THE BONDAGE OF LOVE (4 page)

beautiful house. She had everything that any sensible woman would want, would dream of. Yet there was . what? She didn't know, only that when

Rupert used to drop in they talked about different things, not about children or house building She couldn't remember the gist of their conversations only that they were pleasant. His presence stretched her mind; that was it.

She shuffled to the front of the couch. That indeed was it, stretching one's mind. Her life was such that her husband was doing everything for her and she was doing everything for her children, but nothing for herself. Why shouldn't she take up something? Oh dear. Oh dear. She shook her head:

she could hear Bill; his roar was deafening her even now. As she said,

hadn't she everything? Six kids and him, a beautiful house, a mother who had changed character, friends like Nell and Bert, she went out to dinner at posh restaurants, she had been invited to the Hunt Ball.

But that spot in her mind said, so what?

"Look! It's all right going in by bus, but what about coming back?

It'll be dark. " Fiona was addressing Sammy, the while Katie and Willie stood looking on, both knowing the argument that Sammy was about to put forward, because they had been all over it.

And now he was saying, "Look, Mrs. B. All right, we'll go halves; you can pick us up somewhere coming back. But if you were to drive us to those doors in a car, well, I'd lose some of my friends."

"What d'you mean, you'd lose some of your friends?"

"Just what I say, Mrs. B. To them I'd become toffee-nosed."

"Don't be silly, Sammy. I bet every one of those that go there, they've got a car. At least, their parents have."

"Oh, that's where you're wrong, Mrs. B. Every one of them hasn't got a car.

And many of those that have ... well, you wouldn't call them cars, not even bangers."

They looked at each other, then she said quietly, "Is it such a rough part?"

"No. It's not rough at all. Well, what I mean is, not like the middle of Bog's End. It isn't in Bog's End, it's well out of it."

"But, as you said yourself, Sammy, the patrons' - she stressed the word 'are mostly from that quarter."

"Yes. Yes, they are." There was an edge to his voice now and his chin came out. And on this Fiona said quickly, "All right! All right! Don't get on your high horse, Sammy Love." She pushed him playfully in the shoulder, and at this he doubled his fist and gave the impression he was returning her gesture as he said, "Fair enough. We'll bus there and ride back. You know where my old school is, Mrs. B, don't you? You once deigned to come and view it' - he pulled a face at her 'and you found your son' - he thumbed towards Willie 'waiting outside. Oh!

That was a day, wasn't it, Willie? " And Willie answered, " I'll say. "

Since the flare-up on Saturday, Willie had been very quiet, and it was only as a concession that he was accompanying them tonight; and as he had

emphasised strongly, he wasn't going to fall in with any of their ideas. And at this Sammy had said, well, he could be assured that nobody there would force him because there were queues waiting to take up every sport.

As they made for the door, Fiona said to Katie, "Keep your collar up, dear, it's cold out there. And ... and you haven't got a scarf on."

"I've got this roll-neck sweater on underneath,

Mam; there was no room for a scarf. " She smiled at Fiona, and Fiona said quietly, " Be careful, dear. "

"I'll be careful, Mam. Don't worry." Then, with a grin, she added, "I only need one lesson then I'll be able to toss them on their backs, both at once, too."

Amid derisive laughter she followed the boys out.

They took the bus from the crossroads, and twenty-five minutes later they alighted at Denham Road, for this particular bus did not pass the Sports Centre.

Denham Road was almost on the outskirts of Bog's End, which became apparent to Katie when she realised that demolition of houses was already in progress and others, which were inhabited, were partly boarded up. On an open piece of ground children were playing with an old car amid shrieks of laughter.

Willie had seen similar places in Bog's End some years before, when he had first made his way to Sammy's school. But this kind of dereliction was new to Katie, and she knew that Sammy was talking all the while in order to keep her attention from her surroundings.

Then, having crossed this space, quite suddenly they were walking along an ordinary street again, and this, Sammy Love pointed out, was the new council estate.

When Katie drew in a long breath, Sammy turned to her, saying, "That's better."

