by Joan Jonker
To cover Mary’s embarrassment, Harry said, ‘I just called to ask how your mam was, and to see when you’ll be coming back to work.’
‘I’ll go and see them in the office in the morning.’
Harry straightened his back. ‘No need! I’ll fix it with them in the office. D’you want to start tomorrow?’
‘She better ’ad!’ Eileen made a fist and shook it at Mary.
Harry grinned. ‘I wouldn’t have come if I’d known she was here.’
‘Oh, yer wanted to get Mary on her own, did yer? Mmmmm!’
‘Knock it off, Eileen!’ Mary met Harry’s eyes. ‘Take no notice of her, she’s round the twist.’
Eileen held on to the arm of the couch as she fell on her knees in front of Mary. Holding her arms aloft, she cried, ‘Come back to work, please?!’
‘Get up, you daft thing!’ Mary grinned. ‘I don’t know about Jean Simpson driving you crazy, I think it’s the other way round.’
‘Seein’ as she’s crazy already, I’d have a job.’ Eileen banged her elbow on the bed as she was struggling to her feet. ‘The sooner yer get this bloody thing out of the way the better!’
‘I know,’ Mary agreed. ‘I’ll have to do something about it.’
‘Yer can’t do it on yer own! We’ll do it for yer, won’t we, Harry?’
‘Yeah! We could do it now.’ Harry moved as though he intended to do it there and then. ‘It’ll only take ten minutes.’
‘Not now!’ Mary reacted quickly. ‘I’ve got to go to the hospital.’
‘Tomorrow then?’ Harry raised his brows at Eileen. ‘After work?’
‘Suits me! I was going into town to get our Billy a new pair of kecks, but another day showin’ his backside to the world won’t kill him.’
‘See you in work tomorrow then?’ Harry waited for Mary’s reluctant nod, then added, ‘We’ll come home on the same bus, and get this bed moved.’
Mary looked at the conveyor belt the next morning and felt as though she’d never been away from the place. On the other side of the machine Eileen was grinning from ear to ear, happy now her mate was back. Mary returned the grin then let her eyes fall to the passing shells. Shutting off the noise from the shop floor, her thoughts wandered. How long would it be before she heard from Bob again? She’d have to try and write to him tonight. Then her mind went to her mother, and how nicely she’d settled into the hospital. She looked well, too! Her speech was coming on in leaps and bounds, and her face was nearly back to normal.
Mary sensed someone standing beside her and turned to see Harry watching her. ‘I was miles away! Did you want something, Harry?’
‘I just wanted to say it’s nice to see you back. That machine hasn’t looked the same without you standing beside it.’ When Harry’s eyes moved across the machine, Mary’s followed. Eileen was waving her arms about and bawling. ‘Don’t forget about the bed!’
‘I won’t forget.’ Harry winked at Mary. ‘See you on the bus, eh?’
Mary slipped the key out of the lock and pushed the door open. ‘I’m sorry the place is in a mess, but I didn’t have time to tidy up.’
‘Don’t worry.’ Harry smiled. ‘Men don’t notice things like women do.’ This wasn’t true. His mother would never have a thing out of place. But she was lucky because she didn’t have to go out to work. She had two wage packets coming in every week.
‘Put the kettle on while we get crackin’.’ Eileen struggled out of her coat. ‘And don’t forget I like me tea like me men … strong!’
‘Before you disappear, Mary, have you got the spanner for the bed?’ When Harry saw the puzzlement in Mary’s eyes, he explained. ‘They’re special spanners, and you must have had one when you brought the bed down.’
‘Bob dismantled the bed. I don’t remember what he used.’
‘Never mind, we’ve got a set at home. I’ll slip along and get them.’
As soon as his back was turned Mary rushed round like a mad woman. The bedding was scooped up from the couch with her pyjamas and she rushed upstairs to throw them on her bed. Then her breakfast dishes were cleared away and a True Confessions magazine pushed under a chair cushion. Eileen watched the activity with amusement. ‘I don’t know what yer runnin’ round like a blue-arsed fly for! Yer can tidy up when we’ve gone.’
‘I felt ashamed letting him see the place in such a mess.’ Mary whipped a pair of stockings off the sideboard. ‘I bet his house is like a palace.’
‘So it should be! His mam’s got nowt else to do!’ Eileen gave one of her famous snorts. ‘If I didn’t have to go out to work my place would be like a palace, too!’
Harry came back with a set of spanners wrapped in a piece of sacking. He was checking the size he needed when he glanced round the room. ‘You’ve been busy, haven’t you?’
