“So, all that worrying was for nothing?” enquired Janie.
“No! The investing in our future and the kiddie thing swung it,” came Dave’s reply from the doorway. The pair of them looked across at him. He moved into the studio.
“I was just about to say it was perfect BUT… when Megan started giving me this grand speech about our plans for the future about having kids and how we’d take care of them and each other and well… all my foolish macho pride took a hike. It made sense. Megan wasn’t buying it for herself; she was buying it for us, our future, our kids. Good job she told you all about it, Janie, else we’d still be arguing about it now.” Janie blushed, and Megan gave her a big squeeze before jumping off her lap and into Dave’s waiting arms.
“We owe you a big thank you, Janie,” they both said in unison.
“Those cheesy grins on your faces are all the reward I need,” Janie replied. “Now get out of here, I’ve got a story to write.”
“I’ll cook us something special for tea,” called Megan over her shoulder as they exited the studio. “That’s if it’s okay for us to stay?” she teasingly added.
Janie just shook her head and turned back to face the desk and the typewriter. She was happy for Megan, she really was. She was happy for grandad George and Rose. She was even happy for her dad and his romance with Gwen, but it still left a bittersweet sting in her heart. Would she ever be happy? Would she ever find the kind of love she was now so busy writing about? She’d thought she’d had it with Josef. Even the thought of him still sent butterflies into flight around her stomach. Would they ever stop? Would she ever stop loving him? Would she ever love again?
“Snap out of it,” she said out loud to herself. Janie ran her fingers through her hair and had a good stretch of her shoulders, her arms, hands and fingers. She felt the tension in them ease away. She didn’t have time to feel sorry for herself; she had a book to write.
HARRY
September 1983
Harry swung the Range Rover onto Bea’s driveway and parked up beside Janie’s Vauxhall Chevette in front of the double garage. He mentally corrected himself for thinking of it still as Bea’s driveway, when in reality it was Janie’s now. He reached across and opened the glove compartment and retrieved the car’s paperwork from it. Harry placed the documents on the passenger seat and closed the glove compartment. He took the keys out of the ignition and was just reaching for the door handle to open the door when it shot open. Harry looked up to see Gwen holding onto the open driver’s door with a face like thunder.
“You might have rung to let me know you was coming,” she almost shouted at him. Harry leant across and took the car’s documents off the passenger seat then swung his leg out of the open door and eased himself up and out onto the driveway. Gwen had taken a few steps back to allow him to alight from the car. Harry closed the car door and turned to face Gwen.
“I’ve come to deliver Janie the Range Rover and take her little Chevette back home. It’s more of a business visit than a social one.”
“OH! So, you won’t be calling in to see Janie then?” snapped Gwen. Harry took a deep breath before answering, mainly to keep his growing aggravation with Gwen’s irrational behaviour at bay.
“Of course, I’ll be seeing Janie, Gwen. There’s papers to be signed for one thing and she is my daughter and I don’t get to see her very often, as you well know!” explained Harry. He could see his answer had only infuriated her more.
“And what about me, Harry? I thought we were a couple. Yet here you are! You’ve travelled all this way and you wasn’t even going to stop by and say hello! How do you think that makes me feel?” Harry let out a sigh.
“How many times in these past few months have I been to see you, Gwen, and not my own daughter? Eh?”
“That’s different,” shrugged off Gwen. “You’re not supposed to be having a relationship with her!” Harry just couldn’t help laughing out loud at the absurdity of her reply.
“How dare you laugh at me,” screamed Gwen at him. Now it was time for Harry to raise his voice.
“I’m laughing at how absurd your last remark was,” began Harry. “Janie is my daughter, for God’s sake! We have a father–daughter relationship. It’s perfectly natural Gwen, for me to want to spend time with her.”
“But why do you have to leave me out?” exclaimed Gwen.
