Sadie Was A Lady (58 page)

Mary Ann smiled. ‘I often think of the first day I saw yer. Yer were that shy, yer face the colour of beetroot when yer asked me if I had a brassière. I took to yer right away, girl, an’ I’ll always look back on that day as bein’ one of the luckiest in me life.’

After a quick hug, the women began to fill the stalls out. ‘I don’t suppose we’ll do much, it being a Monday and hard-up day. Still, we’ve got to make the effort, girl, and show we’re willing. Yer never know, someone’s husband may have come up on the gee-gees.’

‘Our Ellen’s hoping to go after a job at Irwin’s. I hope she does, and I hope she gets it. If looks were anything to go by, she’d walk it. I got her ready this morning and she really looked nice. So keep yer fingers crossed for her, Auntie Mary, and say a little prayer. She’s coming in to let us know how she got on.’

It was eleven o’clock and Sadie was serving one of her regular customers when Mary Ann called, ‘Here they come, girl, Sarah and Ellen.’

Ellen’s face was beaming. ‘I got the job, Sadie! Ooh, me head’s spinning and me tummy’s turnin’ over and over. I can’t believe it, I can’t!’

‘Calm down, sunshine, calm down.’ Sadie cupped her sister’s face and planted a kiss on her lips. ‘I’m proud of yer.’ She turned to Sarah. ‘Thanks, Grandma, I know you had a hand in her good fortune.’

‘Nonsense! Ellen did very well for herself without my help, both at the Labour Exchange and Irwin’s. She was a bit nervous, that’s only natural, and I think it worked in her favour. They could see she wasn’t the pushy type. She was very polite and answered their questions with her head held high and a smile on her face.’

‘Now, Grandma, yer telling fibs.’ Ellen wagged her finger under the old lady’s nose. ‘Yer didn’t tell us yer knew the manager at Irwin’s, did yer?’

‘I’m bound to know him with doin’ me shopping there for so long. There’s been about five managers in that shop in my time. But I couldn’t have got the job for yer if he hadn’t thought yer were right for it.’ Sarah smiled at Sadie. ‘He gave her some sums to do, to make sure she could add up, and she had them finished in a flash. Mr Keene, that’s the manager’s name, said all the girls who’d applied before couldn’t add two and two together.’

‘Grandma, yer not half a big fibber,’ Ellen said. ‘I heard him saying that if you recommended me then I must be all right.’

Mary Ann rejoined them after finishing serving the customer Sadie had been attending to. ‘Nice goin’ that, girl, getting the first job yer go after. There’ll be no stoppin’ yer next week when yer start work and are earning a few bob. I hope yer buy yer clothes from yer sister’s superior-quality clothes stall an’ keep the money in the family.’

‘Not next week, Auntie Mary,’ Ellen said, a gleam of excitement in her eyes. ‘I start work in the morning.’

Sadie gasped. ‘Tomorrow!’

‘Mr Keene asked me to ’cos they’re a junior short, an’ I said I would.’ Ellen wiggled her hips and shouted, ‘Yippee! Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! I feel like jumpin’ up in the air and singing, I’m that happy.’

‘And I’m happy for yer, sunshine,’ Sadie said. ‘Yer see, the prayers worked. God was listening.’

‘Come on, sweetheart.’ Sarah took the girl’s arm. ‘Let’s go and tell Joe the good news. He’ll be on tenterhooks waitin’ to see how yer got on.’

Sadie and Mary Ann looked on as Ellen put her arms
around
the frail shoulders and kissed the old lady. ‘Grandma, our Sadie said I would love yer, and she was right. I love you and Grandad to bits.’

‘Oh, here we go.’ Mary Ann rolled her eyes. ‘I thought Sadie was the only one who could reduce me to tears, but now her sister’s gettin’ in on the act. Take her home, Sarah, before she has me bawlin’ me eyes out. It’s a bleedin’ good job she’s not comin’ to work in the market, I’ve only got three hankies to me name and they’d be soppin’ wet in half an hour with these two. Soft as butter, the pair of them are,’ she winked at Sarah, ‘thank God.’

As Ellen took hold of Sarah’s elbow and they began to walk away, the two watching women heard her say, ‘Wait until I tell Peter I’ve got a job, I bet he’ll be pleased.’

Sadie chuckled. ‘She’s got her eyes on Peter, all right. She thinks he’s marvellous.’

Mary Ann tilted her head and asked, ‘Wouldn’t she be steppin’ on your toes?’

‘No, of course not. Me and Peter are just mates, that’s all.’

‘Like Tommy’s just yer mate, and Spike’s just yer mate? I’ve never known a girl have so many boys as mates. I’m surprised they’ve stuck around so long when yer don’t give them any encouragement.’

