The Family

Earlier that day, as they’d made their way along Blackstock Road towards The Bunk, she’d seen an advert for an assistant being placed in the window of a baker’s shop. The fellow had noticed her looking at it and had smiled and jerked his head, inviting her in. She’d smiled right back, knowing even before she pushed open the door that the job was hers if she wanted it. She’d told Michael to wait outside with their boxes and a few minutes later she’d emerged with a position that paid fourteen shillings a week. It wasn’t much, considering the long hours. She’d wanted more, but having seen her family go by carrying boxes of possessions the old miser had put two and two together and come up with somebody desperately in need of a job. So on Friday she’d buy the crockery for her mother and put the fiver in a hiding place.

She wasn’t being greedy or selfish, Faye told herself; she just wanted to start a little nest egg that someday soon would take her and Adam – Michael, too, if he wanted to come – a million miles away from her rotten stepfather … and her pathetically weak mother.

THREE

‘Wait a moment, for Heaven’s sake,’ Faye hissed as her mother attempted to delve into her bag before she was completely out of the shop. ‘At least let’s get up the road in case he sees and gets suspicious.’ She slung a glance over her shoulder at the bakery whilst walking swiftly away from it. But her boss, Mr Travis, was busy pulling down the shop blinds in the window furthest away from them.

‘Didn’t you get a pie?’ Edie moaned, peering in and poking at the contents of her daughter’s canvas bag. ‘You know your dad’ll be expecting a meat pie.’

‘They were all sold by this afternoon.’

‘Couldn’t you’ve put one by early on?’ Edie huffed.

‘No, I couldn’t,’ Faye snapped in exasperation. ‘Getting loaves or buns out is bad enough. Are you trying to lose me me job when I’ve only had it a short while?’

‘That’s nothing fer his dinner then …’cept a bit of bread and dripping,’ Edie whined as she again poked about in the bag that held two small white loaves.

‘Well, bread and dripping it is then, for him same as the rest of us for a change,’ Faye responded tersely. ‘And it’s the last time I’m pinching anything at all. Old Mr Travis ain’t stupid. I’ll get the sack and no reference either. Might even end up in court. Then what we going to do? It’s only us two earning; what’s he doing, apart from sitting on his backside reading the paper, or leaning on the railing outside, watching the world go by? Let him buy his own bloody meat pie!’

‘You watch yer tongue,’ Edie hissed, thrusting a finger under her daughter’s nose. ‘Your dad’s looking fer work. Ain’t much about for men his age. And you know he’s got bad knees.’

‘Doesn’t afflict him when he’s charging up to the pub at opening time, does it?’ Faye snapped. ‘And I suppose there wasn’t much about a year ’n’ a half ago when you took up with him, was there?’ Faye pointed out fiercely. ‘In fact, what’s he ever done except live off us?’

Edie turned red and gawped at her daughter. She knew that Faye didn’t like Jimmy and never had, but until now she’d kept her tongue in check, just letting slip the occasional hint that she considered Jimmy a lazy, bullying bugger. Considering the trouble she’d caused, you’d think the little madam would toe the line! If it hadn’t been for Faye, she might never have got involved with Jimmy Wild in the first place.

Edie was also coming to the conclusion that Jimmy was a wrong ‘un, but now that he had her pinned under his thumb, she despaired of ever ridding herself of him. The charmer with the soppy smile who’d won her over and gained her trust had long since disappeared. But not before he’d moved in with her and got his boots well and truly under her bed. Any hint from her that she’d had enough of him and he’d come back with threats to tell her kids a tale about the time he’d first met their ma, years ago, when he was working in that hospital in Kent … And Edie couldn’t bear to let them suffer hearing those ghastly details.

Besides, Edie had learned some painful lessons about the consequences of telling Jimmy Wild to sling his hook. Best not to rile him, he always said, stroking the place he’d struck. Edie had to agree, especially on that occasion when his eyes had travelled until they landed on little Adam, grizzling on the floor. He didn’t like whining kids, he’d told her, and she’d scooped the boy up and got him quickly out of sight. So far she was sure he saved his temper for her. But Faye was starting to rock the boat and that made Edie fearful. ‘What’s brought this on with you?’ Edie cried, angry now. ‘You’ve always got to be contrary, ain’t you, and cause trouble. And you got no right to, considering what I’ve had to put up with from you, miss!’

Faye looked at her mother, startled by her ferocity. ‘If you’re that bothered, I’ll buy a bloody meat pie and fetch it in with me later.’

‘Bakers’ll all be sold out by now,’ Edie grumbled.

‘Corner shop might have one.’

‘He’ll want a nice fresh one … out o’ Travis’s. Anyhow, why lay out good money on what you should’ve got fer nuthin’?’

‘I’m going for a walk; I’ll be back later,’ Faye muttered, exasperated, and started to move away. Her mother darted after her, tugging on her arm. ‘You’d best come home and explain to yer dad. He’s expecting something more’n bread for his tea.’

‘I wish I’d never brought a damned pie home last week,’ Faye shouted, swinging about. ‘And don’t keep calling him me dad! He’s not! He’s just Jimmy.’ Suddenly desperate to escape her mother, she made to dart across the road, straight into the path of an oncoming car. The driver was forced to slam on the brakes and swerve sharply to avoid knocking her over. She gasped and clutched double-handed at the shiny coachwork to steady herself, eyes closed tight and wincing at the driver’s angry holler. It was a moment before she opened her eyes and recognised the fellow who was in the process of leaping out of the vehicle, his expression thunderous.

