Live the Dream (4 page)

'When me and your father started this business, I thought we'd be doing it together until we retired, but he just got more and more restless. He'd always been a driver, y'see, lass—first with the horse and carts, then the beer wagons, and now with these new-fangled motor vehicles…dangerous things if you ask me!'

At first Amy's father had seemed to settle into his new life as a grocer. Then a few months back, he'd spotted an advert in the post office for a driver at Hammonds distribution business. He applied for the job and got it. 'I'm fed up of being behind a counter all day,' he'd told Marie. 'I need to get back on the road. I'd rather not be staying away nights, but it's all they've got for the minute.' Once he'd decided, there'd been no dissuading him.

'I miss him too,' Amy confessed, 'but he's a lot happier now he's away from the shop. He loves the driving, and anyway, the week goes by quickly enough.' Amy glanced at the kitchen wall-clock. 'Look! It's already half-past five. Another hour and he'll be home,' she winked, 'with another present for you, I expect.'

Every Friday was the same. He would bounce through the door, beaming from ear to ear, with a little present in his pocket for his beloved wife, and a small posy of flowers for Amy.

Talking of her husband and knowing how sometimes Amy was lonely for the same kind of love, Marie grew serious. 'Do you ever think of Don?'

Surprised by her mammy's unexpected question, Amy nodded. 'Sometimes, yes, but it doesn't hurt in quite the same way as it did. There was a time when I would have had him back with open arms, but not any more.' When her fiancé dropped her only a few days before they were due to be wed she had thought she would never get over it, but somehow she'd survived. The pain had faded; maybe one day it would go altogether. I'm over it now, Mam. If he walked in that door right now, I'd speak to him, yes, but I wouldn't feel anything. Not any more.' This was in part true: nothing for it but to move forward. The love she once felt for him had long since gone.

Marie slid an arm round her. 'I'm glad about that, lass,' she said softly, before quickly changing the subject by asking brightly, 'And you're absolutely sure you don't regret giving up promotion to come here and work with me?'

'I'm content enough here,' Amy answered. And she was.

In truth, Amy had not been too keen to give up her job, and at first had missed the banter and comradeship of her factory mates. But much to her astonishment she had come to enjoy working in the corner shop. It was easy enough work, and the tasks were always varied: selling tobacco, weighing out dried peas or potatoes, unwrapping the fragrant sacks of sugar and tea, or stacking the shelves with fresh eggs or that day's newspapers.

Her mother was great company; though the wages were not as good as Amy had been used to, but there were other compensations—no journey to work, the pleasant work and the friendliness of the customers—and so she had settled into the job surprisingly well.

By six thirty, just as Amy had predicted, Dave arrived home. A man with no airs or graces, he was of good build, with a shock of fair hair and a homely smile, which he now bestowed on them. 'By! Summat smells good.'

Coming into the back parlour he kissed Marie first. 'Don't tell me…' throwing off his coat he draped it over the chair and sniffed the air, '…meat pie, roast potatoes and baked parsnips, am I right?'

Amy came for her kiss. 'I don't know when you've ever been wrong,' she laughed.

He joined in, then assumed an apologetic expression. 'Look, I'm sorry, but we've had such a rush on, I didn't have time to find you a present.'

'Aw, never mind, love.' Marie was philosophical. 'You've brought yourself home and that's all that matters.'

He gave her a kiss. 'You're a very understanding woman,' he said gratefully. 'There's not many men can say that about their wives.'

Marie gave him a little shove. 'You go and get your wash,' she said, 'while me and Amy get the dinner on the table.'

When he was gone into the scullery, Marie gave Amy a knowing wink. 'I've learned to be crafty as him over the years,' she whispered.

Amy whispered back, 'What d'you mean?'

In answer, Marie tiptoed to her husband's jacket and, dipping her hand inside it, withdrew two small packages.

Just then, Dave shouted for a towel. 'Hurry up, Marie. I'm dripping wet!'

'Here,' handing Amy the two small packages, Marie instructed mischievously, 'hide 'em, quick!'

Dave's frantic voice sailed in from the scullery, 'MARIE!'

'All right, all right, I'm on my way!' And off she went, chuckling at their innocent deception.

A few minutes later, washed and changed and ready for his dinner, Dave returned to the parlour. 'By! A feast fit for a king!' he said, his hungry eyes roving the table. Right in the centre was the deep-dish meat pie with a brown crusty pastry and a wash of egg to make it shine.

