EG02 - Man of the House

by Joan Jonker

  ‘Stop braggin’, Harry. Don’t forget I knew yer when yer ’ad nowt!’ The smile slipped from Eileen’s face. ‘I won’t half miss yer, Harry. Who can I ’ave a laugh with now, or tell me jokes to?’

  ‘You’ve still got Willy Turnbull,’ Harry laughed.

  ‘Sod off, will yer, Harry! Willy Turnbull wouldn’t know a joke if ’e fell over one!’

  ‘When I’ve settled in me new job, perhaps I can speak for you,’ Harry said. ‘That’s if you intend going to work again when this place closes.’

  Interest flared in Eileen’s eyes. ‘By that time, Bill might be ready for work. Would yer put in a good word for ’im?’

  Harry gave a low bow. ‘For you, Madam, I’d do anything.’ He placed his two hands on Eileen’s shoulders and turned her to face him. His face creased in a grin, he started to croon, ‘“I would take the stars out of the blue, for you … for you.’”

  Eileen struggled free, but there was laughter in her eyes. ‘Yer silly bugger, yer’ll ’ave the shells all over the floor!’

  When Harry walked away, Eileen’s eyes followed him, her mind ticking over. And while her thoughts might never bear fruit, they had at least lifted her spirits.

  Maggie was waiting by the front door when Eileen walked up the street.

  ‘Father Murphy’s been to see Bill.’

  Eileen put a hand to her forehead. ‘Oh, no, Mam, not another row?’

  ‘No, him and Bill got on fine!’ Maggie told her. ‘I made them a cup of tea, then went up to Milly’s to get out of the way. Father Murphy was just leaving when I got back, and him and Bill were on the best of terms.’

  ‘Thank God for that! I’ve neither the inclination or the energy for another argument.’

  Maggie followed as Eileen ambled down the hall, and there was sadness on her face as she took in the weary droop to her daughter’s shoulders and the legs swollen from standing too long. ‘You sit down, love, and I’ll make you a nice cup of tea.’

  ‘Ta, Mam! Yer’ll never see what I buy yer for Christmas!’ Eileen put her bag on the sideboard then faced Bill. ‘I believe yer’ve ’ad a visitor?’

  Bill nodded, ‘Yes, Father Murphy called. He’s a different kettle of fish to Father Younger, isn’t he?’

  Eileen sat down and winced as she pulled one of her shoes off. ‘Ooh, that’s better. Me feet are practically talkin’ to me.’

  Bill stared at the red marks made by the too tight shoes. ‘You could do with buying yourself a pair of comfortable shoes. Those are far too tight for you.’

  ‘I could do with a lot of things, Bill, but we can’t afford them.’ Eileen had never moaned in front of Bill before, but today she just couldn’t summon the energy to put on a cheerful face. ‘When I was a kid and I asked me mam for anythin’ she couldn’t afford, she always used to say I’d get it when “Donnelly docks”. I could never make out who this “Donnelly” was, and why I ’ad to wait for ’is ship to dock.’ Rubbing her swollen foot, Eileen went on, ‘I must ’ave been fourteen before me mam told me that Donnelly would never dock because ’e didn’t ’ave a bloody ship!’

  Maggie came through with a steaming cup of tea. ‘That’s not quite how I said it, now is it?’

  ‘No, Mother dear, yer don’t swear, do yer?’ Eileen turned her attention to her other foot. ‘How yer managed to bring our Rene and me up without swearin’, I’ll never know.’

  ‘You don’t need to swear to get your point across, chick,’ Bill said quietly. ‘And there’s nothing worse than to hear a woman using bad language.’

  ‘Oh, for Christ’s sake, Bill, put a sock in it!’

  While Bill was stunned into silence, Maggie lowered her head. She’d been wondering when Eileen would finally erupt. Though her daughter had tried to keep up the pretence that everything was normal, Maggie knew that deep down, her daughter was confused and unhappy. She knew why, too! But she’d die rather than tell Eileen.

  When Maggie came to live with Eileen and Bill, she’d been given the bedroom next to them. And she couldn’t help but hear the sounds that came through the dividing wall, the sounds of a happily married couple enjoying their love for each other. But since Bill came home, four months ago, the only sound coming from their room once their bedroom door closed, was the sound of silence.

  Maggie was worried sick about her daughter’s health. Eileen had always had a good appetite, eating anything and everything. But lately Maggie had noticed her picking at her food, as though she had no appetite for it. There had been the excuse at first that Bill needed the food more than she did, and Maggie accepted that. But not any more. If Eileen wasn’t careful she’d make herself ill.

