THE BONDAGE OF LOVE (22 page)

"There's more in Mike than his stubborn temper, I can tell you."

"Well, I wish I could see it, Da, I do. I wish I could see it at times."

When Jean's voice piped in, "You know some thing, Ma, what's missing?"

She had all their attention and her mother said, "No, miss. What d'you mean, something that's missing?"

"There's no cake, no Christmas cake."

"Well, well." Harry punched her gently on the head, saying "She's right, you know, she's right. Better phone them and tell them."

Daisy had been making for the stairs, and she turned and looked towards her mother, saying, "I ... I told Mrs. Bailey about the Misses Browns always bringing in a Christmas cake on Christmas Eve. She did not go on to explain that she had made Fiona laugh by telling her that the Browns had been a bolt-hole for them for years whenever her da had been on the rampage, and that the last time had been when her eldest sister had come home, once again saying she was pregnant. She knew that she had told her all this, and in the process had elaborated in parts, because, like herself, the woman was very upset about Sammy.

She now went upstairs and knocked on the box- room door, saying quietly, "May I have a word with you, Mike?"

When the door opened he was standing there in his shirtsleeves.

"They're wantin' me to go up and thank them," she said, 'to take a taxi. But I don't want to go by me self Our Frank has offered to come with me, but me da thinks it should be you. Will you come? "

"Up to their house?"

"Aye. Yes."

"Oh, Daisy, no. I don't know anybody there."

"I didn't know anybody there either. But they're ... well, I can't say they're ordinary, but there's no style. And him, the boss, I tell you he's as rough as a bit of sandpaper. And I give him as much as he sends."

"You give him as much ... ?"

"Yes." She nodded at him, smiling now.

"He calls me Minnehaha, so, I " ha-ha" him a bit."

He turned back into the small room and she followed him. Then, looking at her, he said, "It's impossible to take in there are people like that. That lot of stuff down there the night ..."

"Well, Mike, it's their way of saying thank you. Let's face it," she said,

'without you there'd be no Sammy Love the night, and they know it. You know something? I walked down there the other day and looked down the mud slope on which they threw him. And it's true, in another half-hour the tide would have rolled over him, then gently taken him back down! "

"You went there?" His voice was soft.

"So did I. On the quiet, like."

They shook their heads at each other; then she

said, "Come on, Mike, Time's getting on."

"Oh, Daisy! My clothes aren't decent."

"They won't look at your clothes. Anyway, I was thinking you're in need of a rig-out and have been for some time. Well, I'll tell you what: the Oxfam have opened a shop near Brampton Hill, and they get a lot of stuff from there, mostly men's. One of the store men from the factory goes there. You should see the lovely overcoat and things he wears. I told our Frank about it, but he's too big-headed to go. I want a few things an' all. So, what about popping in the morrow, that's if it's open, eh?"

"I'll do that. Daisy. Yes, because I know what I mean to do with this money and that's to get me self a decent rig-out."

"Well, roll on the morrow. But come on now, get your coat. Put a scarf on, because it'll cut you in two out there."

He laughed now, quite a merry laugh, as he said, "Look who's talking about being cut in two, you with your backside bare. How on earth are you not frozen, lass, in that getup?"

The tights keep me warm. "

"They can't. Anyway, between you and me, you've grown out of that kind of rig-out, haven't you?"

"Mind your own business." And she laughed as she added, "Funny! If I came in the morrow with a frock on and me hair brown, it would shake them,

wouldn't it?"

"It would that. Yes, it would that. But don't do it all at once. It's like trying to give up smoking;

you'd only be back the next day in your shorts. "

"Oh, you don't know, you don't know. Come on. Come on." . In the kitchen, her mother made no remark on her son appearing with Daisy.

"Well, you're off," she said.

"Now listen, both of you. Just tell them," - she nodded now 'in your own words, just tell them that it's been the greatest night of our lives. "

"I'll tell them, Ma."

"Wrap up, lass."

Daisy looked at her father and, her voice cocky again, she said, "I am wrapped up, Da, or I'm going to wrap up."

When the door closed on them, Len said to Annie, "D'you know something, lass?

They must be a very unusual family to take her as she is, at least

outwardly."

"Yes, Len; but perhaps, like you, they can see beneath her surface."

