?’ asks Bill.
‘You’re not going to believe this, but –’
‘Come on, Billy,’ Lil calls out. ‘Get your filthy carcass in the bath, boy. I want me kitchen back!’
‘You’d better go,’ I say. ‘I’ll tell you later.’ I need some time to think about this. I sink into an armchair by the now-blazing coal fire as he gets up and goes to have his bath. I take the towel off my hair and start to brush it out. It soon begins to dry in the warmth of the fire. I don’t even care that it’s going frizzy.
I try to get everything straight in my mind, but so much is spinning round my head, and I’m getting sooo tired. In the end I give up and lean back in the chair and close my eyes.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
I slept for most of the day, finally waking up because my stomach was cramping with hunger. Lil had a pot of some kind of stew simmering on the hob and insisted I had some before I went back over the road. I’m not sure what it was, but I was past caring and it tasted great. Bill had gone home to bed, so I didn’t see him.
I wanted to talk to Lil about what she’d told me, but she was determined to avoid the subject.
‘Take no notice of an old woman,’ she said. ‘I don’t know what I’m talking about half the time. Me mind ain’t what it used to be, dear. I can’t remember what’s up or down these days.’
‘But Lil, you knew about …’ Spoilers. Of course. I’d told her about spoilers, and now she was acting like she hadn’t told me anything. But, for God’s sake, she could help me get home! But no matter how I phrased it, she refused to answer any questions.
‘Don’t you fret none, love. You’ll be all right,’ she said, patting me on the shoulder. ‘Now, it’s been lovely having you, but why don’t you pop back over the road and get the house nice and warm for the girls? They’ll be home soon.’
It was already dark outside and it was clear I wouldn’t get anything else out of her, so I gave up and left. ‘Thanks for looking after me,’ I said. ‘And thank Bill for me, will you?’
‘Course I will. Ta-ra then.’
So here I am, alone in the house for the first time. It’s dark and cold. I turn on lights as I walk down the hall and into the kitchen. While the kettle boils I go back and stand in front of the coat stand and stare into the mirror.
I look bloody awful. My hair is all frizzy and there’s a bruise on my forehead. The cut is right on the edge of my hairline, so it’s not too obvious. I play about with my hair a bit and manage to cover the bruise too. But that doesn’t take away my puffy, bloodshot eyes and the dark shadows under them. I pinch my cheeks to get a bit of colour into my pale face. I remember the last time I properly looked in this mirror, and how I thought I looked dead grown-up and sophisticated. Gran and Great-aunt Eleanor had been there, right behind me, so pleased with my French pleat and all that dressing up.
My eyes are filling up. I miss them so much. I wish I could see them now. I’ve had enough of all this.
For a split second there’s something there in the mirror. Is it Gran? But when I blink it’s gone. There’s a scraping sound as a key turns in the lock and May and Nelly come in through the front door.
‘Hallo, Queenie. You feeling better, love?’ asks May.
I shrug. I haven’t a clue.
‘What are you doing, standing out here in the hall?’ asks Nelly.
‘Nothing,’ I say.
In the kitchen, the kettle starts to whistle.
‘Ah, now there’s the best sound in the world to come home to,’ smiles May. She links arms with me. ‘Come on, let’s have a nice cuppa and you can tell us all about your adventures. The girls at work all send their love. They’re dying to know what you got up to with Jock McAllister all night.’
Over tea I get the third degree from both of them. I have to tell them everything, from leaving the dance to getting back here. The only things I don’t mention are the portal in the basement, what Lil told me, and what I’ve told Bill.
When Nelly starts cooking dinner I tell her I’m going to bed.
‘You’ve got to eat,’ she says.
‘Lil fed me. I slept all day and only woke up about an hour ago. She gave me some stew. Honestly, I’m still full.’
I clean my teeth at the sink while she peels some potatoes, then I leave them to it.
The next day I miss seeing Bill at the bus stop, but then remember he had a couple of days off. I never got a chance to tell him what Lil said to me. I hope I see him later. I really need to talk to him. I have no idea what ‘using my head’ is supposed to mean. I’m feeling really fed up, and to make things worse May doesn’t shut up about Harry.
‘I’ve had my eye on that one for a while,’ she says as we finish our dinner this evening. Corned beef hash. Better than spam, I suppose, but still pretty revolting. ‘He always dresses so smart, and he’s a handy dancer. Did you see him swing me about?’ she giggles.
Me and Nelly both roll our eyes. For once we’re in total agreement.
‘Bill’s a good dancer too,’ I say. ‘And he looks well hot in uniform.’
‘Hot?’ Course he gets hot when he’s dancing. We all do,’ says Nell.
I shake my head. ‘No, I didn’t mean warm. I meant, you know, hot, sexy. I’m really surprised he hasn’t got a girlfriend.’
May looks shocked. ‘Sexy? Our Jock? We talking about the same bloke here, Queenie?’
‘Yes,’ I say. ‘And he prefers his real name. Don’t you think he’s good-looking?’
May frowns. ‘Dunno. I never thought about it. He’s just Jock. He’s a mate.’
I grit my teeth in frustration. May has to change her mind about Bill. If not, the future could be very different. It might not even happen. ‘Well I think he’s lovely.’
‘He’s not bad-looking I suppose,’ said Nell. ‘And he does look quite smart in uniform.’
‘Not as smart-looking as Harry, though,’ May insists.
‘Harry should be in uniform too,’ says Nell. ‘Not swanning about in sharp suits like a spiv.’
‘What’s a spiv?’ I ask.
Nell looks at me like I’m a total idiot. ‘A flash geezer who earns his money on the black market,’ she says. ‘Dodgy characters. They ought to be in jail, the lot of ’em.’
Rosie Goes to War Page 13