Women on the Home Front (117 page)

‘Johnny with you?' Matilda asked while glancing about for Jeannie's fellow. She put down on the table the bottles of pop she'd been nursing while talking to her nephews.

Jeannie pointed to a tall, balding man standing with a group of people. Jeannie and Johnnie Blake had been together, on and off, since childhood, despite Jeannie having married someone else and had children with him.

‘And how's your Peter doing?' Matilda went on. Jeannie's adult son still lived at home with his mother having suffered terribly, and never fully recovered, from shellshock in the Great War.

‘Yeah, he's alright. Got himself a lady friend,' Jeannie said proudly. ‘She's a nice woman. Lost her husband in 1944 so she's quite a bit younger …' She broke off to exclaim, ‘Bleedin' hell! That's Connie Whitton over there, ain't it?' Jeannie was gazing at a buxom middle-aged bottle blonde who was sauntering along arm-in-arm with a stooped, shrunken-looking fellow. Connie had been a notorious prostitute in her time, when living in The Bunk, although she'd always been quite popular with her neighbours – women as well as men.

‘Reckon it
is
Connie,' Matilda said. ‘And that must be Ralph Franks with her; now I wouldn't have recognised
him
. He ain't aged at all well – not like us …' She chuckled as Jeannie swung an astonished glance at her.

‘Ralph Franks?
Not
the rozzer who used to do the beat about The Bunk with old Twitch?' Twitch had been the nickname for Sidney Bickerstaff who had been well-respected by the Bunk community, considering policemen had been universally disliked and distrusted.

‘That's Ralph alright,' Matilda confirmed. ‘I heard Connie got back with him. Don't think they've ever made it official, though.' Matilda pointed to where her daughter Alice was standing talking to a couple of women. ‘And over there's my Alice – good-looking one with dark hair – and I reckon that's Connie's sisters standing with her, Sarah and Louisa. Ain't seen either of them in …' Matilda gave up trying to calculate the years. ‘Bleedin' hell, too long to remember when I last saw 'em. Before the last war, I know that.' She paused for breath. ‘And Sarah's still knocking about with her childhood sweetheart. Not that Herbert Banks is any more use now than he was as a kid. Sarah still ain't married him, and I reckon that's wise … but shame she ain't got any children.'

‘We had some times, didn't we, Til?' Jeannie sighed out.

Matilda nodded and for a moment their eyes closed as they remembered the worst of it. Then wry smiles appeared simultaneously to tug at their lips.

‘Lot o' water under the bridge and mighty glad to see most of it flow on by,' Matilda said gruffly. ‘But good times 'n' all. Specially when my Jack were alive, God rest him.' She sniffed and chuckled to cheer herself up. ‘Anyhow, today we remember all them good times and ferget about the bad. And after the kids are stuffed fit ter burst, I'm gonna get the tables pushed back and remind you all how we used to do a shindig in The Bunk.'

‘And I'm ready fer it, don't you worry about that,' Jeannie said with an emphatic little jig on the spot. ‘But fer now I'm gonna mosey over and say hello to Connie … Oh, look who's here! There's old Beattie, talking to Lou Perkins, 'less me sight's gone along with the rest o' me.' She exaggeratedly patted into style her salt-and-pepper-coloured hair that once had been a rich chestnut brown.

‘You're not so bad fer yer age,' Tilly ribbed her. ‘'Course you're a bit older'n me, so naturally I look better.'

‘Bleedin' cheek! I know you're seventy if you're a day and I ain't yet turned sixty-five.'

‘Must've had your Peter when you was still at school then.' Matilda roared with laughter before clasping Jeannie to her bosom.

‘Right … need any help with anything before I disappear?' Jeannie nodded her head at the tables being piled up with platefuls of tasty food.

‘Nah, you go off and have a natter. Got me daughters and grandkids giving a hand with all the preparations.'

‘Fetch us some more serviettes will you, Sophy, when you get a minute?'

Sophy nodded at Alice and dived into a cardboard box to pull out some napkins printed with colourful Union Jacks. She started distributing them along the table by each plate. ‘Kids are getting hungry.' Sophy pointed to a party of children, dressed in their Sunday best, hovering by the table, their eyes wide as they assessed the wonderful spread being laid out.

