The Wummin: The Glasgow Chronicles 5 (41 page)

wummin who’d been arrested o’er the years fur hivving run-ins wae The Corporation.  There didnae seem tae be anywan that Pearl didnae know.  Tae make things even better, Pearl hid been able tae furnish her wae aw the background tae the stories such as the infamous big battle in John Street in The Toonheid, back in 1965, where hauf the wummin in the area hid goat nicked during a riot wae the polis.  Taylor hid been the only wan that hid ended up in jail.  As well as Pearl proudly pointing oot Helen Taylor and her ain maw’s twisted angry faces, while being arrested, as if they wur some sort ae urban super heroes, it hid been Pearl who’d also pointed oot that the main political opponent that Taylor wis currently staunin against up in Springburn, wis none other than JP Donnelly, the Justice ae The Peace who’d slung Taylor’s arse in jail back then.  Mary hid heard ae JP Donnelly.  In fact, any journalist worth their salt knew who he wis.  It wis said that he’d made a fortune in kick-backs in a career as a Corporation cooncillor, which hid spanned decades.  Although officially he’d lost his constituency due tae the slum clearances, she knew that he’d resigned rather than be pushed.  His name wis synonymous wae graft by those in the know.  While she kept Pearl’s nose in the Taylor files, Mary hid started tae look at whit JP Donnelly hid been up tae in the past.  She looked at the clock...hauf past three.

  “Right, Pearl, hitch up yer tights, gal.  Let’s go and meet this famous cowpoke singer pal ae yers,” Mary said, scribbling a reminder oan her pad tae go and talk tae Slipper, the paper’s main photographer who’d taken the photos ae the riot in John Street back in the sixties.

Chapter Sixty Eight

  Helen wis glad that Susan hid left her tae sit and collect her thoughts in the kitchen ae the manse.

  “I’ll leave you to it, Helen.  When Mary arrives, I’ll just send her through,” she’d said, smiling.

  She wid’ve been lying if she said she wisnae nervous.  Everywan, including Jimmy, hid volunteered tae come wae her tae the meeting, bit she’d stuck tae her guns and kept everywan at bay.  If she wis gonnae get crucified, she wanted it tae be through her ain tongue and nobody else’s.  She’d spoken tae wee Pearl aboot her boss, bit Pearl hidnae allayed her fears.  She’d been fizzing when Pearl telt her that the journalist hid spoken tae Sarah May Todd.  Sarah wis lovely and Helen knew she’d speak Helen up, bit she widnae want Sarah tae think she wis taking advantage ae her fame.

  “Look, that’s whit journalists dae, Helen.  Aw the serious wans dae their homework oan their subjects beforehaun.  That’s part ae whit Ah dae,” Pearl hid said.

  “Ye mean background stuff and aw that?”

  “Aye.”

  “Like whit?”

  “Well, she hid me digging up stuff fae the past that hid been reported in the papers.”

  “Whit?  No the crap that wis written recently aboot me?”

  “Naw, she awready hid aw that.  There wis a good photo ae ye that wan ae the photographers, Slipper, took ae ye at the launch ae yer campaign.  Naw, she wis fair interested in aw the stuff you and ma maw goat up tae in the sixties.”

  “Don’t tell me the stuff fae John Street?”

  “Oh aye, Ah managed tae find the article that The Echo wrote aboot youse...including the photos ae youse aw getting huckled by the bizzies,” Pearl hid said, laughing.

  “Oh, nice wan, Pearl.  Wis there any other favours ye done her?”

  “Look, if it wisnae me, it wid’ve been somewan else.  At the end ae the day, ye ur who ye ur.  She’s also been checking oot JP as well, by the way.”

  “Oh?  And whit is she coming up wae oan him?”

  “Ah’m no sure.  She’s been keeping that stuff away fae me.  Ah think she appreciates ma input, bit Ah don’t think she fully trusts me, seeing as ma maw and yersel ur quite close.  She thinks Ah’ll feedback everything that she’s finding oot aboot ye.”

  “And wid ye?”

