A Cheat and a Liar, page 32
‘How are the cottage repairs going?’ she asked.
‘I’m not going to tell you. I have asked your father if he would like to visit next Saturday and asked him to bring your mother and you also.’
‘Oh, that’s exciting’ she said. ‘I haven’t been there for a very long time. The last time I saw it, I thought it was horrible.’
‘I have quite a lot to do to get it to where I want it to be,’ George replied. ‘I am hoping to paint it before the bad weather sets in; certainly on the outside, and then room by room, I will pretty up the interior.’
‘Oh, George, you do have some quaint English sayings: “pretty up”, oh, how lovely. You must tell me all about your past life some time.’
‘Oh,’ he said. ‘If I started telling you, and you were in a nice soft chair, you would be fast asleep within five minutes.’
‘Oh,’ she replied, ‘I am sure some of it must have been exciting.’
‘I must do some work’, he said, changing the subject. ‘If your father dismisses me for wasting time, all my work at the cottage will be in vain.’ They both smiled at each other. George rushed off in one direction, and Nettie returned to her office.
The following day, George supplied the measurements for the windows to the lady in the shop. She told him how much material he would require, and he immediately crossed the road and found Lucy, the person he had been told could make the window coverings. George had no idea whether the costs for material and making were reasonable but accepted both prices and asked Lucy if she could possibly have them ready for him in three days, which was Friday. It was agreed, and George had them all in place that evening. He had also moved the furniture he had purchased into the cottage and bought a new kapok mattress as well. Tomorrow afternoon, I have very important visitors arriving, so I must purchase something nice for them to have with their afternoon tea. First impressions are the most important, Georgie boy, he said to himself and smiled as he admired all his handiwork. The floor rugs looked good and toned in with the drapes at the windows. The old chairs kind of matched the rug in the lounge. He had even cleaned the wood fire with a lightly oiled rag. It looked good. Best home you have had for many a long day, he said to himself. He had a wash and readied himself for bed. Must try out this new mattress, he told thought. Just bad luck I have to try it out on my own. He smiled as he said it and then put his head down on the pillow and was soon asleep.
Saturday dawned. It was a beautiful day. George was up and about. There was not much that needed tidying around the house. Today was the first opportunity he had had to show off; show off how he could renovate a house, turn a house into a home, and welcome visitors into this place he could now call home. The visitors, too, were not just people visiting. It was to his boss, and, in fact, the boss owned the house and had, through his business, provided much of the material for repair; and the boss was bringing his wife, whom George felt he must impress also, and, most importantly the boss and his wife were bringing their daughter, and therein lay the whole reason for the invitation—to invite the boss’s daughter, Nettie.
Even though the day was still young, George set about bringing out the best of what he had: first, a new tablecloth that had never adorned a table, a tea set for four with matching cups, saucers, plates, larger plates for food to be displayed. a matching sugar bowl, and milk jug. He hesitated. What else? he thought. Ah, serviettes, and soon the table was complete. George had dined with the very best through to the most basic of people. Yes, he said to himself and rushed to a drawer in a sideboard cabinet, that’s what I need, and with that took out a neatly folded and only once-used ‘throw,’ which he placed over all items on the table.
Next, George was out of the house and into Edward’s reliable old truck, trundling into town to purchase the one absolute necessity—food. It was not going to be a midday lunch but more a 2.30 p.m. afternoon tea, and he was determined to do the job correctly to the end.
Back at the cottage, the steel kettle was set on the wood stove, which in turn was filled with more wood to boost the fire therein, and the silver teapot taken from a shelf and readied for the water to boil. Food, enough he thought to feed a small army, was put onto the plates, the throw put back to cover everything, and as Shakespeare could have said, ‘The stage was set.’
It was only just after 1.00 p.m. His visitors were not due until 2.30 p.m.