  Maggie lifted her head. ‘There’s someone at the door.’

  ‘You go, Mam, will yer? I’m not puttin’ these shoes on again.’

  Her head cocked, Eileen listened. ‘Oh, it’s Vera Jackson! Yer ’aven’t met ’er yet, Bill, but yer’ll like ’er.’

  Maggie came in first, hand in hand with Carol, Vera’s six-year-old mongol daughter. Vera followed, her face, as ever, anxious in case they were intruding. ‘You’re not having your tea or anything, are you?’

  ‘It wouldn’t matter if we were!’ Eileen pushed herself from the chair and padded in her bare feet to pick Carol up. ‘This is Vera, Bill.’ She waited till the introductions were over then placed Carol in front of Bill. ‘This is Carol, Uncle Bill. She’s one of me favourites, aren’t yer sunshine?’

  The flat, moonlike face, beamed. ‘Yeth, Auntie Eyeen.’

  ‘Well, you clever kid!’ Eileen smiled at Vera who was hovering near her daughter. ‘She’s speakin’ better, isn’t she? Be tellin’ me to shut up, soon.’ Carol’s arms went round Eileen’s legs, clinging on tight. She was afraid of men, and her big round eyes viewed Bill with suspicion.

  Eileen ruffled the blond hair. ‘She’ll come round in a minute if we don’t make a fuss of ’er.’

  Vera was still moving from one foot to the other. She was an attractive woman with a neat slim figure, hazel eyes and an abundance of rich auburn hair. But she didn’t have a lot of confidence and was ill at ease with strangers. She hadn’t always been like that, Mary had once told Eileen. It was only after Carol was born, and she’d had to suffer the curious stares of ignorant people, that Vera had become withdrawn. Her husband hadn’t helped either. Ashamed of having sired a daughter who, as he put it, wasn’t right in the head, Danny Jackson lay the blame at Vera’s door and treated her like a punch bag. But when he’d been called up for the army a miraculous change had come over him, and to outsiders he was the perfect father to Carol and her two older brothers, and a caring husband to Vera. But to Eileen he was a bad taste in the mouth.

  ‘Vera, will yer sit down?’ Eileen gave her a gentle push. ‘Yer makin’ me nervous standin’ there like the nit nurse.’

  Bill was winking at Carol, trying to persuade her to come from behind Eileen’s skirt. She kept turning her head away, then peeping back. In a few minutes she was smiling back at him, and a few minutes later was sitting on his knee.

  Maggie went to put the kettle on and find a biscuit for Carol, while Eileen flopped back on the chair. ‘How’s Danny? He’ll soon be ’ome, won’t he?’

  ‘He’s in Holland, but I had a letter yesterday saying he should be home on leave soon. He reckons he’ll have to go back again for a short while though, till things are straightened out.’

  ‘Yeh, that’s what Milly Knight’s ’usband ’ad to do,’ Eileen said. ‘He was ’ome for two weeks, then went back last week. He’s ’oping to be ’ome for good in a month or so.’ Eileen’s eyes narrowed. She wouldn’t trust Danny Jackson as far as she could throw him. She’d seen Vera’s bruised face after he’d given her a beating, and Eileen had no time for men who hit women. In fact, whenever her mind went back over the war years, one incident always stood out. That was when Harry Sedgemoor had given Danny Jackson a good hiding for ill treating Vera. Harry had zoomed up in Eileen’s estimation after that. If anyone had deserved a hiding, it
was Vera’s husband, and if Harry hadn’t sorted him out, Eileen would have done it herself.

  In those days, Eileen only knew the Jacksons as neighbours of Mary’s, but since that time Vera had become a very dear friend. So some good had come out of Danny’s wickedness.

  ‘Yer’ll be glad to ’ave ’im home, won’t yer?’

  ‘It’ll be strange, ’cos I haven’t seen him for two years,’ Vera said, ‘but I suppose we’ll get used to it.’ Her eyes strayed to Carol, sitting happily on Bill’s knee. ‘Carol won’t remember him.’

  ‘He won’t know her, either! She’s come on like a ’ouse on fire in the last year. And wait till he sees your Colin, all grown up and workin’.’ Two things crossed Eileen’s mind as she spoke. Was it because Danny was away that Carol was coming on in leaps and bounds? And if Danny does revert to his old ways when he’s back in civvie street, will he be as quick to knock Vera around now that Carol’s big enough to stand up to him?

