The Woman Who Kept Everything

by Jane Gilley

  ‘True.’ Val smiled.

  ‘This is not a fucking joke, Val!’

  Val sighed and folded her arms.

  Just then the door flew open and Jessie popped her head in. ‘Grandma! Adam said you were here at last! Oh I’ve missed you!’

  ‘I’ve missed you too, my darling. Oh you’ve changed so much. Both of you’ve changed.’

  Jessie bundled in and threw herself onto Gloria. She smelled of something sweet, like fruit. They both hugged long and hard. Clegg and Val exchanged nervous glances.

  ‘Okay, Jessie. We’re talking to Grandma. You can see her later. Don’t be late for Ben and close the door on your way out,’ said Val, in a faux friendly way.

  ‘Okay, Gran. Catch up later. Byeee.’

  ‘Bye, darling.’

  After the door closed, Clegg said through clenched teeth, ‘Of course you won’t have access to your grandchildren if we have to move you into a home for your own good. You do see that, Mother, don’t you …?’

  Gloria tensed, sadly realising Tilsbury’s prophecy about her being carted off to an old people’s home in another town could well be true. But she’d had enough of all this crap and drama. She hadn’t brought Clegg up to act like a spoiled brat or treat her atrociously. How did people change like that? She stood up because her back was aching.

  ‘Well you’ve never given me access to them before, so why would you give me access to them now? But it’s all part of your plan, isn’t it?’ she said pointing a finger. ‘Oh yes, Cleggy. I can see the whole picture now! Get me certified and then admitted somewhere. That way someone else foots the bill and YOU can go off into the sunset with my money. Or so you think. But you can’t, you know.’

  She paused to catch her breath.

  All this was making her tired. She shouldn’t have to fight her son like this. He shouldn’t have put them all in this awful position where she was having to fight for a right to be heard; a right to be cared for; her right to be loved by someone …

  ‘Anyway, for your information. I’ve been to see a solicitor –’

  ‘You’ve WHAT, Mother?’ Clegg nearly yelled.

  ‘Yes, this’s his business card here,’ she said wagging it in front of him. ‘I’ve told him all about you – about the situation – and he says I’ve got a case.’

  ‘For fuck’s sake, you stupid old bat! After everything I’ve done for you? I looked after you when Dad died. I bring you stuff all the time. Who do you think you are, all of a sudden?’

  Val jumped up. ‘Clegg! Don’t speak to your mother like that! All this is getting out of hand. It’s not right. But she’s right. You can’t sell her house without her say-so.’

  ‘No, actually, Val. It’s all right. I want him to sell my house now!’

  * * *

  Clegg’s jaw dropped and he looked properly astonished, which made Gloria chuckle inwardly. That had stopped him in his tracks!

  ‘What do you mean, you want me to sell the house?’ he said slowly.

  ‘It needs selling. It’s far too big for me now and I no longer want to live there. I must say I was bloody annoyed when I found out what you intended to do with it from Jocelyn via Mrs Daly but I’ve been away, as you know. And now – well – I’ve changed me mind about wanting to keep it. Have you had any offers on it yet? You’re asking a good price for it! Where’d you get a figure like that from?’

  Clegg and Val exchanged certain looks, which Gloria read as, how does she know what price it’s selling for? She liked that they felt put out by her ingenuity.

  ‘Oh and just to let you know,’ Gloria continued, her confidence soaring, as her words scored the desired effect, ‘I’ve got a new bank account now. Sorted that out yesterday. So when we get the right person, I’ll just sign on the dotted line and get the solicitor to wire the money direct to me at my new bank account. You can do what you like with my old one.’

  Clegg actually began to splutter, as though he couldn’t get his words out. Val’s mouth opened in shock. But she was the first to recover.

  ‘Well, good for you, Gloria. You’ve grown balls since you were away. Shame Cleggy hasn’t got any!’ she said and turned and marched out of the lounge.

  Chapter 33

  Gloria Frensham finally had a plan.

  So she let everyone who needed to know where she was moving to. It was only for a little while, she said, whilst everything got sorted out.

