by June Francis
‘That’s not quite the same thing, but I do see what you’re getting at,’ said Tim. ‘My happy ending would be me managing to make enough for me to support Jerry and myself and staying on the straight and narrow.’
‘So no time for romance in your happy ending?’
‘I suspect Isabella would consider that sloppy – and besides, what woman would want me?’ He did not give Lucia the chance to say something positive but added, ‘Anyway, hadn’t we better get back to those Snakes and Ladders? You know, I actually hate snakes – bloke I knew was bitten by one in Australia. It was horrible.’
‘Oh my goodness! What happened?’ asked Lucia.
‘He died. We were in the bush, miles from help, and the poison took effect incredibly quickly. If I’d realized there were so many poisonous creatures in Australia, I wouldn’t have gone there. But I’m back now, so I don’t have to worry about snakes or tiny spiders with a deadly bite.’
‘Are you sure you want to go back to playing Snakes and Ladders?’ she asked, laughing.
‘Of course! After all, it’s only a game.’
‘But if it brings back bad memories …?’ she teased.
‘I can cope,’ he said ruefully, pulling a face. ‘Besides, I don’t want to disappoint Jerry.’
Lucia threw a six, which meant she landed at the bottom of a long ladder, and she took the lead. Tim was not so lucky, but he didn’t care because he didn’t mind losing to the boys or Lucia. The boys were pleased when she won and wanted another game, but Tim said it was getting late and it was time Jerry was in bed.
‘But it’s Christmas,’ said the boy.
‘It’s time my lot were in bed too,’ said Lucia.
‘Couldn’t Jerry sleep here?’ asked Joseph. ‘He can share my bed.’
Tim and Lucia exchanged looks. ‘I don’t mind,’ she said. ‘You could stay a bit longer and have a cup of cocoa.’
‘I’d like that,’ Tim said.
Within the hour the children were all in bed and peace reigned. Lucia made the cocoa and sat on the sofa that had been pulled up closer to the fire. Tim decided it would be sensible not to sit beside her and sat in an armchair. Lucia felt disappointed at him sitting so far away and was surprised because – if nothing else it suggested that he was not going to try and take advantage of her, thus proving Maggie wrong. She sipped her cocoa and wracked her brains for something to say.
‘What are your plans for Boxing Day?’ she asked.
‘Jerry and I are going to Marty and Irene’s for lunch. Mam is invited as well. My brother and I will probably take the kids to feed the ducks on the Leeds–Liverpool canal, leaving Irene and Mam to prepare the meal in peace.’
‘Will Jerry be riding there on his new bike?’
‘He’s longing to have a good go on it, but it depends on what the pavements are like in the morning,’ said Tim.
‘Why don’t you have a look and see what the weather is doing now?’ suggested Lucia.
He stood up and went over to the window and moved aside a curtain.
‘Well?’ she asked.
‘Come and see for yourself?’ he said.
She jumped up and joined him by the window. As they stood shoulder to shoulder, she was conscious of the warmth of his arm against hers, as well as the chill from the glass on her face as she gazed out. The fog had lifted and she looked up at the silvery half-moon, hanging in an indigo sky scattered with stars, above the glistening slate roofs of the houses on the other side of the street.
‘It’s going to be a heavy frost in the morning,’ she said.
‘Which means slippery pavements, so we’ll be taking the bus,’ said Tim.
‘Disappointing for Jerry, but he’ll enjoy playing with his cousins, won’t he?’
‘He’s reached that age where he finds girls soppy, prefers boys his own age or a bit older. I remember being the same. I used to follow our Marty around and it drove him crazy. He tried all kinds of ways to get rid of me, but I was crafty and nearly always managed to discover his whereabouts. Eventually I twigged that I was being a nuisance and found mates of my own.’
‘Was it because your brother rejected you that you ended up with the wrong crowd?’