  Eileen’s train of thought was interrupted by a knock on the front door. ‘We’re gettin’ very popular, aren’t we, Bill?’ When Eileen saw Bill run his finger gently down the silky skin on Carol’s cheek, her love for him surged. He was so kind and gentle, and she loved him dearly. If only he would show her the same affection her cup of happiness would be filled to the brim. She sighed as she pushed herself off the chair. ‘I suppose I’d better answer the door, me Mam seems to ’ave gone missing.’

  Vera looked down at Eileen’s bare feet. ‘Shall I go?’

  ‘If yer don’t mind, Vera! But whoever it is, don’t let them in.’

  Chapter Seventeen

  A flustered Vera hurried back down the hall. ‘It’s a man at the door, he says he’s a friend of yours. His name’s Arthur.’

  ‘Oh, lord, throw me shoes over will yer, Vera?’ Struggling and groaning, Eileen winced as she pushed a swollen foot into one of the shoes. ‘Yer ’aven’t left Arthur on the doorstep, like one of Lewis’s, have yer?’

  ‘You told me not to let anyone in!’

  ‘I didn’t know it was goin’ to be Arthur! I thought it would be one of the neighbours on the cadge.’ The other shoe was proving more difficult and huffing and puffing, her face screwed up in pain, Eileen said, ‘Tell ’im to come in, Vera.’

  When Arthur entered the room, Eileen had her two legs stuck out, one foot shoeless. ‘Yer’ll ’ave to excuse me, Arthur, but I’m ’avin an argument with one of me shoes … it refuses to do as it’s told.’

  Arthur grinned. ‘It’s got guts, arguing with you … I wouldn’t!’

  ‘Well, that’s nice, isn’t it? Anyone would think I was a big bully!’ Eileen waved a hand. ‘This is me mate, Vera, and this little angel is her daughter, Carol.’

  Vera returned Arthur’s nod before stepping towards Carol, who was completely relaxed on Bill’s knee. ‘I’d better be going and leave you with your visitor.’

  ‘Don’t be so daft! Arthur’s not a visitor, he’s a friend, aren’t yer, Arthur?’

  ‘I’d like to think so.’ Arthur smiled at Vera. ‘Don’t go on my account, please!’

  Vera was wringing her hands nervously. ‘You’ll have things to talk about, and you wouldn’t get much talking done with Carol taking up Bill’s attention.’

  ‘Nonsense!’ Bill held the little girl close. ‘She’s as good as gold, aren’t you, sweetheart?’

  When Vera saw the pleasure on her daughter’s face, her heartbeat doubled. It didn’t take much to make Carol happy … just a little love and kindness. And she hadn’t had much of that in her short life. None of the children in their street ever knocked to see if she could play out, and the only people who showed her any affection, or treated her like a human being, apart from herself and the two boys, were the Sedgemoors and the Gillmoss family. Without them to visit, Carol would never see anyone and Vera’s life wouldn’t be worth living.

  ‘Arthur, you sit next to Bill on the couch, so yez can ’ave a natter, while me and Vera sit at the table an’ pull everyone to pieces.’ Eileen raised her brows, ‘I’m sure yer wouldn’t be interested in Mrs Smith ’avin’ it off with the milkman, would yer?’

  ‘No, but I might be interested in where Mrs Smith lives! She sounds very interesting!’ Arthur put his trilby on the back of the couch and sat down, watched with suspicion by a wide-eyed Carol. She’d been enjoying herself, and now this man had come along and spoilt it. She withdrew further into the safety of Bill’s arms.

  But it was as if Arthur knew that he needed to take things quietly and slowly, so as not to frighten the child. So he ignored her and focused his attention on Bill. ‘Have you had the wireless on, Bill? Churchill’s calling an election in a couple of weeks.’

  ‘Aye, and I’ll be first there to put me cross on to get this lot out,’ Bill answered. ‘Not that they stand a snowball’s chance in hell of getting in.’

  Eileen was halfway through telling Vera about Harry’s new job when she heard what Bill said. ‘What d’yer mean, they won’t get in? It was through Churchill we won the war!’

  ‘Oh, was it?’ Bill’s voice rose, making Carol look up at him with apprehension. ‘I thought it was the men out there fighting that won the war?’ Bill heard Carol whimper, and lowered his voice as he cradled her. ‘Don’t be frightened, sweetheart, Uncle Bill’s only playing.’

  But the look of anger on Bill’s face belied his words. When he spoke, his voice was low but filled with bitterness. ‘The ones dodging the bullets and bombs, and watching their mates being blown to pieces, they won the war.’

