by June Francis
After they finished the first course, Tim opened a packet of chocolate marshmallows: they ended their meal with half an orange each. Then, after a coffee and a drink of milk, Tim read one of Enid Blyton’s Secret Seven stories to Jerry in front of the fire before seeing him to bed. Then he switched on the wireless and made himself a coffee, ate another chocolate marshmallow and listened to some music, trying to remember the name of the sign writer who had done a job for him several years back. He could only hope that his plan would work and there would be no trouble for either him or Michael.
Ten
Michael stood in the yard, gazing at the sign, leaning against a wall, on which was painted in black and red, DAVY BROOKES & SON, SERVICES & REPAIRS, BODYWORK & TYRES. He thought how proud his father would have been to see his name with that ‘& Son’, if he had still been alive, although instead of ‘Services’, etc., his father would have inscribed, ‘Garden Tidying, Weeding, Tree Felling, Bed Planting, No Job Too Small’. The board would be put up outside as soon as they were ready for business.
Michael walked up the yard to the brick building where he had left his employer in the office. Tim was sitting at a desk with a large ledger open in front of him. On the wooden floor at the side of the desk in a patch of sunlight a dog sprawled.
Michael bent and patted its head. ‘Hello, boy,’ he said.
Fang twisted his head and licked his hand.
‘He likes you,’ said Tim.
‘Just as well if I’m going to be working here.’ Michael yawned and stretched. ‘Which reminds me, when do I get started?’
‘Well, I don’t think we should wait until the customers start knocking on the gate. I’ll show you some tools and explain the kind of jobs they’re used for, and also you can read some car-maker’s manuals. We’ll also have to do some advertising to bring the customers in, so you can help me design a flyer.’
‘You mean to go in the Echo and the like?’
‘Yeah! Also to put through letterboxes. I’ve seen a second-hand car advertised in the Echo which I think I’ll go after. I’ll give it a good going over and hopefully get the price down. Then we’ll do a service when we get it back here,’ said Tim. ‘You can come with me. We’ve still some way to go before we can open for business but we’re getting there.’
Michael nodded, thinking he was going to be extremely busy over the next few weeks, but felt certain Marjorie would understand when he told her the news.
‘I presume you’re home this late because you’ve been at Marjorie’s?’ asked Lucia later that day.
Michael shrugged off his jacket and, without looking at his sister, said, ‘It’s true I’ve been to Marjorie’s, but I’ve also been working. I have an apprenticeship.’
‘That’s quick! Doing what?’
‘Working in a garage. Eventually I’ll be a qualified motor mechanic.’
‘Getting your hands dirty?’
‘What’s wrong with getting my hands dirty as long as it’s honest work? Dad got his hands dirty and he loved his job. You’re so snobby, our Lucia.’
‘No, I’m not. I just want you to have life easier than Dad.’
‘You sound like Mam, who always thought working in an office was best for me. From what I’ve heard, office work can be boring.’
‘You have the brains to be a teacher.’
‘Working with kids. No thanks! I’ve had enough helping with our lot. Besides, I’d have to go to teacher training college. I’ve got a job and so far I’m enjoying it.’
‘Where is this job?’
‘The other side of Liverpool.’
‘So near Marjorie’s mother’s.
‘I can’t say it’s just round the corner, but it’s closer to hers than here.’
‘So you’ll save on bus fares, which is all to the good, because you’ll need every penny once the baby arrives.’
‘Why don’t you try cheering me up?’ Michael said sullenly.
‘Fact of life, little brother,’ said Lucia.
‘You could do a better job than you are,’ Michael pointed out.
‘It suits me,’ she said.
‘Exactly. And the one I’ve got suits me.’
‘OK, you’ve made your point. Your dinner’s in the oven. And, by the way, what time is the wedding on Saturday?’
‘Three o’clock. It’ll be a small affair and we’ll be going back to Marjorie’s mother’s after the ceremony. Can’t afford to hire a hall or any of that stuff.’
