by Joan Jonker
‘We’ll take her in my house,’ Beth said, ‘because there’s only Joey there and it’ll be quieter than anywhere else.’ After opening the front door, she went in first to warn her son to be quiet and not ask any questions.
Hannah had been in this room hundreds of times over the years, but now she stood like a stranger in an unfamiliar house. There was no emotion on her face or in her eyes. ‘Let me take yer coat off, me darlin’,’ Lizzie said, ‘and you sit here by the nice warm fire.’
‘I’ll put the kettle on for a cuppa.’ Beth was really concerned and at a loss as to what to do. They couldn’t just put her in her own house and leave her to it, not the state she was in. And who could say she wouldn’t take to the streets again in the middle of the night?
Dot came into the kitchen. ‘I’ve just been thinking, girl, that we couldn’t take her home if we wanted to, ’cos she hasn’t got her key on her.’
‘Me head’s splitting thinking about it. I don’t know what we’re going to do, sunshine, I haven’t got a clue.’ Beth poured boiling water into the brown teapot. ‘We’ll try and get a hot cup of tea down her first, to warm her through, then we’ll put our thinking caps on.’
Dot carried the cup and saucer, taking great care not to spill any because they all knew how fussy Hannah was. You always got a china cup in her house, even if it was an odd one bought from TJ’s out of their oddment bin. ‘It’s not china, girl, but it’s clean and there’s no cracks in it.’ Dot was lifting the cup from the saucer, thinking she’d hold it to Hannah’s lips, but to her surprise the old woman stretched out her hand and took both cup and saucer from her. Without a word of thanks, she raised the cup to her mouth and began to drink, leaving the onlookers baffled.
Flo was the first one out to the kitchen followed by Lizzie and Dot. ‘I’ve never known nothing like it in me life, queen, she’s got me beat. She’s sitting there drinking the tea as calm as yer like! Yer’d think she was in Reece’s cafe sitting with a lot of strangers! And she might as well be, ’cos she doesn’t know us from Adam!’
Lizzie was leaning back against the sink with her arms folded. ‘I remember when I was in me teens back in Ireland, there was an old lady lived in a little cottage not far from us, and she was the same as Hannah is now. But it didn’t happen overnight with her, sure, it happened slowly, over a good many years. She was a lovely old soul, so she was, and everyone was kind to her.’
‘Hannah’s case is different,’ Beth said. ‘I don’t think it’s anything to do with her age, it’s happened too quickly. And anyway, even in their dotage, old people don’t stop talking like she has. There’s got to be something brought it on, a shock perhaps, but how are we going to find out if she won’t tell us?’
‘I think we’d better go back in to her,’ Flo said. ‘Let’s just talk and act natural and see if it has any effect. If it doesn’t, the only thing left is to get a doctor out to her.’ Her hands on her hips, she jerked her head. ‘Come on, let’s hear a few jokes and some laughter. That might just do the trick.’
One by one the women trooped out, to see Hannah sitting with the empty cup in her lap and her eyes staring into space. ‘Oh, have yer finished yer tea, girl?’ Dot asked, adding a note of laughter to her voice. ‘We haven’t even been offered one yet, which shows what a lousy host Mrs Porter is.’ She raised her brows to Beth. ‘I like two sugars in my tea, please, and I think Hannah would like another cup.’
Joey watched with curiosity in his eyes. All the women were talking and laughing now, even though no one had said anything funny, but Mrs Bailey wasn’t joining in, she just sat there holding her cup and not saying a word. Then there came a single rap on the window and his mam jumped to her feet. ‘That’s our Ginny’s knock, I’ll let her in.’
Beth’s intention was to have a quick word with her daughter, but Ginny brushed past without giving her a chance. ‘Ooh, we’ve got a houseful! Is it a party or can anyone come?’ The girl was smiling happily when she noticed Hannah. ‘Hello, Mrs Bailey, I hope they’re not getting yer drunk?’
All eyes were on the old lady, and as the women were to tell their husbands later it was as if a light had suddenly been turned on in Hannah’s head. She glanced around, confused at first, then she smiled at the young girl who called in every day to see if she wanted any messages. ‘Hello, sweetheart, isn’t it too cold and dark for you to be out?’
