Rosie sat down beside the little patient who looked so quiet and ill. His beloved toy train lay at the bottom of the bed but he had shown no inclination in playing with it.
‘What did the doctor mean by complications, Ann? I hope Jay doesn’t get any.’
I had to be optimistic for her sake. ‘Och, Jay will be fine, Rosie. He’s a healthy laddie and the doctor told you the measles happens to all bairns at some time during their childhood.’
I made Rosie a cup of tea while she pulled the cover around the little prone figure in the bed.
‘Honest to God, Ann, worries never come singly, do they? First my mum falling down the stairs and now Jay being ill like this.’ She sounded so weary.
‘Would you like me to stay the night, Rosie? I can sit up with Jay while you get some sleep. Although Lily has had the measles I think I’ll let her stay with Granny. What do you think?’
Rosie looked grateful. ‘You don’t mind?’
‘No, Rosie, I don’t mind. I’ll have to go to the Overgate and tell Lily to stay with Granny and maybe Connie will give me a couple of days off.’
As it was, Connie was once again decent about me taking time off but I offered to do the early morning shift for her if she was busy.
Back in the house, Jay had become fretful in his bed and Rosie had picked him up and carried him through to the kitchen. He was lying in her arms, almost asleep when I arrived back. The curtains were shut and the room was as dim as the bedroom.
Rosie whispered, ‘We’ll have to keep the gas lamp turned right down at night and also be very quiet going around the house. The doctor did say that.’
When Jay was finally asleep, Rosie carried him back to his bed. She looked really distressed when she came back. ‘He looks very ill, Ann. I hope the complications that the doctor mentioned don’t happen to my wee laddie.’ Tears were running down her cheeks.
I went over and made her sit down. ‘Jay’s a big healthy laddie, Rosie. I suppose the doctor mentioned the bad bits because some bairns are maybe not so strong so try not to worry.’
I recalled how worried I had been when Lily took this disease but fortunately she had recovered with no ill effects.
Rosie became flustered. ‘Och, I’ve just remembered I’ve not got my messages yet.’
I put on my jacket. ‘Give me the list and I’ll go.’
I was taken by surprise when I emerged into the street. The sun was warm and bright and I was amazed how quickly I had become used to the gloom in the house.
Rosie had very little left on her meat ration so I used some of mine and bought half a pound of mince at the butcher’s shop. I then filled the bag with potatoes and turnips from the fruit shop and bought two loaves from the baker. My heart sank when I saw the large queue at the grocer’s. I had no option but to join the end of it and be content to edge slowly forward.
The two women in front of me were discussing the D-Day landings. ‘Oh, Eh hope that means the war will be ower soon, Lizzie,’ said the first woman who was short and dumpy and dressed in a brown swagger coat with a floral headsquare covering her hair.
Lizzie was a bit taller with a white podgy face and prominent teeth. Her coat was tightly belted and looked as if it could repel a snowstorm. She was also a cynic. ‘Och, Eh dinnae think so, Dot. Thae Germans are no a pushover, you ken. The allies are maybe in Europe but they were there in 1940 and look what happened at Dunkirk.’
Dot gasped. ‘Oh, Eh hope that disnae happen again – just when it looks like it’ll soon be ower.’
Lizzie gave her friend a sharp glance. ‘All Eh’m saying is this – the war will last a while langer. You mark my words!’
Thankfully, they reached the counter together and all further talk of war ceased but to say I was depressed was an understatement. Like Dot, I had also assumed the end was in sight. Still, maybe Lizzie was wrong. After all, I hadn’t seen a crystal ball in her hand.
When I reached the counter, I managed to get a treat – a bag of broken biscuits. Although they didn’t look great, these biscuits tasted just like the perfect ones and the bag also had the advantage of sometimes holding more than the statutory half pound.
Rosie could put them aside for when Jay was feeling better. It would have been great to have found an apple or an orange for him but the fruit shop had only the root vegetables plus some cabbages on display.
Rosie was in the bedroom when I reached the house. Jay was fretful again and he was tossing and turning in a half-awake sleep. The quilt had fallen on to the floor and the sheets were rumpled.
