by Joan Jonker
Then Nellie started wailing and hopping around. ‘Yer stood on me foot, yer stupid bugger. Ow, I’m in agony!’ Hopping on one foot, she kept up the crying while at the same time keeping a close eye on the figure on the ground ‘I bet she’s broken every one of me toes, and I’ll swear she did it on purpose.’
Tony was quite concerned. ‘Will yer let Nellie through, please, so she can lean on the counter and take her shoe off?’ There were many willing hands to help and soon she was leaning her two arms on the counter with her head bent and giving out noises which told of the great pain she was in. Tony bent down to ask, ‘D’yer want to sit in the stockroom, Nellie? It’s not very nice out there but at least there’s a chair to sit on.’
‘No, lad, I’ll be all right,’ said Nellie, playing the martyr. ‘Just give us a few minutes, that’s all.’ Then she turned her bowed head and surprised him with the devilment shining in her eyes. In a hushed voice, she said, ‘That’s paid her back for a few people. I’ve been dying to teach her a lesson.’
Tony was stunned for a few seconds, then he wanted to burst out laughing. But he couldn’t do that while one woman was picking herself up off the floor and another one was crying out in pretend agony. So he rubbed his forehead and tried to look serious. ‘You stay there until yer feel better, Nellie, and I’ll carry on serving.’
Everything had happened so quickly Molly’s head hadn’t caught up with events. She could see Nellie down by the counter and heard her cries, and she could see Elsie Flanaghan straightening herself up. And somewhere in her dazed mind she connected the two. She watched as the woman with the evil tongue bent down to pick up the turkey which had escaped from the bag and was lying on its back with its legs wide open. And then she sensed trouble as the said woman began to push her way towards the counter.
‘You cow! Yer tripped me up deliberate and ye’re not getting away with that so don’t think yer are. I’m not bleeding stupid, yer know.’ Elsie was raring for a fight. That was one way of restoring her dignity. ‘I’ll wait for yer outside.’
‘Now, come on, ladies, let’s have no talk of fighting.’ Tony thought if anyone imagined working in a butcher’s shop was dull they should come here for a day and they’d get all the laughter and excitement they wanted. ‘It’s obvious what happened, Elsie, yer stood on Nellie’s foot and lost yer balance. It could happen to anyone.’
‘Yeah,’ she agreed. ‘If yer had any manners yer’d apologise for nearly breaking me toes. But yer haven’t got any manners, have yer, Elsie? Yer don’t even know the meaning of the word.’
Oh, my God, Molly thought, she’s egging the woman on! Poor Tony’s going to have a fight on his hands in a full shop on the busiest day of the year! ‘Excuse me, will yer let me pass so I can get down to me friend, please?’ A passage was made for her and she found herself at the counter. But it wasn’t her mate she faced, it was the woman who was looking for trouble. ‘Go home, Elsie, and let the other customers get served. We’ve all got stacks of work to do at home and don’t have time to listen to you. If yer haven’t got the decency to apologise to my friend for the pain yer’ve caused, then go and find someone else to fight with. A mad dog if yer can find one.’
Everyone held their breath as Elsie squared up to Molly. Red in the face and with her nostrils flared, she pressed closer until their noses were almost touching. ‘You keep yer bleedin’ nose out of it unless yer want a go-along.’
‘Oh, aye, and who’s going to give it to me?’ Molly poked a stiffened finger into the woman’s chest. ‘You can try, but I definitely wouldn’t recommend it.’
Elsie knew she was on a hiding to nothing. The women in the shop were letting their disgust be heard now, and the flaming turkey under her arm was beginning to slip. ‘I couldn’t be arsed, ye’re not worth it.’ She stretched her neck to look around Molly to where Nellie was. ‘You tripped me up, yer bitch, and I haven’t finished with yer by a long chalk.’ With that she began to push her way through the crowd of women who jostled and pushed, making her exit far from easy.
Nellie stood up, her toes seemingly no longer hurting her. ‘Sod off, Elsie Flanaghan! Go where yer belong. To that place down below where a man with horns will make yer spend yer days shovelling coal on to a bloody big fire. The only difference between you and the devil is that yer can see his horns.’
Red in the face now, Elsie left the shop with laughter ringing in her ears. And she spent the night trying to figure out whether she had stood on Nellie McDonough’s toes and lost her balance, or whether the crafty cow had really tripped her up.
