The Sun Will Shine Tomorrow (11 page)

Ma looked pleased to see me. ‘Just put some boiling water in the teapot, Ann, and come and sit beside me.’

I did as I was told and sat opposite her with another cup of tea. I would be waterlogged before the end of the day, I thought.

‘How are Maddie and Daniel?’ she asked.

My heart sank. Did she know something bad about them? Having the sixth sense as she so often said could be a curse instead of a blessing.

In spite of the tea, my mouth was dry. ‘They’re fine, Ma. I saw them last week and Daniel is getting quite big. Maddie is missing Danny so much and just wishing this war was over.’

Ma nodded. ‘And what’s the news of your young man, Ann. How is he?’

Where was all this leading? I wondered. I gave her all the latest news of Greg as received in my last letter from him.

‘You’ll be wondering why I asked you over here?’

I nodded.

She gave me a curious look. ‘I did debate about telling you this but the feeling is so strong that I feel you should know.’

My eyes were like saucers and my heart was thumping in worried anticipation. It was another of Ma’s warnings. She had warned me once before while I was working at the Ferry with Mrs Barrie and that had come true. This new warning could only mean some sort of danger. Otherwise why ask me over to her house like this?

She leaned forward. ‘The feeling is a bit patchy, Ann, but very, very strong. Watch your step, that’s all I can say. Watch your step very, very carefully.’

I was perplexed. ‘In what way, Ma, do I have to watch my step? Is it in everyday life? Something I do every day?’

‘I’m sorry, Ann, but I can’t tell you because I don’t know. I just keep thinking you’ve to watch your step because there’s danger of some sort.’

Oh, no, I thought. Was my life always going to have this dangerous element? Surely I wouldn’t meet another Miss Hood – the housekeeper at the Ferry who had tried to kill me.

I made a mental note to look extra carefully when crossing the road and to make sure I never went up a ladder. I told Ma I would take care and went to pick up Lily. Kit seemed a bit more cheerful and I told her not to worry about Kathleen or Maggie.

Lily chatted all the way back in the tramcar, stopping only to gaze down on the streets now and then. She loved the top deck of the tramcar. We soon reached our stop and my mind was full of Ma’s warning. What did it mean?

Lily went downstairs ahead of me but, halfway down the metal spiral stairs, my heel caught and I was suddenly thrown forwards. I think I screamed but there was no sound as far as I could recall and I saw Lily’s wide-eyed stare as I hurtled past her.

Suddenly, a strong arm grabbed me. It was the tramcar conductor. ‘Watch your step, love. You almost fell out on to the road.’

Lily was almost crying when we stepped on to the pavement.

‘It’s all right, Lily – I’m not hurt,’ I told her.

Reassured, she set off towards the flat with me following her. I was shaking a bit with the fright and my legs felt numb with the shock of the incident.

Ma had been right about her warning. I should have watched my step. Surely this was what she meant, wasn’t it?

Grandad was ill and Granny was worried sick about him. It was also clear to the rest of the family that his bronchitis, which was a yearly winter affliction for him, was getting worse. But he wouldn’t listen to anyone when we told him to stop smoking his pipe with its dark, foul-smelling slivers of Bogey Roll tobacco stuffed into its bowl.

‘I’ve been smoking since I was sixteen and it’s never done me any harm,’ was the usual statement when Granny or I chastised him.

Granny sighed. ‘He’ll not listen to anybody, Ann, and I’m really worried about his breathlessness – he could hardly climb the stairs the other night.’

This was true and, to make matters worse, the weather was now cold and foggy which made me cough, never mind Grandad with his bad chest.

It would soon be New Year and the war was still as savage as ever but there had been good news with the glorious victory at El Alamein. Then there was the Battle of Midway where the Americans had pushed the Japanese into retreat plus the Russian Army had broken through the German line at Stalingrad.

Joe was full of this news. ‘What a great victory over the Afrika Korps, isn’t it Connie? Monty fair sent Rommel scuttling back to Berlin. And the Americans are finally getting the upper hand with the Japs and the Russians will soon send the German Army packing. Aye, it’ll soon be victory, Connie.’

Connie, who was usually tired of listening to Joe’s ramblings on the war front, was enthusiastic at the latest news from Stalingrad. ‘Aye, it certainly is good news, Joe. Maybe the war will be over soon.’

