When Wishes Come True (52 page)

‘I wish you all the luck in the world, Evelyn, I really do.’

Bessie closed the door on her neighbour and sighed as she leaned back against it. She meant what she’d said to her neighbour, she did wish her well. But was the time drawing near when she would no longer be able to see the young girl she’d grown to love? She sniffed up and pulled herself away from the door. Crying wouldn’t get her anywhere, she should have known from the beginning that one day Amelia would be lost to her. And it was no good being miserable with Christmas on top of them. She wanted to give the girl the best Christmas she’d ever had, so she’d never forget her Auntie Bessie.

Bessie’s kitchen was as busy as a market on Christmas Eve morning with all the neighbours coming at five-minute intervals to pick up their precious hampers. Rita and Aggie were there to help, and there were many tears of happiness shed that morning as the women gazed down at the packets of tea, sugar, margarine, fruit, potatoes, veg, bread, biscuits and chicken, complete with dripping. Oh, and a couple of colourful crackers for the kids to pull. Bessie had put a piece of paper on the top of each box with a name on, so there were no mistakes made and every person on the list got their hamper.

Next door, in her kitchen, waiting for the kettle to boil so she could get washed, Evelyn could hear the commotion in the yard next door, and being curious hurried up to Amelia’s bedroom to look down from the back window, with her daughter following close behind.

‘What is it, Mother?’ Milly asked as she watched a woman walking down her Auntie Bessie’s yard carrying a box and looking very happy. ‘Look, there’s another lady coming into her yard. I wonder what’s going on?’

‘Let’s be quiet for a while, Amelia, and we might see the reason for these women visiting Miss Maudsley.’ It was after she’d seen four of them arrive empty-handed and five minutes later leave carrying a box that Evelyn realised what was happening. It was easy to see the chicken on the top of each one. The sight made Evelyn feel very humble. She wanted so much out of life, always had done, and these people asked for so little. ‘Your Auntie Bessie is a very kind person, Amelia, and so are Mrs Wells and Mrs Gordon. They’re giving food to those women to help them give their families some festive cheer.’

‘It must be costing them a lot of money ’cos, look, there’s another lady coming in from the entry.’

‘I did hear Miss Maudsley say that a very kind gentleman had given her a certain amount of money to help families who were very poor. I’m sure his heart would be warmed if he could see what was happening next door, and his own Christmas would feel extra special knowing he’d made so many people happy.’

‘Won’t Auntie Bessie tell him how happy the people were? I bet she will, ’cos I’m sure she’d like him to know.’

‘Oh, she’s bound to tell him,’ Evelyn said, promising herself that as soon as she got to the apartment she would tell Philip of the scene she was now witnessing. And she would also tell him of the barefoot boys now wearing serviceable shoes that would see them through the winter. He would be so pleased. In her mind she could already see his smiling face.

‘You can tell Miss Maudsley we saw the women and their hampers of food, and how much we both admire her, but you must not question her about where the money came from. Do you understand that, Amelia? You would be asking her to break a confidence, as the benefactor wishes to remain anonymous.’

Milly nodded. ‘I won’t ask her, Mother, but even if I did she wouldn’t tell me. Auntie Bessie would never break a promise or tell a secret.’ The girl was on pins, the time wasn’t going fast enough for her. ‘When am I going next door, Mother?’

‘I said I would be leaving to go to my friend’s at twelve o’clock and would call with you then so I could wish her the compliments of the season. I only have to get washed, I have my clothes all ready, so be patient for a little while longer.’ A pang of guilt caused her to add, ‘I have left Christmas presents for you, Amelia, I haven’t forgotten you, but I’m not telling you any more, it would spoil the surprise.’

‘Thank you, Mother.’ Milly turned to leave the room. ‘I’ll get Daisy ready, she needs her hair combing.’

‘Ta-ra, Sally, mind how yer go!’ Rita closed the kitchen door and let out a long sigh. ‘Thank God, that was the last one. Me feet are killing me, and I’m dying for a cuppa.’

‘It’s yer own bleeding fault, yer would insist on walking some of them down the yard in case they slipped.’ Aggie turned the gas higher under the kettle. ‘They would have made it under their own steam but, oh, no, yer had to do the job proper.’

‘Stop moaning, the pair of yer,’ Bessie said. ‘Anyone would think yer’d done a day’s hard work down a coal mine. Go and sit at the table and I’ll bring yer a cup of tea through when the water’s boiled. I’ll have to put more water on, ’cos I’ve got thirty-six jelly creams to make.’

‘Thirty-six!’ Aggie put a hand to her cheek. ‘What the bleeding hell d’yer want thirty-six jelly creams for?’

