When Wishes Come True (53 page)

Clicking her tongue with impatience, she swung her legs over the side of the bed. She’d be better off downstairs lighting the fire instead of lying in bed. She never could stand being idle. She felt for the fleecy dressing gown which she’d had for so many years she’d lost track, and slipped her arms into the sleeves. Then, careful not to make a sound, she crept down the stairs and into the sitting room which was still warm from the fire she’d had roaring up the chimney last night. Once she’d raked the ashes out, it wouldn’t take long for the sticks of firewood to catch because some of the coals were still glowing. Moving at the double as she always did, she soon had the ashes in the bin and fresh coal laid on top of the sticks which were crackling into life.

‘Now for a hot cuppa,’ Bessie told the grate. ‘It’s flipping freezing outside. I was only in the yard for a few seconds and I’m shivering, I’m glad I don’t have to go to work.’ Five minutes later she was sitting at the table with her hands around a cup, watching the flames dancing up the chimney. In the peace and silence of the room, her thoughts drifted. Would this be the last Christmas she’d see Milly? If her grandparents took her to their heart, as they surely would, and if they were very rich and could give her anything her heart desired, then it would be churlish not to be happy for her. But, human nature being what it is, Bessie couldn’t help feeling sad.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts she didn’t hear the tell-tale creak of the stairs. It was only when Milly jumped down the last two, and there was a slight thud, that she came out of her reverie. Putting her cup down, Bessie held out her arms. ‘A very happy Christmas, sweetheart, and I hope Santa has been good to you.’

‘Merry Christmas, Auntie Bessie.’ Milly held her tight and rained kisses on her face. ‘It’s going to be the best Christmas I’ve ever had.’ The girl’s eyes had already taken in the large parcel at the end of the table, and the pillow case and dress hanging from the mantelpiece. Milly had been told from an early age by her mother that there was no such person as Father Christmas, and even though all the shops were decorated with pictures of him, and the girls in school talked of nothing else for weeks, she still didn’t believe there was such a person. That is, until her Auntie Bessie had come on the scene. If her beloved Auntie Bessie said there was a Father Christmas, then there must be.

Bessie removed the girl’s arms from her neck. ‘Aren’t yer going to see what presents yer’ve got, sweetheart? The big parcel on the table is from your mother, and she’s wrapped it in pretty paper, so d’yer want to open that first?’

‘Which do you think I should look at first?’

‘Oh, your mother’s, definitely. I bet it’s something really nice.’ When Milly hesitated, Bessie said cheerfully, ‘I’ll give yer a hand, shall I?’

‘I think it would be best if you open it, Auntie Bessie, I’m afraid of tearing the paper.’

‘Don’t worry about that, sweetheart, ’cos half the pleasure is ripping the paper off to see what goodies are inside. Look, get hold of my hand and we’ll do it together.’

The dress inside was in a deep red wool, with long sleeves. Very serviceable for winter days. The accompanying neat, tailored coat, in deep red and grey checked pure wool, was of the finest standard. ‘Oh, aren’t you a lucky girl, sweetheart, they’re lovely! Oh, my, ye’re going to be quite the young lady in these. Your mother has such good taste. Both the dress and the coat really are beautiful. Don’t yer think so, sweetheart?’

Milly put her hand on the coat and stroked it, not because she wanted to but because she thought it was what was expected of her. ‘Yes, they are nice, I’ll be able to wear them on a Sunday or if I’m going somewhere special.’

‘We’ll fold them up for now while you look to see what other presents Santa has brought for yer. Then I’ll find a coat hanger and hang them in the wardrobe. We’re going to have a houseful this afternoon, and I don’t want them to get stains on them.’

‘Is that green dress for me, Auntie Bessie?’ Milly’s heart was beginning to beat faster at the thought of the party. Just think, eighteen children, and one of them her friend Jack. ‘It looks very pretty.’

‘That’s your present from me. I made it for yer, and I hope yer like it.’

Milly stood on tip toe to reach the top of the hanger. ‘It’s beautiful, Auntie Bessie. Can I wear it for the party? I promise I’ll be careful and won’t dirty it.’

‘Of course yer can wear it, sweetheart, and it wouldn’t matter if yer did make it a bit mucky, it’s easy enough to wash.’

The girl’s happiness knew no bounds. She threw her arms around Bessie’s waist and cried, ‘Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! It’s the prettiest dress I’ve ever had. You must be very clever to have made it.’

When Bessie smiled, she was once again hugged and kissed. ‘You are the bestest auntie in the whole world.’

