Holidays at Home Omnibus
Page 174
* * *
Myrtle’s supposed pregnancy and hasty marriage had one result besides allowing Myrtle and Stanley to marry. It made Eirlys consider having another child. Testing Ken’s reaction, she told him she believed a child was happier with a sibling reasonably close in age. They were in the house alone. Morgan was taking part in a darts match, the boys visiting friends. Eirlys and Ken were playing with their son, and Ken stared at her and said, ‘Eirlys, darling, are you saying what I hope you’re saying? You want us to have another child?’
His eyes were shining and there was hardly need for her to ask if he agreed. ‘I want that more than anything,’ he said.
They hugged Anthony, and that was the tableau Morgan saw as he came through the door, having forgotten to take his ‘lucky’ darts.
When Ken took Anthony up to bed, Morgan asked Eirlys if she were happy. ‘Yes, Dadda. Fears of Ken leaving me for Janet, or someone else, are gone.’
‘You still argue a lot, mind.’
‘Yes, but the rows are over small irritations, they don’t threaten our marriage.’
Ken came in, having overheard, and said, ‘If I hurt Eirlys, I hurt myself more. I’ve too much to lose for the sake of brief, illicit fun.’
Morgan remembered how he had damaged his own marriage with a foolish affair with Bleddyn’s wife, and was sad. He hugged Eirlys and wished them both luck.
* * *
Talk of weddings and the increasing number of pregnant women walking around the shops depressed Shirley. She was almost twenty-three years old and with no hope of marriage or, since she had turned down every London offer, of expanding her career either. She constantly wondered where Freddy was. She couldn’t seek him out. It had to be up to him to come to her. She hadn’t moved. He knew exactly where to find her.
The days passing without him making contact, or even calling to collect his money, showed clearly that he had no intention of doing that. The money she still held for him was a thin thread of hope to which she clung. While that was there, she knew he had to come and see her one day, even though it was only to ask for the return of what was his.
There were still concerts planned locally and she was always a popular choice. Every time she stood in the wings, waiting to step on to the stage, she would look into the audience and wonder whether Freddy was out there, waiting to see her perfonn. No one knew of her misery except her mother. Like many others, she hid her unhappiness under false gaiety. She laughed a lot, cracked jokes and was the centre of attention at parties, but inside she ached with loneliness and regrets.
‘Why don’t you go and see him?’ Hetty asked her one day. ‘After all, you do have the excuse of wanting to return his money.’
‘Where would I find him?’
‘You know perfectly well where he works. The name of the hotel was on the side of the van, wasn’t it?’ Hetty reminded her.
‘Perhaps, one day.’
Hetty opened the window on the warm spring day and said. ‘Today looks like a perfect day for going for a walk, to visit friends, or something.’
Shirley shook her head.
* * *
Cassie took possession of the terraced house she had secretly rented, on the day of Myrtle and Stanley’s wedding. She saw the few pieces of furniture into her new abode, thanked the van driver and went to Audrey’s café to see the bride and groom. All the Castle family were there and she went to sit beside Alice.
‘You’ve moved into the house?’ Alice asked.
‘Now just,’ Cassie replied. ‘I hope I can afford to stay there. The bills are pouring in and I can’t see an end to them! I’ll have to get work of some kind, but at my age, what can I do?’
‘The same as Eynon and me. Take a lodger or two.’
While the few guests at the low-key ceremony chattered and wished the young couple well, and Maude seethed with anger in a corner, Cassie mulled over Alice’s suggestion. A lodger was a good idea, it would solve two problems: beside the extra money, she would have someone to look after, no more loneliness. Not a man, a couple of young girls would be nice. Perhaps nurses from the local hospital, she mused.
* * *
Shirley walked to the hotel where Freddy worked and went to the small reception desk. A girl was behind the counter, typing. When she saw Shirley she stood up and removed her glasses and smiled. ‘Miss Downs, isn’t it? Shirley Downs? Oh, Miss Downs, what a pleasure. I’ve seen nearly all your local concerts, and a friend and I once went all the way to Newport to see you.’ She stopped and with a smile asked how she could help.
‘Thank you for your kind words,’ Shirley said with a smile. ‘I’m flattered by your interest. I’d like to leave a message for Freddy Clements, who works here, driving the van and other things.’
Regretfully the girl shook her head. ‘Sorry, Miss Downs, he’s left us. At Christmas he went up to London and when he came back he seemed very unsettled. Then a couple of weeks ago he left.’
‘You have an address?’ Shirley was surprised at how calm she sounded.
‘Sony again. He lived here, so when he left he vacated his room and I’ve no forwarding address for him. If you wish you can leave your address and if we hear from him, I’ll let you know.’
‘Thank you, but he knows where to find me.’ Shirley turned to leave but was called back.
‘Miss Downs, d’you think I could have your autograph?’
Smiling, Shirley went back and signed her name in the book the girl offered. Fame, of a sort, was gratifying, but she’d give it all up to see Freddy looking at her with love.
That wouldn’t happen now and it would be best if she made up her mind, now this minute, to forget him. She didn’t know where he’d gone and there were no leads to guide her in a search for him. Perhaps London had called him if he’d been there at Christmas. She had been leaving as he had arrived: that must mean they were destined not to live in the same town.