  “Of course.”

  “Good girl.”

   Pearl hid also telt her that she didnae think Helen and her boss wid like each other.

  “In fact, youse will probably end up tearing each other’s hair oot by the roots.  She’s pretty judgemental...a bit like yersel,” Pearl hid said, laughing.

  Helen wis worried.  This journalist could make or break the campaign, jist when everything seemed tae be gaun good fur a change.  Although they still couldnae keep a poster up fur mair than ten minutes withoot it being torn doon or plastered o’er, aw the lassies wur tearing through the queues up at the NAB and The Burroo.  Some people wur clearly no interested, which wis fair enough, seeing the strife they wur in, bit others no only hid said they’d vote, bit hid turned up at the manse, offering tae help oot.  Christ,  even a few men hid goat involved.  Issie wis using some ae Alex The Manager’s money tae hire wan ae the wee rooms in The Springburn Hall in the efternoons, roond the corner fae Gourlay Street Primary School, tae set up meetings wae the local wummin.  When Helen hid popped in by, Issie and Betty hid hid them aw in an uproar wae their patter.  Although it hid started aff slow, there hid been aroond aboot thirty wummin turning up each day fur a bowl ae soup, cup ae tea and wan ae the auld wans’ rock cakes.  Wance again, there hid been a trickling ae volunteers coming forward tae get mair involved.  Issie and Betty hid been putting them through their paces oan whit tae say when they went aroond door-knocking.

  “Noo, listen, girls, if a big, mad-eyed, square-jawed, bare-chested hunk opens the door and invites ye in tae talk aboot the election, then don’t be shy...jist dive right in there,” Issie hid jist been saying as Helen arrived.

  “Aye, and if ye don’t take him up oan the offer, jist mind and keep a haud ae his name and close number and wan ae us will go back and see whit we kin dae.  Hiv youse aw goat that noo?” Betty hid chipped in tae hoots ae dirty laughter.

  The two biggest shocks...albeit pleasant wans...hid been when Elaine Hinky and Mary Flint hid bumped intae Susan wae auld Mrs Johnston, Mrs Jamieson and Mrs Thompson fae the church.  Susan hid been waiting fur Issie tae drap aff a load ae posters and leaflets fae the printers tae the manse.  The three auld yins...aw staunch Tories...hid left Elaine and Mary empty-haunded and hid gone scurrying away tae start haunin oot Helen’s mug-shot amongst aw the other Tory stalwart members ae the congregation.  They’d said that the piece in The Evening Citizen hid been totally oot ae order and they hoped their involvement wid help redress the balance.  Mrs Jamieson hid also said that she’d heard oan good authority, via her neighbour, whose son wis a Sheriff officer, that the Sheriff officers hid deliberately suspended aw their warrant sales in Springburn during the election tae stoap Helen fae taking advantage and getting any free publicity.  Oan the way up tae the manse tae meet the journalist, Helen hid spoken wae Sherbet, who’d telt her that some ae Colonel Spicer-Barr Owens’s election team hid been doon tae see him, mob-haunded, demanding to know why he hid Helen’s poster up in his shoap windae.  Sherbet hid said that he’d telt them tae take a hike, bit no before he’d resigned fae the Tory Party.

  “See this?  Ye kin stuff it up yer arses fur aw Ah care,” Sherbet hid seemingly shouted, ripping up his membership card in front ae them and some ae his customers, who’d aw clapped enthusiastically.

  “Snap,” Abdul, his brother hid said, failing tae find his card, bit substituting it wae an Embassy fag coupon.

  Helen looked up.  The bell oan the ootside door rang.  She heard voices greeting each other and footsteps heiding her way.  She felt hersel stiffen and braced hersel as the kitchen door swung open.

  “Hello, ma name’s Mary.  Ah work fur The Glesga Echo.  Ye must be Helen?” Mary Marigold said, haudin oot her haun.

  “Hi...aye, Ah’m Helen.  The kettle’s oan the boil.  Wid ye like a cup ae tea?” Helen replied, eyeing up the enemy.