‘I’m very fond of each one of them, Auntie Mary, but that’s all. I can’t pretend to feelings I don’t have, it wouldn’t be fair on anybody. And they don’t have to stay around if they don’t want to. I’d be made up for them if they found themselves nice girls.’

‘I’ve got some spare wool at home,’ Mary Ann said, jerking her head back. ‘I’ll knit yer one if yer tell me what sort of feller yer after. Or don’t yer know yerself what yer want?’

‘Oh, I know what I want, all right. But we can’t always have what we want, Auntie Mary, can we?’ Sadie looked away. ‘So you go ahead and knit me one, but could he have dimples in his cheeks, please?’

‘Put that curtain back, sweetheart, there’s a good girl.
Sadie
would go mad if she thought yer were spying on ’er.’

‘I only want to know if she enjoyed the picture.’ But Ellen did as she was told and let the curtain fall back into place. ‘And I want to ask Peter if he’s had a nice birthday.’

‘Now we’re getting to the truth.’ Sarah raised her brows at Joe before saying, ‘It’s Peter yer interested in seeing, not yer sister.’

‘No, it’s not!’ Ellen blushed. ‘I only want to know what the picture was like.’ She’d had to work a week in hand at Irwin’s, so this Saturday would see her with her first wage-packet. She had settled in happily at the shop and loved the work. ‘I might want to go an’ see it meself when I get some money.’

‘Own up, queen,’ Joe said, smiling at her. ‘Yer’ve got yer eye on Peter, haven’t yer?’

‘He’s all right.’ She tossed her head, sending her long hair swinging about her shoulders. ‘Anyway, our Sadie’s not really his girlfriend, she told me so.’

‘He’s older than you, sweetheart.’

‘Only three years, and lots of girls have boyfriends older than themselves. Mavis, one of the girls in work, her boyfriend’s three years older than she is.’

‘Doesn’t Peter have any say in the matter?’ Sarah didn’t let her smile show. The girl was young and naive, she didn’t understand the ways of boys. ‘Will yer take a bit of advice from an old woman, sweetheart? Never throw yerself at a boy. If yer do, yer’ll scare him off and he’ll run a mile. Just be natural with Peter, don’t gush over him. If he’s goin’ to fall for yer, let him do it in his own time.’

‘But he doesn’t even see me when our Sadie’s around.’

‘Bide yer time, queen, bide yer time.’ Joe was of the opinion that Sadie’s cool attitude towards Peter would gradually wear him down and he’d be looking for pastures new. But Ellen was very young, perhaps too young for the boy to take seriously. ‘Take yer grandma’s advice and let things take their course.’

While he was being discussed inside the house, Peter stood outside with Sadie. ‘I don’t feel any different now
I’m
seventeen than I did yesterday, at sixteen. Wouldn’t yer think nature would be kind and make yer feel more grown-up?’

‘Don’t be wishing yer life away, Peter. Enjoy yer youth while yer’ve still got it.’

‘Right, I’ll do that, Sadie. And can I begin to enjoy meself by taking what yer promised me, a kiss on yer chin?’

Sadie tipped her head back. ‘Be my guest, Peter.’

The lad took the liberty of kissing her on the chin then moving his lips down to kiss her neck. ‘I was lying in bed last night and it suddenly came to me that yer neck might be on this points system of yours, so I decided to get it over and done with. Now on our next date I should get a proper kiss. And yer can’t say I haven’t been patient, Sadie, ’cos I think I’ve been a flippin’ saint.’ He held her hand in his, suddenly feeling shy. ‘When’s your birthday? Perhaps we could go out together then?’

‘Not for another six or seven weeks.’ Sadie tried to erase the pictures that filled her mind of the outing she’d had with Harry on her last birthday. It was over ten months now since she’d seen him and there wasn’t a day passed that she didn’t think of him.

‘Blimey! Have I got to wait that long to get a proper kiss?’

‘No, you can have it now.’ Sadie made up her mind so suddenly she surprised herself. But since her conversation with Mary Ann, she’d asked herself many times why she couldn’t feel more towards the boys who, given the slightest chance, would be her sweetheart. Was it the way she was made? Was there something missing in her make-up?

‘Are yer pulling me leg, Sadie?’

‘Of course I’m not pulling yer leg.’ Peter was as nice a boy as she’d find and she was fond of him. If she allowed herself to, could she become more than fond of him? Would a kiss awaken feelings she didn’t know she had? ‘But it doesn’t matter if yer don’t want to.’

Peter ran the back of a hand across his lips before pulling her into his arms. ‘I’m not givin’ yer time to change
yer
mind.’ His lips covered hers, soft and smooth. The kiss lasted several seconds and when Peter lifted his head he was grinning with pleasure. ‘It was well worth waitin’ for, Sadie. Better than a cream bun any day.’

