Sadie Was A Lady (48 page)

‘Well I never! It certainly is a surprise, sweetheart, ’cos when there was no sound from yer room I thought yer were still sound asleep.’ A smile covered the lined face. ‘Here’s me, coming down the stairs backwards on all fours so I wouldn’t waken yer up. It’s a good job no one could see me, they’d have thought I was doolally.’

Sadie hurried to take the frail body in her arms. ‘A Merry Christmas, Grandma.’

‘And to you, too, sweetheart, and may you have many more.’

‘Oh, I intend to.’ Sadie smothered the old lady’s face with kisses. ‘You and Grandad won’t get rid of me that easy. I’m here to stay.’

‘I’d better go and get Joe up.’ Sarah turned towards the door. ‘He is awake, but I told him to stay in bed where it was warm until I got the fire lit.’

Sadie reached for her arm. ‘Yer not climbing those stairs again. I’ll give him a knock.’

Sarah didn’t argue. Sadie’s presents were in the cupboard at the side of the fireplace and she could have them on the tree by the time the girl came down. ‘I’ll make a pot of tea, then. He likes a hot cuppa these cold mornings, does my Joe.’

Sadie had already cut three thick slices off the tin loaf, and while Sarah saw to the tea, the girl squatted on the floor to toast the bread in front of the fire with the aid of a long-handled fork. And this was the scene that met Joe’s eyes when he entered the room. His mind flashed back to all the previous Christmases when there didn’t seem to be anything to celebrate. Now they had Sadie, and she had enriched their lives more than they’d ever thought possible. And when she ran towards him with her arms outstretched he couldn’t help the tears that ran slowly down his lined cheeks.

‘Ay, come on, Grandad.’ Sadie could taste the salty tears in her mouth. ‘Yer can’t cry on Christmas morning.’

‘Don’t mind me, queen, they’re tears of happiness. And why wouldn’t a man be happy with two lovely women to take care of him?’

‘We’ll have a bite to eat first,’ Sarah said, spreading butter on the toast. Like her husband, she was feeling a happiness she hadn’t known in years. ‘Then we’ll open our presents.’

‘You open yours first, Grandad,’ Sadie said when they’d finished eating and the dishes had been carried out to the draining board to be washed later. ‘ ’Cos you’re the oldest.’

‘Well, that’s a back-handed compliment if ever I heard one.’ But Joe was content to sit back and watch as Sadie lifted three brightly wrapped parcels from the tree. One was quite bulky, weighing the branch down, and the old man reached for it eagerly. ‘I’ll save that till the last.’

Sarah’s eyes shone with love for her husband. ‘It’s like a child yer are, Joe O’Hanlon, saving the best till the last.’

‘I feel like a child, Sarah, love. Younger than I’ve felt for many a long year.’ Joe ripped the paper from the bedroom
slippers
and chuckled with delight. ‘Just the job, they are. I’ll be able to get rid of these old ones, they’re falling to pieces.’ He kicked his old slippers off, threw them on the fire and slipped his feet into the new ones. ‘Thank you, queen, they’re a welcome present.’ Next came the tin of tobacco and he insisted on lighting his old briar before opening the last gift. ‘I’ll not be short of baccy for the next week, thanks to you, queen.’

Sarah watched him puffing contentedly and tutted. ‘D’yer mind, Joe O’Hanlon? We’d like to open our presents, yer not the only one in the house.’

Sadie’s inside was bursting with excitement. Buying this extra present for Joe, and one for Sarah, had left her penniless. But it was worth it. She didn’t need money, anyway – she had everything she wanted to last her until next pay day. ‘Shall I open it for yer, Grandad?’

‘Not on yer life! Half the pleasure is in the opening.’ The paper was torn to shreds in his eagerness and his gasp of delight was all the reward Sadie needed. The thick woollen cardigan was in a dark beige and had two deep pockets. ‘By, that’s grand, queen. With this to keep me body warm, me new slippers on me feet and me pipe in me mouth, I’ll be in me element. But yer shouldn’t have spent so much money on us. Yer must have left yerself skint.’

‘I’m all right, Grandad, I’ve got everything I need. And the cardi didn’t cost that much. I bought it from me superior-quality clothes stall.’

‘Well, come and let me give yer a kiss, then Sarah can open her presents. She’s givin’ me cow’s eyes for making her wait so long.’

Sadie picked the three presents from the tree and presented them to Sarah with a flourish. And when Joe saw his wife put the largest parcel on the side of her chair he took the pipe from his mouth and chuckled, ‘It’s like a child yer are, Sarah O’Hanlon, saving the best till the last.’