The two friends were laden down with shopping as they made their way up the street. ‘Well,’ Molly sighed, ‘it’s been some day this has. I’ve never known anything like it.’ She glanced sideways to where Nellie was puffing and blowing from the weight she was carrying. ‘Yer did trip her up on purpose, didn’t yer?’
Nellie put the heavy basket down. ‘Let’s stop for a minute, girl, me heart’s nearly bursting.’ She wiped the back of her hand across her forehead, took a deep breath and said, ‘Of course I did! She was asking for it, if ever anyone was. And before yer say I broke me promise, let me remind yer that I said I wouldn’t raise me hand to her. I wasn’t going to let yer down, girl, so I raised me foot. And I’m glad I did, she’s a horrible woman.’
‘Yer made a lot of people in that shop happy, sunshine, me included. And Tony was over the moon ’cos he can’t stand her. And guess what? He’s given us both a pound of sausages as a Christmas present. So we can have them with the turkey tomorrow.’
Nellie looked surprised. ‘He didn’t say nothing to me.’
‘He didn’t get a chance, did he? Yer were too busy nattering and blowing yer own trumpet. We’ll have to thank him after the holidays ’cos the turkeys he’d put away for us are whoppers.’
‘I know, I can tell by the weight. Me arm’s nearly pulled out of its socket. But we’ve done well, haven’t we, girl? All the shopping in, the tree and decorations up, and the washing and ironing aired and put away. We’ve never been so organised before.’
‘And we’ve never caused mayhem in a shop before. Poor Tony and Ellen were rushed off their feet as it was without you causing trouble.’
‘I didn’t cause no trouble, girl! All I did was stretch me foot ’cos I was getting cramp in it. How was I to know that someone was going to pass at exactly the same time? It was pure coincidence and that’s the story I’m sticking to.’
‘Ye’re a smasher, you are. At least life is never dull with you around.’ Molly picked up her basket and bags. ‘Come on, sunshine, I’m hoping to get the veg and potatoes done for tomorrow. I want this Christmas Day to be special, with all me family around me. And next year we’ll have an extra one with Doreen’s baby. Life is good, Nellie, and I’ve got no complaints.’
They began to walk slowly. ‘What time d’yer want me tomorrow night, girl?’
‘The gang are coming at eight, so say half-seven and yer can give me a hand if I need it. There won’t be much to do because Jill and Doreen will be making the cakes and seeing to the sandwiches. They said I can take it easy for a change.’ They stopped outside Molly’s house and she put her basket down to take the front-door key from her pocket. ‘Hang on till I open the door, Nellie, and throw this lot in the hall.’
‘Me flaming arms are dropping off, hurry up!’
‘All right, give me a chance!’ Molly quickly opened the door and put all her shopping inside before taking Nellie’s basket from her hand and placing it on the ground. Then she put her arms around her neighbour and hugged her tight before planting a kiss on her dear, chubby face. ‘A very merry Christmas, sunshine, the best friend anyone could have. May Father Christmas bring yer lots of presents.’
Nellie forgot her aching arms as her face creased into a smile. ‘And the same to you, girl. Me very best mate.’
Chapter 12
‘Tommy, give yer dad a hand to put the extension leaf in the table, sunshine, before yer go out.’ As Molly spoke
she was taking the chenille cloth off the table. She shook it several times before folding it into four and laying it over the back of a chair. ‘I don’t want to leave everything until the last minute.’
‘I’m not going round to Nan’s until all the family are here,’ Tommy told her. ‘I want to see Jill and Doreen to wish them all the best. And their husbands, of course.’
‘I’m glad ye’re going round there for yer Christmas dinner, I don’t feel so guilty now about not being able to have me ma and da here. No matter how I’ve tried to work it out, there’s no way I could get twelve around this table. It’s going to be a crush trying to cope with eight.’
Ruthie came down the stairs wearing the dress she’d got from Father Christmas. It was more grown-up than any of her other dresses and she thought she was the whole cheese. ‘How do I look, Mam?’ She did a twirl to show off the full skirt on the maroon, short-sleeved dress. The richness of the colour suited her blonde hair and gave her complexion a rosy glow. ‘It fits me smashing.’
‘Yer look lovely, sunshine.’ Molly felt her heart swell with pride. ‘Yer couldn’t have got one to suit yer better. What d’you think, Jack?’