She half stopped and stared at him and said, "You don't always come this way then? I mean--' she jerked her head backwards.

"No; you're right, I don't always come this way. I thought I would introduce you to the other half;

but you've really seen nothing as yet. Willie, here, knows a bit about it.

My school and where I once lived was a good introduction. But don't worry, we won't come this way again. I only thought, if you saw for yourself how things are around here for most of the youngsters, you'd understand what a blessing the Centre is. "

Whatever impression Sammy had meant to make on Katie by introducing her to the real Bog's End, he didn't know. Had he known, there would certainly have been a bust-up between them as of yore, for she was angry. He was treating her as if she were a pampered child who had never left the protection of her own home. Well, wasn't he right? She never had really left the protection of home. And in comparison with anyone in this area she had been a pampered child before Bill Bailey, as he was then, had come on the scene, but more so since he had become her dad. Yes, she had been pampered, as had Mark and Willie. No, perhaps not Willie. He had stepped out of what her grandmother would call his class, and that at a very early age, when he had sought the friendship of her dominant companion, Sammy Love. Why was it? she was

asking herself as they passed through the new council estate, some houses with well-tended gardens, others with weeds, with an old pram or some such stuck in their middle.

Why was it that Sammy always appeared older than herself? Even before he had begun to grow, as he was doing now, he had always acted as if he were years ahead of her. She sighed now as she gave herself the answer: he was the son of his father and an only child, and only children always appeared older than their years; but mostly it was because he was the son of Mr. Davey Love, and that couldn't be a bad thing.

"You're not getting hurry, are you?" Sammy had bent towards her and was peering into her face. There was a grin on his own, and she answered it,

"No, of course not. I'm enjoying every minute of this walk. It's really beautiful."

When his elbow dug into her side, she said, "We'll take up the reason why for all this, later on, won't we?"

"Just as you say, miss, just as you say."

"Hello, there!"

They stopped and Sammy called back, "Hello, Jimmy."

When the tall young man came abreast of them, he looked from one to the other; then the smile moving from his face, he addressed Sammy, saying, "What d'you mean, coming up our street?"

"Oh, I just wanted to show them. the slums, Jimmy."

"Watch it!" The grin was back again. And now Sammy said, "This is Mr. no, not Mr, it's Jimmy, Jimmy Redding. Now if either of you decide to take up fencing, he'll show you where to put your feet."

They were walking on now and the young man, looking at Katie, said, "You're making for the Centre?"

"Well, where else would she be making for, coming through this dump?"

"You on your high horse again? Mind, I've warned you. You know where I'll put one of those feet of mine."

"Like to see you try. By the way, I've only got half my introductions in.

This is Katie and' - he turned 'this is Willie, both Baileys."

When the young man stopped, they all stopped, and he held out his hand to Katie, saying, "Pleased to meet you," and then to Willie, "Same to you, Willie." And when they walked on again the young man said to Sammy,

"Something tickling you?"

And yes, there was something tickling Sammy. It was the look on Katie's and Willie's faces when Jimmy had stopped them for the introduction and had insisted on shaking hands. He liked Jimmy, he was a fine fella. He had been a friend to him. He must tell Katie about him some time. There was a story she wouldn't believe.

The handshaking had tickled Katie, too. But it had also left an impression on Willie, for strangely he was feeling now more like his old self than he had done for days, sort of relaxed, friendly like. It had been funny that young fella stopping and shaking hands like that in the street, and with such vigour as if he had known them before and was glad to see them again.

The council estate ended abruptly at a crossroads and it was also as if the crossroads gave onto a

gateway into a different world, at least a different kind of living.

For there on the far side was what looked like a park, its high iron gates wide open, and running at right angles to it on the further side of the crossroads was a terrace of high, well-built houses with small iron-grid gardens in front of them.

They were just about to obey the green light when Jimmy pulled them to a halt by whistling. It was a high, shrill whistle and it stopped a young girl as she was about to go through the park gate. And now looking down on Sammy, he said, "It's Daisy."

Sammy merely smiled in return, for he could have said, oh yes, it's Daisy.

Daisy's never hard to spot. A blind man could pick out Daisy.

