Christmas to Come: a heartbreaking coming of age saga set in London's East End

by Carol Rivers

'I think you should.'

  Bella sighed deeply. 'He won't like it I know.'

  'Has Mary shacked up with anyone else?'

  'No, but she's as bitter as ever and hasn't got two pennies to rub together.'

  'Is she still on the game?' he asked sharply.

  'No, I don't think so. She said she's scrubbing floors.'

  Ronnie drove them in silence; Bella knew he would never forgive Mary for her sins of the past and now she had brought another unwanted child into the world. A little girl who was suffering the same agony as she and Terry had gone through.

  Bella watched Ronnie hammer on the door until Mary finally opened it. 'I've brought a doctor to see Teresa,' Bella said nodding to the tall, brown-haired man standing beside her. And you already know Ronnie.'

  'You can all clear off. I don't want nothing to do with that scum,' she hissed, pointing at Ronnie. 'And anyway, my Teresa don't need a doctor.'

  'I looked through the window.'

  'You nosey cow.'

  'You'd better let us in Mum. I told you once I'll support you, but only on my terms. If you turn us away now, you'll never see a penny again.'

  Mary swayed, leaning against the door. Her eyes were glassy and unfocused, her skin blotched by dirt and stale make-up. Bella strode past her and Ronnie and Dr Cox followed.

  'Meter's empty,' Mary slurred after them. 'So don't expect any light.'

  Ronnie found the meter and pushed in some coins. The prefab walls were so damp they had tidemarks running round them. The smell of mould was everywhere.

  Dr Cox went into the bedroom and bent down to the little girl lying on the mattress. Gently he folded back the dirty cover.

  'How long has she been like this?' he asked Mary sharply.

  'Oh, she's always coughing. And what do you expect living in a place like this?' Mary slumped into an old armchair in the corner, her head lolling to one side.

  'This place is filthy,' Bella said. 'Don't you ever clean it?'

  Mary cackled drunkenly. 'What's the point? You can't clean away damp. This is how the other half live whilst you eejits enjoy yourselves in your nice posh houses.'

  Bella saw her mother was wearing the same old brown coat that she had worn before Christmas. Her hair hung down in matted tangles from her head and something crawled across her collar.

  'You've not changed, Mary Doyle.' Ronnie's voice was filled with disgust. 'Not that I believed you ever would.'

  'Judge me, would you, you bugger!' Mary pointed a finger stained with nicotine. 'It was you that interfered in my life and took away the only soul that ever cared about Mary Doyle and her kids. You made him a cripple and I'll never forgive you for that. He was my man and he looked after us until you decided to stick your oar in.'

  'This child is very sick.' Dr Cox put away his stethoscope. 'She is suffering from malnutrition and a serious chest infection.' He stared at Mary. 'Where is her father?'

  Mary was too drunk to reply and Dr Cox looked at Bella.

  'He's dead,' Bella told him.

  'What about relatives, friends?'

  'Just me. Teresa is my half-sister.'

  He nodded slowly, letting out a long sigh. 'She can't stay here, obviously. Her lungs are congested and she'll need penicillin to clear them. If there's no where else for her to go, I'll admit her to hospital.'

  'I'll take care of her,' Bella said at once. 'Just tell me what to do.'

  'My girl's going nowhere!' Mary shouted suddenly, trying to push the hair from her eyes. 'She's my kid, not yours.'

  'So what is your suggestion?' Dr Cox demanded. 'Are you capable of looking after her? Can you provide good food, warmth and care?'

  Mary waved a filthy hand. 'Ah, be off with you, you quack! Can't you see I'm ill meself.'

  'Nothing that sobriety won't cure,' he replied, shutting his case with a snap. 'If you fail to cooperate, I shall call the authorities and inform them of the suffering you have imposed on this child.'

  'Threats to her are like water on a duck's back,' Ronnie growled as he slid his hand inside his coat. 'There is only one language that Mary Doyle understands.' Opening his wallet he took out a five-pound note and dropped it into her lap. Then he walked over to Teresa and lifted her gently into his arms.

  'You think money will buy me? His money?' Mary cried as they all went out.

  'Are you saying you don't want it, then?'

