by Joan Jonker
Molly tilted her head and smiled at the two Corkhill girls who so far hadn’t said a word. ‘Are you two looking forward to it?’
‘Oh, yes, Auntie Molly,’ Phoebe said, ‘very much so. Me and Dorothy talk about it in bed every night, don’t we, kid?’
Dorothy beamed. ‘Oh, yeah, and I’ve been bragging to all me mates in work. Some of them are coming along to see the wedding and they’re bringing confetti.’
‘That’s nice.’ Molly closed her eyes for a second. She was so, so tired, and was longing for her bed. ‘I think we’ve covered everything so I suggest we call it a day. I’ve told Jack he’s to have no more than two pints, he should be in any time. Then I’m up those stairs to my bed. I’ll sleep without rocking tonight.’
‘I’ll take Rosie home and come straight back, Mam, I’ll only be fifteen minutes.’ Tommy scraped his chair back. ‘Let’s all go and give me mam a bit of peace.’
Jill hung back after everyone had gone. ‘Steve said he’d come down for me so I may as well wait. It’ll be funny coming back here tomorrow night to sleep, like old times.’
‘It’s only for the one night, sunshine, that’s all. I don’t know how long Rosie’s parents are staying, but she said it won’t be long because they have the farm and cattle to see to. If it’s only for a few days more, I’ll ask Mary Watson if Ruthie can sleep with Bella and they can stay here. Anyway, it’ll be handy for yer, seeing as ye’re matron of honour and yer dress is here. And I can rely on yer to make sure the others are ready in time for the cars coming. Oh, and don’t forget to make sure the front door is closed properly when yer leave . . .’
There was a tap on the window and Jill jumped to her feet. ‘This will be Steve, Mam, but I won’t ask him in, yer’ve had enough visitors for one day.’ She kissed her mother’s cheek. ‘I love you, Mam.’
‘And I love you, sunshine. Explain to Steve that I’m really bushed, and it’s not because I don’t want to see him.’
‘He’ll understand. Goodnight and God bless. Ta-ra, Ruthie, and don’t forget ye’re sharing yer bed with me tomorrow night.’
‘I hope yer don’t snore and keep me awake.’
Jill had her hand on the front door. ‘If my memory serves me right, you can send them up with the best. So if I do snore, I’ll try and keep in harmony with yer.’
Steve tucked Jill’s arm through his. ‘I met Tommy and Rosie so I know everything’s been sorted, right down to the last detail.’ He squeezed her hand. ‘Did yer get a chance to tell yer mam yer’d been to the doctor’s?’
She shook her head. ‘Me mam is worn out, Steve. She’s got enough on her mind without me telling her I’m expecting a baby. I don’t want to tell her while she’s tired, and with so many other things to think of.’ Jill smiled up at him. ‘I know ye’re dying to tell everyone but when I tell me mam and dad, I want to see them jumping for joy, full of happiness. And, anyway, the next few days belong to Rosie and Tommy. Let’s wait until their big day is over before breaking the news.’
‘You’re right, of course, love, I shouldn’t be so selfish. It’s just that I want the whole world to know how thrilled and proud I am. And another thing, we’ll have to tell Mrs Corkhill soon, ’cos we’ll have to start looking for somewhere else to live.’
‘I know, it’s only right she should be told. She’s been so good to us, and I won’t half miss her when we’ve got to leave. If yer like, we can tell her tonight and ask her to keep it to herself until next week? We’ll both feel better once she knows.’
‘Yes, okay. Will you tell her, or shall I?’
‘I’ll tell her, it’s only right. But if I go all shy and get stuck, you help me out.’
Lizzie Corkhill was listening to a play on the wireless but she turned the volume down when she heard the couple coming in. ‘It’s not much good, so don’t worry. A murder mystery they said it was, but I’ll bet a pound to a pinch of snuff that it was the feller next door what did it. It’s sticking out a mile.’
‘You go ahead and listen to it,’ Steve said. ‘We don’t mind. Besides, if yer don’t listen to the end yer’ll always wonder whether it was the feller next door.’
‘Nah! I don’t really care who did it, ’cos the bloke what got killed was a rotter and he deserved to die.’ Lizzie put her hands on the wooden arms of her chair and pushed herself up. ‘I’ll make us a nice cuppa.’
