The School Gates (32 page)
Authors: Nicola May
Talking of scallywags, she could see the rotund form of Charlie Lake approaching.
‘I can’t believe you picked the bench furthest from the gate,’ she puffed.
‘Look at me – I need all the exercise I can get, and we can’t be seen.’
‘You’re scaring me now.’ Joan looked perplexed.
‘Don’t be silly. I need your help with something and you are actually the only person I can trust for the job.’
‘Blimey, Mr Bond, what is our next mission exactly?’ Joan quipped, although she didn’t feel comfortable, hiding things from Mo.
Charlie Lake reached into his pocket and drew out a lottery ticket.
‘I want you to drop this in front of Maureen. She must be the person who sees it and picks it up.’
‘I don’t understand.’ Joan ran her hands through her curly blonde hair.
‘It’s a winning ticket. Five balls and the bonus. Sadly there are lots of winners that week, so it’s only fifty thousand pounds.’
‘Fifty grand!’ Joan nearly fell off Bart Baker’s memory seat in shock. ‘Look – I still don’t understand.’
‘When I found out that I was potentially young Charlie’s father, I had to find out what he was like, and what sort of person Maureen had become. I wanted to do right by her and the lad, but I knew it would be difficult to just walk in and announce myself. I am marrying Hannah and I do live in the next town but I’m a rich man. My first wife was a very wealthy lady with no kids, and when she sadly died young, I came into a healthy inheritance. I couldn’t just sit on my fat arse all day, and as I’ve always been a nosy bastard, I decided to train to become a private investigator and eventually set up my own business. I now employ ten blokes so that too makes me a good living in my own right, thanks very much.’
‘Go on,’ Joan urged, intrigued.
‘Well, it appears Maureen is a fine woman. I’ve had some of my boys on to Charlie and I know he ain’t no angel, but with my genes that was always going to be a probability. But he loves his mum, that’s for sure, and that’s what matters to me.’
‘So why not just give Mo the money?’
‘I won the lottery just as I heard about Charlie. I was going to give it to charity as I really don’t need any more and I do a lot of fundraising in the local community. Then I had this madcap idea about making someone’s dream come true, meaning Maureen’s. When she refused to let on about Charlie being my kind, not even for the thirty grand I was tempting her with, I knew I was doing the right thing.’
Joan couldn’t get over the fact that they had got this man so very wrong.
‘Anyway, after meeting her, I know she won’t take any money from me as she is a very proud lady. She would have to explain it to our boy, and as I fully respect her wishes for not telling him yet, this seems the perfect solution. She will, of course, give some to him to get him on a steady path and they will both now be put in my Will so the whole family, Rosie included, will always be OK .’
‘But you know Mo,’ Joan objected. ‘What if she gets all honest and says we should try and find the real winner?’
‘Yes, she’s bound to do that. We know her so well, don’t we! So this is where you come in again. You tell her you will ring the lottery HQ for her and just come back saying finders keepers or something to that effect.’
‘You think of everything, Charlie Lake.’
‘I know, I’m brilliant.’ He laughed.
‘Thank you for doing this for Mo,’ Joan said, feeling moved. ‘Fifty thousand pounds will change her life. It is amazing. I am so happy for her.’
‘And this is for you, for doing it.’ Charlie handed her a cheque for one thousand pounds.
‘I don’t want your money, Charlie.’ She pushed his hand away. ‘I could do with it, don’t get me wrong. But just seeing Mo’s face when she realises how much it is, will be worth more than any money anyone could give me.’
He put the cheque back in his pocket and handed over the lottery ticket, joking, ‘Don’t bloody lose it, will you?’
‘I will guard it with my life until I see her tomorrow.’
They both stood up and Charlie kissed her on the cheek.
‘Well, it’s been a pleasure meeting you, Joan, and I’m glad Maureen has got such a good friend in you. I doubt if we’ll meet again, but who knows. I pray that in time my son will want to get to know his real dad.’
‘If there is such a thing as Karma, Charlie, then I do believe he will.’
Joan turned around and touched the plaque on the bench.
‘And as for you, Bart Baker, the scallywag – don’t you be telling anyone this either.’
They both laughed and headed their separate ways.
Mo walked across the road to the doctors’ surgery. The sun was shining and for the first time in ages, she had a spring in her step. Charlie had sent her a cheque for half of the Freedom Fund he had stolen, so she had treated herself to a flowery summer dress from the posh boutique at the end of the High Street.
Ffion was already in. She had been mortified when Mo gently explained that Charlie hadn’t known about his real dad, and that it had been a terrible shock for him, coming on the very day of his father Ron’s funeral; chastened and ashamed, the young Welsh girl had promised that if she were ever to see him again, she would not mention it.
‘You’re early, love,’ Mo said comfortably.
‘I know – I’m leaving at two today, got one of my beauty exams.’
‘Cor, that’s come round quick.’
Ffion looked up from her screen and opened her eyes wide.
‘Wow! Mo Collins, you look amazing. Those colours really bring out your eyes – and that dress! You have a waist!’