‘Marty didn’t reject me; he often put up with me and got me out of scrapes and even took the blame for things I did. But I was a bit of a rebel and wanted to kick over the traces. I had this cherubic face with dimples and I wanted to prove I wasn’t as angelic as I looked. By the time I was twelve, I was wanting to impress the girls.’
‘Was there any special girl in your teens? I mean before you met your wife.’ Lucia moved away from the window and over to the sofa. She patted the seat next to her and looked up at him. ‘It’s lovely and warm here in front of the fire.’
He hesitated before joining her on the sofa, and left a good foot of space between them. She wondered if he thought she had been a bit too forward inviting him to sit beside her.
He continued their conversation. ‘No one special, but I did date several girls. I wanted to have fun. I loved the flicks and dancing. I had known Bernie for years but I didn’t ask her out until I was in my late teens.’ He frowned. ‘In fact, thinking back, I reckon it was she who suggested we went to the pictures together. The thing was, I couldn’t afford to take her out as often as she wanted. I was only earning an apprentice motor mechanic’s wages. So I had to find another way to get extra money.’ He paused. ‘Are you sure you want to hear about this?’
‘You’re going to write about it, aren’t you? So surely it’s good practice to think back and put it into words?’
‘Well, I think we’ve had enough about me for one evening. What about you? Has there been any important fella in your life?’
She hesitated before admitting that she’d had a crush on Marty’s seafaring brother-in-law, Jimmy, a while back. ‘He’s married now with twins, so I had no choice but to put him out of my mind and get on with my life. And since Mam and Dad were killed, I’ve definitely had no time to mope over him. So I can truthfully say I’m cured of my crush.’
‘What about that lad Nick you spoke to at the Cavern? He’s a good-looking bloke.’
‘Yes, and I do like him, but he has a girlfriend, Grace. Her brother is a reporter on the Liverpool Echo – don’t you remember meeting him at the Cavern?’
‘I do, now you mention it. What was his name?’
‘It’s Chris something. Can’t remember his surname, which reminds me – our Michael isn’t home yet.’
‘He could have missed the last bus. The mother might have suggested he stay the night.’
‘You really think she would? They’re both so young, I wouldn’t have thought she’d want to encourage him.’
‘If that were true, she wouldn’t have invited him to have Christmas dinner with them.’
‘You have a point. What did you think of Marjorie?’
‘It doesn’t matter what I thought. What did you think of her?’
Lucia pondered, choosing her words carefully. ‘She didn’t seem a bit shy.’
‘No.’ Tim smiled slightly. ‘Don’t you think it a good thing for a girl to have confidence?’
‘Yes, my mother lacked confidence when she was that age, according to Aunt Nellie. It turned her into a worrier and filled her with envy. I swore that I would never be like her.’
‘You were a daddy’s girl?’
‘What makes you say that?’
‘The way you spoke about him earlier.’
‘He did his best to be a good father to us all, but I knew I was his favourite.’
‘He didn’t spoil you, though.’
‘No, he didn’t have the money to shell out on gifts, but he spent time with me and told me things. I know the names of lots of flowers and herbs.’
‘You must have been a good listener.’ Tim glanced at the clock. ‘It’s getting late. It’s time we were both in bed, it’s going to be a busy day tomorrow. So if you’ll see me out?’
‘Of course. I’d got
so comfortable and was finding our conversation so interesting that I could have talked all night,’ said Lucia, uncurling herself and getting to her feet.
‘And that wouldn’t do,’ said Tim. ‘We’d have the tongues wagging and we don’t want that.’
He led the way to the front door and paused there before turning to face Lucia.
For a moment she thought he might kiss her and was unsure what to do, only for him to go past her and take hold of Jerry’s bicycle. ‘I might as well take this next door and put it in his bedroom,’ he said. ‘I’ll see you in the morning.’
‘Of course! We’ll be heading out in the same direction because we’re going to Aunt Nellie’s; she lives the other side of the canal. It’ll be a nice walk.’
‘You’re intending to walk all that way?’
‘It’ll get the fidgets out of the kids’ legs and the fresh air will be good for them after so much time spent indoors.’ She smiled and opened the front door. ‘See you!’