  'Jay-sus, girl, you have a hard heart. You'd leave your poor mother to fend for herself, would you? Sure, you won't even know if I die.'

  Bella felt sick at heart as she left. In spite of everything Mary was still her mother and the ties of blood were strong.

  'Here is a my prescription and I'll call to see her tomorrow,' Dr Cox told them as Ronnie lay Teresa on the back seat of the car.

  'Thank you for coming, Dr Cox.'

  'It's unimaginable how some people live,' he muttered before he walked to his own car and drove away.

  'I hope you know what you're doing,' Ronnie said as they made their way back to Piper Street. 'You mother will milk this situation for it's worth.'

  Bella glanced round at Teresa, covered in that filthy blanket. She knew Ronnie was right. But what else could she do for the child?

  That night, after she had fed and cleaned Teresa, brushing out her hair and checking for lice, Bella tucked the child into a warm bed. She wore Michael's spare set of pyjamas, which had brought the first smile to her face. When she was comfortable, propped up by pillows, Michael brought in his toys.

  'She's too tired to play tonight,' Bella whispered when Teresa fell asleep. 'But you'll have plenty of time tomorrow. Now go and say goodnight to Uncle Ron whilst I turn back your covers.'

  Bella went into Michael's room and prepared his bed, resting his teddy on the pillow. When he came in, he put his arms round her neck. 'Uncle Ronnie says he'll take me up the park on Sunday.'

  'That's nice. Now climb in.'

  'Will Teresa be better tomorrow?' he asked as he snuggled down.

  'I hope so.' Bella drew the white sheet over him as his eyes began to close.

  'When's Daddy coming home?'

  'Soon.'

  He yawned as his eyes closed. 'I'm not tired yet.'

  Bella smiled as she walked to the door. 'You will be soon.'

  Outside in the hall she heard coughing. Quietly she went to the spare room.

  'Is Mum all right?' Teresa whispered.

  'Of course she is. It's you that we've got to get better.'

  'I didn't want to go to hospital. I'm glad I came here.'

  'I am too. Now close your eyes and rest.'

  Bella returned to the sitting room where Ronnie was sitting by the fire. She sank down in the chair.

  'Is there anything I can do to help?' Ronnie asked.

  'No, you got her medicine. I think she'll sleep now.'

  'The doctor said he'd call tomorrow.'

  Bella smiled. 'He was very good to leave his patients.'

  Ronnie frowned in the firelight. 'I've seen some bad sights but Collier Street beats most of them.'

  'Mum said it was damp when the council put them there.'

  Ronnie nodded. 'Prefabs were only meant as stopgaps after the war. But it's filthy too, and you can't blame that on the council.'

  'Bow Street wasn't much better.'

  'As I said earlier, she doesn't change.'

  Bella glanced at him. 'I don't like the sound of Teresa's chest, Ron. She's very wheezy. It reminds me of how Terry used to be. And he still goes down badly when he gets a cold.'

  'How is he doing at the garage?'

  Bella smiled. 'He loves it. I don't see much of him now as he's always there. It's his second home and Milo treats him very well, pays him out of his own pocket too, if he's done a good job.'

  'It's Micky's job to do that, isn't it?' Ronnie asked, suddenly looking up.

  'Micky's not always around on pay-day, so he settles up with Milo when he seems him.' Bella didn't mention the Fortune taking up more and more of Micky's time
as she sensed it was a sore subject with Ronnie.

  Ronnie gave a soft sigh and shrugged. 'Well, just as long as Terry seems happy enough.' He stretched his back and stood up. 'I'm off then. When will Micky be home?'

  'Oh, soon, I'm sure,' she nodded.

  'Do you want me to stay?'

  Bella shook her head quickly. 'No, I've got things to do and the dinner to cook.' She walked with him to the door.

  'Try not to worry,' he told her gently. 'And if there is anything you want – just ask.'

  'Thanks, Ron.'

  Bella listened to the sound of his boots on the steps. What would she have done without his help today?

  It was past midnight when Micky arrived home. The airey was still warm and the standard lamp was giving out a soft light. He took off his coat and hung it on the back of a chair, flexing his knuckles and stretching his arms as he did so. He felt as though he had run into a brick wall. Which, in a sense he had. The car had glanced him, sending him crashing into the alley and the dustbins, rolling along the cobbles until he'd ended up by the railings. He was cornered then, boxed in when McNee's two heavies climbed out and strode towards him. They would have knocked six bells out of him if Ivor and his mates hadn't come out of the club.

