by Joan Jonker
‘I was born and bred here, and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else on earth. But it isn’t the paradise you suppose. Being a small community everybody knows everybody else’s business and the gossip goes around like wildfire. If I was to sneeze now, they’d know about it on the hill farms before the sound had died down. And if I was to walk with George to show him where the pub is, they’d be out in force to make sure they didn’t miss anything. I don’t mind really, a bit of gossip gives us something to talk about. As long as it’s not hurting anyone. But there’s two old biddies in the village that make a career out of it. They’re both spinsters and have lived together for as long as I can remember. Me and Mered call them the Sisters Twitter ’cos of the way they talk, and I suppose they do give us a laugh the way they act. Always at the windows, one downstairs and the other upstairs peeking from behind the curtains to make sure nothing escapes their attention. And if they’re in one of the shops they’ll stand at the back and let everybody else get served first so they can see what they’re buying. I bet they know exactly what everyone in the village has for their meals every day, what colour bloomers the women have on, and how many blankets we’ve all got on our beds.’
Gwen moved away from the sideboard so the impersonation she was about to give would have a greater impact. ‘This is them, as alike as two peas in a pod. Both as thin as rakes, with thin face, nose and lips. And their noses and mouths are in constant motion, even when they’re not talking.’ She joined her hands in front of her, moved her head from side to side in quick jerks, and, with her nose twitching, began to cluck like a chicken. And the sounds of mirth from her audience cheered her on until she couldn’t keep her own laughter back any longer. ‘May God forgive me for mocking the afflicted, but what makes them so hilarious is that they’re so open and obvious, yet don’t realise the whole village has got them decked as nosy-pokes. If two women are standing talking outside the post office, the Sisters Twitter will stand as near as possible so they can overhear every word. And if one of the women gives them a dirty look, they walk to the edge of the pavement and look down the road as though expecting a bus, even though there isn’t one due for an hour. Then they shake their heads and move back to take up their position even closer to the women. And it serves them right when they overhear a juicy bit of gossip that has just been made up for their benefit. They’ve caused a few rows in the village between man and wife, I can tell you. But people know what they are so they’re daft if they believe a word that comes out of their mouths.’
‘Oh dear,’ George said, dabbing his eyes, which were now red-rimmed with constant wiping. ‘I must keep a look out for them.’ Then he chortled. ‘Where is the pub, by the way?’
‘In the middle of the village, but you’re going in the opposite direction this morning. You could go that way tomorrow, because it’s a pretty village and well worth seeing. And there’s a waterfall quite near, that’s worth a visit.’
‘So much to see and so little time. We’ll have to make the most of what we’ve got.’ Ann swept a hand over the cluttered table. ‘I feel a bit mean leaving you with all the washing-up.’
‘Don’t be daft, I wouldn’t let you help if you got down on your knees and begged me. You’ve only got three days left, so cram as much as you can into them. Now I’ll just slip a coat over my pinny and put you on the right road to Tom’s. And tell his wife, Brenda, that I was asking after her, and the two children.’
‘This is the life, isn’t it, love?’ George and Ann were walking behind the two girls, who were swinging their hands between them. ‘Lovely clean air, green fields all around us, and the sound of birds singing. A far cry from home.’
‘Yes,’ Ann said, dreamily, ‘it is lovely. I can’t remember a time when I’ve felt more relaxed. And the girls are thoroughly enjoying themselves, which is the main thing. But you have to remember we’re seeing the countryside at its best. I should imagine it’s pretty grim in the winter when the snow comes down.’
‘People born to this life probably don’t think anything of it. They’re made of sterner stuff than us city folk. Certainly Gwen and Mered appear healthy on it. Mered looks as strong as an ox and he’s out in all weathers, snow, rain or sunshine. I doubt if we could ever get used to it, not at our time of life.’
‘Ay, not so much of the “our time of life”! You make us sound ancient!’ Ann squeezed his arm and smiled up at him. ‘They say you’re as old as you feel, and right now I feel so young I could skip down this road.’
The two girls came running back to them, their voices high with excitement. ‘This is the farm, Mam.’ Maddy sounded breathless as she pointed to a house which could just be seen over the hedge. ‘See, there’s the house.’
‘Are you sure it’s the right one?’
