Many a Tear Has to Fall, page 6
Marty was not far from the bottom of the street when he saw a bus going in the direction of Liverpool. Even so, he sprinted to the main road so he could have a clear view of the bus stop, but there was no one standing there. Pausing to catch his breath before making his way back to the house, he thought about what Jerry had said about his mother being in Heaven. Marty could do with knowing more about her death and whether his brother had informed Bernie’s family. Somehow he doubted it.
A grim-faced Marty entered the house, glad to see the suitcase had been moved from the step. He found Irene and Jerry in the kitchen. The sweetie tin she normally kept in the sideboard cupboard was on the dining table minus its lid, along with an envelope addressed to him and his sister, Peggy. A small case containing toy cars with its lid up was also there.
Jerry was sitting in a chair by the fire, with a red lollipop in one hand and a Dinky car in the other. He attempted to get up from the chair as soon as Marty entered the room, but his uncle told him to stay where he was and picked up the envelope. Gingerly, he slit it open with a finger.
Irene came in from the back kitchen, carrying a steaming jug. She placed it on a cork mat on the table. ‘I take it you didn’t catch him.’
‘I might have if I hadn’t fallen over that b— suitcase,’ Marty said. ‘Get us some hot water, love, and the first-aid box. I’ve scraped skin off the palms of my hands.’
‘You poor love! I hate it when that happens. It really hurts.’
‘You can say that again,’ he muttered.
Irene was away only a few minutes, keen to know what was in the letter. As she placed a small bowl of water and first-aid box on the table, she watched Marty unfold the sheets of paper. His eyes scanned the lines of writing, but his expression was unreadable, even to her.
‘So, what does he say?’ she asked, removing cotton wool and a tin of Germolene from the box and placing them on the table.
Marty held out the pages to her. ‘Read it for yourself.’
Irene sat down and spread the letter out in front of her. From what she knew of Tommy, she had expected his handwriting to be almost indecipherable, but it was easier to read than her own scrawl because it was not in what they used to call ‘joined-up writing’ in junior school, but printed out meticulously.
Dear Marty and Peggy,
You have probably guessed by now that Bernie and Jerry went off with me, so you will be as mad as hatters with both of us. But she could see nothing else for it and you know Bernie nearly always gets her way. What you will not know is that we were wed shortly before I had to do my vanishing trick, and she only married you, Marty, because she was already having a baby. Jerry is mine, not yours. Anyway, I am telling you this now because Bernie died a short while ago. We had been living in London. I knew this bloke and he spoke for us and we were able to get a basement flat to rent. Bit of a pig of a place but at least we had a roof over our heads. She started having funny turns and when she caught the flu that finished her off. It blew me to pieces I can tell you. I did not know if I was coming or going for days. Anyway, she is dead and buried and I decided that I needed some help if I was to try and earn an honest living. Do not crack up laughing, I know what you think of me, but I never thought Bernie would die and I feel I should try and go straight because I want to do something right. I think it is lousy for Jerry to be motherless. Poor little sod. So what do you think? Will you both look after him for me until I make my fortune? I can almost hear you laughing at the thought. I know you will be a better father to him than I could ever be. By the way, Bernie told him that he was lucky in having two daddies, you and me. I wonder how my life would have turned out if I had been lucky enough to have had a different dad from the one I had to suffer. But I did have you, big brother. Anyway, do not even think of trying to find me. I will be in London and it is a helluva big place to try and find someone.
Thanks. Tommy
Forgot to ask, will you let Bernie’s mother know she’s gone? I couldn’t face it. I will be in touch when I have some good news. Give my love to Mam.
‘He’s got a nerve but that’s some letter,’ said Irene, raising her head and gazing at Marty.
‘Isn’t it just,’ he muttered. ‘But at least he’s admitted he and Bernie were married before she married me bigamously, so hurrah for that!’
‘I find it hard to believe that he actually wrote it. It would have taken him more time printing it out than doing double writing. But he can really string words together and his writing is so neat. Pity he never bothered writing to you when he vanished and you all thought he was dead.’
‘Yeah, it makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Although, most likely it was because he didn’t want to be traced and risk the police getting wind of where he was.’
