East End Angel

‘Still knocking about with that Yid copper, are you?’

Eddie Finch barked the question at his daughter before she’d even got her coat off. He knew that Kathy had been at school with David Goldstein, but since he’d found out from his wife a few months back that they’d become romantically involved, Eddie had taken violently against David.

‘I’ve told you, Dad, we’re just good friends,’ Kathy answered wearily, shrugging out of her mac. To shut him up constantly harping on over it, Kathy had decided to make out that her relationship with David was platonic. She wished now she’d kept the news to herself when her mother had asked if she’d yet found herself a nice young man to take her out when she got time off from the surgery.

‘You make sure it stays “just friends”.’ Eddie folded the paper he’d pinned beneath his elbows while studying the football results at the parlour table. ‘’Cos I don’t want no rozzers in my family, and I don’t want no Jews either.’

‘Well, I doubt you’ll have any because David’s parents aren’t any keener on me than you are on him,’ Kathy announced, tempted to add that Eddie’s chosen career handling stolen goods wouldn’t improve their attitude towards her, if ever they – or David, for that matter – found out about it.

Eddie’s jaw dropped and the chair he’d rocked onto its back legs thumped down. It had never occurred to him that his daughter – the one he was proud of – might be unwelcome anywhere. ‘They’d be fucking lucky to have you!’ he snapped, outraged. ‘Who’d they think they are? Bleedin’ royalty?’

Despite herself, Kathy was touched by her father’s championship, so she gave him a rueful smile. She had often felt like saying something similar to her boyfriend about his bigoted parents. Of course, hers – her father especially – were equally prejudiced, but still, Kathy felt miffed that Mr and Mrs Goldstein didn’t want their son seeing her.

She was also annoyed with David for making out they had split up. He seemed eager to keep on the right side of his wealthy parents, although he insisted he was only resorting to fibs for an easy life. Kathy was equally fed up with the nagging she got, but he was telling a dirty big lie, whereas she was using little white ones to deflect her folks’ criticism.

He’d told Kathy he’d stuck to his guns and joined the police force rather than let his father browbeat him into studying accountancy to deal with the family firm’s books. In Kathy’s eyes, it begged the question why he’d not felt so passionately about stopping his mum and dad dictating his love life.

‘Give the girl a chance to sit down and have a cup of tea before you start on her, will you?’ Winifred Finch glared over her bony shoulder at her husband while putting the kettle on the gas stove. She beckoned Kathy into the kitchen, away from Eddie, who had now gone to mooch about in the front parlour.

Winnie would sooner Kathy settled down with a nice Christian boy so they could get married at the local church. But as long as the fellow her lovely daughter chose treated her right, and had a bit of money and a job, then he was halfway to being acceptable as a future son-in-law as far as Winifred was concerned. Besides, her husband should give praise where it was due instead of finding fault. In Kathy at least they had one child who wasn’t an embarrassment but a positive reason to boast.

It got Winnie’s goat that the neighbours were constantly tattling at her expense because she’d got two troublesome kids. Kathy’s twin had been gone from home for five years yet the nosy cow next door still tried to bring Winnie’s wayward daughter into any conversation so she could gloat. Yet Winnie knew for a fact that Cissy Dickens’ son had turned queer in the army.

‘Your father’s right, though, Kathy,’ Winnie muttered beneath her breath so her husband wouldn’t know she agreed with anything he said. ‘There ain’t a family anywhere that’s too good for you to fit in it. You remember that.’ She gave a crisp nod.

‘It’s just the religion thing, Mum,’ Kathy explained. ‘I expect David’s people are quite nice on the whole.’

‘Yeah … and so are we,’ Winnie announced more vocally.

Kathy raised her eyes heavenwards, wishing that were true so she could voice an endorsement.

Winifred was aware of her daughter’s wry grimace, and what prompted it. But she held her tongue, wanting to savour this visit from Kathy. She looked forward to seeing her and wished her daughter would come over more often to relieve the monotony of her depressing life. But she accepted Kathy worked long hours in a demanding profession that gave her little free time.