‘It must be,’ George said. ‘Gwen told us it was the first farm and we haven’t passed any other on the road.’
Tess was pulling on his arm. ‘Dad, they’ve got pigs, we could hear them grunting. And Goldie is in the field, we saw her.’
‘Well, let’s not get too excited,’ Ann said, inspecting her daughters’ appearance. ‘Pull your socks up and tidy your hair. And remember your manners.’
The long five-barred gate was closed with a latch on the inside, and George was wondering whether he would be doing right in opening it when two young figures came flying out of the house. ‘Hello, we’ve been waiting for you.’ The young girl, who appeared to be around the same age as Maddy, had auburn hair which was tied back with a ribbon, deep brown eyes and a happy, smiling face. As she lifted the latch and pulled the gate open she said, ‘My name’s Grace, and this is my kid brother, Alan.’
Looking at the boy, with his fair hair, blue eyes and a cleft in his chin, it was easy to see he was Tom’s son. Same colouring and same smile. ‘My dad said we were to show you the animals and we weren’t to play any tricks on you. Oh, and we’re to offer you a drink of lemonade.’
Tess was shy and clung to her father’s hand. But Maddy was in her element. ‘My name’s Madelaine, but I get Maddy from my friends. And this is my kid sister, Tess.’
With the gate safely closed, the children led the group towards the house. ‘My mam said we were to let her know as soon as you arrived.’
Grace had no sooner got the words out than a woman appeared at the door, wiping her hands on a floral wrap-around pinny. She was tall and slim, with auburn hair, brown eyes, and a ready smile which showed a good strong set of teeth. ‘Mr and Mrs Richardson? I’m Brenda Thomas and I’m very pleased to meet you. Won’t you come inside?’
‘You look as though you’re busy, Mrs Thomas, so we won’t interrupt you,’ Ann said, not wanting to take the woman away from her work. ‘Perhaps the children can show us around the farm and then we’ll leave you in peace.’
‘I’m not doing anything that can’t wait, and anyway I’ll be glad of a bit of company. We don’t get many visitors and it’s nice to hear what’s happening in the world outside of Hope. Besides, I need to exercise my mouth.’ Brenda stood aside and beckoned them in, patting the heads of the girls as they passed. ‘Which one is Maddy and which is Tess?’
‘I’m Maddy, and the good-looking one is my sister, Tess.’
‘Well, how would you girls like a drink of my home-made lemonade?’ Brenda’s husband had mentioned that one of the girls didn’t look very strong, but he hadn’t said anything about her being so shy. ‘I made it specially for you.’
Tess raised her head. ‘Yes please, that’s very kind of you.’
Ann was standing on the threshold of the large kitchen, her eyes filled with wonder and delight at what she saw. The floor was stone, with the long wooden table in the centre almost white with constant use and scrubbing. One of the walls was taken up by a Welsh dresser which had a lovely array of willow-patterned plates standing behind sets of cups, saucers, plates and serving dishes. But what Ann found most eye-catching was the huge open fireplace made from slabs of stone. There was no grate; the logs set ready for lighting
were criss-crossed on the stone floor, which was blackened with soot. In her mind’s eye she could imagine how warm and comforting it would be with the wood crackling and sending flames roaring up the chimney. And on the iron stands either side sat a huge black kettle and a round pot which was shaped like a cauldron. ‘That fireplace is amazing, Mrs Thomas, do you do all your cooking on it?’
‘No, I only use it for the likes of stew, and keeping the kettle on the boil. We have a wood-burning stove in the small kitchen where I do most of my cooking and baking. I’ll show you around when the children have had their drinks. And the name is Brenda, by the way.’
‘This is nice, Mrs Thomas,’ Tess said, sipping her drink and feeling less nervous with each passing moment. ‘There’s a slice of lemon floating on the top, and I don’t usually like lemon ’cos it’s bitter. But this is lovely.’
‘I put plenty of sugar in it, pet. My children have a very sweet tooth.’
‘Oh, you, Mam!’ Her daughter Grace looked flabbergasted. ‘It’s you who has the sweet tooth, not me or Alan.’
Brenda lifted both hands as in surrender. ‘Okay, I own up, I’m a sucker for sweet things. But I’m not the one who sneaks down the stairs when they think everyone is asleep, and pinches biscuits and cakes.’
