by Rosie Harris
‘With the baby?’
‘Why not? I can put her in the back in the special carrycot I have for her that fits on to the back seat of the car. We unfasten it and simply take it out of the car with her still in it when we reach our destination. It’s so simple.’
‘So different, too,’ Jenny remarked with a smile. ‘I remember I used to have to walk everywhere with you when you were very tiny because your pram was too big to take on a bus or train.’
‘Well, her pram is too big for trips of that kind, but in a few months’ time when she can go in a pushchair I shall get one that folds up and then we will take it in the car or on a bus with no problem at all. At the moment she is so light that this carrycot is perfect, so let’s start planning where you want to go and what you want to see.’
‘Sounds admirable, but of course we will only be able to do short trips,’ Jenny commented.
‘No, we can go out for the entire day if we want to. All Angela’s paraphernalia can be packed in a bag and taken with us. She needn’t be any trouble at all.’
Thirty-Nine
Jenny and Karen had a wonderful week together. Jenny felt as if things were almost the same as they’d been when Karen was a lively schoolgirl, enthusiastic about everything they said or did. It was as if all the traumas during the intervening years had been wiped out and there had never been all the worries and upsets they’d endured.
Jenny found baby Angela a real delight. She was now almost two months old and a bundle of joy. Jenny felt almost as proud as Karen when people stopped to admire her and say that she looked like a lovely little doll in the pretty pale pink layette that Jenny had knitted for her.
‘I don’t know what it is about babies but they really seem to bring the best out in people,’ Karen said, smiling happily.
‘Probably the trusting way they stare up at you or because they look so fresh and innocent,’ murmured Jenny as she looked over her shoulder at Angela, who was asleep in her carrycot, firmly anchored on to the back seat of the car.
They were driving home after a day spent on the coast in Weston Super Mare and Jenny deemed it was a good opportunity to sound Karen out about the plans she had formulated in her own mind for a new wedding date.
‘I thought early in June,’ Jenny told her. ‘Or perhaps about the middle of June, say a month from now. Tom will have finished decorating both flats by then and with any luck we will have made up our minds about whether we are going to move or stay put.’
‘Why do you want to move? I thought you were quite settled there, Gran,’ Karen said in surprise.
‘Well, yes I am. I do like my flat very much but Tom wants us to move into his because it is larger and has a second bedroom.’
‘Do you need two bedrooms?’ Karen mused.
‘Well, yes, we do for when you and Bill come to stay.’
‘We could always put up in a hotel, there’s certainly plenty of those in New Brighton so that would not be a problem.’
‘If you and Bill are coming to visit us then I would sooner you stayed under our roof than someone else’s,’ Jenny said firmly.
‘You are still missing having a house and a garden?’ Karen murmured.
‘A house or perhaps a bungalow.’
‘Is Tom in agreement?’
‘Well, yes, but I don’t think he would want a garden, leastways not a very big one.’
‘If it’s only a small one then you have neighbours living so close to you that you haven’t any real privacy,’ Karen pointed out.
‘That’s true! We could always employ a gardener but you know what it’s like – they never do things quite the way you want them done.’
‘I think Tom’s idea is the best then, and you should stay on at Merseyside Mansions. There are plenty of shops close by in Victoria Road, you can always take a walk on the promenade and you are only half an hour or so from Liverpool. Why not give it a try and if you don’t like it and still feel you want a house or a bungalow then move later on.’
‘That is one solution,’ Jenny agreed, ‘but we are getting older and the longer we put off moving the more difficult we will find it is to do so later on. We are no spring chickens you know,’ Jenny reminded her.
‘Rubbish. These days moving house is so simple. The removal men come in, pack everything for you and put it exactly where you want it to be in your new home.’
‘Anyway,’ she went on when Jenny remained silent, ‘Bill and I would always come and help you.’
‘You make it all sound so simple and easy that it looks as though I’m making a fuss over nothing.’ Jenny sighed.
