by Joan Jonker
Molly was closing the door when she heard Nellie’s voice. She was telling Victoria about the knickers incident, and although she was supposed to be whispering she was speaking loud enough for Molly to hear. So she stood perfectly still and cocked an ear.
‘Don’t let on I’ve said anything, Victoria, and pretend to be shocked, like.’
You crafty article, Molly thought. Well, I’ll have to put you in your place. So she made a noise when she closed the door to warn them she was on her way in. ‘It’s lovely to see the young ones going out together again, they looked like courting couples.’
When Molly stood by the table, Victoria said, ‘Sit yerself down, Molly, and take the weight off yer feet.’
This was what Nellie was waiting for, but Molly put a spoke in her wheel by answering before her mate could get the words out, ‘Have yer got an old cloth I can put over the seat, Victoria? Yer see, I haven’t got no knickers on.’
Nellie gaped, and her chins got ready to go their separate ways. ‘Yer’ve got no knickers on? Well, yer dirty bugger! What did yer take them off for?’
‘Because you said yer were going to tell everyone I had dirty knickers on. I wasn’t going to give yer the chance to do that so I took them off. They’re in steep now, in the dolly tub.’
‘I don’t believe yer,’ Nellie said. ‘Show me!’
‘Show yer! The only way I can show yer is for yer to go over to our house and look in the dolly tub. Go on, me and Victoria don’t mind yer leaving us for five minutes.’
‘Sod off, Molly Bennett! I meant prove to me that ye’re knickerless. I won’t believe yer until I see yer bare backside.’
‘Yer know what you can do, don’t yer, sunshine? Yer can go and take a long running jump into a lake. Preferably a deep one.’
Nellie could hear Victoria laughing and knew it was time to give in. ‘She’s a proper sneak, Victoria, she was listening outside. It’s a shame, really, ’cos we could have had a good laugh.’
‘Yes, at my expense, sunshine! Well, yer’ll have to think of something else.’
‘I’m trying to, girl, I really am. Me head is going round and round trying to come up with something. In the meantime, can I just say yer wouldn’t get rid of me if I jumped in a lake, ’cos I wouldn’t drown, I’d float on top until someone came to me rescue.’ Nellie tried to snap her fingers but it didn’t work. Three times she tried, but they just wouldn’t click. Holding the offending finger and thumb close to her face, she growled, ‘You two are not a ha’porth of good and if I didn’t need yer for using me knife and fork I’d consider giving yer away.’
‘I’ve always thought yer were tuppence short of a shilling, sunshine, but I never thought yer were that far gone yer’d end up talking to yer fingers.’
‘Ah, well, yer see, girl, I was buying meself time while I thought of something to make yer laugh.’ Nellie turned a beaming face to Victoria. ‘My mate Molly Bennett would fall for the cat. She believed me when I said I’d changed me knickers. Now just watch her face when I tell her I didn’t.’
‘Yer didn’t fool me for a second,’ Molly said. ‘It’s only the other week yer told me that yer had to lie on the bed with yer legs in the air before yer could get them on. And I knew yer wouldn’t go through that performance just to come over here. So now we’ve got that out of the way, I’ll put the kettle on, shall I, Victoria?’
‘Yes, please, Molly. And Doreen’s left a plate of biscuits for us. They’re in the pantry.’
‘Did she say how many?’ Nellie asked. ‘I wouldn’t trust my mate not to pinch a couple while she’s waiting for the kettle to boil.’
‘Every dog knows its own tricks best, sunshine. Now you keep Victoria amused while I see to a cuppa.’ When the tray was set, Molly leaned back against the sink waiting for the kettle to boil. And while she waited, she listened.
‘I believe Vera Harwick’s leaving, Nellie? Molly told me yesterday.’
‘Yeah, she’s going to live in Maghull with her daughter. There’s a family moving into her house when she moves out. Mam, Dad and two grown-up children. Their name’s Mowbray, so Mr Henry told me.’
Molly moved away from the sink and popped her head around the kitchen door. ‘You didn’t tell me all that, Nellie McDonough, yer just said the house was spoken for. How come?’
‘I can’t remember to tell yer everything, girl! Yer should ask if yer want to know more.’