Then they arrived. George opened the door and walked out to meet them. Across the front, he had erected a very English and new picket fence. There was a small gate made to match the fence in line with the front door with a metalled path linking the two, and he had swung double picket gates at the entrance to the driveway also, where it met the side boundary. Today, of course, he had left the gates open, so Edward was able to drive through onto the lawn.
‘Oh, wow!’ Edward exclaimed as he climbed out of the car. ‘Now, this looks one awful lot tidier than when I last visited. Oh, what a job you have done.’
‘Oh,’ George replied, ‘I’ve always said that the grounds of every house, when tidy, can transform it into a home. Give me a month or two and I will have the house painted, and that will make all the difference.’
Mrs Nichols said she could not remember actually coming onto the property for perhaps five years or more. ‘It was overgrown and looked terrible then. Thank you, George, for all the hard work you have put in. I am afraid Edward would have been just too busy to even go near it.’
Nettie, of course, was of much the same mind as her mother. ‘I always expected to one day come past and see it burnt to the ground or inhabited by vagrants or tramps.’
‘Well,’ George said, ‘I am very happy that the first impression has pleasantly surprised all of you. Best you all come inside and take a look there too. Again, paint is my next purchase, but come and tell me what you think.’ They all wandered across to the front door, and Edward helped steady his wife as she climbed the three steps to the door; then he stood aside to let his daughter enter also. Finally, the two men followed the ladies inside as well.
‘Have you got a woman in your life, George?’ asked Nettie.
‘Have I? Who is she? I don’t think so, why?’ he answered, somewhat taken back.
‘Well, the place looks wonderful. I didn’t think any man could set up a house, no matter how small, and furnish it and have everything looking so good unless he had the help of a woman.’
‘Oh, you’re just getting to know me. I have hidden talents, you know.’
‘Well, I know now. It is very nice.’ Her mother agreed, and Edward shook George’s hand.
‘Well done,’ he said.
The excitement from the two women was just starting to recede, and then they walked into the kitchen area and saw the food on the table and the crockery all ready, and away they both went again. ‘Oh, look at the food too,’ Helen remarked.
‘Oh,’ he replied. ‘I was up at six o’clock cooking and preparing everything for you all. It’s such a distance from your home to here, I knew you would be famished after such a journey, so I was up, out of bed making sure I had plenty for such a distinguished gathering.’
There was general laughter and talking. George took a jug of hot water off the cooker and made tea for everyone. Then Edward asked about water for the place, and that led to hot water requirements, and after George explained how he had built a tank stand and installed a tank, that led to how there was now both hot and cold running water available in the bathroom. That was followed, of course, with the instant comment from Nettie. ‘Oh, we haven’t seen the bathroom,’ and then insisted on turning both taps and exclaiming, ‘I think this is as wonderful as any new home built today!’
Then it was time for everyone to settle themselves back in the living room to enjoy a drink and a cake and generally converse about other matters, not the renovated cottage.
Helen finally put her cup down and said, ‘I think this is all very nice, and I can see it will not take you long at all to have totally finished the whole transformation of this lovely little home.’ Then she turned to Nettie and said, ‘Not tomorrow, but after church next Sunday, Mr George, how about you come home for lunch at our little cottage? What do you think, Nettie, my love?’
‘I think that’s a wonderful idea, straight after church. Are you planning on going to church tomorrow, Mr George?’
‘Yes, I certainly am,’ he replied.
‘Good,’ she replied, ‘you can sit next to me.’
After they had eaten and it approached the time they would leave, Edward suggested, ‘I think we should finish our visit with a casual walk out the back and inspect this tank on its new stand and whatever else young George has put in place that we haven’t seen.’ So, outside they all went, and there right in front of them was the new outhouse that everyone admired but did not venture too close to, and then there was the water tank with its downpipe from the roof and it’s piping that Edward remarked on. Finally, they talked as they walked back towards the family car, and the three of them thanked George for everything and congratulated him again. Edward and Helen both shook George’s hand, and then it happened.
