The Throwaway Children (62 page)

The next afternoon both his parents and Delia came trooping into the ward. Norah was carrying a teddy bear wearing a blue bow, Andrew a huge bunch of flowers, and Delia with a blue, crocheted matinee jacket, wrapped in white tissue paper.

‘Oh, Deeley, it’s beautiful!’ cried Rita when she unwrapped it. ‘Were you that sure it was going to be a boy,’ she teased, ‘or did you make another one in pink, just in case?’

‘No, darling,’ Delia said, ‘this was Harry’s. It was the only thing I kept.’

Tears sprang to Rita’s eyes as she reached up to hug her mother. ‘Oh Deeley,’ she whispered, ‘thank you. Thank you for everything.’

As Norah was at the bedside, gazing down at her new grandson, trying to see a likeness to David in his tiny features, Andrew drew Delia to one side.

‘Has David had a word?’ he asked.

‘Yes,’ replied Delia, ‘we discussed it last night.’

‘Do you think she’d like it?’

‘I think it’s a wonderful idea,’ Delia told him.

‘I’ll go ahead, then,’ he said. ‘Mum’s the word.’

The letter arrived in Hampton Road one Saturday morning.

‘Hey, Gran,’ Rick cried, passing it over, ‘there’s one from Australia.’

‘Not Rita’s writing, though,’ Lily said, putting on her glasses and looking at the name of the sender. It just said
Harris
with an address in a place she’d never heard of.

‘Perhaps it’s from David,’ she said. ‘I hope Rita’s all right, and the baby.’ Sudden fears flew through Lily’s mind. Suppose something had happened to Rita, to the baby. Complications after the birth. Unexpected infection. Were Australian doctors any good?

‘Shall I open it, Gran?’ asked Rick.

‘No,’ she said, ‘I will,’ and slitting open the envelope she pulled out the letter. Glancing at the bottom she saw the signature. ‘Andrew Harris,’ she read. ‘It’s not David. Perhaps it’s his father? Wasn’t he called Andrew?’

‘Can’t remember. Come on, Gran, read it out,’ begged Rick. ‘What does he say?’

‘He says… “
Dear Mrs Sharples, I am your granddaughter Rita’s father-in-law
.”’

‘You were right,’ said Rick. ‘It’s him. Go on, Gran.’

Lily continued to read aloud.

You’ll know by now, that Rita and David have a beautiful son, born a couple of weeks ago. I’m sure Rita will be sending you some photos of him very soon. I have become very fond of Rita, she is a girl of great character, and I know she had to travel a difficult road in her childhood. I would like to reward her for her courage and steadfastness, and I wondered if you and her brother Richard would like to fly out and see her and the baby…

‘Wouldn’t we just,’ groaned Rick. ‘Chance’d be a fine thing.’

‘Just a minute,’ said Gran, her eyes widening as they took in the rest of the sentence.

‘What?’ demanded Rick seeing her expression. ‘What?’

‘“
…and if so
,”’ Gran read, ‘“
whether you would consider accepting your airline tickets as a gift from me
.”’

‘What!’ shrieked Rick. ‘Gran, we’re going to Australia!’

Lily looked up at him, equally incredulous, but said, ‘Wait a minute there, Ricky, let’s finish reading the letter, eh?’

Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see Rita reunited with you both after all these years. I have discussed it with David and Rita’s foster mother, Mrs Watson, and they both think it would be the most wonderful surprise for Rita if you agreed to come.

I hope you won’t be offended by this offer. I’ve heard from Rita that Richard is working hard to save up to come over sometime in the future, but I am fortunate enough to be in the position to send you tickets immediately. I know it is a long journey, taking nearly two days, but if you were able to come, you would be able to stay for several weeks and so make that journey worthwhile.

Obviously we’ve said nothing to Rita about this. We didn’t want to get her hopes up, in case you didn’t feel able to make such a long journey. One way or the other, we’d be glad if you would keep the secret too. Perhaps you’d reply to the address at the top of this letter, and if you have a phone number, let me have it, so I can ring you and we can discuss arrangements more easily. I would be happy to phone you at a convenient time in the future.

I hope that you will feel able to accept this gift, and that we shall all see you in Sydney before very long.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Harris

Lily put the letter down on the table and looked at Rick.

‘That’s fantastic,’ he breathed. ‘Just amazing. Us going to Australia!’

‘It would be wonderful,’ agreed Lily, ‘but I’m not sure it’s on.’

Rick stared at her stupefied. ‘What d’you mean, not on, Gran? Why not? This bloke, Rita’s pa-in-law, is offering to pay for us to go. Don’t you want to go, Gran?’

