‘I shall not be sorry to sit down and put me feet up now.’
‘Long day, Cat?’ Reggie asked, wiping his hands on his apron.
‘Yes, and I feel quite tired tonight. Still, ’tis Saturday tomorrow and God willin’ I can take a break.’
Reggie fished about beneath his bench and brought out a package wrapped in brown paper tied with string. ‘Glad you called, Cat. This is for you.’
Cat knew it would be a parcel of meat, plus bones for Tipper. ‘Oh, Reggie, ye shouldn’t.’
‘Come on now, Cat,’ he laughed, ‘we can’t have these bits going to waste now, can we?’ He winked at her and she went to him and kissed his cheek.
‘Thanks, Reggie. How’re Maureen and the children?’
‘Fine, thanks. Really fine.’
‘Why not come to tea on Sunday? ’Twould be lovely to see ye all.’
‘Done!’ Reggie said without hesitation. ‘I’ll bring some nice ham with me, so don’t go out buying any.’
‘Aw, there’s no stoppin’ ye Reggie, is there?’
Cat left the shop stuffing the parcel into her shopping bag. She would write a letter to Lize and get one of the girls to pop it round to her shop; maybe she would join them too.
She knew it was pointless inviting her mother-in-law as she never left the flat above the shop now. She had not visited once since Louis had died. The children would often call to see her on a Sunday after mass, but Cat did not go as she knew she would not be welcome. Over the years Cat had given up trying to be accepted.
She stood at the end of Westmount Road and looked at the long route ahead. For the first time Cat felt it was too far and she was tired. If Louis had lived, she thought, as she began the long trek, he would probably be meeting her on his motor bike.
Ah, the motor bike, she thought. What fun they’d had on it, short-lived though it was. She had sold it to the man next door after Louis died; but each day she saw him arrive home on it, she experienced a bitter-sweet reminder of not just the motor bike, but of longing for the man who once rode it.
Tipper greeted Cat when she arrived home though his movements were now very much slower. His tail still wagged, but Cat noticed he was lethargic these days. He slept almost constantly and she was worried there was something wrong with him. She undid the parcel Reggie had given her and found a nice marrow bone in it, about a pound of bacon and some lamb chops. Reggie had done her proud again.
‘Here ye are, my lovely old friend,’ she said, placing the bone on the hearth for him. Wagging his tail, Tipper walked over and slumped down in front of it. He licked it all over and then began gnawing at it with relish. ‘That’s more like it isn’t it?’ Cat said to him. Happy that he seemed to be enjoying the bone, she went into the kitchen and put the kettle on.
Eileen was still out with Elizabeth and there was no sign of Billy, so Cat made herself a cup of tea and decided to take a nap before starting to cook the sausages.
She was awoken by Eileen shouting, ‘Oh you naughty dog.’
‘What in the world’s goin’ on?’ Cat said struggling to clear her head.
‘It’s Tipper, Mummy. I came in to find him eating the sausages you bought for our tea.’
‘Oh no! He must have pulled them off the drainin’ board, I didn’t think he’d do a thin’ like that anymore. Tipper!’ Cat shouted at him, ‘Ye naughty dog.’
Tipper slunk out to the kitchen, tail between his legs and cowered by the back door.
‘Aw, look at him. How can I tell him off?’ Cat asked. She patted her thigh calling to him, ‘C’mere boy.’ Tipper looked uncertain at first, then ventured slowly over to Cat and sat before her, ears back and not looking up.
‘Well I don’t know how you can forgive him so quickly, Mummy,’ Eileen snapped.
Elizabeth, copying Eileen’s tone of voice joined in.
‘You are a very naughty dog, Tipper!’
‘He doesn’t know any different, do ye, Tipper?’ Cat chuckled. ‘Anyway, as it happens, I have some eggs in the pantry and Reggie gave me some bacon, which I don’t think Tipper has touched, so we’ll just have egg and bacon.’
Cat looked at Eileen and Elizabeth. ‘C’mon now, look lively and set the table, ’tis not the end of the world.’
* * *
The next day Cat lay awake wondering if perhaps one of the girls would bring her breakfast in bed. She felt worn out and just for once wanted to lie there and be waited on.