‘Let’s get back to fixing this new wedding date,’ Karen suggested, adroitly changing the subject.
‘Well, I thought if we made it when Bill has his half term then you and Bill can be there and we won’t have to try and do everything over a weekend. We could even spend a few days together afterwards. So when is Bill’s half term?’
‘It’s now. That’s why he’s taking these boys on this holiday trip to Belgium. They do it now so that it doesn’t interfere with their term’s work and gives them a break before they have to sit exams.’
‘Oh, dear. I didn’t realize that.’
Jenny sounded so crestfallen that Karen quickly said that it wasn’t really any problem. They would make the time to come as long as it wasn’t when Bill had to organize exams.
For the rest of the journey they talked about what they would wear and the hundred and one other things that would have to be planned in advance.
As they pulled up outside Karen’s house they could hear the telephone ringing. ‘Stay here in the car with Angela while I dash to answer it, will you,’ Karen said as she took her keys out of the car. ‘It’s probably Bill,’ she called over her shoulder as she hurried towards the front door.
When she reappeared a few minutes later she came over and opened the passenger door. ‘It’s for you, Gran; it’s Jane and she said it was important.’
‘Jane, Jane Phillips? What does she want?’
‘I don’t know, Gran. She simply said she wanted to speak to you urgently because it was very important.’
‘Really!’ Jenny’s tone was scathing. ‘She’s a trouble-making old witch. Probably seen Tom talking to another woman or going into my flat and she thinks it’s a juicy bit of gossip to pass on to me,’ she grumbled as she got out of the car and headed for the house.
Two minutes later when Karen followed with baby Angela she found Jenny white-faced and shaken, holding the receiver in her hand.
‘Is something wrong, Gran? Have you had bad news?’ Karen asked, taking the phone from her hand and putting it back into its cradle.
Jenny nodded. ‘Yes. It was about Tom. He … he’s had an accident.’
‘Oh, no! What sort of an accident?’
‘He fell off a ladder while painting the ceiling in my flat and he’s been taken to hospital in Liverpool. Jane said they think he has a broken femur. I’ll have to get back right away, Karen.’
‘Yes, of course. I understand.’ Karen put an arm around Jenny’s shoulders and gave her a reassuring hug.
‘Do you think you will be all right here on your own Karen? I promised Bill I’d stay until he got home.’
‘Of course I’ll be all right. He’ll be home in a couple of days’ time. Don’t worry about me,’ Karen told her quickly.
‘Can you run me to the nearest railway station or shall I phone for a taxi?’
‘Slow down, slow down or you’ll be having a heart attack,’ Karen said worriedly.
‘I’m all right. Don’t fuss, Karen. I must get back as quickly as possible. I’ll go and get my things together.’
‘Come and sit down in an armchair for a minute or two. If Tom is in hospital then he’s in good hands and there is not a lot you can do so do sit down for five minutes.’
‘Come on,’ Karen urged when Jenny looked uncertain.
‘I’ll make a pot of tea and you can think through what is the best thing to do,’
she said, leading Jenny over to one of the armchairs and making her sit down in it.
‘Gran, will you look after Angela for me for a minute or two,’ she said quickly, picking the baby up out of its carrycot and passing her to Jenny.
‘Stay in that armchair and don’t move. I don’t want you dropping her,’ she added with a forced laugh as she went into the kitchen to make the tea.
Jenny had calmed down a little by the time Karen returned with the tea.
‘I hate leaving you in the lurch like this and I know there may not be very much I can do for Tom if he is in hospital but I do feel I ought to be there,’ Jenny explained as she sipped the hot tea.
‘Of course you do, and don’t worry about me,’ Karen told her, leaning forward and squeezing Jenny’s hand.
‘As soon as I’ve drunk this tea I’ll go up and pack my case. If I leave anything behind then you can let me have it next time we see you.’