‘Course I want to go,’ replied Lily, ‘but it ain’t that easy, Rick. It’s a lot of money to take from someone you don’t know.’

‘Oh, come on, Gran,’ cried Rick. ‘We
do
know him. He’s Rita’s dad now.’

‘Not quite, and even so, it’s too much money,’ maintained Lily.

‘But he ain’t doing it for us, Gran,’ Rick pointed out. ‘He’s doing it for Rita. What did he say…’ Rick picked up the letter and squinted at it. ‘Yeah, here we are… “
I have become very fond of Rita, she is a girl of great character, and I know she had to travel a difficult road in her childhood
.”
This is the bit, “
I would like to reward her for her courage and steadfastness.
”
There you are, see,’ Rick said triumphantly. ‘He’s doing it for her, not for us.’

‘It’s for us as well.’

‘I know, but it’s for her mostly. Look, Gran, he can afford it. He says so, don’t he? He says he knows I’m saving up to come, well OK, but he also knows it’ll take me years to save enough for the both of us. And let’s face it, Gran, you ain’t getting any younger. Don’t want to wait until the journey is too much for you, do you? He sees that, this Andrew bloke. He knows that if we don’t go soon, if
you
don’t go soon, it could be too late.’ He looked across at his grandmother and flushed red, as he realized what he’d said. ‘Sorry, Gran,’ he muttered, but when she said nothing, he added a little defiantly, ‘It would be dreadful if we didn’t go now and then couldn’t go later, wouldn’t it?’

‘All right, Richard,’ said Lily tartly, ‘you’ve made your point.’

He got to his feet and went to the door, adding as his parting shot, ‘Just think how Rita would feel if she found out we could’ve gone to see her and we didn’t.’

When he’d gone out, Lily sat looking out of the window and thinking about the letter and its offer. She thought back to the day when she’d got the telegram about the baby, and how anxious she’d been when it arrived. Telegrams were bad news, everyone knew that, except those special greetings ones that came at weddings, so when Lily had opened the door to the telegraph boy, it was with a shaking hand that she took the proffered buff envelope. Rick was at school, and she was on her own in the house. She’d looked at the envelope, wondering if perhaps she should wait till Rick came home to open it. But on the other hand, she thought, if it’s urgent enough for a telegram, then perhaps I shouldn’t wait.

She retreated to the kitchen and sitting down at the table, tore the envelope open. When she read the message, she found she was crying, crying with joy at the news it brought.

DONALD ANDREW HARRIS BORN 3 JUNE. MOTHER & SON DOING WELL. LETTER FOLLOWS. DAVID.

Within moments Lily was on her feet, pulling on her coat and closing the front door behind her. Bursting with the news, she hurried to Baillies’ to tell Anne.

‘It’s a boy!’ she cried as she flung open the shop door. ‘Rita’s had a boy!’

Anne came round the counter and gave her a hug. She and Lily had become very close over recent years. ‘That’s wonderful, Lil,’ she cried, ‘I’m so pleased for you.’

‘Donald, after Rita’s dad. Don’t you think that’s lovely? I do. Donald Andrew. David’s father’s called Andrew, I think. Oh, Anne! That I should live to see the day!’

Lily decided she wouldn’t mention Andrew Harris’s generous offer to anyone yet, not even to Anne or Carrie. She would think about it and make her decision, then, if they were going, she’d tell them.

‘Have you thought yet?’ Rick demanded when he got home from school.

‘Sort of,’ replied Lily.

‘Does that mean we can go?’

‘I ain’t decided yet,’ Lily answered, ‘I’m still thinking on it. But, if we do decide to go I’ll have to speak to Mr Harris.’

‘We could get a phone put in,’ suggested Rick.

‘That’d take too long, wouldn’t it?’ Lily hadn’t bothered with a phone, but now she quite liked the idea.

‘No, honestly, Gran, it’ll be done in no time.’

‘I’ll see, but I’ll tell you one thing, young Ricky-me-lad,’ she said firmly, ‘we ain’t going nowhere, not till you’ve finished them exams.’

Rick grabbed her hands and, holding them tight, said, ‘But we are going, Gran, yes?’

‘Yes,’ replied Lily. ‘We’re going, Rick. ’Course we are.’

‘Fan-
tas
-tic!’ cried Rick, enveloping her in a hug.

‘But we keep it to ourselves for now,’ she reminded him, ‘and certainly no hint to Rita if you write to her again. Right?’

‘Right,’ agreed Rick.

