Under the July Sun (15 page)

Cat then asked Michael if he had to find new lodgings as his landlady was going back to Wales, but careful not to be chastised again for speaking with his mouth full, he pointed to his lips and kept chewing.

Unable to keep up the charade any longer, Cat burst out laughing, joined by Ellie who doubled up on her chair convulsed with hilarity.

Then gradually Michael began to see the joke they had played on him. He put down his knife and fork.

Cat, by now, was screaming with laughter, rocking back and forth on her chair wiping tears from her eyes as Ellie jumped up to fetch the ‘real' food, which was in the oven.

Ellie lay the roasting dish with a joint of lamb on the table and asked Michael to carve. Roast potatoes snuggled round the edges of the lamb, crisp and brown, oozing juice, rubbing shoulders with parsnips laced in honey. The aroma was tantalizing, but Michael decided he was not ready to give in to normality just yet.

‘Carve what?' he asked

‘The meat of course,' Ellie said handing him a carving knife.

‘But there's nothin' there at all.' Michael said staring at the joint, ‘and anyway, I'm so full from the first meal, I couldn't eat another thing.'

Ellie grinned, ‘so, ye've lost yer appetite then Michael? Well, we'll have to take this meal away then won't we?'

‘Not so fast,' he said. His eyes met Ellie's. ‘I think I've room for more after all,' he added and looked at her, smiling. ‘And any more tricks like that and I'll skin ye alive young lady.'

He began carving the meat which fell from the bone tenderly, revealing pinky-brown flesh ready to be garnished well with real mint sauce.

Michael walked into the darkness whistling and Ellie closed the front door, then rested against it. She was confused; she was still mourning Jimmy's death, yet Michael had stirred something inside her. Something she thought had died. It wasn't love, she was sure of that, but in the absence of another explanation, she was at a loss. She refused to admit she was attracted to Michael, it seemed indecent, so decided she would keep her thoughts to herself until she knew him better or had let more time elapse.

Cat swept past Ellie into the bedroom. ‘What in the world are ye doing, holdin' up the door?' she said interrupting her reverie.

Ellie grinned and ambled in behind Cat. ‘Did ye see to the fire?'

‘I did. Now get yerself into bed, we've early Mass in the mornin' and it's past midnight already.' Cat began taking out her hairpins, laying them on a box next to the bed. She undressed, put on her nightdress and began brushing her hair, mumbling the number of strokes to herself. Suddenly she stopped and turned to Ellie.

‘Are ye goin' to stand all night like someone lovesick who can't spew, or are ye goin' to get undressed and into bed?'

Ellie started undressing and turned her face away so that Cat could not read her expression. She didn't feel like being interrogated, so decided to ignore the remark.

‘Well?' Cat asked putting down the hairbrush, ‘are ye goin' to tell me what's up or not?'

‘Oh Cat, I really don't feel like talkin' right now, I'm tired and 'tis late. Let's get to bed,' Ellie said undoing the buttons to her dress which slipped down over her hips and fell to the floor.'

‘Pick up the dress and hang it up Ellie, or it'll crease.' Cat slid in between the sheets and yawned, ‘Oh why on earth did we agree to go to early Mass with him, we should have said we'd go to the eleven o'clock.'

‘Well, it'll get it over with and leave more time to walk to Lize's for the furniture. Did Michael say whether he had to move lodgings now?'

‘No, he didn't. He began to say at the table, but he got kind of sidetracked. He fell for that at first didn't he?'

‘Yes. I'm surprised, I would have thought he'd have known what we were up to, 'tis an old trick.' Cat snuggled down under the bedclothes. ‘Turn out the lamp when ye're done, I'm goin' to sleep.'

‘D'ya think Louis will buy ye an engagement ring?'

‘Goodnight Ellie!'

‘Well, do ye?'

‘I don't know and I don't care. Get some sleep will ye.'

‘I don't think I can sleep.'

‘Count sheep.'

‘It doesn't work for me.'

‘Then count the hours 'till ye can see Michael Nagle again!'

What d'ya mean?' Ellie's tone was cautious.

‘C'mon, I've eyes in me head.'

