Echoes of Yesterday

by Mary Jane Staples

  ‘Well, you know, Rachel, me likin’ for you was on a par with me respect,’ said Sammy. ‘There’s some girls a bloke always respects, girls that have got warm hearts and nice ways, and I was brought up to be very respectful of same. Tommy and Boots and yours truly have all got highly personal respect and regard for you, Rachel, as an old and valued friend of the fam’ly and a married female woman of tender reputation.’

  ‘Tender, Sammy, tender?’

  ‘Tender it is, Rachel, if I might say so. But I won’t mention your remarkable good looks owing to me own reputation as a married man, which prevents me from makin’ comments of an intimate kind.’

  ‘How intimate, Sammy?’ asked Rachel.

  ‘That’s all, I’ve said me piece, Rachel.’

  ‘And what a piece, Sammy, a lovely speech,’ said Rachel, warm voice purring. ‘Sit down and I’ll make some tea.’

  ‘Due to me limited time—’

  ‘Blow your limited time,’ said Rachel. ‘Blimey, I should let you push off after all that? On goes the kettle.’ Rachel disappeared with a whisper of silk, but was back with a tray and tea things in very quick time. She poured. ‘One lump, I think,’ she said, and dropped a single cube of sugar into his tea before handing the cup and saucer to him.

  ‘One lump, right,’ smiled Sammy. ‘Nice that you remember.’

  ‘Sammy, always there are some things women never forget. Wait a moment, you haven’t said why you’re here. Or did you just drop in to get an eyeful of my remarkable self?’

  ‘I dropped in to deliver the parcels, Rachel, on account of Rebecca’s birthday tomorrow.’

  Rachel’s smile was very warm. There were some things Sammy didn’t forget, either, including the birthdays of her girls. It was Rebecca’s tomorrow.

  ‘But three parcels, Sammy?’ she said.

  ‘Two for Rebecca,’ said Sammy. ‘A teddy bear and a set of Beatrix Potter books. The other’s for Leah, a china doll dressed as Red Hiding Hood.’

  ‘Sammy, you love.’ He always did that, he bought presents for both of her daughters on each of their birthdays so that neither should feel left out. It was something he did for her girls alone. Rachel thought it was because he remembered, as she did, what a close and happy friendship she and he had shared when they were young. ‘I’ll see that they write and thank you. Beccy will love her teddy bear.’

  ‘Well, you’ve got a sweet first-born, Rachel, and a cuddly second-born,’ said Sammy. ‘And Boots, by the way, has got an addition.’

  ‘Come again, Sammy?’

  ‘A new daughter,’ said Sammy.

  ‘D’you mean Emily’s presented him with a baby girl?’ asked Rachel. ‘I didn’t even know she was expecting. My life, such expecting was unexpected after all this time, wasn’t it?’

  ‘Have to point out, Rachel me old love, that it wasn’t quite like that,’ said Sammy, and recounted details of how Boots, just before the first battle of the Somme, fell off a horse or something and landed in the hay with a young French war widow. There wasn’t much Boots could do then except play the part of a gentleman. Rachel, agog, said she supposed that didn’t mean Boots got up, bowed and walked away. It so happens, said Sammy, that in France, once a bloke’s in the hay with a young French widow, the gentlemanly thing to do is roll with her, otherwise she takes umbrage. Rachel said oh, you know that, do you, Sammy? It’s what they call common knowing, said Sammy, and peculiar to France. And Boots, of course, was born a gent.

  ‘Boots was born to be obliging,’ said Rachel.

  ‘Same thing,’ said Sammy.

  ‘So he had an affair, did he?’ said Rachel, intrigued. ‘Bless the man, a pleasure for her, wasn’t it?’

  ‘I can’t confirm that,’ said Sammy. ‘Boots didn’t say and I wasn’t there meself. But I’ll give ’im the benefit of the doubt.’

  ‘So will I,’ said Rachel. ‘My word, why wasn’t I a young French war widow?’

  ‘You happened at the time to be roller-skatin’ with me,’ said Sammy. ‘Anyway, Boots unfortunately put the lady in the fam’ly way.’ He went on to explain the subsequent events and how Polly during a tour of Northern France discovered that Boots was the father of a French daughter. Rachel thought oh, help, Polly of all people, Polly who had spent years wanting Boots and never having him. Boots, said Sammy, was travelling to France tomorrow to see the girl, and taking Rosie with him. Chinese Lady, he said, had called a family conference about it yesterday, and the family had agreed that the girl was an Adams and that Boots should do his best to bring her back with him.

