The Girl From Number 22 (22 page)

Ada had been watching Annie’s face closely, and the flicker of fear she saw in the woman’s eyes told her Hetty’s request would be turned down. And because the Phillips family remained a mystery she would like to unravel, she came up with a suggestion. ‘Why not let Mrs Phillips get back to what she was doing, sunshine, and invite her this afternoon for a cup of tea and a cake?’

‘Call me Annie, please. And although it’s kind of yer, I only did what any decent person would do. I don’t want rewarding for it.’

‘Ay, Annie, don’t be so miserable,’ Ada said. ‘You might not want to be a guest for afternoon tea, but what about me? I rather fancy a nice cream slice, but I won’t get one if yer turn down the invitation. It’ll only be for an hour, say from two to three, and surely yer can put up with us for an hour? And I can assure and guarantee yer that yer won’t catch any fleas in Hetty’s house. She doesn’t allow them in.’

Annie was on the point of refusing when a little voice in her head told her not to be so stupid. An hour in the company of two women who were friendly and funny . . . what harm could that do? And she deserved to have a little happiness in her life;
she craved it. Besides, her husband would never know. ‘I’d like to come, thank you.’

Hetty’s face lit up. ‘Oh, I’m so glad. Shall we say two o’clock at Ada’s? She makes a better cup of tea than I do. She tells me it’s the way I hold me mouth.’

Annie smiled. Her heart felt lighter than it had done for ages. ‘I’ll look forward to it. And a cream slice would be very nice.’ She turned to walk away. ‘I’ll come over at two o’clock.’

At a quarter to two, Hetty walked up Ada’s back yard with a plate in each hand. She wasn’t in a position to knock on the kitchen door, so she raised a foot and kicked it. ‘Come on, Ada, look sharp and open up.’

When the door opened, Ada eyed the plates while saying, ‘What’s the idea of kicking me door? It’s manners to knock.’

‘I’d have a job, wouldn’t I, with me two hands full.’

‘Why have yer got two plates, and what’s on them under the tea towels?’

‘If yer let me in, I’ll tell yer. It’s ruddy cold standing here answering questions about something yer’ll find out soon enough.’

Ada grinned as she stood aside to let her mate pass. ‘I hope there’s something nice hidden under there, to make up for nearly kicking me door in.’

‘Yer don’t half exaggerate, girl.’ Hetty put the plates down on the draining board. ‘I barely touched yer ruddy door, never mind kicking it in.’ She deliberately stood in front of the plates so Ada couldn’t get to them. Unless she knocked her over, that is. ‘Now, have yer got a nice clean tablecloth on for yer visitor?’

‘Let’s get things right, sunshine, before we go any further. She is not my visitor, she’s yours. I am just letting yer have the
use of me room ’cos ye’re me mate. And do yer really think I’d put a dirty cloth on the table, whether the visitor was yours or mine?’

Ada moved so quickly then, Hetty didn’t stand a chance of being able to keep her feet on the ground. And before she knew it, she was standing in front of the sink while Ada whipped the cloths off the plates. ‘Ooh, yer’ve made sandwiches, sunshine! I wasn’t expecting that. I’d have been quite happy with a cake, but I wouldn’t refuse a butty.’ Then Ada’s eyes narrowed. ‘What have yer put in the sandwiches? I didn’t see yer buying any boiled ham.’

‘No, yer saw me buying corned beef for Arthur’s carry-out. And I’ve pinched two slices of that to make the sandwiches. I thought it looked mean to just have a cake to offer Mrs Phillips. Not after what she did for me.’

‘Does that mean poor Arthur is suffering because of your generosity? He’ll not be getting much corned beef on his sandwiches if yer’ve pinched half of it. Are yer going to tell him why he’ll need his glasses to see the meat?’

Hetty huffed. ‘Am I heckerslike! If I told him I nearly lost all me money because I had a hole in me pocket, I’d never hear the last of it. I’d be called all the stupid nits under the sun, by Arthur, and the girls. So I’ve decided the best course of action is to buy a slice of corned beef from the corner shop. Then no one will be any the wiser.’

Ada chuckled. ‘Except me, of course. I could blow the whistle on yer if I choose to. So, what’ll yer give to buy my silence?’

‘The same as I’m giving Mrs Phillips, and it’s not to buy her silence ’cos she’s not as crafty or greedy as you. She got me out of a real scrape, and she’s not bragging about it, or expecting to get something in return.’

