Stay as Sweet as You Are (24 page)

Aggie was beginning to see what Irene had seen. Olive
could only keep up the pretence of normality for so long, then she flagged. ‘What sickness have yer got, Olive? What does the doctor say it is?’

‘Oh, I haven’t seen no doctor, we can’t afford it. Anyway, he’d only tell me what I already know. Years of money worries have worn me down and the lack of good food hasn’t helped. And living in this hovel would break anyone’s spirit. I just haven’t the strength or the will to do anything about it.’

Aggie’s sympathy was mixed with impatience. ‘Olive, years ago, before yer got in this mess, all yer had to do was walk down the road and knock on my door, the Pollards’ or the Mellors’. We could have helped yer out. I would have minded Steve for yer while yer got yerself a job – yer should have thought of that. But all that’s by the wayside now. It’s the future yer should be looking to.’

‘Get off me backside, yer mean, Aggie? I can’t, I haven’t got the strength. An hour after I get out of bed, I’m lying on this couch, drained.’

Aggie closed her eyes and sighed as she tried to think of the right words. ‘Olive, would yer listen to the thoughts of an old woman?’

Olive smiled. ‘Yer told me before yer were only an old woman when yer were after sympathy. So what’s on yer mind?’

‘There’s a few things on me mind, but the main two are you and Steve. At his age he deserves some pleasure and happiness. But he can’t have either because he’s always worrying about you. So for his sake, if not yer own, yer should make a valiant effort to change things. Also on me mind, are the friends who want to help yer. None of them are well-off, so they can’t wave a magic wand and change yer life overnight. But they can help in little ways and they’d get a kick out of doing it. And before yer tell me ye’re too proud to accept our help, I’ll ask yer to think of that lovely son of yours.’

Olive’s eyes were guarded. ‘What sort of help are yer
talking about? I’ll accept the clothes and be more than grateful. But I’d never accept money.’

Aggie huffed. ‘Yer’d not be getting offered money, girl! What the bleedin’ hell d’yer think I am? A ruddy moneylender?’

In spite of herself, Olive laughed. And memories of the old days came flooding back. Life had been good then, with so many friends and lots of good times. And she remembered in particular how Irene and Aggie had always made her laugh. You could never be downhearted when they were around, they wouldn’t let you. ‘I’ll accept anything within reason, Aggie, except money or blows.’

Aggie rolled her eyes to the ceiling. ‘At last, a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve never suffered with nerves in me life, girl, but right now yer’ve got me a bleedin’ nervous wreck. Anyway, see what yer think of me first offer of help. And keep yer gob shut until I’ve had me say.’ She laced her fingers across her tummy and licked her lips before starting. ‘I’m making a roast dinner when I get home, and ’cos Steve’s there, I was going to make enough for him. That’s if Titch ever gets out of bed, like, ’cos he came in at two this morning, blind drunk. If he doesn’t get up, that’s his look-out. Me and Steve will share his dinner between us.’ A lock of hair fell down to cover her eyes and she brushed it aside, only for it to fall again. ‘Blasted nuisance. I’ve gone off the bleedin’ track now. The way I’m going on, no one will be getting anything to eat. So I’ll just rush things along, Olive, and ask would yer like some of me roast dinner? And I’ll have yer know I’m noted far and wide for me crispy roast potatoes. A proper treat, they are.’

Olive asked, tongue in cheek, ‘Oh, how far and wide are they known, Aggie?’

‘From me front door to me back door, girl.’

‘In that case, I can’t refuse, can I? Not when they come with a recommendation like that. So, yes, please, Aggie. And thank you.’

Aggie jerked her head backwards. ‘Blimey, anyone would think I was offering yer a dose of arsenic! If it wasn’t for me false teeth falling out I’d shout for joy.’

‘Aggie, you do me more good than any dinner.’

‘That’s as maybe, girl, but ye’re still getting a dinner.’ Aggie got to her feet and reached for the basket. ‘I’ll take this and Steve can bring it back with enough to eat for both of yer. Seeing as it’s a celebration, like, I’ll let him have an hour off so he can eat with yer. And I’ll tell him to watch yer like a hawk, and report back to me if yer don’t eat every scrap.’

‘I’ll do me best, I promise. And it’s been lovely to see yer again, Aggie, I’m really glad yer came.’ Olive lowered her eyes. ‘I’ve been stupid, haven’t I? Like yer said, I should have knocked on yer door years ago, before all the things I held dear went to the pawnshop.’