Edie had seen Robert Wild too and she was just in the mood to bring something to his attention. It had been eating away at her for a good while, but she’d not seen him to air her grievance since the day they’d moved into Campbell Road.

‘So it’s you,’ she started, seeming oblivious to the fact that her daughter had narrowly avoided being hurt. ‘You smashed my crockery and I don’t doubt you did it on purpose. The mood you was in that day when you found out we was moving in, you’d have destroyed everything we had, wouldn’t you, you spiteful sod.’

‘Are you all right?’ Rob asked Faye, ignoring Edie’s rant. ‘You nearly got yourself killed, rushing into the road like that, you stupid little fool.’

Faye nodded mutely, accepting the blame, but stayed where she was, leaning against the car and trying to steady her erratic breathing. She’d gone ashen, but more from the shock of what her mother was saying than from having narrowly escaped physical injury.

‘I’m fine,’ she finally gasped out. ‘Sorry …’ She caught at her mother’s arm to try to pull her away.

Edie was having none of it. Freeing her elbow from her daughter’s grip, she confronted Rob with her hands on her bony hips. ‘I ain’t told Jimmy ’cos I don’t want no trouble. But if yer father finds out you’ve smashed me best china he’ll be after you. He ain’t scared of you ’cos you done all right fer yerself …’

‘You’ve got your china. I bought some for you,’ Faye muttered and again jerked on her mother’s arm to drag her away.

‘And it was good of you to lay out yer own money for it, love,’ Edie said with a significant nod. ‘But that’s just tat; what he broke on purpose were your gran’s bone china wot she had when she got married to yer granddad, God rest ’em. I remember she told me it came out of Bourne & Hollingsworth,’ Edie lied. ‘I remember she said it were worth quite a lot, that set.’

‘How much was it worth?’ Robert asked drily, his shrewd eyes focused on Faye’s evasive gaze.

A wave of heat rose up from her throat and Faye knew she was blushing guiltily. She flicked back her blonde head and boldly stared at him, chin up, inviting him to do his worst and expose her as a cheat and a liar.

‘Wouldn’t get no change out of a guinea,’ Edie stated shamelessly. In fact the set had been one of her own wedding gifts when she’d married Faye’s father. When her sister-in-law gave it to them she’d complained to her new husband that it was nothing more than Petticoat Lane crap, and secondhand crap at that, with a chipped cup and tea-stains. It was worth no more than a bob or two, even back then.

‘A guinea, eh?’ Rob mockingly considered it. ‘As much as that? I’d’ve said ten bob, if you’re lucky. He looked at Faye. ‘What d’you reckon it was worth?’

‘How should I know?’ Faye shrilled. ‘It was just a bloody tea-set.’ She caught her mother glaring at her. ‘Five pounds,’ she said suddenly with deliberate defiance. ‘That’s what I reckon it was worth.’

Edie choked. ‘Don’t be daft, Faye,’ she burbled. ‘A guinea’ll set us straight.’ Her greedy eyes, then her fingers, darted immediately to the coins Rob had dug from a pocket and exposed on a palm. As though she feared he might grab them back, she set off at a trot along the road. ‘Goin’ to the shop …’ was sent back over her shoulder. The next minute she’d disappeared from view in the direction of the off licence. If she couldn’t get a meat pie, a few brown ales would soon cheer the miserable bugger up.

‘Why didn’t you tell her?’

‘Why didn’t you?’

‘Why d’you give her more? You got money to throw about?’

‘Seems I have …’ he said, self-mockery tugging at a corner of his mouth.

‘You think I’m a greedy cow, just out for meself,’ Faye stated, her fierce gaze clashing on his watching eyes. ‘Well, I’m not. I haven’t spent a penny of that fiver. I bought her the tea-set out of me wages to replace the one you broke.’

‘Going to give me it back, were you?’ he taunted.

‘No … Yes … I’ll give it you back,’ Faye choked. ‘If I had it with me, you could take it now and good riddance. I never asked you for it.’

‘I never said you did.’

Faye knew her cheeks were scarlet and she hated him knowing of her embarrassment. Despite her insolence she felt mean and greedy, and that made her insides squirm. What did she care what he thought of her? But then, it was because she had an inkling of what he thought of her that her stomach was churning.

Since she’d turned fourteen, and filled out, men looked at her all the time. People told her she was pretty. She knew she’d only got the job in the baker’s because Mr Travis had taken a fancy to her. There hadn’t been a day had gone by since she’d started her job when he’d not found an opportunity to squeeze past her at the counter and rub his groin against her hip. Or his hands would sit a little too long on her waist while he pretended to shift her out of the way so he could use the till drawer. She could guess why Jimmy’s son was so generous to her. If the lecher had made her brother, Michael, drop his box of china he’d probably have given him a tube of glue.

He had a fancy for her. And him just married too! But then old Mr Travis was married with four kids. His wife often brought them all into the shop and Faye was always pleased to see them. The randy old sod usually let her off early on those occasions his family turned up.

Briefly she met his eyes and knew he’d read her thoughts. He didn’t seem put out that she had him down as a womaniser; in fact, it looked as if he was about to smile. She started off quickly after her mother. His next words stopped her in her tracks.

‘You saving up to get away from them and get a place of your own?’

Momentarily she hesitated, but why deny it? If anyone knew what hell it was being around Jimmy, he probably did. She nodded and took a glance at him. ‘Yeah … I can’t stand it any more,’ she said quietly. ‘But you’ll still get your money back. I was going to give it to you anyhow.’

‘’Course …’ he murmured in a tone of voice that let her know he reckoned she was lying.