She sometimes wondered about Andy, although not with any regrets. He would never be important to her. Fun for a while but she would never trust him with her heart. It was likely they would meet again, at his brother’s wedding, but she had no fears of being tempted. It was Freddy for whom she grieved and he didn’t want to know her.
Freddy called at the hotel later that day and when he was told that Shirley had called, he thanked the receptionist, listened to her description of Shirley’s visit, that had delighted the girl, then put it out of his mind. Shirley was in a different league from him, he didn’t even have a job any more, and was living in a single room with a gas ring and a small sink.
* * *
To everyone’s surprise, including her own, Lilly settled into the job at the council offices. She took messages efficiently and when she had written them out, called for the person nearest to deliver them, insisting she needed to stay with the phone. The authority in her voice made it impossible for anyone to argue. Once or twice, she was allowed to use the typewriter and soon became interested. Sometimes over the weeks, she was invited to type an occasional letter and although she was slow, she was accurate and this led to others using her skills. The feeling of superiority grew: Lilly had found her place. The lowliest position but with the greatest sense of importance.
* * *
Preparations for the wedding of Reggie and Maude increased as the day approached, with Marged and Audrey vying for the greater role. Maude had chosen to have the wedding breakfast in the café overlooking the beach, and to hold the evening party in Audrey’s café, when as many as could possibly get in were invited.
* * *
At the Gregorys’ smallholding ploughing was a priority, with an extra field added to land already tamed. Reggie worked long hours ploughing the new ground. Bernard went around with his loads of firewood; chopping and sawing in the mornings and delivering each afternoon and evening. It was Beth’s job to prepare the evening meal and when Peter came home from his office, he helped feed the hens and ducks and walked up to Sally Gough’s field to feed the donkeys. Life
was busy, and just a few days before his wedding, Reggie made up his mind to finish the new field before stopping for the day. He was tired, but carried on even when the sun went in and a cold mist drifted across the hills. Darkness came early and shadows filled corners of the field and sneaked out of the wood.
The field had been a place where he had often stood to watch rabbits feed and he saw one out of the corner of his eye, hopping out of the wood. He imagined the creature frowning as he wondered what had happened to his feeding ground and he smiled, the whimsical idea amusing him.
It was probably one of the entrances to the rabbits’ burrow that caused the tractor to falter. But whatever it was, the wheel slipped as he drove up a steep slope. He knew the danger of falling under a tractor with no protection above him and he leapt wildly away as the vehicle fell and rolled on to its side. Reggie felt excruciating pain as his leg was caught beneath it. He called but, so far away from either Sally or Bernard, he knew it was unlikely for help to arrive for a long time. The pain increased as shock left him and he slipped in and out of consciousness, the evening mist wrapping him in its chilly blanket.
* * *
Freddy had returned to a childhood hobby and taken up fishing. He was glad of the hobby to fill the time between his new job driving the van for the wholesale grocery firm and sleeping, and he was reasonably successful. The rivers offered good sport and a rainbow trout made a tasty supper and one easily cooked. He hated making his own meals, although he was more proficient at looking after himself since his time in the Army. A freshly caught fish placed between two buttered plates placed over a pan of boiling water, as he had seen his mother do many times, was a foolproof supper.
He was walking through the wood with his rod and reel plus a few sandwiches stuffed into his pocket when he heard the tractor. It was passing near then fading and slowly returning as the driver went up and down the field, but the sound changed and it seemed to be on one place for a long time. Perhaps the driver was taking a break. He might like a chat about the state of the river. He often picked up a few tips talking to the local farmers.
He pushed his way through the low, tangled bushes at the edge of the wood and looked out. He saw the tractor on its side and heard it stutter to a stop. He ran, shouting, as he saw a figure lying on the ground beneath its side. He spoke to Reggie, assuring him he’d soon be out of there and tried in vain to lift the tractor to free Reggie’s leg.
‘Look, mate, I’m only making things worse. I’m going to fetch Mr Gregory and a few others, they’ll soon get the thing shifted. Right? Now don’t worry, I’ll be no more than ten minutes. Here—’ he handed him his watch. ‘Time me. Ten minutes, right?’ Throwing his rod and reel beside the silent man, Freddy ran like he’d never run before, and burst into the Gregorys’ house without waiting to knock.
‘Come quick, Reggie’s hurt, the tractor’s on top of him.’
Bernard and Peter followed him back to the field but Bernard stopped before they reached the edge of the wood. ‘Best I go back for the horse,’ he said.
After telephoning for an ambulance, Beth picked up the baby and hurried to the next farm, where three men came at once to do what they could.
Peter and Freddy were afraid they might make things worse by lifting the heavy vehicle just a fraction then having to put it down again, so it wasn’t until Bernard came with the horse and the three men came from the neighbouring farm that Reggie was released. To their relief they saw Reggie, conscious but in pain, being carried on a stretcher down to the waiting ambulance.