‘Fine. Ask her is there anything she’d like me to bring to help share the expense?’
‘I’ll mention it. But I suspect she’ll turn your offer down. She knows our family isn’t well off.’
‘We’re not paupers. Besides, she can’t be that well off if she’s a widow.’
‘She’s been saving for Marjorie’s wedding for a while. I think she’s got quite a responsible job and earns good money. She’s been in her job since the war.’
‘So she must be disappointed she can’t make a big splash for the wedding.’
‘She said the money will go to the baby.’
‘She sounds a very reasonable woman.’
‘I reckon, as mothers-in-law go, I could have done a lot worse,’ Michael said, leaving the room to take his dinner out of the oven.
Lucia wondered if he would still think that once he was living under Marjorie’s mother’s roof.
The wedding came round only too quickly for Lucia, but she supposed it couldn’t come soon enough for Marjorie and her mother. The day dawned bright and clear and Lucia hoped the good weather would last the rest of the day as she set the table for breakfast. She had decided to give the bridal couple some money in an envelope, with a wedding card from the whole family, rather than try and choose a suitable gift.
She planned to set out at least an hour and a half before three o’clock, as she and the children would be travelling by bus to the church. Michael had been secretive about who was to be his best man and how he would get to the church. No doubt Tony would have been best man if he had been home, but he’d had to return to London.
Lucia entered St Mary’s Church, West Derby, with a certain amount of trepidation; she had never set foot in a Protestant church before and did not know what to expect. She need not have worried though because, as the service was in English, she was able to follow it without any difficulty. The surroundings felt familiar too, as there were candles and a faint smell of incense, just as there was in her own church.
What did come as a big surprise was to see Tim standing beside Michael in front of the sanctuary. Suddenly it occurred to her that he might have something to do with her brother deciding to be a motor mechanic. Later she was to discover that they had arrived in a car driven by Michael, under Tim’s tuition, and which apparently belonged to his garage business where Michael worked. Michael was a quick learner. She didn’t know whether to be pleased that Tim was helping Michael or annoyed that they had both kept the fact secret. She decided not to get worked up about it because, after all, what was of more importance at that moment was the wedding; she found it moving because it was obvious to all those there that the young couple loved each other and meant every word of the vows they were making.
Marjorie had just one bridesmaid and unusually her mother gave her away. Everything went off without a hitch. Only the immediate families were attending the wedding breakfast.
Lucia found herself liking Adele, Marjorie’s mother, on sight. She was of medium height and build, but her dyed blonde hair was fashioned in a bouffant style that made her appear taller; she also wore very high heels of burgundy-coloured patent leather that went well with a tan linen suit and a pink floral blouse. Her eyes were slate grey and her wide mouth was outlined in a cherry red lipstick. Her eyes and mouth were what Lucia’s father would have called smiley.
‘It’s lovely to meet you,’ said Lucia. ‘May I introduce Michael’s younger brothers and sisters?’
Adele lowered her head and beamed at the children. ‘What
a good-looking bunch you are,’ she said. ‘You’re a credit to your sister.’
‘Say how do you do to Mrs Blake.’ Lucia tapped each child on the head and named them and they did as she bid them.
Next Adele introduced them to her sister Phyllis and fourteen-year-old niece, Janice, who had been the bridesmaid. With introductions over, the party headed off to Adele’s house, which was situated in West Derby village, not far from the main entrance to Croxteth Park. A buffet was set out and drinks were served in a rear room with French windows opening on to a garden. After collecting a plate of food and a drink, they were directed to the comfortable front room, where a coal fire burned in a cast-iron fireplace surrounded by tiles.
Soon Theresa and Janice had their heads together as they discussed schools, films, music, pop stars, boys and fashion, scarcely touching the food on their plates until they were reminded to eat by mother and sister. Lucia was pleased that her sister had made a new friend of Marjorie’s cousin. She also felt easier in her mind about her brother’s marriage and him living in this house. She admired Adele for putting on such a good spread for the young couple at such short notice. Her thoughts were also on Tim; she was determined to have a few words with him at the earliest opportunity about him having provided Michael with a job. She soon realized she was going to have to wait because, soon after having a short conversation with Michael, Marjorie and her mother, Tim left in company with Michael.