‘He leaned back against the sideboard, and like his wife he was feeling proud. His youngest daughter was as pretty as her elder sisters and he could see her breaking a few hearts in the not too distant future. ‘Yer look beautiful, love, like a film star.’
Ruthie turned bright eyes to her brother. ‘What d’yer think, Tommy?’
His handsome face broke into a grin. ‘I’m thinking that if yer weren’t me sister, I’d be ditching Rosie and hanging around for a few years while yer grew up.’
All this praise, plus her first grown-up dress, had the girl brimming with happiness. She craned her neck to look in the mirror over the mantelpiece. Stroking her long blonde hair, she asked, ‘Can I go over and show Bella?’
Molly raised her brows. ‘Now, I think that would look like showing off, don’t you? I’m sure Mary will have bought Bella a nice new dress as well.’ Then she had a thought that would ease the disappointment. ‘Besides, it would spoil the surprise tonight when yer go to the Corkhills. Gordon and Peter will be wearing their new togs, and Bella, so it would spoil the effect if they’ve seen yours. Leave it until tonight, sunshine, then knock ’em dead.’
A wide grin showed her words had had the desired effect. In her mind, Ruthie imagined she could see amazement on Gordon’s face when he saw her all dolled up. And it was Gordon she most wanted to impress. Because he was working now he thought himself all grown up, but when he saw her in this dress he’d realise she was growing up too, and would be leaving school in a few months’ time. ‘Yeah, ye’re right, Mam, I’ll knock ’em dead tonight.’
‘In the meantime, go and change into something else or wear a pinny over it,’ Molly said. ‘Knowing you, ye’re bound to get it dirty.’
When they heard her running up the stairs, Jack said, ‘I’m beginning to feel old, love. What with Doreen expecting a baby, and me youngest daughter growing up quick, they’re putting years on me.’
‘Go ’way, Dad, we’ll keep yer young! By the time yer’ve got a few grandchildren yer won’t have time to grow old.’ Tommy gestured for his father to stand at the other end of the table and they both pulled until it was extended to its full length. ‘Where’s the other leaf, Mam?’
‘It’s on top of the wardrobe in the front bedroom wrapped in an old sheet so it doesn’t get scratched. The size of you, yer won’t need to stand on anything to get it. But be careful, sunshine, this table’s got to last us a good few years yet.’
‘Have we got enough chairs to go round?’ Jack asked. ‘There’ll be eight of us, yer know.’
‘I know that, soft lad, I’m not thick. We’ve got six, with the one out of the bedroom and the one I call Nellie’s chair. And Phil’s bringing a couple over with him so that’s enough to seat everyone for dinner. The table should look nice and colourful when it’s set, with the crackers and the presents. I feel quite chuffed with meself.’
With both children upstairs, Jack took the opportunity to put his arms around his wife. ‘Can I have a proper kiss now? The one yer gave me when we were exchanging presents was more a peck than a kiss.’
Molly smiled into his eyes. ‘Hurry up, then, before they come down.’ The kiss held all the love he felt for her and she sighed with pleasure. ‘Yer might be getting older, sunshine, but yer can still send a shiver down me spine.’
‘Yer do more than that for me, love.’ Jack nuzzled her neck. ‘I wish it was the kids down here and us upstairs. And we can’t even look forward to an early night in bed.’
Molly heard footsteps on the stairs and broke away. ‘It’ll be a long day today, and I’ll be on me feet most of it. Still, never mind, eh, ’cos we can have a nice lie in in the morning.’
Tommy stood the heavy extension leaf down. ‘Yer can have a real easy day tomorrow, Mam, ’cos yer won’t have any cooking to do. Rosie’s over the moon that we’re going there for dinner, she’s got it all planned.’
‘It’s a lot to cook for, sunshine, will she be able to manage?’
‘Rosie’s a wizard at cooking, Mam, so don’t worry about that.’ Tommy grinned. ‘Her mammy taught her how to cook, and a saying to go with it.’ He cleared his throat and spoke in an Irish accent ‘“Me mammy said a cook’s only as good as the utensils she’s got. And it’s true right enough, so it is. For where would a cook be without a knife or a pan?”’
‘I can’t wait to meet her parents, they sound real characters,’ Molly said. ‘And I want to see if Rosie’s beauty comes from her mother or her father?’