  ‘Well, of course,’ said Rachel, ‘with her mother dead, she belongs to Boots. My life, Sammy old dear, if I know Boots, he’ll want the girl in the family. But what about Emily, how does she feel about it?’

  ‘Well, you know Em’ly,’ said Sammy, ‘she’s her own woman, but she’s an Adams herself by holy wedlock, and she’ll go along with Boots. Slightly misfortunate the girl bein’ born out of wedlock.’ Sammy accepted a refill from the pot.

  ‘But it was wartime, Sammy, and for our soldiers it was here today and gone tomorrow,’ said Rachel. ‘If I’d been a French widow, I’d have gladly made myself a pleasure to Boots.’

  ‘Would you have, Rachel?’

  ‘And more gladly if it had been you, Sammy.’

  ‘I’m touched, Rachel, blessed if I’m not,’ said Sammy, ‘but what would have ’appened to me respect?’

  ‘Oh, we could have looked for it afterwards, in the hay,’ said Rachel. Sammy grinned. ‘What did Chinese Lady say about it all?’ asked Rachel.

  ‘Well, she handed out several earfuls to Boots, but she made the decision for everybody in the end,’ said Sammy. ‘“The girl’s an Adams,” she said to Boots, “so bring her home, but while you’re there don’t get up to any more of your French larks.”’

  Rachel laughed.

  ‘Your mother, Sammy, is a one and only,’ she said.

  ‘And I’ll be in my one and only business doghouse if I don’t get back to me office,’ said Sammy. ‘Wait a tick, though, I’ve got something for you.’ He drew a long brown envelope out of the inside pocket of his jacket. ‘Here we are, Rachel, all yours.’

  ‘What is it?’ asked Rachel, turning the envelope over.

  ‘A certificate namin’ you the certified owner of fifty shares in Adams Enterprises Ltd. Boots and me have given you twenty-five each from our holdings. It’s in appreciation of your friendship and the loan you once persuaded your dad to make to the firm in its early days. Boots spoke to me about giftin’ you self-unanimously, meaning he wanted to do all the honours himself, so I answered him back, and what’s in the envelope is the result of a confabulation. Oh, and you’re on the board as a director, along with Em’ly, Susie and Lizzy as the female half. Well, you’re fam’ly, Rachel, good as.’

  ‘Sammy, oh, you darling,’ said Rachel, one more sentimental ambition achieved. It put her closer than ever to Sammy and Chinese Lady’s family. Her warm generous heart overflowed.

  ‘Got to push off now,’ said Sammy, up on his feet.

  ‘Sammy—’ Rachel interrupted herself by kissing him, electing for his mouth, not his cheek. She kissed him warmly, ardently, letting her deep affection escape restraint for once.

  ‘Pardon me,’ said Sammy, when it was over, ‘but I ain’t sure that happened. It’s not supposed to, bein’ illegal, but since I’m not sure it did, I’ll put it down to me imagination.’

  ‘Is it illegal, Sammy, a kiss now and again for old times sake?’

  ‘Well, let’s say unmentionable,’ said Sammy.

  ‘There’s a bright boy, ain’t it?’ smiled Rachel. ‘You won’t mention it to Susie, and I won’t mention it to Benjamin. Fair?’

  ‘Fair,’ said Sammy. ‘Except—’

  ‘Except what, lovey?’

  ‘You owe me fourpence,’ said Sammy, ‘that’s me current charge for a kiss.’

  Rachel laughed again.

  ‘Same old Sammy,’ she said, ‘don’t ever change.’ She
regarded him fondly, a Gentile who, along with his family, had given her a friendship she treasured. Her expression changed and she became serious. ‘Spare me five more minutes, Sammy love.’

  ‘For you, Rachel, why not?’ said Sammy, noting her change of mood.

  ‘Did you know that dreadful man Hitler is set on forcing all Jews out of Germany?’ she asked.

  ‘I’ve heard he’s not too fond of them,’ said Sammy, ‘but I think Boots knows more than I do, and so does me stepdad. He and Boots are keepin’ track of what Adolf Hitler’s up to. They get together with Polly’s dad sometimes and talk about it, so I hear. You worried, Rachel?’