‘Aw thanks, Ffi. I have to say I love it now I’m lighter. I feel so much better too.’
‘Well, that’s the main thing,’ Dr Delicious chipped in as he walked through with a pile of patients’ notes. ‘And Ffion’s right, you look very nice today, Mo.’
Even Grim Lynn was smiling as she walked through to her office.
‘Must be the sunshine,’ Ffion whispered. ‘Or she got a good seeing-to last night.’
‘Ffion Jones, what are you like?’
‘Talking of which, the Denbury total has sprung up a notch. There’s a new barman in the Featherstone Arms I’ve got my eye on.’
‘Not many prospects with a barman, Ffi,’ Mo said wisely.
‘Yes, but plenty of free drinks and lock-ins, that’ll do me for now.’
‘Ladies, this is a doctors’ surgery, not a public house!’
‘OK, I take back what I said about the shag,’ Ffion trilled.
Dr Delicious rang Mo’s extension. ‘Have you got a minute please, Mo?’
Mo was glad to be looking good as she walked down to Noah Anderson’s room.
‘Take a seat.’
‘I feel as if I’ve done something wrong,’ Mo said nervously.
‘Don’t be silly, far from it. I just wanted to let you know how pleased I am with your work. Despite all you’ve been through, you haven’t once let me down and have been as pleasant as ever to the patients. In fact, you are a joy to have around.’
Mo blushed.
‘I also need to let you know that Lynn is leaving. Her husband has got a job overseas and she is going with him.’
‘That’s a surprise. She’s like a part of the furniture.’
‘Indeed she is, so to that end I was hoping maybe you’d take over being that part of the furniture. What do you reckon?’
Mo was taken aback. ‘But as Surgery Supervisor, she must be on at least eight thousand a year more than me!’
Noah Anderson nodded.
Tears filled Mo’s eyes. ‘Dr…’
‘Noah, please, Mo.’
‘Thank you, Noah. I don’t know what to say.’
‘Well, I was rather hoping you might say yes.’
‘Yes, yes of course I would love to! I realise it will be extra hours, but I will be able to afford to pay Joan now to look after Rosie so that will help her out too. I can’t believe this is happening.’
‘Well, it is, Mo, and you deserve every happiness. There was also something else I was hoping you might say yes to…’ It was Noah Anderson’s turn to blush.
‘I was wondering if you might want to go out to dinner sometime soon – to discuss your new role, of course.’
‘That would be lovely,’ she said quietly.
Then pinched herself – ouch – to check that she was still here and had not died and gone to heaven.
– Epilogue –
It was the end of the summer term at Featherstone Primary.
Gordon and Chris walked hand in hand through the school gates and up the drive. Once the initial shock that they were the twins’ parents had worn off there was no whispering. In fact, they were the life and soul of the school proceedings half the time. Joan’s whim of Mr Chambers fancying her was completely unfounded – for when Will Chambers found out about the gay parents, he was delighted. He had even asked Gordon to let him know if he had any single friends who would suit him, and was of course invited to next year’s civil ceremony.
Gordon was pleased to hear that Robbie had been struck off from Bebops, although Mr Chambers said he could still work with the older boys at the Youth Centre.
Emily and Kenneth followed them, also hand in hand. A few sessions at Relate had worked for them. In fact, Kenneth had agreed for his wife to have a tummy tuck for her birthday.
Dana, her bump now showing, chatted away to Isobel Murray, who was telling her how delighted she was that she had made the decision to join Alana out in Cyprus to be her PA. Tommy was to join her for all of the school holidays so she would see an awful lot more of him than she had thought she would.
Joan was sweating with nerves as she walked a little bit in front of Mo. She was so glad it wasn’t windy.
The lottery ticket fell from her hands, and as if in slow motion went through the air like an autumn leaf waiting to be caught.
The children ran out of their classrooms, screaming and shouting to be free for six weeks of summer holidays.
Before anyone could see, Joan suddenly swept the ticket up and put it back in her bag.
Today, Mo felt as if she had won the lottery.
Unbeknownst to her, Joan Brown actually had!
– Acknowledgements –
I wrote the majority of The School Gates whilst recovering from a hysterectomy. I had no choice but to have the operation. I have no children so it wasn’t an easy time.
My heartfelt thanks go to:
My selfless sister Sara – who quietly came in every day and did everything for me so I had no worries.
My beautiful nieces, Georgia and Trinny, for sleeping by my side and making me lots of tea.
My steadfast brother Mark, for the best home-made mackerel pate ever.
My funny sister Fiona for cleaning and carrying on demand.
And, of course, my lovely dad, who supported me throughout, when I couldn’t work.
Dear Harry, for driving my car every week so the battery didn’t go flat.
Joan, Emma, Philip, Scott, Jeff, Liane, Jules, Lucy, Charlotte, Kia, Kate, Sophia, Bird, Hannah, Ralph, Jacqui, Marlene and Fiona for being just downright lovely friends really.
And always in my heart, my baby angels whose little souls will never ever be forgotten.
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