‘Yer usually tell me everything without me having to ask! I spend most of me time trying to shut yer up! Anyway, how am I to know that yer know more than ye’re telling me? I’m not a ruddy mind-reader.’
‘Keep yer hair on, girl, there’s no need to raise yer voice to me. It’s not my fault if ye’re not nosy enough to want to know everyone’s business. Yer should keep yer ear to the ground, like me, then anything I missed, you’d pick up and between us we’d know everything what goes on in the street.’
‘I don’t want to know everything what goes on in the street! I’m only interested in me own family and me friends, the rest I couldn’t care less about.’
‘In that case yer may as well go back and make that tea. Yer won’t be interested in what I’m going to tell Victoria about Mrs Harwick selling some of her furniture because it won’t all fit in her daughter’s house.’
Molly sat down on the arm of the couch. ‘Is she? Ah, I bet she’ll be sad to do that ’cos she takes a pride in her furniture.’
Nellie winked at Victoria before turning with a look of surprise on her face. ‘Oh, are yer still here, girl? I thought yer were making the tea seeing as ye’re not interested.’
‘So help me I’ll clock yer one if ye’re making all this up, Nellie McDonough. And I wouldn’t put it past yer, either!’
‘Now why would I make it up, girl? I only make things up to give people a laugh and there’s nothing funny in an old lady selling her furniture. At least, I don’t think so.’
‘But why didn’t yer tell me? I mean, there might be something there our Jill and Steve would like! Yer know they haven’t got a stick of furniture to their name.’
‘I know that, girl. After all, Steve is me son. And that’s why I asked Mrs Harwick to let us know when she makes up her mind what is for sale.’
Molly flew off her perch and wrapped her arms around her best mate. ‘I take everything back that I’ve said about yer, sunshine, ’cos ye’re a little smasher.’ Then she stood back and put a frown on her face. ‘How come I’m not allowed to go to the shops without yer, yet you can go sneaking around without me?’
Nellie tapped her nose. ‘Well, it’s like this, yer see, girl, if I had you with me yer’d hamper me investigations. Yer’d get embarrassed, go all red in the face and tell me to mind me own business. I’d never hear any gossip if I took yer everywhere with me.’
Molly looked at the old lady who was taking it all in and really enjoying herself. ‘She’s past the post, isn’t she, Victoria? I don’t know what I’m going to do with her.’
‘My old ma used to say if yer want a job doing, do it yerself. And she was right, too! So I’m going to make the ruddy tea meself.’ Nellie managed to push herself off the chair on the third attempt. When she stood up she squared her shoulders, pushing her bosom forward and putting a great strain on the seams of her dress. The two front buttons were trying valiantly not to pop. Taking a few seconds to compose herself and get the words sorted in her mind, she put on her posh voice. ‘When we’ve finally got a cup in our hands, with a biscuit in the saucer, we can discuss the situation further. Until then, I would be grateful if you’d keep those gobs of yours shut.’ With a shake of her head and her chins swaying, she made her exit.
‘She’s very genteel, my mate, isn’t she, sunshine?’ Molly sat down close to the old lady and covered her hand with her own. ‘I’ve got to say yer look very well, Victoria, with yer hair all waved and that nice blue blouse you’re wearing. Yer put me and Nellie to shame.’
‘I’ve got your daughter to thank for that, sweetheart, she
really looks after me and won’t let me have a hair out of place. I am so lucky having her and Phil in my life. I used to worry about growing old and being alone, but both of them wait on me hand and foot. And they do it in such a way I don’t feel like I’m a burden to them.’
‘Ye’re not a burden, sunshine. Both of them love the bones of yer. And I’ve got to say our Doreen’s turned out to be a daughter to be proud of.’
At that precise moment, Doreen was telling the two men to walk on ahead because she had something to tell Jill. ‘Go on, ye’re not missing anything, it’s just girl talk.’
After a quick glance at his wife, Phil took Steve’s arm. ‘Come on, let’s leave them to it and we’ll indulge in men’s talk. How’s work going?’
Doreen waited until they were out of earshot before giving her sister a nervous smile. ‘I’m going to go all red and embarrassed now, sis, but I want yer to know and the only way is to blurt it out – I’m expecting a baby.’