Rich Jews with their own business or not, the Goldsteins wouldn’t find a girl to give them lovelier grandkids. Winnie glanced at her daughter’s perfect profile: creamy complexion and golden hair. Neither required the artifice of powder or bleach. Kathy was a beauty with a smashing character; she’d always been one of the nicest, prettiest girls in the neighbourhood, even as a child. Winnie knew that wasn’t just her being biased; folk had always commented on Kathy’s attractive nature and looks. Her daughter had been raised in an area where hardship sullied people, turning them mean and selfish, yet her Kathy had risen above it to shine like a jewel. Winnie spontaneously showed her pride and appreciation by giving Kathy a brief peck on the cheek.

‘How have you been, Mum?’ Kathy quickly enquired at the rare and unexpected show of affection. She repeated her question with more volume as Winifred simply clattered the tea things on the wooden draining board.

‘Same as ever,’ Winnie muttered eventually. ‘Nothing much changes here, love; wish it bleedin’ did.’ She peered past her daughter into the parlour as her husband, bored with dawdling about, shouted he wasn’t having tea, he was off out.

Kathy realised her mother’s doleful tone hinted at Tom still causing problems. Her brother was Eddie’s favourite, although the boy seemed to be turning into a right tyke. Kathy avoided discussing him in her father’s hearing because he wouldn’t hear a word against Tom. His affected air of obliviousness to Tom’s mischief then set Winifred off. The last time Kathy had come over to Islington on a visit, she’d given up trying to referee her parents’ argument and had got up and gone home, leaving them to it.

‘Where’s Tom?’ Kathy asked, sipping tea. The house was too quiet for her young brother to be in his room. When indoors, he would dash down to see her as soon as he heard her arrive.

‘Gawd knows.’ Winnie shrugged dispiritedly. ‘He’s probably messing about with those sods in Campbell Road, just to rile me.’ Now her husband had vacated the space, Winnie picked up her cup and saucer and shuffled through into the parlour, sitting down at the small square table. ‘Your brother’s on the road to ruin, Kathy, same as the other one.’ Following that ominous announcement, Winnie cradled her cup between her palms, gazing into the weak brew. ‘Your father don’t seem willing or capable of doing nuthin’ to stop it. Tom don’t listen to a word I tell him … not any more.’ She lifted her cup and gulped, rattling it back onto the saucer. ‘You know he hasn’t done so since all that bad business years ago.’ Winnie lifted an edge of her pinny to dab at her glistening eyes.

Kathy knew exactly what her mother meant by ‘all that bad business’. She also knew the person her mother blamed for setting in motion the disaster: Jennifer. That’s why her sister’s name was taboo and she was only ever referred to as ‘the other one’, if mention were made of her at all. It was as though her twin had ceased to exist.

Jennifer had done wrong, Kathy would be the first to admit that. But what had happened hadn’t wholly been her fault. Eddie and Winnie had to take their share of the blame but neither of them seemed to have the courage to lance that particular boil. In Kathy’s opinion, until they did the wound in the Finch family would never heal.

‘I like your hair shorter.’ Winnie sniffed back tears. Fondly, she leaned forward to touch a blonde curl resting on Kathy’s cheek as her daughter took the chair opposite at the table.

‘Keeps it neater under the cap when it’s in a bob,’ Kathy said.

‘Well … it looks nice.’ Winnie stirred her tea and a silence developed between them.

Kathy took a deep breath, summoning up courage. ‘About Jennifer, Mum …’ she blurted out awkwardly.

‘We don’t mention that name, you know that, miss.’ Winnie’s startled glance leaped to the door as though she imagined Eddie might have overheard and would burst in, ranting and raving.

Kathy toyed with her spoon. Too many times she’d backed down, not wanting to cause upset. But she’d cleared the first hurdle in mentioning Jennifer. The wistful look in her twin’s eyes when she’d seen her a few weeks ago still haunted Kathy. She was sure it was Jennifer’s greatest wish to be reconciled with her mother, if not her father. In Kathy’s opinion, the savage punishments their father had meted out had driven bad into Jennifer rather than out of her. Kathy knew one of the reasons her sister had run off with Bill Black was to escape her father’s fists. But the incentive of a meeting with Winnie might finally motivate Jennifer into making changes in her miserable life.

‘I saw Jenny a week ago. I’ve seen her a few times, Mum, and she asked how you were all keeping …’

Winnie shot upright, her face whitening in shock and anger. ‘I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear that,’ she croaked. ‘So don’t you say no more. Yer father always asks what we talked about after you’ve gone. Don’t go putting me in a position where I’m to lie to cover up.’ She scrubbed her hands nervously on her pinafore.