Chapter Three
After a short, stunned silence, everyone began talking at once. Not to Hannah, or about her, but about anything else under the sun to give them time to consider what to do. Glances were exchanged between the four neighbours, and shoulders were shrugged as if to ask, ‘What now?’ Should they tell her they’d found her wandering the streets in a daze, or wait to see if she mentioned it of her own accord?
Hannah listened to the chattering and smiled when she thought it was expected. But secretly she was confused. She didn’t know why she was here, couldn’t for the life of her remember even walking up the street. There was something niggling in her head but she couldn’t bring it to mind. Except perhaps for a gut feeling that it was something bad or unpleasant. Yet what would it have to do with her being here, in the Porters’ house, with the other neighbours? Was it someone’s birthday? No, it couldn’t be, there were no cakes and no birthday cards taking pride of place on the sideboard. And there were no husbands here. She closed her eyes, wishing her mind would clear so she would know what was happening to her. Please God, she prayed softly, don’t let me be losing the run of my senses.
Beth had been watching Hannah closely and could see the woman was confused and ill at ease. ‘Are yer all right, sunshine? Yer look worried to death.’
‘To tell the truth, Beth, I was just thinking I must be getting very forgetful in me old age. I mean, yer must have invited me, but I can’t remember what for.’
The chattering stopped and every face turned to Beth. They could see she was undecided as to how much to tell Hannah, and held their breath as they waited. This would need plenty of tact so as not to upset the old lady.
‘Don’t yer remember, sunshine? Yer weren’t feeling very well so I brought yer here so yer’d have some company and I could keep me eye on yer.’ Beth’s hand swept round to indicate her neighbours who were leaning forward in their seats. ‘And, of course, when this lot knew, they came in to keep us company.’
‘D’yer know, I can’t remember.’ Hannah rubbed the heel of her hand over her eyes, as though trying to clear them. ‘Yer wouldn’t think I’d forget not being well, would yer? And I don’t even recall yer bringing me up here!’
‘I know why that is, queen,’ Flo said. ‘Yer had a bit of a temperature, and that muddles yer up in yer mind. It’s happened to me when I’ve had a bad cold and I haven’t known whether I was coming or going. But it doesn’t last long, and yer’ll soon be as right as rain.’
‘Of course yer will, me darlin’, so don’t be worrying about it. We’re all here to look after yer, so we are.’
But Beth wasn’t happy about this. It was all very well everyone telling the woman she was going to be all right, but they didn’t really know she would be. ‘Joey, I think it’s time for yer to go to bed, yer dad will be in soon. So poppy off, there’s a good boy.’
Any other night the lad would have protested, but he’d seen and heard enough in the last hour to know things weren’t what they appeared to be and was sensible enough not to argue. ‘Okay, Mam, I’m feeling tired anyway.’
Beth gave him a kiss and patted his bottom as he began to climb the stairs. ‘I’ll tell yer all about it in the morning, son. Goodnight and God bless.’
Ginny couldn’t make head nor tail of what was going on. Their three neighbours were always in and out of each other’s houses, but unless they’d been having a party, she’d never known them all to be here at the same time. And although Mrs Bailey wasn’t as bright or talkative as she usually was, she didn’t seem to be sick. ‘How are yer feeling now, Mrs Bailey, have yer still got a temperature?�
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Before Hannah could answer, Beth said, ‘I think she’s better than she was. And she’ll be even better after another cup of tea. So be an angel and give me a hand, will yer, sunshine?’
‘We’ll all have one too, if yer don’t mind.’ Flo was never backward in coming forward. ‘Me throat’s as dry as a bone.’
‘I’m going to run short of milk for the breakfast,’ Beth told her. ‘So I’ll have to scrounge some off yer.’
Lizzie, who had a husband and four children to cater for, was the first to offer. ‘Sure, if it’s milk ye’re short of, me darlin’, I can spare a pint.’
‘As long as yer don’t leave yerself short, I’ll be grateful. I can pay yer back when the milkman comes in the morning.’
‘Ah, there’s no need for that, not at all, at all. Isn’t it meself what’s drinking yer out of house and home.’
Beth chuckled. ‘Two cups of tea are hardly drinking me out of house and home, Lizzie. But I’ll be glad if yer can spare me a pint.’