Bessie raised her brows. ‘Don’t yer like jelly creams, sweetheart?’

‘Yeah, ’course I like jelly creams, queen, but not thirty bleeding six of them.’

‘Have yer forgotten there’s a kids’ party here tomorrow afternoon, for eighteen kids what have probably never been to one in their lives? Surely yer don’t expect to have a party without jelly creams, or trifle come to that.’

Aggie wasn’t very good at adding up in her head, so she used her fingers. And when she found she ran out of fingers, she turned to Rita. ‘Ay, queen, if the kids have one each, how many does that leave of the thirty-six?’

Rita gave Bessie a sly wink. ‘Well, if they have one each there’ll be eighteen over, sunshine, but they’ll more than likely want two each. Which comes to thirty-six.’

‘Well, the greedy little buggers! D’yer mean they’ll eat ’em all, and there’ll be none left over for us?’

‘I thought yer weren’t that fussy, sunshine,’ Rita said. ‘After all, yer seemed surprised when Bessie said how many she was making. And yer aren’t wicked enough to pinch a jelly cream out of a kid’s mouth, are yer?’

Aggie was going to nod her head, but her chins were disgusted with her and refused point blank to move upwards. Instead they swayed from side to side, which meant she meant one thing but was forced to say another. ‘I wouldn’t pinch one, no, but I’d ask in a nice way if they’d take their bleeding hands off and give someone else a chance.’

‘I’ll pour the tea out,’ Bessie said, grinning at the hurt expression on Aggie’s chubby face. ‘Before you two come to blows.’ She reached the kitchen, stopped, then turned around. ‘Don’t fall out, for God’s sake, ’cos ye’re supposed to be doing me shopping while I see to the jellies, trifles, make thirty-six fairy cakes, and on top of that get me veg done for tomorrow. I don’t want to be running round like a scalded cat on Christmas morning getting the dinner on, when I’ve got eighteen kids coming at two-thirty.’

‘Me and Aggie will be over to give yer a hand, sunshine, we won’t leave yer swinging on yer lonesome. And while we’re having a cup of tea now, yer can be making yer shopping list out. It won’t take me and Aggie long to get round the shops.’

Aggie clicked her teeth. ‘I bet she’ll give us a list as long as me arm, and we’ll be running round the shops like blue-arsed flies.’

Rita threw daggers at her mate. ‘Yer know, sunshine, if ye’re not that fussy on coming to help at the kids’ party, and ye’re also not fussy on the party for the grown-ups at night, then just say the word, and Bessie’s shopping list will be a lot shorter.’

Aggie wagged a forefinger, inviting Rita to come closer. ‘Why don’t yer keep yer ruddy nose out of my business? And if yer insist on meddling, then make sure yer get it right. I didn’t say I wouldn’t help at the kids’ party, and I didn’t say I didn’t want to come to the one for the grown-ups, either. I am dying to help with the party, ’cos yer know I love kids, especially eighteen of the little sods. And I’m looking forward to the company of grown-ups, too, and even more the company of six bottles of milk stout.’ She tapped the side of her nose. ‘So keep this out of it in future, queen, ’cos a black eye wouldn’t go with the colour of yer new dress.’

While they were enjoying their well-earned cup of tea, Bessie had her notepad in front of her and the stub of pencil between her fingers. ‘I think I’d better get three large tin loaves, to be on the safe side. It should be ample ’cos everyone will have had a big Christmas dinner.’ She wrote that down at the top of the sheet of paper. ‘I’ve already got the margarine in, and tea, sugar and connie-onnie. The milkman is filling me big jug, and that will well see me through.’ She put the pencil between her teeth and rolled her eyes. ‘If yer get twenty-four sausage rolls, Rita, that should be enough ’cos I’m going to cut them in two. But what to put in the sandwiches, though … have yer got any ideas?’

‘Jars of paste are always handy, sunshine,’ Rita said. ‘There’s salmon, chicken and meat. A jar of each would go a long way. Don’t forget there’ll be the jelly creams, the big trifle and fairy cakes. I don’t think yer need much more.’

Bessie was busy writing. ‘I’ve put down two jars of each of the pastes, ’cos I’ve got to think of feeding you and the men in the evening. I think I’ll push the boat out and get a quarter of boiled ham too, it won’t hurt to go mad and spoil ourselves for a change.’

‘Is this yer own money ye’re using, sunshine, ’cos if it is then yer can cut out the likes of boiled ham. Yer work hard for yer money and I don’t want yer spending it on us.’

Aggie turned her head and glared at her neighbour. ‘Speak for yerself, queen, ’cos I’m very partial to a nice boiled ham sandwich. Partickerly with a bit of mustard on.’