Jill came to an abrupt halt, her eyes wide with surprise. ‘Ye’re not, are yer?’
‘Well, I haven’t been to the doctor’s yet, but I missed last month’s period and I’ve missed this months’ too. And I know I am ’cos I feel different. Me and Phil are over the moon because it’s what we wanted.’
‘You haven’t given yerself much time, have yer?’
‘We could have waited, but we decided to have one quickly, for Aunt Vicky’s sake. She’s very old, Jill, and we wanted her to see our baby before anything happens to her. We haven’t told her yet, but she’ll be so happy.’
‘Have yer told me mam and dad?’
‘No, and I don’t want you to, either. I’ll go to the doctor’s in a few weeks and if he confirms it, I’ll tell everyone then. But for now I’d like yer to keep it under yer hat. Phil will be telling Steve as I’m telling you, that’s what we planned, but I want yer to ask him not to mention it to anyone. Will yer do that for us, sis?’
‘Of course I will.’ Jill was beginning to feel excited. It would be lovely having a baby in the family. ‘I can just see me mam’s face, she’ll be so happy to be a grandma. And me dad, of course, he’ll be over the moon being a granda.’
‘What about you, Jill, are yer happy for us?’
‘Happy and jealous at the same time. Me and Steve will have to wait until we get a place of our own, but I don’t mind ’cos we’re lucky that Mrs Corkhill took us in as lodgers. Not that we feel like lodgers, she’s given us the run of the house and we’re really at home there.’
Doreen grinned into her sister’s face and put on a baby voice. ‘Hello, Auntie Jill.’
The two burst out laughing and flung their arms around each other. ‘We’ll be old married women with a tribe of kids before we know it.’
‘Ay, you speak for yerself,’ Jill said. ‘I’m never going to be an old married woman. I’m going to take after me mam, she’s never grown old. She keeps herself young, and so does me dad. That’s how they’ve kept the flame of love burning all these years, and that’s how me and Steve are going to be.’
The boys walked back towards them, both with self-conscious smiles and faces tinged pink with embarrassment. After all the couples had only been married two and a half months and what went on in their bedrooms was not usually talked about. But this was different, it was something that should be celebrated.
They linked arms and as they neared the picture house, Steve said, ‘This is my treat tonight. The best seats in the front stalls and a box of chocolates. It’s not breaking eggs with a big stick, I know, but just a little way of saying that me and Jill are very happy for yer.’
When Doreen tilted her head to gaze into Phil’s face she knew exactly how her mother and father felt when they exchanged that special look which told of the great love they had for each other. A love that didn’t need words. ‘We’ll do the same for them when their turn comes, won’t we, love?’ Then she giggled. ‘That’s if we can get someone to babysit.’
A few days later, when Nellie arrived for her morning cuppa and a chat, she had an air of excitement about her. ‘Good morning, girl! I see yer’ve still got yer working clothes on. Yer should have the good manners to look respectable when yer know I’m coming.’
Molly closed the front door then looked down at herself. She was wearing her working clothes, but that was because she hadn’t finished the housework yet. ‘What’s got into you, sunshine? D’yer expect me to get changed just to have a cuppa with yer, and then change back to finish me work off? You know what yer can do, Nellie McDonough, yer can take a running jump.’
‘Oh, well, if that’s the way yer feel about it, girl, I won’t bother telling yer me news.’ A chair was pulled from under the table and Nellie plonked herself down. ‘It’s coming to something when me best mate tells me to sod off.’
‘I never did tell yer to sod off! Anyway, what’s got into yer this morning? Did yer come with the intention of starting a fight?’ Then Molly narrowed her eyes as she took in her friend’s combed hair and, if she wasn’t mistaken, there was even a trace of lipstick. ‘What are you all got up for?’ She took a closer look. ‘No tidemark, hair neat and a spot of Lily’s lipstick. What are yer up to?’
‘Nah, yer wouldn’t be interested, girl.’ Nellie was having great difficulty in keeping her face straight. ‘Just make me the usual cuppa and then I’ll go about me business. And yer needn’t bother about a biscuit, I’ll get one where I’m going.’