Michael was not away for long, and Lucia decided that now was not the time to have it out with her brother as to why he had not told her that it was Tim who was employing him. By half past six, she felt it was time to leave. She could tell that James and Joseph were starting to get fed up, and Gabrielle was beginning to droop, not really having recovered completely from her bout of measles. So Lucia made their excuses, gave their thanks, kissed the bride and groom and said their farewells, and went to catch a bus into town, intending to go to Nellie’s and tell her all about the wedding. Only she changed her mind because it was such a lovely evening and so, having caught a bus from West Derby that terminated at the Pierhead, Lucia walked with the children down to the landing stage so they could watch the ships on the Mersey for a short while. It was something they hadn’t done for a long time.
The children enjoyed it as much as she had thought they would, and Lucia remembered how it had been a favourite place of her father’s. She had been ten when he had taken her on the ferry to Seacombe and walked along the front to the retirement home for old sailors where his uncle had lived. She had never forgotten that the old tar with the white beard had not only given her an Uncle Joe’s mint ball, but also a sixpence.
She watched Joseph as he stalked a gull, only for it to take flight as he crept closer and closer. As for Gabrielle and James, they were standing shoulder to shoulder, gazing at the Isle of Man ferry as people embarked.
‘I’d love to go sailing in a big ship,’ said James, his eyes shining. ‘It would be a real adventure.’
‘I’d like to do that as well,’ said Gabrielle. ‘I’d like to go all the way to America to visit Aunt Babs.’
‘You don’t have to do that to see Aunt Babs,’ said Lucia, thinking how well the two got on. ‘She’s coming to visit us soon.’
‘Goody-goody gumdrops,’ said Gabrielle, jumping up and down. ‘I can’t wait to see her. Perhaps she’ll bring me a new outfit for Barbie.’
‘Perhaps she will,’ Lucia said. ‘But you don’t go asking.’
‘As if I would,’ said Gabrielle.
‘Well, you just make sure you don’t,’ warned Lucia. ‘Anyway, I think it’s time we were leaving. It’s getting late and I want to go to Aunt Nellie’s before going home.’ She called Joseph and Theresa who had been watching a couple of sailors tying up a ferry boat.
When they arrived at Nellie’s, it was to find that she had a couple of visitors in the shape of Chris and Nick, who were wanting to get in touch with Tony but did not have his address in London. As it was, the two young men said they were glad to see Lucia and would accompany her and the kids home because they’d quite like a talk with Tim.
But before they could all go off, Nellie wanted to hear all about the wedding and Lucia’s impression of Marjorie’s mother. She was as surprised as Lucia had been when she heard that Tim had been Michael’s best man, and was even more taken aback to hear that Tim was employing him as an apprentice motor mechanic. Lucia changed the subject, not wanting to hear her aunt cast doubt on the wisdom of Michael working for Tim, and picked up the conversation from before she had mentioned Tim.
‘I liked Adele, and what’s more important is that she and Michael get on well,’ said Lucia. ‘Anyway, I thought I’d invite her to tea one Sunday, and you can come as well, so you can get to know each other. She’s nearer your age than mine, so you’ll probably have lots to talk about.’
‘I’d like that,’ said Nellie. ‘And, while I remember – am I right in thinking you’re back in work on Monday?’
‘Yes, the kids will be going to school.’
Nellie said. ‘That must be a relief. Now you’d better be off.’
Lucia hugged her aunt and thanked her. ‘I don’t know what I’d do without you.’
‘Families are supposed to help each other,’ was all Nellie said.
Lucia and Theresa had just finished tucking the children into bed, having read them stories, when there came a hammering on the front door. Theresa hurried downstairs, and there was Chris and Nick standing on the doorstep, back from visiting Tim. She invited them in and went to put the kettle on just as Lucia entered the kitchen.