There were two earthenware bowls: one filled with roasted potatoes, the other brimming with quartered parsnips. For Dave there was a welcome jug of beer, a glass of stout for Marie, and a tumbler of home-made elderberry wine for Amy.

'Well, don't just look at it!' Marie told him. 'Sit yourself down and eat.'

'One minute,' he said, reaching into his jacket pocket. 'I've summat here for the pair of you…' Chuckling, he confessed, 'I were just winding you up when I said I hadn't got you a present.'

Marie feigned excitement. 'So you brought us one after all? Oh, sweetheart, I knew you would.'

The grin on Dave's face faded as he felt in the pocket for the third time, fumbling this way, then that. 'They've gone!' he cried. 'Some thieving bugger's 'ad 'em away!'

At the look of horror on his face, Amy couldn't bear it. 'Here they are, Dad.' Collecting them from behind the clock on the sideboard she handed them to him.

When his mouth fell open with surprise, Marie laughed. 'It serves you right for teasing us. Come on then, let's see what you've brought?'

Marie's present was the prettiest brooch, shaped like a butterfly and made out of enamel. 'Aw, Dave…' She gave him a hug. 'It's lovely…
you're
lovely!'

Grinning like a Cheshire cat, he seemed embarrassed, though he enjoyed her fussing round him. 'You know how I like to give you nice things,' he said proudly. 'It's only what you deserve.' He glanced at Amy. 'Come on, lass…open your present.'

Amy was thrilled with hers too. The necklace was a tiny heart, shaped in silver, and when she put it on, both Marie and Dave said how pretty it looked on her.

'Thanks, Dad.' She too gave him a fond hug. 'But you shouldn't spend your money on us like that.'

Indignant, he asked sombrely, 'If I can't spend it on the two most important people in my life, who
can
I spend it on?'

There was no answer to that, except for Marie to say, 'Let's eat our dinners, afore they go cold!'

As they ate, the three of them chatted and laughed, and Dave told of his latest disaster.

'For the life of me, I don't know how it happened,' he began excitedly. 'Soonever I was given the address, I knew straight off there were a good many narrow little streets in that area, some of 'em virtually impassable, especially with a lorry that size. The new foreman assured me there was no problem as the road widened out at the end and I could drive straight through. But when I got halfway down, I knew some bugger had been playing silly devils with me, 'cos instead of the road getting wider, it got narrower. In the end I couldn't go forrard and it seemed there were too many twists and turns to go backards.'

'Sounds frightening.' Against all odds, but urged on by Daisy, Amy had once secretly Considered learning to drive, but the tales her dad came home with had put her off altogether. Dave had a little car, his pride and joy, but now Amy couldn't envisage being one of the pioneer female drivers of Blackburn.

'Aye, it
were
frightening an' all, lass!' Rolling his eyes he groaned. 'In fact it were a bloody nightmare!'

Marie was horrified. 'So what did you do?'

'Well, I had no option, did I? All I could do was to feel my way back inch by inch. Unfortunately I badly scraped the side of the wagon and almost demolished a wall on the way.'

Once he got into the swing of it, Dave could tell a tale as well as any man, and on this particular occasion he had a riveted audience.

'Not content with that, soonever I got the back end out I swung my front round to avoid a lamppost,' he continued. 'I missed the lamppost all right, but knocked down two bollards in the process, and ran over some poor bloke's bicycle.'

Amy could see it all so vividly in her mind, she couldn't stop laughing. You're a one-man demolition party!'

'It weren't my fault,' Dave protested, indignant. The buggers should have had more sense than sending me there in the first place!'

'But that poor man…what did he have to say about his bike?'

'Well, he weren't too pleased, I can tell yer that. Yelled and shouted he did—went bright red in the face; said as how I should be locked up for my own safety, the cheeky article! On top o' that, he wanted me to pay for a new bike, but I told him, I said, "If you're daft enough to park it by the kerbside, you expect to get it run over."'

Marie was curious. 'And was he content with that?'

'Were he buggery! Threatened to fetch the police if I didn't pay up, but I'm no pushover. I stuck to my guns.' He puffed out his chest. 'As you know, I'm not a man who's easily threatened!'

'So what did you do?'