‘What are you going to do?’ Irene glanced at Jerry and lowered her voice. ‘Or would you rather not discuss this right now? Only, I’ll have to be going soon.’
Marty sighed and changed the subject. ‘Come and give us a hand here, love.’
While Irene had been reading the letter, he had been attempting to cleanse the grazes on the hand where a flap of skin had lifted off. She suggested he sat down. Immediately Jerry scrambled down from the armchair and came over to them.
‘I’m thirsty,’ he said, leaning against Marty’s chair.
Irene put down the cotton wool and reached for the jug. She poured some cocoa into a small mug and added extra milk and told Jerry to sit at the table. He did so, and as Irene proceeded to deal with Marty’s injuries, the boy’s eyes kept going from his face to hers. As soon as he had finishing drinking, he said, ‘Can I see Josie now?’
‘She’s asleep,’ Irene murmured, closing the first-aid box.
Jerry turned to Marty. ‘I want to see Josie. Other daddy said I’d be able to play with her. I promised him I’d be good for you and Auntie Peggy and I have been good so far. But where’s Auntie Peggy?’
‘She doesn’t live here any more,’ Marty said. ‘This is your Auntie Irene and you’re to be good for her, too.’
Jerry looked doubtful. ‘Why doesn’t Auntie Peggy live here any more?’
‘Because she’s married and lives with her husband.’ Marty frowned at Irene. ‘I’ve just thought – what am I going to do in the morning? Who’s going to look after Jerry?’
‘Stop worrying,’ said Irene. ‘I’ll explain to Peggy when I see her later. I’m sure she’ll be prepared to come with me first thing in the morning. I’ll speak to Matron about Jerry and, fingers crossed, she’ll agree to him coming along to the nursery with Josie.’
Marty smiled and, leaning forward, kissed her. ‘What would I do without you?’
Irene kissed him back. ‘You don’t have to do without me.’ She lowered her voice. ‘I’ve been thinking since reading that letter. Surely, with Bernie dead, we can go ahead with the wedding sooner. Her death should simplify matters with the church.’
‘I’ll speak to Father Francis and see what he has to say.’
Irene’s blue eyes shone. ‘He’s been such a help to us in discovering your wedding to Bernie was bigamous. I know he’s not our parish priest, but I’d like him to take part in the ceremony.’
‘I’ll try and see him tomorrow on my way home from work. I’m going to have to drop in and see Ma, anyway.’
‘Couldn’t Peggy do that?’ suggested Irene. ‘She could take Jerry with her to see your mother.’
His expression brightened. ‘That’s an idea. See what she thinks when you see her later.’
But Irene was not to see Peggy that evening, because she and Pete had already gone to bed by the time Irene arrived at the Marshall household in Bootle. As she made ready for bed, she thought how it seemed not to have occurred to Marty to refuse to fall in with his brother’s plans. She felt a stir of anger. Tommy really was a selfish swine. How dare he shift his responsibility for his son on to Marty and scoot off to London, fancy-free once more! Not only that, but also leaving the job of informing Bernie’s mother of her youngest daughter’s death was really not on. She could not wait to hear what Peggy thought of it all.
‘You’re not going to believe this,’ said Irene, sitting at the breakfast table across from Peggy the following morning.
Peggy swallowed the last bit of arrowroot biscuit and glanced at her. ‘What aren’t we going to believe?’
Irene dropped her bombshell. ‘Jerry turned up on Marty’s doorstep around about eight o’clock last night with his suitcase and a note.’
Peggy’s mouth fell open. ‘You’re joking!’
Irene shook her head. ‘Cross my heart and hope to die. It’s the gospel truth.’
‘Now why doesn’t that surprise me?’ said Pete. ‘We should have guessed that Tommy would never be able to cope with a kid and Bernie going doolally at the same time.’
‘Prepare yourself for another shock,’ Irene said softly. ‘Bernie’s dead.’
Peggy reached out a hand to Pete, who laced his fingers through hers and squeezed her hand gently. ‘You all right, love?’
She hesitated and then nodded.