‘Yeah, and thanks for everything, Lucia.’
‘My pleasure!’ She helped him carry the bike down the steps and stood watching him until he went inside the neighbouring house. She wished he could have stayed longer, but it was early days and, in the light of his past, it made sense for them to become better acquainted before their friendship perhaps developed into something deeper.
Four
The following morning privets and laurels in front gardens glistened with frost, as did the ground, but the clear sky had vanished, to be covered by dirty, yellowish ragged clouds.
‘D’you think it might snow?’ Joseph asked Lucia eagerly.
She thought of Jerry, who had scampered home as soon as he had finished his cornflakes, having politely thanked her for having him. She wondered if Joseph and Jerry had planned on doing something together if it did snow.
‘I hope not,’ she said, pulling on a dark pink woolly hat.
The children wore coats of a tweed mixture and, on their heads, in Joseph and James’s case, hand-knitted navy blue balaclavas from the Police Federation box. Gabrielle wore a red pixie hood.
Theresa placed a multi-coloured tammy on her mousey hair. As for Michael, who had arrived home at nine that morning, wearing an air of defiance even as he apologized for worrying her, was clad in a navy blue duffle coat and had the cashmere scarf Marjorie had bought him for Christmas wrapped around his neck, with the ends dangling outside his coat. Lucia donned an emerald-coloured swagger coat and a pink scarf and gloves.
She insisted that the children wear their wellies, and even Michael and Theresa had put on theirs without being asked, convinced it was going to snow before the day was out. Lucia chose to wear the fleece-lined suede boots that had been the last present her father had given her. She thought how it was a real job getting the whole family prepared for an outing.
‘Well, if you’re all ready, we’ll get going,’ she said, opening the front door.
Michael led the way, helping Gabrielle down the steps. As they walked down the path, Lucia heard the neighbouring front door open.
‘So you’re off,’ shouted Tim. ‘It’s quite a crocodile you’ve got there.’
‘What d’you mean “crocodile”, Dad?’ asked Jerry, joining him outside.
‘It’s a name given to school children walking two by two in a line,’ Tim replied. ‘But don’t ask me how it came to be called that.’
‘I don’t know either,’ said Lucia. ‘Are you off now, too?’
‘Yeah!’
‘Couldn’t I be part of the “crocodile”, Dad?’ asked Jerry, grinning and sidling up to Joseph.
Michael opened the gate and Lucia brought up the rear. Tim raised his trilby and wished her a good morning, limping alongside her. She returned the greeting, adding, ‘Are you sure you want to do this? People stare at us Brookeses whenever we go out together.’
‘You’d rather not have my company?’ asked Tim, his dimples coming into play.
‘I didn’t say that,’ responded Lucia. ‘I imagine you’re only walking as far as the bus stop.’
‘No, we’re walking all the way. I read in the Liverpool Express that the buses aren’t running because the roads are too icy. It also said that there were power cuts yesterday in some places.’
‘That will have spoiled some people’s Christmases,’ she said.
At that moment a car came along the road at speed. ‘Look at that idiot,’ said Michael.
‘It looks like it’s heading for us,’ squealed Gabrielle.
‘Scatter, kids,’ shouted Tim in alarm.
They all scattered. Tim seized Lucia’s hand and, with her help, managed to get out of the way of the car. There came a squeal of brakes and they turned and watched the car skid and go into a spin. It came to a halt against the kerb the other side of the road, facing the way it had come.
‘Gosh! They were lucky,’ said Tim.
‘We were lucky too,’ Lucia said. ‘They could have run us down if we hadn’t got out of the way.’
‘I know,’ Tim said, his expression grim.
‘D’you think we should go and see if they’re all right?’ asked Lucia.
At that moment the passenger side window was wound down and a man thrust his head out. ‘Sorry about that! Tommy boy, is that you?’ he asked.
Tim crossed the road. ‘I think you’re getting me confused with someone else,’ he said, a flash of annoyance crossing his face as he gazed down at the man before glancing at the driver who appeared to have knocked himself out.