‘Don’t worry if you leave things behind, I’ll take care of them,’ Karen assured her.
‘Right,’ Jenny placed her cup down on the side table. ‘While I go and do that could you look up the train times for me and then send for a taxi.’
She stood up and made for the door, then paused and looked back at Karen. ‘Now are you quite sure you will be able to manage on your own?’
‘Of course I can; now stop worrying,’ Karen told her as she picked up her own cup and Jenny’s and carried them through to the kitchen.
When Jenny came back down ten minutes later, Karen was putting the baby into her carrycot ready to put her in the car.
‘You’re not driving me to the station; I told you to order a taxi.’
‘When did I ever do what you told me,’ Karen replied teasingly. ‘Come on; stop wasting precious time. I’m driving you.’
It wasn’t until ten minutes later, after they’d left the house, that Jenny realized that Karen wasn’t driving in the direction of the railway station.
‘Where are you taking me?’ she asked in a worried tone.
‘Home to Wallasey, of course. I wouldn’t trust you on a train, not in the state you are in. I’ve phoned Bill so he knows what is happening and he will come to Merseyside Mansions when he gets back home.’
‘Karen, I don’t want you to do that,’ Jenny complained.
‘No arguing, Gran! You didn’t seem to be very sure that I could manage on my own, remember? Well I’m not sure that you can either so this way we can support each other.’
Forty
It was almost dark when they arrived at Merseyside Mansions. Angela was fretful and hungry, Karen tired after the long drive and Jenny was apprehensive and concerned because she knew it was too late to visit Tom in hospital that night.
They had broken the journey for a meal so they were not hungry, but both of them felt they needed a cup of tea and they were longing for their bed.
‘You make the tea while I feed Angela,’ Karen said as she unstrapped the carrycot from the back seat and locked the car up.
She handed Jenny the carrier bag that held milk as well as a loaf of bread, bacon and eggs for their breakfast the next morning that they had bought en route.
Apart from the security lights, which were left on all night in the corridors, the place seemed to be darkness. Jenny fumbled with her keys, opened the door to her flat and switched on the light. The sight that met their eyes made both women gasp in dismay.
The furniture had all been moved as close to the walls as possible and white dust sheets covered everything in the room including the floor. An overturned stepladder stood in the centre of the room. There was a large tin of paint overturned beside it lying in a thick white gooey mess.
‘We certainly can’t stay here tonight, we’d better go up to Tom’s flat; it can’t be in a worse mess than it is down here,’ Jenny said as she stepped back, switched off the light and locked the door.
Tom’s flat was in perfect order and showed obvious signs of having recently been decorated. Everything looked pristine clean and fresh.
‘Thank heaven for that,’ Karen murmured. ‘I was afraid he might have been working on both flats at the same time, you know how disorganized men can be sometimes.’
‘Not Tom,’ Jenny said firmly. ‘He always finishes one job before starting the next. He’s very methodical.’
‘Yes, he’s even washed up and put away whatever dishes he was using for his last meal,’ Karen commented as she went into the kitchen to put the kettle on and prepare a bottle for Angela.
An hour later the three of them were in bed and asleep. Jenny had thought she would toss and turn all night, she had so many thoughts and questions buzzing around in her head, but the moment her head touched the pillow she was asleep.
When she awoke next morning she couldn’t for a moment remember where she was. Then, in a flash, it all came rushing back and she was up making a cup of tea for herself and Karen and wondering how early they could go to the hospital to see Tom.
‘I think we ought to phone first and ask them if we can visit,’ Karen advised. ‘No point in us all going over there and then spending hours hanging around if they will only let us visit at certain times.’
‘But this is an emergency,’ Jenny said heatedly.
‘To us it may be but to them it is routine, Gran. They won’t change their rules simply to please us. Why don’t you speak to Jane Phillips first and see what news she has now.’
‘No!’ Jenny shook her head. ‘I’ll have a word with the concierge and see what news she has.’
