‘You can’t say that, love,’ said Nancy. ‘You’ve been looking forward to it for so long, and you’re such a clever lass. Your mum and dad want you to go and have the chance that they never had; that’s what Lilian says. Or do you mean you’ll put it off for a while?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Janice. ‘Maybe, maybe not. I’ll get in touch with them in Leeds when we’ve found out how Mum’s going on. But it’s out of the question for me to go right now. They can give my place to someone else.’
Nancy and Olive looked at one another in consternation. Nancy shook her head. ‘I don’t know. Maybe we can manage this week, seems like we’ll have to. We can’t tell all the visitors to go home.’ But at the back of her mind was the dreadful thought that if the worst came to the worst they might have to do that. She hurriedly pushed that thought away. ‘But what about the rest of the season? We’ll need somebody to be in charge of the cooking. I know you mean well and that you’ll do your best, Janice, and so will Olive and me. And then there’s Freda, of course. But we’ve not got the same experience as your mum, have we?’
‘Let’s not look too far ahead,’ said Janice. ‘Mum might be as right as rain soon, although I think she is due for a rest, whatever it is that is making her ill. We could advertise in the paper to say that we need a qualified chef. There are always people looking for a job in a place like Blackpool.’
‘Your mum’s not got any proper qualifications, but she’s as good as any of those top chefs,’ said Olive. ‘You learn by experience when all’s said and done. But that’s not a bad idea, Janice, to advertise for somebody.’
‘Let’s just wait and see,’ said Janice. ‘I wish Dad would hurry up and ring. This waiting is awful. You two should go home, your families will be wondering where you are. I’ll let you know as soon as we hear anything.’
But the women refused to leave her on her own. ‘Let’s go and sit in the living room then,’ said Janice. ‘We’ll be more comfortable, and the kitchen’s as spick and span as Mum would want it to be.’
There was an oppressive silence as they waited. The three of them made a pretense of reading a magazine. There seemed to be nothing more to say. As soon as dusk began to fall Ian came dashing in. He stopped and stared at them.
‘What’s up? Where’s Mum … and Dad?’
‘I’m afraid Mum’s not well,’ Janice told him. ‘She had a very bad headache, and she’s had to go to hospital. Dad’s gone with her. Don’t worry, Ian. I’m sure she’ll be alright. You know what she’s like, never out of sorts for very long.’
‘Oh … that’s awful.’ Ian looked bewildered and rather frightened. ‘She’ll be coming home, though, won’t she, tonight?’
‘I should imagine she’ll have to stay in hospital overnight,’ said Janice gently. ‘That’s what usually happens. You go and take your mucky things off and have a wash and I’ll get you some supper.’ She smiled at him. ‘I’m glad you remembered to leave your muddy boots in the kitchen. Did you have a good game?’
Ian shrugged. ‘It was OK … Mum’s going to be alright, isn’t she?’
‘We hope so, love. We’re just waiting for Dad to phone.’
When Ian came downstairs again, scrubbed clean and dressed in his pyjamas, Janice was talking on the phone in the hall. She looked serious as she motioned to him to go into the living room.
‘That must be your dad ringing from the hospital,’ said Nancy. ‘See, your sister’s made you some nice hot chocolate, and there’s a couple of your favourite chocolate biscuits. Try not to get upset, love,’ she said, seeing Ian’s troubled face and the threatening tears, which he was trying to fight. Boys, especially footballers, didn’t cry. ‘We’ll find out what’s happening in a minute or two. And you know what a strong person your mum is. She doesn’t let anything get her down.’
Ian nodded, sipping at the comforting hot drink and quickly demolishing his biscuits, despite his concern.
Janice reappeared in a few moments. ‘Mum has to have an operation, straight away,’ she said, ‘to find out what is wrong. She’s had an X-ray, and there’s something there that isn’t … quite right. I suppose that it might be—’ She stopped, unable to say the words in front of Ian, although he might not know what it meant.
‘You mean … a brain tumour?’ Nancy mouthed silently. Both the women looked shocked.
‘What?’ asked Ian. ‘What’s up with Mum?’