‘I don’t do that, Mam, it’s our Alan.’
The boy dropped his head to hide a cheeky grin. ‘It’s not me, I go to sleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. I keep telling you we have a ghost, Mam, but you won’t believe me.’
‘Well I think it’s very queer that the ghost has exactly the same tastes as you.’ Brenda saw Tess’s eyes widen and gave her a quick wink. ‘And I also think it’s fishy that he knows when I make my apple and rhubarb pies. Now how would he know that if he didn’t have help from one of the family, eh?’
The boy didn’t try to hide his grin this time. ‘I’ve told you, he’s got a good sense of smell. I mean, the smell of your baking carries as far as our school. And seeing as the ghost lives in our barn, he can smell it dead easy.’
‘You’ve got a ghost living in your barn?’ Tess moved closer to her father just in case it wasn’t a joke. ‘I wouldn’t like that.’
‘Oh, he’s a friendly ghost. He doesn’t move things around in the house like other ghosts do. He pinches some of Mam’s pies and biscuits, but he never makes a mess. You won’t find any crumbs on the floor, nothing like that.’
‘He’s friendly all right,’ Brenda laughed. ‘So friendly he sleeps in your bed and leaves all his crumbs there.’
‘You tell fibs, Alan Thomas,’ Tess said, confident now to move from the safety of her father’s arm. ‘But you didn’t frighten me.’
‘Me neither, I was wishing it was true,’ Maddy said. ‘I’ve seen haunted houses on the pictures and they’re really spooky.’
‘Don’t believe a word Alan tells you, he’s always playing jokes on people. His dad warned him about it but he might as well have been talking to the wall.’ Brenda took the empty glass from her son’s hand. ‘Take the girls to see the animals and behave yourself. Any tricks and I’ll scalp you.’
‘Madelaine, you look after Theresa, please,’ Ann said, fearful that Grace and Alan might not understand her younger daughter was delicate and shouldn’t join in any rough games. ‘Stay with her and make sure she’s all right.’
‘I’ll look after her,’ Alan said, and surprised everyone by holding out his hand. ‘Come on, Tess, I’ll show you the little piglets. They’re only a couple of weeks old and so small they fit in my two hands.’
There was no hesitation on the girl’s part. She took his hand and smiled. ‘I love pigs, they’re my bestest favourite animal.’
When Ann leaned forward with a protest on her lips, George touched her arm. ‘Don’t spoil it for her, she’ll be all right. Maddy will keep an eye on her.’
Grace grabbed Maddy’s hand, happy to have a girl her own age to play with. ‘Come on, we’ll see the pigs and then go and feed Goldie.’ Their hands swinging between them, and giggling with pleasure, they ran from the room, followed closely by Alan and Tess.
Brenda noticed Ann rubbing her hands nervously, and she smiled to allay her fears. ‘You don’t have to worry about Alan, he’s very sensible for his age. Oh, he can act daft and is always playing tricks, but there’s another side to him. He’s a very caring boy, as you would know if you saw how gentle he is with the animals. I’ve known him sit for hours trying to feed a new-born lamb from a baby’s bottle if the mother has rejected it. He’s got far more patience than I have. He takes after his dad for that.’
‘I know I shouldn’t fuss over Theresa so much, but I can’t help it,’ Ann said. ‘She isn’t strong and tires very quickly.’
‘Well, if it will put your mind at rest, why don’t you go and see if she’s all right? I’ll put the kettle on while you’re out and make us a nice cup of tea.’
‘No, leave her be, Ann,’ George said. ‘You can’t be by her side for the rest of her life, she has to learn to stand on her own feet sometime. She’s nearly eleven years old and will be embarrassed in front of the other children if you act as though she’s not capable of looking after herself.’
Brenda could sympathise with Ann, being a mother herself and remembering how she’d walked the floor with both of hers when they were ill. ‘Tom gave me strict instructions to show you around the farm, so why don’t I do it now and make the tea later? Then you can see for yourselves what the children are up to.’
‘Come on, love.’ George put a hand under his wife’s arm. ‘There’s no point in you standing there fretting and making me a nervous wreck into the bargain.’