It wasn’t until the following day that Freddy remembered he had left his fishing rod in the field near the damaged tractor. And he didn’t go to collect it until the following Saturday afternoon when he had finished work for the day.
The rod and the reel were where he had left them and the tractor still stood where it had been righted, with the assistance of Bernard’s horse and the neighbouring farmers. He gathered up his possessions and made his way to the river, gently chuckling along near the banks, almost silent further out where it flowed towards the sea. He sat with his line slowly moving downstream, waiting idly for the float to tell him a fish might be interested in his bait, and marvelled at the tranquil scene. Did the smooth river water slip without fuss below the turbulence of the waves? he wondered. Or joyfully join the excited turbulence on the surface of the sea? He fixed a peg on the rod with a bell to warn him of untoward movement and sat, relaxed, to eat a sandwich.
Shirley had been asked to call on Bernard Gregory to check that the order for chickens to cook for Maude’s wedding had been cancelled. Bernard took off his hat and handed her his notebook with the order struck out. He assured her the chickens were alive and well. He gave her three off-ration eggs but suggested she went for a walk first, calling for them on the way back.
‘It’s a perfect day for a walk,’ he said, puffing on his pipe. ‘Go up through the wood and see how everything is starting into life. If you can, walk down by the river, the swans are nesting and the small birds are pairing up and searching for nest sites. Plenty to see with those who have eyes.’
Shirley didn’t often walk in the countryside. She had enjoyed it as a child but since her career had grown there had been little time. Something in the man’s words reminded her of what she had been missing.
The walk through the wood was far from silent. Birds were busy searching and testing out nesting sites and there were a few noisy quarrels as two made the same choice. Squirrels ran ahead of her chattering in irritation, their undulating run a joy to watch.
It was muddy in places but by taking care she managed to make her way through to the far side, where, below her, the river flowed. She couldn’t see the swans and she hesitated to walk down the sloping field to the river bank. Her legs felt strong, but it would be quite a pull coming back up. In the distance she saw a car, then a bus travelling along the road and decided that she need only walk a bit further to get a bus back to town. Slowly, cautiously, she made her way down the sloping field to the river.
She saw the swans, elegantly cruising in a backwater, where a small island had offered a safe nest site. Smiling at the thought of reporting their position to Bernard, she walked on. A man sat near the edge, a rod stretching up at his side. She approached, hoping for a chat to glean more about them to tell Bernard. He had been right about recommending this walk, she felt relaxed and was enjoying the peaceable sound of the river.
‘Hello, Shirley, looking for a fish supper?’
‘Freddy? What are you doing here?’
‘Fishing!’ he said with a grin.
‘I mean, I didn’t know you did such a thing.’
‘It was Bernard’s idea. He lent me a rod, came with me a few times, and I revived a childhood interest. Sit down,’ he invited. ‘There’s a sandwich or two left if you’re hungry.’
‘No, thanks. I’m going to walk on towards the main road and get a bus back to town.’
The bell on the top of the rod rang then, and he jumped up and began to play the fish caught on his hook. The glistening creature was lifted out of the water as Freddy reeled in. ‘Less than half a pound, I’ll throw him back,’ he said. He carefully released it and they watched it slide back under the water. ‘Silly fool,’ Freddy said. ‘Risking his life for a mangled bit of worm.’
He added fresh bait to the hook, set up the rod and sat down near Shirley. Was it her imagination or did he sit closer than before?
‘Where are you living now?’ she asked. ‘Or is it a secret?’
‘I’ve got a room in Main Street, just a room with a bed and a gas ring, nothing more. It’ll do until I decide what I’m going to do.’
‘And a job?’
‘Delivering groceries for a wholesaler.’
‘Why, Freddy?’
‘I have to earn money,’ he replied, adjusting the reel slightly to allow the line to move further downstream.
‘Why are you accepting such low standards for yourself?’ she asked softly. ‘Rememb
er what dreams you had? A top-class gent’s clothing shop selling only the best to the best?’
‘It all sounded so easy then. But coming back I found everything had moved on. Mam and Dad gone and not even the house to come back to. I realized I didn’t have roots here any more, they’d all been pulled up and discarded.’
‘And your friends? They were still here, but they were discarded by you. What was the reason for that? I was still here.’
‘What was the point in trying to find a place for myself? You’ve reached the heights and still climbing. I’m so proud of you, Shirley, but like everyone else, you’ve left me behind.’
‘I’m still here,’ she repeated. ‘Still waiting for you to start building your dreams.’
‘I don’t want to hold you to any promises, not now. I’d hold you back and you deserve more than that.’
‘Oh, I’ve done with climbing. I turned down the offers I had in London, I lack the determination and what an agent called “fire in my belly”, and I’m content to be a small fish, like that one you’ve just caught and reprieved, a small fish in a small pool, that’s me.’
Freddy packed up his gear and together they walked along the river bank towards the sloping field leading to the wood. He looked at the steep climb and turned away. She would find it a struggle to walk home. ‘Let’s catch the bus, eh? I think we have some talking to do.’ When he helped her over the stile at the road bridge, she didn’t move away from him. Their eyes met and he threw down his encumbrances and kissed her, holding her close as though he would never let her go.
* * *