  She’d asked Jocelyn to drive her back to the hotel at Sheringham and bartered for an agreeable price so she could stay in a single room for a couple of weeks or so. It was far enough away from Clegg and Val; although Adam and Jessie did take it in turns to drive over to meet her and get to know her again, without Cleggy being there, dampening everyone’s spirits. Plus now she had her own breathing space it meant she could simply walk along the edge of the sea and reminisce and grieve openly, if she wished.

  Yes, grieve.

  The main reason she’d moved away was that Clegg had forgotten to tell her a vital piece of news: her dear friend Mabel had died. Well, that was the icing on the cake for Gloria, with her son. If he’d been a normal genial person he could have let her know about her friend’s demise the day she called to see her family, instead of bellowing at her the moment she stepped into the house. It was Val who’d actually rung Gloria, at Jocelyn’s, to pass on the message.

  Apparently, poor Mabel had died the week following their phone call, when she’d been gleefully telling Gloria that everything was grand, now she’d moved in with her son. Her tummy pains had turned out to be bowel cancer. So her appointment with the doctor had seen her rushed into hospital for an emergency operation but she’d died there, a few days later. Gloria didn’t know all the details. But fortunately David and Sandie had been at her side. She hadn’t died alone, at least.

  Jocelyn kindly offered to drive Gloria back up to Skegness for the funeral.

  ‘Oh thank you, Joss. But it’s miles away! Will yer little car make it?’

  ‘Well, it will now, love. We just got it serviced. So it should run all right. Plus she was my mate too ya know and I’ve never been to Skeggy.’

  Although she was nervous about whether Jocelyn’s car would actually survive the hundred or so miles each way, Gloria finally agreed: ‘Providing you let me pay you petrol money – and NO arguing about that!’

  So the two of them drove up to Skegness to give Mabel a good send-off. It was just a small gathering consisting of family and Gloria and Jocelyn. They stood side by side, flanked by David and Sandie, as a light rain drizzled down on them, masking the silent tears of the mourners. Afterwards, David invited everyone back to the guesthouse for a light sandwich lunch.

  Mabel had been a very proud woman, much like herself, Gloria realised. Perhaps she hadn’t needed any help or assistance at the beginning of her downhill spiral. Perhaps Mabel had thought she could cope without bothering her busy-busy family. But it was also a shame that her family had pretty much abandoned her to her own devices. If they’d spared the time to visit Mabel, more often, Gloria was thinking on the drive back to Norwich with Jocelyn, they could’ve seen what was happening to her and got her to a doctor far sooner. Yet Gloria knew hindsight was a marvellous thing.

  At least Mabel’s family had realised the error of their ways and reconnected with her to give her a happy albeit short period of respite, even if it had come a little late in the day.

  Why were some families’ lives so darned complicated that it messed up the thread of decency and honour, which Gloria felt should prevail throughout a family’s life together? If you can’t find a safe haven within the family unit, where can you find it?

  ‘Thank God we’ve got friends,’ said Gloria, hugging Jocelyn, when they got back to Norwich, much later that day. ‘And thanks for this, Joss. I won’t forget it.’

  Gloria, however, had also had a skinful of her own son. She’d wanted to shake him and hug him at the same time. He’d ruined their family life because of his selfish, controlling ways. Even Val
seemed to be under his thumb.

  But at least Adam and Jessie had turned out grand and had their own ideas. Gloria had found out that Jessie did not want to go to university as her father wished. She wanted to be a hairdresser and have her own salon, one day, in Norwich. But Clegg wouldn’t listen to her, the same way he never listened to anyone. Idle rantings, he’d called it.

  ‘You’re going to uni and that’s that!’ he’d apparently shouted at her.

  Six days after Gloria moved to Sheringham, she got the call they’d all been waiting for. She had a serious buyer for her house. Actually it was a builder who wanted to knock the place about and turn it into four one-bedroom flats. The very thought made Gloria cringe. With all the work that had been done to the house it looked far better than it had ever done and she’d felt sure a family would buy it or at least someone who could see it would make a terrific family home. Gloria wondered what her grandmother would think about her lifelong home being ‘knocked about’ by a builder. So she said she’d mull this over with Jocelyn and Tilsbury.