  ‘Not for myself, I’m lucky,’ said Rachel. ‘I was born here as a subject of our sovereign monarch. I’m English, Sammy, of Jewish faith. So are my daughters, so are my husband and father. The unlucky Jews are those who live in Germany, and some are being wise enough to leave. My father has spoken to several of them. Did you know the Germans have built what they call a concentration camp at a place called Dachau, into which they herd Jews and political prisoners?’

  ‘That’s news to me,’ admitted Sammy.

  ‘Well, do you know about the Gestapo?’ asked Rachel.

  ‘Not much,’ said Sammy, ‘but I think my stepdad does. He’s got a job with the Government.’

  ‘My father says the Gestapo is the evil arm of an evil man, and the German Jews he’s spoken to say awful things are happening that the outside world doesn’t know about. Sammy, there’s going to be a war, and Britain and France will have to fight Hitler.’

  ‘I can’t believe that,’ said Sammy, ‘not after what the last one was like. No, it couldn’t happen. And if you’re thinkin’ Hitler’s goin’ to come goose-steppin’ down Piccadilly, that won’t happen, either. Nothing’s goin’ to hurt you or your fam’ly, not while all the Adams fam’lies are on your side.’

  ‘Sammy, what would I do without your friendship, if I’d never met you?’ asked Rachel.

  ‘Well, you could come to the offices and ask for an interview, and I daresay that once we’d been introduced we could get to like each other,’ said Sammy. ‘Always remembering, of course, that we’re both respectably married.’

  ‘Sammy, I had a wish during those days when I went roller-skating with you,’ said Rachel, ‘a wish that we’d be friends for life. And we shall be, won’t we? I treasure that. Bless you, lovey, it’s heart-warming, ain’t it?’

  ‘It’s a good old Union Jack,’ said Sammy.

  ‘Here in this home we treasure that too,’ said Rachel.

  ‘Well, if I had more time I’d get you on your joanna and we could sing “Rule Britannia” together,’ said Sammy, ‘but I’m pushed now and must buzz off. So long now.’

  ‘Yes, Sammy, thanks,’ said Rachel, ‘and give Boots my best wishes.’

  Sammy smiled and left. He found the group of street kids standing guard around his car.

  ‘Oh, ’ello, mister.’

  ‘We looked after it, mister.’

  ‘It’s all ’ere, mister, its lamps as well,’ said Basher Bunty.

  Sammy eyed her. There was a bruise on her forehead.

  ‘Hello, who did that?’ he asked.

  ‘Oh, some kids come round from Murphy Street,’ she said, ‘and wanted to sit in yer car. So we ’ad to bash ’em. We didn’t let not one get in it, honest. Me ’ead knocked itself against one kid’s knee, but it didn’t ’urt.’

  ‘How’d his knee get in the way of your head?’ asked Sammy.

  ‘Well, ’e was on the ground,’ volunteered the plump boy.

  ‘An’ Bunty was tryin’ to bite ’is leg orf,’ said another boy.

  ‘Yes, it was a sort of accident,’ said Basher Bunty. ‘Mister, can we collect now, tuppence each for ev’ryone?’

  ‘Well, seein’ you collected a knee in your loaf, and your gang saw off the interlopers,’ said Sammy, ‘share this out among you.’ And he placed half a crown in her eager hand. She gawped and so did the rest of the kids. ‘Now go home and run some errands for yer mums. So long.’

  The happy kids waved him goodbye when he drove off. Not until he reached Camberwell and had parked his car did he discover his hat was missing. He’d left it on the back seat, and it was relatively new. He reckoned that by now Basher Bunty had sold it for fourpence to a second-hand clothes stall. He took the loss philosophically. Street kids had to keep wolves from their doors.

  Chapter Twelve

  ‘I think I’ll phone Boots,’ said Vi after supper that evening.

  ‘What for?’ asked Tommy, watching his kids through the window above the kitchen sink. They were playing in the garden. So far, no damage had been done. ‘What’s on your mind, Vi?’

  ‘Oh, you know,’ said Vi.

  ‘His French daughter?’ said Tommy. ‘It’s all settled. Chinese Lady settled it.’

