MB09 - You Stole My Heart Away Page 15

  ‘Not if I’ve got anything to do with it, it won’t. It’s a mangy thing, that cat. I wouldn’t touch it with a bargepole.’

  ‘I should hope not, Nellie, because the old lady loves that cat. He’s her only companion, and he keeps her company.’

  ‘Well, she should have got married like what we did, girl, then she wouldn’t have needed a companion.’ Nellie’s face took on a thoughtful expression. ‘Come to think of it, girl, my George isn’t much of a companion. He’d rather read the ruddy paper than talk to me.’

  ‘Nellie, I wish you wouldn’t pull George to pieces in front of me. And not in front of anyone else either! He’s a smashing husband; yer don’t know ye’re born. I would sympathize with yer if I thought for one moment that he wasn’t treating yer right. And yer might not like what I’m going to say, sunshine, but I’m going to say it anyway. Never, in all the years yer’ve been married, has George raised a hand to yer. And we both know there have been times when yer’ve deserved, not a hiding, but a ruddy good telling off. Yer want everything to go your way, and that’s your biggest fault.’ Molly stopped, to take a breath and to see what effect her words were having. ‘Am I right so far?’

  ‘I’ll have to think about it.’ Nellie’s eyes rolled. ‘Ye’re always bleeding right, that’s the trouble with you. Have yer finished telling me what a bad wife I am?’

  ‘I have never said yer were a bad wife, sunshine, so don’t be putting words in me mouth. You’re a good wife and a wonderful mother. Your main fault is that yer want to be on the go all the time. Yer can’t do with sitting down after dinner and reading or sewing. And when George comes home after a day’s hard work, all he wants is to relax and read the paper. Like every other man in the street, he wants to sit quietly and have an hour or so to unwind. But you’re just the opposite, Nellie, yer can’t sit still, and yer expect George to be the same. He gives in to yer every time. If yer ask for money he never refuses, but yer don’t appreciate it. You want company and excitement, while he just wants a bit of peace.’

  Nellie looked at her across the table. ‘My God, girl, yer can’t half talk. I don’t know whether to cut me throat, or ask yer if there’s another cup of tea in the pot. And I don’t care if it’s not hot, I’ll drink it anyway.’

  ‘I think I’ll add some boiling water to it, sunshine, I don’t like tea when it’s lukewarm.’ Molly pushed her chair back and picked up the teapot. ‘We can’t spend all day drinking it, Nellie, ’cos we’re late getting out as it is.’

  Nellie called after her mate’s retreating back, ‘And whose fault is it that we’re late, girl? You’ve taken up the time telling me off. It felt like being back at school and the teacher making me stand in the corridor because I was talking to the girl what sat next to me. I used to say it wasn’t me talking, and the teacher couldn’t be sure because she had her back to the class, writing on the blackboard. But the girl sitting next to me was a clat-tale-tit, and she always piped up like little goody two shoes and said it was me what was talking.’

  Waiting for the kettle to boil, Molly leaned back against the sink and smiled as she listened to her mate.

  ‘I always got me own back, though, girl. I never let the sneak get away with it. Every time she snitched on me, I used to kick her on the ankle before I went out to the corridor. And through the glass window, I used to see her bending down rubbing the place. So she got more punishment than me, ’cos it didn’t hurt me to stand in the corridor.’

  The kettle began to whistle, and as Molly was pouring the water into the teapot she called back, ‘Yer haven’t changed much, have yer, sunshine? Except we don’t have a corridor, we’ve only got a tiny hall that yer can hardly turn round in.’ She put the cosy over the teapot and carried it through to the living room. ‘I’ll tell yer what, though, sunshine, I wouldn’t have liked to have been that girl who sat next to yer.’

  When they sat facing each other, a cup of fresh tea in front of them, Nellie showed her serious side. ‘That’s why I’m as thick as a brick wall, girl, because I never listened in class. I didn’t like school, didn’t like the teachers and didn’t like the lessons. It’s me own fault I can’t read or write proper, and I bet that girl what sat next to me is as clever as you are. I was the big-head then, who thought I was clever for skiving off lessons, but the other, Sylvia Clarkson her name was, she’s the clever one now.’