  ‘You’re not still in touch with that bloody scoundrel are you, Mother?’ said a disgruntled Clegg, when she rang him.

  ‘It’s none of your bloody business who I knock around with, you little shit!’ she’d said, finally losing her cool with him. ‘He’s my dearest friend, next to Jocelyn. And at least I’ve got friends …’

  ‘Well hurry up and make a decision, is all. We need to move on this.’

  ‘I’ll go at the pace I choose, is all you need to know!’ she said, slamming the phone down, fuming.

  Boy, would she like to slap her son!

  Well, both Tilsbury and Jocelyn agreed it was her own decision but that it depended on what she intended to do with her life and how she wanted to use the money. At the end of the day it was only bricks and mortar, so did it really matter who did what to it?

  Gloria acquiesced, grudgingly, and told Clegg to go ahead and accept the builder’s offer.

  Clegg responded by saying he wanted to call a family meeting, afterwards, to agree on what was going to happen with Gloria’s accommodation and his children’s further education. Gloria told him in no uncertain terms what Jessie’s intentions about her further education were.

  ‘Oh, so now you think you can tell me how to run my children’s lives! Well Jessie is going to uni whether she likes the idea or not –’

  ‘Right, well in that case you’re not havin’ any of my money to finance their future. Ruin their lives any way you choose to, Clegg, but don’t drag me into your battles!’ she shouted, slamming the phone down on him again.

  The receiver was hardly placed in its cradle when the phone in Gloria’s bedroom rang again and she was about to gear up for another round with her infuriating son, when she heard a different voice.

  ‘Why hello, Mrs Frensham, Ron Byrd here, regarding that other little matter you wanted me to sort out.’

  Gloria’s demeanour changed and she felt charged with life. ‘Oh! Wow! It’s done already?’

  ‘An agreement has been drawn up, yes!’

  Chapter 34

  Gloria had asked Ron Byrd if he wouldn’t mind accompanying her to see the place, the very next day. He’d grumbled about it a bit but Gloria reminded him that since he’d already told her he wasn’t that busy and since he was the owner’s solicitor and had the keys …

  So they walked through the light, bright rooms in that new first-floor flat near Sheringham town centre, a huge grin filling Gloria’s face. She was delighted, thrilled.

  She’d never have taken it if it didn’t have the lift and it also came with one parking space, even though she didn’t drive. It was only a one-bedroom flat but all the rooms were spacious so it didn’t feel claustrophobic at all. Plus there was a tiny balcony where she could sit and have an early morning cup of tea if she wished. She couldn’t see the sea but her flat overlooked the communal garden, which was landscaped with well-established shrubs and a little garden seating area with a table if she wanted to sit outside with a book and a cuppa at any time.

  It was so exciting!

  Clegg was sure to go mad but she couldn’t let that stop her. He was always going mad these days. He would probably always go mad in the future. That seemed to be his way, now. But that couldn’t be helped. She realised he probably wanted to put her somewhere far away, so it didn’t interfere with their lives. And that could not happen either. Although she was very touched that both Adam and Jessie had said they’d visit her wherever she ended up.

  ‘Must say, Grandma, we think Dad has treated you horribly and we can’t understand why. He’s just stupid sometimes. But Adam and I’ll still come and see ya. We missed you, growing up. Mum’s sister, Auntie Ida, used to babysit us, which was okay but she never let us stay up late or anything.’

  ‘Ha, ha. But mebbe I wouldn’t’ve either, darlin’!’

  ‘Oh, we think we’d’ve got away with things with you.’ Jessie grinned sweetly. ‘But not with Aunt Ida!’

  Anyway, the flat was perfect for her. And she knew her grandchildren would love visiting her there, too.

  So she said yes to Ron Byrd and then he said he’d get the lease all finalised with his client.

  Chapter 35

  With the sale of her house imminent, she’d taken the little flat, two streets back from the seafront at Sheringham, to rent for six months. Jocelyn had kindly helped her contact everyone and put her in touch with a home store to get new furniture sorted out. This would then take her until early spring to decide what she wanted to do after that. It was the best idea she and Jocelyn could think of, in order to give her more breathing space, whilst a lot of things were going on around her.