George held out his right hand to finally farewell Nettie. Without warning, she stepped forward, took his hand in both of hers, and then leant forward and kissed him on the cheek. ‘Bye, George,’ she said softly. ‘I’ll look forward to seeing you at church tomorrow. Please be early, and you can sit by me.’
George, for once in his life, was a little taken aback. ‘Oh, oh, that sounds great,’ he burbled. ‘I’ll make sure I am there in plenty of time.’
With that, Edward started the car, and, with doors all shut and all the right people on board, he backed out the gate, and, with a honk of the bad-sounding horn, they headed home.
‘Hasn’t George done a marvellous job with the cottage, Father?’ Nettie asked.
‘Oh, it looks lovely,’ her mother added.
Edward paused and then added to the compliments. ‘He certainly knows what he is doing. Once he throws some paint around, it will be a nice little place for years to come.’
Meanwhile, George had shut the gates and walked back inside to clear the table and wash the dishes. He felt pleased with himself and particularly happy to receive the little peck on the cheek from Miss Nichols. Once tidying was complete, it was time to relax. As had always been the norm, George had bought a paper when he was in town to buy food for the visitors, so he took off his footwear, went into the lounge, and slumped down on the lounge sofa and started to catch up on the news from Europe. England, Canada, and the other countries of the British Empire were, of course, banded together, fighting against Germany, Hungary, Italy, and others. George was alone, of course, so there was nobody to question why he was eagerly looking for news and the involvement of those from the bottom of the world. There was, thankfully, no indication of casualties. He read what he wanted and then turned to the pages explaining the good and the not-so-good from around North America. Tomorrow was Sunday, and so he could stay in bed longer than he could, on any other day of the week. Sunday, he said to himself, a day of worship, and perhaps I may get to sit beside my favourite lady. Might even get another peck on the cheek, he told himself. He smiled to himself, turned over, and decided to stay where he was for another hour or so. This new kapok mattress makes getting out of bed an unwelcome event, he thought.
He finally woke up with a start. What’s the time, Georgie? he asked himself. He had no need to worry. It was only 9.00 a.m.; two more hours yet before I need to be there. He thought briefly and then swung his feet onto the floor. He washed, laid out the clothes on the unmade bed, and then turned and went to the kitchen and started to prepare something for breakfast.
He drove to church and walked casually towards the front door. The Nichols, it seemed, only arrived six or seven minutes before the service was due to start. George recognised one or two familiar faces he had seen there previously so introduced himself and made small talk with two of them. Then they arrived, and, before long, he had joined them in their regular pew. As he sat down, Nettie discreetly squeezed his arm. ‘That was a lovely visit yesterday,’ she whispered. ‘You are the perfect host.’
‘Glad you could come,’ he quietly replied. Then the organist stopped playing, and the minister’s now-familiar voice welcomed the gathered fifty or so churchgoers.
The service ended, and then everyone departed, shaking the reverend’s hand as they went. Once outside, Nettie engaged George in serious conversation. ‘George, we have a problem within Bucoda, and the Welfare League are having a meeting tonight to discuss. I would like you to accompany me and enter into any discussions. I know you have a solution for most problems, and I saw how well you handled that poor young lady’s plight when you were staying at the hotel. Say you will come, George. I would like you to come with me, please.’
‘Sure. We need to talk, though, before we go there tonight,’ he said. ‘It is impossible to be told something and then reply with a remedy five minutes later. You and I need to discuss whatever you know, and then we can each add our opinions tonight. What time is the meeting, and where?’ She told him, and 6.30 p.m. was the time. ‘Right. What say I come to your place at six o’clock? We talk, if your parents don’t mind, for, say, twenty minutes, and then we shall go together in the old truck and will return you home straight after the meeting is finished.’
‘Yes,’ she replied, throwing her hands in the air. ‘What say I tell Mother I have invited you to supper?’
‘No, that is not fair to your mother,’ he almost snapped, ‘and what’s more, I am coming to your place, their place, for lunch next Sunday. So I will just pick you up, drive you to the meeting, and drive you home afterwards.’
