Kitty Neale - A Family’s Heartbreak

‘I sure do love you, Lizzie, you’re one hell of a gal!’

Lizzie was straddled across Dwight’s naked body. She ran her finger down his bare chest. ‘Yes, I am, and don’t you forget it,’ she said before climbing off him and pulling her blouse around her chest. She walked over to the desk in his bedroom and took a cigarette from a packet. As she lit it, the smoke curled up and made hazy circles in the sunlight beaming through the window.

‘They don’t make gals like you in the US of A, not in Alabama where my momma and papa live.’

‘Yeah, I’m unique. You won’t find many like me in Balham either,’ she said, then sat on his desk with her legs slightly parted.

‘You’re such a tease. It’s only ten in the morning and you’ve already had me up twice. A man needs a bit of time to recover.’

‘If you need to keep your strength up, Dwight, how about you make us some of those delicious pancakes?’

‘I can do that … anything for my pretty gal.’

Dwight stood up and pulled on his underpants. He winked at Lizzie then sloped off to the kitchen. Lizzie threw herself down on his bed and pulled hard on her cigarette as she stared up at the ceiling. She liked being with Dwight in his small flat. She thought his strange accent made him sound a bit thick, but he treated her like a queen. From what he’d told her, she’d learned he was an American GI who’d been posted to London during the war. He’d got a British woman in the family way and had felt obliged to marry her. Lizzie thought that was typical of him, he was so polite. As it turned out, the woman wasn’t pregnant and passed away a few years later. He’d never been back to Alabama, though he said he would one day, and when he did, he’d take Lizzie with him.

She was so wrapped up in Dwight that she hadn’t given a thought to her kids in a while, but Lizzie wasn’t worried about them. They were housed and fed, which was more than she’d been at times. The smell of the sweet pancakes wafted through to the bedroom and she could hear Dwight whistling a tune she didn’t recognise. She wondered if it was one he’d written himself. He played guitar in a band. That’s how she’d met him. She’d been swaying to the jazz and had caught his eye. It had only been a week ago, but she already had her feet firmly rooted under his table.

She heard Dwight call, ‘Hey, pretty lady, your breakfast is ready.’

‘I’ll take it in bed, thanks,’ she called back, and puffed up the pillow behind her.

Dwight came in carrying a tray and asked, ‘Is there anything else you’d like?’

Lizzie eyed him up and down, from his broad, toned chest, to his long, muscular legs. ‘Yes, there is,’ she purred, ‘But after breakfast.’

After some gentle coaxing, Craig had finally persuaded Jenny that moving in with him would be for the best. She’d eventually agreed but he smiled as he recalled her firm stipulation that there was to be no funny business between them. He’d assured her that he would never take advantage of her, though how she thought that could happen with six of them crammed into his small flat was beyond him. He was just relieved that she’d no longer be subjected to her father’s sickening temper.

Since then he’d had a week of frantic activity, arranging extra beds and bedding to accommodate the impending arrival of the Lombard siblings later today. With the beds sorted, he went downstairs to give Edith an update.

‘So, they’re all moving in today? Doing a runner whilst Henry’s at work?’

‘Yes, that’s right. I reckon they’ll be here in about an hour.’

He was pacing the room and repeatedly looking out of the front window.

‘Craig, will you please sit down! It’s making me dizzy just looking at you.’

‘Sorry. I know Jenny said to wait here for them, but I really think I should go and help. What if Henry comes home and catches them? And there’s all their stuff to lug here,’ Craig said, and after only just sitting down he jumped up again, ‘Yes, I’ll go and help, just in case.’

‘Craig!’ Edith shouted, ‘I don’t know why I’m raising me voice ’cos you can’t hear me. If Jenny needed you, she would have said so, wouldn’t she?’

‘Yes, I suppose so.’

‘Right, go and make yourself useful and make us both a drink.’

Craig smiled warmly at the old woman, then said, ‘Don’t tell Jenny I got myself all worked up, will you?’

‘No, I shan’t say a word. Go on, bugger off, you silly sod. That kettle won’t boil itself.’

Craig normally felt relaxed and at home in Edith’s flat, but today he was fretting. He’d done everything he could to make his place comfortable for his new lodgers and hoped Jenny would like it. He made the tea and handed Edith a cup.

‘I know what you’re thinking, but stop worrying, young man. Jenny will be happy up there with you. You’ve assured me that there won’t be any funny business going on over my head, yet no doubt there’ll still be gossip. If I hear anything said I’ll put them in their place, but all that matters to me is that Jenny will be away from her father.’

Craig hoped he could keep them all safe but worried that once Henry found out where they were, he’d come storming round to drag them all back. The man could try, and though Craig had no doubt that Henry could flatten him, he’d still fight if he had to. He shook his head as if trying to shake some sense into himself, but it was no use. He knew, if it came to it, he’d put his life on the line for Jenny.

Jenny still had misgivings about moving in with Craig. She knew there’d be gossip, or even women spitting at her in the street. She’d probably be ostracised too, but the thought of being beaten like a dog by her father again was far worse. They’d all be safe at Craig’s, so not just for her own sake, but for the others’ too, she’d agreed.

They were moving out that day, but Gloria leaned against the kitchen table with her arms folded and lips pouting. ‘I ain’t happy about us all being crammed into Craig’s flat. I don’t see why I have to go with you … why can’t I stay here?’

Jenny looked at her sister in disbelief. The girl hated her father, so she couldn’t understand why she’d want to remain living with him.

‘Don’t look at me like that,’ Gloria snapped. ‘Once you’re gone, I’ll have my own room at last and maybe when you ain’t here he won’t be as bad.’

‘And maybe he’ll beat you up instead of me. Have you thought about that?’

‘Yeah, well, maybe he won’t!’

‘Gloria, listen to yourself. You sound really childish. Anyway, I’m not prepared to leave without you, so either we all stay, or we all go.’

‘That’s blackmail!’

‘I don’t care what it is. I’m only concerned for your safety. So, what will it be?’

Gloria stamped her foot and threw her arms around as she trudged out of the kitchen, shouting, ‘All right, you win … we all go.’

Jenny momentarily closed her eyes and sighed with relief. Gloria digging her heels in was the last thing she’d expected.

‘What’s Gloria on about?’ Timmy asked as he ran into the room with his brother.

‘Yeah, where are we all going?’ from Peter.

Jenny hadn’t told her brothers they were going to live with Craig for fear of one them accidently saying something in front of their father. She’d warned her sisters to say nothing too, but now Gloria had let the cat out of the bag. ‘Right, sit down, I’ve got something to tell you.’

The brothers exchanged a glance, then quickly sat at the table.

‘Do you remember Craig?’

‘Course we do. He’s the deaf bloke,’ answered Timmy.

‘He lives in a flat above Gran, and we’re all moving in with him. Not Dad though, he’ll be staying here.’