Ada held her hands up in surrender. ‘Okay, sunshine, I’ll give in before yer have me in tears. I’ve only been pulling yer leg, anyway. I agree yer owe a debt of gratitude to Mrs Phillips, ’cos if she hadn’t picked it up, someone else would have done. And if they were skint, as most people round here are, then the sight of a lot of money would have been very tempting.’

‘I know, I’ve been very lucky. Now, as it’s just on two o’clock, can we take the plates in? And would yer do me proud and put yer best cups and saucers out?’ Without waiting for a reply, Hetty picked the plates up and made her way into the living room. And as she passed Ada, she said, ‘Thanks, girl, I knew I could count on you.’

The kettle began to whistle at the same time as the knock came to the door. ‘I’ll answer it, sunshine,’ Ada said, ‘seeing as it is my house.’

Annie had been having doubts about becoming friendly with the two women because of past experiences, and she was nervously clasping her hands when the door opened. ‘I really don’t think Mrs Watson need go to any trouble on my account. She’s probably got other things to do with her time. So I won’t bother coming in, Mrs Fenwick, but would yer thank her for me, and tell her I was glad I was able to help.’

Ada bent forward and got a tight grip on Annie’s elbow, and she pulled the startled woman up the two steps. ‘In yer come, sunshine, whether yer like it or not. Hetty would be upset if yer cried off, and I can’t bear to see me mate cry.’ And herding Annie forward, Ada added, ‘Let’s start as we mean to go on, Annie. My name is Ada, and my mate is Hetty.’

Annie was so taken aback by the brightness of the room, she forgot her nerves. ‘Oh, this room looks lovely! Someone has
been very busy, and they’ve made a good job of it. My room looks really dark compared to this.’

‘Give yerself a chance, Annie, yer’ve only just moved into the house.’ Ada pulled a chair out for their guest. ‘The person who had the house before was a lovely lady called Eliza Porter. She’s eighty-two years old, and had gone past being able to decorate. But she kept her house like a little palace. She’d lived there for sixty years, and everyone in the street loved her. She’s with her son now, being well looked after. But me and Hetty don’t half miss her. And so do the neighbours either side of yer. Their names are Bowers on yer right, and the Bensons on yer left. I won’t give yer a headache by telling yer all their first names, ’cos there’s too many for yer to remember. But they’re both smashing families, very friendly and very respectable.’

Hetty put her hands on her hips, tilted her head, and said, ‘Don’t I get a look-in here? Far be it from me to interrupt, Annie, but now and again I have to make meself heard, or me mate would hog the whole conversation.’

‘I’ll button me lip now, sunshine, and you can take over as hostess. Go on, show Annie what ye’re made of, while I make the tea and get the cups ready.’ Ada got as far as the kitchen door, then turned. ‘I could only find two cups without a chip, sunshine, so I’ll have the one with a ruddy big chip out of the rim. After all, if I do catch a germ, I’ll have the satisfaction of knowing it’s one of me own.’

Hetty saw a smile flicker on Annie’s face. ‘She’s like that all the time, yer know. There’s never a dull moment where my mate is. I think we spend more time laughing than doing housework. But it would be a dull life if we had nothing to laugh at.’

Ada carried the tea in, and soon the ladies were enjoying a sandwich with their first cup of tea, and a cream slice when the
second pot came up. ‘How are yer family liking the new house, Annie?’ Ada asked. ‘Have they settled in?’

‘Yes, everywhere is straight now, and feels more like home. The living room looks dull compared to this, though. Did yer husband decorate it, Ada, or did yer do it yerself?’

‘Ooh, I couldn’t decorate to save me life, Annie. I did try it once, not long after we moved in here, but I got meself all tangled up in the paper after I’d pasted it. I’ve got no patience, yer see, and instead of taking me time, I tried to be clever and climb a ladder after I’d pasted the paper. I made a right mess of it. Every sheet of paper got torn, and I had more paste in me hair and on the floor than on the walls. So I gave it up as a bad job, and I’ve never tried since.’ Ada took a sip of her tea. Over the rim of the cup, she asked, ‘Wouldn’t your feller do it for yer, if yer asked him nicely?’

Annie shook her head. ‘No, he’s hopeless. I’ve done all the decorating since we got married. I won’t say I’m good at it, but it’s a case of having a go, or leaving the old paper on until it drops off.’

‘Yer’ve got a teenage daughter, haven’t yer?’ Ada ignored the cow eyes she was getting from Hetty. If they didn’t ask questions, they’d never get to know their new neighbours. Besides, Ada was of the opinion that all was not well in the Phillips household. ‘I’ve only seen the back of her, and that was the day yer moved in.’