Irene reached into a pocket and withdrew an envelope and placed it in front of Peggy on the table. She stared down at it. ‘That’s our Tommy’s writing. Miracles happen. He’s actually written us a letter.’
‘Open it, Peg, and let’s see what he has to say,’ Pete urged.
‘You can read it with me,’ she said.
Pete began to read the letter over his wife’s shoulder.
Irene watched their faces as she buttered a slice of toast and then spread jam on it. Her teeth crunched into the toast, breaking the silence.
‘Tommy’s got a bloody nerve,’ said Pete, glancing across at her.
‘That’s what I said to Marty.’ Irene looked at the clock on the mantelpiece. ‘He’s going to need you to look after Jerry this morning, Peggy. D’you think you can come with me when I leave in a quarter of an hour? He also suggested you might like to take Jerry to visit your mother. She needs to know what her precious blue-eyed boy’s done now.’
Before Peggy could answer, Pete’s mother came into the kitchen. ‘Good, you’re still here, Irene. I’ll catch the bus with you,’ she said.
Pete glanced at his mother, Gertie, a short, plump woman with greying hair. ‘Peggy will be going with you. Her nephew has turned up on Marty’s doorstep and he needs someone to look after him.’ He turned to Irene. ‘I must admit your news far outweighs mine.’
‘And what’s your news?’ she asked.
‘I met Maggie Gregory on the train when I was coming home from work.’
Irene shrugged. ‘I bet she’ll be here and gone in a flash. She never stays long.’
‘I think she’ll be staying a bit longer this time,’ said Pete.
‘I don’t care about Maggie right this moment,’ said Peggy impatiently. ‘I’m really annoyed with our Tommy, especially the way he takes it for granted that our Marty will shoulder his responsibilities – and expecting him to break the news to Bernie’s mother. She’ll hit the roof.’
Irene looked at the clock. ‘We’ll have to be going.’
‘Have you told Irene about our Norman?’ Gertie Marshall’s mouth tightened as she shrugged on her coat.
Irene shot a glance at her. ‘What about Norman?’
‘He’s only gone and got himself engaged to some other girl without telling me.’
‘I thought he and Maggie had a thing going,’ said Irene.
‘So did we,’ Pete said, shrugging on his coat. ‘Ma’s not the only one who’s hurt, so is Maggie.’
‘Has she come up here because Norman’s dumped her and she wants some tea and sympathy from her family?’ asked Irene with a touch of sarcasm.
‘No, she’s had a really bad bout of bronchitis and has come up here to recuperate,’ Pete said.
‘Ooops, I should have kept my mouth shut,’ said Irene. ‘But Maggie’s cousin Betty always went on about Maggie having been spoilt.’
‘Let’s forget Maggie for now,’ Peggy said impatiently. ‘I want to see Jerry and make sure for myself that he’s all right. I don’t know how our Marty is going to break the news to Bernie’s mother.’
‘Maybe her mother’s best believing Bernie’s still alive,’ said Gertie. ‘From what I’ve heard about that woman, she just might get violent and shoot the messenger.’
‘I know she’s never had a good word to say for either of my brothers,’ said Peggy. ‘And it wasn’t our Tommy or Marty who was a bigamist, but her daughter. Bernie knew what she was doing. She tricked our Marty into marrying her because she was pregnant and didn’t want to tell anyone she had secretly married our Tommy.’
‘Agreed, but let’s drop the subject for now,’ Pete said. ‘It’s time I was off to work.’
‘And we’ll have to get a move on,’ said Irene. ‘I’ve work to go to, as well.’
Peggy wasted no more time. The three women were in a sombre mood as they made the journey to Litherland. They parted at the bus stop opposite the sausage factory where Gertie worked. She told them she wouldn’t be in for tea as she was going straight to West Derby, so not to expect her until about ten.
The two women hurried to Marty’s house, where they found Jerry and four year old Josie, who was the spitting image of Peggy when she was a little girl, sitting opposite him. Both were dressed and eating cornflakes. Immediately Jerry saw Peggy, he shot up and ran to her. She gave him a hug and a kiss before greeting her brother and Josie.