  Micky felt the tiredness sweep over him. His body needed time to recover, not that his injuries had affected him last night. The memory of Suzy's hard, firm breasts pressed against him, her lips and her eagerness to please still lingered. He would have to find another gaff though. Her one room was a dump. If he invested in a flat in Soho, she could visit him there. And now that Norman had sold the Aldgate flat to a tight-fisted old bookmaker, he needed somewhere else for Leyla. As soon as he had taken care of McNee he would see to it.

  Micky stood, massaging his bruised sides and thinking about Leyla, Suzi and the new smoke that was coming in with the Jamaicans. Powerful stuff, their baccy, as he and Suzi could testify. Trouble was, he had lost twenty-four hours from his life whilst smoking it. Now he had to think of an excuse for Bells.

  He was about to find himself a beer when he heard a strange noise, like someone coughing. He moved into the dark passage, following the sounds. He looked in on young Michael who was fast asleep and opened the door of his and Bella's bedroom. The bed was made up with no one it. Puzzled, Micky continued to the spare bedroom where the coughing noises seemed to have come from.

  Bella appeared, closing the door behind her. 'Micky! I didn't hear you come in.'

  'Who's in there?' he demanded suspiciously.

  'A very sick little girl,' his wife told him softly.

  'What's she doing here?'

  Bella crooked her finger and whispered, 'Come and sit by the fire and I'll tell you all about it.'

  After Micky had eaten his dinner, Bella told him everything. 'Why didn't you tell me about Mary?' Micky asked, frowning.

  'I didn't want to upset you.'

  'You can say that again! Is she still on the game?'

  'No, she's cleaning floors.'

  'Huh, pull the other one!' he muttered. 'Are you sure this kid is hers?'

  'You've only got to look at Teresa to see she's a Doyle.'

  'After what your mother did to you and Terry, how can you get back with her?'

  'I'm not, Micky,' Bella protested indignantly. 'If it hadn't been for our son making a friend of Teresa, I wouldn't have set eyes on her again.'

  'Are you sure she's on her own?'

  'She's a widow, like I told you.' Bella didn't explain how bitter Mary had sounded over Jack Router's death. She knew it would make him angry.

  'Good riddance to bad rubbish, that's all I have to say.' Micky narrowed his eyes. 'Is it catching, what this kid has got,?'

  'No. She's ill because the prefab is so damp. The water is running down the walls and the smell is awful. She didn't even have a proper bed. The medicine the doctor gave me should help the chest infection. That and clean air to breathe and some nourishing food. You do see how I couldn't leave her there? She's my little sister after all.'

  Micky sank his face into his hands and drew them up into his hair. 'Did the old witch ask after Terry?'

  'No.'

  'You mean she still doesn't even know if he's alive or dead!' Micky demanded furiously. 'Nothing's changed, has it? All she cares about is getting down the boozer.'

  They sat in silence for a while until Bella felt it was safe to ask her all-important question. 'Micky, I've been worried about you. Where have you been?'

  'At the club, of course.'

  'You've been away two days,' she reminded him. 'I've been really worried.'

  'No you haven't. You've been playing Florence Nightingale and enjoying yourself.'

  'Micky, that not true. You could have got word to me, somehow.'

  'Now don't start on me, Bells. I've had enough for one week. I'm not best pleased with the news you've brought me this evening. What with this kid and the club - '

  Alarmed, Bella asked, 'Has there been trouble, then?'

  He lowered his empty glass to the floor and sat back. 'Yeah, a bit. Just don't say I told you so, all right? A couple of locals gave us aggro and we had to show them the door. I stuck around in case they came back, that's all.'

  'Were they Billy McNee's men?'

  He rolled his eyes. 'Course not. I told you, he won't bother us again.'

  'You never know, Micky.'

  'Look, Bells, I'm not having a go at you about that kid in there, am I? Fair's fair now. I can see you was in a spot and did the best you could. You never know what's round the corner, the perfect example being your old girl. If I told you last year that a kid sister would be appear on the scene you would have laughed in my face, wouldn't you?'