‘Would yer leave it for a minute, Mrs Corkhill? We’ve got something to tell yer.’
Lizzie let herself drop down into the chair again. ‘Oh, aye, queen, is it about the wedding?’
Jill looked down at her clasped hands as she felt her face colouring. Then a voice in her head reminded her she was a married woman now, and an expectant mother to boot. It was about time she gave shyness its marching orders. ‘I took time off work this morning, Mrs Corkhill, to go to the doctor’s. I wasn’t sure, yer see, but he confirmed that I’m expecting a baby. I’m only nine or ten weeks, but me and Steve thought we should let yer know that we’ll be looking for somewhere to live, save yer worrying.’
‘Oh, I am glad for yer, for both of yer.’ But Lizzie’s happiness was tinged with sadness. She’d come to love this young couple, they were like family to her now and she couldn’t imagine the house without them. She dreaded the thought of being lonely, with no one to watch for coming home from work every night. Then she took a deep breath. She was being selfish, just thinking of herself. ‘I bet yer mam and dad are over the moon?’
‘We haven’t told them yet, Mrs Corkhill,’ Steve said. ‘They’ve got enough on their plate right now so we’ve decided to leave it until after the wedding. We’re hoping yer won’t mention it to anyone just yet, not until we’ve told our parents. We just thought you should know what’s going on, and to put yer mind at rest, so yer won’t worry.’
‘And why d’yer think I’ll worry, son?’
‘That we don’t find somewhere to live before the baby’s born. But we will, Mrs Corkhill, we’ll start looking first thing next week.’
The old lady looked thoughtful for a while then she asked, ‘Do either of yer want to live somewhere else?’
‘It’s not a case of wanting to,’ Jill told her. ‘But we can’t expect you to let us stay here with a baby.’
‘Why ever not?’
‘It wouldn’t be fair on yer! Yer’ve been so good to us, taking us in when we had nowhere to live and letting us treat the house as if it was our home. We wouldn’t expect yer to put up with a baby as well.’
‘Listen, queen, do I have any say in this matter?’
‘Of course yer do, Mrs Corkhill, but me and Steve understand how concerned yer must be. And we don’t want yer to feel embarrassed or worried.’
‘Listen to me, the pair of yer. Answer me truthfully. Do yer really want to move out of here and live somewhere else?’
Jill and Steve looked at each other before answering. Then Steve said, ‘I don’t want to move, I’ve been very happy here. But, unfortunately, needs must.’
‘I don’t want to move either!’ Jill was close to tears. ‘But having a baby here would disrupt yer whole way of life, Mrs Corkhill, and we wouldn’t put yer through that.’
Lizzie sat up straight and folded her arms. ‘Now let me have my say. I love having yer here and don’t want yer to leave. I’d be very lonely without yer. And having a baby in the house would be a wonderful tonic for me. Yer see, a baby brings love with it, not worry or disruption. So now yer know how I feel, yer can make up yer mind what yer want to do. The decision is entirely up to you.’
After one glance at each other, Jill and Steve moved quickly over to Lizzie’s chair. And for one moment, the old lady thought she was going to topple backwards. Then she was just righting herself when she thought she was going to be smothered under an avalanche of kisses and hugs. When she could speak, she gasped, ‘I take it ye’re staying then?’
‘Oh, yes, please, Mrs Corkhill!’ Jill was so relieved she felt light-headed. ‘Both me and Steve were dreading the tho
ught of leaving yer, weren’t we, Steve?’
The dimples in his cheeks deep, he said, ‘Yer see before yer the happiest man in the City of Liverpool.’
As Molly watched Rosie bobbing up and down and moving from side to side so she wouldn’t miss any of the passengers coming off the Dublin boat, her mind went back six years. It was in this very spot that she’d stood with her ma and Nellie, waiting for Rosie’s arrival. At the time she’d thought her mother was doing the wrong thing by taking in an unknown girl of fifteen. In fact she’d tried to talk her out of it. But she’d been wrong because Rosie had brought happiness and love to her parents, and to everyone else who came to know her. Particularly Tommy.