“I’m not leaving you out. I’m just spending time with Janie today, that’s all. I’m just making sure my little girl has got a safe motor for when the bad weather comes, that’s all. But really, Gwen, I shouldn’t have to explain myself to you. I don’t have to ring Janie every time I come down to see you. It’s nothing to do with her and me visiting Janie today has really nothing to do with you either. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll carry on in to see Janie as I’ve wasted enough of my time here with you over this already.” Harry turned away from Gwen and started towards the gate at the side of the building. Beyond it were the steps that led down to the back of the cottage and its kitchen door. He’d managed two paces when Gwen grabbed his arm and tried to turn him back round to face her. Harry spun round to confront her. He wasn’t a violent man. Christ! He was usually an easy-going bloke, but Gwen had more than tried his patience. It had been fun when they’d first hooked up. They’d laughed, talked, danced and even sung along to the radio together but there’d always been this sort of neediness about her. She always seemed to want to know his whereabouts. If he hadn’t rung when he’d said he would, she’d be on the phone straight away asking why. Always asking when he was coming down to see her but never saying she’d come up to see him. Then she seemed to be envious of any time he spent with his family and she’d go all moody if he spent time with his friends. He liked Gwen but not that side of her. Elsie had had two sides to her and look where that had got him. It was no good. He was going to have to call it a day with Gwen. There was no way he was ever going to go back down that road again.
“Don’t you dare walk away from me.” Gwen was now in full hysterical flow. Her cheeks were bright red and her eyes were almost popping out of their sockets with anger at him. “It damn well is my business what you get up to, Harry Arnold, and don’t you ever forget it. We’re a couple and I have a right to know EVERYTHING YOU SAY AND DO! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?”
“Well, we’re not anymore,” replied Harry.
“OH! YES, WE ARE,” yelled Gwen. “WE’RE NOT THROUGH UNTIL I SAY SO, DO YOU HEAR ME?” DO YOU HEAR ME?” she repeated.
The front door of the cottage swung open and Janie appeared in the doorway with Mavis at her side. They both strode out onto the drive.
“What the hell is going on?” asked Janie.
“None of your damn business,” spat Gwen at her. “So, piss off back inside and keep your nose out of my affairs.” Harry watched the fire rise up in his daughter. Janie was a redhead in every sense of the word. From her fiery red curls, right down to her fiery quick temper.
“Get the fuck off my property,” shouted Janie at Gwen, “Before I call the police on ya!”
“Oh, shut up, you stupid little girl,” screamed Gwen back at her.
“Now now, Gwen, I think you should come with me,” began Mavis, taking Gwen by the arm and trying to lead her off towards her house next door. Gwen just lashed out at Mavis, catching her full-on across the face sending Mavis toppling to the ground. Janie rushed over to check on Mavis and Harry, dropping the folder of paperwork onto the driveway, caught hold of Gwen’s arms before she caused any more damage.
“Let me go,” screamed Gwen at Harry.
“Not until you calm down and apologise to Mavis and Janie then I’ll let go so that you can get the hell out of here.” Gwen just twisted and turned and kicked out at Harry, but he held onto her. Janie helped Mavis to her feet and then led her back into the cottage. As she closed the front she called out to Harry.
“Make sure that nutcase leaves in the nex
t five minutes, Dad, else I’m calling the police, okay?”
“I will, love. You just take care of Mavis.”
Once the front door was shut, Harry released his grip on Gwen and as she was still thrashing and kicking about the momentum sent her hurling to the ground. She immediately got to her feet and ran at Harry, pummelling his chest with her fists and shouting.
“How dare you let that little cow speak to me like that?” Harry once again grabbed her arms but this time he just pushed Gwen away from him before releasing her.
“Just go, Gwen, and take a long, hard look at yourself in the mirror and think about what’s happened here today, will ya? I don’t know what the hell has got into you but it sure as hell ain’t pretty. You’ve just attacked your oldest friend, insulted my daughter and ended our relationship and all because of what, Gwen? Go ask yourself that!” Harry took one last look at Gwen, picked up the folder from the ground and headed for the front door of the cottage.