‘I’ll make the tea, Rosie,’ I said, putting the mince in the pan to brown. With all the vegetables added it would make a meal that would last for a couple of days at least.
Rosie stayed in the bedroom and I heard her softly singing some of Jay’s favourite nursery rhymes.
Then Dad arrived home and he gave me a quizzical look. ‘Ann? How nice to see you …’ His voice trailed away when Rosie appeared.
‘Jay’s got the measles, Johnny, and he’s really ill,’ she said, her voice thick with tears.
Dad rushed through to the bedroom. Jay was still restless and he began to cry when he saw his dad. Dad sat beside him and smoothed his hair. ‘Don’t cry, wee lad. Daddy’s here.’ After a few moments Jay fell asleep.
Dad came through to the kitchen. ‘When did this happen, Rosie?’ he said, sounding puzzled.
‘After you left for work this morning. He woke up and I thought he looked pale so I took him to the park to get some fresh air and when we got back he was worse and looked really ill. I went for Ann and the doctor says it’s the measles. We have to keep the room dark and quiet.’ She sounded tearful again.
‘You mind when Lily had the measles, Dad,’ I said. ‘She was ill for a while but she got over it.’
Dad did remember but he was now facing the same thing with his precious son.
We all had a very restless night. Dad sat with Jay until midnight then Rosie took over till three o’clock. There was hardly any darkness and dawn had already arrived by the time I woke up to take my turn. Jay’s bedroom was dim and quiet and I sat alone with my thoughts. I wondered if Rosie would ever open the curtains again, she was so worried about the light.
Then there was Greg. Was he married by now? Or were they still at the planning stage? Not many marriages in these war-torn days were elaborately planned. It was now a case of a quick wedding and a few snatched days for a honeymoon if you were lucky. No one knew what lay ahead of them in these strange times and I realised Greg was right to try and snatch some happiness but I always thought it would be with me, not someone else.
Dad and Rosie appeared in the morning, looking tired and dark-eyed. They sat with Jay for a while as they drank hot tea. I managed to get Jay to sip some water but he certainly didn’t look any better.
Dad was in two minds about going to work but Rosie persuaded him to go. ‘Ann’s got some time off and she’ll stay here with me. We’ll both look after Jay.’
Dad gave Rosie a quick peck on the cheek. ‘Aye, I know, Rosie. He’s in good hands with the two of you.’
While Rosie sat with her son, I tidied up the kitchen. It was then that I noticed Dad’s sandwiches for his dinner time break. In his worry over Jay, he had forgotten to take them.
Rosie was upset. ‘He’ll have nothing to eat, Ann and it’s not as if any of his workmates can give him something because most folk just have enough for themselves.’ Then Jay began to cry and she hurried back into the room.
‘I’ll run down to the warehouse with them, Rosie.’
She looked so grateful. ‘Oh, that’s good of you. I do worry about your dad getting his meals.’
I knew this was true and, like hundreds of houses in the city, theirs was a home where most of the meat went to the man of the house and the wives and children shared out the rest.
I hurried off down the hill and it was good to feel the warm sun on my face. It was another lovely day and I’m sure I would have been happy if it w
asn’t for Jay’s illness.
I quickly popped into the shop. Connie was having a quiet spell and she sat at the counter with a cup of tea and a newspaper. ‘Do you want a cup?’ she asked.
I shook my head and explained my mission.
‘And how’s wee Jay?’
‘He’s still quite ill, Connie – very fretful and restless and he’s now covered in spots.’
Connie was sympathetic. ‘Aye, the measles is a rotten disease but most bairns catch it and they get over it.’
On that note, I hurried down to see Dad. The streets were busy because of the school holidays and the children were all playing in the sunshine. I wondered if these children had all had the measles – if they had, then they had all recovered from it.
I was turning down the lane at Dock Street to the warehouse when I saw her. Because my mind was filled with thoughts of Jay, the figure of the woman didn’t register to begin with. She was walking away from me and was almost at the far end of the lane where it met Yeaman’s Shore but I knew her – Margot.