‘It’s no good fretting about what might have been, queen, ’cos yer can’t turn the clock back. But that clock is still ticking away, taking yer into the future. And yer can do something about that. For you and Steve.’

‘How was me mam?’ Steve asked before Aggie had time to get through the entry door. ‘Was she all right with yer?’

Aggie tilted her head. ‘Yer don’t see any black eyes, do yer? She was fine, lad, and as happy to see me as I was her. But she’ll tell yer all about it when ye’re having yer dinner. Me meat should be done by now, so I’ll get the carrots and turnips on the go, and the potatoes. It’ll be about an hour, then I’ll fill two plates and yer can take them home and eat with yer mam, eh? How does that sound?’

Steve was already thinking of Aggie as his guardian angel, now he could almost see a halo hovering over her head. ‘I don’t know what to say, Mrs Aggie, except ye’re a little love and a really good woman. I know me mam’s going to get better now, with you and Mrs Pollard helping her. Oh, and I mustn’t forget Mr Titch, he’s been brilliant.’

Aggie’s face did contortions. ‘Has that son of mine seen light of day yet?’

Steve tried to keep a straight face but wasn’t successful. ‘Yeah, he came down about half an hour ago and made me a cup of tea.’ He gave a throaty chuckle. ‘I think he was putting it on for my benefit, but he was staggering all over the place. I would have believed he was still drunk except he didn’t spill a drop of tea.’

‘Never take my son at face value, lad, or yer’ll come a cropper. He’s the best bleedin’ actor I’ve ever seen. The number of times I’ve fallen for his tricks, I must want me brains testing. I get me own back now and again, like, but I’ve got a sneaking suspicion it’s because he lets me.’ She winked broadly before making her way up the yard. ‘I bet he’s got a good yarn to tell me about last night, and I bet there won’t be a word of truth in it. Still, I wouldn’t have him any different.’ She stepped into the kitchen then popped her head back out. ‘Give me an hour, lad, that’s all.’

Titch heard her open the kitchen door and quickly folded the
News of the World
and threw it on the couch. Then he slid forward in his chair, his legs spread out and his head in his hands. He peeped through his fingers, and it was with great difficulty he kept his face straight when his mother appeared in the doorway, shaking her head and tutting. Oh, how he loved to pull her leg, particularly as he knew she enjoyed it as much as him.

‘In the name of God, will yer look at the state of him?’ Aggie could see the quick rise and fall of his stomach, telling her he was laughing inside. ‘If yer picked him up in the dark yer’d bloody soon drop him as soon as it was daylight.’

His voice halfway between a moan and a groan, Titch said, ‘Me head is splitting and I feel sick. I won’t be able to eat no dinner Ma, I’d only bring it all back.’

‘That’s all right, son, not to worry. It’ll save me doing any extra.’ She deliberately turned around slowly and made her way to the sink. Her hand went to the tap, but before she
turned it on, she said, ‘Olive can have your dinner.’ The running water covered any reply her son might have made, but as she knew it would, her remark brought him to the door.

‘Yer did it then, Ma?’ Looking as sober as a judge, Titch came to lean against the sink. ‘Yer got in to see Olive?’

‘Did yer ever have any doubts that I wouldn’t?’ Aggie looked down her nose as her eyebrows were raised in a haughty expression. ‘Yer haven’t got much faith in yer old mother, have yer?’

‘I’ve got so much faith in yer, Ma, I’ve already parboiled enough potatoes for four people. And if yer eyesight wasn’t failing because of yer age, like, yer’d see there’s a pan of carrots and turnips boiling away happily on the stove.’

Mother and son gazed at each other, and the love that flowed between them needed no words. Aggie felt like throwing her arms around him, but knew that when she got sentimental it brought on the tears. And the last thing she wanted was for him to see her crying. He’d be legging it back to his ship before his leave was over if she bawled every time she looked at him. ‘Ye’re too quick for yer own good, you are. One of these days yer’ll meet yerself coming back.’ She placed a stiffened finger on her chin and put on a thoughtful expression. ‘Mind you, if yer did meet yerself coming back, yer could ask yerself if yer’d had a good time. And if yer hadn’t, then yer needn’t bother going.’

Titch chuckled. ‘Ay, Ma, I had quite a few pints last night. I’d need a clear head to sort that one out. But it sounds good, so it’s one up to you today. That’s until I’m sober, then I’ll see if I can beat it. Anyway, how did yer get on with Olive?’

‘Just hang on until I get me meat out of the oven, then I can put the potatoes in while the fat’s hot.’ Aggie took a towel from the kitchen door and was about to open the oven when her son took the towel from her.