‘There they are, Auntie Molly!’ Rosie darted forward, and because there were so many passengers coming off the boat, Molly had a job to keep up with her. When she saw three people with their arms around each other, crying with happiness, she remained at a distance. How those parents must have missed their beautiful daughter! She couldn’t imagine what it would be like if she didn’t see one of her girls for six years. But they’d parted with Rosie for her own good. The family were poor, there was no work, and they’d wanted to give her a chance in life. A big sacrifice to make for someone you love.
‘Auntie Molly, this is me mammy, and this is me daddy.’
Molly found herself looking in to a beautiful face. The black hair had many strands of white running through it, but the deep blue eyes were the same as Rosie’s and so were the rosy red cheeks. ‘I can see where Rosie gets her looks from, she’s the image of yer.’ It seemed natural to hold out her arms to give and receive a kiss. ‘Cead mile failte, Mrs O’Grady. A hundred thousand welcomes to Liverpool.’
‘Sure, me name’s Monica, so it is, and doesn’t it sound more friendly? And this handsome man standing here is me darlin’ husband, Mick.’
Under a mop of mousy-coloured hair there was a weather-beaten face that told of the many hours out in all weathers tending to animals and the vegetable plot that had often saved them from starvation in the bad years. It was an open face, one to which you took an instant liking, and the twinkle in his eyes warned of a wicked sense of humour. ‘It’s glad I am to meet yer, Molly, we’ve heard so much about yer in Rosie’s letters.’ His handshake was firm. ‘And it’s grateful we are to yer for taking such good care of our daughter.’
‘Oh, that has been our pleasure, I can assure yer. Rosie is loved by everyone.’ Molly eyed the battered case he was carrying. ‘We’ll get going because me ma will be pacing the floor. She can’t wait to meet yer. The tram stop is this way.’ She held out her hand. ‘I’ll carry the case for yer, Mick, to give yer a break.’
‘Not at all, not at all!’ Monica said, waving an arm. ‘Sure, he’s as strong as an ox, so he is.’
‘If that’s true,’ Molly laughed, ‘I’ll not tangle with him.’
They were soon sitting on the tram leaving the Pier Head, Monica and Mick wide-eyed. ‘Will yer look at the foine buildings? Sure, I’ve never see anything like them in me whole life.’
‘It’s grand they are, right enough,’ Mick said, turning in his seat to get a better view of the Liver Buildings. ‘Sure, Liverpool must be a very big city indeed.’
But as the tram trundled on its way, Rosie pointed out to her parents the damage inflicted on the city by the German bombs. Open spaces where blocks of offices had once stood, and the department stores which were now empty shells. Houses which were once happy homes now lay in ruins, and whole communities were split up.
Monica was wringing her hands. ‘Oh, dear God in heaven, how could anyone be so wicked as to bomb all those buildings and people’s homes? But, sure, won’t they be punished when the time comes? They’ll not get into heaven, and that’s a fact.’
It was on the tip of Molly’s tongue to say that buildings could be replaced while the thousands of lives lost in the raids could not. But she didn’t say what was on her mind because the O’Gradys had come over for a joyous occasion and not to be made sad. ‘Well, we’ve dusted ourselves off since Hitler, and in a few years Liverpool will be rebuilt and thriving again.’ She changed the subject. ‘Me ma is really looking forward to seeing yer. You’re a little bit of the land she still calls home.’
‘Does she now?’ The face that was so like Rosie’s broke into a smile. ‘Bless the darlin’ woman for not forgetting dear old Ireland. Sure, I always say that no matter how far yer travel in life, yer never forget the place where yer were born. Especially somewhere as beautiful as the Emerald Isle.’
Rosie, who was sitting in the seat behind with her father, tapped Molly on the shoulder. ‘Me mammy was always saying that, and it’s true, so it is. I love Liverpool, and the people who have been so kind to me here, but part of me will always be in Glendalough.’
‘Then ye’re going to have to save up and go over for a holiday, sunshine. I’m sure Tommy would love to see the place yer were born.’ Molly looked through the window of the tram and realised the next stop was theirs. ‘This is where we get off.’
Bridie was standing on the step waiting for them. When they turned the corner of the street she dashed back inside. ‘They’re here, me darlin’, so I’ll turn the light up under the kettle.’ After a quick look around to make sure everywhere was tidy, she stood in front of the mirror over the fireplace and patted her hair, excitement on her face and in her movements. ‘Will I do?’