‘Something like a lump, sort of, that’s causing the headaches,’ replied Janice, ‘and they’re trying to find out what it is. Dad’s staying at the hospital tonight. They’ve been very kind and helpful, and I have every confidence in the doctors and nurses there. Victoria Hospital has a very good reputation … You go home now,’ she said to Nancy and Olive. ‘There’s nothing we can do but wait. Thank you so much for staying with me. You’ve been a great help.’
‘And we’ll be back at the crack of dawn to help with the breakfasts,’ said Olive. ‘We’ll come a bit earlier; won’t we, Nancy?’
Her friend nodded in agreement. ‘And try to get some sleep,’ said Nancy. ‘Take a couple of aspirins; they’re as good as anything. And don’t worry; we’ll get though somehow, between us.’
‘Aye, we’ll take a day at a time,’ added Olive. ‘Your mum’s planned the menus for the week, like she always does, so we’ll get through if we all pull together, and happen a little bit of help from Him up there.’ She glanced heavenwards, and Janice nodded.
Maybe she didn’t go to church as often as she ought to – she knew that Olive went whenever she could – but Janice did believe in a greater power somewhere, and now was the time to ask for help. The two women hugged her and told her to ‘keep her pecker up’.
Ian went up to bed after they had gone, saying that he would read for a while. Janice didn’t tell him not to read for too long. He had to cope with the waiting time the best way he could. She went into the lounge to tell the visitors there what was happening. She insisted that they should have their supper time drinks as usual, and two ladies offered at once to help her.
Thank God for the dishwasher, she thought, as she stacked the cups and saucers. When she went up to bed she looked in at Ian, and he was fast asleep. And she too, despite her worries, slept until the alarm clock woke her at six o’clock.
By the time she had washed and dressed and gone into the kitchen, Nancy and Olive had arrived. Janice had to tell them that there was no news yet. ‘But what do they always say? No news is good news. I don’t really go along with clichés, but surely we would know by now if there was anything … really wrong?’
Nancy nodded. ‘That’s true. Come on then, Olive,’ she said briskly. ‘Let’s get those tables set, then we can make a start on preparing the breakfasts. What about scrambled eggs this morning instead of fried? It’ll be easier, and a nice change as well.’
‘Just what I was thinking,’ said Janice, ‘and there’s a huge tin of tomatoes; Mum uses them sometimes instead of fresh ones.’
‘And we mustn’t forget to warm the plates,’ said Olive. ‘Lilian’s very keen on that, there’s nothing worse than breakfast on a cold plate.’
They said very little as they set about their tasks. Alec returned from the hospital at about seven thirty. He gave a weak smile, but at least he was smiling, as he hugged Janice, so she guessed that the news was perhaps not so bad.
‘Your mum’s had an operation,’ he said. ‘They’re very cagey, they don’t divulge too much, you know, but the doctor says they’ve managed to remove … whatever it was that was causing the pain and, from what I can gather, they’re hopeful that they’ve caught it in time.’
‘Oh … thank God for that,’ breathed Janice. ‘So she’s going to be alright?’
‘We hope so,’ replied Alec. ‘She hasn’t come round yet, but they urged me to come home and get some rest. We can go and see her later today. Now … how’s the work going on? You seem to be coping well, and I know that Lilian will be relieved at that. Although she has other things to thin
k about at the moment, and I don’t want her to worry about anything.’
‘We’ll manage, Dad,’ said Janice. ‘Freda’s a very good cook herself, though Mum does most of it, and I’m sure she’ll agree to take charge.’
‘And what about your university place?’ he asked. ‘Are you still of the same mind? Your mum will he so disappointed, and she’ll feel it’s her fault if you don’t go.’
‘I can’t go, Dad, and that’s definite, at least … not yet.’ Probably not ever, she told herself.
‘OK, love. I understand,’ he said. ‘You may feel differently about it in a little while.’
They coped as well as they could with the breakfasts. Janice told the guests that her mother had undergone an operation and was doing well. They had known Lilian for only a few days but they were clearly relieved to hear the news. Her pleasant personality and friendliness always impressed the visitors.
