keep her mouth shut—but what if she was too late?
CHAPTER SEVEN
‘Mum, come on, you’ve got to eat,’ Lily ordered.
‘I ain’t hungry now. I’ll heat it up later.’
‘What about the jellied eels? Do you fancy them?’
‘Nah, not really. Anyway, girl, how’s things?’
‘Mum, don’t try to change the subject. I’m worried about you.’
‘Gawd, give it a rest. I’m fine. Is Mavis at school today or have you sent her out with the pram again?’
‘She’s in school.’
‘Not for much longer. I can’t believe she’s nearly fifteen—I’ll have to think about something for her birthday. What are you getting her?’
‘I dunno. It depends on whether Ron sends me any money.’
‘Sends it. What do you mean?’
‘He’s gone to work out of London and reckons he’ll be away for at least six months.’
‘Good riddance to bad rubbish. I should think you’re glad to see the back of him.’
‘I suppose it’ll be easier with one less mouth to feed. Ron reckons that while he’s away, he and Pete are going to save up enough to start up on their own.’
‘If you believe that, you’ll believe anything.’
‘I don’t, but you never know, he might mean it this time. In the meantime things are looking up. Mavis found me a biscuit barrel that should be worth a bit, and not only that, she’s got a little cleaning job. An hour after school and two at weekends.’
‘Blimey, fancy that. See, if she’s got herself a job she ain’t as daft as you think.’
Lily ignored the comment. Mavis hadn’t found the job herself but Lily couldn’t be bothered with explanations. She still had to sort the two boys out, and talk to their mothers. Oh, if only Ron was here to deal with it, and once again Lily knew that despite everything she was going to miss him. She also had to talk to Mavis about the birds and bees, but had no idea how to broach the subject. Sex was something her own mother had never spoken about and she’d grown up in ignorance. All right, it was a bit of a shock the first time, but it hadn’t done her any harm. Maybe a stern warning to keep away from blokes would be enough to put the frighteners up Mavis, without a long-winded explanation.
‘Mum, I’d best go. Promise me you’ll eat that stew later.’
‘Yeah, I promise.’
‘I still think you should see the doctor.’
‘Look, I’ve told you, I’m fine.’
‘Why do you have to be so stubborn?’
‘Me! It ain’t me who’s stubborn, it’s you. You’re just like your father.’
Lily had no memories of her father, a man who had been killed close to the end of the First World War in the year she’d been born. Lily knew it had been hard for her mother, could remember being looked after by her grandparents when she’d been forced to take on full-time work. ‘How come you always compare me to him?’
‘’Cos you really are like him, and not only in looks.’
‘Yeah, well, I’ll have to take your word for that.’
‘It must have been rotten for you, growing up without a dad.’
‘No, not really. I had Nan and Granddad, and I still miss them.’
‘Yeah, me too. I hate war, Lily. First I lost your dad, and then during the last conflict a bomb flattened me parents’ house, with them inside.’
‘I know, Mum,’ Lily said sadly.
‘I’ve upset us both now, and wish I hadn’t brought it up.’
‘Never mind, Mum, but I really have got to go.I’ll pop round again in the morning, and,’ she warned, ‘I want to see that you ate that stew.’
‘Don’t worry, I will. See you tomorrow, pet.’
Leaving her mother sitting by the fire, Lily left the house. She really was too thin, and Lily knew she had to get her mother to the doctor’s somehow. For now though, she had to sort those boys out, and knowing they’d be likely to be home from school now, she hurried back to Cullen Street.
Lily went to see Tommy Wilson’s mother first, pounding on the door, her head high with righteous indignation. When it was opened,
CHAPTER SEVEN
‘Mum, come on, you’ve got to eat,’ Lily ordered.
‘I ain’t hungry now. I’ll heat it up later.’
‘What about the jellied eels? Do you fancy them?’
‘Nah, not really. Anyway, girl, how’s things?’
‘Mum, don’t try to change the subject. I’m worried about you.’
‘Gawd, give it a rest. I’m fine. Is Mavis at school today or have you sent her out with the pram again?’
‘She’s in school.’
‘Not for much longer. I can’t believe she’s nearly fifteen—I’ll have to think about something for her birthday. What are you getting her?’
‘I dunno. It depends on whether Ron sends me any money.’
‘Sends it. What do you mean?’
‘He’s gone to work out of London and reckons he’ll be away for at least six months.’
‘Good riddance to bad rubbish. I should think you’re glad to see the back of him.’
‘I suppose it’ll be easier with one less mouth to feed. Ron reckons that while he’s away, he and Pete are going to save up enough to start up on their own.’
‘If you believe that, you’ll believe anything.’
‘I don’t, but you never know, he might mean it this time. In the meantime things are looking up. Mavis found me a biscuit barrel that should be worth a bit, and not only that, she’s got a little cleaning job. An hour after school and two at weekends.’
‘Blimey, fancy that. See, if she’s got herself a job she ain’t as daft as you think.’
Lily ignored the comment. Mavis hadn’t found the job herself but Lily couldn’t be bothered with explanations. She still had to sort the two boys out, and talk to their mothers. Oh, if only Ron was here to deal with it, and once again Lily knew that despite everything she was going to miss him. She also had to talk to Mavis about the birds and bees, but had no idea how to broach the subject. Sex was something her own mother had never spoken about and she’d grown up in ignorance. All right, it was a bit of a shock the first time, but it hadn’t done her any harm. Maybe a stern warning to keep away from blokes would be enough to put the frighteners up Mavis, without a long-winded explanation.
‘Mum, I’d best go. Promise me you’ll eat that stew later.’
‘Yeah, I promise.’
‘I still think you should see the doctor.’
‘Look, I’ve told you, I’m fine.’
‘Why do you have to be so stubborn?’
‘Me! It ain’t me who’s stubborn, it’s you. You’re just like your father.’
Lily had no memories of her father, a man who had been killed close to the end of the First World War in the year she’d been born. Lily knew it had been hard for her mother, could remember being looked after by her grandparents when she’d been forced to take on full-time work. ‘How come you always compare me to him?’
‘’Cos you really are like him, and not only in looks.’
‘Yeah, well, I’ll have to take your word for that.’
‘It must have been rotten for you, growing up without a dad.’
‘No, not really. I had Nan and Granddad, and I still miss them.’
‘Yeah, me too. I hate war, Lily. First I lost your dad, and then during the last conflict a bomb flattened me parents’ house, with them inside.’
‘I know, Mum,’ Lily said sadly.
‘I’ve upset us both now, and wish I hadn’t brought it up.’
‘Never mind, Mum, but I really have got to go.I’ll pop round again in the morning, and,’ she warned, ‘I want to see that you ate that stew.’
‘Don’t worry, I will. See you tomorrow, pet.’
Leaving her mother sitting by the fire, Lily left the house. She really was too thin, and Lily knew she had to get her mother to the doctor’s somehow. For now though, she had to sort those boys out, and knowing they’d be likely to be home from school now, she hurried back to Cullen Street.
Lily went to see Tommy Wilson’s mother first, pounding on the door, her head high with righteous indignation. When it was opened,
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