‘Very well, but let’s have breakfast first and you can do that while I am bathing Angela and feeding her.’
The concierge had not heard any fresh news from the hospital but while Jenny was talking to her Jane Phillips came into the reception area and spotted her there.
‘Ah, so you are home, Jenny. Have you seen Tom or heard any news about how he is now?’
‘No, I was just asking if there had been any message from the hospital.’
‘Well it’s hardly likely that they would ring here again because I told them you were on holiday and we had no idea when you would be coming home.’
‘You didn’t give them Karen’s number?’
‘How could I when I didn’t know it?’
‘Yes, you did, Tom gave it to you and you phoned it to let me know what had happened.’
‘Well, I didn’t know if you wanted them to have it or not. You are always so secretive about your affairs. Anyway, Tom knew it and obviously told them, so they would have rung you if they thought he was in any danger. Or perhaps they have tried ringing you and not got an answer since you’re not there,’ Jane said sharply.
Jenny bit her lip to stop herself saying anything that might antagon-ize Jane. She wasn’t in the mood for wasting time bantering with her while several other people were standing nearby and constantly interrupting to ask her about Tom.
‘I suppose you don’t know what the visiting hours are at the hospital?’ she asked, looking round hopefully.
‘Try phoning them, I’m sure they will be able to tell you,’ Jane said sarcastically.
‘Yes, that is what I am going to do,’ Jenny said and turned and hurried back to the flat.
It was mid-afternoon before they saw Tom. He was propped up in bed halfway down a ten-bed ward looking very fed up but otherwise not really much the worse for his ordeal.
His face lit up when he saw them and he raised a hand in welcome.
‘They say I can come out in a couple of days,’ he told them as soon as their greetings were over and he had the time to comment on how well baby Angela was doing. ‘In fact, I think they would like me out by Sunday.’
‘It’s Friday today, how on earth are we going to cope? You won’t be able to walk will you?’ Jenny said worriedly.
‘No, but they will be supplying me with crutches when I come out so once I get used to using those I’ll be able to get around.’
‘You’ll have to be very careful,’ Jenny admonished.
‘True, and I won’t be able to finish off the decorating, not for a couple of weeks at any rate,’ Tom agreed gloomily.
‘You’re not going up a ladder again in a hurry,’ Jenny told him firmly.
‘I wasn’t on a ladder only on a set of steps,’ Tom protested.
‘Well, that’s the same thing, so exactly what happened? How did you come to fall off then? Did some of the rungs break or something?’
‘No, they didn’t break and the accident was my own fault,’ Tom explained. ‘Instead of getting down and moving the steps I overreached and they went over sideways and took me with them. I tried to save myself and somehow my leg was underneath the steps and that was how my femur was broken.’
‘So how long were you lying there?’
‘Not very long, thank goodness, because it was very painful.’
‘Someone heard you fall did they?’ Karen asked.
‘No, not exactly. Jane Phillips was doing one of her inspection walkabouts, you know what she’s like, and she heard me yelling. The next thing I knew she was in the flat and had found me lying there. She wanted to try and move the steps off me and to help me to get up but I was pretty sure that I had broken my leg so I told her to leave me where I was and to go and phone for an ambulance.’
‘Well, I suppose we should be thankful that she is such a busybody because you could have been lying there for hours or days before you were found,’ Jenny admitted grudgingly.
‘Yes, the ambulance people were great. The paramedics knew exactly what to do and they gave me something for the pain while they lifted the steps clear and then put me on a stretcher.’
‘And Jane was still hanging around?’
‘Of course, so I gave her Karen’s telephone number and asked her to phone and let you know what had happened,’ Tom explained.
‘She probably enjoyed doing that,’ Jenny murmured with a tight smile.
‘So you can come home on Sunday,’ Karen interrupted. ‘How do you get home? Will you be able to get into my car or would a taxi be a better bet?’