There was no question of them going for at least a month. Neither of them had passports, and Lily had stuck to her guns about Rick having to sit his O-levels.

The phone was put in, and when Andrew Harris rang to discuss the arrangements Lily was still having difficulty accepting such a generous offer.

‘I’d like to try and pay you back,’ she said, ‘for the tickets. It ain’t right for you to pay all that money out for us.’

‘It’s my pleasure, Mrs Sharples,’ he replied gently. ‘I know your grandson is saving up to come, but he can always use that money for a second visit.’

‘It’s too generous,’ Lily said, ‘but I do want to see Rita and the baby.’

‘Of course you do,’ Andrew said, ‘and I know they’d love to see you, so, that’s settled.’

The plans were made and at last Lily was ready to tell her friends.

Characteristically, Anne and Fred were delighted for them. ‘Ain’t that great news?’ Anne said. ‘Fancy! Flying all the way to Australia to see Reet!’

‘Flying,’ confirmed Lily. ‘Rita’s father-in-law has sent us the tickets.’

‘When you off, then?’ asked Fred.

‘Soon as Rick’s finished his exams,’ answered Lily. ‘We got our passports and that, so we’re all set to go.’

Carrie was delighted for them too. ‘How long are you going for?’ she asked.

‘Not decided yet,’ replied Lily. ‘We’ll be back here for Ricky to start in the sixth form.’

The day they were leaving arrived at last. John Maunder had offered to drive them to London Airport. Rick could hardly contain his excitement, but Lily was extremely apprehensive. ‘D’you think I’m stupid to go on such a long journey at my age?’ she asked Carrie. ‘S’pose I got took ill?’

‘No,’ cried Carrie. ‘You’re as fit as a flea, and there’ll be air hostesses to look after you on the flight, and when you get to Australia, well, Rita and her family’ll be there, won’t they?

Lily had listened to Carrie and tried to dismiss her fears, but as they drew near to London Airport, she began to have serious misgivings. She was glad that Carrie had come with them, especially when they went to the airline desk to show their tickets and hand over their luggage.

‘It will get on the right aeroplane, won’t it?’ she asked anxiously.

‘Certainly, madam,’ replied the girl at the desk. ‘I’ve labelled it for Sydney.’

‘And it’ll go there all by itself?’

‘’Course it will, Gran,’ said Rick. ‘Don’t worry about it, it’s all took care of.’ He took the tickets back and stowed them in the leather money belt he’d bought for the purpose. ‘Safe in there, Gran,’ he assured her, giving the pouch a pat, ‘all strapped round my waist, see?’

At last it was time to go through to the lounge. Rick pranced on ahead, turning back now and then to be sure they were all coming.

Lily paused and turned to Carrie and John. ‘Goodbye,’ she said, giving Carrie a hug. ‘Thanks to you both for bringing us up.’

‘Pleasure, Mrs S,’ Carrie assured her, returning the hug.

‘You look after your Gran, young man,’ John said to Rick.

‘Will do,’ promised Rick.

‘He will,’ said Lily and turning away, she walked through the gateway into the lounge.

‘Give our love to Rita,’ called Carrie.

Lily turned and waved once more before she and Rick disappeared from sight.

As Lily and Rick finally struggled out through the customs area at the airport in Sydney, Lily was afraid she wouldn’t make it. She had lost track of the times the aeroplane had taken off and landed on the way. Sometimes they had to leave the aircraft, other times they stayed in their seats. Passengers left the plane, others boarded; there seemed to Lily to be continual bustle. When the captain had finally welcomed them to Sydney, she hardly believed they’d actually reached their destination.

It was early morning as they emerged into a wintery sunlight. They stood for a moment, looking round, and then Rick pointed.

‘Look, Gran,’ he said. ‘Over there.’

Two men stood together, one holding a handwritten sign:
Mrs Sharples
. Rick picked up the two cases and led the way across.

‘Hallo,’ he said to the younger of the two, ‘How d’you do? I’m Rick.’

‘And I’m David,’ replied the other. ‘Here, let me take those cases.’

Lily, following behind, saw the two men glance over Rick’s shoulder, looking for her. This time it was the older man who stepped forward, hand extended.

‘Mrs Sharples?’ he said. ‘Welcome to Sydney. We’re so glad you could come. I’m Andrew Harris, and this is David, Rita’s husband.’

David shook hands as well, and said, ‘You’ve had a very long journey, Mrs Sharples, are you all right?’

‘Tired,’ admitted Lily. ‘Tired to the bone.’

‘We guessed you would be, so we’re taking you straight to my parents’ house. You can rest there and have a good sleep. I’m sure you need it.’