‘Time to get them seated,' Bethany declared and started walking up and down the table pulling out chairs for excited youngsters.

‘Adam! You managed to get time off and come to our party!' Faye plonked down the basin of jelly she'd been ladling out to the kids, and rushed towards her son to greet him with a fierce hug. ‘I'm so glad you're here. Is Geraldine with you?' She was always happy to see her son's fiancée.

‘She's gone to central London with some friends to see the coronation parade. But she's hoping to come along later.'

‘Daisy will be thrilled to see you.' Faye waved at her daughter, drawing her attention and, with a delighted grin, the young woman sped over to them. A dapper youth began trailing uncertainly in Daisy's wake.

Daisy launched herself at her brother with such energy she almost knocked him off his feet. ‘Chris'll be glad you made it.' Daisy knew her brother and her cousin got on like a house on fire.

‘Where is Chris by the way?' Daisy took a squint about. ‘And Grace, too. I've not seen either of them yet.' A moment later she'd remembered her hovering boyfriend and urged him forward to introduce him to Adam.

‘This is Richard. I've told him all about you, and how brave you were in the war.' She gave her brother a prideful beam.

Adam politely shook the nervous young man's hand. ‘Pleased to meet you, Richard … she exaggerates,' he added modestly, patting the boy on the shoulder.

‘I saw Shirley Coleman turn up a little while ago. I'll go and have a word with her and see if she knows where Grace and Chris have got to.' Faye glanced away from her children with a frown. Her nephew's absence was starting to niggle at her. ‘I expect something's held them up, that's all it is.'

Faye left her son and daughter chatting and went off to speak to Grace's mother. She knew Chris wouldn't intentionally miss this party. He and Grace had been talking about the preparations, along with everybody else, for months past. Grace had written invitations to many ex-Bunk residents for Matilda, and had been involved in planning today's celebration. At the beginning of the week the young couple had been to the wholesaler's to fetch back in the van the boxes of souvenir paper plates, tablecloths and serviettes.

‘Have you seen my Grace?' On noticing Faye approaching, Shirley had immediately fired that at her, then glanced around, her lips pursed. ‘I can't believe she'd not let me know she was stopping out last night.'

‘Didn't come home then?' Faye gave a little grimace.

‘I only came along to this party to give Grace a piece of my mind for worrying me so. I thought I might find her and Chris already here. But I've just had a word with Matilda and she's not seen either of them for days. Didn't say too much 'cos it looks like everybody's having a good time and I didn't want to spoil the atmosphere.' Shirley again swept the company with a searching gaze.

‘Grace didn't give you a clue where she was off to?'

‘She had the day off work yesterday to do
wedding things
with Chris; that's what she told me they were up to. Dolled up to the nines, she was. I'm just hoping she didn't get too carried away with
wedding things with Chris
,
if you get my drift.' Shirley's eyes narrowed. ‘I'm not going to be best pleased if any trouble comes out of this in nine months' time, and I'll make no bones about telling his father so when I clap eyes on him.'

‘They're setting the big day for some time in September,so not too far off, is it,' Faye quickly soothed Shirley.

‘Grace was engaged before, you know, and the rotter did the dirty on her. As far as I'm concerned, till a girl's got a wedding ring on her finger, anything can happen.'

‘Chris idolises Grace,' Faye quickly reassured her. She could tell Shirley was becomingly increasingly agitated by the thought of an unplanned pregnancy arising from the couple's unexplained absence. ‘They'll be along soon, I'm sure of it. Now come and meet some people; most of Matilda's grandchildren and great-grandchildren are here. They're a lovely bunch …'

Shirley allowed herself to be lead away, grumbling.

‘Now who wants more jelly?' Pearl held up the glass bowl. A few hands went up but most of the children were too full to indulge in more. After Pearl had doled out seconds to those who wanted it, Stevie relieved her of the remainder.

‘I don't mind a bit of jelly when I'm hungry.' He immediately dug a spoon into it.

Pearl gave him a fond smile. ‘You've worked hard, so I'll let you get away with that one.' She glanced at the table; the children were slowly drifting away now they had eaten their fills. ‘Get the empties cleared away, shall we, then we can put out some fresh sandwiches and sausage rolls for the adults to dive into.' She leaned forward to whisper, ‘Have you hidden the cake?'