As though she had read Cat’s mind, Anna popped her head around the door at that moment and saw Cat was awake.
‘Mummy, how would you like me to bring you breakfast before I go to work?’
‘Lord save us, I was just prayin’ someone would come and offer me breakfast in bed today, I’m so tired. Thanks, Pet. That would be grand. I’ll have a piece of bacon and some tomatoes with a fried egg. Oh and some toast to dip in the egg too.’
Anna nodded, smiled, and closed the door as Cat snuggled down beneath the blankets, relishing her first lie-in for ages. Oh it was so nice now the children were getting bigger, she thought. Maybe I can stop worrying so much and depend on them more.
Eileen was not working that day, so perhaps she could help with the cooking and cleaning. She needed to do some baking if the family were coming to tea the next day.
By the time Anna shuffled in with the breakfast tray, Cat had dozed off again. She was woken by Anna calling her.
‘Come on Mummy, sit up. Did you go back to sleep?’
‘Yes, I did and I can’t remember when I had that privilege, Anna. Thanks, Pet,’ she said as Anna put the tray on her lap. ‘Sit here and talk to me. Have ye had yer breakfast yet?’
‘No, it’s on the table waiting.’
‘Well why don’t ye bring it in here and we’ll have a picnic together.’
Anna grinned and went out to the kitchen to get her breakfast just as the post arrived, so she picked up the letters and took them with her breakfast tray into Cat.
‘Post’s arrived, Mummy,’ she said and dropped the letters onto the bed.
‘Ah let’s eat first, whatever it is can wait.’
They sat on the bed and between mouthfuls Anna told Cat about her visit to Laura’s the evening before. She told Cat in detail about Laura’s older brother who was all dressed up in black shirt and trousers, going out to a meeting. There were lots of other men there all in black too.
‘Black eh?’ Cat questioned. ‘And who in God’s name goes out all in black unless ’tis to a funeral?’
‘Well he belongs to a special group and they all wear black to their meetings. Laura says she’s going to the next one and asked me along too.’
‘We’ll see, but I’m tellin’ ye Anna, we won’t go wastin’ money on black anythin’.
Anna looked downcast, and then remembered the other letter which she handed to Cat.
Cat finished her breakfast then opened the letter. Slowly a smile spread across her face. Suddenly she let out a loud ‘ YES!’
Alarmed, Anna asked her what it was and Cat passed the letter to her which she read. Awestruck, Anna looked at her mother after reading it.
‘Does this mean what I think it means?’
‘It surely does, Anna. We are being re-located to a proper house at last.’
‘But Mummy, this is a proper house and I want to stay here.’
‘Ye’ll think differently when ye get into the new house, Anna. Just think of it now, no more damp and no more mould growin’ up the walls; a proper brick house. By God, won’t we be laughin’? C’mon now we’ll go and tell the others, then I’ll go shoppin’ ‘cos we’ve Reggie, Maureen and the children comin’ tomorrow and I want ye to slip round on yer way to work to take a note to ask yer Auntie Lize too.’
‘Oh,’ Anna said in a flat tone.
‘Anna, why is it whenever I say they’re comin’ here, ye start with that tone of voice?’
‘I don’t know, Mummy. I just feel creepy when I know they are coming.’
‘Well, maybe y
e’ve a touch of the green-eyed monster about ye. So snap out of it - and the quicker the better!’
72
Eltham
1936
Cat looked around the room that had been her home for so many years: remembering how she had first acquired the wooden home which was no more than a log hut, and the time she had spent there first with her sister Ellie, then Louis and the children.
Then Ellie had gone to America with Michael Nagle and she had not seen her for years. Sure, they kept in touch by letter and she was thrilled when she heard they had called their little girl Catherine after her, but the years had passed so quickly and though Ellie was still important to her, Cat had to admit that her own family had now taken centre stage in her day-to-day focus.
She smiled as she remembered the tricks they had played on Michael, pretending there was a dinner on his plate when it was totally empty. How they had laughed, feeling they had nearly convinced the poor man they were mad.
