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Authors: Josephine Cox
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on the stairs and I saw them…going mad at each other they were. Then Aunt Sheila threw a shoe at my uncle and it knocked him clean out. She’s got this vicious temper, you see.’
Tom and Nancy were shocked. ‘I’m not sure you should be telling us all this, luv.’ Nancy had never heard the like.
Alice confided, ‘This time it sounds bad. Father didn’t go into too much detail, but from the little he said, I understand that they had a really bad fight, and Aunt Sheila packed her bags left. And now, Uncle Larry is in a bit of a state.’
After Nancy reassured her, Alice continued, ‘Father says it’s all gone a bit too far this time, and that it was all to do with Uncle Larry seeing another woman.’
‘Hmm!’ Nancy squared her shoulders. ‘If any man of mine played about with other women, I would never leave!’
‘Aw, you must really love me then?’ Tom teased.
‘Not that much,’ she retaliated. ‘Like I said… I wouldn’t leave, but you’d be out that door on the end o’ my toe!’ She gave Tom another derisory glance.
‘Don’t you look at me like that!’ Tom was indignant. ‘For one thing, I have never played about in my life, and for another, I’m a burnt-out, balding man with weak eyes and a gammy leg. Who in their right mind would want to be lumbered with me? ’
‘Are you saying I’m not in my right mind, Tom Arnold?’ Nancy squared up for a fight.
Recognising the danger, Tom tried to make light of it. ‘Well, if the cap fits…an’ all that.’ He might have gone on, but with a well-aimed, wet tea towel landing over his mouth, he found it difficult to speak.
Snatching away the tea towel, Nancy wagged a finger at him. ‘The sad thing is, I’m stuck with you, whether I like it or not. As for your weak eyes that’s because you’re forever staring at the small print on the racing page.’ She gave Alice a cheeky wink.
‘Sorry, luv. You know full well, I wouldn’t swap you for the world.’
When Tom saw her quietly smiling, he reached over to hug her. ‘How could I not keep you,’ he chuckled. ‘You make the best apple pie a man could ever want.’
Alice thought they were a delight to watch.
She had never experienced such a family as this, and she told them so. ‘Mother is so fussy. Everything has to be in its place with every plate, cup and table cloth matching.’ She loved the way Nancy set out her table, with multi-coloured plates, old earthenware serving bowls and a blue table cloth, which she proudly confessed to making herself out of an old curtain. It was so perfect no one would ever have known.
This was a happy table, she thought. A real family.
The pleasure of sitting round a table with this family hadproved to be a new experience to Alice. ‘We’re not allowed to even speak at meal times,’ she revealed, to everyone’s surprise, ‘let alone tease and laugh with each other.’
Frank joked, ‘What with that and your mad relatives, I didn’t realise what I was letting myself in for.’
Alice laughed at that.
Draining the last dregs of his tea, Frank placed the mug in the sink. ‘Why do we have to wait for Joe anyway?’
After the showdown with Joe he was not in the best of moods. ‘If he can’t get here like the rest of us, let’s just start without him. After all, if he wants to spend his time with that flearidden bird, that’s up to him. The rest of us don’t have to eat a cold dinner, do we, eh?’
Believing that to be unfair, Alice protested, ‘We can’t start without him, Frank. It’s his first night back. Besides, he’s bound to be here soon.’
Nancy agreed. ‘My sentiments exactly!’
‘Suit yourself then!’ Frank went off in a sulk.
When Nancy went to look out the window, Alice followed her. At first she didn’t say anything. Instead she just stood beside Nancy, stretching her neck to peer out the same window.
Being older and wiser, Nancy was well aware that Alice had something to disclose. Drawing her close in a hug, she
Tom and Nancy were shocked. ‘I’m not sure you should be telling us all this, luv.’ Nancy had never heard the like.
Alice confided, ‘This time it sounds bad. Father didn’t go into too much detail, but from the little he said, I understand that they had a really bad fight, and Aunt Sheila packed her bags left. And now, Uncle Larry is in a bit of a state.’
After Nancy reassured her, Alice continued, ‘Father says it’s all gone a bit too far this time, and that it was all to do with Uncle Larry seeing another woman.’
‘Hmm!’ Nancy squared her shoulders. ‘If any man of mine played about with other women, I would never leave!’
‘Aw, you must really love me then?’ Tom teased.
‘Not that much,’ she retaliated. ‘Like I said… I wouldn’t leave, but you’d be out that door on the end o’ my toe!’ She gave Tom another derisory glance.
‘Don’t you look at me like that!’ Tom was indignant. ‘For one thing, I have never played about in my life, and for another, I’m a burnt-out, balding man with weak eyes and a gammy leg. Who in their right mind would want to be lumbered with me? ’
‘Are you saying I’m not in my right mind, Tom Arnold?’ Nancy squared up for a fight.
Recognising the danger, Tom tried to make light of it. ‘Well, if the cap fits…an’ all that.’ He might have gone on, but with a well-aimed, wet tea towel landing over his mouth, he found it difficult to speak.
Snatching away the tea towel, Nancy wagged a finger at him. ‘The sad thing is, I’m stuck with you, whether I like it or not. As for your weak eyes that’s because you’re forever staring at the small print on the racing page.’ She gave Alice a cheeky wink.
‘Sorry, luv. You know full well, I wouldn’t swap you for the world.’
When Tom saw her quietly smiling, he reached over to hug her. ‘How could I not keep you,’ he chuckled. ‘You make the best apple pie a man could ever want.’
Alice thought they were a delight to watch.
She had never experienced such a family as this, and she told them so. ‘Mother is so fussy. Everything has to be in its place with every plate, cup and table cloth matching.’ She loved the way Nancy set out her table, with multi-coloured plates, old earthenware serving bowls and a blue table cloth, which she proudly confessed to making herself out of an old curtain. It was so perfect no one would ever have known.
This was a happy table, she thought. A real family.
The pleasure of sitting round a table with this family hadproved to be a new experience to Alice. ‘We’re not allowed to even speak at meal times,’ she revealed, to everyone’s surprise, ‘let alone tease and laugh with each other.’
Frank joked, ‘What with that and your mad relatives, I didn’t realise what I was letting myself in for.’
Alice laughed at that.
Draining the last dregs of his tea, Frank placed the mug in the sink. ‘Why do we have to wait for Joe anyway?’
After the showdown with Joe he was not in the best of moods. ‘If he can’t get here like the rest of us, let’s just start without him. After all, if he wants to spend his time with that flearidden bird, that’s up to him. The rest of us don’t have to eat a cold dinner, do we, eh?’
Believing that to be unfair, Alice protested, ‘We can’t start without him, Frank. It’s his first night back. Besides, he’s bound to be here soon.’
Nancy agreed. ‘My sentiments exactly!’
‘Suit yourself then!’ Frank went off in a sulk.
When Nancy went to look out the window, Alice followed her. At first she didn’t say anything. Instead she just stood beside Nancy, stretching her neck to peer out the same window.
Being older and wiser, Nancy was well aware that Alice had something to disclose. Drawing her close in a hug, she
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