Tommy looked pleased. ‘She is beautiful, isn’t she, Mam?’
Molly nodded. ‘In every way, son, inside and out. You’ve got yerself a very special girl in Rosie O’Grady. But then, Steve and Phil are lucky, too, they’ve got special girls. Yer two sisters are very beautiful, sunshine, and I’m not saying that just ’cos I’m their mother either.’
‘Yer don’t see yer sisters in that same light as yer see yer girlfriend, Mam, ’cos yer’ve seen them every day of yer life and take them for granted. But that’s not to say I don’t know how lovely they are, or that they get their looks from you.’
‘Oh, the boy deserves a kiss for that.’ Molly nearly smothered him. ‘It’s nice to get a compliment, son, they come few and far between these days.’
‘Well, I like that!’ Jack scratched his head. ‘I’m always paying yer compliments but I notice I don’t get any back.’
‘That’s ’cos I don’t want to make yer big-headed, love. There’s nothing worse than a vain man who thinks he’s God’s gift to women.’
Ruthie had heard the remarks on her way down the stairs. ‘I hope I get some compliments tonight or I won’t speak to Gordon again.’
‘D’yer know, I feel heartily sorry for that lad,’ Tommy said with a grin. ‘Barely fifteen and spoken for already. It’s like those arranged marriages yer hear about in foreign countries where the boy or girl is spoken for as soon as they’re born.’
‘I see Gordon’s got friendly with the new boy, Jeffrey, I’ve seen them talking in the street a few times. In fact, unless I’m hearing things, I think Ellen said he’s been asked to go to theirs tonight.’ Molly turned her head to hide a smile. ‘So with a bit of luck yer might cop off with him, sunshine. He’s a nice-looking lad and not to be sneezed at.’
‘I don’t want to cop off with him!’ Ruthie’s retort came fast. ‘He’s not as good-looking as Gordon, not a patch on him.’
‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, sunshine. You might find someone ugly and another person might find them beautiful.’
‘Yeah, this Jeffrey might think you’ve got a face like the back of a bus and take a fancy to Bella! She’s a nice-looking kid.’ Tommy concentrated for a minute as he helped his dad to fit the leaf into the middle of the table. Then he went on, ‘Anyway, both those lads are too young to be bothered with girls.’
‘Ay, you’ve got a short memory, me lad,’ Molly laughed. ‘Rosie and you were only fifteen when she put a tick by your name. Yer couldn’t stand the sight of her and used to run a mile if yer knew she was coming here.’ She looked with affection at the son she loved dearly. ‘I don’t want to embarrass yer but me and yer dad often talk about those days, and they should bring back fond memories for you. I’ll never forget the first night she came here with me ma and da. It was her first day in Liverpool and the poor girl must have felt lost and missing her family. But she took one look at you and said, “Sure, it’s a foine figure of a man yer are, Tommy Bennett, and that’s the truth of it.” And you blushed to the roots of yer hair and asked me to shut her up. And when she wouldn’t, yer ran up the stairs with her shouting after yer, “Have yer got a girlfriend, Tommy?”’
‘I do remember it, Mam, she used to terrify me. I would avoid her like the plague until the night Ginger asked me to put in a good word for him. He wanted to ask her for a date but didn’t have the nerve. And that was the night I started to see Rosie in a different light. I was jealous and wouldn’t let poor Ginger get a look in after that.’
‘She gave yer a run for yer money in the end, though, didn’t she?’
Tommy allowed his mind to go back over the years and he burst out laughing. ‘The night I plucked up the courage to ask her for a date, d’yer know what she said? “Yer’ll have to ask me Aunt Bridget, Tommy Bennett.” I must have looked a right nit standing there with me mouth open and reminding her that her Aunt Bridget was my nan. It didn’t do any good, either! If I wanted a date I had to ask permission.’
Jack’s chuckle was loud and hearty. ‘And did yer ask yer nan for permission?’
‘After a fashion. Me nan and granda took pity on me, I think. Ginger didn’t, though, he said I’d played a lousy trick on him. We nearly fell out over it. We had the first fight we’d had since the day we started school together. That’s not counting the times he got me into trouble for breaking windows. It was his ball, but he used to tuck it under his arm and run hell for leather, leaving me to take the blame.’