Stephen nodded. Just that afternoon he'd iced a large sponge in the shape and colours of the Union Jack. He chuckled. ‘I've made a gold crown for Tilly to wear 'n' all when we come to cut it. She can do the honours as she's our Queen of The Bunk.'

Pearl guffawed. ‘She'll like that, Stevie.'

‘Let's make a bit of dancing space, shall we?'

Alice and Sophy had started to move back chairs to clear some room in the centre of the street.

Suddenly they stopped and stared as a van pulled up and Rob and Josh tumbled out to open the back doors. Alice burst out laughing. ‘I wondered where Josh had got to!' She clapped a hand to her mouth. ‘I told him we could do with a bit of music but I didn't dream he'd bring the piano from home.' She weaved through the throng towards him. ‘You gone nuts, Josh Chaplin?' She was shaking her head in amazement as he and Rob lifted the piano onto the pavement. ‘I was only expecting the Italian fellow to turn up and do a turn on his barrel organ.'

‘You can't do the conga properly without someone bashing it out on the piano, Al,' Josh soothed her in his gentle way. ‘Anyhow, you know you like a good singsong, with me tinkling the ivories. And George has fetched over his banjo, so we're all set for a night of it.'

As the light faded, and the bonfire shed a warm glow on the street scene, Alice wandered away into the shadows. Planting her hands on her hips she sighed, realising she felt pleasantly exhausted. She'd moments ago danced the hokey cokey with Sarah Whitton, the pair of them singing their lungs out, and laughing hard enough to make their jaws and ribs ache. Now Alice hoped to find a chair to relax on, and take a breather; but sleepy-headed kids occupied every one.

Instinctively she perched down on her mother's front step, and contentedly let the sights and sounds of the celebration wash over her. Her Josh was bashing out ‘If You Were the Only Girl in the World' in between sending her significant little glances. She gesticulated at him not to be daft. That made him laugh and adopt an even more sentimental air, simply to tease her.

Alice settled her back against her mother's door and sipped from her glass. Her eyelids closed and she let the June night air refresh her as her mind retreated through decades to remember herself as a girl, crouching outside with friends on balmy Saturday nights, while above, in their decrepit rooms, the adults would sing and jig to the tunes belted out on the piano by her dad.

It was the same piano that Josh was playing now, Alice realised, and the thought of her dad's fingers flying over those battered keys, forty years previously, filled her with poignant pleasure. In a way it made her content that he was here enjoying this final Bunk party with them today.

Almost simultaneously, Alice's three sisters spotted her quietly relaxing and ambled over to join her. They stood, smiling, watching waltzing couples, before they too settled down on the step or kerb, as they once had congregated together as children.

‘You know, I never understood what Mum saw in this place. I couldn't wait to get out and get on …' Alice paused, glanced towards Seven Sisters Road. ‘Yet … it's got something, hasn't it. In a daft way it's special and I've only just realised I wish the street wasn't being pulled down. I know I'm going to miss it when it's gone.'

‘Me too,' Sophy said. ‘Met my Danny here, didn't I, so there are some fine memories for me. Remember, do you, Al, the day the Lovats turned up to move in next door?'

‘Was only twelve at the time, but I won't ever forget it,' Alice vowed. ‘I still think about Geoff …' she added huskily as she remembered Danny's younger brother. She'd been fond of him, had classed him as her best friend, and he'd proved his worth with his caring, selfless behaviour. His life had ended tragically and far too soon on a Somme battlefield.

‘Couldn't ever forget Geoff,' Bethany echoed. ‘He was a hero.'

‘We had some larks when we were young,' Lucy chipped in nostalgically. ‘Might not have thought it was good at the time but they were diamond days. Bloody good job Mum didn't find out about some of it though.'

‘Nearly got skinned alive by Mum a few times for misbehaving,' Sophy added distantly.

‘We all know you've got a few racy tales to tell your grandkids, when you have some, little Luce.' Alice turned the attention away from her eldest to her youngest sister.

‘She'd better not tell 'em!' Beth declared. ‘She'll scare the living daylights out of the poor little mites.'