But for Sadie there had been no stirring of the senses, no shiver running down her spine. It seemed she was incapable of romantic, loving feelings, and she was incapable of pretence. She wouldn’t allow the thought to linger in her head that she’d been spoilt for any man by one with deep brown eyes, dimples in his cheeks, a crooked grin and a caring, loving disposition. ‘I’d better get in, Peter, ’cos our Ellen won’t go to bed without me. I’ll see yer tomorrow.’

He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. ‘Sleep well, fair maiden.’ Then he chuckled. ‘I’ll sleep like a top tonight with a grin on me face. I’m glad I filled in the cracks in me ceiling. I couldn’t be bothered countin’ them tonight, I’ve got more pleasant things on me mind.’

Business at the market was booming as lightweight blouses and dresses were sought for the glorious summer weather. The busy time put a stop to the mid-week day off for Sadie and Mary Ann, but neither of them minded as they thrived on the hustle and bustle, the laughter and the smiles on faces of satisfied customers.

Sadie’s superior-quality clothes stall did very good business, particularly on a Saturday when she usually sold out. One of her best customers was her sister. Ellen had been working for two months now, and every Wednesday, on her half-day off, she would make straight for the market to see what Sadie had set aside for her to add to the wardrobe she was building up for herself. The girl had good dress sense and was always well turned out. She turned a few heads, too, as she blossomed into a very pretty girl.

But Sunday was Sadie’s favourite day. Jimmy came for dinner regularly now and stayed until after tea. They were like a big happy family then, with a grandma and grandad the children respected and adored. Peter still came in for a game of cards and a laugh, but Sadie hadn’t dated him since the night of his birthday. No amount of coaxing or wheedling could change her mind and Peter had by now given up hope. They still went to Blair Hall every Wednesday with Tommy and Spike, but the two market lads usually got off with a couple of girls and would walk them home. Sadie was glad for them, and she certainly didn’t want for dancing partners or offers to walk her home. But she always turned the offers down and said
she
was already spoken for. Peter had so far kept to the old routine of walking home with her, but one day he too would find someone who took his fancy.

On this particular Sunday, after they’d finished their dinner, Sadie asked Jimmy to give her a hand in the kitchen. ‘I want to have a talk with me brother, it’s ages since we had a really good natter. So you three can relax, put yer feet up and read the paper.’

‘I’ll give yer a hand,’ Ellen said. ‘He’s my brother, too, yer know, an’ I’d like to have a natter with him.’

‘You can talk to him as much as yer like when we’ve finished the dishes,’ Sadie told her. ‘But right now do as yer told and make yerself scarce. Go upstairs and titivate yerself up for Peter coming.’

This had the desired effect, and as Ellen made for the stairs, Jimmy grinned. ‘She fancies him, doesn’t she?’

‘I think yer could say that.’ Sadie grinned back. ‘The only one who doesn’t seem to know is the lad himself. He either can’t see or doesn’t want to see.’ She slipped a stack of plates into the warm water in the sink. ‘Now, how’s things at home, sunshine?’

‘Just the same. The house stinks, there’s never enough food, me mam and dad are always shoutin’, an’ the air’s blue with their language.’

‘But me dad doesn’t hit yer any more, does he? Or the other kids?’

Jimmy shook his head. ‘He hasn’t laid a finger on any of us since the lads give him that black eye. But I hate them, Sadie, an’ I still want to leave when I’m fourteen. Yer will keep yer promise, won’t yer? I mean, yer will help me?’

‘I’ll do me best, Jimmy, I promise.’ Sadie could see by her brother’s face that her answer wasn’t definite enough. ‘If I tell yer what I’m hoping for, yer won’t tell anyone, will yer? Yer see, I haven’t even told Grandma, and it mightn’t come off, anyway.’

‘I can keep a secret, yer know that, our Sadie. I know when to keep me mouth shut.’

Sadie spoke in a low voice. ‘Yer know the old lady next
door,
Mrs Benson? Remember she was very ill a few months ago? Well, her daughter wants her to go and live with her family and they’re trying to talk the old lady into it. So far she won’t hear of it, and in a way I’m glad because me and our Ellen couldn’t afford to rent that house on our own. But if she hangs out until you leave school we could afford it with three wages comin’ in. It would be a struggle, but I wouldn’t mind that if we were together.’

Jimmy nearly dropped a plate in his excitement. ‘Ooh, ay, our Sadie, wouldn’t that be the gear! Just fancy, you, me and our Ellen livin’ in our own house.’ Then he thought of something that took the sparkle from his eyes. ‘But what about Grandma and Grandad? They wouldn’t like yer to leave, would they?’