‘So did you have a good talk with Mr Murphy?’ she asked.
‘Yes,’ said Nick, producing a copy of Mersey Beat and holding it out to her. ‘The article he wrote about Tony and me is inside.’
‘Well done,’ she said, adding, ‘by the way, has your father anything to say about the gang who were being released from prison?’
‘No,’ said Nick.
‘But Mr Murphy was telling me that he and Isabella are getting on well with the book, although they’re still not in agreement about the ending,’ said Chris. ‘Also, he wasn’t too pleased about another idea she had.’
‘What was that?’ asked Lucia.
‘She wanted to do a piece about what can happen when adults succumb to childhood complaints. It wasn’t that he was against her doing that, but apparently she had said that he looked terrible and wanted a photograph taken to go with the article. He said no and they argued.’
‘He did look terrible when he was really bad with the measles,’ said Lucia, her heart singing at the thought of Tim not falling in with Isabella’s wishes. She wished that the book was finished and she was no longer on the scene. ‘But what’s going to happen about his book?’
‘He doesn’t seem to care that much, but he does have a contract so he’s going to have a go at finishing it as he can’t afford to pay back the advance. I offered to give him some editorial advice and help him with the ending,’ Chris said. ‘He’s back in the garage business, so he was hoping that might be a good enough ending. I’m not as certain as him.’
‘A bit dull, do you think?’ asked Lucia.
Chris shrugged. ‘Anyway, I’ll be popping next door now and again,’ he said.
‘Call in and see us when you do,’ Lucia said, thinking that she could probably learn from Chris what Tim’s plans were regarding Michael and the garage, which she thought preferable to confronting Tim and her brother herself. She didn’t want Tim thinking she didn’t trust him when it came to Michael’s wellbeing, and she didn’t want her brother thinking she was fussing like a mother duck with her ducklings when they took their first swim. Maybe she could also make Tim jealous by making something out of Chris popping in to see her when he called at Tim’s.
It did feel strange those first few weeks after the wedding, not having Michael around, but eventually all of the family, except Gabrielle, grew accustomed to his absence, and even she was beginning to c
ome to terms with it because Lucia reminded her constantly of the forthcoming visit of their aunt in the summer.
The weeks passed slowly, despite being back in work, and Lucia looked forward to having a break. At last Easter came and, although the weather was not brilliant, it was dry. After the services on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, Lucia decided to take the children to Seaforth Sands on the Bank Holiday Monday, and she suggested to Jerry that he ask his father if he could go with them. To her delight, Jerry returned with the information that his dad would like to go as well if that was all right with Lucia.
‘It’s a free country,’ replied Lucia, thinking she might discover more of his plans for the garage if he did so. She had seen Michael only a couple of times since the wedding, and the second time he had told her that he was enjoying married life and working for Tim; he was content with the responsibility that Tim had laid on his young, inexperienced shoulders, as it made him feel more mature and that Tim trusted him. Lucia decided that perhaps it was time she stopped feeling responsible for her brother and accepted that he could take care of himself. After all, come Christmas, he would be a father, all being well. She remembered to hand him a note for his mother-in-law, inviting her to afternoon tea in a fortnight.
On Easter Monday there was the outing to Seaforth Sands, so she needed to prepare a picnic. She made some sandwiches and packed them in greaseproof paper, and placed the fairy cakes she had baked in a tin. She prepared a couple of bottles of watered-down orange juice and also a flask of coffee. She packed them in brown paper bags and placed them in a knapsack. She told the children that they would have to carry their own towels, bathing costumes, buckets, spades and bat and ball. Then she sent Jerry to tell Tim that they were ready to go and that they would meet him on the front step.
He was ready and waiting by the time she had hustled the children outside, and she thought he looked a sight for sore eyes and that it was brave of him to be prepared to be seen in public, walking with so many children. They could almost be mistaken for a Sunday School outing.