‘I can let yer have a cupful, queen,’ Flo said, not wanting to be thought mean. ‘And I wouldn’t want it back off yer.’
It was Dot’s turn to chuckle. ‘She’d have a job to give it yer back if it had been used.’
‘Oh, ye’re there, are yer?’ Flo’s chins did a little dance. ‘Yer hate to be left out, that’s your trouble. It’s a wonder yer haven’t gone one better and offered to bring a ruddy cow!’
For the first time Hannah laughed, and it was like a tonic to all of them because they knew a laugh is as good as a dose of medicine any day. Over the years, when they were down in the dumps because they were skint and worried about where the next meal was coming from, they’d always shared what little money and food they had. And they’d always managed to chase the blues away with a good laugh.
In the kitchen, Beth turned on the tap so her words couldn’t be heard in the living room. Very briefly, she went over the events of the evening with Ginny. She ended by saying, ‘I don’t know what to do, sunshine, ’cos I don’t like the idea of her being alone in that house of hers. If anything happened I’d never forgive meself.’
‘Well, let her stay here tonight. I’ll sleep on the couch and she can have my bed.’
‘Are yer sure, sunshine?’
Ginny nodded. ‘I don’t mind, Mam, honest. I love Mrs Bailey, she’s a smashing woman.’
Beth slapped an open palm to her forehead. ‘She’ll need a nightdress and slippers but she hasn’t got a key with her for us to go and get them! When we found her she didn’t have a handbag or anything.’
‘Perhaps the back door’s been left on the latch, yer never know,’ Ginny said, hopefully. ‘Shall I ask her?’
‘No, I’ll do it, sunshine, all casual like. I don’t want to upset her if I can help it. So if you’ll see to the tea, I’ll ask her if she’d like to stay the night, and try to work the conversation around to how we can get into her house.’ Beth turned back at the door. ‘Be as quick as yer can with the tea ’cos I’d like me mates to be gone by the time yer dad gets in.’
Ginny huffed, ‘There’s not much chance of that, Mam, they hate to miss anything.’
‘I’m going to tell them yer said that!’
Her daughter grinned. ‘They can’t argue ’cos they know it’s the truth! They’re the best neighbours anyone could have, and if they are nosy, it’s in the nicest possible way.’
Beth returned to the living room with a smile on her face. Taking a seat next to Hannah, she said, ‘Our Ginny is pestering me to ask yer to stay the night here, save going home to an empty house. She said yer can have her bed.’
‘Oh, that’s nice of her, sweetheart, but I couldn’t do that! Chase a girl out of her own bed? No, that wouldn’t be fair when I’ve got a perfectly good bed at home.’
Ginny came through from the kitchen carrying two cups of tea. ‘Ah, go on, Mrs Bailey, I want yer to stay. I can sleep on the couch, dead easy, and yer could have yer breakfast with us. Go on, please, ’cos we’ve never had visitors stopping overnight.’
Flo added her weight. ‘Ye’re daft if yer refuse, Hannah, I know I wouldn’t if I was asked. Your fire will have well gone out by now, so yer’d be going home to a freezing house.’
She frowned. ‘I’m sure I banked me fire up before I came out, and I haven’t been here that long, surely?’
‘Yer’ve been here quite a few hours, sunshine, but what difference does that make to yer sleeping here tonight?’ Beth asked. ‘I can go down and put the guard in front of the fire and pick yer nightdress and slippers up.’
Dot also tried egging her on. ‘If I had the chance of being waited on hand and foot, I’d jump at it. The trouble is, I never get asked.’
‘Yer know why, don’t yer?’ Flo nodded her head knowingly. ‘Because yer talk so much, no one would get any sleep.’
‘Flo Henderson, you’re a fine one to say I talk too much when you could talk the hind legs off a donkey.’ Dot pretended to be really put out. ‘I feel so insulted, I’m cut to the quick.’
The diversion was giving Hannah time to think. For some reason she couldn’t fathom, she didn’t want to go back to her own house. And that worried her, ’cos she loved the little house she kept like a palace. It held memories of her beloved husband who had died just days before he was due to retire from work at sixty-five. She still saw him in every room, still talked to him every day as she was dusting and polishing. And there were memories of their only child, John, dashing in from playing footie with his socks hanging down over his shoes, his knees filthy and his face as black as the hobs of hell.