I stood still. I was so shocked for a brief moment that I almost leapt into one of the narrow doorways that lined this lane but she didn’t turn round. Her high-heeled shoes delicately clacked against the uneven paving stones and she looked as if she was being careful of the road surface. She was wearing a grey suit. It was very plain and so unlike the clothes I remembered from her days with Dad.
What was she doing back in the town? My mind was whirling with all the possible reasons for her return. She had been charged with bigamy and also theft from the job she had after leaving Dundee and Dad. Now it seemed as if she was free and back to her old mischief.
I was determined to find out the truth from my father and I made my way to the warehouse entrance. One of the workmen called Dad out and he emerged smiling – especially when he saw the piece box.
‘How is Jay? Is he feeling any better, Ann?’ His face was all innocence. ‘Thanks for bringing my sandwiches – with all the worry about Jay I forgot them.’
I opened my mouth to mention Margot but then I decided not to. Anyway, he would probably lie to me about seeing her but he honestly didn’t look like a guilty man or a man who had just confronted a ghost from the past – his bigamous marriage to a glamorous woman. So I decided to remain quiet – at least for the moment and until Jay got better.
My mind was in a turmoil as I walked home and, on seeing Rosie’s worried face when I opened the door, I was really angry with Dad. I could barely look at him when he came home that night and I elected to stay with Jay while Rosie and Dad had the remains of the shepherd’s pie I had made during the afternoon. Thankfully, no one thought this odd and I had my meal later.
During the evening, I listened to the wireless while Dad and Rosie sat with Jay and I could see Dad through the open door of the bedroom. I studied his face as he sat by the side of the bed, trying to read any guilty thoughts that might somehow appear on his face but he looked and acted quite normally. I was really and truly perplexed.
The next morning, Rosie, who was also worried about her mother, asked me if I could pay her a visit, just to set her mind at rest. We knew Granny and Lily were there to help her out but I said I would go to reassure her all was well.
Instead of going straight to the Overgate, I made a detour to the warehouse. If Margot was once again paying a visit, then I wanted to tackle her and ask her what she was playing at. But I was disappointed. The lane held nothing more dangerous than a couple of horse-drawn carts that slowly trundled towards Dock Street and a few old-looking men who appeared briefly from one of the many doors that lined this busy thoroughfare. There was no sign of the femme fatale.
Granny was sitting with Alice at the open window. They were having a late breakfast of tea and toast and enjoying the sunshine.
Alice looked alarmed when I appeared. ‘It’s not bad news about Jay, is it, Ann?’ she said, her face white.
I shook my head. ‘No, Alice, he’s still not well but he’s not any worse.’
I explained my mission and Alice laughed. ‘Och, tell Rosie I’m fine apart from my busted ankle. Lily is very good. She goes for the messages for your granny and me.’
Granny nodded. ‘That’s where she is now – away for the paper and the milk.’
I wanted to speak to Granny on my own but I could see no way of doing this without being rude to Alice. I made up my mind to keep the Margot incident to myself but, as I stood up to leave, Granny said, ‘I’ll walk with you as far as the end of the close.’ She turned to her neighbour. ‘You’ll be all right till I get back, Alice? Will I fill up your cup before I go?’
Alice laughed. ‘Och, I’m not a complete invalid, Nan. I’ll be fine.’
Grateful for this chance to share the worry about Margot with Granny, I immediately blurted it out on our way down the stairs.
Like I had been, Granny was shocked. ‘Are you sure it was her, Ann? Maybe it was someone else because it can be difficult to make someone out when the sun’s in your eyes.’
Now that Granny had planted this seed of doubt I was suddenly unsure of what I had seen. The sun had been in my eyes and maybe it was some other elegant-looking woman walking delicately along the grimy lane. And, looking at things logically, why would Margot come back? Surely not to see Dad? It wasn’t as if they had been legally married and Dad had hated her at the end – of that I was sure. Had my eyes played tricks? The sunshine had been bright and I hadn’t slept much the night before.
I was grateful to Granny for setting my mind at rest. ‘Of course it couldn’t have been her. I must have made a mistake thinking that the back view of some well-dressed woman was Margot. What an idiot I’ve been!’