‘I can move when I want to.’ Mary pulled a face. ‘The trouble is, no matter what I do the room doesn’t look any better.’
‘It looks like mine did when the bomb dropped.’ Eileen looked at the black streaks on the walls and ceiling as she held the end of the bed while Harry unscrewed the bolts. ‘If you strip the walls, kid, I’ll paper it for yer.’
‘I don’t fancy you on the top of a ladder.’ Mary’s eyes twinkled. ‘I’d hate to see you end up in the next bed to me mam.’
‘Don’t be so funny, young lady! I’ll ’ave you know I do all the decoratin’ in our house, an’ I can swing on a ladder as good as Johnny Weismuller.’
Harry lifted the bedstead free of the headboard and nodded to Eileen to tip it sideways. ‘To save any argument, I’ll paper the room.’
Mary’s smile faded. ‘The room can stay as it is for a while.’
‘Wouldn’t it be nice for yer mam, though, if she came out of ’ossie to a nice room?’ Eileen spoke over her shoulder as she helped manipulate the iron frame through the narrow door. ‘Tell yer what, kid! If it didn’t need decoratin’ before, it will when us two are finished.’ The dimples in the fat on her elbows deepened as she strained to push the bed towards Harry who was standing on the bottom stair. ‘Move yer bugger, move!’
Mary put the kettle on then came to stand at the bottom of the stairs. She could hear Eileen and Harry laughing as they tried to bolt the bed together again. ‘Get hold of it, will you!’ Harry’s voice floated down.
‘You cheeky bugger! I hardly know yer, an’ yer asking me to get hold of it! Fast bloody worker, aren’t yer!?’
Mary felt herself blushing. It’s a good job I’m not up there with them or I’d die of embarrassment! A slow grin crossed her face. It’s a good job Father Younger’s not up there, either!
Harry came down first. ‘I’ll get myself a proper labourer next time.’
‘You wouldn’t enjoy it half as much.’ Eileen was the full width of the staircase as she plodded down behind him. ‘What’s the good of livin’ if yer not going to enjoy yerself?’
They moved the furniture back into place before sitting down for a cup of tea. ‘That’s more like it.’ Eileen surveyed the room. ‘Yer’d be able to swing a cat round now, if yer had one.’
‘I was thinking of sleeping upstairs tonight.’ Mary looked doubtful. ‘But I think I’d be too frightened in the house on me own.’
Eileen winked at Harry over the rim of her cup. ‘Now there’s an invitation for yer!’
‘You’ve got a one-track mind,’ Harry told her. ‘Don’t you ever think of anything else?’
‘What else is there?’
Mary quickly changed the subject. ‘I got a shock when I saw Blacklers. Have you seen it since it was bombed?’
‘The Gerries did a lot of damage in the city on those two nights,’ Harry said. ‘Particularly down Paradise Street.’
Mary shivered as she remembered what those two nights had cost. She held her hand out for Harry’s cup. ‘Another cup?’
‘If there’s one in the pot.’
‘None for me, ta, or I’ll be spending pennies all night.’ Eileen handed her cup over. ‘Anyway, I’ll
have to get going.’
‘Half a cup won’t hurt.’ Mary had no intention of being left alone with Harry. ‘And it’ll only take you five minutes to drink it.’
Harry sipped his tea slowly. He’d never been so close to Mary before and God knows if he’d ever get the chance again. If she knew how he felt about her she’d run a mile. While these thoughts ran through his head, he studied the changing expressions on her face as she listened to Eileen. She was smiling now and her blue eyes were shining. When she moved her head her long blonde hair swung across her face, and Harry felt the urge to reach out and touch it. She was so beautiful he would have been content to sit and look at her all day.
‘Ay, tatty head!’ Eileen stood in front of him. ‘Come ’ed! Me mam’ll think I’ve run off with the coal man.’
Harry picked up the spanners, wishing he had the nerve to ask about papering the room. But his courage failed, and he was following Eileen to the door when there was a knock. Eileen moved aside to let Mary pass, muttering, ‘A few more people an’ we can have a bloody party!’
‘Hello, Harry!’ Barbara came into the room first, followed by Jean. ‘Nice to see you again.’
‘Oh, yeh, I forgot!’ Eileen gave Harry a knowing look. ‘Yer went to Reeces, didn’t yer? And yer never told me!’
Mary introduced Jean to Eileen, before saying, ‘You’re in civvies again! You promised to let me see you in your uniform!’