‘Our paths crossed years ago. Your face looks a bit of a mess, so I wasn’t sure it was you at first. You been in an accident? If so, you need to start watching your step.’
Tim made no reply but turned away. By then a crowd had gathered and someone said the man from the corner shop had dialled 999, but whether an ambulance would arrive any time soon with the icy condition of the roads was doubtful. Tim carefully crossed the road to where Lucia was waiting with the children.
‘Are you all OK?’ he asked.
The children nodded.
Lucia said, ‘What did that man say to you? I hope he apologized.’
‘He said sorry – but there’s something odd about what happened.’
‘What d’you mean?’ she asked.
‘He appeared to recognize me, and I have to admit he looked vaguely familiar. Anyway, let’s get away from here.’ He began to walk away with a swivelling action, careful how he placed his stick on the icy pavement. Lucia walked alongside him. Michael caught up with them and the children swarmed past and went on ahead.
‘So was the driver injured?’ asked Lucia.
‘I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s concussed,’ Tim answered. ‘Serves him right because if the driver is who I’m guessing he could be, then it was no accident him aiming the car in our direction. Anyway, let’s put it behind us. We don’t want it spoiling our day.’
Lucia glanced at him as they carried on walking, trying to catch up with the kids. She doubted any of them would find it that easy to put the experience behind them. It had been too close for comfort. Could it be that Tim had enemies who wanted to frighten him?
It took longer to reach their destinations than Lucia had estimated, and she didn’t relish the thought of the walk back, but she said nothing of that to her aunt. The meal they shared with the Gianellis was excellent, and the children enjoyed opening their presents from Nellie and her husband, playing games and singing Christmas songs around the piano. Lucia was assailed by memories of when she was a child and she and her mother Lottie had lived in this house. After her parents had married, and she and her mother had moved to live with her father, David, and his mother in the house in Seaforth where Lucia and her siblings now lived. The house had been left to Lucia on her father’s death.
Her paternal grandmother had suffered from a dicky heart and was not used to children, so, what with her health problems and her own mother’s health issues, Lucia had been at the beck and call of the two women, and also had to
keep the younger children out of her grandmother’s way, so she had little time to play out with her school friends or neighbouring children as she grew up. It was Nellie who had seen to it that Lucia was able to mix with other young people besides her siblings by inviting her to the musical evenings held at her house. It was there and at the coffee bar she had developed friendships with Tim’s niece by marriage, Monica, and Nick and his stepsister, Roberta, known as Bobby, who had also worked at the coffee bar a few years back.
‘You seem to be in a trance,’ said Nellie, sitting beside her niece on the sofa.
‘I was just thinking of the past,’ Lucia responded.
‘You mustn’t be too sad. It’s not what your mam and dad would want for you. They’d want you to enjoy yourself.’
‘I wasn’t feeling particularly sad. I have lots of happy memories as well as a few not so happy.’
‘That’s life and it’s best to dwell on the good times.’ Nellie paused and changed the subject. ‘Joseph was telling me that Jerry slept over last night and that he and his father spent most of Christmas Day at yours.’
‘Yes, I invited him and Jerry to have dinner with us. Jerry and Joseph get on like a house on fire, so I thought they’d enjoy being together.’
‘And Jerry’s father – how long did he stay?’
‘He left at ten o’clock after a cup of cocoa. He was supposed to be going to a party, but he had a fall on Christmas Eve and his face was bruised and swollen, so he didn’t go.’
‘Poor man! What does Michael think of him?’
Lucia’s face clouded. ‘Don’t talk to me about our Michael!’
‘Why, what’s he done?’
‘Got himself a girlfriend.’
‘Have you met her?’
‘Yes, he went out Christmas morning, didn’t say where he was going, only that he would be back for dinner – which he was but he wasn’t alone. Marjorie came back with him.’
‘That’s her name?’
‘Yes, quite an attractive girl and not the least bit shy.’