Rita returned her glare. ‘Oh, and do yer often have boiled ham in your house? And is it partickerly spread with mustard?’

Aggie scratched her head. ‘Well, I can’t remember exactly when I had it last, queen, but I do remember how much I enjoyed it.’

‘Perhaps I can jog yer memory, sunshine, wasn’t it at yer wedding reception?’

‘Ooh, er, was it that long ago, queen? It just goes to show how time flies when ye’re having fun.’

‘Well, since yer partickerly like it with mustard, I’ll have to put a small jar of that on me list.’ Bessie licked the end of the pencil. ‘How do yer spell partickerly, sweetheart?’

Aggie snorted. ‘How the hell do I know? I want to eat it, not spell it!’

Rita kept her face straight. ‘D’yer think it’s spelt the same way as particularly? Or is that a different word altogether?’

Aggie got the last word. ‘Oh, it’s a different word altogether, queen, and I wouldn’t partickerly like it spread on me boiled ham sandwich.’

Bessie was thinking of all the work she had to do. She’d finished Milly’s dress, but still needed to do some work on her own. ‘To get to the question yer asked, Rita, I still had three pound left of the money I was given. So last night I took two pound notes to the corner shop and asked Alf to give me some two-shilling pieces. Every hamper that went out of here this morning had a two-bob piece in it, wrapped up in a piece of me notepad so it couldn’t be missed. The rest is buying lemonade and food for the kids’ party and ours, and I’m paying for drinks for the grown-ups’ party. That, I think, takes care of everything, and I hope it answers your question, sunshine.’

‘I think yer’ve done wonders, Bessie,’ Rita said. ‘I couldn’t have organised things the way you have, I’d have been out of my mind.’

‘I’ll go along with that, queen, because if anyone had given me that much money I’d have spent the lot on meself.’ Aggie had her arms folded under her bosom and for once was serious. ‘Well, perhaps not all on meself, but I would have spent some on me house. And that’s why I’ll be needing a reference from both of yer to give to St Peter if I ever make it up that pathway to the pearly gates. At least I’m not lying. I would have been tempted by seeing so much money, and I’d have given in to temptation.’

Rita patted her arm. ‘I think most people in our situation would have been tempted, sunshine. Trying to stretch the money every week, robbing Peter to pay Paul, and yet never quite managing to make ends meet. But when push came to shove, Aggie, yer wouldn’t have used that money for yerself. I know yer well enough to know that. Tough on the outside yer may be, and a big mouth yer may have that puts the fear of God in most of our neighbours, but a thief, never!’

‘I know what I would have done, though, queen, I would have sat up all night looking at it.’

‘What!’ Rita exclaimed. ‘You what loves yer bedroom so much?’

Bessie held a hand up for silence. ‘Right, that settles it. When the word bedroom is mentioned in Aggie’s presence, then it’s time to split up. Here’s the list, Rita, and a ten-bob note. While you’re doing that I’ll get meself sorted out. And when the men come in from work, will yer ask one of them to go to the corner pub for the drinks? I’d say a bottle of port, six bottles of milk stout, and whatever beer the men drink. The pound I’ve got left should take care of that.’

Rita helped Aggie to her feet. ‘Come on, sunshine, just listening to Bessie has me head in a whirl. She can have things done while you and me are thinking about it.’

‘I’m expecting Evelyn to bring Milly in any minute, so I’d better get this table cleared.’ Bessie only had to mention Milly’s name and her spirits lifted. She’d have the girl for nearly three days this time, and they’d both love every minute of it.

Bessie shone the small torch she kept by her bed, and the light from it told her it was nearly half-past six. She hadn’t slept well, she was too excited. She’d never had a child in the house for Christmas and didn’t know whether they woke up very early. She had heard that some children woke their parents in the middle of the night, wanting to know if Father Christmas had been. But what time Milly would wake she had no idea. Perhaps she should go down and light the fire so the room would be nice and warm. She’d hung a few decorations last night, with Milly’s help, and draped silver and gold tinsel over the pictures and mirror so at least the room looked a bit Chrismassy. After the girl had gone to bed, Bessie had hung a pillowcase from one end of the mantelpiece, in which she’d put some fruit and nuts, a Christmas stocking filled with chocolate bars, a new dress she’d made for Daisy, a book of drawings and coloured pencils to colour them with. The green dress with its pretty white lace-trimmed collar was hanging on a coat-hanger at the other end of the mantelpiece. The presents from her mother, which Evelyn had brought in already wrapped in Christmas paper, Bessie had left on the table so they would be the first thing Milly saw when she came into the room.