‘Put the pipe back in yer mouth, man, and let me enjoy meself in peace.’ Sarah opened the gloves first and exclaimed in delight, ‘Oh, sweetheart, they’re lovely. Me
hands
will be as warm as toast in these.’ The slab of Cadbury’s had her giving her husband a warning. ‘This is mine, Joe, so keep yer eyes and fingers off it. You have yer baccy an’ I’ll have me choccy.’

Sadie was fidgety with excitement. ‘Come on, Grandma, open the other one so I can see if yer like it.’

‘I’m sure I will, sweetheart.’ Sarah was careful with the wrapping paper. Having to be practical with money, she hated waste. And if the paper wasn’t torn it could be put away for next year. But when she saw the deep maroon cardi, all thought of being economical fled and the paper was allowed to fall to the floor when she jumped to her feet. ‘Oh, child, it is beautiful! Joe, will yer just look at this? It’s me favourite colour, too!’

Joe coughed to clear his throat before gazing at Sadie’s beaming face. ‘Listen, queen, I’m an old man so yer’ll have to forgive me if I shed a few tears. Me and Sarah, we haven’t enjoyed Christmas for the last fifty years. We have tried a few times, buying each other a present and pretending to celebrate, but our hearts weren’t in it and we weren’t fooling anyone, least of all ourselves. But this year everything’s changed. Last night we had the smell of the turkey wafting through from the kitchen, this morning we come down to a tree with presents on. And lovely presents they are, too. But the most precious gift me and my Sarah have been given is you.’

Sadie swallowed hard. ‘I’m not going to cry, Grandad, even though I want to. If I let one tear escape then I’ll be finished. I’ll end up bawling me head off and spoil Christmas for everyone.’

‘Yer’ll do no such thing, child,’ Sarah said, shaking her head and tutting at her husband. If she could keep her tears under control, why couldn’t he? Mind you, Joe had always been an emotional man, and wasn’t that one of the things she loved about him? ‘You just sit back and puff on yer pipe, Joe O’Hanlon, and give Sadie a chance to see her presents.’

‘Don’t shout at him, Grandma,’ Sadie said, ruffling the old man’s hair. ‘What he said was lovely, and when I
think
of it in bed tonight I’ll have me cry then.’

‘Well, here yer are, sweetheart.’ Sarah handed over two parcels. ‘They’re not much compared to what yer’ve given us, but I think yer’ll like them.’

Sadie gasped before squealing with delight as she lifted the blouse from its wrapping. It was in a fine, soft material, with a pink background patterned with splashes of pale blue. It had long wide sleeves gathered into a tightfitting cuff, and a wide frill set off the round neck. And it was brand new; it still had the label attached. ‘Grandma, this is the prettiest blouse I’ve ever seen.’ Sadie was overcome. ‘I don’t know what to say, except that yer shouldn’t have spent so much on me, but I’m glad yer did ’cos I love it.’

‘You can put it on when yer’ve opened yer other present. Me and Joe are dying to see what yer look like in it.’

‘I’ll wear it today, and tomorrow for when our Ellen and Jimmy come. Ooh, I could kiss yer both to death, and I will when I’ve opened this.’ The slippers were just what Sadie had been promising to buy herself, and she was over the moon. ‘As me Auntie Mary would say, there’s no flies on me, not today there isn’t. I’m so happy I could dance in the street.’

‘Well, forget about dancing in the street, sweetheart, and go upstairs and put yer new blouse on. I’ll rinse the few dishes through and then make us a nice cuppa before I start on the vegetables and potatoes.’

‘I’ll do all those,’ Sadie said, on her way to the door. ‘I’m going to wait on you today so yer can both take it easy.’

When Sadie came downstairs, Joe gazed at her for several seconds before calling, ‘Sarah, come in here and see this.’

Sarah’s hand went to her mouth. No matter what Sadie wore, she would always look beautiful. But they had never seen her looking as beautiful as she did in that blouse. It was a perfect fit, the style suited her and the colours brought out the vivid blue of her eyes. ‘Child, yer look like an angel.’

‘She looks like a film star.’ Joe had never seen an angel
but
he had seen Jean Harlow and Constance Bennett. ‘In fact, she looks better than a film star.’

A loud knock on the front door brought a look of surprise to Sadie’s face. ‘Who’ll this be, on Christmas Day?’

Sarah kept her face straight as she shrugged her shoulders. ‘It’ll be one of the neighbours come to wish us the compliments of the season. I’ll see to the door while you pour the tea out.’

As Sadie walked into the living room with two steaming hot cups of tea in her hands, Peter was coming in through the other door. ‘Was that you knockin’ on the door?’

‘Well, it wasn’t all of me, Sadie, just me hand. It’s very impetuous, me hand, has a mind of it’s own an’ I can’t do a thing with it. If it wants to knock on a door then it will do, no matter what I say.’