  ‘I’m not going to give yer a long lecture, sunshine, or say yer were wrong not to take in what you were taught. That’s up to you; it’s your life. But, while it doesn’t seem to have done yer any harm, ’cos yer’ve got a good life now, wouldn’t it be better if yer had taken in some of the things yer were taught? Or shall we say what the teacher tried to drum into you?’

  Nellie’s chins felt sorry for her, so when she shook her head, they swayed very gently. ‘I know that now, girl, when it’s too late. If it hadn’t been for you making friends with me when we both moved into the street at the same time, I’d have been lost.’ She nodded as though agreeing with what was in her mind. ‘You’re the one what calmed me down, girl, otherwise I’d have had a row with every neighbour in the street. In fact I’d have probably given most of them a black eye, ’cos I was a bugger for fighting. Anyone who looked sideways at me, I’d have belted.’

  ‘Don’t I know it, Nellie! Yer picked a few fights with me over the children. That was when Jill was only a baby, and your Steve was just a toddler.’ Molly smiled as her mind took her down memory lane. ‘It seems daft now, but we were pushing and shoving each other one day, our fists clenched to do battle, when we looked at each other and burst out laughing. And that’s the day we became best mates. We ended up in here, having a cup of tea. Not that it’s all been plain sailing, sunshine, because it took me years to stop yer lashing out at anyone who said something yer didn’t approve of. Half the time I think yer did it for fun, ’cos yer seemed to get a kick out of people being afraid of yer.’

  ‘I remember that, girl, and I was lashing out at yer because I thought yer were a snob. Yer spoke nice, and yer didn’t swear. I’d be turning the air blue, but not once did yer swear. I never thought we’d be best mates because I was a fighting, swearing, common as muck, rough and ready, rowdy neighbour.’

  Molly was chuckling inside. ‘Ay, Nellie, yer could make a song out of all that. I can even put a tune to it in me head.’

  ‘How d’yer mean, girl, I could make a song out of it? A song out of what?’

  ‘I’ll try and put it to a tune, Nellie, but yer’ll have to remember that my singing is hopeless. It’ll sound better coming from you, when ye’re impersonating Tessie O’Shea, or Mae West.’

  ‘Well, get on with it, girl, or yer’ll be moaning that it’s me what made us late going to the shops.’

  ‘I’ll have to stand for it, sunshine, and don’t laugh at me ’cos I’ll stop and yer’ll never know what yer’ve missed.’ Molly scraped her chair back, and stood for a while ticking her fingers off while silently mouthing some words. Then she put her hands on her hips and, to the tune of ‘Ragtime Cowboy Joe’, swayed to a song she’d made up in her head from Nellie’s words. ‘I’m a fighting, swearing, common as muck dame. With rough and ready, rowdy ways.’ Molly’s voice rose at the end, as ‘Ragtime Cowboy Joe’ did. And she felt really chuffed with herself. ‘How about that, sunshine? If we could make up those few lines in a minute, we could easy add to it, and yer could have a new act for when yer do a turn. At yer son’s wedding, perhaps?’

  ‘Ooh, aren’t you clever, girl!’ Nellie was quickly on her feet. ‘I’ll have a go, now, girl, see if I can remember the words.’

  ‘D’yer want me to go over the words for yer, sunshine? It took me all me time to get me mouth round them.’

  ‘No, I remember them, girl.’ With her hand on her hips, Nellie swayed to the tune that was running through her mind. Then when she’d got the hang of it she moved into the space between the table and the sideboard. ‘I’ll just get me hips going, girl, then I’ll be ready.’ And as she go
t going, a look of concentration on her face, her first sway sent her left hip banging into the sideboard, followed by her right hip nearly knocking the table over. If Molly hadn’t been quick, cups, saucers and teapot would have ended up on the floor.

  ‘Nellie, for God’s sake watch it! Yer nearly knocked everything off the table.’

  ‘I’m all right now, girl. I’m in time with meself.’

  Molly had turned her head to put a cup back in the saucer, and she almost dropped it with fright when Nellie’s hip hit the table at the same time as her voice belted out:

  ‘I’m a high-falutin’ rootin’ tootin’

  Son of a gun from Arizona

  Ragtime Cowboy Joe.’

  There was a childlike look of excitement on Nellie’s face when she asked, ‘Ay, girl, wasn’t that good? I’m going to add that to me repertoire, for our parties. What did yer think of me performance?’