Just then a sharp pain stabbed through Hannah’s head. It was so severe, it caused her to cry out and press her hands to her temples. It only lasted seconds, and when it had gone her head was clear and slowly her memory was returning. ‘Oh, dear God, he’s dead!’ She rocked back and forth, her anguished sobs filling the room and frightening those around her.
‘What is it, sunshine?’ Beth put an arm across the old lady’s shoulders and pulled her close. ‘Yer said he was dead, who did yer mean?’
‘Our John.’ Her wail sent cold shivers down the spines of those listening. ‘He’s dead and I’ll never see him again.’ Hannah’s only son was married with two grown-up children. Five years ago, when there was no work to be had in Liverpool, he’d taken his family to live in Birmingham where he was able to find a job. She’d only seen him a few times since, because they couldn’t afford the train fare, but he never failed to write to her every week. This week’s letter had been written by his wife, Claire.
‘Oh, come here, sunshine.’ Beth pressed the white head to her bosom and rocked her like a baby. ‘Yer’ve got all yer friends around yer, ready to help in any way they can. So when yer feel up to it, tell us what happened.’
Lizzie felt in her pocket for a hankie and passed it to Beth. ‘Give her this, me darlin’, it is clean, I haven’t used it.’
When the sobbing subsided, Hannah wiped away her tears and blew her nose. ‘I get a letter every week from our John, as yer know. Well, today, I was ready to go to the shops when the postman came along with the midday delivery. When I saw the Birmingham postmark I knew it was from John and put it on the sideboard to read when I got back.’ There was a catch in her voice and she stopped for a while to compose herself. ‘But it wasn’t from John, it was from his wife. Claire had written to say he’d died of a massive heart attack on Monday. Sudden, she said. He suffered the attack at six o’clock, not long after he got in from work. The ambulance came quick, but John was dead by the time they got him to the hospital.’
It was all too much for the old lady and she broke down, again her sobs pulling at the heartstrings of her friends. ‘I’m sorry.’ She turned her tear-stained face to Beth. ‘It’s just that I can’t take it in that I’ll never see him again.’
‘Listen, sunshine, you cry all yer want, ’cos we’re all crying with yer. Why didn’t yer come to one of us as soon as yer’d read the letter, instead of going t
hrough all that pain on yer own?’
‘Well, yer see, I didn’t read the letter when I got back from the shops. I kept looking at it on the sideboard, dying to open it, but like a child promising herself a treat, I decided to leave it until after tea, when I could pull the chair near the fire and read me son’s letter in peace. He always wrote three pages, full of how his job was going and what the kids were up to. And there was always something for me to laugh at, ’cos if yer remember, our John was always laughing and playing tricks on people.’
‘I remember him well,’ Dot said, sadness and disbelief in her voice. ‘He was a good bloke, always the gentleman.’
‘What else did it say in the letter, me darlin’?’ Lizzie asked. ‘Did his wife give yer any more details?’
‘I didn’t read it all, I couldn’t, me head was whirling. I remember now, I just threw it on the floor and ran out of the house as I was, no coat or anything. I was out of me mind, didn’t know what I was doing. It’s still hazy, but I can recall passing neighbours who asked me what I was doing out without a coat, but I didn’t even look at them, I just kept walking. Your Andy and Bill tried to get me to go home, but the way me head was, I didn’t even know who they were.’
‘They came and told us, sunshine, and they were so concerned, we got together and set off to find yer.’
‘I’m sorry to have caused yer so much bother, I wouldn’t have done if I’d been thinking straight. But it was such a shock . . .’ Sobs cut Hannah’s words off. Then, tears streaming down her face, she said, ‘I mean, yer don’t expect yer son to die before yer, do yer? It just doesn’t seem fair.’
Beth glanced at the clock. Andy would be in any minute, and the chances were that Bill would come with him to find out what had happened. She didn’t think Hannah was up to going all through it again, it was too painful. ‘Ye’re staying here tonight, sunshine, so I don’t want any argument out of yer. One of the ladies will come with me to get yer nightie and slippers, and yer coat, and then I can make yer nice and comfortable. But the thing is, yer’ve no keys on yer, so how do we get into yer house?’