‘I look like a ruddy farmer in it!’ Jean was a tall girl with broad shoulders, wide hips and fiery red hair. At first glance her face appeared plain, with a too large nose, square chin, and thick eyebrows that met in the middle. But when she smiled her face was transformed. Large hazel eyes twinkled with humour, and her mouth parted to reveal a set of strong, white perfect teeth. ‘We’re meeting the boys in town, but we thought we’d call and bring you up to date with our news.’
Eileen put her bag down. ‘I’m not missin’ this!’
‘What a time we’ve had!’ Barbara trilled. ‘It’s been great, hasn’t it, Jean?’
Mary was only half listening to Jean’s answer as she watched the way Barbara was preening herself in front of Harry. She hadn’t sat down, but was standing near the sideboard where he was leaning. Mary had once heard Eileen saying that a woman in work had ‘real come-to-bed eyes’; well the description seemed to fit the way Barbara was flirting with her eyes.
‘I thought we’d have seen you at Reeces yesterday.’ Barbara’s lashes did a little dance. ‘I kept my eyes open for you.’
Jean’s mouth dropped in surprise. ‘Well, you could have fooled me! You’ve never taken your eyes off Cliff for the last few days.’
Barbara shot Harry a glance. ‘They’re nice fellows, but there’s nothing serious in it.’
Mary looked at Harry. Why didn’t he go? Surely a man wasn’t interested in girl talk! But Harry seemed to be enjoying himself and showed no signs of leaving.
‘Come on, now,’ Eileen coaxed. ‘Yez must have a bit of juicy gossip to tell us.’
Jean grinned. ‘We don’t tell tales out of school, do we, Barbara? You’ll have to use your imagination.’
‘And Eileen’s got plenty of that!’ Mary said. ‘Tell her half a story and she’ll make the rest up herself.’
‘Well, if there’s no scandal, I’m going.’ Eileen flicked an imaginary speck off her faded coat then nodded to Harry. ‘Come on, let’s go.’
Harry laughed as he followed her into the hall. ‘Yes, boss!’
‘You don’t need to go because of us.’ Barbara put a hand on his arm. ‘We’ll be going soon.’
Mary practically pushed Harry into the street after Eileen. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’
Eileen stood outside Harry’s front door. The glint in her eyes warned him she was going to say something outrageous, and he was grinning before she spoke. ‘Yer could have got yer leg over there, yer know! That Barbara was handin’ it to yer on a plate. She was like a bitch on heat, an’ I thought she was goin’ to drag yer down on the floor an’ have her wicked way with yer.’
‘Oh, aye; and what d’you think I’d be doing?’ Amusement showed on Harry’s face as he waited for her answer.
‘Enjoyin’ yerself, if yer’ve got any sense!’ The fat on Eileen’s cheeks moved upwards as she winked. ‘Or could it be yer eyes are on someone else?’
‘You know the answer to that without me telling you. Not that it will ever do me any good because she doesn’t even know I exist! Still, no one can stop me dreaming.’
‘No they can’t, kiddo! You keep right on dreamin’, ’cos life has a funny way of working things out.’
Chapter Eleven
‘You’re leaving early, aren’t you?’ Maggie watched her daughter struggle into the coat that had fitted her five years ago but was now straining at the seams. ‘That coat’s seen better days; isn’t it about time you gave it to the rag man?’
‘It’ll do me a turn yet!’
‘In the name of God!’ Maggie was exasperated. Eileen used to be so pretty, but since Bill went away she’d let herself go to the dogs. ‘Anyway, why are you leaving so early?’
‘I want to call in to Mary’s. I’m dead worried about her, Mam! She’s changed so much you wouldn’t think she was the same girl. Yer can’t get a smile out of her, and she bites yer head off if yer ask her what’s up. If she carries on like this she’ll end up having a nervous breakdown.’
Maggie huffed as she followed Eileen down the hall. ‘I’d have thought you had enough troubles of your own without taking anyone else’s on.’
‘She’s got no one else, Mam! We don’t get a chance to talk in work with all the women around, so I’ll catch her at home.’
‘She’s heard from Bob, hasn’t she?’
‘Yeah! He’s in the Middle East with the Eighth Army. I know she’s worried about him, but I don’t think it’s that that’s makin’ her the way she is. And her mam’s coming on well in hospital, so it can’t be that, either!’ Eileen put her hand out to open the front door at the same time as the flap on the letter box started to rattle. ‘Strewth! Frightened the life out of me!’ She was the full width of the hall and Maggie had to stand on tiptoe to see who was standing on the step. When she spied the top of Rene’s head, she cried, ‘Where’ve you been? We’ve been worried to death about you!’