‘Rosie has enough to worry about at the moment,’ said Granny. ‘Margot coming back to get in touch with your dad would be the last straw for her.’
I shuddered at the thought. On my way back, I almost went via the warehouse again but changed my mind. Granny was right about the mistaken identity and the woman could have been anyone. Yet I could have sworn it was her.
As the week went on, Jay got a little better every day and was now eating small meals and lying on the couch in the kitchen.
At the end of the week, Rosie said, ‘Would you like to go home, Ann? I know you’ve got your job and Lily to look after. You’ve been a great help but I’m worried about your Granny having Lily during the holidays.’
‘What about Jay?’
Rosie, who was looking a lot better, smiled. ‘I think he’s over the worst now and the doctor was pleased with him yesterday.’
That was true. The doctor had called at Dad’s request, just to check all was right and it was. Jay was still a sick little boy but thankfully he was on the mend.
So Lily and I went back to Roseangle and it was heaven. We spent our first night back at the flat having our tea by the window with my favourite view of the river. The sunshine rippled over the surface and it was like diamonds exploding from the water.
Meanwhile, Lily stayed at the Overgate during the day to do her Florence Nightingale routine for Alice. She was quite the little helper, said Granny, so I was able to go back to the shop and get all the news bulletins from Joe. The Allies had liberated Rome and Connie said the war must surely be over soon.
Strangely enough, Joe was a bit dubious. ‘Well, Connie, I don’t think it’ll be a walkover. The German soldiers will be well dug in and able to stop any advances. The Allies have managed to drive them back from the Normandy beaches but it’s a long way to Berlin. And another thing – these buzz bombs are getting worse and I hear that women and bairns are being evacuated from the worst places in London and the south coast.’
Connie looked disappointed and, to be honest, so did I. Still, one bit of good news was Jay. He was much better and playing with his train and eating normally which was a big relief to Rosie and Dad.
On the Sunday, Lily and I were at the Overgate when Rosie came to visit her mother. Alice was still hobbling about and, as it was ano
ther lovely day, Lily asked if she could take Jay for a walk. Rosie decided to come with us when Granny appeared with a pot of tea, all set for a wee gossip. We set off for Riverside with Lily holding Jay’s hand. The Esplanade was busy on this sunny Sunday with families out for an afternoon walk and it was pleasant to walk in the warm sunshine with the gently lapping river in the background. Jay kept running over to the sea wall but Lily made sure she kept a tight hold of his hand.
Rosie’s eyes were shining as she looked at her son. ‘You know, Ann, we were really worried about Jay when he had the measles. Some bairns end up blind or deaf after catching it but we’ve been lucky, thank goodness.’
We were almost at the Tay Bridge and the crowds had thinned out at this end of the Esplanade. Suddenly Jay took off and ran ahead. Without thinking I ran after him, passing Lily and Rosie who had also sprinted after him.
I caught his arm and he laughingly tried to run away again. ‘No, Jay,’ I said, my voice quite stern.
He stopped when he realised I wasn’t playing with him and it was because of his stillness that I noticed the woman sitting on a bench about fifty yards away. She was sitting with a man but I couldn’t see his face, merely his legs. They were sitting in deep conversation and I realised with a shock that it was Margot. She was dressed in the same grey suit that she had worn on the day I spotted her in the lane.
I could hear Rosie and Lily’s voices behind me and, for a moment, I was immobile with shock. The figures on the bench didn’t turn round but I dreaded Rosie seeing them.
Suddenly Jay turned round to face his mother and ran towards her, laughing with his arms stretched out. Rosie caught hold of him and spun him around. It was a moment of unsurpassed joy on their part and total relief on mine. Also this spin meant they were facing the opposite direction from Margot and it seemed an ideal time to head home.
As we walked back, I was puzzled. There was no longer any doubt that Margot was back but who was the mystery man? I knew Dad had gone out earlier – Rosie had said so – but I didn’t think the hidden figure had been him.
The Sun Will Shine Tomorrow Page 15