‘That’s Jenny, she’s seventeen. And I’ve got a son, Ben, he’s fifteen. They’re both good kids, never caused me any trouble.’

‘I’ve got three,’ Ada said. ‘And I love the bones of them. Danny’s me eldest, he’s nineteen in a few days, and he’s dance mad. Me other two are still at school. There’s Monica, she’s twelve, and Paul, who’s ten.’

‘I’ve got two girls,’ Hetty told her. ‘Both working. Kitty is seventeen, and works at the British American tobacco factory. Sally works at Irwin’s, the grocer’s shop in Stanley Road.’

‘What does your husband do, Annie?’ Ada asked. ‘I see him going out in the morning with yer son. I’m not spying on yer, it’s just that they happen to leave the house the same time as my husband and son.’

‘Tom, me husband, he works on the docks. Ben only left school last year, he’s an apprentice to a decorator. He said he’s the can-lad really, just making pots of tea for the men. But I’ve told him, he can’t expect anything else yet. Like every job, decorating has to be learned, but the young are very impatient. They can’t wait to grow up.’

‘I know what yer mean,’ Ada said. ‘Our Danny works with his dad in the building trade, and he can’t wait to be twenty-one and earning full pay. I keep telling him he’s wishing his life away, but when I think back, me and me mates were the same. We couldn’t wait to grow up so we could go out with boys. And I’ll say this for our Danny, he’s very generous with his wages. Any overtime he gets, he gives me half of the money.’

‘He’s more generous than my two girls,’ Hetty said. ‘They spend every penny on clothes, lipstick and powder, and stockings. They’re usually on the borrow by the middle of the week. Heaven help them when they get married, they won’t know what’s hit them.’

‘Well, you don’t do them any favours by lending them the money,’ Ada said. ‘I’m not saying yer should be mean with them, but they should learn that money is hard to come by, it doesn’t grow on trees.’ She chuckled. ‘Worse luck. If it did grow on trees, I’d be at the park every day, shinning up the trees like I used to when I was a little girl.’

‘See, Annie.’ Hetty nodded her head knowingly. ‘She must have been a holy terror when she was a kid. And she hasn’t changed at all, ’cos she’s still a holy terror. There’s times when I don’t know where to put meself, the things she comes out with.’

‘I don’t like people calling me for everything to me face, so can we change the subject?’ Ada winked at Annie. ‘Have another cup of tea, sunshine, and sit back and listen while I turn the tables on me best mate. To look at, she seems holier than thou, as though butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. But wait until I spill the beans on her.’

Annie was enjoying herself. To be with women of her own age, who were good company, was indeed a treat. But she’d been keeping her eye on the clock, and she really should be going home to see to the dinner. Jenny and Ben got in about the same time, six o’clock each night, and she always had their dinner ready for them to sit down to. But it could be eight o’clock before her husband rolled home, after spending a couple of hours in the pub with his pals from work. She never knew when to expect him, but it was woe betide her if his dinner wasn’t ready to put in front of him. And if it was dried up through being in the oven to keep warm, he would either throw it on the fire or aim it at one of the walls. Then he would rant and rave in anger, his language foul as he lashed out at her. The children would always try to protect her, but they were no match for a man who was violent in drink. Annie would have left him years ago, but where would she go with the two children? Where would she get the money from to put a roof over their heads and feed them? No, she was tied to him, even though she’d stopped loving him soon after they got married. Tom Phillips didn’t take long to show his true colours. And then it was too late.

‘I won’t stay, thank you. It’s been really nice having someone
to talk to, but I must go and get started on the dinner.’ She stood up and pushed the chair back under the table. ‘Thank you again.’

The two friends walked to the door with her. ‘Annie,’ Ada said, ‘if ever yer decide to decorate yer living room, me and Hetty will give yer a hand. Even if it’s only cutting the lengths of paper, or handing it up to yer, it would all be a help.’

‘I won’t be doing it just yet. I want to settle into the house first. But thanks for the offer, and I’ll let yer know.’ She began to cross the cobbles. ‘Thanks again.’

The mates called back in unison, ‘Ye’re welcome.’ Then Ada closed the door and they walked back into the living room.

‘I don’t know why, sunshine, but from the first time I saw Annie, I felt there was a sadness about her. I can’t explain, but I felt it stronger than ever today.’

‘Ye’re imagining things, girl,’ Hetty said. ‘She seems all right to me.’

‘Yeah, ye’re probably right.’ Ada pointed to the table. ‘Will the tea in that pot be warm enough to drink, I wonder?’