  The next thing on her agenda, Gloria decided, was to arrange her eightieth birthday party.

  Neither Val nor Clegg had mentioned it and she thought her son had either forgotten about it or was spittin’ the dummy about things. Either way she was not fussed. She wasn’t tiptoeing around her boy any longer. Enough was enough. Plus with the sale of her house and her own money in her pocket for once, it would mean that she could darned well do exactly as she pleased. She didn’t need Clegg’s permission to enjoy her own life.

  And it pleased her to be able to arrange her own birthday with the help of the Sheringham hotel. She had no intention, either, of inviting Clegg and Val. Not unless the situation with them changed sometime soon and she couldn’t see that happening in this lifetime. But she was a mum, so she’d leave it open for them to work it all out and do the right thing before it was too late.

  Adam and Jessie said they wanted to help her, so Adam – a whizz with computers – helped her design the party invitations and Jessie used Gloria’s new bank card to have them printed and paid to send them all off. They were sworn to secrecy so that they wouldn’t tell their parents.

  ‘Adult problems are tricky little devils,’ Gloria had said by way of explanation.

  But when the little RSVP notes included with the invitations started coming back, Gloria couldn’t believe it. All the Eastbourne lot had replied to her invites. They’d ALL replied. They couldn’t all make it, of course, but how kind to actually take the trouble to send the replies back.

  Out of everyone from that trip to Eastbourne, and all the exchanged telephone numbers and addresses, Joe was coming, along with Vittori, Dot, Florence, Freda and four of the others! And, of course, Jocelyn, Marvin and Tilsbury said they wouldn’t miss it for the world.

  ‘Wouldn’t mind meetin’ them new friends of yours, Glor,’ Jocelyn wrote on the reply. ‘Me and Marv used to think about doin’ one of them coach trips. But we never got round to it.’

  The hotel on the seafront in Sheringham was chosen as the venue and they informed Gloria they would be doing a special rate for the party-goers so that everyone could stay the night of the party, if they wished to.

  ‘Well, love, you’ve been such a good customer of ours, this year, that we knew we had to do right by you,’ explained Charlie, the manager. ‘So you’
ll be gettin’ a reduced rate for the rooms as well as the meal. Plus I think we can get some free bottles of bubbly for the toast too. Now, did you say you’d be payin’ for the lot yourself or will it be individual bills?’

  ‘Oh thanks, ducks! That’s champion! And, yes, you heard right. I’m treatin’ EVERYONE to EVERYTHING. And that’s ALL my friends, both old and new. They’re all pensioners themselves and don’t get given much for free. So I want them to come along and enjoy themselves without worryin’ about stuff like bills for a change.’

  Of course, Gloria did realise that if for any reason the sale of her house didn’t go through as planned, she wouldn’t be able to pay for anyone to enjoy her party. But that didn’t worry her unduly, because if she couldn’t pay, Clegg would certainly have to, as he’d forgotten to take the credit card off her.

  Chapter 36

  The Sheringham hotel had decked out their back room a real treat for Gloria with eightieth birthday bunting lining the walls and helium balloons in pink trying to make a break for the ceiling.

  The finger buffet was piled high, ranging from curried chicken vol au vents and potato wedges with dips to mixed meats off the bone and prawn skewers. The birthday cake in the centre had been especially baked on the premises by the chef. It was shaped into an 80 with white icing and chocolate buttons dotted about, on top, as a fun request from Gloria. She’d wanted Smarties for the colour aspect but was then reminded of people’s dentures!

  On the afternoon of the party, Gloria proudly introduced her old friends to her new. It was a feeling she liked, being in charge for once. Plus all the guests she’d invited were lovely, lovely people, so she knew it was going to be a fantastic occasion.

  She wore a new dress she’d bought especially, with tiny turquoise flowers set against a white background and three-quarter-length sleeves that she thought looked pretty and fresh. Carefully clipped to the front of her dress was an eightieth birthday badge that said, Young at Heart 80, off her birthday card from Adam and Jessie.