‘Yer look lovely, as always, sweetheart,’ Bob said. ‘Now go and greet them at the door.’
Monica looked around the small living room and took in how neat and tidy it was, and how spotlessly clean. Then she turned to the two elderly people who had given their daughter a home and plenty of love, who had lain with her when she was crying because she missed her family and was home-sick. All this they’d been told in letters from Rosie, and the kindness she saw in their two faces told her these people had a lot of love to give.
Rosie’s eyes were bright with happiness. ‘This is me Aunt Bridget, Mammy, and me Uncle Bob.’
‘It’s very welcome to our home yer are.’ The two women shared a long embrace while Bob thought Mick would surely shake his arm out of its socket.
It was a lovely, heartwarming scene which had Molly feeling in her pocket for a hankie. ‘I’ll make us a cuppa. I think we could all do with one.’ The delicious smell in the kitchen had her popping her head around the door. ‘What have yer got in the oven, Ma, it’s got me mouth watering?’
‘It’s a steak and kidney pie, sweetheart, and don’t be opening the oven door or ye’ll spoil it. I thought we’d have a very early dinner ’cos I bet Monica and Mick haven’t had a hot meal since early yesterday.’
‘Oh, I packed a load of sandwiches, so I did, and they kept the hunger at bay. But I’d not be saying no to a piece of that heavenly smell.’
While Molly was waiting for the kettle to boil, she put a light under the pan of potatoes on the stove. Then she leaned back against the sink and listened to the lilt of Irish voices. Her ma was in her element, asking question after question about folk she could remember who would be the same age as herself now. And Rosie wanted to know all about her brother and sister, and clapped her hands in joy when she heard they were both courting.
Molly left them to it and got on with making the dinner. When it was ready to serve, she called through to ask Rosie to set the table. ‘I’m giving meself some, Ma, I can’t resist it.’
‘It was a noisy meal, with everyone happy to be together and the conversation non-stop. There was praise and appreciation for Bridie’s baking, and when the meal was over everyone sat back with a full tummy.
‘I’ll have to get home and see to a dinner for me family now,’ Molly said, ‘but I’ll be around later to take yer to meet Lizzie Corkhill, whose house yer’ll be sleeping in tonight. Then I want yer to come to my house and meet me family. They’re really looking forward to meeting Rosie’s mam and dad. And at eight o’clock my husband and two of his mates are taking yer to the pub for a drink, Mick.
They won’t keep yer out late ’cos it’s a big day for yer tomorrow. Yer want to look yer best when yer walk down the aisle with yer lovely daughter on yer arm.’
‘It’s a proud man I’ll be, Molly, and that’s the truth of it. Oh, I’ll be nervous, right enough, but I hope I won’t put a foot wrong. I’ll not spoil Rosie’s big day.’
‘If there’s anything yer want to know, Mick, then ask Jack. He walked down the aisle with a daughter on each arm last year, and yer’ll be meeting yer future son-in-law tonight so yer can have a good chat with him. And although I shouldn’t be the one to say it, sure me son is a foine figure of a man – beef to the heel like a Mullingar heifer, so he is.’
Molly’s excellent attempt at the Irish lilt brought forth a burst of laughter, and also a hug from her future daughter-in-law. ‘Auntie Molly, yer have a son to be proud of, and I thank yer for giving me a husband I love with all my heart.’
Monica met her husband’s eyes. They knew now that although they’d always miss their daughter, they would never have to worry about her. These were good people, they’d take good care of her.
Chapter 28
Molly woke at six o’clock on Saturday morning, and try as she might, she couldn’t drop off to sleep again. She slipped her legs over the side of the bed and tip-toed to the window. Lifting the curtain, she saw a bright blue sky with a splash of gold which meant the sun was waking up. It was going to be a lovely day. ‘Thank you, God,’ she said softly.
Creeping across the floor and stepping over the floorboards she knew would creak, she opened the door without making a sound. There was no point in waking Jack, he may as well have another hour. Molly grinned as she made her way down the stairs. He hadn’t half enjoyed himself last night when he, Corker and George had taken Mick to the corner pub. He said the Irishman had a wonderful, dry sense of humour and had them in stitches. Tommy had gone along, too, but he’d stayed for just one pint because the only thing he could concentrate on was the wedding.