There were lights streaming from all the windows at the front of the house as they walked up the path to the front door. Her hand on the bell. Daisy

whispered, "Don't look like that, Mike. It'll be all right."

There was the sound of voices and laughter from the other side of the door, and when the ringing of the bell caused one voice to rise above the rest, saying, "Well, you're nearest; see to it," they glanced at each other again; and then the door was pulled open and Willie gasped, "Daisy!" Before yelling over his shoulder, "It's Daisy! Mam ..."

Then putting zzy

out his hand towards Daisy, he pulled her over the step. And when the man with her followed, he looked at him.

"Mike?" he said.

"It is Mike, isn't it?"

"Yes, I'm Mike."

Mike had taken off his cap and was trying to take in the effect of the

surroundings. The hall was beautifully lit. There was a roaring fire at one end of it and holly was draped round the top of the pictures.

A man was coming towards them, saying, "I'm Bert Ormesby." Then a girl was shaking his hand saying, "I'm Katie. Remember? Throw your cap down there,"

and she pointed to a chair; and turning to Daisy she said, "Take your coat off, Daisy. You'll feel the benefit of it when you go out."

"We're not staying," Daisy said, 'we just came. "

"You've just come, girl. Mam!" Katie was yelling up the stairs now.

"What's all the fuss?" added a big booming voice from the drawing-room; and Willie called back, "It's Daisy and her brother, Dad!"

"Oh, well, I'm not getting off these steps again until I get this damn thing fixed." Bill was perched half-way up some standing steps. And then at the top of his voice, he yelled, "Fiona!"

But Fiona, followed by Nell, was already hurrying down the stairs, and on seeing Daisy, she called "Why, hello there! This is a nice surprise." And it certainly was when, as Daisy said, "This is my brother, Mike," he said,

"How d'you do, ma'am."

"Very well, Mike. It's nice to meet you."

Daisy was smiling from one to the other now: she was proud of Mike. He

hadn't said, "Pleased to meet yer," but, "How d'you do, ma'am." That was nice.

When they entered the drawing-room Bill was stepping on to the floor, and he looked down the room and cried, "Oh, hello there, Minnehaha!"

And she, moving towards him and her face bright now, retorted, "Hello, Big Loud Buffalo Horn!" The whole room became alive with laughter, and Bill stood with head lowered and bobbing as if talking to himself, while at the same time drawing tightly on his lower lip to suppress his own laughter.

When he cried at her, "What d'you want here at this time of night?"

She answered, "I'm after a loan," which caused more laughter.

Bill now turned to Mike, who was standing with a look of amazement on his face. He was seeing his sister in a different guise and he couldn't believe it, not her coming back at this man. Bill was now confronting him, saying,

"And which one of the tribe are you?"

"I'm Mike, sir; and we've only dropped in to ... well, to try to express our thanks, my mam and dad's, for all your kindness." He cast his glance towards Fiona.

"You don't know ... well..." As he swallowed deeply. Bill said harshly,

"Look, as I said, that debt can never be paid. That was nothing." Then he was surprised to hear this young fella come back at him, saying, "It might be to you, sir, but to our family it was indeed a gift from the gods, as also' -

again he swallowed 'was my letter."

"Oh! Oh, that. Well, we'll talk about that on the

Z2. 9

third of January. That's another thing. " He now nodded around his family; then his eyes coming to rest on Bert Ormesby, he said, " It's a bloody scandal. "

"Bill!"

"All right, woman, all right. Anyway, I repeat to you, Ormesby, it is a scandal: weather dry as a bone; they could have been working this week. No, they have to have a holiday ... to the third, mind. No good expecting your lot back on Boxing Day, is it? Or even the day after?

But, let me tell you, if they're not there on the third . well, they'll know what to expect. "

"Bill, this is Christmas. Will you forget about work! Look ... sit down.

Please, sit down." Fiona pointed to the couch.

Daisy's voice was different now as she addressed Fiona, saying, "We just dropped in, Mrs. Bailey, just to convey my main and dad's thanks.

He would have come himself, me dad, but he's not well. "

"And ... and we've got a taxi waiting."

"Oh, be god You've got a taxi waiting. Well..." Bill now pointed to Willie, saying, "Get outside and tell them ... have you paid him?"

