me to sit down and they’d make me a cup of tea.’
‘Well I still think you should have let the bloke reimburse you,’ David said. ‘He’s probably got more money than you.’
‘I’m not taking money off a strange man.’ Poppy’s eyes flashed. ‘What do yer think I am?’ She was quite indignant. ‘He looked like a toff, and I wasn’t going to lower myself to him. He was with his girlfriend, and the coat she was wearing must have cost a fortune. They talked like toffs as well.’ Then Poppy had a vision of Charlotte, and added, ‘The girl was very nice, though, and very helpful. In fact they were both nice to me.’
Eva, a widow of forty-two, worked in a local factory as a seamstress. Her husband had died of TB when he was only thirty-five, leaving her to bring up eleven-year-old David and nine-year-old Poppy. Life was hard then, and she had little time to grieve for the husband she’d adored. Forced to take a full-time job, she had worked all the overtime she could get so they could stay in the six-roomed house that held so many memories of her beloved husband. Still, life was easier now, with her nineteen-year-old daughter bringing in a regular wage, and in a few weeks’ time David would finish his apprenticeship as an engineer and start earning a man’s wage. Her son was the spitting image of his father, and had the same mannerisms, the same crooked grin and the same sense of humour.
Eva shook her head to clear the memories, and smiled at her daughter. Poppy was still standing in the middle of the room, and she raised her brows questioningly. ‘A penny for them, Mam. You were miles away then.’
‘No, I was only thinking what we could do with the coat for the best. I could wash it tonight, let it dry for a day or so, then take it into work with me and do the best I can. It won’t be perfect because of the ragged tear, but it would do you a turn until you got another.’ Eva sighed. ‘But what could you wear in the meanwhile?’
Poppy shrugged her shoulders. ‘I’ve got that grey three-quarter-length, though heaven knows that’s seen better days. Still, if I wear a colourful scarf to brighten it up, it wouldn’t look too bad. Not tonight, though, ’cos I’ve got a date. I’ll wipe the dirt off this coat as best I can, and hope no one notices the blinking tear.’
‘Who’s the date with?’ David asked. ‘Anyone we know?’
Poppy slipped the raincoat off and draped it over her arm. ‘You don’t know him. His name’s Pete and I met him at the Grafton. And before yer give me the third degree, he’s tall, dark and handsome, and a smashing dancer.’
‘Julie usually goes to the Grafton with you,’ Eva said, her eyes narrowed. ‘Is she going on the date with you?’
‘She met a bloke as well, Mam, and she made a date with him. His name is Jim, and they’re going to the flicks. But we’re not going out as a foursome. I don’t know where I’m going with Pete; probably to the pictures.’
‘Why don’t you ever bring any of the blokes home with you?’ David asked. ‘You know our mam worries about you, which she wouldn’t do if she knew who you were going out with.’
‘You’re a fine one to talk,’ Poppy said. ‘What about the girlsyou go out with? Yer’ve never brought one home for Mam to see if she approves.’ Then her mouth stretched in a smile and her eyes twinkled, ‘I know, Mam, it’s because the only girls he can get are either cross-eyed or buck-toothed.’
David’s guffaw brought a smile to his mother’s face. She was proud of both her children, and happy that they got on so well together. ‘I’ll tell yer what, sis, I’ll bring my date home if you’ll bring yours.’
‘I’m not bringing a bloke home when I’ve only just met him. If I said I wanted him to meet my mother, he’d think I was serious about him and run so fast I wouldn’t see his heels for dust.’
Eva leaned against the sideboard, her arms across her tummy. ‘D’yer know anything
‘Well I still think you should have let the bloke reimburse you,’ David said. ‘He’s probably got more money than you.’
‘I’m not taking money off a strange man.’ Poppy’s eyes flashed. ‘What do yer think I am?’ She was quite indignant. ‘He looked like a toff, and I wasn’t going to lower myself to him. He was with his girlfriend, and the coat she was wearing must have cost a fortune. They talked like toffs as well.’ Then Poppy had a vision of Charlotte, and added, ‘The girl was very nice, though, and very helpful. In fact they were both nice to me.’
Eva, a widow of forty-two, worked in a local factory as a seamstress. Her husband had died of TB when he was only thirty-five, leaving her to bring up eleven-year-old David and nine-year-old Poppy. Life was hard then, and she had little time to grieve for the husband she’d adored. Forced to take a full-time job, she had worked all the overtime she could get so they could stay in the six-roomed house that held so many memories of her beloved husband. Still, life was easier now, with her nineteen-year-old daughter bringing in a regular wage, and in a few weeks’ time David would finish his apprenticeship as an engineer and start earning a man’s wage. Her son was the spitting image of his father, and had the same mannerisms, the same crooked grin and the same sense of humour.
Eva shook her head to clear the memories, and smiled at her daughter. Poppy was still standing in the middle of the room, and she raised her brows questioningly. ‘A penny for them, Mam. You were miles away then.’
‘No, I was only thinking what we could do with the coat for the best. I could wash it tonight, let it dry for a day or so, then take it into work with me and do the best I can. It won’t be perfect because of the ragged tear, but it would do you a turn until you got another.’ Eva sighed. ‘But what could you wear in the meanwhile?’
Poppy shrugged her shoulders. ‘I’ve got that grey three-quarter-length, though heaven knows that’s seen better days. Still, if I wear a colourful scarf to brighten it up, it wouldn’t look too bad. Not tonight, though, ’cos I’ve got a date. I’ll wipe the dirt off this coat as best I can, and hope no one notices the blinking tear.’
‘Who’s the date with?’ David asked. ‘Anyone we know?’
Poppy slipped the raincoat off and draped it over her arm. ‘You don’t know him. His name’s Pete and I met him at the Grafton. And before yer give me the third degree, he’s tall, dark and handsome, and a smashing dancer.’
‘Julie usually goes to the Grafton with you,’ Eva said, her eyes narrowed. ‘Is she going on the date with you?’
‘She met a bloke as well, Mam, and she made a date with him. His name is Jim, and they’re going to the flicks. But we’re not going out as a foursome. I don’t know where I’m going with Pete; probably to the pictures.’
‘Why don’t you ever bring any of the blokes home with you?’ David asked. ‘You know our mam worries about you, which she wouldn’t do if she knew who you were going out with.’
‘You’re a fine one to talk,’ Poppy said. ‘What about the girlsyou go out with? Yer’ve never brought one home for Mam to see if she approves.’ Then her mouth stretched in a smile and her eyes twinkled, ‘I know, Mam, it’s because the only girls he can get are either cross-eyed or buck-toothed.’
David’s guffaw brought a smile to his mother’s face. She was proud of both her children, and happy that they got on so well together. ‘I’ll tell yer what, sis, I’ll bring my date home if you’ll bring yours.’
‘I’m not bringing a bloke home when I’ve only just met him. If I said I wanted him to meet my mother, he’d think I was serious about him and run so fast I wouldn’t see his heels for dust.’
Eva leaned against the sideboard, her arms across her tummy. ‘D’yer know anything
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