I mentally echoed this sentiment. Then Greg, Danny and Peter could all be home once more with their families.

Joe was still chatting. ‘Another bit of good news is the British Army have pushed the Japs from the Malay peninsula and shoved them back to Burma. Aye, they’ll find it’s not so easy to beat us – even with their Emperor Hirohito.’

Meanwhile I was becoming more worried by the day about Grandad and I hoped he would see sense and give up the smoking. I had made up my mind to enlist Hattie’s help on this.

That evening, when I went to her house in the Westport, Graham was there and he was dressed in a smart suit.

‘Hattie is getting dressed,’ he said, nodding towards the closed bedroom door.

I was puzzled.

He explained. ‘We’re going to the Christmas dance in the Queen’s Hotel.’

Then Hattie appeared and she looked surprised to see me sitting by the fire. She looked beautiful in a long satin dress in a lovely shade of bronze. She wore long brown evening gloves and her shoes matched her handbag. She looked like the Queen. It was easy to see that the clothes rationing wasn’t a big issue in her house. But then I realised I had seen that dress before – a good few years ago.

Her face went white when she saw me. ‘It’s not Grandad, is it?’

I mentally kicked myself for arriving on her doorstep unannounced but I said, ‘He’s not any worse, Hattie, but can you make him give up his pipe? He’ll not listen to Granny.’

Hattie made a little snorting sound. ‘And you think he’ll listen to me, Ann?’

Before I could answer, she went on. ‘I’ve told him time and time again to give up that pipe. In fact, you’ve heard me yourself and will he listen? No he won’t.’

I noticed Graham had taken a cigarette from an elegant silver case but he now put it back. Very diplomatic, I thought.

‘Look, Hattie, I’ve come at a bad time. You’re on your way to a dance but will you think about having a talk with Grandad. I’ll also have a word with Dad and maybe, between the two of you, Grandad will listen and see sense.’

Hattie nodded. ‘All right, Ann, I’ll speak to him tomorrow but don’t raise your hopes too high. I’ve been going on about that smelly pipe for years and you know it. As for your father … what do you think he’ll manage to do? He smokes as well and many a word I’ve had with him about this.’

Graham now slipped the cigarette case back in his pocket with a rueful look at me. Thankfully, Hattie was gathering up her bag and she didn’t notice it.

Hattie was right when she said Dad would be no help. He never listened to anyone either – just like Grandad.

When Hattie reached the door, she said, ‘And another thing. Has your father gone back to the doctor for a check-up on his head wound?’

I shook my head. ‘He says he’s going next week but he says he’s feeling fine.’

Graham smiled. ‘How are Rosie and little Jay?’

‘They’re fine, Graham. Jay is getting bigger every day and, although he’s not walking yet, he’s crawling all over the floor and getting under everyone’s feet.’

I could see that Hattie was impatient to be off to her dance so I made my escape.

Lily was sitting with Granny and they both looked subdued. Grandad was lying asleep in the big bed by the fireside and his breath was coming out in sharp gasps.

I went over to him and looked at him. ‘Tomorrow, I’m getting the doctor to have a look at his chest, Granny,’ I said to her.

She looked as if she was about to resist but she said, ‘I think that would be for the best, Ann. He’s not getting any better.’

Lily looked unhappy. ‘Grandad will be all right, won’t he, Ann?’

I tried to look cheerful. ‘Of course he will, Lily. It’s just a matter of getting him to realise he can’t keep smoking – especially in this cold, murky weather.’

Lily looked at Granny. ‘He was smoking his pipe before he went to bed and he’ll not listen to Granny.’

Granny got up and put the kettle on. ‘Never you mind, Lily. He’ll listen to the doctor – that’s for sure.’

But I saw her face as she turned towards the stove and her look belied her convincing words. I also knew she was worried about the outcome of Dad’s medical. He hadn’t been going to the Home Guard meetings since his accident although he had taken his share of fire-watching on a few nights during the past few months.

To take our minds off Grandad, I mentioned the Christmas dance and Hattie’s lovely outfit.

‘Aye,’ said Granny, ‘she’s had that frock since 1936 but then she’s aye kept her trim figure so she can still wear all the clothes she had before the war – lucky her.’