Still holding the cups, Sadie asked, ‘What are yer doing here on Christmas Day?’

Peter turned to Sarah. ‘This niece of yours is very rude, Auntie Sarah; she’s got no manners at all.’ He winked broadly at the old lady. ‘But I’ve got to say she looks very delectable today – she even beats the fairy on top of the tree. D’yer think I should forget she’s been rude to me and wish her a Merry Christmas?’

Joe had noticed Peter’s hand behind his back and chuckled. ‘Yes, son, wish her the compliments of the season like it should be done.’

Sadie was wary. She didn’t trust Peter when he was in this mood. But before she even had time to put the cups down, he was standing between her and the table with a huge cheeky grin on his face and a piece of mistletoe in his hand. ‘Don’t you dare, Peter Townley, I’m warning yer.’

‘Oh, I wouldn’t miss this chance for the world.’ Holding the mistletoe over her head Peter planted a kiss on her cheek. ‘Have a happy day, Sadie Wilson. I know I’ve caught yer on the hop, with yer hands full, so to speak. But yer must admit that if I’d been a gentleman and asked yer permission to kiss yer, I’d have got me face slapped good
and
proper. And as I’m not partial to having me face slapped I decided to strike while the iron was hot and sneak one in. Mind you, I’d have risked it for a proper kiss ’cos it must be said that yer do have very kissable lips. Not that yer don’t have kissable cheeks, or a kissable neck, but a peck on the cheek is not worth getting a slap across the face for.’

Sadie’s face was red with embarrassment. Fancy him doing that in front of her grandma and grandad! She looked at the cups in her hand and had the desire to throw the tea all over him. He deserved it for what he’d done. Then she heard Joe’s hearty chortle and it was as if a light had been switched on in her head. Why was she being so miserable? Peter had come in all bright and cheerful, and here she was putting a damper on things. It was supposed to be a day of joy and happiness, for goodness sake! Where was her sense of humour? ‘I’ll get you for this, Peter Townley,’ she said, setting the cups down. ‘I’ll pay yer back double, you see if I don’t.’

After a sly wink at Joe, Peter handed her the mistletoe. ‘Oh, yes please, Sadie. But instead of a double kiss on me cheek, can I swap it for just one kiss on me lips? I think that would be a very fair exchange, don’t you, Auntie Sarah?’

‘I’m saying nothing. You two young ones must fight it out between yerselves,’ Sarah said, finding the whole incident hilarious. ‘I’ll see to a cup of tea for yer.’

‘Yer not leaving this room until I have me Christmas kiss, Auntie Sarah.’ When Peter took the old lady in his arms Sadie noted how gentle he was with her. It wasn’t often he showed his serious side, but behind the jokes and the laughter, he was a kind and considerate boy.

Joe tugged at Sadie’s skirt, and when she looked down at him and saw the mischievous glint in his eyes, her heart swelled with love for him. ‘What d’yer want, Grandad?’

Joe nodded at Peter and pointed to the mistletoe before mouthing, ‘I dare yer.’

Sadie’s eyes flew open. Much as she’d like to give the old man a laugh, she couldn’t bring herself to do as he
asked.
Or could she? It was only in fun, after all.

‘Can I borrow yer mistletoe, Peter, so I can give me grandad a kiss?’

‘Yer a lucky man, Mr O’Hanlon,’ Peter said as he handed it over. ‘From the looks of things I’m goin’ to have to wait until I’m your age before she gives me a kiss.’

‘Ah, me heart bleeds for yer. I couldn’t be so cruel as to keep yer waiting all that time.’ Sadie grinned and held the mistletoe over her head. ‘Yer can have yer kiss, Peter Townley, but I’m not givin’ it to yer, yer’ll have to take it.’

Peter was flabbergasted. ‘Oh aye, what’s the catch? Yer teasing me, aren’t yer?’

‘Take it while it’s on offer, son,’ Joe laughed. ‘If I was your age I wouldn’t give her time to change her mind.’

The look of bewilderment on Peter’s face was enough to chase away Sadie’s doubts and embarrassment. At last she’d got the better of him and was giving him a taste of his own medicine. He wouldn’t have the nerve to kiss her now.

‘I’m going to count to ten, then the offer will be withdrawn.’ She turned to Joe. ‘He’s scared, Grandad, ’cos I’ve called his bluff.’

While she was turned away from him, Peter seized the opportunity. ‘I’ll show yer whether I’m scared or not.’ He pulled her to him, put one arm around her waist, a hand behind her head so she couldn’t struggle, and before she knew what had hit her, his lips were covering hers.