‘I’ll believe yer where thousands wouldn’t.’ Bessie stroked her hair. ‘Now take the pillowcase down and see what other presents are in there for yer, while I make another pot of tea and some toast. And we’ll have to have an early dinner, ’cos don’t forget, today is going to be a very busy day and I’ll need your help with the guests. After breakfast, you and me are going to have to move fast if we’re to have everything ready on time.’

Bessie had worried herself to death when Reg and Sam carried Rita’s dining table over. There wasn’t enough room inside her house and the men had to stand in the street while the women made space for it by carrying the sideboard out through the kitchen and into the yard. ‘I hope it doesn’t rain or snow on me sideboard,’ Bessie wailed. ‘I must have been crazy to think we’d get eighteen children in here.’

‘Calm down, sunshine, it isn’t like you to panic,’ Rita said. ‘Once the table comes in, we can get everything organised. Give the men a shout, Aggie, then we’ll have to move out of the way.’

‘I’ll go and get the chairs from our house.’ Aggie saw the legs of Rita’s table being manoeuvred round the door and decided to go out the back way. ‘I’ll carry them over two at a time and leave them under yer window until the men are finished.’

Rita had been right. When the men finally struggled down the narrow passage, they were quick to take in which way the new table and Bessie’s should stand to give most space. Then, the job accomplished, they went out whistling happily. ‘Ooh, that looks better,’ Bessie said with relief, ‘now we can get the cloths on and start bringing the food in. I’m glad Milly’s over in your house, Rita, ’cos she’d only be in the way here.’

‘She looks a treat in the dress yer made her, sunshine, yer did a good job on it. And, oh, boy, is she swanking in front of our Jack. There’s a permanent look of disgust on our Billy’s face. He’s more determined than ever he’ll never have a girlfriend. He looked horrified when Reg said he’d have daughters of his own one day.’

Aggie was dying to say that the day would surely come when young Billy realised there was more to girls than a mouth, but she thought better of it. It was Christmas Day, after all, and Bessie was on the religious side. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but being too pure meant yer missed out on a lot.

‘Come on, Aggie, shift yerself,’ Rita said. ‘Start bringing the plates in, and a cracker to go on each one. And if ye’re going to drop a plate, make it one of yer own, eh? I haven’t got that many I can spare one.’

‘Well, the bleeding cheek of you!’ Aggie looked hurt. ‘Another crack like that and I’ll be telling yer to sod off and do the job yerself.’

Bessie puckered her lips and blew out. ‘Will you two shut up and get on with the job in hand? I’m a nervous wreck without listening to you arguing.’ She wiped the back of a hand across her brow. ‘I’m sweating cobs and I’ll be glad when it’s over. I’m sorry I even thought of such a daft idea, I want me bumps feeling.’

Rita put an arm across her friend’s shoulder. ‘Yer won’t say that when yer see the kids’ faces when they set eyes on the table. Believe me, sunshine, yer won’t regret it.’

Once again Rita was right. Bessie was paid back a hundredfold when she saw the wide eyes of eighteen children who had never seen such a well-laid table or the variety of food on offer. Jelly creams in red, green and yellow, a huge bowl of trifle topped with cream and tiny silver balls, fairy cakes iced on top, sausage rolls, and several plates piled high with sandwiches. Some of the boys were giving each other sly nudges to make sure their mates had seen the Christmas cracker beside each plate. They’d never had one of those before and were longing to pull them, but they’d been warned by their parents to be quiet and well behaved.

Milly wasn’t quiet, though, she was so excited she couldn’t stop chattering. ‘Can we pull the crackers, Auntie Bessie?’

‘Yes, of course yer can. As soon as Mrs Gordon and Mrs Wells have poured lemonade out for yer, we ladies are going into the kitchen and leaving you to it. Everyone is equal here, it’s everyone’s party, so help yourselves. But I’m relying on the big boys, like Billy, to see that everyone gets a fair share. And Kitty will see to the girls.’

Once the three women had retired to the kitchen and closed the door, the racket started. Free to talk now, the boys’ voices could be heard above the girls’. ‘Ay, this is great, isn’t it? I never expected nothing like this. I wish me mam and dad could see how much is on this table.’ His mate answered, ‘There won’t be this much by the time we’ve finished. Ay, can yer eat those silver things?’ A girl had the answer to that. ‘Yeah, yer can eat them, but they’re hard so yer’d be better off sucking them.’

Rita moved from one foot to the other. ‘Let’s go over to mine for an hour, what d’yer say? Me feet are dropping off, I couldn’t stand for much longer. The kids will be all right, I can tell our Billy to keep an eye on them, and none of them are bad kids.’