When breakfast was over, Janice rang the university office telling them not to expect her as there had been a family emergency, and that she might apply again next year.
Freda Jackson, the middle-aged woman who helped Lilian with the meals, agreed readily to do whatever she could, although insisting, ‘I’m not as good as your mother.’
‘We’ll have to pay her more,’ Janice said to her father when he had rested for an hour or two. ‘Can we afford it? And if we have to employ someone else that will be an added expense. I don’t know much about the financial side of things, you see.’
‘No, your mother sees to all that,’ said Alec. ‘The hotel is her business, but I do know that it’s doing well and we’ve got a tidy sum in the bank. So we’ll just have to go ahead and never mind the expense. It’s a joint account – your mum insisted on that even though she’s the one in charge – so there’s no problem with the bank. But I’ve never dealt with the money side of things. Do you think – as you insist that you’re not going off to college – that you could deal with it? Until your mother’s well again, I mean?’
Janice was a little taken aback. She was realizing just how much her mother had been doing, and what a strain it must have been although she had not complained. ‘I’ll try, Dad,’ she answered. ‘I’m not much of a mathematician – English is my subject. But yes, I’ll have a go … Now, when can we go and see Mum?’
‘Early afternoon,’ said Alec. ‘She should be recovering nicely by then. I’m not going in to work today, and I’ve let them know what has happened. I had a devil of a job to persuade Ian to go to school, but he’s far better there, especially as he’s not been long at the Grammar. It’ll occupy his mind as he’s so worried about your mum.’
Janice looked at the menu that her mother had prepared for Tuesday’s evening meal. A starter of grapefruit segments, followed by cottage pie with peas and carrots, and apple pie and fresh cream as the dessert. Well, that should not be too difficult. The minced beef would need to be taken out of the freezing cabinet immediately to defrost. The peas and carrots, also, were frozen ones – Bird’s Eye did a very good line in vegetables. So there would be only the potatoes to wash, boil and mash and the gravy to be made.
Apple pie … Janice knew that her mother would have been busy that morning making pastry and stewing apples to make several large plate pies. There was, however, a very good bakery not far away that sold their own produce made on the premises. She would go there right away and buy enough fruit tarts – not necessarily apple ones – for the visitors’ dessert. And there was always a supply of fresh cream in the fridge.
After they had eaten a snack lunch Janice and her father took a bus to the hospital on the outskirts of the town. After a long walk through endless corridors they found Lilian’s ward, and a nurse took them to the single room where she had been since the operation.
‘She needs to be on her own to aid her recovery,’ the nurse told them. ‘We are satisfied with her progress, but please don’t stay too long. She will get tired very easily.’
Lilian’s eyes were closed when they entered the room. She was propped up against the pillows, and Janice had to choke back a sob as she looked at her. Her head was bandaged and her hair had been shaved off on one side. All the colour had drained away from her face, and at a first glance she looked ten years older.
‘Mum,’ said Janice quietly, and she opened her eyes. They lit up at the sight of her husband and daughter and she gave a weak smile. ‘Alec, Janice … How nice to see you. I wasn’t asleep, just resting, as I’m doing most of the time.’
They gently kissed her cheek then sat down on the chairs at the side of the bed.
‘How are you feeling, love?’ asked Alec. ‘You gave us all a scare, but you’re going to be OK. The doctor says you’re doing well.’ It was a slight exaggeration, but it was best to be positive.
Lilian nodded. ‘I feel all woozy, as though I’m not quite here, but the awful pain has gone. They haven’t told me much, though, about what it was … I must look a bonny sight.’ She tried to smile as she touched her bandaged head. Her voice was weak, the anaesthetic and the drugs to ease the pain were affecting her speech.
‘Where is Ian?’ she asked vaguely.
‘At school, Mum,’ said Janice. ‘He sends his love, and he’ll be able to come and see you, one evening, maybe.’
‘Oh yes, of course … school,’ said Lilian. ‘I was forgetting.’
‘And we’re managing alright at the hotel,’ said Janice. ‘Olive and Nancy are helping all they can, and Freda’s taking charge of the meals, so you don’t need to worry about anything.’