Ellie didn't answer but put her nightdress on and crept beneath the covers where she began yawning and feigning sleep. Soon her heavy breathing indicated to Cat she had gone to sleep, but Ellie lay for hours trying to work out what she felt and the implications of getting involved with Michael. He was going to America. If he asked her to go with him, would she want to? She didn't think so but at nearly thirty, her options were narrowing.

Eventually she fell into a restless sleep, exhausted and still undecided about her course of action should Michael ask her to go out with him. Would she go? Michael had asked her out previously, but Jimmy had beaten him to it.

* * *

It was early afternoon by the time the trio had pushed the handcart, from Eltham to Plumstead. Cat opened the gate and knocked on Lize's door.

After a while the door opened a little and Iris peered through the gap

‘Hello Auntie Cat,' she smiled and opened the door wider.

‘Hello, Iris. Can ye tell yer mammy we're here to collect the sofa?'

Iris disappeared inside the house and returned instantly. ‘Mummy said to come in. She's out in the scullery doing the dishes.'

Cat followed Iris inside and Ellie and Michael waited at the gate.

‘Are ye not goin' in Ellie?' Michael asked.

‘No.'

‘Why not?'

‘I wasn't asked.'

Michael let the conversation drop. He gathered by Ellie's tone that there was something amiss. Instead he stood whistling through his front teeth and rolling a cigarette. He pinched off spare tobacco from the end and lit it, drawing down the first rush of nicotine.

Ellie rolled a stone back and forth with her foot wishing Cat would hurry up. She wanted to get away. It was a long walk back and she was tired after a sleepless night.

‘Ye look tired,' Michael said and drew on his cigarette whilst fiddling with a box of matches.

‘Sure I am, t'was late before we got to bed last night.' There was a silence and Ellie continued rolling the stone around with her foot.

Then Michael turned to her. ‘Would ye care to go to the music hall one evening, with Cat as well, of course?'

Ellie stopped rolling the stone around and looked up at him. ‘I would. Yes, I would.'

‘What about Cat?' Michael asked.

‘Ask her yerself, there she is.'

Cat had appeared in the doorway and was beckoning them inside.

They went up to the door and Ellie whispered to Cat. ‘Is Lize here?'

‘Yes, of course, why?'

‘Well, no reason, I just didn't want to go barging into her house uninvited, if ye know what I mean.' Ellie stepped into the hallway followed by Michael.

Lize approached them, drying her hands on a towel.

‘Afternoon Ellie,' she said but looked at Michael, ‘and you are?'

‘Michael. Michael Nagle, missis.'

Lize looked at him and held out her hand.

‘Eliza. But most people call me, Lize. Pleased to meet you Michael.' She pushed an errant strand of hair behind her ear and colour rushed into her cheeks.

Ellie noticed she was blushing and thought Lize had another side to her, as well as being a bitch!

Lize strode across the playground and pushed through the swing doors of Reggie's school.

Immediately ahead she saw the door marked,
Headmaster's Office
. She didn't know why the Head had summoned her, but decided it was better to get it over with. It was an awful, rainy April day and she was cold, wet and agitated as she went into the building.

When she reached the Headmaster's office she stood still for a while composing her thoughts, trying to quell her nervousness, then tapped on the door.

Immediately the door opened and Mr. Frome waved her inside.

‘Sit down, Mrs. Collis, this won't take long.'

His tone sounded unfriendly and businesslike.

Lize sat down, afraid of what he was going to say. She tucked her legs beneath the chair criss-crossed at the ankle and pushed her hands into her pockets to hide their trembling. She felt like a silly child, and wanted to cry. This man frightened her. She badly needed Charlie.

Mr. Frome sat in his chair, leaned his elbows on the desk and looked at her over the top of his glasses.

Lize's eyes settled on the blotter beneath his elbows and the inkwell neatly placed next to the inkstand and pen. It seemed an interminable wait. She wished he'd get on with whatever it was he had called her into the school about.

He let out a sigh. ‘Mrs. Collis, I have a rather delicate matter to speak to you about. Normally, I would have spoken to Reginald's father, but unfortunately that cannot be.'