Lily was busy getting the cups from the cupboard. ‘Will she get married to Graham?’

Granny almost choked. ‘Och, I’ve no idea, Lily. Maybe she will. I suppose it all matters on how long this war is going to last. After it’s over, he’ll probably go back to Clydebank and his business there.’

I looked at Lily. ‘Would you like to see them married?’

Her face lit up. ‘Oh, I would and I could be a flower girl at their wedding – just like I’m going to be at your wedding, Ann – when Greg comes home, that is.’

For some reason her statement left me feeling sick. Would there ever be a wedding? I thought. I was certainly not getting any younger and at this rate I would qualify as one of the oldest brides in the city.

Granny brought us both back to earth. ‘Well, I’d better have a word with Hattie and Graham – just so they don’t get married on the same day as Ann and Greg. We can’t have you missing out on being a bridesmaid twice, can we, Lily?’

Lily was munching a huge slice of toast and she nodded.

As I looked at her, I marvelled at her talent for coming out with an important statement, only to totally forget it when faced with food.

We could still hear Grandad’s noisy wheezing as we left. I said, ‘I’ll call the doctor from Connie’s flat tomorrow, Granny, and I’ll pay his bill.’

I was a bit late in arriving at the shop the following morning. Even although we were staying at Roseangle, Lily was still a pupil at Rosebank School. This time next year she would be in the secondary school but, till then, our routine never varied. She normally arrived at the shop with me and stayed until it was time to go to school. This particular morning, we’d overslept and we were hurrying up the Hilltown. It was another grey, dank and foggy morning and the air felt cold and wet. It was like a thousand wet drops against our faces.

Connie’s shop was blacked out because of the regulations but it was cosy inside. The gas mantle was a golden glow against the stack of newspapers and the paper girl was just beginning her paper round.

I explained my mission to her and she said to use the telephone when Lily went to school. I had become quite fond of her doctor and had got to know him well over the year or two since I first called him out.

Lily turned to me as we set off. ‘Grandad’s going to be all right, isn’t he, Ann? The doctor will give him some medicine to make him feel better.’

I watched her as she set off down the road, calling out to her friends as they emerged from the dark entrances on to the cold street.

Connie’s flat was still over-furnished and I smiled at her refusal to throw away her parents’ things. Still, it was hard to let go of the past but some people managed it better than others. I loved the large black telephone. There was a similar one at Roseangle which I never used – apart from the one time when Maddie went into labour with Daniel.

Despite Connie’s protestations, I always paid for my calls – I would hate to think I was abusing her kindness.

I slowly dialled the doctor’s number and very carefully gave the address in the Overgate and a brief account of Grandad’s symptoms. I knew Granny would be ready for him and I also knew she would be edgy about keeping Grandad in the house. He could be thrawn when it suited him, complaining that getting the doctor was women’s meddling.

I also knew she would have stripped the bed and put on clean sheets and pillowcases and that would alarm him. He would know exactly what was being planned and he would try to make his escape.

I could barely wait for the morning to go in, wondering what the doctor would say about Grandad.

Connie noticed my agitation. ‘We’re not very busy this afternoon, Ann. If you want to go and see how your grandad is, then just go.’

I threw her a grateful look and put my coat on. It was very cold outside and although it was still wet, the bitter wind promised snow before nightfall. Granny had a big fire on in the grate when I arrived and Grandad was asleep. She placed a finger against her lips and I tiptoed over to sit beside her.

We spoke in whispers. Granny looked upset as she described the doctor’s visit. She glanced over, every now and again, towards the bed in the corner, making sure Grandad was still asleep.

‘The doctor says his lungs are not working right, Ann. He didn’t say they were knackered but that’s what he meant. When Grandad worked in the coal yard years ago, the coal dust irritated his lungs and that, combined with his heavy smoking over all these years, hasn’t helped him. The doctor wants him to go into hospital for a check-up but he almost went mental and said the hospital is the last place he’d end up in.’

I didn’t know what to say. All morning, I had harboured the notion that a few days in bed and giving his pipe a rest would see him on the road to recovery but now, judging from Granny’s face, the news was bad.

I recalled the years he had spent as a coalman and the awful black dust that forever hung in the air in the coal shed in Ann Street. But surely this wasn’t enough to cause an illness years later? I said so.