With a defiant look, he explained, 'Well, what d'yer think I did? I paid him half what he said. I mean, what else could I do under the circumstances? I had no intention o' paying him the full whack, I can tell you that. But y'see, I didn't want no police on the scene. They'd have only made me later coming home to you, my darling.' The expression on his face was a picture. 'And we couldn't be having that, could we now?'

All three laughed at his antics. It had been a good day, and an excellent meal, and as Dave went for his evening 'constitutional', Marie and Amy cleared away the dinner things. 'It's good to have him home,' Marie said, and Amy agreed. Such contentment—she had envisaged such a marriage for herself, but she knew, even so, that she was fortunate to share in her parents' happy lives. After all, what would Daisy give for this much love?

Dave returned just as Amy came down the stairs, having gone to get ready. 'By! You look lovely, lass.' He beamed with pride. 'Off somewhere nice, are you?'

'Me and Daisy are going to the pictures.' Amy blushed at his compliment, but then she had taken a lot of trouble to look especially nice.

The long dark skirt had been a birthday present from her mother, and to go with it, Amy had bought a pale blue blouse and close-fitting jacket of darker blue. With her small-heeled ankle-strap shoes and the pretty spotted scarf at her throat she looked and felt good.

'Your dad's right,' Marie agreed. 'You look beautiful in that outfit.'

Aware that she was no beauty, but grateful for their compliments, Amy kissed her parents cheerio and promised not to be too late home.

'And mind them roads!' Dave warned. 'It won't be long afore the motor vehicles outnumber the horse and carts. Mind you, some of them drivers couldn't even control a dog on a lead, let alone a thing with an engine in it.'

'You worry too much,' Amy chided as she hurried out the door. I'll be fine.'

Marie waved her daughter off at the door, then returned to the parlour and her beloved husband. 'She's a good lass, don't you think?'

'Aye.' He smiled and nodded. 'She teks after her mammy.'

Winking meaningfully, he patted his knee. 'Look here, lass. There's a sizeable lap going begging,' he said invitingly. 'All it needs is a pretty woman to plonk her bare bottom on it, and
I'll
be happy as a pig in muck.'

Softly laughing, she went to him. 'You're a randy old thing, Dave Atkinson,' she said, nibbling his ear.

'And who can blame me, eh,' hugging her tight, he kissed her full on the mouth, 'when I've got the best-looking woman in the whole o' Lancashire?'

Marie laughed, and as her smile met his, there was no doubting her love for him. 'Are you after my body?'

'What do
you
think?'

Marie smiled softly. 'I think the same as you,' she whispered. 'What's more, I think we ought to do summat about it.'

He kissed her again. 'A woman after my own heart, that's what you are, Marie Atkinson.'

A moment later the two of them went up the stairs together.

A trip to the pictures was always a treat, and tonight was no exception.

'Am I glad to see you!' Daisy was already waiting in Blackburn town centre as Amy disembarked from the tram. 'I've been waiting here for ages.' Linking arms with her friend, Daisy was talkative as usual. 'You should have seen this good-looking fella just now,' she sighed. 'He weren't nearly as handsome as our Tuesday man, but I wouldn't mind having him for a sweetheart.'

Amy laughed. 'How do you know he hasn't already got a sweetheart?'

'I expect he has,' Daisy groaned. 'I expect every decent, good-looking man has already been claimed.' The long, drawn-out sigh came from her very soul. 'I can see I'm destined to grow old and miserable and never know what it's like to have a fella of my own.'

Something in Daisy's voice and manner told Amy things weren't right. Drawing her to a halt, Amy asked gently, 'What's the matter? There's something wrong at home, isn't there?' She remembered Daisy's barely concealed unhappiness at the cafe last Tuesday morning.

Daisy lowered her gaze. 'How do you know that?'

Amy always knew. 'Well, for one thing, I got here at the time we arranged, and yet you said you'd been waiting ages for me.'

Daisy nodded. 'Well, if you must know, there's hell going on at home,' she admitted in a trembling voice. 'That's why I came out early, to wait for you.'

'Have you had anything to eat?'

Daisy shook her head.

'OK!' Glancing about, Amy was relieved to see the hot- potato stand was here as usual. 'The first thing we do is get you something to eat. Then we'll skip the pictures and find a quiet little place where we can sit and talk.'