Whatever was he going to come out with, Lize wondered? It sounded pretty ominous and fear rose like bile in her throat. Drained of colour she looked Mr. Frome in the eye.

‘Is it something bad, Mr. Frome?'

‘Yes, I'm afraid it is!' He didn't continue for a while, but sat staring down at his blotter.

Lize lowered her eyes. This was awful she thought, now she was going to cry, she knew it. Lize couldn't prevent big tears spilling down her cheeks.

Mr. Frome ignored her tears and began his speech. ‘You see Reginald has been involved in something rather difficult for me to speak to a lady about, but in the absence of his father I'm afraid I am forced to inform you that I am going to cane him and then expulsion will follow immediately.'

Lize straightened up. ‘Why? What on earth has he done? Has he stolen something, or anything like that?' she was floundering. She felt as though she had to guess Reggie's misdemeanour.

Then, as though having given it enough time for thought, Mr. Frome told her what had happened.

‘At playtime this morning your son was found outside the storeroom trying to interfere with a young girl. He had his trousers down.'

Lize gasped. Her heart pounded in her chest and her breathing became difficult; but there was more to come. Mr. Frome cleared his throat, to continue, but Lize butted in.

‘My Reggie wouldn't do such a thing, there must be some mistake!'

‘I'm afraid there is no mistake, Mrs. Collis, I saw him myself. I'm afraid we have to take strong disciplinary action now.'

Lize couldn't take it in. Her head spun. The room was suddenly too hot and that man was giving her an absolutely awful look. She imagined Mr. Frome thought she was horrible, just like Reggie.

‘Mrs. Collis, do you fully understand the seriousness of this?'

Lize wiped the sweat from her face with her handkerchief. ‘Yes. Yes of course. But surely you were mistaken. Perhaps they were just playing.'

‘No. They were not playing. The little girl was extremely upset and told me that he wouldn't let her go. Her parents may make a complaint to the police.'

‘Oh. No. Please, can't you do something? Not the police!'

Mr. Frome thought for a while rubbed the lobe of his ear then stood up. ‘I'm going to cane Reginald. And then you may remove him from the school. Now if you can compose yourself, I shall send for him and get this over with.'

Lize sat immobilized on the chair and as Mr. Frome left the room felt she was going to vomit all over his highly polished parquet floor.

Mr. Frome re-appeared with Reggie in tow hanging his head and unable to look at his mother.

‘Take your trousers down,' Mr. Frome commanded.

Reggie undid his braces and eased his trousers down a little.

‘Right down boy,' Mr. Frome boomed at him whilst taking a cane from the desk drawer. He swished it a couple of times, whipping the air with vicious swipes.

Reggie trembled and his face whitened as Lize looked on helplessly. She watched as Reggie bent down and the flogging began.

Not once did he cry out, but silently took the punishment; and when it was over simply pulled up his trousers and slipped his braces back onto his shoulders.

Without looking either at his mother or Mr. Frome, Reggie asked, ‘Can I go now Sir?'

‘Wait outside,' Mr Frome said in a superior tone.

Reggie slunk from the room and closed the door while Mr. Frome placed the cane back in his drawer, wiped his hands on a handkerchief, and turned to Lize.

‘You will now remove your son from these premises and send him to another school. I hope this has taught him a lesson. Good day, Madam.'

The ordeal was over and Mr. Frome moved to the door, opened it, and Lize slipped out without looking up.

Once outside she marched out of the playground and down the road with Reggie walking quickly behind her until they reached the house. Lize fumbled with her keys, opened the door and motioned to Reggie to go into the kitchen.

She went upstairs and took one of Charlie's belts from the wardrobe, returned to the kitchen and went over to Reggie.

She wound the belt round her hand and lashed him across the face.

Reggie brought his hands up to defend himself but she just went on thrashing him on any part of his body she could get at - until bereft of energy, she sank to the floor and sobbed.

She wanted to scream at him,
just wait until your father comes home
!

Louis stood on deck watching the French mainland recede, the boat pitching and rolling its way across the English Channel. He felt the tightness in his jaw relax and was relieved watching the frothy wake separate him from France.