Michael had been a good match for Ellie, but her letters of late had worried Cat. She told of Michael’s drinking and constantly losing his job because he was too drunk to go to work. Reading through the lines, Cat wondered if they would ever return from America; Ellie had certainly hinted that she would if she had the money for the passage. She could not help her, though she would dearly love to, because every penny she earned was spoken for.
Cat sighed as she put the last of the crockery and cooking pans into a tea chest. Billy was away in London at the hospital training school so would not be there to help. How glad she was that at least one of them would be ‘making it’ in the world. He was advancing quickly to fulfil his dream of becoming a doctor and Cat was so proud of this she could burst. She had a job not to keep slipping it into her conversation at the slightest opportunity, because Eileen had made it clear to her that she was sounding very boastful, and this was frowned upon by the church.
Eileen worked in a shoe shop in the High Street near Reggie’s butcher’s shop, and Anna had a job in an office above an electrical engineering works. She helped to make up the men’s wages and was learning how to enter the accounts as well as general filing. On Tuesday evenings she went to night school to learn typing and was picking it up well, though it was not her first choice. But as Cat often told her, she was lucky to have a job at all so she had better be satisfied with not liking it.
Mr. Pierce next door had offered to help Cat with the move and she had accepted because she would not let the girls stay off work and lose money. Mr. Pierce was retired and glad to have something useful to do.
Cat would miss Mr. and Mrs. Pierce; they had been good neighbours and had helped her through her loss of Louis years ago. She would of course no longer hear Mr. Pierce riding around on Louis’ motorbike, but maybe that was a good thing because it never ceased to stir memories that evoked sadness.
‘When ye leave work tonight,’ she had told Eileen and Anna, ‘make yer way to Alwold Crescent. Number fifty one. I’ll be there. Now off ye go so’s ye’re not late into work and get yer money stopped.’
The girls had said goodbye and waved as they trotted down the road. Both of them turned and looked back at their home, sighed, and continued on their way.
‘Well, that’s that then,’ Anna said resignedly, ‘we won’t be going home to that house ever again.’
‘No,’ Eileen said.
‘Are you sorry or glad?’
‘A bit of both I suppose. It won’t make much difference; we’ll still have a jolly long walk to work every day.’
‘Yes, but I’m excited about having a new place to live, aren’t you?’
‘Suppose so.’ Eileen sounded uninterested. ‘So which of us is Elizabeth sharing with?’
‘I don’t mind. If she wants to share with you it’s fine by me but if she wants to share with me, then that’s fine too.’ Anna was not going to get into an argument about this. ‘When Billy comes home, we’ll all have to share I suppose.’
Eileen shrugged. ‘He won’t be back for a while, so we can count him out.’
‘Maybe,’ she said, and then added, ‘I miss him. Do you?’
‘No, not really. I don’t miss his bossiness and lazy attitude, just because he’s a boy and doesn’t do the housework. I’m telling you that if ever I have a boy he’ll do the whole lot.’
Anna laughed. She could not imagine Eileen having a baby, or herself for that matter. She decided to change the subject as they continued walking. ‘I’m going to Laura Kennedy’s on Friday night.’
‘What, more black shirt meetings?’ Eileen sounded annoyed.
‘You could come too if you wanted,’ Anna offered.
‘No thank you, I have better things to do.’
‘Oh. What’s that?’
‘Never you mind.’
‘Come on tell me.’
‘No.’
‘Please yourself.’
‘Anyway Mummy doesn’t like you getting involved with Laura’s crowd, she thinks it has sinister overtones, and I agree with her.’
‘What sinister overtones?’ Anna sounded surprised.
‘Ask her yourself.’
‘I will.’
They walked in silence the rest of the way to the High Street where they normally parted company. Anna paused before continuing in the direction of her work.
‘Eileen, you can come Friday night if you want.’
‘I’ll see if I’m busy or not.’
Anna knew then that she did not have anything better to do and was merely covering up the fact that nobody ever asked her to join them. She wondered why.
Anna accepted that Eileen could be rather sharp-tongued, but she knew of other girls with equally scathing ways who didn’t seem to go short of invites. Perhaps, she thought, it was because Eileen was inclined to be quarrelsome and wasn’t much fun to be with. She is rather dull and boring Anna decided, crossing the High Street.