  'Yes, but I didn't have a choice in all this Micky. You did. You needn't have gone into business with Ivor.'

  'We've been over this before,' he replied irritably, his face angry again. 'The money I earn provides a good life for us. It allows you to stay at home and look after Michael and not work your fingers to the bone like some have to do. You don't want for nothing, neither does our son. And whilst that little girl is under our roof, neither will she. In fact I'm willing to bet your old lady has tapped you up already.'

  Bella dropped her gaze, knowing Micky could see right through her.

  'It's all right, love, don't worry, I know the position you're in,' Mick said in an understanding tone. 'Your mother is skint and you aren't. But she can sniff the ackers a mile off and it wouldn't surprise me if she had all this planned from the start.'

  'She didn't, Micky. It was me that called on her.'

  'Yeah, but how do you know she didn't spot you and Michael at St Nicholas? She told you herself that she's been a year in Collier Street. Maybe she's been looking for you ever since he pegged it.'

  'I never thought of that.'

  'Bit of a coincidence all this, isn't it?'

  Bella didn't know what to think. Would Mary really be so conniving?

  'Picture this,' Micky continued. 'The old boy kicks the bucket. She's on her uppers and not exactly coining it in. What does she do next? Go out and find a job like any normal person? You must be joking! Mary Doyle thinks, I'll find my long lost daughter and sponge off her. That crafty cow is going to use her noddle, despite it being corroded by a lifetime of booze. She's got nothing in this world, only you, and she knows it. You are her light at the end of the tunnel. So mark my words, you will be dipping your hand in your pocket from here on in.'

  Bella was silent. She couldn't argue with Micky's logic because in her heart she knew every word was true.

  Suddenly Micky stood up. He reached out and drew her into his arms. 'Come on now, cheer up. I'm just saying watch your back. And don't worry about the money. I'll give you more cash each week to cover expenses.'

  'Oh Micky, I do love you.'

  He kissed her, stroking her face softly. 'Now, it's late and we've burnt the candle at both ends, but let's agree on this. I'll let you get on with what you think is best and support you e
very step of the way. You just have to do the same by me, right?'

  Bella smiled up at her husband, then rested her head on his chest. After all that had happened, most men would have refused to have anything to do with Mary Doyle and her child. But Micky was not like most men. How lucky she was to have him.

  Chapter 21

  Bella hurried to open the door. A soft April breeze blew down the airey steps sweeping with it Dolly, followed by Anne and Irene. Bella hugged them tightly.

  'Where's Michael and Teresa?' the twins chorused.

  'Waiting to see you.' Bella took their gloves and scarves, coats and hats and hung them on the stand.

  'Are we having tea here?' Irene wanted to know, her curls bouncing around her face.

  'It's rude to ask,' Dolly scolded them.

  'Course you are,' Bella smiled. 'Go along to the bedroom. All the toys are in there.'

  The two girls, identical in their green woollen dresses knitted by Dolly, skipped down the hall to the bedroom. They were regular visitors during the months that Teresa had been confined to the house.

  'What's the latest report from Dr Cox?' Dolly asked, hanging up her own coat and following Bella into the kitchen.

  'He's inclined to think she'll always have a weak chest,' Bella explained as she filled the kettle. 'But she's much better than she was and thank God, it looks like she's over the worst.'

  'Has her mother visited?'

  Bella put the kettle on as Dolly sat down at the table. It was set with custard and jellies, cucumber sandwiches and a big sponge cake. 'Only once and then she nearly collapsed from the effort of walking. Sean had to drive her home.'

  Dolly paused thoughtfully. 'Did Micky meet her?'

  'He doesn't want to and I don't blame him. But he's offered to buy some furniture for the prefab.'

  'That's good of him,' Dolly said with a sniff.

  Bella nodded. 'Yes, I'm not complaining.'

  'Oh, go on, why don't you?' Dolly urged with a sad smile. 'I do my fair share, don't I?'

  Bella frowned as she looked at her friend. 'You never complain about Percy! Only about the price of food or the rents going up, things like that.' She was about to speak again when she saw Dolly's face. 'Oh, Dol, what's the matter?'