“You should have told me you were coming,” shouted Gwen to Harry’s retreating back. Harry just opened the door and without looking back walked through it and slammed it shut behind him. He waited in the hallway, listening for Gwen’s footsteps on the driveway. Finally, he heard them turn and walk away. He slipped into the front bedroom and peered through the net curtain down the drive. Gwen was just turning out of sight. A few minutes later her car sped past the top of the driveway. Harry let out a sigh of relief then made his way down the stairs to the kitchen.
Janie was just handing a cup of tea to Mavis, who was seated at the kitchen table. Her left cheek was showing the first signs of a bruise and there was a graze running down her right arm where she’d fallen to the ground. No doubt she’d have a similar graze on her right leg, thought Harry.
“I’m sorry, ladies,” began Harry. “I didn’t mean for you to get caught up in our argument.”
“No need to apologise, Harry,” offered Mavis. “When Janie and I heard the commotion up on the driveway I knew that Gwen had lost the plot, so, to speak.”
“What do you mean?” asked Janie puzzled by Mavis’s remark.
“Gwen moved here after a failed marriage. Her ex-husband was a womaniser. Gwen had trusted him wholeheartedly and had swallowed all the lies he’d fed her. Then one day a young girl turned up at the house. She was heavily pregnant and Gwen’s husband was the father. He had the audacity to tell the girl she could move in and Gwen, being a nurse, could look after her. Gwen packed her bags and left. She’s had a trust issue ever since. It used to drive me and Bea mad in the beginning but we kinda got used to it and, as we were females, she eventually started to trust us and the problem seemed to have gone away. Then along comes Harry and it seems he’s brought the green-eyed, untrusting monster back to life.”
“But she knows dad’s history. She knows he’s been lied to, cheated on and worse. So, why think or believe he’s capable of doing those things to someone else?” asked Janie.
“Jealously and mistrust aren’t logical, that’s why, Janie,” began Harry. “They’re a disease, an illness, just like alcohol is to some. They don’t see it as a problem. They don’t see things as we do. I just wish she’d told me. Maybe we could have avoided all of this. Maybe we could have worked it out. But now? I don’t know!”
“It’s not for you to work out, Harry, that’s Gwen’s job. She’s a sensible old thing underneath all that silliness. She’ll realise sooner or later what a complete arse she’s been then she’ll come crawling back with her tail between her legs asking for forgiveness. And when she does, I for one will give it,” ended Mavis.
“Me too,” added Janie. Harry said nothing. He wasn’t so sure he could! Gwen’s behaviour had been a stark reminder of his life with Elsie. He liked Gwen, he liked her a lot, but another irrational, selfish woman in his life was something he definitely didn’t need.
ANNE
December 1983
Anne took a good look at her father as she cleared away the dinner plates. He looked older, somehow, from the last time she’d seen him back in August, when he’d visited with Gwen. He’d looked really happy that day but now he looked so lost, so low. Janie had filled her in on what had happened with Gwen and how she’d since been round and apologised to her. Strange how people never seem to be what you expected of them. Take her Eric, for instance. He’d been her rock for the past six years. He’d taught her how to forgive and to ask for forgiveness. To rid herself of the stubbornness and spite that her aunt Mary and gran had nurtured in her. Eric had blossomed in those years too. Age suited him well. It had enhanced his looks and the hard, manual labour of running a grocery shop had done wonders to his body. He’d been her meal ticket to a new life away from the grip of her aunt and gran. Away from the family that she had so cruelly treated but now he was the love of her life, the man she admired above all others, save for her father, and that was why she was saddened by his appearance.
“Are you okay, Dad?” Anne asked as she removed the empty plate from in front of him.
“I’m fine, love, especially after that lovely meal. Still got room for a spot of pudding if there’s any going though!” Harry quipped as he rubbed his swollen belly.