She then made her way jauntily down the other side of the road as Eileen entered the shoe shop where she worked. Maybe handling feet all day is what made her so sour, thought Anna.
As soon as she arrived in the office, Anna asked her boss Mr. Catherall if he would like a cup of tea. They had fallen into this ritual right from the beginning of her employment and it seemed to cement their relationship. Anna thought he was a nice old gentleman and often daydreamed that he was her father and she was doing things for him because of that.
Mr. Catherall never stood too close, or breathed on her neck or touched her when he should not, and slowly she came to trust his company.
Before that, she cringed when a man came within her arm’s length of her and froze if one as much as brushed against her accidentally.
Mr. Catherall was safe Anna had decided. Other men were not.
73
St. Mary’s Convent, Eltham
April, 1937
Cat tidied the kitchen in the convent and was about to put a newspaper into the corner to be used for lighting the boiler when a headline caught her eye. She picked up the newspaper but it was in French and she had no idea what it said, other than the fact the Pope’s name was mentioned.
She scrutinised the article trying to make sense of the words:
L’Oest-Éclair 22 Mars 1937
Le Nouveau Kulturkampf
Energique prostestation du Pape contre la persecution des catholiques en Allemagne…
It was hopeless! She couldn’t read it; but it alarmed her. Were Catholics being persecuted somewhere in the world and the Pope had heard about it? Or was the Pope in danger of persecution?
And what in the name of God’s was Allemagne? She folded the paper and thought for a moment. Mother Superior may be able to read it she decided, so took off her apron, smoothed down her skirt and headed for her office.
Cat tapped gently on the door and when she heard Mother Superior call for her to enter she opened the door and went inside.
‘Good mornin’ Mother, I’m sorry to disturb ye, but I happened to see this newspaper in the
kitchen and wonder if ye can make sense of it for me?’
‘Ah, I see you’ve picked up Sister Cecile’s paper from France. Bring it here and we’ll see.’
Mother Superior took the paper from Cat and stared at the headline, then folded the paper and laid it on the desk.
‘I can’t tell you word for word what it says Cat, but I do know what it’s about as I was discussing this today with Sister Cecile. As you know she’s French and her relations send the paper over here regularly.’
‘Well, is the Pope in trouble, Mother?’
Mother Superior smiled, ‘No. No, Cat. It’s about an important message he sent out in his summer encyclical to all churches of the Reich encouraging the faithful to resist violating the 1933 concordat in the Catholic churches of Germany.’
‘So what does it mean exactly?’
‘It’s a reminder to have faith in God, in Jesus Christ and the Church, and to remember Christian morals. He implores divine forgiveness for all those that are persecuting and said that it went against the preachings of Christ.’
‘Is this about what’s happenin’ to Jews and the like over there?’
‘Yes, it is Cat.’
‘So that’s all ’tis about then?’
‘More or less, but he did end by saying, if I can remember Sister Cecile’s translation, that St. Peter prays for them and all who suffer for their faith, in prisons and concentration camps, and asks Catholics everywhere to resist physical force.’
Mother Superior looked at Cat. ‘Does that help to explain the article, Cat?’
‘Sure, in a way it does, Mother.’
‘You sound doubtful, Cat. What’s going through that mind of yours?’
Cat laughed, ‘Ye know me too well.’
‘So, Cat. Come on tell me what’s worrying you.’
‘Well, Mother. I’m hearin’ certain talk that’s makin’ me uneasy. I hear folk sayin’ the likes of people in Germany, and over there generally, are bein’ tipped out of their houses and businesses and that in some towns, Jews are bein’ made to scrub the streets. Now why in God’s name would anyone want to make them do that?’
‘I think you are right to be concerned, Cat. I don’t like what I’m hearing either and I deplore people who get so swept up in, well whatever you like to call it, politics, power, greed, or wanting something someone else has, that they have to torment the life out of others. I fear for us all, there are movements going on even in this country that I just don’t agree with. It causes disharmony, brain-washes people into thinking they are part of some super-race that sets them apart from the ordinary folk.’
Under the July Sun Page 29