  ‘Yes, I know,’ said Vi. ‘I’m fond of your mum, Tommy, I always ’ave been, but I’ve been thinkin’ today it was a bit hard on Boots gettin’ everyone there yesterday to talk about what was really nothing to do with any of us except ’imself and Em’ly.’

  ‘Good point, Vi,’ said Tommy, drying dishes, ‘but as far as Chinese Lady was concerned, y’know, it was fam’ly. She’d made ’er mind up about that, that it was something the fam’ly ’ad got to talk about, and she’d made up ’er mind as well that everyone had got to come out in favour of Boots, or else. And Boots didn’t object to the fam’ly conference. He can take that sort of thing, he’s got a bit of iron in ’is backbone, Vi. Sammy and me wouldn’t let ’im lord it if he didn’t have.’

  ‘He might ’ave looked as if he didn’t object,’ said Vi, ‘he’s good at keepin’ the peace, but I’m not sure he really liked it, the whole fam’ly goin’ round to talk about what was his own concern mostly. I mean, if Em’ly had accepted the girl, which she had, it wasn’t right for the rest of us to ’old an inquest.’

  ‘It was only you girls that talked about it, the rest of us played cricket,’ said Tommy. ‘So did Boots ’imself.’

  ‘Yes, but what was he thinkin’, I wonder?’ said Vi. ‘That we’d all got a blessed cheek?’

  ‘It was fam’ly, Vi, it was what Chinese Lady wanted, to settle things once and for all,’ said Tommy.

  Vi said that over tea, later on, she was sitting opposite Boots. She looked at him once, she said, and he was looking at her. At least, she thought he was, then she sort of felt that he wasn’t seeing her. He wasn’t seeing anything of anyone there. You know how Boots is, she said, he always looks as if he’s about to tell a funny story, or is about to listen to someone else telling one. Well, he didn’t look like that then, she said, he was far away, and she thought that because of everything, he was remembering the war and all the comrades he’d lost, and perhaps the days before the battle of the Somme and the young Frenchwoman.

  ‘I thought then,’ said Vi, ‘what are all of us doing here, poking our noses in? I glanced at Lizzy, and Lizzy was looking at Boots. She caught my glance and made a little face at me. Boots never talks about the war, he’s always kept it to ’imself, but for once I think he was rememberin’ it, Tommy, with all the fam’ly around him. Then Annabelle said, “Penny for your thoughts, Uncle Boots.” He gave her a smile and said that over in France there might be one more like her, in which case who was going to complain? I think I will phone him, Tommy.’

  ‘All right, Vi, if it’s goin’ to make you feel better.’

  Vi phoned. Rosie answered.

  ‘Is your dad there, Rosie?’

  ‘Oh, yes, Aunt Vi,’ said Rosie, ‘he’s supposed to be doing his packing, but I’m doing most of it for him. What a shirker. Hold on and I’ll get him.’

  Boots came on the line after several seconds.

  ‘What can I do for you, Vi?’ he asked.

  ‘Oh, I just wanted to say you stood up to all of us so well yesterday,’ said Vi. ‘Tommy and me want you to know – seriously, like – that – oh, you know, Boots.’

  ‘That I’m not in th
e doghouse?’ said Boots.

  ‘Never,’ said Vi, ‘not with any of us. Boots, did you – did you mind that we all descended on you yesterday?’

  ‘Mind? Of course not, Vi. What’s better than a Sunday tea with everyone present?’

  ‘It was a bit more than that,’ said Vi, ‘but you really didn’t mind?’

  ‘Not a bit,’ said Boots.

  ‘Oh, that’s good,’ said Vi.

  ‘Don’t give it another thought,’ said Boots. If Tommy was the most soft-hearted of the brothers, Vi was the gentlest of the wives, and Boots knew it.

  ‘Tommy and me wish you ever so much luck when you get to France,’ said Vi.

  ‘I’ll need a little at least,’ said Boots.

  ‘Oh, she’ll come home with you, Boots, I’m sure she will, now or a bit later.’

  ‘We’ll see,’ said Boots.

  ‘Bless you,’ said Vi.

  Boots smiled to himself. Vi had a nice way of blessing everyone.

  ‘Bless you too, Vi,’ he said, and she rang off.

  In another Adams’ household, it was not until well after supper and the children had been bathed and put to bed by Susie and Sammy that he spoke to her about Rachel.