‘Oh, George, you look so lovely when you get angry. That’s fine. I will tell my parents we need their lounge room for half an hour before the meeting.’
‘I’ll be there,’ he declared, smiled, and walked off in the direction of the truck. As he was opening his door to get inside, he thought to himself, Best I spend an hour or so cleaning this old truck. I have never done so before, and I don’t think Edward and others that drove it ever gave cleaning a thought. He shut the door. Hope the old girl doesn’t fall apart when I throw some water at it. He laughed. If I have it sparkling when team leader gets to ride in it tonight, shares in George Inc. will climb, I have no doubt. He laughed as he headed for home.
On arrival, it was park the truck behind the house on the grass, find a bucket and fill it with water, get the old shirt that was destined for the trash can, rip off the sleeves; get the brush with the softest bristles, and get the kitchen shovel and broom. The truck was wet from front to back, and the whole vehicle was scrubbed with the long-handled soft brush. The windows and chrome, or what chrome remained, were washed with one-half of the old shirt. Then it was back inside to find the oldest bathroom towel. The exterior was transformed. I am glad I am going to pick Nettie up in daylight, he thought. She will be beside herself.
Next, the wheels. Stiff brush with water seemed to do the trick. Now, the interior. Shovel and brush; he half filled the trash can. A damp clean sleeve of the shirt, and the upholstery looked cleaner and better. The rubber floor mats were thrown onto the grass and scrubbed well before being wiped and left in the last of the afternoon sun to dry.
Everything put back together and a final wipe of the interior with the last clean and damp sleeve, and George could already hear the applause mounting in the Nichols’ house. Just one final touch. He went inside and found some boot polish. He sat the steel container on the wood stove for a few minutes and then gently took it outside and carefully blackened the tyres. ‘If I don’t gain a few brownie points tonight, then the Pope isn’t a Catholic.’ He laughed as he said it.
It was getting late. He needed to tidy up and ready himself for the big meeting. I wonder what the trouble is that needs a solution? He started to think. Drunkard husband. Wife basher. Thief. Burglar. Children neglected. We’ll listen to what has happened and see if we can contribute something useful to remedy the situation. If perhaps there had been a little sparrow on the fence and within earshot of George, it could have given him some other reasons a wife needed help, like desertion and adultery. If George could have heard and understood the sparrow, there would have been no time for the little bird to add to his list. George would have found a solution, like catching the sparrow and wringing its neck.
George arrived at the Nicholses’ home, parked the truck so it was almost out of sight, and went and knocked on their door. Nettie answered. ‘Right on time. Welcome, George,’ she said and waved her arm, beckoning him to come inside. As he stepped towards her, he leant forward, and she responded by putting her head to one side, so he was able to kiss her on the cheek. ‘Oh, that was nice,’ she said. ‘Mother and Father are in the living room.’
‘Best I let them know I am here,’ he said and followed her in their direction.
Edward stood up as George came through the door. ‘We meet again; it is becoming a habit,’ the older man said.
‘Nice to meet with nice people’ was the reply.
‘Nettie tells me you are off to help her fight another fight,’ said Edward.
George laughed. ‘You could say that. I don’t think I would be very good in a fight, but I don’t mind helping those in need and disarming whoever is firing the shots; but we will see what they are up to and do our best I am sure.’
‘It’s very good of you, George. A lady like Nettie can only do so much. I am sure she will appreciate your input.’
With that, Nettie ushered George into the lounge and beckoned him towards a chair. Once seated, she relayed the brief details of the situation they were hoping to resolve. Some man called William was out of work, having lost his previous employment through arriving at work in a drunken state on several occasions. As a result of no work, the family had no money. Twice in the last week, his wife had tried to discuss their position with him, and twice he had hit her, several times, telling her he didn’t want to listen to her anymore, and in fact he didn’t want her around anymore.