Aggie nodded. ‘My feet have had it too! And don’t forget we’ve got to wash all the dishes for our little party tonight. I won’t be in good form if me corns are acting up. Tell our Kitty and your Billy to keep an eye on the others, they’re both sensible. Besides, it’s their party, for heaven’s sake, leave them to enjoy themselves.’

‘Put yer head around the door then, Rita,’ Bessie said, her own feet playing her up. ‘I’ll have to sit down meself, I’m bushed.’

As soon as Rita opened the living-room door the racket stopped and there was complete silence. ‘We’re going over to mine for a cup of tea, and we’re trusting you to behave yerselves. We want yer to enjoy yerselves, as long as nothing gets broken. When yer’ve finished eating, yer could play some games. I was going to suggest Blind Man’s Bluff, but as there’s no room to breathe in here, yer couldn’t play that. So ye’re going to have to use yer imagination, I’m sure one of yer can think of a game.’

Several heads nodded, and two boys said they knew loads of games. ‘And we’ll behave ourselves, missus.’

Rita smiled and said to herself, Ah, God love them, they get very little in life. ‘Yer better had behave yerselves, sunshine, or yer won’t be asked back to next year’s party.’

One boy piped up, ‘How long can we stay here for, Mrs Wells?’

‘Ooh, I’ll have to ask the boss about that.’ Rita backed into the kitchen and closed the door. ‘They want to know when yer’ll be chucking them out. But you go and tell them yerself, Bessie, and take a good look at them. That should tell yer whether it’s been worth all the hard work yer’ve put in.’

Aggie gave her mate a dig. ‘Ay, we helped as well. Let’s all have a look-see at them.’

Eighteen children and eighteen happy faces. They were all wearing the cheap paper hats they’d got out of the crackers, some of which were too big and kept falling down over their eyes or hanging cock-eyed, giving the wearer the appearance of being drunk. On the older boys the hats were too small and looked like a pimple on a mountain. But who cared? The kids were having the time of their lives, and the sight was a tonic to Bessie. ‘I’ll have to throw you out at five o’clock, kids, ’cos I’m having visitors tonight. But the main thing is, are yer enjoying yerselves?’

The roar from eighteen voices must have been heard as far away as the Pier Head, and left the women in no doubt that Bessie’s Christmas party was a huge success.

At eight o’clock that night, Rita and Reg Wells, and Aggie and Sam Gordon were enjoying a quiet drink with Bessie. Milly had gone to bed without any coaxing, dead beat from all the excitement. For years she’d had no friends to play with, and now she had so many. And she had someone to kiss her goodnight and tuck her into bed.

‘Well, it didn’t take long to get the place back to normal, Bessie,’ Rita said. ‘No one would believe yer had eighteen kids here this afternoon for a party.’

‘It’s thanks to the four of yer that it is back to normal, I’d never have managed it on me own.’ She took a sip of her milk stout. ‘What with the table to be carried over to yours, the mountain of dishes to be washed, and the floor swept and mopped, I wouldn’t have known where to start. In fact, I’d have probably thrown me hands in the air and gone to bed.’

‘Well, yer can sit back and relax now, queen,’ Aggie said with the permission of her chins. ‘When my feller gets a few more beers down him, he’ll entertain yer with a song. And after another milk stout, I might even give yer one meself. I used to be noted for me clear voice. I was once told I should try and get on the Empire, or the Metropole in Bootle.’

Sam looked sideways at his wife. ‘Who told yer this?’

Aggie waved a hand. ‘Oh, some bloke what heard me sing.’

‘How old were yer?’

‘Don’t be so bleeding nosy!’ Aggie bristled. ‘I was eighteen, if yer must know.’

‘Yer were eighteen when I met yer, but I’ve never heard yer sing like a lark.’ Sam was winding his wife up. ‘This bloke what said yer had a good voice, was he sitting in a chair or lying on the floor, blind drunk?’

‘It was before I met you, smart arse, and he was a proper gentleman, I’ll have you know.’ Aggie’s tummy was thinking if she didn’t laugh soon, it would burst. ‘In fact, you wouldn’t have stood a chance if this bloke hadn’t been bandy-legged and cross-eyed. It took a lot of thought before I decided I’d be better off with you, because I never knew whether this feller, gent as he was, was looking at me or the person next to me.’ Their smiles and titters egged her on. ‘Another thing, something me mam said got me thinking. She said he was so bandy he’d never be able to stop a pig in an entry. I thought he’d be no good to me then, so I turned me charms on to you instead.’