‘Stand back, Ma, let me do it.’ He bent down and took out the roasting tin, sniffing up as he did so. ‘That smells
delicious. I see we’re doing ourselves proud today with a leg of lamb.’

‘That’s because you’re home, son. If I was on me own it would be a mutton chop.’ Aggie pointed to the stack of plates on the shelf. ‘Pass one down for us, there’s a good lad.’ While Titch held the plate, she speared the leg of lamb with a fork and transferred it over. ‘Done to a turn, that is. Just the way I like it. A slice of that with a spot of mint sauce and I’ll think I’m in heaven. Now you go and sit down while I set everything in motion. Then I’ll make us a cuppa and tell yer how I got on.’

Ten minutes later they were sat facing each other either side of the hearth. Titch with his big cup, which Aggie always said was big enough to have a bath in, and her with a dainty china one. In her opinion, tea tasted better out of a china cup. And it was the one luxury she wouldn’t do without. She only ever possessed one, and if it got broken she’d hot-foot it down to TJ’s to root through their basket of seconds until she found one which was perfect except for a flaw in the pattern. ‘I’m glad I’ve seen Olive for meself. Now I can understand what Irene was saying. It’ll take more than a few hot dinners to get her back on her feet again. She made me very welcome, and was fine at first, but it didn’t last long. She admitted that after she’d been out of bed an hour, she was whacked.’ Aggie shook her head sadly. ‘It’s no wonder she’s lost all her spirit – it would bring anyone down. To think of all those lovely ornaments and pictures she had, all gone to the pawnshop. And she wouldn’t get much off them, yer know what pawnbrokers are like. They know the poor buggers wouldn’t be there unless they were desperate, and they give yer next to bleedin’ nothing for things. They probably paid Olive out in coppers for all those possessions that held her memories. And what gets me mad is, the sods know there’s not much chance of people redeeming the things they put in, so yer’d think they’d give a fair price.’

‘It’s business, Ma. Yer can’t afford to have a heart when ye’re in business.’

‘Aye, well, bad cess to them, I say. If I was them I wouldn’t be able to rest me head on me pillow at night. I know they’ve got to make a living, but they don’t have to fleece people who are on their uppers.’

Titch’s eyes were looking over his mother’s shoulder to the back window. He could see Steve busy at work and veered the conversation back to the lad’s mother. ‘Any ideas over Olive, Ma? I was talking to Steve when I took him his tea out, and he seems very confident you and Irene are going to work miracles with her. He’s got in his head she’ll soon be up and about.’

‘I’m not making any promises, son, ’cos that wouldn’t be fair. If Olive can be helped at all, then there’s a few of us will be there for her. But I’m no doctor – I don’t know whether she’s let herself go down so much there’s no turning back.’ Aggie stopped the rocking motion of the chair and stood up. ‘I’m nipping to Irene’s after dinner, and we’ll see what the two of us can come up with between us. But right now me potatoes must be browning nicely and I don’t want them too crisp.’ She bent to smile into her son’s face. ‘After all, me reputation is at stake here. I’ve been blowing me trumpet to Olive about me roasties being the best she’ll ever taste, so I’d never hear the last of it if she ends up with a plate of burnt offerings.’

‘It would be the price of yer, though, Ma, for bragging. Ye’re always telling me yer can’t stand bigheaded people who never stop bragging.’

‘Yeah, but I didn’t mean meself, son, I meant everybody else. I’m not daft enough to call meself bigheaded when I know I’m not. Shame on yer, son, for thinking that of yer poor old mother. I’m hurt to the quick, I really am.’ With that, Aggie flounced out to the kitchen before allowing a smile to crease her face.

Steve placed the basket carefully on the table. ‘I’ve carried it straight all the way, Mam, and Mrs Aggie packed some newspapers down the side, so I don’t think any of the gravy will have spilled out.’ His pleasure and excitement was such, Olive felt she could stretch her hand out and touch it. ‘I’ve had this wonderful smell wafting up me nose all the way home and me mouth is watering.’

Olive slipped her legs over the side of the couch. She didn’t have any appetite, never did these days because usually there was nothing to eat. And after a while your tummy got accustomed to not eating and didn’t send out the hunger pangs. But for her son’s sake she would eat the meal Aggie had sent down, even if she had to struggle. ‘You get the knives and forks, son, and I’ll take the plates from the basket.’

‘I’ll do it, Mam, you stay where yer are.’