  ‘I’m almost lost for words, Nellie. Almost, but not quite. And I think yer’ll understand why, when I tell yer that yer knocked a handle off one of me cups, and spilt tea all over me tablecloth. On top of that yer weren’t singing any of the words I made up! Yer just belted out “Ragtime Cowboy Joe”. Everybody knows that song, even next door’s cat!’

  ‘Well, I forgot the other words, girl. But I got the music right, so yer can’t ask for anything more. Not until I know the proper words. I can’t be expected to remember everything! Tell me the words and I’ll do it proper for yer.’

  ‘What!’ Molly wasn’t half as mad as she pretended. In fact she thought it was dead funny. ‘You do that again, Nellie McDonough, and I won’t have a decent cup in the house. And if this table could speak it would give yer the length of its tongue. Yer knock it around and don’t even say ye’re sorry.’

  Nellie’s eyes rolled to the ceiling before coming to rest on the table. ‘I am so sorry, Mr Table. I didn’t mean to knock you around and I’ll try not to let it happen again.’ She jerked her head at Molly. ‘Will that do, girl, or d’yer want me to get down on my knees to it?’

  ‘No, that’s fine, sunshine. When we get back from the shops, I’ll give it a wipe over with a nice soft cloth, and that will cheer it up no end. It’s given us good service over the years, so it deserves being looked after. We got our money’s worth when we bought this suite. It was second hand all those years ago, and it’s put up with four children knocking it around. I’m surprised it hasn’t fallen to pieces before now.’

  ‘This suite is not going to fall to pieces, girl, it gets too well looked after. It’s the same age as mine, but mine looks its age, where your gets the whole works. A good rub with furniture polish, then another rub over with a clean cloth. This will last you out, girl, yer’ll see.’

  ‘In that case it’s going to have a very long life, ’cos I have no intention of going anywhere until I’m at least eighty. In fact I may go on until I’m ninety, like Victoria.’

  Nellie clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth. ‘No, girl, there’s a big difference between you and Victoria. She didn’t have no husband or children to put years on her. No, girl, yer can forget about living to ninety, you and me won’t last that long.’

  ‘D’yer know what, sunshine, yer certainly know how to cheer someone up. And just for spite, I’ll make meself stay alive till I’m ninety.’

  ‘Well, I suppose I’m going to have to do the same, girl, ’cos I’ve always said that you were my passport to heaven.’ Nellie watched her mate walk into the hall for her coat, and decided it was time to follow suit. But not until she’d got something off her mind. ‘Ay, girl, in case I do peg out before you, can I ask yer to make a promise for me? Just in case like?’

  ‘This is a charming conversation, I must say.’ Molly tutted. ‘It’s bad luck, yer know, Nellie, to be flippant about death. But if we’re ever to get out today, I suppose I’ll have to agree. What is it yer want me to promise, sunshine?’

  ‘Well, it’s like this, girl. I always like to know what yer get up to in this house, being mates like. And I’ve had a good idea on how I can keep track of the goings-on, even when I’m dead.’

  ‘That’s enough, Nellie. I don’t want to hear no more. I’m not going to any spiritualist, even for you. They bring bad luck.’

  ‘Not that, girl. I don’t want to speak to yer through no spiritualist. Ye’re miles out, ’cos I don’t want to speak to yer at all.’

  Molly could tell by the devilment in her mate’s eyes that she was up to some mischief. But never in her wildest dreams would she have been prepared for what was to come. And apart from that, the time was marching on. ‘Hurry up, Nellie, or I’m going out without yer. And I mean it.’

  ‘Keep yer hair on, girl, I’m doing me best. It’s the words what are stopping me from telling yer. The big words, you know, the ones I can’t say. I know what I mean, but I don’t know how to tell you what I mean. I can describe it, that would be easier.’

  ‘And a darn sight quicker, I hope, sunshine.’ Molly pointed to the clock on the mantelpiece. ‘Have yer seen the time? We’re usually back with our shopping at this time!’

  ‘There yer go again, Molly Bennett, hexaggerating as usual.’

  ‘Nellie, it’s exaggerating, not hexaggerating.’

  ‘I’m not even going to answer that, clever clogs. Let’s see how clever yer are with what I’m going to ask yer.’ Nellie’s folded arms disappeared beneath her bosom. ‘D’yer know the place where the pyramids are? Where some high up people, when they die, are not buried like what we do when people die, but get wrapped up in cloths and stood up, and they’re called mummies. And they never die. Now d’yer know what I mean?’