He was now looking at Daisy who answered, "No, but I'm going to when we get back."

"You're not going back yet, miss. Look, get outside, Willie, and see to it."

"Please!" Mike's voice was low but firm.

"I'll ... I'll see to him.

I happen to know him. "

"Well, go on then, do it!" Bill jerked his head, and Mike went out.

Then, looking at Katie, Bill said, "Is Nell still in the kitchen?"

It was Fiona who answered, "No, she's up in the nursery arranging a cot for Andrew."

At this Bill turned a steely gaze on Bert, saying, "Why don't you two and your offspring move in altogether? Your own house must be going mouldy."

"Yes. Yes, Bill, it is. Now you've said it, exactly what I said to Nell: our house is going mouldy because we're at the beck and call of that fella and his needs. Oh, for the day when I come back from work and find my wife in her rightful place."

"What's that?" Nell was coming into the drawing-room now and she put in,

"I'm always there when you come back from work. What are you talking about?

What I do with my mornings and evenings is my affair;

but I'm always there. "

When Mike came back it was into a babble of voices exchanging what appeared to be insults. Slowly he made his way to where Daisy was sitting on the couch and sat down beside her; and almost instantly Katie, too, flopped down by him, exclaiming, "It's no use me apologising. The only word for this family is not bad mannered, but uncouth. That's the word, uncouth. Anyway, it's very nice of you to come." But Mike didn't answer her; he just stared at her. Then Fiona, who was sitting in a chair to the side of the fireplace looked at them, saying, "We'll have Sammy home tomorrow; at least, I hope so.

He hates the idea of a wheelchair, but as I said, better a wheelchair here than a wheelchair there, to which his retort was, that was the place for wheelchairs, not here. " Then she added, " Would you like a drink?

Sherry? " She looked at Daisy, then turned her gaze on Mike and suggested, "

Something stiffer? Or a coffee or tea? "

"Oh, for the Lord's sake don't bring in coffee or tea again," Bill said.

"I want something to drink. Look, let the females have what they want." He was now bending down towards Mike, saying, "What's your poison? Mine's whisky."

"Suits me fine, sir, whisky. Yes."

"Well, that's settled. Your weak-kneed sister here will likely want tea."

"His weak-kneed sister would like a gin."

"No!" Mike's voice had become loud and he looked around apologetically.

Then, nodding up at Bill, he said, "She's only trying to be clever."

"I'm not, our Mike. I've had a gin, haven't I, Willie?" She looked across at Willie who was smiling widely at her. And he nodded and said, "Yes."

Looking at her son, Fiona asked in a stiff tone, "When did you have gin?"

"We all had a gin one night. Well, Jimmy, that's one of the instructors, and Sammy, and Katie, and ... well, Daisy and me; after the practice we all went into Jimmy's club and had gins."

"Well! Well!"

They looked at Bill, and Willie nodded at him and said, "Yes, gin and lime."

"So, what are you going to do about it, our Mike?" Daisy asked.

"Going to tell me da?"

Mike did not answer his sister but looked across at Fiona and said, "Our ...

dad can drink like a whale. Yet he can't bear to see me mam having a drink.

A glass of beer, yes, but never spirits. Our elder sister was banned from the house because she took to it..."

"Oh! It wasn't through that, our Mike," Daisy cut in. Then she looked across at Fiona and explained, "It was because she was fool enough to come back the second time in a certain condition."

At this Katie, turning to Daisy, almost spluttered, "And it wasn't St.

Michael The Archangel this time, was it?" At which Daisy pushed her as she said on a high laugh, "No, it wasn't. You remember that... from our first meeting? I was in a hell of a ..." Quickly she closed her eyes, gulped again, then cast a glance around the company. And her gaze coming to rest on Bill, she said, "Well, I was, I was in a devil of a stew that night. There had been divil's fagarties in the house."

The room seemed to rock with laughter, and Bill, wiping his cheeks quickly with his hand, said, "I want that drink. We all want a drink," before muttering again, "Divil's fagarties! It's years since I heard that one, divil's fargarties."

The laughter subsided; Mike looked at Fiona and said, "There's always one in the family that lets you down. You know what I mean, Mrs. Bailey?"