Molly took a deep breath, thinking, She’s dying for me to ask where she’s going, but I’m not going to. ‘I’ll stick the kettle on.’ She lit the gas under the kettle and watched the flames flicker for a while as she stuck to her resolution. She would not ask her mate what was going on, she was blowed if she would. But as the seconds ticked by and there wasn’t a peep out of Nellie, Molly couldn’t control herself any longer. Popping her head around the living-room door, she asked, as casually as she could muster, ‘Where are yer off to, then?’
Nellie raised her eyebrows in a condescending manner. ‘I thought I’d take Mrs Harwick up on her offer to allow me to view the furniture she’ll be selling.’ She curled a hand and gazed at her nails as though she’d just had them manicured. Each finger was lifted and closely inspected by eyes that were dancing with devilment. Then, when she raised her head, nail inspection over, she feigned surprise at seeing Molly. ‘Oh, are you still there?’ The expression on her face as she slowly pronounced each word was comical. ‘I thought you were making me a cup of tea before sending me about my business?’
‘If this is one of yer little jokes, Nellie McDonough, so help me I’ll swing for yer. Now I want the truth so come on, spit it out.’
Spreading her hands with a look of innocence on her face, Nellie said, ‘So I’m a liar now, am I? Well, it’s nice to know what yer really think about me.’ She put her palms flat on the table as though to push herself up. ‘I won’t bother with the tea, thank you very much. It would be like supping with the devil.’
‘You ain’t going anywhere, sunshine, so don’t be pretending. And if yer push that chair back and the legs come off, I’ll be suggesting yer ask Mrs Harwick to sell yer one of hers to make up for it.’
Nellie’s lips clamped together. ‘D’yer know what, girl? I felt like a little ray of sunshine when I left the house. So happy, in fact, I wouldn’t have called the King me aunt. I only had to pass two doors to get here, and in that short space of time I’ve been made to feel as miserable as bloody sin. And it’s all your fault. I should have known when yer opened the door and I saw yer had a face on yer like a wet fish that I’d be better off turning around and going back home.’
‘Tut, tut, tut. You poor little thing, so badly done to! But what can yer expect when yer come here hoping I’ll be dressed to the nines at this hour of the morning? How was I to know about Mrs Harwick?’ Molly put both hands on the table and pressed her face as close to her friend’s as she could. ‘Anyway, when did yer see the old lady? Yer didn’t go out visiting after yer left here yester
day, did yer?’
When Nellie shook her head her chins went haywire. ‘Now yer know I wouldn’t go visiting without you, girl! I wouldn’t do a thing like that, not to me best mate.’
‘Then how did yer see her?’
‘Well, this is how it happened, girl. George reminded me that there were only a few matches left in the box so I said I’d slip up to the corner shop to make sure we’d have enough for the morning. Anyway, Mrs Harwick was standing on her step, waving her daughter off, so I stopped to talk to her. Just being friendly, like, girl, same as anyone would be. And that’s when she told me that the bedroom she’d be having in Maghull was quite big so she was taking her own bedroom suite. There is furniture in the other bedroom, which is what she asked me if we’d like to have a look at before anyone else has the chance.’ Nellie took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. ‘That’s how it happened so are yer satisfied now, nosy poke?’
‘Of course I am, sunshine, I never doubted yer for a minute. But let me make the tea and then we can talk.’ Molly was back in minutes with two cups of tea and two custard creams. ‘They’re the last of the biscuits until I can scrounge some more off Maisie in the shop.’ She put them on the table and then sat facing her friend. ‘I had a word with our Jill about the furniture and her and Steve are not keen on buying second-hand furniture. They said they wouldn’t like to sleep in a bed that someone else had slept in.’
‘Oh, it’s a pity about them, then! Yer’d think they’d be glad of the opportunity to get some good, solid furniture. And anyway, they’re sleeping in a bed now that Corker used to sleep in! So what’s the difference?’
‘Well, for a start, one difference is that the bed they’re in now isn’t a permanent thing. When they get a place of their own they want everything new. And the other difference, sunshine, and it’s a big one, is that you and me are not Jill and Steve. It’s for them to say what they want, not us.’