  “Great…three sugars and plenty ae milk,” Mary said, tossing doon her pencil and pad before taking aff her coat and sitting doon oan the other side ae the table, facing Helen’s chair.

    When Helen sat doon, efter refilling her cup and haunin a steaming wan across tae the journalist, they sat eyeing each other up.  She wisnae whit Helen hid expected.  Tallish, thin, very stylish and smartly dressed, bit it hid been the accent.  Helen hid expected something a bit mair refined, a bit mair polished and posh...then she remembered somewan hid said that the journalist wis fae Dennistoun...a hauf boiled egg...or words tae that effect.  Helen failed tae stifle a smile and received wan back.

  Mary wis slightly taken aback by the wummin sitting opposite her.  Since last Tuesday...ever since her blackmailing session wae Florence Nightingale and her carrot-heided pal, Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep...Mary hid hid a picture stamped in her mind ae whit the terror ae The Corporation's workforce looked like in the flesh.  The photo that Slipper hid taken ae Taylor a few weeks earlier at her campaign launch didnae dae her justice.  Mary hid been brought up amongst plenty ae loud-moothed neighbours...mainly wummin...in Dennistoun, who railed against anything and everything and who demanded restitution oan account ae life owing them everything, fur nothing in return.  When Pearl hid turned up the riot article and pointed oot Helen Taylor, she’d appeared as Mary hid pictured her...a scheming, screaming banshee who anywan wae any sense wid dread living next door tae, or even up the same street as.  The Helen Taylor who noo sat across fae her neither looked nor sounded like whit she’d expected.  Granted, she wis made-up and hid even put oan a smart red ootfit, bit it wis the eyes that threw Mary.  Insteid ae demented madness oozing oot ae them, as she’d expected, a pair ae pale green eyes that looked as if they could hardly contain the laughter in them, stared back at her fae the other side ae the table.  She’d need tae go back and hiv another look at Slipper's recent photo, she thought tae hersel.  Mary sat looking closely at the face across fae her and wondered if Taylor wis sitting there mocking her.

  “You first,” Helen said eventually, wae whit looked like a shy smile.

  “Pardon?”

  “Dae ye want tae lead aff?  Ah’ve never really done any ae this interview stuff before,” Helen ae Troy volunteered pleasantly.

  “Whit aboot wae Bradley McLeod and Harold Sliver?” Mary asked, catching a wee fleeting shadow crossing they smiling eyes.

  “Well, McLeod did hiv the decency tae at least turn up and ogle the victim, before sinking his teeth in tae her.  Sliver?  Ach well, Ah think the name speaks fur itsel, don’t you?” Helen replied wae a shrug ae her shoulders.

  Mary wondered if Helen Taylor wis starting tae take the piss oot ae her...playing wae her, the way a cat dis wae a moose.  If she wis, she wis in fur the shock ae her life...Mary wid destroy her.  The cat’s eyes wur back smiling though and Mary didnae detect a snide tone in the voice...at least no towards her.

  “Whit makes ye think Ah won’t dae the same?” Mary asked her, instantly regretting the cauld edge tae her voice.

  “Oh, Ah’m sure ye’re well capable ae that and it probably goes wae the territory.  Ye’ll dae whit ye think needs done and move oan tae yer next story, leaving us tae carry oan where ye left aff, wance the dust settles.  Oh, and by the way...in case Ah furget...Ah liked yer write-up aboot the social worker, so Ah did.”

  “Oh, did ye?  Thanks fur saying. There’s been a great response fae readers.  There’s been o’er seven hunner letters, maistly positive, oan it.  Whit wis yer thoughts then?”

  “Oan whit?”

  “Oan the story?”

  “Ah thought it wis balanced, which came as a bit ae a surprise, considering it came oot ae The Echo.”

  “Why wid ye say that?”

  “It’s no something we’re used tae.”

  “We?”