The green light gave them way again and then they were all hurrying to where the girl was waiting just beyond the gate. She was wearing a mini-miniskirt: the fashion in skirts was, you could wear them down to your ankles or up to your hips, take your choice. Daisy had definitely pointed out her choice.

The skirt was a saxe-blue colour and it had the privilege of being edged with an inch-deep, red fringe which went a little way towards shading her

buttocks. She was wearing a skin-tight red jumper. Around the highish neck were hanging at least three strings of beads, and from her ears dangled a pair of ear-rings with loops on the ends, studded with pieces of coloured glass.

What the original colour of her hair was she must have long forgotten, for that which now reached her shoulders was of a pink hue. However, nearer the scalp it turned into a dark blue and her parting was indicated by a brown streak. Her face was heavily and badly made up. Whilst awaiting them she had been looking into a small mirror, the while aiming to wipe off excessive lipstick from her lower lip in order to make a clean line. She did not take her eyes from the glass to look at the three people standing watching her, until she lowered it to return it and the handkerchief to her shoulder bag.

And then nonchalantly, she said, "Had to come out in a hurry."

Jimmy stared at her for a moment before he said, "These are Sammy's friends, Katie and Willie Bailey."

Her form of acknowledgement was to look first at Willie, then at Katie, a long-drawn look at Katie. Then she walked on, and they accompanied her.

It was after some minutes of silence Jimmy said, "What was your hurry?" And for answer he got, "Dad's playing hell, going mad. Our Lucy, and that's a right name for her an' all, second one in three years. As me ma said, the Archangel Gabriel wasn't near her this last time. Me granny says she wants some tape in her knickers." She looked sideways at Jimmy now and laughed.

"She, me granny, thinks that lasses still wear bloomers. Me da was for taking his belt to her, our Lucy.

And he would have, he was as mad as three hatters. It was only the fact that me ma slapped him in the gob with a plateful of his own dinner and sent him flying that saved her. Then she had to fly an' all, me ma. The lot of them skedaddled. "

"Where did you go?" Jimmy was asking quietly now, but there was a quiver in his voice, and his eyes were bright, although he wasn't smiling.

"Where we always go, the Browns next door."

"They must get fed up with your lot. Were the lads in?"

"Not so much of ... your lot. Jimmy Redding. No, they weren't in. If they had been they would have had more sense than to stay in as they know what me da's like when he's playing Father Hankin and God rolled up together.

Anyway," - her head wagged now and she was yelling at the top of her voice

'just look at your lot. You've got no room to talk.

Look at your lot. "

They had stopped: Jimmy had gripped her by the shoulders and was shaking her as he said, "I do, Daisy, I do; but stop that yelling. You don't want the whole park to know' - his voice dropped and there was a touch of laughter in it again as he said 'that we're both as common as muck."

When a chuckling sound came from Katie, Daisy, turning on her, snapped, "And you, po- faced. Wipe that grin off else I'll wipe it off for you."

"Shut your big and crude mouth, girl."

Jimmy's words were still low, but Katie was amazed to see the effect they had on this pink-haired, common-looking firebrand.

They were through the park now, and no-one had spoken; nor, after turning sharp right, did the first sight of the Fickleworth Sport and Leisure Centre bring forth any audible feeling from either Katie or Willie.

It was a very imposing building, or to be more correct a series of buildings, stretching away on either side from the central high point, the entrance to which was a pillared portico. Then they were passing through two

electrically controlled doors into a large hall.

Motioning Katie and Willie to stay, Sammy approached what looked like an hotel reception desk; Jimmy and Daisy having decided to wait for him, sidled about the hall.

After speaking to the young man behind the desk, Sammy pointed back to Katie and Willie, and Willie said softly, "You all right, Katie?"

"Yes. Yes, I'm all right. She's a rude piece, isn't she?"

"I'm glad you took it as you did."

She said nothing to this. But after a moment, she said, "Willie." And his voice still soft, he said, "Yes?" Then he was surprised to hear the next words, "We've been lucky, haven't we? I mean, being brought up as we have."