Marty was in the act of placing corned beef and pickle butties into a haversack and darted his sister a relieved look. ‘Am I glad to see you? You all right with taking charge of Jerry until later?’
She squeezed her brother’s arm. ‘He’s my nephew too, isn’t he? It’s our Tommy who’s a pain in the neck.’
‘No argument there,’ said Marty, slinging the haversack over a shoulder. ‘Sorry, but I’m going to have to rush.’ He kissed Josie and squeezed Jerry’s shoulder and then kissed Irene. ‘See you later, love.’
He was halfway through the door when she called, ‘What are you going to do about seeing Father Francis?’
He hesitated. ‘I’ll see how I’m fixed for time.’
‘What about seeing Bernie’s mother?’ asked Peggy.
‘Same with her. Can’t say I’m looking forward to it,’ he said. ‘Look, I’m going to have to go. I’ve a couple of big jobs on.’
Irene saw him to the door and waved him off before going back inside the house, where she found Peggy clearing away the empty cereal bowls. ‘Me and Josie will have to leave for the nursery in a few minutes,’ she said.
‘OK!’ Peggy paused in the doorway that led to the back kitchen. ‘Is there any shopping you’d like me to do for Marty and the kids when I nip along to Mam’s with Jerry?’
Aware that the children were most likely listening, Irene nudged Peggy into the back kitchen and took her purse from a pocket. ‘Get us an Easter egg for Jerry. I’ve one already for Josie. I’ll also need a fresh loaf and a pound of mince.’ She handed over a pound note. ‘I hope that’s enough.’
‘Don’t worry about it,’ said Peggy. ‘You can always give me any extra later.’
‘And don’t forget to keep your eye on Jerry,’ Irene whispered. ‘It’s not impossible that he’ll remember where his other grandmother’s house is, given that it’s within walking distance of your mother’s.’
‘That’s a good thought. Monica, Bernie’s niece is still living there; she was very fond of the kid and gutted when Bernie and Tommy vanished with him.’
‘You’re not thinking Monica would snatch him if she knew Jerry had been dumped on Marty – take him to live with Bernie’s family, are you?’ Irene’s blue eyes had widened.
Peggy gasped. ‘That never occurred to me.’
‘I’m not saying Monica would do such a thing. I like the girl, and she’s babysat Josie a few times for Marty and me, but blood is thicker than water and she might think Jerry belongs with them. And would she be far wrong?’
‘I might agree if he was an orphan, but he’s not,’ Peggy said. ‘Anyway, knowing our Marty, he wouldn’t allow it. In his eyes Jerry is a McGrath, and he took on responsibility for him from the moment Jerry was born.’
‘That was when he believed he was his son.’
Peggy agreed. ‘Even so, he’s still fond of him, and he is our nephew.’ She went over to the sink and deposited crockery and cutlery on the draining board. ‘But you’re making me question whether it’s a good idea for me to take him to see Mam and tell her about Tommy. She’s not brilliant at keeping secrets, and if she was to tell our Lil—’
‘Well, that’s up to you,’ said Irene, glancing at the clock on the mantelpiece. ‘I’m going to have to go.’
Peggy saw her and Josie out and then returned to the kitchen, where Jerry was playing with his cars. He looked up at her. ‘Are we going out, Auntie Peggy?’
Peggy came to a decision. ‘Yes, later. We’ll go to the park and then to the shops, but first I’ve some housework to do and then I must make a phone call.’
‘To my other daddy?’ he asked.
She almost asked him which one did he mean, but decided just to smile and say, ‘Yes.’
Six
Maggie was struggling to hook Owen’s harness on to the ring attached to the pushchair, but her nephew would not keep still. He was as slippery as an eel but she was determined not to give in to him and allow him to walk. Of course, he was old enough not to need a pushchair any longer, but it was at least a mile to the beach and there was no way she was going to risk him tugging his hand out of her grasp and running on to the road and getting himself killed. Why had she volunteered to take him to the beach? That was a daft question. She knew the answer. It was because she wanted to prove, to her brother and his wife, that she was prepared to pull her weight. Crazy! It was only her first full day in Formby and she should be resting.