  “The readers.  Ah remember thinking tae masel ‘Noo, where did they find her fae?’  Somehow, Ah don’t think Ah’m the only wan that wid’ve thought that...especially amongst the wummin readers.  Yer perspective put a totally different slant oan how aw the papers hiv been portraying her, particularly oan where the social worker wis coming fae regarding the position she’d found hersel in.  Who amongst us disnae know somewan in a similar situation?  Whit wid we hiv done if we’d found oorsels in the same place?  It definitely made me think...and Ah come fae a background where social workers and me hivnae always seen eye-tae-eye.”

  “Wur ye nervous aboot meeting me the day?”

  “Petrified...still am,” Helen replied wae a wee hauf smile.

  “Naw, seriously,” Mary said, lighting up a fag, haudin oot her packet tae Helen.

  “Ah am being serious,” Helen replied, lighting up.

  “And why wid that be?”

  “The pen is mightier than the sword and aw that, plus Ah’ve goat a bunch ae men oan aw sides ae me trying tae put the boot in at every opportunity.  Ye could be manna fae heaven fur them, so ye could.”

  “Oan that very point, Ah’ve heard that the majority ae yer election team is made up ae wummin while the other candidates' followers ur predominately men.  Why dae ye think that is?”

  “We’ve goat some men helping us.”

  “Ur you and yer campaign team anti-men then?”

  “Ah think it wis John Lennon that said that wummin wur the niggers ae the world.”

  “Bit, ye said ‘men’ and didnae refer tae the other candidates by their names or political affiliation?”

  “It’s probably because Ah think the politics ur secondary in this by-election, so Ah dae.  The thought ae being gubbed by a wummin must keep a few ae them awake at night...at least wan ae them...Ah hope.”

  “And ye think ye kin win?”

  “Why no?” Helen shrugged.

  “Well, tae dae that, ye’d need tae overturn a massive majority, gaun by the last election results in Springburn in 1970.”

  “Aye, bit Ah wisnae staunin then,” Helen said matter-ae-factly, drawing a genuine smile oot ae the journalist fur the first time.

  “Ur ye oan a charm offensive wae me the day or ur ye always so positive?” Mary asked her, lifting wan eyebrow up fae her pad, pen poised.

  “Of course.”

  “So, why don’t ye tell me something aboot yersel...yer background, where ye grew up and why ye’re staunin as a cooncillor up here in Springburn?”

  “How much time hiv ye goat?”

  “As long as it takes,” Mary said encouragingly, blowing a sharp trail ae blue smoke, up towards the flies, dancing aboot the lightshade hinging fae the ceiling.

  Helen took a deep breath and recounted being brought up in the Toonheid, always in the shadow ae the man that hid stolen the election fae her aunt Jeannie, although admittedly, she’d only found oot who her aunt Jeannie’s opponent hid been relatively recently.  She explained the run-ins wae the authorities o’er the evictions ae families...aw Corporations tenants...fur no paying their rents, who’d usually hid tae borrow aff Peter tae pay Paul at extortionate rates.  She said it hid been the injustice she’d been consistently confronted wae…particularly the appalling sight ae seeing distressed wummin and screaming weans being dumped oot oan tae the pavement wae whitever they could carry in their erms...that hid initially spurred her and her pals intae action.  Despite repeated representation tae JP, as the local Toonheid cooncillor, tae intervene oan behauf ae his constituents, JP hid publicly rallied against Helen and her pals fur intervening in the due process.  Helen acknowledged that her two boys hid started getting intae bother at a young age.  While she didnae condone their behaviour, she felt that whenever they’d appeared up in front ae JP in the Central District Court, where he’d sat as a Justice ae the Peace, he’d come doon oan them much mair severely because ae who their ma wis, than wid’ve been the case wae other young toe-rags, up fur the same offence.   Helen said she’d always been mystified as tae how JP kept managing tae get elected, despite the common knowledge that he wis as bent as a banana.  It hid only been since her maw hid died and she’d taken possession ae her auntie Jeannie’s diary, that at last, it hid been explained tae her, in great detail, how JP hid gone aboot destroying any opposition or threat tae whit he thought wis rightfully his.