  ‘Hitler, started the war, Bill, not Churchill!’ Eileen twisted round in her chair. ‘Would you ’ave sat back and let ’im walk through all the countries in Europe, an’ not do anythin’ about it? The man was a raving lunatic who wanted to rule the whole world! If we hadn’t stopped ’im, he’d ’ave been over ’ere, an’ where would we ’ave been then?’

  Vera’s eyes were moving from one to the other, as though watching a game of tennis. She gave a nervous smile when she caught Arthur watching her, and he winked as though to say, don’t worry, they won’t come to blows.

  ‘I know we had to stop Hitler, and I’m not suggesting we should have sat back and done nothing,’ Bill said. ‘But there’s a world of difference between sitting round a table in an underground bunker giving orders, and being the ones to carry those orders out! A lot of young men were killed fighting for freedom, and those that have been lucky enough to come back won’t forget it. They’ll want a better life for themselves and their families.’

  ‘Bill’s right, Eileen,’ Arthur was nodding agreement. ‘The men that have come back will expect more than they had when they went away. That means a fair living wage and better working conditions.’

  ‘You’ve hit the nail on the head, Arthur,’ Bill said. ‘Otherwise, what’s it all been for?’

  The subject was dropped when the two girls came in from school, and the tension eased with Eileen’s loud gasp at the sight of Edna as she stood inside the door with one leg of her navy blue knickers hanging loose around her knee. ‘Oh, my God, will yez look at the state of ’er! Talk about gettin’ yer knickers in a twist isn’t in it!’

  With all eyes on her, Edna became indignant. ‘It’s not my fault the elastic broke, is it?’

  ‘No, sweetheart, it isn’t,’ Eileen sighed, ‘but I don’t suppose yer thought of borrowing a safety pin, did yer?’

  Her thin nostrils flared, Edna flounced out. ‘I’m goin’ to change them.’

  ‘Yer’d ’ave a job! Yer Nan’s washed all yer knickers, an’ they’re not dried yet.’ But Eileen was talking to fresh air. Edna was already up the stairs. ‘Go up and get her knickers,’ Eileen jerked her head at Joan, who hadn’t so far opened her mouth. ‘I’ll put a knot in the elastic an’ they’ll do ’er to play out.’

  Eileen tutted at Vera, ‘Kids … who’d ’ave ’em?’ She turned her gaze to Carol, who had now decided that Arthur was no threat and was playing with the buttons on his demob suit. ‘Got yerself a clic
k, there, Arthur!’

  ‘Looks like it, doesn’t it?’ Arthur lifted a tiny hand and pressed it to his lips. ‘She’s a little love.’

  Eileen stood on the step and watched Vera and Arthur walk down the street, each of them holding one of Carol’s hands. Every so often they would swing her off the ground, and Eileen found herself smiling at the child’s infectious laughter.

  Long after they had disappeared round the corner, Eileen’s thoughts were still on them. Two nice people who’d married the wrong partners.

  With Vera being there, Eileen hadn’t had a chance to ask Arthur how things were on the home front. But in her own mind she couldn’t see much chance of their marriage surviving. Even if by some miracle Sylvia changed, Arthur surely wouldn’t want to stay with a wife who’d been with God knows how many men. He might try to make a go of it for the sake of the kids, but what sort of a life was that for him?

  Eileen sighed. It was such a pity, ’cos he was a smashing bloke. And now he’d filled out and lost that haunted look, he was a handsome man. He’d recovered quicker than Bill was doing, but then he hadn’t been in such a bad state as Bill.

  ‘Are we not having any tea tonight?’ Maggie had come up behind Eileen causing her to jump.

  ‘Mam, yer frightened the livin’ daylights out of me!’ Eileen put a hand over her heart which was thumping like mad. ‘An’ where the ’ell did yer disappear to?’

  ‘I went out to tidy up the entry and got talking to Cissie Maddox. Did you know her husband came home yesterday?’

  Eileen pushed past her mother. ‘The kids told me. I get all the jangle from them. They know more what’s going on than I do!’ A sly grin was on Eileen’s face when she turned her head round. ‘I even know that Cissie bought herself new underclothes for the occasion.’

  Maggie clicked her tongue. ‘Like mother, like daughters!’

  ‘I must be the exception to the rule, then, mustn’t I, Mam? Or do I take after you?’

  ‘Not on your life, you don’t!’ Maggie huffed. ‘I’ll swear to this day that the hospital mixed the babies up and I got the wrong one!’