Brenda was leading them around the side of the house when she suddenly put both arms out and halted them in their tracks. With a finger to her lips she whispered, ‘Take a look at that happy scene. It’s a sight for sore eyes.’
Ann and George popped their heads around the corner and Ann let out a low cry of pleasure. Tess was holding a tiny wriggling pig in her arms, and she looked so happy and animated it was a joy to behold. Alan was standing beside her, his own face alight and his laughter mixing with hers. And Maddy, who would never stray far from her sister, was only feet away, holding a piglet up in the air and talking baby talk to it. ‘Oh, George, I wish we had a camera to capture that scene so we could look back on it whenever we wanted.’
‘I’ve got a camera,’ Brenda said, already moving away from them. ‘Stay where you are until I fetch it. Don’t make a sound, because if you break them up you’ll never get them back as they are now.’
‘You see, you were worrying for nothing, love.’ George put his arm across his wife’s shoulders. ‘I’ve never seen Maddy or Tess look so happy. They’re having the time of their lives, loving every minute of it.’
‘I can’t help the way I’m made, George.’
‘I know, love, and I’d rather you cared too much than too little.’
Brenda had wasted no time and was quickly back with them. ‘There’s about six snaps left on the roll. I’ll take one of the children now, just as they are, then you can decide what to use the others on.’
The photograph taken, they made their presence known. And the first one to see them was Maddy. ‘Look, Mam, isn’t this lovely? I’ve christened him Curly because his tail curls over.’ Then she lowered her voice. ‘Tess has been all right, Mam, you don’t have to worry. Alan’s been brilliant with her.’
‘I can see that,’ Ann said. ‘But all mothers worry, you know. Wait until you have children of your own and you’ll see.’
Tess hurried towards them with Alan so close his arm was touching hers. ‘Mam, this is Pinky, ’cos it’s pink all over, even its eyes.’ The little pig had given up struggling and was nestling in her arms like a baby. ‘Isn’t he gorgeous, Dad?’
Brenda put a hand to her mouth and gave a slight cough. ‘I hate to disillusion you, girls, but animals don’t use a lavatory and I’d hate to see you getting those nice dresses dirty. You wouldn’t smell very pleasan
t, either.’
Grace and Alan doubled up at the horror on the two girls’ faces. Having been brought up on the farm, they were well used to the ways of animals and thought nothing of pulling on a pair of Wellington boots and walking through all sorts of slop. ‘Oh, Maddy,’ Grace said, taking the piglet from a pair of hands now eager to part with it. ‘You should have seen your face.’
‘Why didn’t you warn me?’ But Maddy could see the funny side. ‘I still think he’s lovely, but I won’t be so quick to pick him up. Next time I’ll sit down and play with him.’
‘I wouldn’t think of sitting in the sty if I were you,’ Brenda laughed. ‘Pigs are not noted for keeping their houses clean.’
‘Come on, Tess,’ Alan said, taking the girl’s arm. ‘Let’s put him back with his mother and go and see the lambs.’
‘I’ll carry him,’ Tess said, reluctant to part. ‘You can come with me, though.’
‘Can we go and see Goldie, as well as the lambs?’ Maddy asked, walking back to the sty with Grace. ‘I want to see if she remembers me.’
‘You take the camera, George.’ Brenda passed it over. ‘There’s five left on the film, so you might as well use them up. I’ll have to get something ready for Tom, he comes home for his lunch. But you go with the children and enjoy your visit.’
The surprise appearance of the camera was a delight to Maddy and Tess. And when George told them they’d been snapped with the pigs, they were over the moon. ‘Can we have one taken with the lambs, and one with Goldie?’ Maddy asked. ‘That would leave three, and if you won’t think I’m greedy, I’d really love one with me and Tess, and Grace and Alan.’
‘Me too!’ Tess said, smiling at the boy, who had been really kind to her. She hadn’t had much to do with boys before because they played footie and kick-the-can in the entry, and they were too rough for her liking. But Alan was really nice.
‘I think that meets with everyone’s approval,’ Ann said. ‘We can ask Mr and Mrs Thomas to come on the other two.’
‘That means one of us won’t be on them.’ Maddy had soon figured this out. ‘Someone will have to take the photograph.’