“There’s some home-made rice pudding cooking in the oven. It’ll be another ten, fifteen minutes before it’s ready though,” replied Anne as she stacked the dirty plates in the sink.
“Plenty of time for you to tell me what it is you want to ask me and what you want to tell,” responded Harry, leaning back in his chair. Anne wiped her hands on her apron then resumed her place back at the kitchen table. Eric reached across and held her hand.
“We’re expecting another baby come June,” blurted out Anne. Immediately a smile spread across Harry’s face.
“How wonderful, another grandchild, oh, Anne what a lovely surprise.” Harry reached across the table and placed a kiss on Anne’s cheek, then he shook Eric’s hand.
“So, I’m guessing the next thing you want to tell me is you’re moving into a bigger place?” Anne looked over to Eric and gave him the nod to speak.
“Well, Harry, the next thing we wanted to ask was if that talk about me joining the team at the garage was serious?”
“Too, right it was serious, Eric. Charlie has big ideas for the garage beyond that new flash car showroom. He wants to move into motorbike sales as well. We own a decent-sized plot to the side of the workshop and been offered more land behind that for a fair price off the old bloke who owns it. With you on board it would be a definite goer. You’ve got a good business head on your shoulders, Eric, and we need someone with those skills to forge ahead. Just say the word and we’ll welcome you aboard the family business.” Harry beamed at Eric.
“We were hoping you’d say that, Dad, weren’t we, Eric? Cause we’ve got something else to tell you,” continued Anne. “Eric and I have sold the shop and flat and bought a three-bedroomed house a couple of streets away from your place. It used to belong to old Mrs Ferriday, the infant school teacher, remember her, Dad?” Harry nodded at Anne.
“Well, she died over a year ago, but the estate has only just been settled and the house put up for sale. We’d asked about it and logged an interest in it not long after she died and last month they got back to us. Gave us first refusal. We got someone to look after Freddy Jnr and the shop and literally just drove down, viewed it, then came straight back.” Eric took over from Anne then.
“The house is a mess inside and out. The old lady never did anything to it all the thirty-odd years she lived there and it standing empty for over a year hasn’t done it any favours but the minute we walked through the door we fell in love with it.”
“It’s got a huge garden out back, Dad, and all the bedrooms are a generous size,” interrupted Anne.
“Anyway,” continued Eric. “We made a slightly lower offer than they were asking and after keeping us waiting for a few days they agreed to it. We put the shop and flat
up for sale as soon as we got the news and within hours of word getting out the young couple who help us out in the shop came up with the funds to buy it.”
“Isn’t it wonderful, Dad?” exclaimed Anne. “I’m finally coming home.” Harry was grinning like a Cheshire cat. He’d always hoped that one day Anne and her little family would move closer to home; now it seemed it was all happening.
“And you’ll be wanting to move back in with me and Charlie while you wait for it to be done? Is that what you’re leading up to?” asked Harry. Anne nodded her head, as did Eric.
“I can do all the chores for you, cook, wash, clean and Eric will be able to start straight after the handover at the garage.” Harry started to laugh.
“Of course, you’re all welcome to stay for as long as it takes and there’s no need to be running around after me and Charlie either.”
“But we – I want to help, to do my bit,” argued Anne.
“We’ll all work together as a family, Anne. Now, where’s that rice pudding you promised me?” Anne rose from the table and heading towards the oven she stopped by her father and gave him a hug.
“You’re the best dad in the world,” she said, then set about serving up the dessert.
GEORGE & HARRY
January 1984
“Be glad when all this icy weather has gone,” remarked Harry as he stepped out of the warmth of The Honeysuckle public house. George pulled the collar of his coat up tight around his neck and buried his chin into his chest.
“Good for killing off the germs and us old folk,” he jested.
“Take more than a cold to kill you off, Dad,” joked back Harry. “You’re made of sterner stuff.”
“Thought your mum was, Harry, but they reckon it was a cold that took her.”
“Only thing in her life she couldn’t beat the stuffing out of, eh?” quipped Harry.
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