Lilian nodded. It was becoming obvious that she was really too poorly to worry about what was going on at home, which was very unlike her usual self.
‘And Janice is working her socks off an’ all,’ said Alec, ‘so there’s nothing for you to think about except getting better.’
‘Good girl,’ whispered Lilian. She didn’t ask about her daughter going to university. It must have gone from her mind along with all the other matters about which she would normally have been concerned.
They observed the nurse’s advice and did not stay too long. Lilian’s eyes kept closing and they knew she must have all the rest she needed. It was less than twenty-four hours since she had had the operation.
‘We’ll see you again soon,’ promised Janice. ‘You’ll soon be alright and back home again with us.’ She did not tell her not to worry about the hotel. It was clear to them that Lilian was not worrying about anything, and that was a great relief. Janice tactfully withdrew to let her father have a few minutes alone with his wife. They were truly devoted to one another after more than twenty years of marriage.
It occurred to Janice when they arrived home that she had not yet contacted Phil to tell him what had happened. She had not forgotten about it; it was something that she really did not want to do. She was sad at the thought that she would not be seeing him again, at least not yet … if ever? She had been looking forward to meeting up with him again, and he had assured her that he was eager to continue their friendship. But who could tell what would happen now? Her mother was her first consideration and, after that, the job of keeping the hotel running.
Freda Jackson arrived almost as soon as they had returned from the hospital. She was a competent, no-nonsense sort of person, not given to chatting overmuch or wasting a minute. She donned her apron, ready to start work at once after she had enquired about Lilian.
‘We’ll do our best to keep the ship afloat for your mum,’ she said. ‘Cottage pie today, eh? Well, that shouldn’t be much of a problem. You go and ring your young man, and I’ll get these spuds peeled.’
It was Phil who answered the phone. ‘Hi there, Janice. I thought – well, I hoped – that it might be you. So you’re all ready for the off, are you? Only a few more days and you’ll be here, well, in Leeds at any rate.’
She interrupted him. ‘Phil, I’m afraid I won’t be coming. Mum’s in hospital …’ She explained what had happened, about the emergency operation and how she felt she must s
tay and help to keep things running at the hotel. ‘It would be out of the question for me to start my course, Phil. Dad tried to persuade me otherwise, but I think he realizes now that it’s what I must do. I’m really sorry, though, that I won’t be able to come and see you …’
‘Yes, so am I,’ Phil replied. ‘What a dreadful shock for you all – and your poor mum! I’m so sorry. Do give her my love; I think she is a lovely lady and she was so nice and friendly to me.’
‘Yes, she really took to you, Phil. I’m so sorry and disappointed about … everything.’ It was dawning on her now that she might not see Phil again, that it might be the end of what had started as a promising friendship, maybe even more …
‘I know you can’t come to Leeds, and that’s a shame,’ said Phil. ‘But there’s nothing to stop me coming to see you, is there? That is, if you can find room for me? If not, then I can stay somewhere nearby. I must see you again, Janice. I’ve told my mum and dad all about you, and they’ve been looking forward to meeting you. I know that might not be possible just yet … but I can come and see you, can’t I?’
‘Yes, of course you can, Phil!’ She felt a sudden spurt of happiness. What a comfort it would be to see him again. ‘Aren’t you busy, though, working with your father? You said he’d be glad to share the workload when you returned. But I’d love to see you.’
‘We’re not all that busy. It isn’t like your place, you know. We’re very rarely fully booked. We have people coming just for a couple of nights or for the weekend. Our busiest trade is with the bar and the restaurant, and my dad’s got plenty of help without me. I know what he said about me taking my share of the work, but I sometimes feel like a spare part; they’ve managed so long without me. I’ll have a word with my dad. I’m sure he’ll agree to me coming to Blackpool.’
‘That would be great, Phil. We’re fully booked this week, then it slackens off a bit. We’ll be able to find you a corner somewhere, no problem at all … I’d better go now. I’ve left Freda on her own, and there’s the evening meal to organize. So I’ll see you again soon, Phil. ‘Bye for now …’
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