‘I didn’t have anything to tell you.’ Rene looked as smart as usual in a mulberry-coloured skirt and jacket, over a cream tie-neck blouse. But her face showed signs of strain and sleepless nights. ‘I only got word myself this morning.’
Maggie tugged on Eileen’s arm. ‘Will you let the girl in!’
Eileen waddled back down the hall leaving Rene to close the door. ‘Have yer heard from Alan?’
‘He’s coming home.’
‘Yer mean home to your house?’
‘No, to a hospital.’ Rene’s lip trembled. ‘The letter said they’d notify me which hospital as soon as they could.’
‘Did they tell yer what’s wrong with him?’
‘Only that he’s been wounded in his right arm.’ Rene blew into a wisp of a handkerchief. ‘It must be bad though, for them to be sending him home.’
Maggie was fussing round the chair, wringing her hands. ‘You don’t know that, love! Perhaps he’s just got shrapnel in his arm.’
Rene shook her head, tears near the surface. ‘If it wasn’t bad they’d have fixed him up in the field hospital.’
Eileen and Maggie exchanged glances. Everyone knew they didn’t send soldiers home unless they were no longer fit for active duty. ‘It mightn’t be that bad, our kid! And at least he’ll be out of the war, and yer’ll have him home. I’d be glad to have Bill home no matter what was wrong with him.’
‘Have you told Alan’s mam and dad, yet?’ Maggie asked. ‘They’ll be worried.’
‘Not yet! I’ve come here in my lunchtime, but I’ll call there on the way home and tell them.’ Rene looked up at Eileen who was standing in front of her. ‘When I find out which hosp
ital he’s in, will you come with me to see him? I’d be too frightened to go on my own.’
‘Of course I will! But for Christ’s sake, don’t go thinking the worst till yer know for sure. Yer might be worrying yerself to death for nothing.’
‘I hope you’re right, but I’ve got this horrible feeling, here.’ Rene sniffed as she put a hand to her heart. ‘I’ll be all right once I’ve seen him, but I’ll be glad if you’ll come with me the first time.’
‘I’ll come,’ Eileen promised. ‘It’ll be a good excuse for a day off work.’
Rene stood up. ‘I’d better go or I’ll be late. I only get an hour for dinner.’
‘I was on me way out, so I’ll walk down the road with yer.’
Rene walked quickly, and by the time they reached the corner where they would part company, Eileen was puffing and blowing. ‘I’ll have to lose some of this weight! I’m built like a bloody battleship!’
‘You’re all right, our kid!’ There was humour in Rene’s eyes. ‘Big and cuddly you are, just like a teddy bear.’
‘Go on with yer, Sis! You look like a fashion model an’ I look like a tramp.’ Eileen’s face reddened with embarrassment. ‘Get goin’ or yer’ll be gettin’ the sack.’
Rene’s thoughts were as fleet as her footsteps as she walked to the bus stop. So, I look like a fashion model! She lowered her eyes to take in the suit and blouse. They were both four years old, and sharper eyes than Eileen’s would have noticed the frayed collar and cuffs. She was careful with her clothes though, and with a bit of care, and needlework, she’d get another year out of this suit.
It wasn’t that Alan had kept her short of money when he was in civvie street, but they’d both agreed, when they got married, to be careful with money. They’d planned to pay cash for everything for the house, so they wouldn’t have hire purchase payments to make on top of the mortgage. They’d been so full of plans when they’d got married. They wouldn’t start a family until they had everything they needed for the house, so that when children came along they’d be able to give them the best of everything. The trouble was, it hadn’t worked out that way. They’d been married for two years and the house was just the way they wanted it, when they tried for a baby. When the first month passed and Rene hadn’t conceived, they hadn’t been worried. But when the fifth and sixth month passed, Alan had stopped coming home with a look of hopeful expectancy on his face when Rene’s monthly period was due. For a year they’d pretended it didn’t matter, but deep inside both were deeply disappointed. In the end, thinking there might be something wrong with her, Rene had gone to the hospital for an examination. She was given the all-clear, and the doctor at the hospital suggested her husband should come for a test. Rene could still remember the day Alan came home after hearing the results of the test. With a wide smile on his face, he’d told her there was nothing wrong with him. She could even remember the words he’d used. ‘The doctor said we’re probably trying too hard! Relax, forget about babies, and in no time at all your wife will be pregnant.’ It hadn’t worked though, and a year later Alan had joined the Army.