  ‘It’s as clear as mud, Nellie, but I think you mean Egypt. At least that’s all I can make out. Egypt, pyramids, and dead people. Kings and those in high places, who are preserved by being embalmed. But what that has to do with anything I do not know.’

  Nellie’s arms appeared again, and a smile lit up her face. ‘That’s enough, girl! I want yer to do that to me when I pop me clogs, and stand me where me posh chair is now. I won’t be able to talk to yer, with me being dead, like. But I’ll be able to see and hear everything what goes on. I’ll be in touch with all yer doings, girl, and know how ye’re getting on.’ Her cheeky grin was back in place. ‘Ay, that’s good, isn’t it, girl?’

  ‘A wonderful idea, sunshine! One of yer best. I can’t wait to see Jack’s face when he comes in tonight and I tell him. And Ruthie, she’ll be over the moon. To think yer’ll be standing by that wall, every day and night, for the rest of their lives. But what about George? What are yer going to say to him? He’ll probably be upset that yer chose here as yer final resting place, and not with him.’

  ‘Oh, sod George, girl, he’s never got anything to talk about. If he wants to see me, he can always come in here. But he’s not to sit in my chair. Nobody is to sit in my chair, girl, d’yer hear? I mean, what if I came back to life again, and someone had bagged my chair? I’d break their neck for them.’

  ‘I think I can safely say that if you came back to life, and there were people in this room, yer wouldn’t need to break their necks, ’cos they’d be out of the front door like lightning, and halfway to the Pier Head before yer could unwrap yerself.’

  ‘It would be a good idea though, girl, wouldn’t it? I’d know how yer were getting on. And I’ve heard yer ma saying that good friends should always keep in touch.’

  ‘It’s a well thought out idea, sunshine, I’ll grant yer that. But it does have a drawback.’

  ‘Oh, ay, girl, and what’s that?’

  ‘Well, every time Jack wanted a cigarette, he’d strike his match on you!’

  The two mates burst out laughing. ‘Ay, that was a good one, girl,’ Nellie said. ‘I’m going to have to keep me eye on yer, or yer’ll be getting more laughs than me. And I can’t have that, even though yer are me very best mate.’

  ‘Put yer coat on, sunshine, and let’s be on our way. We’ll call over the road to tell Doreen and Victoria abo
ut Phoebe and Paul, but don’t you say anything about dying, not in front of Victoria. At ninety years of age I don’t believe she’d appreciate that sort of humour. So watch what ye’re saying, Nellie.’

  ‘Okay, girl. I’ll be like one of those mummies we were talking about.’

  Molly picked up her key, and with her basket over her arm she pushed her mate towards the door. ‘Just be yerself, sunshine, for if ye’re too quiet they’ll think ye’re ailing for something. And for heaven’s sake, don’t make a meal out of telling them about the wedding, or they’ll get fed up with it. Keep it short and sweet.’

  ‘Just like me, eh, girl? Yer can’t say I’m not short and sweet.’

  ‘I’ll meet yer halfway on that, Nellie. You are short, and one out of two isn’t bad.’

  Doreen heard that as she opened the door. ‘Which one out of the two did Auntie Nellie get, Mam?’

  ‘I’ll tell yer, girl,’ Nellie said, pushing herself ahead of Molly. ‘Your mam said I’m little and sour.’

  Doreen feigned surprise. You never knew when Auntie Nellie was being serious, or pulling your leg, so it was best to be neutral. ‘I don’t believe that, ’cos I know me mam wouldn’t say that about yer.’

  Victoria smiled when the two mates walked in, and Bobby, who was standing up by the couch, dropped on to his bottom and crawled towards them. The smile on his bonny face was a wonderful welcome. Although Molly was his blood grandmother, Nellie had been allowed to become his adopted grandmother, and he was always happy to see them.

  Molly swept him up and gave him a hug and a kiss before lifting him over her head. ‘Ye’re not half getting big, sunshine, and bonny.’ The baby gurgled as he tried to get hold of her nose. ‘One of these days you’ll be opening the front door to us.’ She passed him over to Nellie who was waiting with open arms. ‘Let yer grandma McDonough see what a ton weight yer are now.’