Winifred hadn’t spoken to her other daughter for five years. She’d spotted her on a couple of occasions in the distance but had managed to hurry in the opposite direction, avoiding any awkwardness. Now Winnie wondered if she would recognise Kathy’s twin if she walked past her in the street.

‘I know she’d like to see you, Mum,’ Kathy continued determinedly. ‘I think it might get her back on track.’

‘Ain’t nothing gonna put that one back on track,’ Winnie hissed, finger quivering close to Kathy’s nose. ‘She’s too far gone … has been fer years …’

‘How d’you know that if you’ve not spoken to her?’ Kathy asked, keen to keep the dialogue going. ‘If you just see her for half an hour and have a talk, I’m sure it’d help her.’

‘Won’t help me, though, will it, when yer father finds out and goes bonkers? Didn’t help Tom, did it, when the little cow went off with Bill Black and all hell broke loose?’ Winnie’s voice had risen hysterically and she’d grown so rigid she teetered on her tiptoes.

Kathy let her hand drop back to the table when Winnie dodged away from her comforting fingers.

‘Don’t just write Jennifer off, Mum … please. She’s our flesh and blood.’

It was as though Kathy’s appeal went unheard. Winnie had turned her back on her but muffled sniffling was audible. Kathy sighed, knowing she was defeated for now. Her mother’s fears about Eddie’s reaction were valid. If her father discovered that she was in touch with her disgraced twin, Kathy suspected she, too, would be banished from darkening his doorstep. She sipped lukewarm tea, wondering why she persevered with trying to preserve her family ties when it all seemed so hopeless. But some sense of duty and affection sent her regularly to visit her parents, and to check on Jennifer. Kathy genuinely cared about them all – Tom especially – despite the fact that at times she felt they were all driving her mad.

‘Sorry, Mum … shouldn’t have gone on about it like that.’ Slowly, Kathy pushed herself upright to put an arm about her mother’s shaking shoulders.

Winnie elbowed herself free. ‘I’ll fetch us some biscuits and put the kettle on again.’ She had her pinafore up, dabbing her eyes. Behind it she attempted to sound jolly. ‘Got some custard creams and a few bourbons, if yer father’s left us a few in the barrel, that is … greedy pig …’ Winnie hurried away into the kitchen and automatically thrust the kettle under the squeaking tap. But her mind was lively with distressing memories as she added fresh tea leaves to those stewing in the pot.

When barely fifteen years old, Kathy’s twin had begun acting like a little tart, showing them up something rotten. She had been slyly seeing Bill Black despite him being ten years older than she was, and her father’s business partner. The dreadful affair had resulted in her running off to live with Bill in Lambeth, stealing all her father’s savings to take with her. The resultant feud between Bill and Eddie had had devastating consequences for them all. But it was the fact that Tom had got drawn into it that saddened Winifred the most. She was sure that the episode had sent her son off the rails …

‘It’s all right, Mum, don’t bother making another cuppa for me … I’m off out.’

‘You’re not going already?’ Winnie spun about, her lined features crumpling in disappointment. ‘You’ve only just got here, Kathy,’ she said plaintively. ‘Can’t you catch a later bus back to the East End?’

‘I’m not going home, Mum,’ Kathy reassured quickly, hoping her mother didn’t think she’d go off in a huff because they’d almost quarrelled. ‘I thought I’d take a walk up the road and see if I can find Tom. I haven’t spoken to him for a while. He was out last time I came over.’

‘Oh … if you want to then.’ Winnie would sooner keep her daughter’s company, but at least Kathy wasn’t yet heading home. ‘If you do catch up with him, give him a talking to, will you, dear? He might listen to you,’ Winnie added optimistically. ‘Tell him his tea’s ready. It might bring him home, if his belly’s grumbling.’

Kathy buttoned her coat as she walked around the corner, then plunged her chilly hands into her pockets. It was late April – Easter had come and gone – yet the weather was still cold. In the mornings, when off to do her rounds, she’d stand at the bus stop, stamping her frozen feet to try to warm them. At least when she’d had her bike she’d not noticed the chill: the exertion of pedalling had soon got her circulation going …

Kathy glanced up on hearing someone hail her. She raised a hand to Cissy Dickens, swinging a shopping bag, no doubt on her way home with a few groceries. The woman had stopped expectantly on the opposite pavement but Kathy kept on walking, knowing it was gossip she was after.